Ellen Bishop sent me a link to a New York Times story that features Wallowa County prominently.

“Poisoned Wildlife and Tainted Meat: Why Hunters Are Moving Away From Lead Bullets” follows the hunting adventures of Chelsea Cassens on Zumwalt Prairie.

Getting the lead out of bullets has been a topic of discussion for while now. Like every other topic, there are at least two sides to the issue.

“Wildlife authorities have at times also been reluctant to embrace bans on lead ammunition for fear that forcing non-lead ammunition on hunters may cause them to stop hunting altogether,” says writer Ian Urbina, an investigative reporter who joined The Times in 2003. “Revenue from hunting is vital to conservation programs, enforcement and research. Many wildlife officials are themselves proud hunters and do not want to contribute to the decline of this pastime, not to mention the practical role that hunting plays in conservation efforts like the one at the 33,000-acre Zumwalt Prairie Preserve, run by The Nature Conservancy in Wallowa County, Ore.”

Max Whittaker of The Times did the photography, which provides some great glimpses in the natural beauty on the Zumwalt.

The link to the story is here: nyti.ms/2DIjzsd. I had thought about asking for permission to reprint, but The Times is known for being quite protective of its work.

KUDOS TO everyone in Joseph who produced a terrific opening weekend for the holiday season in Wallowa County. Saturday’s bazaar was filled with all sorts of amazing holiday items.

We sampled some terrific green tea from Heritage Teas and even had the opportunity to watch art being made right before our eyes.

The parade was a festive event, with good crowds lining Main Street. Hope you didn’t miss the Chieftain’s entry.

The bazaar is back this weekend when the Wallowa County Humane Society will have pet selfies with Santa. Bring your camera.

Somehow in last week’s reporting on this event, we managed to schedule selfies both weekends. Pet selfies will be this weekend, actually.

Someone who called this to my attention concluded that “everyone knows that.” Well, obviously not everyone. Give me a couple more years, and I will have all the Wallowa County holiday traditions memorized.

A QUICK shoutout to everyone who helped produce the Community Thanksgiving Dinner on Nov. 22. Well over 100 folks went through the line and dined on some great food.

This year, the event was moved to Cloverleaf hall from the Enterprise Senior Center to allow for more room. The new location was a big hit.

The Wallowa County Fair Board donated the use of the building. Lead organizers Mike and Bev Hayward once again did a terrific job of bringing everything together. There was much laughter, many heart-felt thank yous and even a few tears.

Bev created a display of handmade quilts for the event, which gave it the perfect touch.

Check out our photo spread elsewhere in this edition.