Have you looked at a schedule of events for June 1-2 here in Wallowa County? There are 10 events on the docket. I guess summer is here for real.

One of our favorites, School Days in Flora, is June 2. If you have never attended this event, make plans today to make the drive north and bring your children and grandchildren with you.

You won’t be disappointed.

SUMMERS BRING a slight change in how we do our community calendar, as well. To conserve space, we segregate the “ongoing” events (the ones that happen every week, week-in and week-out) and run those on a space-available basis during June, July and August. We also have them on our website and Facebook.

IF YOU are reading your Chieftain early in the day, you still have a chance to stop down at Wallowa County Courthouse this afternoon for the unveiling of the recent construction and also to say farewell to Judge Russell West.

You might event get a chance to visit with the county’s newest commissioner Bruce Dunn.

Bruce and I sat down last week and had a great discussion about the challenges that are facing the county. His idea to create an advisory panel, similar to the National Resources Advisory Council, to get everyone in the same room to share ideas is fills a tremendous need.

Although Bruce doesn’t take office until later this year, he’s already working on the project –– and several others. It will be exciting to see this council come together.

Sometime in the next few weeks, the county will conduct its annual budget hearing. We will be sure to let you know when that will be.

If you have an interest in county government and where it allocates its dollars, you won’t want to miss this session.

I also had a call last week from County Commissioner Susan Roberts who asked us to clarify our reporting on the Secure Rural Schools and Payment in Lieu of Taxes money the county has received.

Susan says the federal money for Secure Rural Schools came with earmarks, that wasn’t the county’s ideas. The bulk of it goes to roads, and a fourth goes to a school fund. That totaled around $877,000 for this year and is expected to arrive again next year.

The PILT money, as it’s called, went directly into the general fund and was sucked before continuing funding for the county library could even be discussed, Susan said. That amount was $442,295.

Anyone who regularly drives county roads is aware of the tremendous need of funds for repairs and replacement.

ONE OF the lingering questions after the election has been what’s next where libraries are concerned. There is a significant number of people who believe that even without the county library, services are just find.

These folks see wanting to do more as a criticism of the existing city libraries, and that’s definitely not the case. The three librarians in place do an amazing job.

It’s more of a case of making sure we have thriving libraries and are not just “getting by.” And perhaps someday add Sunday afternoon hours.

Then you had those who said the $100,000 the county was spending annually was just the right amount and why can’t we just replace that money, at least to start with.

And there were also those who believed spending more than $400,000 was a reasonable goal.

Clearly, if there’s going to be more work on libraries, someone will need to take a leadership role. The Wallowa Valley Library Foundation continues to be a partner in all of this. Appointees are needed.

At least one other county I know of whose library district failed formed a nonprofit to assist with funding and planning. Nonprofits have a long and successful history in Wallowa County. Maybe that’s the direction that makes the most sense.