Sports Reporter, Wallowa County Chieftain

[brownsugar]

This job was posted on JJ.com a few weeks ago and I know they are still fielding resumes and its a good paper for being a small weekly with a nice group of people to work with. It's a good outfit if your fresh out of college or are in need of some experience. If you want to know more about the job PM me.


Company: The Wallowa County Chieftain 
Position: Sports Reporter 
Location: Wallowa County, Oregon
Job Status:  Full-time 
Salary:  Not Specified 
Ad Expires:  September 28, 2006
Job ID: 674719


Description:
The Wallowa County Chieftain, Wallowa County’s community newspaper, is looking for an experienced Sports Reporter to join our fast-paced newsroom. While surrounded by the natural beauty that is Wallowa County (with canyons, mountains, plateaus and 53 lakes), the Sports Reporter will cover everything from local and high school sports to various outdoor activities and special events.
Our ideal candidate has sports reporting experience, a journalism education and is a self-starter, ready to hit the ground running. Located in Enterprise, Oregon, the Wallowa County Chieftain is a community-focused weekly newspaper with a circulation of about 3500. Wallowa County is the northeast corner of Oregon, conveniently located near cities in 3 states.

The Wallowa County Chieftain (www.wallowacountychieftain.com) is a member of the East Oregonian Publishing Company family of newspapers, which includes The East Oregonian, The Daily Astorian, Chinook Observer, Blue Mountain Eagle and The Capital Press. Full-time position, offering health and retirement benefits as well as relocation assistance.

For immediate consideration send resume to: Billie Jo Jannen, Editor, Wallowa County Chieftain, 106 NW 1st Street, Enterprise, OR 97828. FAX: 541-426-3921. E-mail: [email protected] (preferred method)

 

[Tom Petty]

coming from a person who lower cases everything, you'd think the hr manager would know when to capitalize Sports and Reporter.

and really, which "city" in oregon, washington or idaho is it convenient to drive, fly or take a train to from this place?

is enterprise near portland?

 

[Editude]

Enterprise is nowhere near Portland. The closest city is Spokane, but that's a few hours away. Quite isolated up in this corner.

 

[Tom Petty]

Enterprise is nowhere near Portland. The closest city is Spokane, but that's a few hours away. Quite isolated up in this corner.

awwww "conveniently located near cities in 3 states." it's not a lie per se, it just doesn't say what cities.

 

[SoCalScribe]

Hey now, it's only 137 miles to Nampa.

On the plus side, that's a pretty part of the country.

 

[Angola!]

Enterprise is nowhere near Portland. The closest city is Spokane, but that's a few hours away. Quite isolated up in this corner.

awwww "conveniently located near cities in 3 states." it's not a lie per se, it just doesn't say what cities.

It's pretty close to Pendelton, which has an Indian casino that you can't drink in.
I don't know anything about this job, but I do know that the Wallowa area is really, really cool if you like outdoors stuff. My family always went camping there for Fourth of July when I was growing up.
Also, if you live in Eastern Oregon, Eastern Washington or Idaho, you have to be prepared to drive a pretty good distance to get to a "major" city.

 

[Football_Bat]

Speaking of which ... That's kind of a tense name for a newspaper in this PC age, isn't it?

 

[slipshod]

OK, here is more than you want to know about this area.

Wallowa County is extremely small in population and one of the most beautiful places on earth. The Wallowa River runs through the middle of it, with gorgeous mountains at the edge of the sparsely populated valley. It is extremely isolated, in the very northeastern corner of Oregon, and all the towns are quite small.
At one end of the valley is Wallowa Lake, an incredibly beautiful body of water that is so deep that no one knows exactly how deep it is. There is a large state park there, along with various minor touristy cabin sites and the likes. A gondola lift takes tourists to the top of a nearby mountain with fabulous views.
The area used to be the home of the Nez Perce tribe, and it is from here that Chief Joseph led his famous near-escape from the Army, using brilliant maneuvers to lead a group of mostly women, children and elderly across Idaho and Yellowstone National Park north through Montana, stopping only a few miles short of the Canadian border because he thought he already had crossed it. That's where he made his ``I will fight no more forever'' speech.
His father ``Old Joseph'' is buried at the head of Wallowa Lake. There is a small monument there. A wild-ass rodeo known as Chief Joseph Days is held in the town of Joseph each summer.
That's why it's the Wallowa County Chieftain. I grew up not far from Wallowa County and recall it being quite a good paper for its size, with lots of guts. But I have no idea what it's like now. There are three high schools, all very small _ Enterprise, Wallowa and Joseph. Enterprise used to be nicknamed ``Savages'' but I blv that has been changed.

Joseph has become quite artsy with a nationally known bronze forge. It used to have a sign at its entrance, maybe still does, that says ``This little town is heaven to us, so don't drive like hell through it.'' Walter Brennan used to live nearby.
Hells Canyon is the county's eastern border.
Winters are extremely harsh, with blizzards and below-zero temperatures the norm. Of the two highways out, both are treacherous, winding along deep canyons.

Wallowa used to have a bar called the ``Tumble Inn'' to which was added by locals ``Stumble Out.''


My mother's only brother was a cattle rancher near Wallowa. He and his only son were killed when a train hit their pickup truck at a crossing during a blizzard in ``calving'' season. The train ran up there something like twice a week. Go figure the odds.

Hope this was informational.

 

[SoCalScribe]

That's a wonderful summary. Makes me want to visit there someday.

 

[Tom Petty]

That's a wonderful summary. Makes me want to visit there someday.

**** it dude. throw in a resume and go retire.

 

[Pops]

Reposted today. Includes addition that the paper is changing its name to The Wallowa County Red Storm.

 

[SCEditor]

There was a really, really hot blonde from Wallowa on one of the MTV Real World seasons a few years back. That's all I got.

 

[fmrsped]

There was a really, really hot blonde from Wallowa on one of the MTV Real World seasons a few years back. That's all I got.

Wrong NW town. She was from Walla Walla.

And her name was Tonya. Gorgeous, if not a nutcase. She was on the Chicago season.

 

[SCEditor]

There was a really, really hot blonde from Wallowa on one of the MTV Real World seasons a few years back. That's all I got.

Wrong NW town. She was from Walla Walla.

And her name was Tonya. Gorgeous, if not a nutcase. She was on the Chicago season.

Ahh, very good catch. My knowledge of the Pacific Northwest is limited. ... Very much a nutcase, but most hot girls are. Kidding!

 

[RFB-Boy]

Wallowa County is where the folks headed to the coast on the Oregon Trail stopped and said, "Close enough." Come to think of it, so is most of Idaho. But it is a pretty beautiful area for the part of Oregon it's in. Yeah, you'll have to drive a couple hours to get anywhere, but unless you're at a major in the NW, you'll have to do that anyway. Not a bad starting or stopping point would be my guess.

And most folks from Walla Walla are a little nuts. I blame the obsessive-compulsive city name and the sweet onions.

 

[Tom Petty]

RFB - you certainly are too kind to bring a halt to that list as quickly as you did.

 

[RFB-Boy]

What can I say? It's a gift.

 

[TrooperBari]

That's why it's the Wallowa County Chieftain. I grew up not far from Wallowa County and recall it being quite a good paper for its size, with lots of guts. But I have no idea what it's like now. There are three high schools, all very small _ Enterprise, Wallowa and Joseph. Enterprise used to be nicknamed ``Savages'' but I blv that has been changed.

Joseph has become quite artsy with a nationally known bronze forge. It used to have a sign at its entrance, maybe still does, that says ``This little town is heaven to us, so don't drive like hell through it.'' Walter Brennan used to live nearby.
Hells Canyon is the county's eastern border.
Winters are extremely harsh, with blizzards and below-zero temperatures the norm. Of the two highways out, both are treacherous, winding along deep canyons.

Just to fill in a couple small gaps:

Enterprise (the lone 2A school of the three, the others are 1A) is now the Outlaws, though you will still find some Savages merchandise around town. Joseph and Wallowa both play 8-man football, so it's not a bad spot if you're into that.

The area is rich with natural beauty, though you'll be pretty much on your own for things to do. Chief Joseph Days is one of the best rodeos in the region, attracting some of the top talent in the nation. The area is surrounded by the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest, and roads in and out of the area are sparce. Highway 82 is two lanes up through the mountains all the way to La Grande (70 miles), which is the nearest Interstate on-ramp.

Dave Hassler, a former SE and man of many hats, moved on to a paper in The Dalles. There's been at least one, maybe two, people who've held the position since then. It's not a bad place to start, or end, a career.

 

[Seven Land]

Just to fill in a couple small gaps:

Enterprise (the lone 2A school of the three, the others are 1A) is now the Outlaws, though you will still find some Savages merchandise around town. Joseph and Wallowa both play 8-man football, so it's not a bad spot if you're into that.

The area is rich with natural beauty, though you'll be pretty much on your own for things to do. Chief Joseph Days is one of the best rodeos in the region, attracting some of the top talent in the nation. The area is surrounded by the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest, and roads in and out of the area are sparce. Highway 82 is two lanes up through the mountains all the way to La Grande (70 miles), which is the nearest Interstate on-ramp.

Dave Hassler, a former SE and man of many hats, moved on to a paper in The Dalles. There's been at least one, maybe two, people who've held the position since then. It's not a bad place to start, or end, a career.

Eight-man football is a blast -- wide open spaces and the best athletes really get to do their thing.

As someone who knows the area (and the paper) quite well, I can tell anyone who is interested in this about both the company that owns the Chieftain and the newspaper/staff/community. Just PM me. I agree that it's a great gig for the very start or end of a career in sportswriting.

Also, Hassler was the ME in Enterprise; he just filled in on sports when the SE got double-booked. He's writing sports full time at the little daily in The Dalles now.