Leafy spurge has been one of the scourges of Wallowa County for decades. The noxious weed, with its 30-foot-plus roots is as difficult to remove as it is speedy to dominate a landscape.

RAINBOW ORCHARD owners Jim McIver and Donna Rainboth get a lot of help from their daughter Sadie, center, and comic relief from Jasper, foreground, in helping people rent organic cherry trees. MIKE SHEARER photo

Instead of using Malathion on their 150-tree orchard, Jim McIver and Donna Rainboth apply a bacterium that only targets cherry fruit fly 

COVE — The bare branches of the cherry trees at Rainbow Orchard betray no hint of the delightful blossoms that spring will eventually bring. And the delicious Lambert and Queen Anne cherries themselves are a good five months away.

But Donna Rainboth and Jim McIver are already lining up 2012 customers for their unique and popular rent-a-tree program, whereby those without an orchard in their own backyards can pay $50 and benefit from whatever harvest their assigned cherry tree at Rainbow Orchard has to offer late this summer. 

ON the vp ranch: Sheryl, Riley and Curtis Martin all help run the VP Ranch outside of North Powder. KATY NESBITT / The Observer

Complying with legislation, concerns about government overreach among issues confronting new president Curtis Martin of N. Powder

North Powder students harvest potatoes in their school district’s garden. The fresh produce is replacing many of the canned fruits and vegetables previously served by the district. S. John Collins / Wescom News Service

Student-grown produce used in North Powder School District’s food service program

Elements of a Northeast Oregon mystery novel?

No, but all are linked to the legacy of the farm of Spark and Barb Smutz.

Observer file photo Horizon wants to place wind turbines like these in the area of Craig Mountain near Union.

On Aug. 27 the department issued Horizon a second Request for Additional Information, or RAI, giving the company until Sept. 30 to revise and clarify previously submitted information on a host of issues.

SUMMERVILLE — Creating an ornamental garden that is resistant to the voracious appetites of Northeast Oregon deer is easy.

Almost as easy as trading tulips for daffodils.

Horticulturist Nick Nickens is adept at explaining why. Nickens did so recently during a presentation on deer-resistant gardening at Stargazer Perennials near Summerville. Planting a garden that deer will stay completely away from is impossible since deer browse on almost everything, Nickens said.

Mitchell said a number of initiatives are under way or in the wind. For one thing, he said he’s excited about the city council’s adoption of a new comprehensive and strategic economic development plan.

Despite some uncertainty over the future of its excursion operations, the Wallowa Union Rail Authority is not yet abandoning plans to build a repair and maintenance shop in Elgin.

The railroad, jointly owned by Union and Wallowa counties, remains in the running for a Connect Oregon III grant, though the final award would be for much less money than originally requested.

The Grande Ronde Valley farmer was too busy on the morning of June 6 monitoring the rising waters of Catherine Creek. The stream, fed by snowmelt and unusually heavy rain, was threatening to escape its banks and destroy a portion of Booth Lane, a lifeline for Hassinger’s farm.