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About The Baker County press. (Baker City, Ore.) 2014-current | View Entire Issue (May 13, 2016)
FRIDAY, MAY 13, 2016 THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS — 9 Local First Friday meeting covers wide variety BY TODD ARRIOLA Todd@TheBakerCountyPress.com Baker County Commis- sion Chairman Bill Harvey hosted another installment of First Friday with the Commissioner, on Friday, May 6, 2016, 9 a.m., in the Commission Chambers of the Baker County Court- house, discussing a variety of topics, including mining technology, local grocer options, and Baker Heri- tage Museum exhibits. Joining Harvey for this monthly, informal conver- sation were Chuck Chase, Bobbie Danser, Tork and Wanda Ballard, Dave Hun- saker, and Ed Hardt. The discussion began with comment about sever- al business grand openings last weekend by Harvey, followed by the mention from Wanda, regarding ap- proval for the sale of a 2.74 acre County-owned parcel in the Elkhorn Indus- trial Park, to growing and expanding business Hop Heaven, owned by Ted and Jodie Hausotter, who also own Natural Structures. Harvey expressed excite- ment about the expan- sion the Hausotters have planned, including new structures, and employees. Danser asked about the demise of local pizza dough processing busi- ness Tasty Bake, which saw an ownership change in the fall of 2014, fol- lowed by the eventual cease in distribution of is product, and employee layoffs. Tasty Bake, and Illinois-based Cereal Holding Company are cur- rently being sued in Baker County Circuit Court, by Tasty Bake former owners Peter and Brenda Johnson, and Lesaffre Yeast Cor- poration (these and other issues were reported in the Friday, April 8, 2016, and Friday, April 22, 2016 is- sues of The Baker County Press. Further problems are not yet fully detailed). Yasar Samarah is current President of Tasty Bake, and Vice President of Ce- real Holding Company. Harvey said companies Hop Heaven, Natural Structures, Marvin Wood Products, Behlen Manu- facturing, and Grumpy’s Repair are doing very well, with implemented and planned expansions and employee additions, result- ing in a boost to the local economy. Harvey commented on the huge hit to the lo- cal economy from the Tasty Bake layoffs, and the layoffs caused by the closure of the local Alb- ertsons store (Haggen had briefly—or less than six months—taken Albert- sons place, due to Federal Trade Commission anti- monopoly requirements, however, Haggen had failed and closed its doors, leaving only Safeway as the sole major local grocer. Albertsons is merged with Safeway, and the company has both buildings leased, one of which is vacant for now). The group speculated about the future of Al- bertsons, Safeway, and other local grocer options. Hunsaker asked whether Harvey had heard if a mid- sized grocer may replace Safeway, in the event Safe- way is moved into the for- mer location of Albertsons, a bigger building (owned by Greg Sackos, through his company, BTS II, LLC). Harvey said that’s the best-case scenario, but there’s no indication from the current owner of the Safeway property (Florida- based KIN Properties, through Muffrey, LLC) that is a given. He did say that he expects to see at least two local grocers to be in operation in the near future. Harvey said The Coun- try Cottage Cafe on 10th Street is currently closed, has seen a change in ownership, and may be transformed into a steak- house restaurant. Wanda said that Haines Mercantile is an important grocer to support, and that Baker City’s 10th Street defi- nitely needs some kind of market, which prompted the Ballards, Harvey, and Hardt to reminisce about their previous grocer work experience, and former Wilson’s Warehouse Market, which was located where Baker County Fam- ily YMCA currently is, on Pocahontas Road. Harvey agreed about the need for some kind of grocer in that area of Baker City, and Tork said current Safeway employees need to be informed of the company’s intentions (the group discussed the importance of employer/employee relations). Hardt began a discus- sion regarding miners dealing with issues with clay, to which he said his suggestion is to acquire a longer trommel (he said his is 5 feet by 20 feet, but he’d like a longer one), an inclined, rotating metal tube with screening, used to separate mate- rial. Danser and Chase (Danser is Treasurer, and Chase is Executive Direc- tor, of the Eastern Mining Association, or EOMA) echoed Hardt’s sugges- tion, Danser said maybe a trommel that’s 30 feet long or longer would be best, and Chase said it’s difficult to break down clay. Hardt said he and another local miner, Ken Anderson, are currently experiencing that difficulty. Chase elaborated on the issues, stating that clay, with negative ion particles, attracts the positive ions in gold (he said clay contains various rare Earth miner- als), and the goal, ulti- mately, is to break down that electrical attraction, which is problematic. He said that aluminum, also present in clay, actually is a key factor in causing the bonding issue, making the clay stickier, but in order to break down the clay, the aluminum virtually needs to be destroyed in the process. Hardt said he necessarily has to run the material through the trom- mel again, to break it down further. Harvey asked Chase how he locates rare earth miner- als, and Danser responded that an assay, an analysis used to determine the components of a sample, is sent to an organization located in Canada. Chase said he also uses a dows- ing rod to locate minerals, which is a method that has been employed by some of this reporter’s family members, to locate water, etc. He said as he ages, his dowsing ability seems to become more refined. The discussion touched on the subject of scandium, a rare Earth element, which Chase and Hardt pointed Todd Arriola / The Baker County Press First Friday: a small, informal crowd. out is a key component in the manufacture of body armor. Harvey asked Chase about the potential for some small-scale scan- dium and other mining, and Chase said he’s look- ing into that. Hunsaker asked Harvey how the winter ski season fared at Anthony Lakes Mountain Resort (ALMR), and Harvey said that it was very successful. Harvey spoke about some upcom- ing events to be held there, including the popular, two- day Elkhorn Archers-host- ed Super Shoot, on July 23, 2016. Harvey said that there are also planned proj- ects, including improve- ments to the water supply system, and that ALMR is applying to manage the park and other services year-round, whereas now, the State currently handles much of that. Hunsaker, Vice Chair- man of the Baker Heritage Museum Board, said that the Museum is working on a new, two-year exhibit, to celebrate the 50-year anniversary of the movie “Paint Your Wagon,” filmed in Baker County, and that this year will be the last for the Museum’s military exhibit. He said he would like anyone who has anything associated with the filming, etc., of “Paint Your Wagon,” and who desires the items to be a part of the exhibit, to notify the Museum. He said the Museum will be contacting members of the community, in order to return the items from the military exhibit, and that efforts will be made, including his suggestion of a City/County committee, the core of which would be Baker County Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau Executive Direc- tor Shelly Cutler, and Blue Mountain Small Business Development Center Advi- sor Jeff Nelson, to collect items County-wide, for the “Paint Your Wagon” exhibit, and to maybe hold a community dance, etc., possibly during Miner’s Jubilee. Hunsaker said that Clint Eastwood and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, one of Hunsaker’s and Harvey’s favorite bands, will be contacted, to re- quest their inclusion in the celebration. Hunsaker said the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band will be in the Prineville area, in June. Wanda commented about the positive improve- ments to the Richland area, including the local park, and Harvey said that proj- ects are planned, and that work is ongoing, in order to continue with Baker County Parks Department, and other efforts. She also voiced appreciation for Harvey’s presence at all of the different communities throughout the County. Harvey said that’s an im- portant job, and it’s what he’s supposed to do. Danser asked about the current timber salvage/ sales situation, and Har- vey said that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is doing well, with a planned 500-acre sale (two, 250-acre Categori- cal Exclusions, or CEs). Chase voiced concern about access to the Baker City watershed, in case of a wildfire, and Harvey responded that he’s been relaying this very thought. Further discussing the topic of logging, this week, Harvey said, the BLM stat- ed the possibility of finish- ing up paperwork, regard- ing a potential 1,000-acre timber sale (he had taken a scouting tour with repre- sentatives of the BLM, he said). He said negotiations with the United States Forest Service (USFS), regarding logging, salvage and timber sales, has been difficult. Harvey spoke about the discussion at several of the County Commission sessions, regarding guid- ance to the County, from the Americans Stewards of Liberty, a subject he said has caused some tension, however, one of the points he has made clear previ- ously is that funds were raised privately, in order to secure this guidance, to help remedy government- to-government coordina- tion issues. In addition to a brief discussion about County Commissioner Position No. 1 candidates (the group predicted a win for Kody Justus), Danser said that Nelson would be a huge asset, if he were able to become a member of the Baker City Council. First Friday with the Commissioner is held on the first Friday of each month, in the Commission Chambers of the Baker County Courthouse. The next discussion is sched- uled for Friday, June 3, 2016, 9 a.m. County, Sunridge talk more about MOU BY TODD ARRIOLA Todd@TheBakerCountyPress.com The Baker County Board of Commissioners held a work session, on Wednes- day, May 11, 2016, 9 a.m., in the Commission Chambers, of the Baker County Courthouse, with two topics on the agenda: the majority of the discus- sion about a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the County and the Sunridge Inn, cover- ing penalty charges on Transient Lodging Tax payments; and the possibil- ity of inter-hospital, non- emergent services provided locally, by Med Transport, Inc. Present from the Board were Chair Bill Harvey, Commissioners Mark Ben- nett, and Tim Kerns, and Executive Assistant Heidi Martin. Attendance also included Lisa Wilson, and Alan Mendenhall, of the Sun- ridge Inn, Baker County Transient Lodging Tax Committee (TLTC) Chair Carrie Folkman and other TLTC members, Chris Ar- vidson, of Med Transport, Inc., Baker County Admin- istrative Service Director Christena Cook, Baker City Manager Mike Kee, Baker County 911 Con- solidated Dispatch Center Director Lindsey Hope, John and Ramona Creigh- ton, and Kody Justus. Harvey called the meeting to order, and he explained the format of the work session, during which no decision concerning either topic would be made, until at least the next, regular session, on Wednesday, May 18, 2016, 9 a.m. He asked Folkman to speak about the MOU, and the Transient Lodging Tax (TLT) penalty charges, as Bennett had asked previ- ously how the TLTC had arrived at its decision regarding this issue. Folkman said in 2006, the county-wide TLT was established, having been a city-wide TLT prior to that point. She said that 70% of the funds collected is utilized for marketing, 25% for economic devel- opment, and 5% for admin- istrative fees, per state law. She said use of the funds includes administration of the Visitors Bureau, em- ployment of a Marketing Director, and grants. She said that if there are any grievances by a lodger, Todd Arriola / The Baker County Press Lisa Wilson of the Sunridge Inn addresses the issue of TLT penalties for the second week in a row. per county ordinance, a lodger (such as Sunridge Inn) can have its case reviewed by the TLTC, for possible penalty forgive- ness. She said that in all cases she has seen in her tenure (about 13 years), while some penalty charg- es have been forgiven, and some haven’t, the TLTC has never allowed interest payment forgiveness. She provided the Board with a TLT payment his- tory for Sunridge Inn, explaining that in the last quarter of 2009, a penalty was assessed for a late payment, and again, in the first quarter of 2010, both penalties totaling $8,975, and the combined penalties had been forgiven. SEE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PAGE 10