Thursday, January 27, 2022
FROM PAGE ONE
ThE OBsErVEr — A5
CATTLE
Continued from Page A1
From the ranch
andrew Cutler/The Observer, File
La Grande’s Logan Williams (2) runs down the center during a match between Gladstone and La Grande at
Community Stadium on Friday, Nov. 5, 2021. After months of speculation and an in-depth investigation
by a third party, OSAA ruled on Jan. 11 that allegations of racist language used during the game could not
be verified.
OPINIONS
Continued from Page A1
repercussions to his specific
officiating crew.
“They didn’t do anything
wrong, so there shouldn’t
be extra training for just
us,” Caldwell said. “I don’t
disagree with the fact that
every official and associ-
ation in the state probably
needs to have that training,
but to single my association
out I don’t agree with.”
Caldwell also noted that
the officials association
has not yet been contacted
about the training.
Under the spotlight
For the La Grande foot-
ball team and athletics
community, the end of the
investigation is a relief after
being under suspicion and
in the statewide spotlight.
On Nov. 12, leading Dem-
ocrats in the Oregon House
of Representatives issued a
statement condemning the
alleged actions of the La
Grande football team.
“I think all of us try
to do the best job that we
can. For people to judge us
and point fingers, I have
to laugh because nobody’s
perfect in this world. When
people start pointing fin-
gers, they need to ques-
tion who they are, too,”
McIlmoil said. “Unless they
know the whole situation,
HOPE
Continued from Page A1
service providers, judicial
employees, law enforce-
ment officers and probation
officers. The team develops
programs for the partici-
pants designed to help them
overcome the issues they
are facing.
Some of those who will
be graduating from Behav-
ioral Health Court will have
the charges against them
dismissed, and all should
be emerging with more
stability and improved
coping skills, said Union
County District Attorney
Kelsie McDaniel, the pro-
gram’s founder and a team
member.
“We want to give
them a new lease on life,”
McDaniel said.
Behavioral Health Court
conducted its first grad-
uation on Dec. 27, 2021.
There were two graduates,
both of whom made tre-
mendous progress since
starting.
“We are so proud of
them,” McDaniel said.
‘The team works
together’
The graduates had each
come to the courthouse at
least twice a month and
sometimes weekly for 12-18
months to meet with their
Behavioral Health Court
team.
They would meet with
their team after its mem-
bers had spent an hour
reviewing their progress
since the last meeting.
Their probation officers
would discuss things such
as whether they had kept
appointments with coun-
selors, attended treatment
sessions and taken their
required drug tests.
“The team works
together to do every-
WHAT IS THE OSAA?
The Oregon School Activities Association is a nonprofit, board-gov-
erned organization that regulates high school athletics and competi-
tive activities via athletic conferences in Oregon, providing equitable
competition among its members, both public and private. The OSAA is
based in Wilsonville.
they probably need to just
watch and let the process
play out.”
The coach expressed no
animosity toward Gladstone
after the investigation con-
cluded, noting that it’s time
to move on.
“At this point in time, I
just look at it like it is what
it is,” he said. “Obviously
they were disgruntled about
something. What that was, I
have no idea.”
Caldwell differed on this
point of view, stating that
the allegations against La
Grande should be met with
repercussions.
“It was very clear that
the private investigator
found no wrongdoing. For
one person to cry foul and
make it look so bad for La
Grande, the community
and my officials is totally
wrong,” Caldwell said.
“Quite frankly, I think that
Gladstone School District
needs to sanction the parent
in one way or another. To
make an allegation like
that, that’s totally false and
unfair.”
Since the allegations
occurred in November,
both school districts have
made strides to mend the
relationship between teams
and schools. Both schools
conducted elements of
OSAA’s S.T.A.R. Initiative,
which promotes equality
and sportsmanship in
sporting events. Prior to
the game’s cancellation
due to inclement weather,
both schools’ boys bas-
ketball teams planned a
dinner and shaking of
hands at half court before
a matchup on Dec. 20. The
OSAA findings also stated
that both La Grande and
Gladstone plan on imple-
menting a point of con-
tact to welcome opposing
schools that are visiting
home venues for athletic
contests. These ideas and
more are included in the
plans to heal relations
between both schools.
“I can say with confi-
dence that we have good
kids,” McIlmoil said. “We
have kids that care about
each other and they do
respect people’s beliefs,
ideas and who they are as
individuals. Even though
people may think other-
wise, we do have great kids
and families in this town.”
thing it can to help them,”
McDaniel said.
Participants in Behav-
ioral Health Court meet
with their team in a court-
room in a formal setting,
as if they are part of an
actual court hearing. The
meeting is conducted by
Union County Circuit Court
Judge Tom Powers, who
wears his judicial robe.
Powers reviews the partici-
pant’s progress and any set-
backs. At the end of the ses-
sion Powers rules whether
the week has been a suc-
cessful one for the partic-
ipant. A ruling of success
means a reward awaits the
individual. The partici-
pant chooses an item from
a basket of small rewards
Powers has assembled.
Other rewards Powers pro-
vides include reducing how
often participants must
check in with probation
officers.
Powers enjoys having the
opportunity to encourage
participants and provide
incentives. He noted that
normally when people come
before him in a courtroom
it is because they are about
to be sentenced or are have
been charged with a crime,
all occasions calling for
stern expressions.
“Now I get to be a
smiling judge,” Powers said.
On the down side,
Powers does have to issue
sanctions if the partici-
pant has had a bad week
by missing counseling
appointments, drug tests or
other assigned tasks. The
sanctions he may impose
include adding drug tests
and check-ins with the indi-
vidual’s probation officer.
with medication manage-
ment, McDaniel said.
Some participants are
new to the judicial system,
but others are not. Some
have extensive criminal
records and are in the pro-
gram because the root
cause of their problem is
one the Behavioral Health
Court team believes can be
solved by the right correc-
tive action. For example, an
individual may have been
committing crimes because
of an addiction to alcohol,
which the team believes can
be successfully addressed
with treatment the indi-
vidual has not received,
McDaniel said.
James Schaeffer, a La
Grande defense attorney
and a member of the Behav-
ioral Health Court team,
credits the program with
adding stability to the lives
of participants.
“It provides them with
structure and the mental
health services they need.
It is a good alternative,”
Schaeffer said.
He added that the pro-
gram not only helps par-
ticipants but also the com-
munity. He explained that
when people have issues
addressed they are better
able to become productive
members of society.
Kara Rudd, the Behav-
ioral Health Court’s coordi-
nator, is encouraged by how
she has seen the program
change people’s lives for the
better.
“It is exciting to see
them moving up,” said
Rudd, who is the Behav-
ioral Health Court Coordi-
nator for Union County Cir-
cuit Court.
Rudd is optimistic about
the future of Behavioral
Health Court.
“It is a very exciting pro-
gram,” she said. “The par-
ticipants are excited and it
is gaining momentum.”
A range of participants
Not all Behavioral
Health Court participants
have drug problems but
each must be drug tested to
confirm sobriety and to help
On Jan. 18, Warnock
said by email that he put
in his two-weeks’ notice
Jan. 12.
Wallowa County
Sheriff Joel Fish, whose
department is investi-
gating for possible animal
neglect, said the Deans
brought in a new ranch
manager, Katie Romero.
When contacted Jan. 24,
Romero said she is from
“out of state” and her boss,
Bob Dean’s wife, Karen
Dean, had instructed her
not to answer questions
from the press.
In a phone call right
after that, Karen Dean
also declined to comment,
saying, “I don’t have any-
thing to say to you,” before
hanging up.
Fish referred ques-
tions to the Deans’ legal
counsel, Joseph Law Firm
of La Grande, but no com-
ment was received after
numerous emails and
voicemails were left over
the past two weeks.
Fish said his investi-
gation is continuing and
he has not determined if
charges will be brought.
Wolves in the mix
Stein said when he
again flew over the area
where the Dean cattle were
he saw signs of wolf pre-
dation. He said Jan. 20
that he had seen signs that
wolves had dug up cattle
that had been buried in the
snow.
“I’m sure they were
dead before” the wolves
came, he said.
He did not see any evi-
dence of wolves attacking
live cattle. However, he
and Birkmaier agreed
giving wolves a taste of
beef under such circum-
stances can whet their
appetite for live
cattle.
, MBA
“I think it will have an
impact,” Stein said. “Typ-
ically, when wolves start
working on cattle they
won’t quit.”
Birkmaier agreed,
saying adding beef to
wolves’ diet makes it more
likely they’ll attack cattle.
adam stein/Contributed Photo
This snowcat with a trailer on skis was used to move livestock
back to where they could be transported by vehicle to safety in
recent weeks.
“The problem is that it
teaches them to eat beef
and that whole area will
be attractive for wolves
if there’s cows out there
again,” he said. “Elk and
deer are their primary
diet, but occasionally we
have a problem with them
attacking livestock.”
Birkmaier said he reg-
ularly uses nonlethal
methods such as noise,
light and a human presence
to keep wolves at bay. But
it isn’t always effective.
He said normal losses
during the period from
April to October — the
time cattle are on summer
range in the national for-
ests — is usually about
1% to death from diseases
or other natural causes.
Since the reintroduction of
wolves, losses during that
time have risen to 3% to
5%, he said.
He said his herd expe-
riences almost zero losses
during the winter when
they are on his Crow Creek
ranchland and under con-
stant supervision.
However, many have
been willing to help with
the emergency, which is
now drawing to a close.
“After nearly a month
of nightly conference calls,
the rescue process is wrap-
ping up. County Com-
missioner (Todd) Nash set
up a conference call-style
meeting where volunteers,
ranchers and agency per-
sons could set up strategies
and coordinate plans for
rescuing the cows. It cre-
ated a perfect platform for
the communication that
was necessary and was
quite effective,” Birkmaier
said. “We relied so heavily
on not only Adam Stein’s
flying skills, but his ability
to snowmobile, groom
trails and deliver hay to the
cows. He just knows that
country so well and usu-
ally directed the extraction
method that would be the
most effective.”
Stein agreed, saying
there were numerous key
players without whom
the cattle rescue wouldn’t
have been possible,
and they should not go
unrecognized.
“The amount of support
from local ranchers and res-
idents was overwhelming,”
he said. “Thank you all for
your assistance.”
Ranching community
Birkmaier agreed the
Dean ranch had a greater
challenge with about 1,500
cattle, but they also have
six or seven ranch hands.
“It seems like that
ranch had plenty of help,”
he said. “I know all the
workers and they are good
hands. I just can’t figure
out why they didn’t get the
cattle gathered.”
As Stockgrowers pres-
ident, Birkmaier said he
feels a need to speak out
for his fellow ranchers.
“So many are telling me
(they agree), but they’re not
willing to step out and say
something,” he said.
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