REGION
TUESDAY, JUNE 28, 2022
THE OBSERVER — A3
Mining study: 22 small-scale
operations planned for area
A 3D computer
rendering
shows what
the interior of
the renovated
Orpheum
Theatre, in
Baker City, will
look like.
By JAYSON JACOBY
Baker City Herald
BAKER CITY — The
Wallowa-Whitman National
Forest is proposing to
approve 22 mining oper-
ation plans along Powder
River tributaries south-
west of Baker City and near
Sumpter.
The Wallowa-Whitman
released a draft environ-
mental impact statement
(EIS) earlier this month
that’s been in the works for
about four years.
Some of the miners, how-
ever, have been waiting even
longer for their plans to be
approved.
The 224-page draft EIS
analyzes the potential envi-
ronmental eff ects from the
proposed mining operations
on the national forest.
Locations near Sumpter
include claims along
Cracker, McCully, Deer
and Lake creeks and Buck
Gulch.
Several of the claims are
southwest of Baker City,
including ones along Blue
Canyon, French Gulch and
California Gulch. There is
one proposed mining oper-
ation along Salmon Creek
west of Baker City.
The proposed work
includes placer mining, suc-
tion dredging and, in four
places, underground (lode)
mining.
“I’m very, very pleased
that it is fi nally out,” Jan
Alexander of Unity, min-
eral policies director for the
Eastern Oregon Mining
Association, said of the draft
EIS. “It’s been a long haul.
I’m very glad for the miners.
They waited an awfully long
time for this.”
The initial project started
around 2005 or 2006,
said Ray Lovisone, min-
erals coordinator for the
Wallowa-Whitman.
At some point, he said,
a previous forest offi cial
stopped work on the anal-
ysis of the proposed mining
plans. Lovisone said the
work restarted soon after
he began work on the Wal-
lowa-Whitman in 2017, in
response to repeated requests
from miners.
He said a staffi ng
shortage on the forest forced
offi cials to hire a contractor
to do much of the work on
the draft EIS, which is part
of the reason the process has
taken four years.
Alexander said many
of the miners whose oper-
ating plans are included
in the draft EIS are mem-
bers of the Eastern Oregon
Mining Association, based
CLAIMS COVERED IN DRAFT EIS
A list of the mining plans covered in a draft environmental impact state-
ment released recently by the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest:
• AC, placer, 11 acres, Cracker Creek
• Amigo Mines, placer, 4 acres, Elk Creek
• Anchor 1/Old Crow/Peerless, placer, 20 acres, Elk Creek
• Bald Mountain Mine, lode and ponds, 1 acre, McCully Creek
• Barbara 1, lode, 2 acres, Lake Creek
• Blue Jay, placer, 2 acres, Cracker Creek
• Buster 1, placer, 10 acres, Blue Canyon
• Buster 3, placer, 2 acres, Blue Canyon
• California Gulch, 5 acres, processing with hand tools, possible suction
dredging
• David No. 1, placer, 3.5 acres, Cracker Creek
• Dead Horse, placer, 9 acres, Buck Gulch
• Fine Gold, 3 acres, processing in existing pond, Cracker Creek
• High Bar No. 1, placer, 22 acres, possible suction dredging, Cracker Creek
• J&J, placer, 1 acres, Blue Canyon
• Medic, placers, 5 acres, McCully Creek
• Native Spirit, placer, 3 acres, McCully Creek
• Pardners Group, placer/lode, 2 acres, Poker Gulch
• Return Placer Group, placer, 44 acres, Deer Creek
• Salmon Creek, placer, 1 acre
• Slow Poke, placer, 15 acres, Buck Gulch
• Struggler Lode and French Gulch, placer/lode, 12.5 acres, French Gulch
• Tough Luck Charley, placer, 11 acres, Bridge Creek west of Auburn
in Baker City.
Although claim holders
can do minor exploration
on their claims without an
approved plan of operation,
they need such a plan to use
equipment to process ore,
even at a small scale, Alex-
ander said.
That means the release of
the draft EIS, with the poten-
tial for fi nal approval of the
22 operating plans, is signifi -
cant, she said.
Alexander, a former Wal-
lowa-Whitman employee
who retired in 2001, said
all 22 of the proposed
mining operations are rel-
atively small-scale proj-
ects, generally involving a
few miners who work their
claims during the spring
and summer, often only on
weekends.
She said that in most
cases the mining proposed
would take place on less than
one acre each year.
“The amount of ground
disturbance we will see is
pretty insignifi cant,” Alex-
ander said.
None of the mining plans
involves the use of chemicals
to process ore, she said.
The claims are unpat-
ented, meaning the land
remains publicly owned,
with the claim holder having
the exclusive right to pros-
pecting and mining for min-
erals or precious metals.
One exception is the Bald
Mountain lode mine north-
west of Sumpter, which is
a patented claim, meaning
it was converted to private
land decades ago.
The Bald Mountain plan
of operation is included in
the draft EIS because the
owner plans to use ponds
that are on adjacent public
land as part of the mining.
The draft EIS includes
a 45-day public comment
period, as required by the
National Environmental
Policy Act.
That federal law, which
dates to 1969, requires agen-
cies to study the potential
environmental eff ects of
projects on public land, such
as mining or logging, and
to give the public a chance
to comment about such
proposals.
The draft EIS and asso-
ciated documents, as well as
instructions on commenting,
are available at www.fs.usda.
gov/project/?project=45945.
“We look forward to
receiving public comments
and expect they will help us
to enhance the draft environ-
mental impact statement,”
said Kendall Cikanek, ranger
for the Whitman District.
“After we fi nalize the envi-
ronmental impact statement
and publish the Record of
Decision, those who sub-
mitted substantive public
comments will have another
opportunity to engage
during the objection and res-
olution process.”
Alexander said she
doesn’t expect any mining
will take place until 2023 at
the earliest, since the fi nal
EIS and Record of Decision
are still pending.
Alexander said the claims
involved in the draft EIS
have all been mined in the
past, some dating back more
than a century.
Today’s miners are either
picking through the rem-
nants left by historic miners
or looking for deposits on
parts of claims that weren’t
mined before, she said.
“We don’t have those rich
deposits just lying there,”
Alexander said.
Lawsuit drops arrest claim against doctor
By PHIL WRIGHT
East Oregonian
HERMISTON — The
Ione woman suing a Herm-
iston doctor for malprac-
tice has dropped part of her
complaint.
Kimberly A. Helms is
suing Dr. Andrew Haputa
and Good Shepherd Med-
ical Center, Hermiston, and
Good Shepherd Medical
Group for more than $4.6
million, accusing the doctor
and Hermiston hospital of
medical malpractice.
Attorney Kelly L.
Andersen, of Medford,
fi led the complaint Jan. 10
in Umatilla County Cir-
cuit Court. Helms has
since amended the com-
plaint, removing an accusa-
tion about Haputa’s arrest in
April 2019 for driving under
the infl uence of intoxicants
and causing a crash.
Helms still alleges Haputa
botched her gallbladder
surgery on April 3, 2021,
resulting in extended hos-
pital stays and corrective sur-
geries. Haputa in a response
denies the allegations, court
documents show, including
that he was negligent or
caused injury to Helms.
Troy LeGore, vice presi-
dent of Good Shepherd Med-
ical Group, wrote a letter
Nov. 5, 2019, to the court
in Haputa’s DUII case. As
Haputa’s workplace monitor
and the vice president over-
seeing his practice, LeGore
stated Haputa was fully com-
pliant with hospital require-
ments following the arrest,
including the completion
of an inpatient treatment
program.
“He has taken full respon-
sibility for his actions and
has been proactive in pur-
suit of each of his aftercare
deliverables,” LeGore stated.
“Moreover, he has been a
model citizen both on duty
and off .”
LeGore also stated in the
letter Haputa’s lifesaving
surgical skills are integral
to the hospital “sustaining
advanced care availability for
west Umatilla and Morrow
counties,” and his “matu-
rity, humility and contrition
have resulted in solid support
from GSHCS’ leadership.”
Haputa and Good Shep-
herd are defendants in two
more medical malpractice
lawsuits. Kathleen Williams
and Aimee Hughes are each
suing for more than $1.5 mil-
lion, claiming that Haputa
left an “appendiceal” stump
after an appendectomy,
which caused subsequent
complications, surgeries and
expenses.
The Salem law fi rm of
Lafky & Lafky fi led the law-
suits in March and represents
Williams and Hughes. Court
records do not yet show
responses to the two lawsuits
from the hospital, Haputa or
the other doctors.
Orpheum
Theatre/
Contributed
Photo
Orpheum’s rebirth continues
thanks to $200,000 state grant
By LISA BRITTON
Baker City Herald
BAKER CITY — A
recent grant has kick-
started work again on
the Baker Orpheum The-
atre renovation project for
phase fi ve of the six-phase
endeavor on the historic
building at 1812 Main St.,
Baker City.
The $200,000 grant
came from Oregon Her-
itage, a division of the
Oregon Parks and Recre-
ation Department.
“This is a big deal,”
said Aletha Bonebrake,
chair of the Orpheum
building committee. “The
$200,000 is the largest
amount they’re allowed
to give.”
Bonebrake is also a
board member for the
Eastern Oregon Regional
Theatre organization,
which will make its home
in the Orpheum when it is
complete.
The grant was one of
28 awarded to Oregon
Main Street Network
organizations across the
state for projects that
“encourage economic
revitalization.”
Baker City Downtown
solicited applications for
local projects, and a BCD
committee selected the
Orpheum to submit to the
state.
“It had a good solid
plan ready to go, local
support, and the eco-
nomic impact to down-
town will be huge,” said
Carol Phillips, a BCD
board member.
This most recent grant,
paired with $295,000
from the Cultural
Resources Economic
Fund that was awarded
in April 2021, gets the
ball rolling again on the
project.
“Now we’re starting to
build,” Bonebrake said.
“These two grants have
been spectacular.”
The last bit of asbestos
has to be removed, and a
geotechnical analysis on the
foundation is underway to
prepare for concrete foot-
ings, which will support the
structural steel framework
for the balcony, staircase and
fl y loft.
“This is the begin-
ning that people have been
waiting for,” Bonebrake said.
Sid Johnson & Co. is the
general contractor.
The timeline
The project began in
May 2016 with a $130,000
donation from David
Burris that enabled the
Eastern Oregon Regional
Theatre to purchase the
1889 building that housed
the fi rst Orpheum The-
atre, a vaudeville stage
that grew with silent fi lms
and “talkies” into the late
1950s.
The theater closed
in 1956. In 1964 it was
remodeled into retail
space.
After Burris’ donation,
the Orpheum project grew
with grants and donations
that funded feasibility
studies, design plans and
asbestos removal.
Total fundraising to
date is $1,116,027.
Of that, $355,527 came
from local gifts and events.
The amount from foun-
dations and public funds
totals $760,480.
Bonebrake is pursuing
more grants for the sixth,
and fi nal, phase.
“The phase after this is
the fi nish work,” she said.
The total project cost
541-975-1364
The Baker Orpheum The-
atre will have 325 seats with
a professional stage, balcony,
fl y loft and state-of-the-art
acoustics, sound and lighting.
The marquee design is
based on the 1930s art deco
style.
Bonebrake said the
Orpheum will be used for
EORT performances as well
as local music groups and
other performing arts.
She said the main fl oor,
with 125 seats, will provide a
space for smaller gatherings
or presentations.
The Orpheum will also
bring national acts to Baker
City, she said.
This is where Burris’ sup-
port comes in again — he
has created a donor advised
fund through the Oregon
Community Foundation that
will support the Orpheum’s
future, such as underwriting
the cost for national artists to
reduce the price of tickets for
local residents.
Take a look, donate
Bonebrake is happy to
talk about the Orpheum
project with interested
groups and individuals.
“I’ll show what we’ve
done,” she said.
To request a presen-
tation, call Bonebrake at
541-519-3255.
Monetary donations can
be mailed to EORT, Baker
Orpheum Theatre Fund,
2101 Main St., Suite 113,
Baker City, OR 97814.
975-2000
www.lagrandeautorepair.com
MOST ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY
AVAILABLE
Joe Horst
ACDelcoTSS
Charles & Eileen
Stewart
10304 A 1st St.
Island City, OR
cstewartpc@gmail.com
541.910.5435
Pay cash or
Rent to own
excellent service
LOCALLY!
10106 N N. ‘C’ • Island City
The plan
La GRANDE AUTO REPAIR
An Independent
Insurance Agency
Associates
Reed & Associates
for for
vice
is estimated to be $2.5
million.
Toll Free 1-866-282-1925 www.reedinsurance.net
ance.net
Authorized Dealer
Medicare, Auto,
Home Insurance
and Annuities