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About The Baker County press. (Baker City, Ore.) 2014-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 27, 2015)
North Powder FFA barbecue fundraiser —9 District Basketball Tournament —7 The Lefty’s Taphouse set to open —8 Baker County Press Friday, February 27, 2015 • Volume 2, Issue 9 Th eBakerCountyPress.com • Your local weekly news source! 75¢ LOCAL NEWS: HEADLINE STORIES • LOCAL ARTICLES • OUTDOORS • AGRICULTURE • CLASSIFIEDS Bark beetles, dead trees, and the Protesters politics of forest management come out against dispensaries CITY APPROVES FIRST READING OF BUSINESS LICENSE WORDING SERVING TO BAN DISPENSARIES Kerry McQuisten / The Baker County Press Brian Addison / The Baker County Press Vicki Freeman (at left) helped organize an anti-pot dispensary protest on Tuesday at City Hall. By Gina K. Swartz An area on the south side of Dooley Mountain treated by a Forest Service prescribed burn. Gina@TheBakerCountyPress.com By Brian Addison Brian@TheBakerCountyPress.com Arvid Andersen drives the Dooley Mountain high- way (OR Highway 245) to the Burnt River Valley and views the world around him through the eyes of a professional forestry consultant and experienced timber cruiser. As he looks out across the forests of southern Baker County he points out dead and dying pine trees speckling the land- scape and he sees bigger problems on the horizon. Large Ponderosa pine trees dead and dying from bark beetle infestation, conifers invaded by Dwarf mistletoe, and the result- ing increased potential for catastrophic forest fi re run through Andersen’s mind. The conditions on the forestland on and around Dooley Mountain and the south fork of the Burnt River region are the result of decades of a federal for- est management and tim- ber program locked down by regulations, says Ander- sen and others close to the problems including Baker County Commissioner and Burnt River region rancher Mark Bennett, and long- time Bridgeport timberland owner Lynn Shumway. The lack of active for- est management and an adequate timber harvest program has set the stage for what Andersen sees as a bark beetle infestation ready to turn epidemic. See BARK BEETLES / Page 3 5J superintendent finalists See DISPENSARIES / Page 10 CANDIDATES APPEAR AT MEET AND GREET Sheriff resigns By Sunny Werner Sunny@TheBakerCountyPress.com The library at Baker High was packed as crowds of teachers, School Board members, interested parents, curious commu- nity members, school staff and reporters fl ocked to meet and question the three remaining candidates for the position of Superinten- dent of Baker District 5J last Friday. The three contenders are Betty Palmer, cur- rently holding the posi- tion of Principal at South Baker Intermediate; Mark Whitley, currently Super- intendent of Schools Grant School District #3; and Robert Vian, Superinten- dent of Schools in Orofi no, Idaho. Ben Merrill, BHS Principal, explained that Last week, a group in favor of marijuana dispensa- ries protested in front of City Hall the day of a special City Council Session to discuss the issue. This Tuesday, another group—those against dispensaries in Baker City—countered with their own peaceful protect during the noon hour on the day of the scheduled City Council meeting on the same subject. At that City Council meeting, the fi rst reading of a re- vised business license was approved, which will include new wording saying businesses in Baker City will com- ply with federal, state and local laws. This wording could have the effect of banning dispensaries since marijuana is a federally controlled substance, even though it will be legal statewide in Oregon July 1, 2015. Vicki Freeman of Baker City, who led the protest, said she wasn’t affi liated with any particular group—she was simply a member of a local church who helped spread the word. She, along with Jessy Raczowski and Matthew Pedersen, solicited protest help from the congregations of several local area churches. By Kerry McQuisten News@TheBakerCountyPress.com Sunny Werner/ The Baker County Press Sunny Werner/ The Baker County Press Sunny Werner/ The Baker County Press Robert Vian. Mark Whitley. Betty Palmer. Baker High’s Culinary Arts Program had prepared and submitted a bid to the School Board for the hors d’oervres, which were created and served by the students in the programme. “This is a great oppor- tunity for them to practice the full catering experi- ence,” he explained. “From the pricing of materials and the bidding right through cooking and presentation.” Kevin Cassidy, Vice Chair of School Board, ex- plained some of the issues affecting the understand- ing of the general public and factors affecting the candidates applying for the post. “What many people don’t realize,” he said, “is that the school district is like a really big corpora- tion. Sometimes people just look at the salary, and they think wow, that’s more than anybody else around here is getting!” Friday Mixed rain and snow, little to no accumulation expected. Highs in the upper 30s. Chance of precipitation is 70%. Low around 25. Saturday A slight chance of an early snow shower, other- wise mostly cloudy. Highs around 35. Chance of precipitation is 20%. Lows in upper teens. Sunday Clear skies with abundant sunshine. Highs in the upper 30s. Lows at night in the lower 20s. See 5J / Page 9 Your weekend weather forecast for Baker County. Our forecast made possible by this generous sponsor: Offi cial weather provider for The Baker County Press. On Wednesday morning, Sheriff Mitch Southwick announced his resignation to the Baker County Board of Commissioners during a special work session. According to those who witnessed at least part of the work session, the res- ignation came as a surprise when Southwick stood and Submitted Photo. asked for fi ve minutes of Mitch Southwick. the Commissioners’ time. He then shook each of their hands and gave them his written resignation letter. Southwick’s current term would have ended at the end of 2016. See SHERIFF / Page 10 ALSO IN THIS ISSUE Permits: Bandstand, Parkway Langrell hearing Strange lights in the night sky Students hear about organ donation Teenage runaway found safe Wellness Watch: Infrared saunas Page Page Page Page Page Page 5 8 8 9 10 12