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About The Baker County press. (Baker City, Ore.) 2014-current | View Entire Issue (March 20, 2015)
FRIDAY, MARCH 20, 2015 THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS — 9 Local Oath Keepers learn about radio show, colloidal silver By Kerry McQuisten News@TheBakerCountyPress.com Tuesday evening’s monthly meeting of the Baker County Oath Keep- ers was primarily split between two major pre- sentations—one relating to emergency preparedness, the other to the introduc- tion of a new radio show with topics that tie into areas of interest to the group. The meeting was co-run by Kody Justus, Jake Brown and Jim Iler. In ad- dition to the presentations, Justus announced that $160 had come in from a recent fundraiser. Bill Harvey also spoke very briefly about community preparedness before leav- ing early. Colloidal Silver. Tom Omann of Eagle Valley spoke for nearly an hour as he demonstrated how to create colloidal sil- ver at home to supplement family preparedness skills. Using a three connected 9-volt batteries for the goal of around 28 volts, Omann hooked the batteries to two electrodes attached to 14-gauge wire (his prefer- ence), which were placed in a jar of filtered well water along with .9999% pure silver wire, which he said can be purchased from jewelers. A coin of that same purity would also work, but not a coin cut with any other metal—as that combination can prove toxic. Colloidal silver is es- sentially tiny particles of silver suspended in ionized water. Electrolytically-dissolved silver has been used as a water disinfecting agent for decades—in fact it is currently used aboard the International Space Sta- tion. Some hospitals still run water through copper and silver filters to combat MRSA due to the metals’ antibiotic and antisep- tic qualities. The World Health Organization uses it to disinfect drinking water in third-world nations. Omann showed that the water becomes cloudy as the colloidal silver readies, and eventually takes on a golden hue when held up to light. He recommended straining the final product through a coffee filter to remove any darkened particles. Silver (and colloidal sil- ver) have an oligodynamic effect, which means it has a toxic effect as a metal on living cells, which can include bacteria, mold, spores and the like. Because of that effect, use of colloidal silver in topical creams and bandag- es isn’t unheard of, nor is it uncommon to use colloidal silver in treatment of other- wise untreatable infections, particularly on livestock and other animals. While many drink col- loidal silver as a health supplement, the practice is controversial. “Too much of anything is toxic,” said Omann, “whether it’s air, water or anything you can name.” Colloidal silver taken internally in excess can build up in the body caus- ing argyria, a bluish-gray discoloration of the skin, which is almost always permanent. Extreme con- sumption is discouraged— unless faded Smurf is one’s preferred look. “There are people all over the country this has happened to,” he warned. As for storage, he said, “Keep the stuff away from electromagnetic fields, which refrigerators have. It doesn’t need to be refriger- ated.” Omann does advise, however, to keep colloidal silver in a dark glass bottle to help block sunlight, which can turn the color. World Gone Crazy. Special guest Leo Cas- tillo, host of the new radio show “World Gone Crazy,” addressed the group next, introducing his program, which airs on 1490AM, KBKR every Sunday at 9 p.m. Castillo is a fan of and has participated in groups such as Oath Keepers, Eastern Oregon Patriots and Forest Access for All. He is a Gulf War veteran. Some of Castillo’s key show topics will revolve around preservation of first and second amendment rights all the way to topics such as comtrails and the vaccine debate. His past interviews have included Oath Keeper Jake Brown, Chris Bridgens who spoke on parents rights in education, and Dr. Jennifer Craig on the early history of vaccines. Castillo’s wish list of guests includes Sheriff Richard Mack to discuss The Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers As- sociation, and Utah State Representative Ken Ivory regarding the Transfer of Public Lands. Castillo led an open dis- cussion spanning a number of issues that came into the minds of members of the group. A proposed Oregon Senate bill, which has now failed, caused concern “trying to eradicate the parents’ rights to claim a philosophical exemption,” he summarized. The spon- sor of that bill has since declared her intent to intro- duce another bill along the same vein in the future. One member asked Cas- tillo if he believed there will come a time “when vaccines will be forced upon you and there will be no way out.” “I don’t think they’ll be able to get rid of the reli- gious exemption,” he said. “That would be a really tough fight. Castillo broached the subject of Transfer of Public Lands, voicing support for the concept and Oregon House Bill 3444. “Prosperity is right here,” he said. “This whole idea of scarcity is bull.” Ron Edge of Baker City asked if Castillo had heard of the Mine-Resistant Am- bush Protected (MRAP) vehicle that the Baker County Sheriff’s Depart- ment had been gifted by the Department of Justice nearly two years ago. Since that time, similar vehicles, each valued at $650,000 or more, have been distributed and located in hundreds of the smallest communities across America, including Baker City, where there is little use for a vehicle with those specs. Castillo tied Edge’s concern in with a question asked of the two appoin- Kerry McQuisten / The Baker County Press Tom Omann shows how to create colloidal silver at home. Kerry McQuisten / The Baker County Press Leo Castillo introduces his radio program, World Gone Grazy, which airs on 1490AM Sundays. tee candidates for Baker County Sheriff last week, regarding the Federal mili- tarization of police. Several members voiced the opinion that the Obama Administration’s efforts to militarize even the rural areas could be rendered “inert” if County Sheriff’s Departments don’t sign away local rights via Fed- eral agreements. The second amendment and resolutions support- ing it were briefly touched upon, as were a number of other topics including the overwhelming elimination of high-ranking military officers to the presence of foreign troops training on American soil. The topics on “World Gone Crazy” will seem- ingly run the spectrum. Archives of Castillo’s past shows, as well as contact information, can be found online at www. worldgonecrazy.net. For more information or to join the Baker County Oath Keepers, please visit BakerCountySolutions. com or look for contact information on the service directory ad on page six of this newspaper. Ash appointed as interim Sheriff Continued from Page 1 Bennett said, “As I reflected on this, I realized I was not elected to be a politician. I was elected to listen, to gather informa- tion, analyze, reflect, and then make a decision.” He thanked both candi- dates, and gave them high praise for enduring the in- terview, etc., and described his analysis, including using his background of 23 years in law enforcement to aide in the decision- making process. Bennett said the two candidates had similar an- swers and goals concern- ing community relations, jurisdictional authority, natural resources policy, and the Second Amend- ment. He explained that, while he commended Hoopes’ complete honesty and directness when answering questions about budget- ing, training personnel, and supervision, he noted that Ash has more experi- ence with writing warrants, training, supervision, and in other areas, and he was the applicant Bennett chose. Kerns thanked the candidates, and said, “You were very close, in almost all cases. We’ve had an excellent Sheriff; he’s done an excellent job, and he’s the one that knows these people, and knows the business. He made a recommendation, and I’ll have to go with the recommendation of Sheriff Southwick, Travis Ash.” Harvey explained his own analysis, and talked about open meetings, com- munity input and advice from others, along with using his own 35-year business experience in hir- ing and promoting person- nel, and said, “It is my job to look for the person that is the best fit as your next Sheriff of Baker County. That’s why I, too, am ap- pointing Travis Ash.” Ash was appointed inter- im Sheriff, with a motion from Kerns, and a second from Bennett, followed by a short break, during which the crowd visited with and thanked and congratulated the candidates. In a press release issued by Ash Wednesday, he writes, “I fully appreciate the trust the Baker County Commissioners have placed in me by appointing me to the position of Baker County Interim Sheriff. As I have said previously, I am deeply humbled by the support and encourage- ment I have received from the community during this process and hope to contin- ue to earn the confidence of the people of Baker County. I am looking forward to serving the Citi- zens of Baker County and am also looking forward to going through the election process in the new year.” Housekeeping. After the break, the minutes from the regular session on March 4, 2015 were approved, with a mo- tion from Bennett, and a second from Kerns. Harvey asked if anyone had any comments or dis- cussions for the citizen’s participation segment of the session, and the reply was that there were none. Kerns commented about applying for drought assis- tance, and Bennett replied that at the next regular ses- sion, the matter could be discussed more thoroughly, with more information. Appointments. Order No. 2015-110, Appointing A Member To The Baker Valley Vec- tor Control Board, was approved, with a motion from Bennett, and a second from Kerns. Fred Warner, Jr. was appointed to serve, his term expiring on De- cember 31, 2017. Order No. 2015-111, Re-Appointing Members To The Baker County Museum Commission, was approved, with a motion from Bennett, and a second from Kerns. Steve Bogart, Hal Huntington, Roberta Proudfoot, and Melinda Sherrieb were re-appoint- ed, their term expiring January 1, 2018. Order No. 2015-112, Re-Appointing Members To The Baker County Natural Resource Advisory Committee, was approved, Todd Arriola / The Baker County Press Members of the BHS FFA presented a debate on grazing, using one of their own in a sand creature costume to illustrate one point. with a motion from Ben- nett, and a second from Harvey. Laurene Chapman, Dick Fleming, Jan Kerns, and Lane Parry were re- appointed, their term expir- ing March 1, 2018. Courts. Michael Finley was present to give a Justice Court update, explaining initially that revenue is up, almost $41,000, from last year at this time. He said there’s an issue with the Small Claims fee of $28, and it needs to be increased, since more than just filing a case would necessarily involve more effort and expenditure. Finley said he’s hearing that other courts are under- staffed, and there’s a cur- rent effort to change filing processes to an electronic, paperless system. He informed the Board that he will be requesting another employee to work an eight-hour week to as- sist with the large backlog of files he says needs to be scanned and digitized. Finley mentioned two Oregon House bills, HB 3399, and HB 2355. HB 3399, he said, could have a big impact, since it involves transcription requirements for the court system, and it would be extremely difficult to meet those requirements with the staff on hand. The bill would also require Oregon State Bar certifications for certain personnel, such as Jus- tice Of The Peace, which would be costly, he said. HB 2355 involves fee increases for Small Claims court, which is something Finley does support, and says is definitely needed FFA. The Baker High School Future Farmers of America (FFA) presented a debate on grazing and desertiza- tion after Finley’s update, and the group included Ashley Brinton, Hannah Oliver, Taylor Hawes, Christian Oliver, Robie Davis, and Kylie Skidgel. The group will be presenting also at the FFA National Convention this weekend in Silverton, Oregon, they said. The next regular Com- mission session is sched- uled for Wednesday, April 1, 2015, at 9 a.m., in the Commissioners Chambers of the Baker County Court- house.
