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About The Baker County press. (Baker City, Ore.) 2014-current | View Entire Issue (April 24, 2015)
FRIDAY, APRIL 24, 2015 Opinion / Local — Letters to the Editor — Nonpartisan is bad for Baker County To the Editor: The effort to change Baker County to nonpartisan voting of County Commis- sioners brings concern to me as a citizen of Oregon. I have spent time as a City Councilor and Candidate for County Commissioner in Benton County. I have watched the patterns throughout Oregon with great concern. I have personally seen the downfall of the County Commissioners change from partisan to nonpartisan. Polk County had two Republicans and one Democrat with great success. The movement to change to nonpartisan at Polk County has created an undertaking to stop Commissioners from making sound fi nancial decisions. There was a close election for a fi rst-term Commissioner who made the decision to allow an operating levy for the Sheriff’s Department to go to ballot. An organized group changed the election by building their strength in public visibility against the needs of the County and the Freshman Commissioner. Baker County has a history of Com- missioner resignations. Specifi cally, Rod McCullough, Ben Dunleavy, Paul York, and Dr. Carl Stiff. We do not need the Governor appointing County Commis- sioners if one or two were to resign. It is important to strengthen the two-party system keeping the people involved in the process. We are currently suffering from the efforts of special interest groups on both sides spending a great amount of energy to make it less about the people and more about their agenda. Jerry Jackson Philomath Nonpartisan change has been horrible in Josephine County To the Editor: Dear Baker County Residents, I urge you to vote NO in switching to a non- Partisan Commissioner offi ce on Measure 1-63. In the early 90s Josephine County switched to nonpartisan and we have had nothing but trouble ever since. Josephine County has made worldwide news due to the lack of funding of the O&C funds and other overall ramifi ca- tions for nonpartisan Commissioners. It may seem like a great idea, but our County has been suffering ever since it has been adopted. We have lost almost all of our Sheriffs Department and those Union employees. A better system is for each party (there are more than two) to put forth their best candidate, and hold them accountable. Non-Affi liated candidates can still run. The way our current system is set up we have on average eight people running for one position, so when two positions are open we could have a fi eld of sixteen can- didates, four or fi ve who run every single time and only receive a small percentage of the votes. With so many candidates running it of- ten discourages good people from running and those who do run have the votes scat- tered throughout all the candidates— and this has been know to take away from the good candidates. With the lack of good candidates, we have had two Commissioners recalled and our current board with an overreach- ing power that has cost the County in a referendum vote to overturn the ordi- nances, because they would not listen to the people. Many residents in the our County at- tempted to activate another recall, which ended up costing the County even more money. As you can see that most of this causes discontent with Commissioners who are not held accountable. I urge you to think twice and vote no for nonpartisan com- missioners offi ces as you can see it is a bad idea. Please vote no on Measure 1-63. Keith Trahern Grants Pass 1-63 is dirty politics To the Editor: Please vote NO on Measure 1 - 63. My friends, please don’t vote to change the positions of county commissioners from partisan to nonpartisan. I am voting no on this measure for many reasons. I can see no benefi t to any- one for a change. It has no effect on any- one’s right to vote. What I believe passing this measure would do is make it harder for us in the outlying districts to learn who the candidates for commissioner are, what they stand for, and leave us short of a source of valuable information. I consider one’s political leanings as a measure to judge what we can expect of anyone, to decide whether to vote for them or not. I believe that passing this measure would result in many people giving up trying to vote and losing out—the op- posite of what the backers of this measure claim. In my view, it is wrong to tell anyone that people have not been able to vote when they have. This is dirty politics. The right thing to do is to vote no on Measure 1-63. Carmelita Holland Richland world gone CRAZY radio with Leo Castillo SUNDAYS at 9 PM 1490 KBKR As heard on Supertalk Radio KLBM & KBKR Archives at www.worldgonecrazy.net Estate / Moving Sale Ski Boat | Antiques | Guns | Furniture |Appliances April 25, 2015 Time: 10:00 A.M. Sale Located at: 452 Bitterbrush Dr., Nampa, Id. Terms: Cash or bankable check day of sale. No merchandise removed prior to settlement. 10% buyers premium. Concessions available on site. • 1997 Rinker Captiva 192 ski boat • Winchester collectable rifl e • 1800s pump organ • Duncan Pfi ffe • Drexler • Laz-E-Boy • Top quality appliances • Power tools and welders • Quality household items • Recreational/ camping equipment • Brand new whizzer bike • Hovearound • Mantis tiller and garden tools • Much more! This is an exceptional estate. For a complete description and pictures go to: www.snakeriverauction.com Sale Conducted by Snake River Auction L.L.C. P.O. Box 672, Payette, Idaho • (541)212-5918 Roger K. Nakashima, Auctioneer THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS — 5 Irvine appointed to 5J School Board CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 She has served twice on the Baker 5J Budget Board and has two young children, kindergarten and pre-school age, attending classes in the Baker School District. Board Chairman Andrew Bryan, who also runs in the May 19 special election, prefers working with a full roster of board members, he said. The appointment of Irvine fi lls all spots on the fi ve-member school board. Bryan and fellow board members are now concentrating on fi lling all seats on the District’s budget board. The 5J Budget Board meets on May 12 at 5 p.m. to discuss the budget for the July 1, 2015 to June 30, 2016 fi scal year. Oregon State legislators have settled on a fi nal bud- get number to fund schools for the next two years. The total biennium budget for Oregon schools is pegged at $7.255 billion, according to Doug Dalton, 5J Financial Director. Each student represents a $7,000 payment to school districts. One large funding change coming next years includes the addition of full-time kindergarten. The increase in funding for full day kindergarten should cover the costs of additional personnel and implementation of the ex- panded program, according to Dalton. The Baker School Dis- trict budget for 2015-2016 becomes available to the public on May 8. Copies may be obtained at the district offi ce, 2090 Fourth Street, Baker City. At 1,6 76 students attend- ing classes this April in the Baker School District, enrollment has remained at about the same numbers as this time last year. Sep- tember marked the high point in enrollment this year with 1,721 students. Brooklyn continues burst- ing at the seams with 471 students and expects erec- tion of another modular classroom this summer; Baker High School has 475 students; Baker Web Academy teaches 583 en- rolled students from across the state; Baker All-Prep Brian Addison / The Baker County Press Newly hired 5J superintendent Mark Witty meets with school board member Melissa Irvine, execu- tive secretary Norma Nemec, board member Chris Hawkins, and board member Kevin Cassidy before the April 21, school board meeting. and Early College program has 180 enrolled; South Baker has 316 students; Baker Middle School has 239 students; Eagle Cap with 31 students; and, Elkhorn Adolescent with 11 enrolled. Frisbee Golf may be coming to the Baker Sports Complex. A new attraction may soon be available to Baker City residents. Baker High School student Dani Mc- Cauley gave the school board members a detailed description of a plan to plot a nine-hole Frisbee Golf Course within the Baker Sports Complex. McCauley said the Ford Family Foundation has offered a $5,000 matching grant and the total bud- get for the project equals $12,000. The course would be owned and maintained by the Baker School Dis- trict, said McCauley. The district’s fi nance depart- ment has done preliminary work on the proposed project. McCauley asked the school district to act as fi scal sponsor on the project and asked for per- mission to move forward. While no fi nal vote was made, McCauley received encouragement to continue putting together details such as hours of opera- tions and conferring on the project with community partners. Students of the Month. Promise of Baker in- termediate student of the month was awarded to South Baker sixth grader Gabe Gambleton. Gabe was commended for his focus on academics, demonstrating applicable skills that he has learned, and for his “gentle, helpful attitude”. Promise of Baker primary student of the month was awarded to Henry Hester, a fi rst grader at Brooklyn. Henry was noted for his honesty, politeness, and great sense of humor. No shortage of Superin- tendents. The April 21 school board meeting may have had more superintendents in attendance than normal. And, all three attending are either working for the district or preparing to take the helm. The school board meet- ing was led by interim su- perintendent Betty Palmer. Superintendent Walt We- gener, who retires from the job on June 30, attended the meeting but sat in the public seating section. Newly hired superinten- dent Mark Witty began the school board meeting with a presentation of his participation in the China Exchange educational program and his recent trip to China. Witty has been hired as the 5J District’s next Superintendent and begins in that role on July 1, 2015. When Witty takes over the top job Palmer then assumes the newly created position Assistant Superintendent/Director of Curriculum. OTEC places first in safety award contest Oregon Trail Electric Cooperative placed 1st in the 2015 Northwest Public Power Administration (NWPPA) Safety Awards contest. General Manager Wer- ner Buehler was delighted with the notifi cation received earlier last month. “This is a big deal for us. While this is not the fi rst time OTEC has received this honor, it acknowledges our continued perseverance and commitment to safety. It is priority number one.” In 2014, between the 150,000-500,000 hour category, OTEC had no lost time accidents. This paired with the lack of injury cases is what put OTEC in the lead for the recognition. “Utilities from across the Pacifi c Northwest, Alaska and California compete in this annual safety contest and it is a great honor to be recog- nized,” said Buehler. The awards ceremony was held at NWPPA’s Engineering and Opera- tions Conference on April 9, 2015 at the Tacoma Convention Center in Washington and a small representative group from OTEC traveled to accept the award. “The timing couldn’t have been more perfect as we are coming up on National Electric Safety Month in May,” Buehler said. “While safety for our employees, co-workers and members is a top prior- ity year-round, Electrical Safety Month is a time to acknowledge the impor- tance of safety excellence. Our safety record is well above average and that is attributed to the culture of care we have for one an- other and a healthy respect we have for the incredible power of electricity. If there is any metric that we as a cooperative want to succeed at it is no lost time accidents.” Additional benefi ts are the savings in the form of lower insurance premiums for employees and remain- ing in good standing with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. “This is just another way we are continually fulfi lling the vision of our member-owned coop- erative,” Buehler said. “To deliver safe, reliable and affordable energy. It’s what we are all about.”
