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About The Baker County press. (Baker City, Ore.) 2014-current | View Entire Issue (June 5, 2015)
THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS — 3 FRIDAY, JUNE 5, 2015 Business & Ag Cutter’s Edge trains first responders to use new rescue saw • SAW WAS DONATED TO GREATER BOWEN VALLEY LAST MONTH Prices trended generally steady compared to the same quality last week. Trade activity and demand was slow this week. Most producers are sold out for the season. Price Range Wtd Avg Alfalfa Large Square - Good 400 190.00-190.00 190.00 Alfalfa/Timothy Mix Large Square - Premium 25 200.00-200.00 200.00 Todd@TheBakerCountyPress.com USDA Market News Service—AMS.USDA.gov — Cattle Market Report — Wednesday, May 27, 2015 Vale, Oregon Cattle sold through the auction: 542 Todd Arriola / The Baker County Press Volunteers from the Greater Bowen Valley Fire and Rescue got lessons last week from Tom Ruzich (front, second from right) on using rescue saws. chainsaw, he said. This is a product that was recently developed especially for cutting through aircraft metal, Ruzich said. He said that the saw heads (the main body of the saws) are modified with a larger air intake, in- creasing horse power, and providing other benefits, since the saws would be used in harsh environ- ments, where a normal internal combustion engine would have issues. A specially developed metal depth gauge, the D-8, placed on the chain- saw, was demonstrated. The gauge, which requires no tools to remove or install, allows the saw to cut through a roof, for example, without acci- dentally cutting too deep, through rafters. It also serves as a chain guard to protect the user. Ruzich said this gauge was another development gained from experience over the last 30 years. His background is in firefighting, having served as a volunteer all his life, he said. He said there are two Cutters Edge facilities— the Corporate Headquarters and Factory in Baker City, with nine employees, and the other, the Authorized Service Center, in New Cumberland, Pennsylvania, with eleven employees. At about 6 p.m., the group headed to the train- ing grounds, just west of the 7,500 square foot Cut- ters Edge facility on 23rd Street. Donning nearly 100% of the gear they would normally wear, the exception being oxygen masks, they listened to Ruzich as he explained the operation of the saws and the training scenarios (Keith Jensen was in plain clothes due to a previous injury). They had several cut- ting scenarios, set up by Ruzich and Brown, which included a variety of materials. The first was a steel pipe, which Ruzich cut through with the rotary blade, demonstrating the cutting operation for the group. Devlin was the first to volunteer after that to cut the pipe, followed by the rest. The next scenario in- volved a metal guard rail, attached to a concrete bar- rier and pipe with straps. Each one in the group took turns cutting the rail, after it was first demonstrated by Ruzich. He demonstrated the next cut, through the concrete pipe, with the water-cooled rotary saw. This scenario required that the user cut through half of the pipe from one side, and then finish the cut from the other side. Two metal doors were the focus of the next scenario, and each member of the group took turns cutting through replaceable plates on the latch side of the doors. Upon comple- tion of each cut, they pried open the doors. A wooden building locat- ed on the training grounds was used to demonstrate cutting through exterior walls, with the chain- saw and the rotary saw. Devlin and Allen Jensen volunteered to make both vertical cuts and horizontal cuts in order to remove sections of the wall, using both saws. After that, both the rotary and chain saws were demonstrated on layers of asphalt shingles which were strapped to a wooden pallet. This session was a por- tion of the training the Greater Bowen Valley Fire and Rescue volunteers will receive from Cutters Edge, and another session is tentatively scheduled later in the summer. Forest supervisors issue open letter to forest users Dear Citizens of the Blue Mountains National Forests, The Malheur, Umatilla and Wallowa-Whitman National Forests are com- mitted to keeping an open dialogue continuing with the communities we serve and as such would like to update you all on our progress in the Blue Moun- tains Forest Plans revision process. We want to thank many of you for your recent efforts in helping us think through and develop a re-engagement strategy for the communities in the Blue Mountains. As we announced last month, we have met with a broad spectrum of stake- holders so far this year to discuss the best ways to reengage with folks in the Blues. Through their council and advice we are exploring a range of re-engagement activities including community, stakeholder and Forest Service hosted meetings. We want to be clear that Friday, May 29, 2015 — Eastern Oregon Tons BY TODD ARRIOLA Last Wednesday eve- ning, May 27, volunteers with the Greater Bowen Valley Fire and Rescue department assembled for a training session provided by Tom Ruzich, President of Cutters Edge in Baker City, who gifted the group a fire rescue saw, men- tioned in the May 8, 2015 issue of The Baker County Press. The group from the department included Fire Chief Jim Devlin, Assistant Fire Chief Keith Jensen, Allen and Tabbitha Jensen, Cal Foster, Chris Galisze- wski, Brent Kragness, and Rick Badgley. Steve Brown, Head of Produc- tion for Cutters Edge, assisted Ruzich with the training. Ruzich explained that three different saws are assembled and internation- ally sold by Cutters Edge. One is a chainsaw, with a carbide-tipped chain, the Bullet Chain, Cutters Edge developed nearly 30 years ago, he said. The saw is capable of cutting every type of building material except structural concrete. Another chainsaw, equipped with a diamond- tipped chain, is lubricated with water, and is capable of cutting up to 16 inches of reinforced concrete. The third saw, a rotary saw, uses a diamond blade that can cut through virtu- ally any material, and can also use a special chain, the Bullet Chain, attached to a rotary blade, the Bul- let Blade, a set up that‘s repairable and replaceable, Ruzich said. Moving three times faster on the blade, the chain can cut through a wider range of mate- rial than if it were on the — Weekly Hay Report — these meetings will be open to public; Our hope is that these meetings will provide opportunities to discuss and develop ideas that will help us to improve the final Revised Forest Plans, and provide clarity on our final decisions. As previously an- nounced, this past Febru- ary, we began asking local organizations, including counties, tribes, members of the public at large and special interest groups, if they would be interested in hosting or participating in public meetings in their communities on issues brought forward through the Draft Environmental Impact Statement comment process. We are working with those who have responded to plan and/or participate in a variety of forums to be announced soon. We welcome additional efforts if there is interest. We are open to meet with the public and any entity interested in discussing the draft. We heard a strong desire for further discussion around Forest access, back country, wilderness and the pace and scale of restora- tion, so you can anticipate meetings around these top- ics, as well as some other more localized issues. We hope to identify some common ground and create solutions. We look forward to these discus- sions It is important to know that while the analysis for the Malheur, Umatilla and Wallowa-Whitman National Forests will be included in one environ- mental impact statement; each Forest will have its own unique plan specific to the Forest and their com- munities. We want Forest Plans that provide resiliency for our communities in Eastern Oregon and Washington; Plans that support the local economy and the social values of the people who use and depend on them. We also want resiliency in ecosystems that can withstand: drought, floods, wildfire, invasive species, human impacts and have the strength to return to healthy ecosystems in the long run. Our Forest Plans should provide the vision of how to do just that and we will continue to need your help in shaping them. Please come to a meet- ing. If you cannot come to a meeting, contact your local Forest Service office with your input. If you are interested in discussing or hosting an engagement event please contact Katy Gray, Wallowa-Whitman National Forest, Public Affairs Officer, kathrynl- gray@fs.fed.us 541-523- 1246. We look forward to see- ing and hearing from you in the coming months as we believe together we can plan for a bright future for our forests. Thank you, Steve Beverlin; Malheur NF, Kevin Martin; Uma- tilla NF, Tom Montoya; Wallowa-Whitman NF Steer Calves 300-400# Bulk 257.00 - 284.00 Top 289.00 400-500# Bulk 264.00 - 297.00 Top 313.00 500-600# Bulk 245.00 - 273.00 Top 280.00 Heifer Calves 300-400# Bulk 237.00 - 258.00 Top 262.00 400-500# Bulk 232.00 - 247.00 Top 259.50 500-600# Bulk 228.00 - 247.00 Top 260.00 Yearling Steers 600-700# Bulk 226.00 - 240.00 Top 241.00 700-800# Bulk 207.00 - 221.00 Top 222.00 800-900# Bulk 193.00 - 202.00 Top 204.00 900-1,000# Bulk N/A Top N/A Yearling Heifers 600-700# Bulk 210.00 - 224.00 Top 226.00 700-800# Bulk N/A Top N/A 800-900# Bulk N/A Top N/A 900-1,000# Bulk N/A Top N/A Thin Shelly Cows 84.00 - 94.00 Butcher Cows 96.00 - 110.00 Butcher Bulls 126.00 - 141.00 Pairs BM N/A Younger Hfrts. 122.00 - 139.00 Young Pairs - N/A ProducersLivestock.com 541-473-3136 — Log Price Report — Price per 1,000 board feet: Northeast Oregon Doug Fir is $415.00/mbf White fir is $365.00/mbf Ponderosa Pine is brought sold on diameter splits 6 to 11 inch dib $300 to $310/MBF 12 to 17 inch dib $350 to $375/MBF 18 to 23 inch dib $400 to $430/MBF 24 inch plus dib $450 to $500/MBF DIB is diameter inside bark at small end of log. MBF is thousand board feet lumber, net scale. People interested in selling logs should call and get specific quotes from saw mills. Courtesy of Arvid Andersen, Andersen Forestry Consulting — Precious Metals Report — Price per ounce, USD Gold: $1174.60 Silver: $16.17 Platinum: $1,098.24 Palladium: $755.18 Bloomberg.com — Ag Commodities — Corn: $362.70/bu/USD Wheat: $519.75/bu/USD Soybeans: $943.55/bu/USD Oats: $245.70 bu/USD Rough Rice: $9.91/cwt/USD Canola: $494.60 CAD/mwt Live Cattle: $150.95/lb./USD Feeder Cattle: $221.60/lb./USD Lean Hogs: $80.93/lb./USD Bloomberg.com
