THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS — 3
FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2015
Business & Ag
BHS grad opens metal art business
BY MEGHAN ANDERSCH
Meghan@TheBakerCountyPress.com
Talon Colton of Baker
City recently launched
Talon Colton Metal Art,
designing and creating
various types of metal
artwork. He creates and
offers work of his own
designs and also accepts
custom orders.
Colton, a graduate of
Baker High School, said he
got interested in metalwork
while a junior and senior
working on the machine
at the high school. He
discovered a talent for the
work and also got into
welding and ag mechanics
through FFA.
After high school,
Colton tried to sign up
with the Marine Corps but
was disqualified due to
hearing loss. He graduated
lineman school and then
tried for enrollment in the
Army with a waiver. He
said despite the waiver, he
was disqualified again for
hearing loss and returned
to Baker City and work-
ing full-time on the Colton
Ranch.
Colton purchased his
own cutting machine in
April of this year and start-
ed playing with designs.
His main advertising has
been word of mouth and he
also has a Facebook site.
Colton said he thought
he’d just get a few jobs
here and there, but there
has been more interest than
he had anticipated.
He has done mostly
signs, tabletop art, and
garden stakes, but also
did a ranch archway. His
cutting machine has a
capacity of 4x4 feet and
cut-outs of words and such
can be done in sizes up
to those dimensions. The
ranch archway was 12 feet,
so Colton cut it in sections
and utilized his weld-
ing skills to complete the
project.
Though he did two or
three aluminum pieces in
high school, Colton usu-
ally works with regular
steel. He prefers to work
with cold-rolled steel
versus hot-rolled due to its
workability and durability.
Colton said the cold-rolled
steel is also easier to apply
some finishes to. He said
painted signs don’t matter
as much, but if he is ap-
plying color with a torch
or a finish beside paint, the
cold-rolled steel comes out
looking better.
Colton’s design process
Friday, June 19, 2015 — Eastern Oregon
Prices trended generally steady compared to the
same quality last week. Trade activity and demand
increased a little this week, however many produc-
ers were still busy in the field with the new crop.
Few sales of new crop hay. Most producers are still
sold out for the season.
No new confirmed sales this week.
USDA Market News Service—AMS.USDA.gov
— Grain Report —
Wednesday, June 24, 2015
Submitted Photo.
Talon Colton Metal Art creates, among other things,
designs for the home.
begins when he has a pic-
ture in mind. For outside
projects, he tries to get
folks to send a picture of
what they are wanting. He
can then utilize computer
software to change and
adjust the image until it’s
right for cutting. He ap-
plies color to the project
with paint, torch, or chemi-
cals and puts a clear coat
over the top to seal.
Turn-around time de-
pends on the complexity
of the project, and also on
how busy things are on the
ranch. Colton said they are
getting to their busier time
of year, so it may take lon-
ger to complete the metal
jobs. If it’s something he’s
already designed, he can
sometimes complete and
get a project out the next
day.
Other items may take a
week or longer.
Colton’s designs can
be seen at facebook.com/
Taloncoltonmetalart.
He also has some pieces
on consignment at loca-
tions around Baker City,
including Cabin Cowboy
Designs, Mad Habit, and
one piece at Elkhorn Em-
broidery.
Colton can be contacted
through Facebook or via
phone at 519-0463.
NRAC discusses Rieber advice
BY TODD ARRIOLA
In early trading July wheat futures trended mixed,
from 0.50 of a cent lower to 0.75 of a cent per bushel
higher compared to Tuesday’s closes. Bids for US 2
Yellow Corn delivered full coast in 110 car shuttle
trains trended lower compared to Tuesday’s noon bids.
Bids for US 1 Yellow Soybeans delivered full coast
in 110 car shuttle trains were not available in early
trading.
USDA Market News Service—AMS.USDA.gov
— Cattle Market Report —
Wednesday, June 17, 2015
Vale, Oregon
Cattle sold through the auction: 361
Steer Calves
300-400# Bulk N/A Top N/A
400-500# Bulk N/A Top N/A
500-600# Bulk 229.00 - 256.00 Top 268.00
Heifer Calves
300-400# Bulk N/A Top N/A
400-500# Bulk 238.00 - 257.00 Top 263.00
500-600# Bulk 224.00 - 238.00 Top 240.00
600-700#
700-800#
800-900#
900-1,000#
Yearling Steers
Bulk 224.00 - 253.00 Top 257.50
Bulk 213.00 - 229.00 Top 231.50
Bulk 201.00 - 212.00 Top 214.00
Bulk 178.00 - 187.00 Top 189.50
Yearling Heifers
600-700# Bulk 216.00 - 229.00 Top 231.00
700-800# Bulk 184.00 - 201.00 Top 205.00
800-900# Bulk 163.00 - 174.00 Top 176.00
900-1,000# Bulk N/A Top N/A
Todd@TheBakerCountyPress.com
The Baker County
Natural Resource Advi-
sory Committee (NRAC)
held a monthly meeting on
Tuesday, June 23, 2015, at
3 p.m., in the Commission
Chambers of the Baker
County Courthouse.
Baker County Commis-
sion Chair Bill Harvey was
present, along with NRAC
Chair Doni Bruland, and
the following committee
members: Arvid Ander-
sen, Jake Bingham, Kody
Justus, Eileen Gyllenberg,
Lyle Defrees, Craig Ward,
Dick Fleming, Jan Alex-
ander, Cynthia Long, Jan
Kerns, George Keister,
Laurene Chapman, Page
Frederickson, Alice Knapp,
Chuck Chase and Ken
Anderson. Lane Parry
and Emily Braswell were
absent.
Attendees included Ed
Hardt, John and Ramona
Creighton, Gary Dielman
and Wanda Ballard.
Hardt commented during
the initial Public Participa-
tion segment of the meet-
ing that he’s been heavily
emphasizing the coordina-
tion process at NRAC and
other meetings, and that
he also did the same dur-
ing his time as an NRAC
member.
The first topic for discus-
sion on the agenda was the
(in draft form) Bureau of
Land Management (BLM)
Sage-Grouse Environ-
mental Impact Statement
(EIS) Protest letter, a copy
of which Bruland gave to
each committee member.
She explained that the
format of the letter would
remain the same, but, it
was not finalized at the
time of the meeting, so
suggestions about revisions
from the NRAC were be-
ing sought.
Harvey commented that
the letter, addressed to
the BLM headquarters in
Washington, D.C., would
need to be finalized, ap-
proved, and sent by Friday,
June 26, in order to be
received by the deadline,
Monday, June 30. An
— Weekly Hay Report —
Thin Shelly Cows 81.00 - 93.00
Butcher Cows 95.00 - 108.00
Butcher Bulls 117.00 - 132.00
Pairs BM N/A
Younger Hfrts. 121.00 - 139.00
Young Pairs - N/A
ProducersLivestock.com
541-473-3136
Todd Arriola / The Baker County Press.
The recently expanded NRAC met this week at the Courthouse.
electronic version would
also be sent via email on
Friday, June 26.
Kerns had copies of
highlights from House
Resolution (HR) 2647, The
Resilient National Forest
Act of 2015, and discussed
that topic with the commit-
tee. These and other points
were made in the Baker
County Board of Commis-
sioners’ letter of support
for HR 2647, addressed
to Congressman Walden,
who introduced the bill.
The Commissioners ap-
proved the letter during
the Wednesday, June 24,
2015 session at the County
Courthouse.
Defrees moved that the
NRAC give full sup-
port for HR 2647, with a
second from Long. Justus
responded immediately
that he thinks there is a
conflict with spending the
time to draft and send the
letter, because the County
already has the authority
to handle its own natural
resource issues.
He said a recommenda-
tion from the NRAC isn’t
needed, because the legis-
lation wouldn’t be imple-
mented any more than
regulations, ordinances,
etc. that are already avail-
able locally to the County.
He said that too much
NRAC time has been spent
on the subject, and he isn’t
interested in supporting the
letter and legislation.
He emphasized focus
on the County handling its
own issues, and the Baker
County Natural Resource
Plan (BCNRP), copies of
which each member had.
Harvey discussed the is-
sue with Justus, and Chase
commented that the NRAC
should support the legisla-
tion. The committee voted
to support the letter and
legislation, with Justus as
the one member opposed.
The committee discussed
consultant Andy Rieber’s
letter to the County Com-
missioners, in which she
explained her recommend-
ed revisions to the BC-
NRP. Copies of this were
available to the NRAC
members.
She said she thought
that the BCNRP, as she
received it, was a “…well-
written, well thought out
plan, and its authors should
be proud of their work…”
She went on to point
out two primary weak-
nesses, however.
Rieber said that the plan
combined County require-
ments on Federal and State
lands with very broad,
cross-jurisdictional natural
resource philosophies, con-
trasted with most County
plans, which are designed
solely with the purpose
of addressing needs on
Federal and State lands,
for the purpose of engag-
ing in coordination and as
cooperating agencies. This
makes it easy for Federal
agencies to overlook parts
that pertain to them, she
said, and directness and
clarity are needed as much
as possible.
The second weakness,
she said, is that it substan-
tially lacked the primary
tool necessary for coor-
dination with Federal agen-
cies—policies.
She said that the
BCNRP stated policies
in terms of “goals” and
“objectives.” In order for
a goal or objective not to
be potentially ignored by
an agency, Rieber said,
it’s important to clarify
exactly what the County’s
approach will be to the
agencies, and she suggest-
ed terms and structure that
would make the BCNRP
more consistent, and spell
out in firmer language
demands or expectations of
agencies.
Rieber billed 42 hours
and $4,200.
The NRAC members
discussed revisions to the
BCNRP for a little over 20
minutes in their respective
sub-committee groups,
after which Harvey em-
phasized the need to have
suggested changes to the
protest letter in as soon as
possible.
Bruland stated that
suggested changes to the
BCNRP should be in by
July 14, and they can be
discussed further at the
next regular NRAC meet-
ing, scheduled for Tuesday,
July 28, at 3 p.m., in the
Commission Chambers of
the Baker County Court-
house.
— 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: $1176.70
Silver: $15.86
Platinum: $1,074.45
Palladium: $695.50
Bloomberg.com
— Ag Commodities —
Corn: $372.00/bu/USD
Wheat: $526.50/bu/USD
Soybeans: $959.75/bu/USD
Oats: $269.00 bu/USD
Rough Rice: $10.20/cwt/USD
Canola: $519.20 CAD/mwt
Live Cattle: $150.33/lb./USD
Feeder Cattle: $223.70/lb./USD
Lean Hogs: $74.20/lb./USD
Bloomberg.com