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About The Baker County press. (Baker City, Ore.) 2014-current | View Entire Issue (July 3, 2015)
THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS — 3 FRIDAY, JULY 3, 2015 Business & Ag Haggen hosts community meeting BY GINA K. SWARTZ Gina@TheBakerCountyPress.com Haggen is a hometown company that was started in 1933 by Ben and Doro- thy Haggen in Bellingham, Washington. The company stayed small, a northwest regional grocery chain un- til recently jumping from 18 stores to 164, spreading across Oregon, Washing- ton, California, Nevada and Arizona. In January of this year the company, which had put in a bid to acquire the additional stores that were part of the divestment process brought about by the Federal Trade Com- mission’s (FTC) review of the Albertson’s LLC and Safeway merger, learned they had won the bid and had to begin converting stores by March. It all happened fast for the company. “We have conducted rolling closures of each new store location to make upgrades, changes but on a corporate level we are running behind so you will continue to see more changes take place slowly,” said Todd McGiverin, Hag- gen Director of Marketing Tuesday evening at a Bak- er City community meeting to discuss the transition, vendor opportunities for community members and local nonprofit donations. The Federal Trade Commission rules say one company can’t dominate and have a monopoly in one area so they required areas that have both stores in close proximity to one another to sell one of those Water supply CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Between 20 and 30 people attended the meet- ing, held at 7 p.m., includ- ing BCLA President Jake Bingham, Vice President Drew Martin, Wendy Bing- ham, Dotti Miles, Martin Arritola, Curtis and Cheryl Martin, Tom and Fawn Kerns, Ralph and Myrna Morgan, and Baker County Commissioner Tim Kerns. Jake Bingham called the meeting to order and said, “I’d like to welcome ev- eryone here. This is good attendance. I appreciate everyone coming.” Wendy Bingham read the minutes from the last BCLA meeting, held on Thursday, May 21, 2015, at 7 p.m., also at the Best Western Sunridge Inn. Mentioning one of the top- ics from that meeting, she said, “The U.S. Fish and Wildlife (Service) recog- nized the efforts of Cali- fornia and Nevada toward (Greater) Sage Grouse preservation, by not listing them as endangered in their states.” The minutes were approved, with a motion from Arritola, and a second from Ralph Morgan. The group discussed its ATV raffle, the tickets for which would be sold dur- ing the Haines Stampede 4th of July Rodeo, at $20 each. Collins was introduced, and she gave the attendees a Rock Creek Watershed presentation, including displaying graphics on a — Weekly Hay Report — Friday, June 26, 2015 — Eastern Oregon Prices trended generally steady compared to the same quality last week. Trade activity decreased a little this week, however many producers were still busy in the field with the new crop. Most producers have not yet begun selling new crop hay. No new confirmed sales this week. USDA Market News Service—AMS.USDA.gov — Grain Report — Tuesday, June 30, 2015 In early trading July wheat futures trended mixed from five cents lower to 1.75 cents per bushel higher compared to Monday’s closes. September wheat futures trended 0.50 of a cent to 5.25 cents per bushel lower in early trading. Bids for US 2 Yellow Corn delivered full coast in 110 car shuttle trains trended steady to higher compared to Monday’s noon bids. USDA Market News Service—AMS.USDA.gov Gina K. Swartz / The Baker County Press At left, Haggen Marketing Director Todd McGiverin talks with local store manager Marc Ruberti while the crowd gathers. stores. In this case they that can be done to make all the same benefits the chose to sell the Albertsons them different, we did same compensation and store but in other markets as much as we can in 40 for the most part we had they chose to sell the Safe- hours. Improvements will 100% come with us. It was way store. continue to be made over important to us to keep the “At any rate they bun- the next month, years but store associates and at the dled together stores and we for right now, the ghost same level. You don’t want successfully bought them. of Albertsons is still alive to start off with an em- We quickly put together a and well in the stores and ployee morale problem by plan and tried to staff up you can see that but over cutting benefits. It is nice as quickly as we could but time that will change,” for you (the consumer) be- the number of stores we said McGiverin. “We’ve cause the first stores were were talking about, Hag- jumped to eight times a little bit more bumpy (in gen a regional grocery that more stores, our employee the transition) but by the started out with 18 stores count jumped significantly time we got to the end we at the beginning of this also. We opened offices in got really good at convert- year, went to 164 within Seattle and will be open- ing stores. It’s been a little four months. The timing ing in Portland too. They bit if an adjustment but was mandated by the FTC, are just satellite offices. we learned, we learned we had to take possession It’s been a sprint, like a quickly.” of all 146 stores and turn sprinting marathon and it’s The purpose of Tues- them into a Haggen within amazing what can be done day’s community meeting a three-month time period. in the 40 hour closings but was to give a “Handshake One question many have there is a lot left to do. It to the community so to had is we haven’t seen a is an important thing, to speak, introduce ourselves lot of change in the store. keep the employees too. and tell you what we are When you close a store We took ownership the day about. Talk about our past, for 40 hours and you’ve Albertsons closed an as of present and future,” he got 145 other stores to go that day those employees said. (with limited time) there didn’t have a job, we did SEE HAGGEN PAGE 4 is not a whole lot of work offer them all jobs with the projector screen. She said, “We (the SWCD) were asked, through the Oregon Department of Agricul- ture (ODA), which is how we’re funded, three years ago, to select a focus area within our County. So, we have two in Baker County. One is the Burnt River, and the other is Rock Creek.” She said that the Baker Valley, Keating and Eagle Valley SWCD Boards agreed on the Rock Creek Watershed as a focus area, because of the presence of livestock, and the lack of alternate watering solu- tions in that area. The overall focus area covers approximately 120,600 acres in Baker County, 88,000 of which (the largest in the state) are privately owned, she said. For stock water and irriga- tion purposes, she said, there are eight ditches that are fed by the Rock Creek system: Millers, Coles, Brown-Huntstock, Water- bury, Anderson-Morris, Hayhurst, Fish Creek and Cartmill. She said, “In this system, there is no separation. Your stock water right is with your irrigation water right. When they shut your irrigation water off, your stock water goes with it.” She displayed a map showing the Rock Creek area, and the areas where the majority of livestock have access to water, and then mentioned details about the focus area, where landowners and the SWCD can focus on conservation efforts in a concentrated area. Major efforts include spring developments, off- stream watering systems, and pipelines. She said several solar-powered pumps, for stock water, have been installed in that area. She said, “In April of this year, the Governor declared a drought in Baker County, and it’s had quite the impact on the Rock Creek stock water users and irrigators. A lot of landowners in the area called our office for help, trying to find a solution for the lack of water. “In the past, senior water rights users on the Rock Creek system have allocated a percentage of their right to livestock use. Within the last three years, however, regulations have been put into place on Rock Creek, and livestock water has been shut off completely, along with the irrigation water, in early spring or summer.” Several major negative points were made: 1. Since 2013, livestock water ac- cess on Rock Creek has been shut off earlier each year (Collins noted in 2013, water was shut off in August, in 2014, water was shut off in July, and this year, starting in March). 2. This, combined with de- clared drought conditions in Baker County, leave cattle without necessary water in the hot summer months. 3. Lack of water does not allow for ranch- ers to fulfill their grazing rotations. As one short-term solu- tion, she said that in June, the Baker Valley SWCD Board of Directors submit- ted a request for “tempo- rary livestock preference,” to the Oregon Water Resources Commission, in Salem. She recited the Oregon Revised Statutes Division 19 Rules for Drought, 690- 019-0070, “The Commis- sion may grant preference of use for human consump- tion and/or livestock use. Temporary preference may be given over other water uses regardless or priority date.” “We’re going to have to come up with something on a long-term basis,” Col- lins said. “I don’t see this getting any better.” She said that landowners are encouraged to contact and work with conserva- tion agencies in order to develop long-term solu- tions. These include federal drought assistance pro- grams through the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), for livestock shallow wells, livestock ponds, and spring developments, and Oregon Water Enhancement Board (OWEB) small grants through the SWCDs, for livestock ponds, spring de- velopments, pipelines, off- stream watering troughs and systems. She concluded the presentation with a before- and-after example of a completed OWEB small grant project, Kitchen Creek Livestock Watering and Pond. The group had a lengthy discussion about the is- sues facing landowners and livestock producers affected by the Rock Creek system, a discussion which is expected to continue at future BCLA and other meetings. Whitney said the SWCD is looking for guidance from landowners regard- ing long-term, alternative livestock watering, and the local contact number is 541-523-7121. — Cattle Market Report — Wednesday, June 24, 2015 Vale, Oregon Cattle sold through the auction: 349 Steer Calves 300-400# Bulk N/A Top N/A 400-500# Bulk 273.00 - 309.00 Top 313.00 500-600# Bulk 251.00 - 271.00 Top 278.00 Heifer Calves 300-400# Bulk N/A Top N/A 400-500# Bulk N/A Top N/A 500-600# Bulk 226.00 - 243.00 Top 247.50 Yearling Steers 600-700# Bulk 236.00 - 249.00 Top 250.50 700-800# Bulk 215.00 - 224.00 Top 228.00 800-900# Bulk N/A Top N/A 900-1,000# Bulk N/A Top N/A Yearling Heifers 600-700# Bulk 217.00 - 226.00 Top 228.00 700-800# 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 76.00 - 93.00 Butcher Cows 97.00 - 108.00 Butcher Bulls 112.00 - 128.00 Pairs BM N/A Younger Hfrts. 112.00 - 130.00 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: $1172.90 Silver: $15.68 Platinum: $1,078.65 Palladium: $674.60 Bloomberg.com — Ag Commodities — Corn: $422.00/bu/USD Wheat: $615.50/bu/USD Soybeans: $1037.75/bu/USD Oats: $277.75 bu/USD Rough Rice: $10.46/cwt/USD Canola: $536.10 CAD/mwt Live Cattle: $148.10/lb./USD Feeder Cattle: $214.58/lb./USD Lean Hogs: $74.20/lb./USD Bloomberg.com