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