AGRICULTURE: Baker County Livestock
Association has potluck in the park. PAGE 3
The
LOCAL: Long-awaited School Resource
Officer sworn in. PAGE 9
Baker County Press
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Friday, August 28, 2015 • Volume 2, Issue 35
Workshop teaches protection
of the western way of life
• FRED KELLY
GRANT LEADS
3-DAY BAKER CITY
COORDINATION
SEMINAR,
COMMISSIONERS
FROM 3 OREGON
COUNTIES ATTEND
BY BRIAN ADDISON
Brian@TheBakerCountyPress.com
Fred Kelly Grant and his
panel of expert grassroots
advocates came to Baker
City August 20-22, teach-
ing what has proven to be
the best method of protect-
ing local interests against
ever-increasing federal
agency regulations and
projects.
Grant offered “Coordina-
tion 101,” a 20-hour course
held at the Baker County
Events Center and attended
by about 30 citizens.
Several county commis-
sioners, including event
organizer and chair of
the Baker County Board
of Commissioners Bill
Harvey, Baker County
Commissioner Tim Kerns,
and Wallowa County Com-
missioner Paul Castilleja,
attended the workshop.
Baker County Commis-
sioner Mark Bennett
collected the seminar’s
materials, but had to leave
to tend to his cattle in the
wake of the El Dorado
Fire. Another commis-
sioner from Lake County
and one from a county in
Washington State also at-
tended.
Grant was fi rst asked, 25
years ago, to help ranchers
in Owyhee County, Idaho
protect grazing interests
from increasing regulations
proposed by the Bureau of
Land Management.
At fi rst glance, Grant told
the ranchers he could tie up
the court system through
administrative procedure
and guarantee the ranchers
only 18 months of grazing
at historical levels.
SEE WORKSHOP PAGE 10
Brian Addison / The Baker County Press
Famed lawyer Fred Kelly Grant conducts the
Coordination 101 Workshop in Baker City, Aug. 20
- 22, with organizer and chair of the Baker County
Commissioners Bill Harvey in the background.
Local fire
chiefs train for
chopper fires,
‘hard landings’
BAKER CITY POLICE SEARCH FOR OWNER OF HIDDEN ‘TREASURE’
• PILOTS WALK AWAY FROM JUST SUCH A
LANDING DURING THE EL DORADO FIRE
BY TODD ARRIOLA
Todd@TheBakerCountyPress.com
Photo courtesy of the Baker City Police Department.
Two photo albums were among the items found in a bag, with photographs inside spanning much of the
Victorian era, some dating back to the 1870s.
Last Wednesday, August 19, at about 7:15 p.m. pacifi c
time, a Sikorsky S-61A helicopter working on the El
Dorado fi re eight miles southeast of Unity, carrying pilot
Gary Wiltrout, 67, of Boise, and co-pilot Scott Talada, 65,
of Baker City, experienced a hard landing due to engine
failure.
The landing occurred on the west portion of the fi re
near King Creek, near a medical unit serving fi refi ghters
on the line, according to Oregon Department of Forestry
Incident Commander Link Smith (the aircraft was under
operational control of the ODF).
Smith said, “When the helicopter came to rest, both
(pilots) exited the helicopter and signaled that they were
unhurt by waving to the medical unit. While no signifi -
cant injuries were apparent, both individuals were trans-
ported by ambulance to St. Alphonsus Ontario Medical
Center for further evaluation.”
SEE HELICOPTER TRAINING PAGE 11
Victorian-era photos, Local rancher
books from 1900s found organizes hay
donations
• BOOKS HIDDEN IN A TREE REMAIN
MYSTERY TO LOCAL POLICE
• BAKER COUNTY HAY IS ON ITS WAY TO
JOHN DAY
BY KERRY McQUISTEN
News@TheBakerCountyPress.com
“Somebody wanted to keep these safe,” said Offi cer
Shannon Regan. “We just want to be able to fi nd the
rightful owner and return these items.”
Regan says back on July 7th, she was out on a call
when a resident mentioned she’d heard a “ruckus” in the
alley behind her home.
When Regan went to investigate behind the 1545 Sixth
Street address, she was surprised, by chance, to spot a
bag stuffed in a tree alongside a fence.
“The bag was originally one of those cloth bags from a
grocery store up in Seattle, but the bag really could have
come from anywhere at this point. Inside it, the books
were wrapped up in plastic ziplock-type bags,” Regan
said.
SEE VICTORIAN PHOTOS PAGE 9
Friday
Cloudy with patchy areas of smoke, highs in the
upper 80s. Patches of smoke leading to cloudy
skies overnight. Lows in the mid 50s.
Saturday
Partly cloudy with a chance for showers and
thunderstorms. Highs in the lower 80s. Chance
of precipitation is 30%. Lows in the upper 40s.
Sunday
Sunny and mild with highs near 80. Partly
cloudy at night with lows in the mid 40s.
BY MEGHAN ANDERSCH
Meghan@TheBakerCountyPress.com
Photo Courtesy of the Baker City Police Department.
Several books found in the bag date back to the
mid-1900s, and the photo albums to the late 1800s.
Your weekend weather forecast for Baker County.
Our forecast made possible by this
generous sponsor:
Offi cial weather provider for
The Baker County Press.
Local rancher, Mike Williams, recently added his name
to the list of individuals throughout eastern Oregon and
beyond who have come together to provide support to
livestock owners in the John Day area, after the Canyon
Creek wildfi re decimated grazing lands and burned feed.
The “Hay for John Day” drive has garnered donations
from all over the state. Kristen Currin of Elgin coordi-
nated with Jim Hamsher of Prairie City to set up online
donations and information.
SEE HAY DONATIONS PAGE 5
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE
Eagle Complex fi re takes cabin
Sumpter Mayor likely recalled
Huntington’s food bank vandalized
City passes new pot ordinance
Career profi le: Police Chief
Local women start horse rehab
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