FRIDAY, AUGUST 28, 2015
THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS — 5
Local
Hay for John Day donations
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
Williams said, “I
thought maybe—maybe—
we’d get a one and half or
two loads donated. So far,
we have four loads, and it
keeps trickling in.”
Hamsher also unloads
and stores the hay dona-
tions in John Day as they
come in and is coordinat-
ing needs in the area.
Williams got in touch
with Currin after seeing
a post on Facebook and
has been coordinating
donations from the Baker
County area.
Currin said it was just
after hearing about the
Canyon Creek Complex
fire near John Day and
the homes destroyed that
she began to wonder what
could she do to help.
She figured there
would be many dona-
tions of clothes and such
things, and wanted to do
something different. She
thought it might be nice to
get a load of hay together
and take down.
Currin got together with
Hamsher of Prairie City
and asked if he’d like to
collaborate on a hay drive.
He agreed. Currin said she
went down to meet with
him and was very im-
pressed at how organized
Hamsher has things and
how much he is doing to
meet needs.
Currin asked him if he’d
like to have a page set up
for donations and he said
that would be good, so
on the way home, as her
friend drove, Currin set up
“Hay for John Day.”
Currin said Hamsher
is incredibly humble and
would not mention it, but
all he’s done for the com-
munity goes above and
beyond the call of duty.
He has put in an incred-
ible amount of time to help
those affected by the fire.
Currin said, “All I’m
doing is posting what he
tells me.” She laughed as
she said she is basically
Hamsher’s secretary in this
undertaking. She has also
used donations to purchase
hay and delivered it to
John Day.
Currin explained,
“These people lost their
homes, pastures, and
winter hay. We want to
provide for their needs
now through Spring.”
She said everyone has
been incredibly generous
and all the donations so far
are appreciated. Help is
still needed, as more needs
come in and more people
are evacuated.
Hamsher, also the
mayor of Prairie City, is
coordinating needs on the
John Day end of things.
Grant Western Lumber
• TWO FREEZERS FULL OF MEAT,
VEGETABLES LOST AS A RESULT
BY EILEEN DRIVER
Eileen@TheBakerCountyPress.com
Meghan Andersch / The Baker County Press
Mike Williams stands in front of one load of hay. More loads are already
collected and ready to go.
Company has donated
space for storing the hay.
Hamsher said it is hard to
figure the exact need as it
keep growing.
He said some ranchers
have had to pull their cattle
off the summer pastures
and start feeding now in-
stead of November as they
usually would.
Others have lost pastures
and barns. Some wind
events in the past few days
have led to growth and
new evacuations.
Hamsher said as of a
meeting Tuesday night, the
fire was figured at abou
24% contained.
Some ranchers have
been coming in and getting
hay in small amounts to
feed their stock, but until
the fire gets under control,
their places may still be in
danger.
Hamsher shared stories
of people who lost every-
thing, including a man with
a kidney transplant who
lost his house and every-
thing else. Hamsher said
the appreciation and smile
on the man’s face when he
was able to get some hay
was good to see.
He said the man didn’t
even pick out the greatest
bales. He was just grateful
for the assistance.
Hamsher said instead
of having to buy hay, folks
may be able to pay for
other needs, like clothing
or toward rebuilding their
homes. Hamsher said,
“If we can take one little
worry off of people, it’s
worth it.”
Hamsher encouraged
folks to like the Hay for
John Day Facebook page.
He said after he did a drive
to get more likes on the
page, within one day he
was contacted by a lady
from Salem, and a gentle-
man there has donated 20
tons of hay.
A caravan of 16 rigs
from Sandy is coming up
Saturday with food and
another 8 tons of hay.
Hamsher said the news
media from Portland may
come up with the crew
from Sandy.
Hamsher was also
contacted by someone in
Central Oregon who put
him in touch with the Or-
egon head of the Humane
Society. This individual
helped Hamsher with a
grant application, resulting
in a grant of $5000, which
will be put toward more
hay.
Donations have also
come in from Union, Bak-
er, Grant, Harney, Crook,
Jefferson, and Deschutes
Counties. Hamsher said it,
“restores faith in human-
kind, to see people willing
to drop what they’re doing
and lend a hand.”
Hamsher said he also
could not say enough
thanks to Mike Williams of
Baker City.
Williams, although hay-
ing himself, has been mak-
ing phone calls, stockpiling
hay, and coordinating de-
livery from Baker County
to John Day.
Gary Smith of Gary
Smith Trucking has donat-
ed the hauling of the hay.
Hamsher said Williams
and Smith have gone
above and beyond what he
could ever have hoped. He
complimented the generos-
ity of Baker County.
Williams keeps telling
him stories about such
things as finding 45 big
bales of hay anonymously
dropped off at the collec-
tion point.
Williams estimated cur-
rent donations at about 120
tons of hay.
Wards Ranch donated
space to collect the hay
and Williams donated the
equipment, including a
tractor.
Williams said, “We’ll
do this as long as we can.
We’ve only been at it a
week!”
Williams said many
people have been asking
about also donating for
Baker County.
Jake Bingham, Baker
County President of the
Oregon Cattlemen’s As-
sociation said he has not
heard of any immediate
needs in Baker County and
that it seems John Day has
a greater need right now.
Bingham said a lot of
local producers are still
trying to figure out where
they’re at and may be
using secondary or fall
pastures at this point.
If there are any needs in
the area, he said he would
like to hear about them and
help coordinate assistance.
He can be reached at 541-
403-1735.
To donate hay or to ar-
range pick up or delivery
of hay for those affected
by the Canyon Creek
Complex fire, contact Jim
Hamsher at 620-2861.
Monetary donations can
be made at gofundme.com/
px2fmevw or Old West
Federal Credit Union in
Baker City or John Day.
The Facebook page
for Hay for John Day
is facebook.com/
pages/Hay-for-John-
Day/142983646039346.
For hay donations in
the Baker County area,
contact Mike Williams at
519-8718.
Hay is being collected at
the Wards’ potato cellar on
Highway 30.
Tickets to see Pope available
WASHINGTON—
U.S. Representative
Greg Walden announced
Wednesday that his office
is now accepting requests
from residents of Oregon's
Second District for tickets
to take part in His Holi-
ness Pope Francis' address
to the U.S. Congress on
September 24, 2015.
Baker County is part of
Oregon’s Second District.
“The visit of Pope Fran-
cis to the U.S. Capitol—
the first time a pope has
ever visited the Capitol and
addressed the Congress—
will be historic for our
nation. My office has been
allocated a limited number
Huntington Food
Bank vandalized
of tickets so that Orego-
nians may participate in
this historic event.
If you are resident of
the Second District inter-
ested in requesting tickets,
please visit my website at
walden.house.gov/pope to
sign up,” Walden said.
Ticketholders will be
able to watch the Pope’s
address via a live broadcast
in a location on the West
Front of the U.S. Capitol.
The Pope has expressed an
interest in making a brief
appearance on the West
Front after his remarks.
All of the tickets are
standing room only,
although there will be a
limited seating area for
those with disabilities.
While a clear line-of-sight
cannot be guaranteed for
all attending the broadcast,
the space provides an op-
portunity for guests to be
part of the visit.
Residents of the Second
District looking to request
tickets should fill out the
form online at walden.
house.gov/pope. The dead-
line for requests is Tues-
day, September 8, at 5:00
pm Pacific time. Walden’s
office has received a li -
ited allocation of tickets,
and those receiving them
will be contacted for fur-
ther details.
Submitted Photo.
U.S. Representative
Greg Walden
Ticket holders are
responsible for their own
transportation to and
from the Nation’s Capital,
lodging, and other trip
expenses.
Tickets may not be sold
or given away.
Oregonians with ques-
tions may call Walden’s
office at 202-225-6730
On Friday, August 7th between the hours of 11 p.m. and
6 a.m., the Huntington Food Bank was vandalized,
culminating in the loss of two large freezers full of food.
There were reports of two intoxicated males in their
mid-20s yelling and fighting in the park around 2 a.m.
that morning, but it is unknown if the vandalism was
caused by them or others, and they have yet to be posi-
tively identified
The food bank building, which is located in Lion’s
Park, has always been open and available for City events
since it has the only public restroom in Huntington.
Although the canned and dry food is locked in a sepa-
rate room and frozen food kept in locked freezers, this
year during Pioneer Days, person or persons unknown
broke into two of the freezers and left them open all
night, leaving the food to defrost, rendering it inedible.
According to food bank coordinator Allan Driver,
“Nothing appeared to be stolen, but the contents of both
freezers had to be thrown away for safety’s sake.”
This vandalism resulted in the loss of one freezer of
frozen vegetables and one freezer of meat products.
Kathy Hughes, bookkeeper for the food bank, said,
“We don’t receive a lot of meat in the first place, so the
loss of what we did have is quite a blow.”
The broken freezers appear to be fixable but that takes
money out of the food budget to pay for repairs. The
Huntington Food Bank serves over 70 families in the
Huntington, Durkee and surrounding rural areas of Baker
County and has more signing up every month. The low/
fixed income people in this area depend on the food bank
to make it through the month and now will receive less
food due to the vandalism. The food bank is asking if
anyone would be willing to donate meat or funds to help
with replacement cost to contact the Food Bank through
the Chamber of Commerce at huntingtonchamber@
gmail.com.
Sumpter mayor
contests recall
vote results
• VOTES STILL BEING CERTIFIED, RECALL
APPEARS TO HAVE PASSED BY 8 VOTES
BY MEGHAN ANDERSCH
Meghan@TheBakerCountyPress.com
Voting is over in Sumpter’s mayoral recall election.
Unofficial results are 48 “yes” votes to recall and 40 “no”
votes. Karen Phillips, Recording Deputy, explained that
results will be certified by County Clerk Cindy Carpenter
within 10 days.
Mayor Findley stated, “As much as the individuals who
were ringing the school house bell and speeding down
our street honking their horns may think this is over, it is
not. I have been holding information showing the recall
was not handled correctly by Mr. Patton and am therefore
protesting the vote. The Secretary of State’s office has
been notified as of this morning
“In the interim, until the vote is certified in the next
10 days I am still Mayor and will continue business as
usual.”
Recall ballots include the reason for demanding a
recall as submitted by the chief petitioner and justific -
tion statement by the public office . The chief petitioner
in this case was Alan “Dan” Patton, who cited “Failure to
abide by the City Charter and Ordinances.”
Mayor Melissa Findley’s response stated, “The allega-
tions against me are false. The individuals initiating and
supporting this recall cannot point to one example of my
knowing or intentional disregard of the City Charter or
ordinances. I am new in the position of Mayor and have
had much to learn in a short time. Along the way, I may
have stumbled, but never intentionally. With the excep-
tion of my husband, Councilor Armbruster, the other
members of the Council and staff have made almost no
effort to help me learn the ropes. The reason is because
they want to keep things the same as before and continue
to support their favorites, disregard the niceties of the
law, and take undisclosed actions, all with your money. It
has been and will continue to be my intent to work with
the community in an open, fair and accountable man-
ner. I intend to apply those standards not only to myself,
but also to all those involved with the City, even though
they may not like it. If you want to return to the world of
cronyism and financial irresponsibilit , recall me. If you
want truth, fairness, accountability and openness, vote
“NO” on this recall.”
According to page 9 of the Recall Manual published by
the Oregon Elections Division, “If the recall election is
successful the position becomes a vacancy in office and
is filled in accordance with state statute or local charter or
ordinance.”
The Head of Council, Toni Thompson, resigned her
position earlier this month, stating the resignation was
for reasons other than the recall. Recall elections on two
other City Councilors, G. LeAnne Woolf and Ada Oakley,
will proceed with ballots going out this week and due
back by 8 p.m. on September 15th.