FRIDAY, AUGUST 28, 2015
THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS — 9
Local
New School Resource Office Victorian-era
photos
sworn in on Tuesday
• OFFICER LANCE
WOODWARD
FILLS MUCH-
ANTICIPATED
POSITION
BY KERRY McQUISTEN
News@TheBakerCountyPress.com
On Tuesday morning at
City Hall, Officer Thomas
Lance Woodward—who
goes by Lance—was
sworn in by Luke Yeaton
of the City, with Baker
City Police Chief Wyn
Lohner and a gathering of
5J administration and law
enforcement looking on.
“Taking this oath is
important,” Lohner said.
“This is what specifically
gives the power to an of-
fice . We swear to uphold
the Constitution, the City
Charter ... It’s not some-
thing to be taken lightly.”
Woodward will begin as
the new School Resource
Officer (SRO), a position
that has awaited just the
right person and the right
funding combination for
quite some time.
Said Lohner, “The last
year we had a full-time
SRO was 2008. From
2010 through 2013 we
had a part-time SRO, with
diminishing hours each
year.”
Woodward, who has
spent over a decade in
law enforcement in Sun
River, where his career has
spanned everything from
Reserve Officer to Patrol
Officer to serving as the
Public Safety Officer at
Central Oregon Communi-
ty College. He even served
as a Bike Patrol Officer in
2014.
“For all intents and pur-
poses,” said Woodward, “I
was serving as the SRO in
Bend, so settling into that
aspect here really appealed
to me. The Baker City
community also appealed.
It has a similar elevation,
climate, and so on.”
That law enforcement
experience in an educa-
tional setting is something
Woodward believes makes
his background a good fit
for the SRO position here.
Woodward’s wife
Shalyn, and two children,
Noah and Naomi, remain
in the Bend area due to
school obligations while
he moved first, securing a
rental for the time being.
“This is the first time
I’ve lived in an apartment
for 15, 16, 17 years,” he
said. His family plans join
him soon in Baker City.
Woodward will need to
complete a training pro-
gram before starting in his
position based out of the
high school.
A grant funds roughly
64% of the SRO’s sal-
ary and the position’s
associated fringe expenses
such insurance, with the
Kerry McQuisten / The Baker County Press
L-R, Officer Lance Woodward, Baker City Fire Chief Mark John, 5J Board
member Andrew Bryan, and 5J assistant supervisor Betty Palmer.
Photos courtesy of the Baker City Police Department.
Signed pages from inside some of the books. The
lower photo bears the name “Ellen M. Wright” with
the other handwriting illegible.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
Kerry McQuisten / The Baker County Press
L-R: City Recorder Luke Yeaton, Officer Lance Woodward, and Baker City
Police Chief Wyn Lohner.
remainder of the amount
needed split 65% 5J, 35%
Baker City.
According to the July 1
Memorandum of Under-
standing signed between
the 5J School District and
The City of Baker City:
“The School Resource
Office ’s role in the Dis-
trict schools shall be as
follows:
“A. The officer will pr -
vide a positive, preventa-
tive visibility on the school
campus by his or her
presence and through com-
munity policing principles.
The officer will typically
wear a regular uniform.
“B. The officer will serve
as a resource to the school
staff and students for top-
ics relating to safety and
security issues, including
facilitate workshops and
instruction.
“C. The officer will
provide a communication
link between the City Po-
lice Department, Sheriff’s
Office, State Police and the
schools.
“D. The officer will
provide support to the
District administration in
dealing with criminal acts
by students or others on
the school campus.
“E. The officer will a -
sist school staff in tru-
ancy issues, neighborhood
relationships, building
security, alcohol and drug
prevention.
“F. The officer will pr -
vide availability for direct
contact with students and
staff to answer questions
and to develop positive
relationships with the pur-
pose of providing a posi-
tive image for the Police
Department.
“G. The officer will
make appropriate referrals
to the Police Department,
Juvenile Department, and
courts to ensure that school
safety issues are dealt with
expeditiously.
“H. The officer shall, as
requested, attend meet-
ings with school staff for
the purpose of exchang-
ing information, receiving
requests, and discussing
improving overall school
safety and security.
“I. The officer shall
comply with the District’s
student non discriminat-
ing policies except that he/
she shall not be required to
follow formal or informal
counseling or disciplin-
ary policies when dealing
with the commission of a
crime or actions creating a
danger to public health or
safety.”
“Our hope is (for
Woodward to begin at
the school) by the 1st of
October, at the latest,” said
Lohner.
Wrote 5J Superinten-
dent Mark Witty, who
was unable to attend the
swearing-in due to a prior
obligation, “I am very ex-
cited to get back to having
an SRO! I strongly believe
we will have positive
long-term benefits for our
students.”
National Guard tapped to fight fires
Governor Kate Brown
has authorized the activa-
tion of an additional 250
Oregon National Guard
members to assist with
ongoing firefighting forts
throughout the state.
The additional personnel
reported to the Department
of Public Safety Standards
and Training (DPSST), in
Salem, Oregon to undergo
firefighting training sta -
ing Wednesday, Aug. 26.
DPSST officials say the
additional group should
complete their training by
Aug. 30.
The additional 250 vol-
unteers are comprised of
Oregon Guard units from
around the state. Half of
the additional Guard mem-
bers are Citizen-Airmen
from the 142nd Fighter
Wing in Portland, Oregon,
and the 173rd Fighter
Wing in Klamath Falls, Or-
egon. The other half of the
additional Guard members
are from the Oregon Army
National Guard's 41st
Infantry Brigade Combat
Team.
The first group of O -
egon Soldiers activated are
currently undergoing train-
ing at DPSST, completed
their training Aug. 25. This
first group is scheduled to
head to the Canyon Creek
Complex Firebase Wednes-
day, where they will assist
first responders, initial
attack contract crews and
fire managers
The Soldiers in the first
group come from units
across the state, including;
224 Engineering Company,
1-186 Infantry Battalion,
1-82 Cavalry, 141 Brigade
Support Battalion and
1249 Engineer Company.
They join Soldiers from
Charlie 7-158 Aviation,
and Army and Air National
Guard Joint Staff who have
been participating in the
effort since Aug. 3.
The books include four titles in Edgar Rice Burroughs’
Tarzan series, while not first editions, still earlier mid
century printings. Also inside were two photo albums, the
contents of which must be invaluable to the descendants
of the familly whos images are captured inside.
Right now, police have only guesses as to why the
books and photo albums were stuffed in the tree. Consid-
ering that the plastic was not deteriorated and no bugs,
etc. had yet found their way inside, Regan suspects the
bag had been placed in its hiding spot fairly recently.
Anyone with information leading to the rightful
owner of these items can call Regan at 541.523.3644 or
email sregan@bakercity.com. Reference case number
P201500975.
Emergency
conservation
program
available
A lack of moisture, over an extended period of time,
has caused producers in Baker County to suffer from the
effects of severe drought conditions. Farms and ranches
experiencing severe drought conditions may be eli-
gible for cost-share assistance under ECP. This disaster
program is administered by the U.S. Department of
Agriculture, Farm Service Agency (FSA), which provides
cost-share assistance if the damage is so severe that water
available for livestock or orchards and vineyards has
been reduced below normal to the extent that neither can
survive without additional water.
A producer qualifying for ECP assistance may re-
ceive cost shares not to exceed 75 percent of the cost of
installing eligible temporary measures. Cost sharing for
permanent measures is based on 50 percent of the total
eligible cost. Cost-share assistance is limited to $200,000
per person or legal entity per natural disaster. Approved
practices and measures may include:
• installing pipelines or other facilities for livestock
water or existing irrigation systems for orchards and
vineyards
• constructing and deepening wells for livestock water
• developing springs or seeps for livestock water.
Producers who have experienced severe drought condi-
tions requiring outside assistance to provide supplemental
emergency livestock water may contact the local FSA
County Office. Requests for assistance will be accepted at
FSA County Office from August 31 to October 2.
To be eligible for cost shares, practices shall not be
started until a request has first been filed at the F
County Office and an onsite inspection of the problem
area has been made by COC or its representative. COC
will review the inspection findings when considering the
request for cost shares.
For more information contact:
Trent Luschen
Baker-Grant County Executive Director
USDA Farm Service Agency
Phone: (541)523-7121 x106