THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS — 3
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2015
Business & Ag
10th Street businesses
hold round table
— Weekly Hay Report —
Friday, October 9, 2015 — Eastern Oregon
Prices trended generally steady compared to week
ago prices. Export sales continue to be slow. Re-
tail/Stable demand for all types of hay from Crook,
Deschutes, Jefferson, Wasco counties continues
to be good. Many producers have decided to hold
on to their hay for now, in hopes for higher prices.
Some producers are having their water rights cut off
due to the drought.
Tons Price Range Wtd Avg
Alfalfa — Large Square, Good
500 150.00-150.00 150.00
Oat Straw — Large Square, Utility
400 45.00-45.00 45.00
Last week:
Meadow Grass — Small Square, Good
34 175.00-180.00 179.41
USDA Market News Service—AMS.USDA.gov
— Cattle Market Report —
Wednesday, October 7, 2015
Vale, Oregon
Cattle sold through the auction: 1587
Gina K. Swartz / The Baker County Press
A group of business owners from 10th Street gathered last week to discuss a variety of topics that affect
their area.
BY GINA K. SWARTZ
Gina@TheBakerCountyPress.com
Several 10th Street busi-
nesses were represented
at the most recent round-
table discussion to address
concerns and ideas of ways
to improve the business
district.
In attendance at this
meeting were Denzil
Robbins from Robbins
Farm Equipment, Dick
Ghirst and Austin Coates
from The Eagles on H
Street, Rob Gaslin from
St. Alphonsus, Dr. Lloyd
Nelson who has a Chi-
ropractic Clinic on 10th
Street, Kevin Cornelius
a contractor for Natural
Structures, Debi Bainter,
Executive Director of the
Baker County Chamber
of Commerce, Michelle
Owen, Baker City Public
Works Director and Holly
Kerns, Baker County Plan-
ning Director.
As the meeting began
Debi Bainter advised,
“Snail mail notes to all
business owners for the
October meeting were sent
out using property owner
info from County website.
Email reminders were sent
of the meeting, personal
invitations to the meeting
by myself an others going
to the businesses, press
releases were done, and
the information was posted
on Facebook and in the
Chamber enews.”
As the discussion be-
gan, Bainter explained that
the focus needed to be on
priorities the group needed
to identify so that a longer
term plan could be devised
and after the first of the
year focus could be made
on securing funding for
those projects.
She brought along notes
from previous meetings
outlining topics that had
been discussed already.
Bainter also informed
the group that she and Jeff
Nelson of the Small Busi-
ness Development Center,
who was not present at this
meeting, had been around
to service organizations to
make them aware of poten-
tial plans and gain support
including possible future
financial contributions
specifically the Kiwanas,
the Lions, and the Rotary
who also gave input on
possible projects not previ-
ously addressed at round-
table meetings including
plans for a walking path,
an extension of the Leo
Adler Memorial Parkway
in essence be rerouted
so as not to go past the
Powder River Correctional
Facility and the inclusion
of a four way stop light at
the intersection of 10th and
Pocahontas.
The addition of side-
walks on portions of 10th
Street lacking them was of
large concern, as was cit-
ing the safety of students
utilizing the area during
lunchtime and those who
walk to access services at
places such as the Depart-
ment of Human Services.
The question was raised
why these meeting were
being held in the first place
and Bainter responded
saying, “We have had a lot
of pedestrian and bicycle
issues on 10th Street—
especially the pedestrians
because we don’t have
good sidewalks. It is of
concern to have strollers,
wheelchairs and others
in the street and we are
working with the school
too because of the number
of students accessing areas
that don’t have those side-
walks at lunch time.”
Dick Ghrist suggested
the addition of rapid flash-
ing lights to indicate that
someone wanted to cross
the street because as he
noted, “We see students
going to the bowling al-
ley, crossing 10th street,
rapid flashing lights would
warn drivers someone is
crossing the street and
if someone is passing in
the other lane they don’t
always see or notice. I
actually saw that the other
day and thought some kids
were going to get hit.”
Other issues mentioned
were pedestrians crossing
at the intersection of 10th
Street and Broadway. That
is a particularly unusual
intersection and extremely
dangerous for pedestrians
crossing there.
The suggestion of some
type of barrier to dis-
courage crossing at that
particular spot has been
made with the intention of
getting those intending to
cross there move down the
street to a safer place.
It was mentioned that
even with a barrier of some
sort to discourage crossing
at that spot, there would
be those that would simply
do it anyway and “jump
or climb over” any barrier
erected.
The intersection of 10th
Street and Pocahontas/
Hughes Lane was a hot
issue.
“If going straight on
through the intersection to
head out to Haines, many
people speed up and are
going way too fast by the
time they hit that intersec-
tion,” said Denzil Robbins
of Robbins Farm Equip-
ment.
Several suggestions
were made to address that
issue such as putting up a
‘what’s your speed’ sign to
help make drivers aware
of how fast they are going,
installing a rapid flashing
light at the intersection and
possibly making the inter-
section a four way stop.
The group also men-
tioned the possibility of
dropping the speed limit
from 35, as it is currently
from approximately H
Street, and keeping it 30
until after that particular
intersection.
Many other ideas floated
around the table including
Trolley stop turnouts—
especially at the Health
Department and hospital,
eliminating on-street park-
ing on 10th Street north of
H Street, adding a rapid
flashing beacon at 10th
Street and H Street as this
will naturally slow traffic
as they are heading north
toward highway 30 and
the Pocahontas/Hughes
Lane 10th street intersec-
tion, and to make sure 10th
Street has strong street
lights like Main Street and
Resort to deter dangerous
behavior.
Also noted was the po-
tential need for traffic con-
trol at D and 10th Street.
The D street improve-
ment was a State project
even though the road was
owned by the City because
D Street was considered a
Campbell Street reliever.
There is potential to see
some flexibility in fund-
ing for a traffic light at D
and 10th because of the
changes that have occurred
at that corner since the
improvements.
The group agreed to
consider a rapid flashing
beacon at this corner in
lieu of an actual stop light
as well.
The group also men-
tioned the potential for
11th Street Development to
offset 10th and H Streets.
There are plans in the
works to extend the Leo
Adler Memorial Parkway
to the YMCA and to Phase
in the bike path from H
and 13th/Midway to 17th
and 17th to Auburn.
Rob Gaslin from St.
Alphonsus said that he re-
ally felt it was important to
provide a safe walking en-
vironment for the women
residing at Recovery
Village with their children
as they do walk a lot to
appointments etc.
One thing was clear:
Business owners and rep-
resentatives were strongly
against any idea that would
include changing 10th
Street to a similar setup as
on Campbell Street.
Many felt by taking that
road from four lanes to
two with the addition of
a turn lane and bike lanes
ruined that road and do
not want to see a similar
plan considered as way to
ease some of the traffic and
pedestrian concerns.
As the meeting neared
the end, Michelle Owen,
City Public Works Director
asked those in attendance
to review the plans and
decide what needed to be
noted as priorities. She
suggested creating a mis-
sion statement as a way to
show a unified community,
thus adding to the possibil-
ity of successfulness of
grant options, and to set a
time line in which to have
final plans in place for ex-
ample by January 1, 2016.
Holly Kerns, planning
Director advised from a
planning standpoint it was
important to get ideas rated
and outlined so plans could
be developed and the proj-
ects could be moved into
an action plan that would
put them on track to begin
being completed. It was
agreed that a short survey
would be created and sent
to land owners.
Results of the survey are
expected to be reviewed at
the next meeting Novem-
ber 12.
In addition to a survey
being distributed, Bainter
also suggested offering
small meetings for owners
and businesses spanning
only couple blocks of 10th
Street at a time, so they
can focus on just the area
around their business and
offer additional sugges-
tions or comments.
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Steer Calves
300-400# Bulk 257.00 - 292.00 Top 296.00
400-500# Bulk 191.00 - 235.00 Top 236.00
500-600# Bulk 180.00 - 214.00 Top 221.00
Heifer Calves
300-400# Bulk 197.00 - 225.00 Top 233.50
400-500# Bulk 175.00 - 213.00 Top 214.00
500-600# Bulk 156.00 - 184.00 Top 187.25
Yearling Steers
600-700# Bulk 162.00 - 188.00 Top 189.00
700-800# Bulk 155.00 - 169.50 Top 170.00
800-900# Bulk 153.00 - 165.00 Top 166.00
900-1,000# Bulk 143.00 - 152.00 Top 154.00
600-700#
700-800#
800-900#
900-1,000#
Yearling Heifers
Bulk 161.00 - 171.00 Top 172.00
Bulk 138.00 - 157.00 Top 163.00
Bulk 149.00 - 154.00 Top 156.00
Bulk 138.00 - 151.00 Top 152.00
Thin Shelly Cows 53.00 - 67.00
Butcher Cows 69.00 - 82.00
Butcher Bulls 81.00 - 99.00
Stock Cows Yng. N/A
Younger Hfrts. 111.00 - 138.00
Stock Cows - 1025.00 - 1460.00
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: $1168.50
Silver: $15.91
Platinum: $989.50
Palladium: $682.70
Bloomberg.com
— Ag Commodities —
Corn: $384.50/bu/USD
Wheat: $519.00/bu/USD
Soybeans: $914.00/bu/USD
Oats: $232.00 bu/USD
Rough Rice: $12.60/cwt/USD
Canola: $478.50 CAD/mwt
Live Cattle: $137.20/lb./USD
Feeder Cattle: $186.80/lb./USD
Lean Hogs: $67.58//lb./USD
Bloomberg.com