8 — THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2015
Local
Economic Development
CONTINUED FROM
PAGE 3
Savage added, “One of
the things I really wanted
to mention was mari-
juana…They’re treating
marijuana just like alcohol.
If they (employees) get
caught with it, they’re out.
You know, they’re off the
job. They can lose their
job just from taking a drink
or smoking weed,” speak-
ing about comments about
company policies concern-
ing recreational marijuana,
made by a panel of local
business owners who at-
tended the event.
Bainter said, “The Baker
County Chamber of Com-
merce will be the home of
Hatch Baker, as of January
1st (2016). We did have a
CPO (Community Public
Offering) launching event
at Barley Brown’s on
Tuesday night. We had
about 20 people attend.”
She mentioned that repre-
sentatives from both Baker
City Saddle Company and
McDougall & Sons Bats
Company were present at
the event to discuss their
CPOs.
Orcutt said, when asked
by Ward for any additional
comments, said, “The only
thing I would add, as far
the inmate program, is that,
it’s—you don’t realize, you
don’t think about what a
struggle it is to get out and
stay straight, with the big-
gest hurdle being a driver’s
license, and in some cases,
a social security card,
because they shred them,
am I correct, when they
go in?” She stated that the
issue is being addressed by
some facilities.
Smith’s Economic De-
velopment update included
discussion regarding local
employment issues. “One
of the struggles that our
employers believe is out
there—I don’t think I can
disagree with them—is
that, for a lot of folks, it’s
a lot more fi nancially ben-
efi cial to remain on social
services, than it is to go out
and get a job…It doesn’t
pay as much as social ser-
vices, and so, I think that’s
an issue, as a society, we’re
going to have to work
through. With all that said,
we’re hearing about a lot
of employers who are ad-
vertising, and want to hire
more folks.”
Smith said within the last
few weeks, his offi ce was
contacted by a real estate
equity company interested
in locating a Fortune 1,000
retail business east of I-84.
Smith was not furnished
with the name of the com-
pany at the time, but when
he asked if it’s Shopko,
the response was that it
would be a “competitor
of Shopko,” and a seller
of primarily clothing, dry
goods, and other products.
“We’ll see what comes of
that, but, I think that’s pos-
itive. It’s exciting to have
that development occur on
the east side, and spur that
type of activity,” he said,
noting that the bulk of new
business development has
occurred on the west side
of I-84.
Peacock asked, “Do we
have any information on a
Haggen replacement?”
Smith said, “Here’s what
I can share with you. I’ve
had several, legitimate,
family-owned grocers
contact us (from within the
state, and Idaho). Right
now, the building owner,
and the current occupants
and previous occupants
need to work through some
issues…”
Peacock and Smith
were referring to Haggen
Food & Pharmacy, the
grocery retailer currently
occupying the former
location of Albertsons, a
46,000-square-foot com-
mercial building at 1200
Campbell Street, which
sits on property owned by
Greg Sackos of Intermoun-
tain Realty.
Purchasing the Albert-
sons store and opening
just this May, Haggen fi led
a lawsuit on September
4th, with an extensive list
of claims against Albert-
sons (Albertsons, LLC,
and Albertsons Holdings,
LLC). On September 8th,
Haggen (Haggen Holdings,
LLC) fi led for Chap-
ter 11 relief in the U.S.
Bankruptcy Court in the
District of Delaware (Case
#15-11874-KG), with the
closure of the local Haggen
store expected in Novem-
ber leaving Safeway as the
sole major grocer.
Nelson said, “In the
timeline you’ve expressed
this afternoon, maybe
we can—because, we’re
going to be down to one
grocery store for over a
year, it sounds like—but, I
thought, maybe we could
go to Kennedy’s (Ken-
nedy‘s Eastside Grocery),
and these other small
markets, and see if we can
help them …”
Orcutt voiced concerns
about losing a local grocer,
regarding lost jobs, eco-
nomic impacts, and citing
an example that, “Albert-
sons was worth $25,000
to $28,000 a year to the
(La Grande) Observer, as
far as advertising. So, in a
market like Baker, if you
lose a grocery store, that’s
a lot of money that’s pulled
away from anyone…”
In a recent interview,
Sackos said, “I think it’s a
really unfortunate cir-
cumstance that the federal
government (Federal Trade
Commission) has, in
typical form, decided we
couldn’t have a monopoly
with two stores (referenc-
ing Albertsons’ merger
with Safeway), so, now, we
have one (Safeway). The
public will suffer with that.
Lack of competition is not
a good thing, and, Baker’s
right on the cusp of being
big enough to support two
or more, or, maybe not…
We need another grocer…”
The group discussed the
necessity to show contin-
ued support of established
local businesses, and new
prospects, and to showcase
Economic Development
efforts by having new busi-
ness grand openings, for
example, with highly vis-
ible advertising and media
involvement. Harvey said,
“Let’s toot their horn for
them, okay, because, we’re
connected to it. Let’s show
the public that we’re help-
ing them.”
Peacock said the Baker
Technical Institute female
welding program, which
began several weeks ago,
is progressing well, stating
that, “We hope that that’s
going to stimulate some in-
terest, particularly among
the representative popula-
tion of females…”
He spoke, with com-
ments from Harvey, Smith,
and Nelson, about the
issues facing high school
graduates in today’s world,
with passing employment
drug tests, having oppor-
tunities and skills upon
graduation, having good
role models, and avoiding
social services dependency.
Bainter suggested a
collaborative Career Day
possibly in late winter, as a
way of preparing students
and steering them toward
goals and opportunities by
the time they graduate the
next June.
Peacock mentioned
that students need to be
exposed to the idea of po-
tential career opportunities
early, and this concern is
being addressed at BTI be-
fore the high school stage,
in the 7th and 8th grades.
Peacock said, also to
address this issue, there
is collaboration between
BTI, through its welding
programs, and Behlen
Manufacturing Company
and Natural Structures,
both located in Baker City.
He praised the students
for their efforts with differ-
ent BTI programs, includ-
ing robotics, aquaculture
and aquaponics, and said
that there are about 1,000
tilapia currently being
raised. Peacock said the
students plan to raise trout,
and to eventually release
them, with a license from
the Oregon Department
of Fish and Wildlife
(ODFW).
Ward, stating that the
EDC Board had taken
tours of the BTI programs,
asked Peacock if there
were other interested par-
ties who had taken tours.
Peacock said, “Oh, gosh,
yes. It’s amazing, the
number of people who’ve
probably gone through
there…”
The next EDC meeting
is scheduled for Thursday,
November 12, 2015, at 4
p.m., in the Commission
Chambers of the County
Courthouse.
Tree
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Interested in planting a
tree or maybe two?
The Baker City Public
Works Department cur-
rently has grant funding
available to assist property
owners or renters with the
cost of planting street trees
at their property.
A street tree is a tree
which is generally located
between the sidewalk and
the street and is located
within the public right-of-
way.
Applications will be ac-
cepted November 1, 2015
through April 1, 2016 or
until approved grant appli-
cations meet or exceed the
grant funds available.
Grant applications and
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found online at www.bak-
ercity.com or by stopping
by the Baker City Public
Works Department in City
Hall at 1655 1st Street in
Baker City.
Platform
caucus
Submitted Photo.
Former gubernatorial candidate Dennis Richardson
spoke at the event. Richardson says he is still con-
sidering a run for Oregon Secretary of State.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
Heidi Justus, bonus delegate, said she was able to pro-
vide input into the Healthcare and Education planks, and
“sat in on the tail end of the Natural Resources caucus.”
Heidi added, “I felt as though the majority of the Repub-
lican platform was well thought out and there was a great
deal of wordsmithing that brought all the planks up to
date with where we need to go as a state.”
“The process is somewhat tedious,” said Kody Justus,
“but for those who like parliamentary procedure, it was
fun.”
Kody, who is also a member of Baker County’s NRAC
or Natural Resources Advisory Committee, was espe-
cially interested in the GOP’s Natural Resources caucus.
“Listening to the problems each county faces was very
educational—and governmental regulations and over-
reach are at the root of most, if not all.”
Also hammered out was a Law and Criminal Justice
plank supporting second amendment rights, and the right
for people to use reasonable and necessary force to pro-
tect themselves, property and livestock.
After a recent ORP transparency tour, a Government
Transparency, Accountability and Honesty plank was
forged, stressing limited, accountable, effi cient and trans-
parent government, at all levels, according to Whitsett. A
balanced budget is also key in this plank.
Dyke said, “It was an awful lot of work and a lot of
stress. We accomplished a lot though, even people who
disagreed could work together on what we fi nally agreed
on. The whole atmosphere of the convention was real
positive— and I’m and looking forward to good cam-
paigns in the next year and hopefully wins.”
Dyke, as vice chair of the education caucus said a
number of paragraphs in her plank were either reworded,
added or strengthened from previous years.
“Primarily, we were able to stress that sex education is
the responsibility of parents or legal guardians and that
parental permission needs to be given. We were opposed
to mandatory vaccinations being given to children in
public schools.”
A stance against Common Core previously existed in
the platform. “But we made it stronger as a stand-alone
statement,” Dyke said.
In addition to the platform caucus, the ORP State meet-
ing followed into the weekend, hosting a number of guest
speakers, including former state representative Dennis
Richardson, who has visited Baker City several times.
Richardson says he doesn’t have another gubernatorial
run in mind this time around, but may toss his hat in the
ring for Secretary of State.
Jones was invited to give a presentation showing a col-
lection of photographs of the wildfi res that swept through
Baker County this past fi re season, photographs that Dyke
said had several in the room from western Oregon who
were unaware of the devastation due to the lack of cover-
age on Portland news, moved to tears.
The full scope of ORP platform changes and additions
will be input, formatted and made available on that orga-
nization’s web site for download in the near future.
Sumpter
Dredge
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
Though Bubba Howard did not work on the dredge,
he remembered his father letting them come on board
at night and stay in the winch room with him until he
fi nished his shift.
The dredge ran around the clock 363 days a year, shut
down only for Christmas and Independence Day. Each
shift had a three man crew: winchman, head oiler and
stern oiler.
The brothers explained that each crew rotated shifts,
spending two weeks on days, two on swing shift, and two
on graveyard.
Although only three men per shift were required to
operate the dredge, the dredge operation also employed
surveyors, electricians, machinists, and a shore crew to
move the line, among others. The dredge (the third of
three to operate in the area) ceased operation in August
1954.
Though the dredge will be closed until next May,
the trail system remains open year round for hiking and
wildlife viewing.