FRIDAY, JANUARY 29, 2016
THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS — 5
Local
5J, Worksource reps attend Two more
Economic Development meeting meth arrests
made
BY TODD ARRIOLA
TODD@TheBakerCountyPress.com
The Baker County
Economic Development
Council (EDC) held its
monthly meeting on Thurs-
day, January 21, 2016, at 4
p.m., in the Baker County
Courthouse Commission
Chambers.
Present from the Council
were Baker County Com-
mission Chair Bill Har-
vey, Council Chair Craig
Ward, City Manager Mike
Kee, and Baker Technical
Institute (BTI) Director
Jerry Peacock. Baker City
Council member Richard
Langrell was absent.
Joining the Council were
Blue Mountain Commu-
nity College Small Busi-
ness Development Center
(BMCC SBDC) Director
Art Hill, BMCC SBDC
Advisor Jeff Nelson, Baker
County Economic De-
velopment Director Greg
Smith, Smith’s Assistant
Julee Hicks, Baker School
District 5J Chief Financial
Offi cer (CFO)/Business
Manager Doug Dalton,
District 5J School Board
Chair Kevin Cassidy,
District 5J School Board
member Andrew Bryan,
Catalyst Consultant Kat
Davis, Oregon Worksource
Region 13 Manager Debra
Gargalis, BMCC Board
member Bob Savage,
Historic Baker City (HBC)
President Larry Abell, and,
Baker City Council mem-
ber Rosemary Abell.
The meeting was called
to order, and the minutes
from the previous EDC
meeting were approved,
with a motion from Har-
vey, and a second from
Peacock.
Bryan began a School
District presentation with
details praise for BTI,
emphasizing the founda-
tion for economic develop-
ment—education.
He cited a lack of com-
munication in the last ten
years between the District
and the EDC, stating that
the District is at the heart
of the community’s vital-
ity, with sound, fi nancial
footing, and is a dynamic
enterprise, including the
Baker Web Academy.
Elaborating on the
subject of BTI, he said that
most of the local popula-
tion, not only youth, could
benefi t from career techni-
cal skills, and “soft” skills.
He said the community
would see benefi ts with
not only middle school and
high school education but
also with post-secondary
On January 22, 2016 at about 10:30 p.m., Baker City
Police Department offi cers stopped a 1997 Chevy Lumina
for a traffi c violation at Main and Campbell Streets
in Baker City. During the stop, drug detection canine
“Capa” was deployed on the vehicle and alerted to the
odor of illegal narcotics in the car.
Subsequently, BCPD Offi cers searched the vehicle and
located approximately two grams of methamphetamine
and two fi rearms (handguns) that were concealed in the
vehicle.
Arrested at the scene for Possession of a Controlled
Substance Methamphetamine was:
• Thomas James Barger (12/04/1990)
Arrested at the scene for Possession of a Controlled
Substance Methamphetamine and Unlawful Possession of
a Firearm was:
• Desiree Marie Barnett (12/30/1986)
Baker City offi cers were assisted by an Oregon State
Trooper during the investigation.
This investigation will be continuing and additional
charges and/or arrests are likely.
Todd Arriola / The Baker County Press
Soon to retire, Art Hill of BMCC shows off a copy of his new book.
options for education.
Dalton spoke about
the diffi culties with the
recession, and bouncing
back from that period with
competitive skills in high
demand in Oregon.
He said that the top fi ve
jobs in high demand in
Oregon aren’t Bachelor
degree-type jobs—they’re
skilled jobs.
Dalton said that, when
the usual course for Dis-
tricts two years ago was to
decrease investments, Dis-
trict 5J increased investing,
building BTI, helping to
build demand.
BTI courses were cen-
tered around agricultural
science with more expan-
sion to come, he said, in-
cluding building a welding
facility, and expanding on
the already offered health
services offerings, environ-
mental services, engineer-
ing, and building trades
courses.
Dalton explained the
importance of a trained
workforce, and, he said
that BTI was, and is instru-
mental in training welders
specifi cally for the type of
work required by Behlen
Manufacturing Company,
in Baker City, allowing the
company to grow.
Dalton said he’s hoping
Baker City can become a
destination for a secondary
school, and, the District is
working with the Oregon
State Board of Higher
Education to petition to
have BTI recognized as a
post-secondary institution,
which would include being
able to accept fi nancial aid,
issue college credits, etc.
The process, which
would be in partnership
with BMCC, may take
three years or more, he
said. Cassidy expressed
the priority of this process
to the District, and sustain-
ing the quality of life in
the community, and Kee
said that the opportunity is
exciting, and the District
should proceed with its
plans.
Hill said he will be retir-
ing shortly from his posi-
tion, and, displayed a new
book he authored, “Venture
Finance: The essential
growth guide for startups
and small businesses.”
He will be heading to
Croatia in September to
teach college business, he
said.
Nelson said it’s diffi cult
replacing Hill. He spoke
about Hatch Oregon, lo-
cated in the Baker County
Chamber of Commerce
building, and about the
great potential for local
businesses to invest in
Community Public Offer-
ings (CPO).
Davis spoke about her
vision for the community,
and, about issues with the
economy. Those issues
include the loss of core
industries, such as log-
ging, an aging population,
smaller families, and the
diffi culties with fi nding
and attracting new people
to Baker County.
She cited a lack of
marketing Baker County
properly to the right demo-
graphic, and the tendency
to market it to solely local
individuals and businesses.
Harvey had been saying
for a year and a half that
the County’s largest export
has been our youth (who
fi nd better opportunities
elsewhere), which is not a
good thing, and what is of-
fered here already needs to
be marketed better, he said.
Smith discussed some
details regarding economic
development within the
County. Among those:
Fern Taylor, operator of
Cover Works, in Baker
City, is looking to retire,
and the DeLong fam-
ily, interested in the busi-
ness, received a loan for
$150,000 through Eastern
Oregon Small Business
Development to assist with
the venture; The Haines
Stampede Rodeo Associa-
tion, aggressively work-
ing to raise funds, around
$10,000, needed to address
issues with rodeo grounds
equipment, has been work-
ing with Economic Devel-
opment in order to receive
a possible loan; and, there
is a tentative plan to hold
another Eastern Oregon
Mining and Aggregate De-
velopment Summit, after
April 15, 2016.
The group discussed the
need for more EDC mem-
bers (the total is required to
be an odd number), includ-
ing the desire for, and the
diffi culties with recruiting
younger members in the
range of ages from mid-
twenties to mid-forties.
The next EDC meeting
is scheduled for Thursday,
February 18, 2016, at 4
p.m.
Dispatch to send help to Harney
The recent and ongoing
events in Harney County
have left that county
scrambling to provide pub-
lic safety services to the
community it serves.
Law enforcement agen-
cies including the Baker
County Sheriff’s Offi ce
and Baker City Police
Department have provided
mutual aid assistance to
Harney County and now
the local dispatch center
will also.
Harney County Dispatch
is normally staffed with
one on-duty dispatcher
during most hours. With
the infl ux of law enforce-
ment personnel and a dra-
matic increase in telephone
calls from the public and
the media in particular that
dispatch center’s staff has
worked literally non stop.
They have worked ex-
tended hours and without
days off.
“They have reached
out to us, and other 9-1-1
Centers, for help and as
is true of public safety in
general we have responded
to the extent our resources
allow,” said Jerry Boyd,
Interim Director
Baker County Consoli-
dated 9-1-1 Dispatch.
This weekend several
Baker 9-1-1 Dispatchers,
who have volunteered
on their days off without
overtime pay, will be as-
sisting their brother and
sister dispatchers in Burns,
Oregon.
Given the emotional
and volatile environment
surrounding this on-going
event the dispatchers will
not be identifi ed by name.
That is based on their
safety.
“ I hope all citizens of
Baker County join us in
urging that cool heads
prevail in this matter and
that it reaches a peace-
ful resolution,” said Jerry
Boyd, Interim Director
Baker County Consoli-
dated 9-1-1 Dispatc,” said
Boyd.
Do you pick up a copy of this newspaper every
week? Why not turn a habit into a subscription?
See page 11 for how.
SE Oregon
RAC meeting
postponed
The latest meeting of the Southeast Oregon Resource
Advisory Council (SEORAC), scheduled for January 25
and 26 has been postponed.
Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and U.S. For-
est Service (USFS) management, together with Council
leadership, decided to postpone the meeting due to the
expected absence of a quorum.
The Code of Federal Regulations (43 CFR 1784.6-1)
requires that a quorum of council members be present to
constitute an offi cial meeting of the council and for them
to render any offi cial decisions or recommendations.
The SEORAC is made up of 15 total members, dis-
persed evenly and representing three interest groups:
Commercial/commodity interests;
Environmental/historical groups (including wild horse
and burro and dispersed recreation); State and local gov-
ernment, Indian tribes, and the public at large.
The SEORAC Charter establishes at least three mem-
bers of these fi ve-member groups be present in order to
satisfy the requirements for a quorum.
“We’re disappointed to have to postpone the meeting,
but the work of the council will continue,” said Don Gon-
zalez, Vale District BLM Manager.
The next meeting of the council is scheduled for the
fi rst week of April.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of
public land, the most of any Federal agency. This land,
known as the National System of Public Lands, is primar-
ily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The
BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface
mineral estate throughout the nation. The BLM's mission
is to manage and conserve the public lands for the use
and enjoyment of present and future generations under
our mandate of multiple-use and sustained yield. In Fiscal
Year 2014, the BLM generated $5.2 billion in receipts
from public lands.
Farmers Market
calls for artists
The Baker City Farmers Market is seeking artwork for
the 2016 Market Poster. Submissions must be received
by April 15, 2016.
Artwork should depict an aspect of Farmers Market
(such as fresh produce or colorful vendor stalls) that will
translate well into poster form. Prize awarded to selected
artist.
For more information please call Ann Mehaffy, 541
519 0698. Baker City Farmers Market, PO Box 794,
Baker City OR 97814.
Extensions fi led at no additional charge!
BRUCE NICHOLS, CPA
STAN MITCHELL, CPA
2550 Broadway, Baker City
541-523-6471 • brucenichols@integra.net
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