10 — THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS
FRIDAY, MARCH 18, 2016
Local
County Commissioners hear Top Gun
Justice Court updates,
instructor
questions over new wildfi re video comes to EOU
BY TODD ARRIOLA
Todd@TheBakerCountyPress.com
The Baker County
Board of Commissioners
held its second regular
session of the month on
Wednesday, March 16,
2016, 9 a.m., in the Com-
mission Chambers of the
Baker County Courthouse.
Present from the Board
were Commission Chair
Bill Harvey, Commission-
ers Mark Bennett and Tim
Kerns, and Executive As-
sistant Heidi Martin.
The meeting was called
to order, and the optional
Invocation and Pledge of
Allegiance were recited,
both led by Harvey.
The agenda was adopt-
ed, and the minutes from
the Wednesday, March 2,
2016 regular session were
approved.
Citizen Participation
included Art Sappington,
who spoke about mining
documents, and Joelleen
Linstrom, who spoke about
the Baker County vs. Da-
vid McCarty, aka Colum-
bia Basin Helicopter, case.
Baker County Trial
Court Administrator Mi-
chael Finney provided the
Board with a Justice Court
update, with details about
2015-2016 in review, and
2016-2017, and beyond,
including:
The Justice Court is
currently hearing a few
misdemeanors, and con-
tempt of court cases; the
District Attorney (Matt
Shirtcliff) is still handling
failure-to-appears (FTAs),
and Probation Violations;
FTAs are now being heard
in Justice Court, instead of
Circuit Court; the bulk of
Justice Court’s complaint
fi lings are from the Oregon
State Police (OSP); and the
increase in the speed limit
doesn’t seem to have any
effect regarding speeders,
because, with an increase
in the speed limit, accord-
ing to Finney, people will
still go 10-30 miles per
hour (MPH) over the speed
limit.
Finney’s information
shows that revenue is
down $27,765.10 in the
current fi scal year, from
last year, however, the bud-
get should be on target; the
City is up $153.54 from
last year, and the State is
down $17,431.43 from last
year; Small Claims fees
were raised to $35 this last
year, and the amount of
Small Claims fi lings are
down.
There’s been a fairly
consistent stabilization in
employment among all
law enforcement agen-
cies, according to Finney,
and only the City Police
Department is down one
offi cer, though he’s heard
that the department had
hired a replacement. Jus-
tice Court staffi ng includes
a part-time Justice of the
Peace, one full-time Trial
Court Administrator, one
full-time Court Clerk, and
one part-time Court Clerk,
according to Finney.
According to Finney,
for now, current legisla-
tion hasn’t affected Justice
Court, however, there
could be major effects
from the next legislative
session, and the State will
see a signifi cant budget
defi cit with not only PERS
(Public Employees Retire-
ment System), but with the
Courts, as well.
Lorrie Harvey pre-
sented a privately funded
and privately produced,
three-minute video, titled
“Fire On The Mountain,”
which includes interview
clips from Commissioner
Harvey, local rancher
and Commissioner Mark
Bennett, and local area
ranchers Kody Justus, and
Dennis Kiely, regarding
the issues with misman-
agement of public lands,
and the devastation of
wildfi res.
Brenda Holly, and Dave
Hunsacker voiced some
objections to the video (the
subjects in the video were
interviewed as private
individuals), including the
Harveys’ and Bennett’s in-
volvement in it. The video
is available for viewing at
bakercountywildfi re.org.
Ash provided the Board
with a Sheriff’s Depart-
ment purchase request, for
two vehicles: a 2016 3/4
ton Dodge pickup, from
Powder River Motors,
which will replace a 2009
Dodge 3/4 ton pickup; and
a 2016 Dodge Special Ser-
vice pickup, from Powder
River Motors, which will
replace a 2010 Ford F150.
According to the
request, Powder River
had the lowest bid for
both pickups, for a total
of $55,152 for both. Ash
stated that $40,000 is cur-
rently budgeted for vehicle
replacement, and that
the 2010 Ford F150 will
be sold to the (County)
Facilities Division, for
$6,000, and the Facilities
Division will trade a 1998
Ford F150 to Powder River
Motors for $1,000, both
reducing the price of the
2016 Dodge Special Ser-
vice pickup. He proposes
to also use the equipment
line of $10,000, in order
to purchase both vehicles.
The purchase request was
approved.
An Oregon Liquor Con-
trol Commission (OLCC)
liquor license application,
from applicant Amy E.
Lord, for Hells Canyon
Inn, LLC, located at 53945
Highway 85, Halfway, was
reviewed by the Board.
The purpose of the applica-
tion is for a change in own-
ership and trade name, as
the business was licensed
by the OLCC, to Lynne
Thompson, of the former
Thompson’s Hells Canyon
Inn. The application was
approved.
Order No. 2016-123,
amending Order No. 2016-
112, Referral Of Weed
Control Local Option Tax
For Four Fiscal Years:
2016-2017, 2017-2018,
2018-2019, 2019-2020 To
The Baker County Weed
Control District Elector-
ate, was approved. The
language in Order No.
2016-112 was amended to
read the following, with
changes noted in paren-
thesis: “The estimated tax
cost for this measure is an
ESTIMATE ONLY based
on the best information
available from the County
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Assessor at the time of es-
timate (and may refl ect the
impact of early payment
discounts, compression
and the collection rate).”
Order No. 2016-124,
amending Order No. 2016-
113, Referral Of Vector
Control Local Option Tax
For Four Fiscal Years:
2016-2017, 2017-2018,
2018-2019, 2019-2020 To
The Baker County Vector
Control District Elector-
ate, was approved. The
language in Order No.
2016-113 was amended to
read the following, with
changes noted in paren-
thesis: “The estimated tax
cost for this measure is an
ESTIMATE ONLY based
on the best information
available from the County
Assessor at the time of es-
timate (and may refl ect the
impact of early payment
discounts, compression,
and the collection rate).”
Order No. 2016-125 An
Order Directing The Baker
County Sheriff To Make
Sale Of County Property;
Fixing The Minimum Price
And Providing A Portion
Of The Conditions And
Terms Of Sale, was ap-
proved, with a minimum
bid of $15,000. According
to the order, the foreclosed
property located at 251
Granite Street, Sumpter, is
valued at $48,310 ($32,170
for the land, $16,140 for
the structure), and back
taxes are owed to the
County in the amount of
$6,065.19, plus an esti-
mated $1,200 in expenses.
The sale is expected to take
place on Tuesday, May
10, 2016, 10 a.m., on the
steps of the Baker County
Courthouse.
Order No. 2016-126, Re-
Appointing Members To
The Transient Lodging Tax
Committee (TLTC), was
approved. Kathy Reedy
was re-appointed, her term
set to expire on August 1,
2018.
The next, regular Com-
mission session is sched-
uled for Wednesday, April
6, 2016, 9 a.m., in the
Commission Chambers of
the Baker County Court-
house.
FAFA
gives
contact
names
The open-roads advoca-
cy group, Forest Access for
All (FAFA) gave offi cial
notice of their two offi cial
points of contact for FAFA
in matters of scheduling
FAFA representation at of-
fi cial county/forest service
meetings, and when asking
for any offi cial public
statement pertaining to
FAFA’s position on matters
regarding public lands is-
sues on which one may be
wishing input.
FAFA’s two offi cial
points of contact will be
President Tork Ballard,
541.523.4209 and Public
Relations Offi cer John
Creighton, 541.523. 1160.
Ballard and Creighton
have the full support of
the FAFA membership and
Executive Board and have
been given full permission
to speak on behalf of the
club.
One of the original instructors for the United States
Navy Fighter Weapons School known as Top Gun will be
a guest speaker at the Blue Mountain Conference Center
April 7.
Captain Milburn “Mel” Holmes shares his insight on
the Vietnam War, the need for the instructor program and
its subsequent success for the presentation from 7-8:30
p.m.
Admission is $18 for adults, and $15 for veterans and
students. Hors d’oeuvres and beverages will be served.
All proceeds benefi t Grande Ronde Academy, a private,
interdenominational Christian school for students in kin-
dergarten through eighth grade.
Holmes grew up in Union County and graduated with
La Grande High School’s class of 1957. He went on to
earn a degree in general studies from Eastern Oregon
College (EOU) in 1961. He entered the Navy’s aviation
training school and later became a Navy carrier fi ghter
pilot, serving during Vietnam.
“Eastern gave me the necessary tools that enabled me to
compete with fl ight students from larger and more presti-
gious universities during the course of becoming a Naval
carrier pilot,” Holmes said.
Over the course of three deployments, Holmes accu-
mulated 264 combat missions and was one of nine pilots
chosen to reinvent the process of teaching pilots the art
of air-to-air dog fi ghting and how to fl y and fi ght in a
combat environment. He served as head of the air-to-air
combat department at Top Gun until 1970.
After leaving the Navy, Holmes fl ew for Northwest
Airlines and retired as a Boeing 747 captain. He founded
three aviation companies, Marianas Airlines, Grey Eagle
Aviation and Grey Eagle Flight Academy. In 2006 he was
named EOU’s Distinguished Alumnus and honored dur-
ing Homecoming.
Holmes is a regular guest speaker for various orga-
nizations and addresses Top Gun’s graduating class on
occasion. He became a supporter of the Grande Ronde
Academy after a tour of its facility last summer.
“I saw that the school could benefi t from fi nancial
assistance to provide additional materials to improve the
environment for their young students,” Holmes said. “As
a native son, I want to do my part to help generate fund-
raising interest for the academy. I also think that parents
should have an option to place their children in schools
that may have different values than what the public sys-
tem is able to provide.”
Tickets may be purchased in advance at Grande Ronde
Academy, 507 B Palmer Avenue. Tax-deductible donation
receipts are available. For more information call 541-975-
1147.
Interpretive
Center offers
activities
The National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center
is offering special activities for families during Spring
Break—March 21 through 24.
One-hour workshops will be offered that detail what
happens to plants and animals in the spring. These work-
shops are held at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. daily. Cost is fi ve
dollars per session to cover cost of materials.
Daily Workshop Themes
Monday, March 21: Nesting & Migration
Tuesday, March 22: Pollination and Interconnections
Wednesday, March 23: Hibernation & Spring Growth
Thursday, March 24: Life Cycles & Habitats
Workshops are suitable for ages six and up, but activi-
ties for younger children are available as well.
Free hands-on pioneer craft demonstrations will be
available at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. each day. Children’s fi lms,
Junior Explorer Activities and the interactive children’s
exhibit “Wagons Ho! Experience the Oregon Trail” are
also open daily.
Space is limited, so pre-registration is encouraged. For
more information or to register, call (541) 523-1852 or
email ots1844@gmail.com.
For fourth graders, ask about the “Every Kid in a Park”
pass. This pass allows fourth graders, and their families,
free entrance to federal park sites throughout the US.
The National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center,
operated by the Bureau of Land Management, is located
east of Baker City, Oregon. Take Exit 302 from Inter-
state-84 onto Oregon Highway 86 and proceed fi ve miles.
The Center is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. Admis-
sion for adults is $5; seniors are $3.50; and children 15
and under are free. Federal passes are accepted.
Clarification
In last week’s coverage of the First Friday with
the Commissioner at the County, we reported
on a discussion that the Bulls & Broncs event
“may” move to Haines next year. To clarify,
whether this was a possibility was asked by a
member of the public, which led to the discus-
sion. Chamber Director Shelly Cutler said in
follow-up this week that the event is in fact not
being moved, and wished to clarify that.