THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS — 3
FRIDAY, MARCH 18, 2016
Business & Ag
Woman charged with burglary at Main Event
BY KERRY McQUISTEN
News@TheBakerCountyPress.com
On Monday morning,
Rebecka Rose Quiroz was
arrested on Burglary 2
and Theft 1 charges after
allegedly breaking into the
office of the Main Event
Sports Bar just before mid-
night the day before.
According to Baker City
Police Chief Wyn Lohner,
approximately $7,000 was
taken.
Police utilized evidence
captured by the business’s
video surveillance system.
Said Lohner on Tuesday,
“Today we served a search
warrant on her vehicle and
recovered a substantial
amount of cash (uncalcu-
lated total at this time).
We also have reason to
believe some of the money
may have already been
used to pay debts, as we
had one business already
call after seeing the arrest
on Facebook and telling
us Rebecka had paid them
just before her arrest.”
Detective Jay Lohner has
also been investigating a
fraud case from Communi-
ty Bank involving Quiroz,
and potential fraudulent
deposits into the ATM
machine in early March,
totaling approximately
$630.
That case, which would
involve Computer Crimes
and Theft charges, is still
under investigation.
Friday, March 11, 2016 — Eastern Oregon
Prices trended generally steady compared to
week-ago prices in a very limited test. Many
producers have decided to hold on to their hay for
now, in hopes for higher prices or to feed to their
own animals. Many hay producers are sold out for
the year.
Tons Price Range Wtd Avg
Orchard / Alfalfa —Small Square Premium
25 195.00-195.00 195.00
Photo Courtesy of the
Baker County Sheriff’s Department.
Rebecka Rose Quiroz.
Cattlemen pledge $10K against Owyhee Monument
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
Eiguren introduced
himself and the other
special guests as he and
Bilbao took turns explain-
ing and discussing the
effects of a designation,
and proposed actions to
oppose it. Eiguren said
that Portland-based KEEN
footwear, and the Oregon
Natural Desert Associa-
tion (ONDA) are the key
organizations, in pushing
for the designation, which
Obama would declare,
through an Executive
Order, under the 1906
Antiquities Act.
He said that the des-
ignation would not only
affect the cattle industry
directly, but it would also
have a trickle-down effect,
within communities, to
include businesses and
organizations associated
with the industry, as well.
Eiguren explained that
OSBC’s mission includes
not only being advocates
for the cattle industry, but,
for other natural resource
industries in Malheur
County for now and the
future.
Eiguren said, “We never
get anything out of them,
ultimately...” speaking
about the issues with
proposed “compromises,”
with environmental
groups. “They tell us
that the activities that
have traditionally gone
on within the monument
lands will continue to go
on, but, once that monu-
ment designation comes
in, this changes from the
multiple-use, with sustain-
able yield, that we are tra-
ditionally accustomed to,
under the BLM (Bureau
of Land Management)...to
more preservationist type
of thinking, so that these
activities will not con-
tinue on, if they affect the
preservation of the monu-
ment itself... The result
is that you go away from
these activities, rather than
allow these activities at
their highest sustainable
levels...” Eiguren said that
Gallatin came highly rec-
ommended, to assist with
the opposition effort.
Bilbao introduced
herself, and said that the
Gallatin team consists of
around 15 people. She
said, “Our idea is, there
is no compromise right
now. We are going in and
saying, ‘Absolutely NO
monument; 2.5 million
acres is ridiculous’...Our
overall mission is not to
make someone feel good;
our mission is to make the
Governor’s Office, and
Washington, D.C. uncom-
fortable...” She said people,
and all types of liveli-
hoods would be affected
by the designation. “It’s
really a natural resource
issue...” she said, explain-
ing that the story of how
the proposal would affect
different groups of people,
including those in the
cattle industry, those who
recreate, and many others,
needs to be told.
She said that a roughly
40-question survey,
regarding public opinion
about the effects of the
designation, submitted to
400 random participants in
Oregon, will be reviewed,
and the results will be
available on Gallatin’s
website, one which be cre-
ated, based on the data.
“This has been an issue
that a lot of different com-
munities face...We can’t
allow this to happen,” Bil-
bao said. The aforemen-
tioned website will include
stories from many diverse
groups of people and
organizations, she said,
and Gallatin will get those
same stories out through
different forms—general
media, social media, radio,
etc.
Dotty asked how the
message would reach
Obama, and Bilbao said
that contacts of Gallatin
include lobbyists, and
different individuals, and
organizations, who can
communicate effectively.
During the meeting,
prompted to give his input,
Bentz stood and addressed
the group, while Ferrioli
listened via Curt’s cellular
phone. Bentz said, “First
of all, I want to say how
impressed I am, with the
evolution of our commu-
nity, in managing the dif-
ficult situations like this,
because, we all saw the
Bundy group manage the
situation (the Malheur Na-
tional Wildlife Refuge oc-
cupation) entirely wrong...
This meeting tonight is the
most amazing evolution of
our counties, that I’ve seen
in the almost ten years
now, that I’ve had this
job... I’m very proud of my
people here...”
He said he had a meet-
ing with staff from Senator
Ron Wyden’s office after
the legislative session last
July, and they told him
they had heard at that time
that Obama had planned
on possibly designating
“half of Malheur County”
a National Monument,
which angered Bentz so
much, that he was prompt-
ed to take action, initially
organizing a Town Hall
meeting in Adrian, which
brought in hundreds of at-
tendees. A series of other
meetings were held, cul-
minating in Wednesday’s
meeting, he said.
“This evolution of how
a community can get to-
gether, and figure out how
to effectively be heard, is
really something to see...
What’s happening here
isn’t just saying no to the
monument; it’s saying
why a cow belongs out
there. Everybody’s who’s
got a permit, is in this...
The people who want the
monument, don’t want the
cows... The cows are on
trial here, okay—that’s the
truth of it, and we want to
keep them in the back-
ground, but, at the end
of the day, if we want to
keep making a living with
a cow, we better win this
battle ...” Bentz said.
Bentz spoke about the
contribution from BCLA,
$10,000, which is a sig-
nificant amount of money,
and greatly appreciated,
but he said the effort could
include a price tag of pos-
sibly half a million dollars,
to oppose the designation.
He said, “What you’re
trying to do is sway the
opinions of a huge herd of
people in the Willamette
Valley... Every dime spent
in the Willamette Val-
ley (in getting the mes-
sage out) is a good dime
spent...”
He said that spending
money on getting a highly
visible message out in the
western portion of the
state, about why the desig-
nation is a bad idea, makes
sense, through media,
etc., including to Brown.
“I have spoken with the
people in Secretary (of
the Interior Sally) Jewell’s
office. She has, I think,
very little to say...” Bentz
said, noting his disbelief
of Jewell’s claim that she’s
unaware of any plans
between her office and the
White House, to coor-
dinate this designation,
though, her office has been
involved in past designa-
tions with the President.
Bentz said, “At the end of
the day, I think it is obvi-
ous, and we have a very
short period of time. So,
don’t dawdle.”
Dotty said, “This is the
direction that would do the
most good?” Bentz replied
that the Gallatin Group is
the kind of tool used to “...
win the battle...”
Bilbao said that get-
ting the message out
there--through different
mediums, such as news-
paper, radio, social media,
and emails—is the best
method.
Ferrioli echoed the
comments made by Bentz
about Jewell’s claim she’s
unaware of designation
plans, and he said, speak-
ing about conversations
with Brown, Jewell, and
Judge Steve Grasty, of
Harney County, “Some-
how, I was not reassured...
I think Representative
Bentz accurately charac-
terized this...The President
has made the decision to
designate, and picked a
date of significance (the
110-year anniversary
of the enactment of the
Antiquities Act is June 8,
2016), and he will drop the
dime...”
Ferrioli described the
efforts put forth, to oppose
the listing of the Greater
Sage Grouse, under the
Endangered Species Act,
an effort he said is ongo-
ing, at the cost of at least
$1 million so far, which
he thinks is comparable
to what the designation
opposition effort could
take. “Right now, folks
who have a direct inter-
— Weekly Hay Report —
est have to step up to the
plate, and make a financial
commitment... There is no
half measure that can be
taken, that will allow us
to survive... I don’t want
to see it (the designation)
happen; there will be
grave consequences in the
community...”
He said that the argu-
ment in opposition can’t
solely include details from
a cattle industry point
of view, but, needs to
emphasize also that there
is much more to lose with
a designation, including
tearing families apart, de-
stroying communities and
sustainable infrastructure,
and the loss of access, and
activities valued by a wide
range of people. “We have
to be all in—we can’t lose
this one,” Ferrioli said.
Bentz added that Ferrioli
sent him a $1,000 contri-
bution from his campaign,
to put toward the opposi-
tion effort, and Bentz and
his wife, Lindsay, are
personally contributing
$1,000 toward the effort.
Curt had made a mo-
tion at the end of the
last BCLA meeting, on
February 25, 2016, that
the BLCA give $10,000 to
OBSC, the vote of which
was postponed until this
special meeting, because
of the amount of funds
involved, and because
it was desired to have a
larger percentage of voting
members present.
Bingham spoke about,
and gave praise for,
BCLA’s fund raising ef-
forts in previous years,
speaking about saving the
funds for a rainy day. “I
think we felt that a rainy
day has come...Under this
circumstance, we feel that
part of these savings is
going to go immediately to
help our neighbor...It’s our
industry...” he said.
Dotty passed out slips
to voting members pres-
ent, with the following
result: 13 in favor, and 1
in opposition, which was
announced by Drew, fol-
lowed shortly by applause.
Bingham thanked the
attendees, and said, “This
has been developing over
the last couple of years.
If we don’t ever stand up
for something that we
firmly believe in, at what
point are we ever going to
feel good that we actu-
ally tried? Ten thousand
(dollars) is small pennies
to what needs to happen,
but for those people who
raised that money, it was a
huge effort, a huge sacri-
fice... I take my hat off to
them...”
For more information,
including membership, and
donation details, OBSC
can be contacted at info@
obscoalition.org, and at
the following address:
Owyhee Basin Steward-
ship Coalition, P.O. Box
99, Ontario, Oregon 97914.
Bilbao can be contacted at
208-989-8855, or ysabel.
bilbao@gmail.com.
Last week:
Alfalfa —Large Square Good/Premium
85 135.00-135.00 135.00
USDA Market News Service—AMS.USDA.gov
— Cattle Market Report —
Wednesday, March 9, 2016
Vale, Oregon
Cattle sold through the auction: 868
Steer Calves
300-400# Bulk 201.00 - 223.00 Top 230.00
400-500# Bulk 196.00 - 205.00 Top 207.00
500-600# Bulk 169.00 - 196.00 Top 200.00
Heifer Calves
300-400# Bulk 179.00 - 197.00 Top 208.00
400-500# Bulk 170.00 - 199.00 Top 201.00
500-600# Bulk 156.00 - 172.50 Top 174.00
Yearling Steers
600-700# Bulk 148.00 - 173.00 Top 179.25
700-800# Bulk 133.00 - 153.00 Top 157.00
800-900# Bulk 136.00 - 143.50 Top 145.00
900-1,000# Bulk N/A Top N/A
Yearling Heifers
600-700# Bulk 137.00 - 158.50 Top 160.00
700-800# Bulk 128.00 - 139.00 Top 142.25
800-900# Bulk N/A Top N/A
900-1,000# Bulk N/A Top N/A
Thin Shelly Cows 55.00 - 65.00
Butcher Cows
67.00 - 74.00
Butcher Bulls 74.00 - 86.00
Stock Cows Yng. N/A
Younger Hfrts. 82.00 - 106.00
Stock Cows Older. - 925.00 - 1300.00
ProducersLivestock.com
541-473-3136
— Log Price Report —
Price per 1,000 board feet: Northeast Oregon
Currently the local log market is flooded with
fire salvage logs. The log buyer for Malheur
Lumber Co. stated they have all the logs they
need under contract and are not accepting any
new purchases. BCC/LLC of La Grande has
receive so many burned fire salvage logs they
are no longer accepting logs at the La Grande
log yard. Any additional pine logs have to be
delivered to the Elgin Log yard cut in plywood
lengths and to a 8 inch top. For these pine
logs cut in plywood lengths, BCC is offering
$280.00/mbf. They are also paying $410.00/
mbf for Doug Fir & Western Larch. For White
Fir they are offing $310.00/mbf. At the Pilot
Rock Saw Mill BCC is offing $360.00/mbf for a
12 to 15 inch top, for 16 to 19 inch top $400.00/
mbf & offing $425.00/mbf for 20 inch plus top
Courtesy of Arvid Andersen,
Andersen Forestry Consulting
— Precious Metals Report —
Price per ounce, USD
Gold: $1,230.00
Silver: $15.24
Platinum: $959.19
Palladium: $574.75
Bloomberg.com
— Ag Commodities —
Corn: $367.75/bu/USD
Wheat: $472.00/bu/USD
Soybeans: $891.50/bu/USD
Oats: $195.95 bu/USD
Rough Rice: $10.47/cwt/USD
Canola: $469.00 CAD/mwt
Live Cattle: $130.88/lb./USD
Feeder Cattle: $165.40/lb./USD
Lean Hogs: $83.63/lb./USD
Bloomberg.com