FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 2016
THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS — 5
Local
Walden town hall
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PAGE 1
“Born in Baker City, Tim
was raised with an ap-
preciation for agriculture,
and his family farm has led
him to attend Oregon State
University.” He jokingly
said, “Hmmm...I guess you
did okay, in spite of that
(followed by laughter). We
Ducks have to get our jabs
in (Walden attended the
University of Oregon).”
He continued with the
statement, explaining that
Kerns pursued a degree in
Agricultural Engineering at
an accelerated pace, while
at the same time meeting
his future wife of 52 years,
and the couple, both with
degrees, had returned to
Baker County, to return to
ranching.
Walden said Kerns’
ranching operation grew,
and he his service includes
the School District Budget
Board, as President of
both the Baker County
Livestock Growers and the
Farm Bureau, Regional
Vice President of the Or-
egon Cattlemen’s Associa-
tion, the Board of several
national farm lending as-
sociations, and as County
Commissioner.
“...I know I can always
count on Tim’s work
ethic, and knowledge of
Baker County, to help
work through the issues
we face, to make sure the
needs of the local com-
munity will not be ignored
by the federal govern-
ment. Whether it was
trying to stop the EPA
(Environmental Protection
Agency) from regulating
the local cement plant out
of existence—which we’ve
teamed up to prevent—and
killing hundreds of jobs,
or some of the ongoing
problems, such as red tape
cutting off Baker County
miners from being part of a
rich, local mining history,
or attempts to limit local
access to National Forests,
I knew I could always
count on Tim for his valu-
able input, as we crafted
solutions...Please join me
in recognizing my good
friend, Commissioner Tim
Kerns, for his many years
of leadership, and service,
to Baker County,” Walden
said, followed by applause
from the crowd.
Walden continued the
meeting, first speak-
ing about the proposed
designation of the Owyhee
Canyonlands, as a national
monument, which he is
strongly opposed to. He
said the designation is
about limiting access to
resources, limiting mining,
and removing livestock
from ranges, and he has
pushed back on the issue,
with Secretary of the
Interior Sally Jewell, and
President Obama, as well
as others, to emphasize the
designation is unnecessary,
unneeded, and unwanted,
and there are already layers
of protections and manage-
ment for the area proposed
to be designated. He
said 90% of the voters of
Malheur County opposed
the designation. He said
“every tool in the books”
is being used, in order to
prevent the designation.
Walden mentioned the
Sportsmen’s Heritage and
Recreational Enhancement
(SHARE) Act, which is a
bill that alters a variety of
existing programs, expand-
ing access to, and opportu-
nities for, hunting, fishing,
and recreational shooting.
He said the bill strengthens
and supports the opportuni-
Fatality
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Todd Arriola / The Baker County Press
Walden listens to a question from rancher Curt Martin of North Powder.
ties to recreate, on public
lands, and limits govern-
mental control.
He said legislation is
moving forward (it passed
in the House), in order to
to implement much-needed
reform of the Equal Access
to Justice Act, which he
said is “...the ATM for the
other side, to be able to
sue, and get paid, all the
time...” The legislation
would require reporting on
the amount of funds being
dispersed, and to whom,
he said.
After a decade, Walden
said, 28 mining permits
were finally approved, in
the Granite area. He said
it should never take that
long, but the approvals are
a good sign, for other ac-
tions, moving forward.
He spoke about the
Community Mental Health
Act of 1963, signed into
law, by President Ken-
nedy, which initiated the
government’s involvement
in mental health. He said
there are now 112 pro-
grams, and $130 billion
spent a year, but clearly,
the programs are not work-
ing, including the lack of
treatment (there is one
doctor per every 2,000 ju-
veniles with mental health
issues; and, one is ten
times less likely to commit
a violent act, if access to
mental health care is avail-
able, for example, Walden
said, explaining that the list
of negative statistics goes
on, and on). Part of the
current effort is extending
mental health treatment ac-
cess to rural communities,
through psychiatric “tele-
help,” and re-authorization
of the Garrett Lee Smith
Memorial Act.
Walden also talked
about opioid addiction,
and overdose, stating that
more people die from
opioid overdose than from
car wrecks. He said cur-
rent effort is being made
to change laws related
to opioids, to curb black
market sales, addiction,
and overdose, and to make
overdose-reversing drugs
more readily available to
first responders.
Walden asked attendees
if they had any questions,
and the following were
included in the conversa-
tions:
Rob Ellingson men-
tioned the Senator Wyden
Town Hall, that was held
in the Baker High School
auditorium recently, dur-
ing which the subject of
the Owyhee Canyonlands
designation came up. El-
lingson said Wyden talked
about working together
to come to a “win-win”
solution, and a week later,
Ellingson read that Wyden
and Senator Merkley
apparently planned to
sponsor their own bill,
related to the designation,
which confused Ellingson.
Walden said he and Bentz
learned about the bill the
same way Ellingson did,
and that it’s a 2 million-
acre mineral withdrawal
legislation, but Walden
strongly opposes any
proposed support for the
monument designation,
including that bill. The
bill includes other items,
he said.
Steve Culley told Walden
that sadly, his son commit-
ted suicide last year (he
cited methamphetamine
as the cause), and Culley
spoke about the issues with
obtaining treatment for
drug addiction, and mental
health issues. He offered
to work with Walden, in
order to formulate a better
program for that access,
and Walden thanked him,
and expressed sorrow
regarding his son’s death.
Culley said longer term
treatment programs for
methamphetamine addic-
tion are needed, because
the current ones are two
short, and ineffective,
in many cases. Walden
agreed, that treatment
could take up to six, or
even nine months, as op-
posed to 30 or 60 days.
“It’s brain-destroying,
family-ruining—it’s just
awful,” he said, about the
effects of meth, emphasiz-
ing the highly addictive
nature of the drug.
Art Sappington men-
tioned reading about
mineral withdrawal legisla-
tion in print media, stating
that he thinks there is a
conflict of equal stand-
ing, in relation to locat-
able minerals withdrawal,
versus the leasable, and
salable minerals, which
he says the government is
still maintaining access to.
Walden wasn’t sure of the
scope of the issue, but he
said he and Jordan Noyes
(who represents Walden’s
Eastern Oregon District
Office) will get to the bot-
tom of it.
Sappington said he sees
a double standard with the
withdrawals, private versus
public, and equal access
and standing. Walden
stressed the importance
of access to minerals, and
in preventing legislation
aimed at barring that ac-
cess.
Sappington also spoke
about the lop-sided regula-
tions, especially those
courtesy of the EPA.
Walden said that it’s a
frustrating process, with
federal agencies’ lack of
coordination with local
government, and misplaced
blame for the effects of
exposure to mercury, for
example.
Walden said, surpris-
ingly to some attendees,
the federal government is
not required to replant on
National Forest land after a
fire, contrasted with the ef-
forts of local government,
and private landowners, to
implement replanting as
soon as possible. Walden
said the federal govern-
ment claims lack of funds
for replanting (with basis
for this claim), but he
seeks to resolve that issue,
with proposed legislation.
Lynn Shumway pointed
out a major issue with the
replanting currently—lack
of seedlings. He said that,
even with legislation in
place, there’s not enough
of a supply to replant at
the moment, but there
are efforts being made to
remedy that, and facilitate
replanting.
Shumway also men-
tioned another major
concern, the lack of timber
treatment in the South Fork
(of the Burnt River) water-
shed area. He said the U.S.
Forest Service (USFS)
already knows what needs
to be done to remedy that
situation, but the process
needs to move forward,
which is another reason
why certain legislation is
critical.
Walden said he tries to
educate legislators at the
State and Federal levels,
about the issues faced in
eastern Oregon, with a ma-
jor emphasis on how dry
the climate and landscape
can be, and the effects of
wildfires, and mismanage-
ment, including lack of
thinning, on National For-
est lands.
Curtis Martin voiced
concern about the law un-
der which the Hammonds
of Harney County were
convicted, for arson, which
included a provision of ex-
pansive federal law punish-
ing terrorism, resulting in
years of prison time.
Walden said that he’s
attempting to work on bi-
partisan legislation, which
would allow exceptions for
agricultural fires used as
important tools for treat-
ments, so that landowners
could avoid being charged
with crimes by the govern-
ment, if the fires happen to
spread from private land,
onto federal land.
A preliminary investigation showed that the 2003
Buick sedan was traveling eastbound when it crossed
the centerline and was struck on its passenger side by a
2011 Toyota sedan. Upon crashing, the front of the Buick
caught on fire and was extinguished by first responders
and people who had stopped to help using fire extinguish-
ers, as well as a bucket and water from the ditch next to
the road.
Medics arrived on scene and pronounced the female
driver of the Buick, Christina Lynn Long, age 39, of
Haines, deceased. The driver of the second vehicle, Tricia
Eileen Price, age 40, of Haines, as well as her 17-year-
old passenger, daughter Sydney Palmer, were both taken
to St. Alphonsus Hospital in Baker City and then trans-
ferred by air ambulance to regional trauma centers for life
threatening injuries.
Price was then transferred to OHSU with severe inter-
nal injuries, multiple lacerations and broken bones, and is
expected to remain in that facility for at least two weeks.
Palmer underwent surgery to repair an artery in her leg
as well as a broken arm, and is being observed due to a
blow to the head that occurred in the accident. She was
released from the Intensive Care Unit on Tuesday.
Just weeks ago, Palmer was one of two high school
students who saved the life of a truck driver who had col-
lapsed of a heart attack on Campbell Street in Baker City,
making news across the county.
A witness stated that he saw the driver of the Buick
make a bad pass on a corner on Highway 30 west of
Haines.
He stated she passed a pickup on a corner and then
quickly came to a stop in front of the pickup she had just
passed at a high rate of speed.
The witness stated that as he entered Haines he saw the
Buick catching up to him from behind at a high rate of
speed. He was concerned that the driver was going to rear
end him so he pulled over.
He stated he then pulled out behind it and was attempt-
ing to get a license plate to call in a driving complaint. He
stated when he came to the next corner he saw the Buick
suddenly swerve into the oncoming lane of travel and
crash into the other vehicle.
Roadway evidence suggests that the 2003 Buick braked
aggressively and initially traveled in a straight path within
its lane of travel before veering sharply to the left into the
oncoming lane as the vehicle rotated nearly 90 degrees
counter clockwise where it was struck in the passenger
side door the Toyota.
Highway 30 was closed in both directions for approxi-
mately four hours for the crash investigation. OSP was
assisted by the Baker County Sheriff’s Office, Baker City
Fire, ODOT, and Baker Rural Fire. More information will
be released when it becomes available.
Debris flow
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According to Lindquist, approximately .17” of rain
within 15 minutes, .25” within half an hour, or .5” within
an hour appear to be the “rain threshold” of the burn scar
from the Cornet/Windy Ridge fires.
When Lindquist’s office sees a storm coming in with the
potential to meet those thresholds, they notify Yencopal
who will then send out information via traditional and
social media sources, “Mainly to give situational aware-
ness,” he said.
To individually notify residents in a potentially affected
area of pending landslides and the like, Yencopal said
the County will utilize the existing “mass notification”
system in much the same way as what occurred during
the fire season.
Level one evacuation means “be ready.” Level two
means “be set,” which means a resident should be pre-
pared to leave their home at a moment’s notice. Level
three means “go now,” leave immediately. Those who
ignore a level three alert should be aware that emergency
services may not be able to reach them in order to assist
further.
Those interested in being on the call list can sign up at
baker911.org.
Stolen car
recovered
On June 22, 2016 at about 7:30 am Baker City Po-
lice Officers received a report of a stolen vehicle being
operated in Baker City. The reporting person stated they
had GPS tracked the vehicle to Baker City. The vehicle,
a 1998 Toyota 4 Runner with Washington plates was
located near the intersection of Cherry and Campbell
Streets by Officer Rand Weaver.
The vehicle was stopped by BCPD Officers in the 2400
block of East Street. BCPD Officers learned the vehicle
had been stolen out of Nampa Idaho and subsequent to
their investigation, arrested Connor James Patrick Sticka
(02/16/1994), of Enterprise, Oregon.
Sticka was transported to the Baker County Jail and
charged with Unlawful Use of a Stolen Vehicle and Pos-
session of a Stolen Vehicle.
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