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About The Baker County press. (Baker City, Ore.) 2014-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 5, 2016)
8 — THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS FRIDAY, AUGUST 5, 2016 Local Celebrating Leo on his lawn Drug dog Capa aids in UUMV arrest BY SAMANTHA O’CONNER Samantha@TheBakerCountyPress.com July 30, Kate Adams returned to Baker City to read poetry from her book “Paperboy” on the lawn of the Adler House Museum. The poems within are based off the life and story of Leo Adler. The book is a combina- tion of three volumes and has a picture tribute to Leo Adler when he was a paperboy with his dog Prince beside him on the cover. From her book, she read several poems such as “Nova Sue 2011,” “Zella 1922,” “Leo 1934,” and many others with similar titles. In her poetry, Adams writes from the viewpoints of Adler and the people in his life. She also wrote poems through the view of the woman who gave Adams her first tour of the Leo Adler House Museum, Nova Sue. Adams came through Baker in 2011. She explained that she was supposed to experience “post-partum” blues, after she finished writing a book. When she went on a tour through the Adler House Museum, she was fascinated by Adler not Samantha O’Conner / The Baker County Press Kate Adams reads her poetry in front of the Leo Adler House in Baker City. going upstairs in his home. After his family had all passed away, becoming the sole occupant, Adler lived in the back of his house, and did not go into other rooms or the second floor. This fascination led to her researching Alders history and writing about him. “I fell in love with Leo’s house,” said Adams. Ad- ams found the history of the house itself as interest- ing as the history of its owner. She explained how it is ripe with questions, and when one works in fic- tion, one can answer those questions. “He had a fascinating life,” Adams stated. “He was rich, yet so poor.” Adams based some poems on Adler working with a woman for 60 years, even after he proposed to her and she said no. Adams was born in San Francisco, Calif., in a Victorian Mansion similar to the Adler house. She still lives in California and has been writing for thirty years, beginning when she was twelve. On August 2, 2016 at about 1:30 p.m. Officers Ben Wray and Daniel Pelayo and Sgt.Wayne Chastain re- sponded to 3rd and Wabash on a report of a male subject acting in a bizarre fashion beating on a bicycle with a baseball bat. Officers determined that the male, who had left the area, was Michael Myers Gabiola 25 years of age of Baker City. Officers also determined that the bicycle, which was still at the scene, did not belong to Gabiola and had been reported stolen. Officers conducted a search of the area and located Mr. Gabiola driving a 2013 Cadillac a short distance from the location of the original call. Officers Wray and Pelayo contacted Gabiola and based upon several factors request- ed that Sgt. Chastain respond with the Department’s drug detection dog, Capa. Capa was deployed on an exterior search of the vehicle and alerted to the possible presence of a controlled substance. Officers prepared to have the vehicle towed while a search warrant was obtained for the vehicle based upon the K-9 alert. When officers checked for registered owner informa- tion on the Cadillac the owner was determined to not be Gabiola. In fact the owner was determined to be someone known to the officers and known by the officers to be at work at the time. The registered owner was contacted and asked if she had given anyone permission to use her vehicle. The owner stated that no one was authorized to use her vehicle and, that to her knowledge, the vehicle was parked outside her work location. Officers asked her to check and she told them her vehicle was gone and must have been stolen. Sgt. Chastain placed Gabiola under arrest for Unauthor- ized Use of a Motor Vehicle and transported him to Baker County Jail for booking. A small quantity of marijuana was found on his person. With the consent of the vehicle’s owner the Cadillac was searched and no additional con- trolled substances were found. The vehicle was released to its owner. County Commissioners hears Dispatch changes, economic development update BY TODD ARRIOLA Todd@TheBakerCountyPress.com The Baker County Board of Commissioners held its first, regular session of the month on Wednesday, August 3, 2016, 9 a.m., in the Commission Cham- bers of the Baker County Courthouse. Present from the Board were Chair Bill Harvey, Commissioner Tim Kerns, and Executive Assistant Heidi Martin. Commis- sioner Mark Bennett was absent. Review and approval of the minutes from the Wednesday, July 20, 2016 regular session was post- poned, with a motion from Harvey, and a second from Kerns. Harvey said that he made the motion, because only he and Bennett were pres- ent at that session. The agenda was adopt- ed, with the noted change that the City of Unity Volunteer Resolution No. 2016-01 would be removed from the agenda, for this session, with a motion from Kerns, and a second from Harvey. Citizen Participation included Art Sappington, who said that the helicop- ter dip tank firefighting water facility for the Ke- ating/Richland area is com- pleted, and there is a large reservoir available for that purpose, which should alleviate some concerns about water supply. Ramona Creighton com- mented about the amount of logging being complet- ed, and the logging trucks seen driving by in the area, and she expressed appre- ciation to the Board, for its effort with timber sales. Baker County Planning Director Holly Kerns pro- vided a Planning Depart- ment update, that included a recap of the last twelve months. She said that, while her counterparts in other parts of the State are working on marijuana issues, she’s pleased that here, that’s not the focus. She said that sage grouse habitat is one focus, and, though the bird was not listed under the Endan- gered Species Act (ESA), the County is working on implementing its own protections. She said the City of Halfway and the County is working on a response plan, and a flood plain plan, including improve- ments to structures in Halfway, as preventive measures, that will help the community respond better to, and prevent, flooding issues in the future. Among other projects, she mentioned the Plan- ning Commission’s hear- ings regarding applicants Richard and Lori Daniels, and their request to change zoning from Timber/Graz- ing, to Tourist Commercial Limited Use Overlay, for an approximate seven acres of their property, in the Anthony Lakes Highway area, north of Haines. She said that the Board will be hearing details about the matter at a future session, to review and make a final decision (the request was approved at the Planning Commission’s second hearing on the matter). The Board approved a Professional Services Agreement, between the County, and St. Luke’s Regional Medical Center, Ltd., for the services of Dr. Eric Lamb as Health Officer and Consultant Pharmacist, with a motion from Kerns, and a second from Harvey. The agreement states the term as July 1, 2016 through June 30, 2017, and the Health Officer is to receive $825 per month, not to exceed $9,900 per year; and the Consultant Pharmacist receives $75 per hour. The Board approved Amendment No. 1 to the Professional Services Agreement, between the County, and Ms. Gina Glaubke, PA, for County Health Department ser- vices, with a motion from Kerns, and a second from Harvey. The agreement states the term as July 1, 2016 through June 30, 2017, and Glaubke’s compensation will be increased to $60 per hour, resulting in an increase in the compensa- tion per the contract, from approximately $4,800, to $5,760. The Board approved a Lime Plant Asbestos Removal Bid Award, to Boise, Idaho-based Pacific Technologies, Inc. (PTI), with a motion from Kerns, and a second from Harvey. The agreement states that PTI was the only firm to respond out of six receiving the Request for Proposal (RFP) from the County, and PTI responded with a bid of $42,109, that includes pre-construction submissions, and DEQ (Department of Environ- mental Quality) notifica- tion, as well as asbestos abatement. PTI also offered, as an option, to clean up the silo roofing on the ground, for $1,875, resulting in a new total of $43,984. Harvey said the grant amount of $60,000 from Business Oregon would cover costs. The Board approved Amendment No. 1 to the Intergoernmental Agree- ment (IGA) between the County, and Baker City, for Dispatch Records Keeping and Radio Maintenance Services, increasing the number of members to the Baker County Consolidat- ed Dispatch Board to five, with a motion from Kerns, and a second from Harvey. The agreement states that the County and the City entered into an IGA for these services on May 13, 2008, and both parties have expressed an interest in increasing the number of members to serve on the Baker County Consoli- dated Dispatch Board. The County and the City will each appoint one additional member to the Board, and the term of ser- vice will be three years. Baker County Economic Development Director Greg Smith provided an Economic Development update, and he stated that the summer has been a busy time for his depart- ment, between the local grocer situation, and other projects. There were over 230 jobs available in June, according to WorkSource Oregon, he said, and today, the average is around 150 to 180. He said jobs are avail- able, but local employers are having difficulties with finding people to fill them--to commit to full- time, to be trainable, to be able to pass drug tests, etc. Harvey said there are local classes being implemented, in order to address those and other issues. He spoke about the frustration from the com- munity, regarding the Albertsons/Safeway issue, but he said that jobs will be created, and that, while the companies are merged, and there are concerns about a monopoly, there will be two options for major grocer shopping. Smith said the company voiced concerns about whether Baker City could support two stores, and Harvey said that the City has historically supported the two stores, Albertsons and Safeway, when they were separate companies. The company plans to open Albertsons as a brand new store, and the existing Safeway will remain in its current condition. He said, noting the dead and dying timber in the lo- cal forests, that his depart- ment and the County are looking into the possibility of providing material for the production of biochar. He said there may or may not be opportunities to partner with out-of-area, or local entities, to produce biochar. Among other topics, he also spoke about the posi- tive progress of the BRI- ARR program (Burnt River Integrated Agriculture/ Science Research Ranch), in Unity. He said that eight students will be added to the program for this year. According to the pro- gram’s website, BRIARR is “...a highly enriched atmosphere for motivated students to participate in a quality natural resource and agriculture based cur- riculum...” The Board approved a Baker County and City of Baker City Economic De- velopment Council (EDC) Bylaws Amendment, with a motion from Kerns, and a second from Harvey. Harvey said there was a unanimous decision at the previous EDC meeting, to increase the number of EDC members, from five, up to nine, and the bylaws were changed with this motion, to reflect this. The Board approved a 911 Records/Dispatch Specialist Classification, with a motion from Kerns, and a second from Harvey. The staff report states that the currently full-time position, filled by a 911 Dispatcher, will be reclas- sified from a Range 9, to a Range 8, on the Baker County Law Enforcement Association (BCLEA) wage table, and there will be a reduction of hours, allowing the County to fill a vacant 911 Dispatcher position at full-time, and resulting in savings for the Dispatch Center. The Board approved the submission of an Eagle Valley Rural Fire Protec- tion District (EVRFPD) Project Notification & Intake Form, with a motion from Kerns, and a second from Harvey. The form, submitted to the Business Oregon Infrastructure Finance Authority, states the grant requested amount as $2,000,000, with $20,000 provided by EVRFPD, for a total of $2,020,000, as the project estimate, for the relocation of the EVRFPD, to the Richland gymnasium and associated property. The project’s estimated start date is Spring 2017, and the estimated comple- tion date is Spring 2018. The Board approved Order No. 2016-144, Re- Appointing A Member To The Baker County Fair Board Advisory Commit- tee, with a motion from Kerns, and a second from Harvey. Robert Ellingson was re-appointed, his term set to expire on July 1, 2017. The Board approved Order No. 2016-145, Re- Appointing Members To The Northeast Area Com- mission On Transportation (NEACT), with a motion from Kerns, and a second from Harvey. Harvey was re-appointed, with Baker County Roadmaster Jeff Smith as an alternate, their term set to expire on July 31, 2019. SEE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PAGE 9
