THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS — 3
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2016
Business & Ag
Unique wooden canes made locally
— Weekly Hay Report —
Friday, November 4, 2016 — Eastern Oregon
BY SAMANTHA
O’CONNER
Samantha@TheBakerCountyPress.com
Visitors to and locals of
Baker City who visit the
Chamber of Commerce for
information will find on
one of their walls a group
of unique wood canes hand
made by Frank Bishop.
They will also find
fishing rods that were also
made by him. Bishop has
been making the rods and
canes for four or five years
and has just begun to sell
them through the chamber.
Bishop explained that there
are about ten at the cham-
ber and he has five more he
has made and will continue
to work on others.
“It’s something that oc-
cupies my mind and the
other thing about it is it’s
a good product that is very
useful,” explained Bishop
“I’ve been using a cane for
several years and conse-
quently I decided I wanted
something unique.”
Bishop has been a lo-
cal man of Baker for 33
years since 1983. He was
born and grew up in Vale,
Oregon. He spent 39 years
in education as an adminis-
trator, a teacher in science,
biology, earth science, and
a variety of other science
classes, as well as health
and P.E.
He also coached wres-
tling and football before
going into administration.
He began teaching in
Boise, then went to Ontario
as a head wrestling coach
and assistant football, then
head coach, and became an
administrator for six years
in Weiser, and fifteen years
at Baker Middle School
until he retired.
The canes he makes are
a hobby of his. All of his
canes are unique and made
out of a dead limb from a
tree.
“Consequently, you’re
not cutting any trees or
branches off trees or
anything like that that’s
living,” said Bishop. “It’s
all actually dead limbs.
What’s interesting about
one particular cane that I
make is that you’ll never
find two of them that are
alike. Once you get to
messing with them and
working with them it’s
really surprising how they
change their appearance
after they’ve been dead or
de-limbed for a long period
of time.”
He also refinishes
old bamboo rods, usu-
ally the older generations
from 1900 to 1960. With
the fishing rods, he will
replace anything that needs
to be replaced, such as
guides. What he usually
does with rods is he will
strip them completely and
Prices trended generally steady compared to week
ago prices. Most demand lays with the retail/stable
hay. According to some producers, horse owners
are starting to prefer lower sugar, higher protein
hay. Recent rainstorms throughout the state have
slowed movement, as most buyers and truckers
prefer not to move hay when it’s raining.
Tons Price Range Wtd Avg
Alfalfa — Large Square Premium
33 155.00-155.00 155.00
Alfalfa/Orchard Mix — Small Square Premium
150 200.00-200.00 200.00
Orchard Grass— Small Square Premium
40 185.00-185.00 185.00
USDA Market News Service—AMS.USDA.gov
— Cattle Market Report —
Wednesday, November 2, 2016
Vale, Oregon
Cattle sold through the auction: 1,348
Steer Calves
300-400# Bulk 147.00 - 165.00 Top 169.00
400-500# Bulk 121.00 - 143.00 Top 147.50
500-600# Bulk 114.00 - 128.00 Top 129.00
Samantha O’Conner/ The Baker County Press
Frank and Mary Bishop show off one of their fishing
rods and canes.
re-stain them and retie all
the guides, re-measuring
them according to the rod.
When making his canes,
Bishop uses a leather pad
to cushion the hand and
makes them comfortable
to lean on for balance. The
canes are also lighter than
they appear to be.
Bishop explained that
his cane draws conversa-
tions from people who see
his cane and ask him ques-
tions about it.
“They can contact
me directly by calling
541-523-2600,” Bishop
explained for people who
are interested in his canes
and fishing rods and would
like to ask him about them
or having one made.
Smoke alarms donated to BCFD
BY GINA K. SWARTZ
Gina@TheBakerCountyPress.com
For the last year, Baker
City Fire Department has
been working diligently
with the State Fire Marshal
on a program that pro-
vides smoke alarms free of
charge to those in need.
Although the State Fire
Marshal didn’t have specif-
ic statistics Baker City Fire
Chief Mark John noted
Baker Fire and Rescue has
been recognized as one of
nine Oregon Fire Depart-
ments that has provided
between 300-500 smoke
alarms.
John and his department
were determined to surpass
the 500 mark.
As John and Dan Curtis,
Assistant Chief, were
preparing to begin solicita-
tions for an additional 100
smoke alarms, organizers
of the annual Baker City
Bronc and Bull Riding,
held during the Miner’s
Jubilee, contacted them
about helping them reach
their goal.
John said, “Because of
the (medical/ambulance)
services we provide them
(during the Bronc and
Bull Riding Event) they
wanted to help out. I told
them, ‘We’d Be thrilled
if you contributed,’ Then
we talked about it and
they just went directly to
Scott Thatcher, owner of
Thatcher’s Ace Hardware
and wrote a check.
“Then Mary Jo Grove
and the Grove team did
the same thing. Thatcher’s
Ace Hardware made up
the difference and we were
actually able to buy 120
smoke alarms. Now the
crews will begin the task of
installing those.”
Once the department
had depleted their original
400 smoke alarms from the
State Fire Marshal, Curtis
began placing names on a
list of citizens that were in
need.
Those on the list will
be contacted and arrange-
ments made to install those
alarms.
John said, “The majority
of the 120 smoke alarms
have been spoken for.”
Once installed, they will
have surpassed their 500
goal.
“To have installed the
amount of smoke alarms
we have in a community
this size is monumental.”
John said in amazement.
“There is no question, no
doubt in my mind that
these detectors save lives.
Sooner or later.”
John said he read an
article just the other day
about a mother and her
three children who almost
perished in their home dur-
ing a fire.
The mother went back in
for her kids. Two of them
have been hospitalized
with burns.
It was a home with no
smoke alarms.
“So, for us to install 500
plus detectors in Baker
City is huge. The program,
it’s just been remarkably
successful, for a commu-
nity this size,” he said.
As John prepares to
leave his position with
Baker City Fire and Res-
cue for a new opportunity
in Spokane, the success of
this program is an incred-
ible legacy to leave this
community with.
John humbly and with a
hint of emotion said, “I’m
so thankful for my experi-
ence here.”
Baker City Fire and
Rescue want to remind ev-
eryone that smoke alarms
have an expiration date and
are only good for 10 years.
Please contact the De-
partment at 541.523.3711
if you are in need of smoke
alarms.
As the theme for this
year’s Fire Prevention
Week advises: “Don’t
Wait, Check The Date.”
It could save your life.
Heifer Calves
300-400# Bulk 126.00 - 135.00 Top 139.00
400-500# Bulk 113.00 - 125.00 Top 126.50
500-600# Bulk 108.00 - 117.00 Top 117.50
Yearling Steers
600-700# Bulk 108.00 - 121.00 Top 122.00
700-800# Bulk 105.00 - 118.00 Top 119.00
800-900# Bulk 98.00 - 106.00 Top 107.25
900-1,000# Bulk 95.00 - 104.00 Top 106.50
Yearling Heifers
600-700# Bulk 103.00 - 115.50 Top 116.25
700-800# Bulk 101.00 - 110.00 Top 112.00
800-900# Bulk 94.00 - 101.00 Top 102.00
900-1,000# Bulk N/A Top N/A
Thin Shelly Cows 38.00 - 47.00
Butcher Cows 47.00 - 58.00
Butcher Bulls 52.00 - 62.00
Pairs Young N/A
Hfretts. 58.00 - 77.00
Stock Cows Young - 975.00 - 1170.00
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 $420.00/
mbf for Doug Fir & Western Larch. For White
Fir they are offing $325.00/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: $1,275.90
Silver: $18.37
Platinum: $1002.95
Palladium: $665.70
Bloomberg.com
— Ag Commodities —
Corn: $354.25/bu/USD
Wheat: $415.25/bu/USD
Soybeans: $1011.25/bu/USD
Oats: $225.75 bu/USD
Rough Rice: $9.75/cwt/USD
Canola: $510.40 CAD/mwt
Live Cattle: $102.58/lb./USD
Feeder Cattle: $119.23/lb./USD
Lean Hogs: $46.98/lb./USD
Bloomberg.com