THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS — 3 FRIDAY, JANUARY 13, 2017 Business / Agriculture Education official visits Baker High School BY SAMANTHA O’CONNER Samantha@TheBakerCountyPress.com On January 4, Deputy Superintendent of Public Instruction Salam Noor visited the Baker High School for feedback on Or- egon’s State Plan under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). Students, faculty members, teach- ers, members of the school board, and community members were invited to the forum. Noor, accompanied by South Baker Intermediate Principal Nanette Lehman, presented to those attend- ing what ESSA is and how it impacts schools and stu- dents. ESSA replaces No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and gives states more flexibility in providing a well-rounded education to all students. Noor explained that ESSA is a federal loan and requires a submitted plan of what education leaders are going to do to apply for the loan, but they ap- proached it differently than they did with NCLB. “We basically have an opportunity to re think the way we do assessment, the way we do accountabil- ity, the way we do school improvement and educator effectiveness,” said Noor. “So we started this conver- sation back in April and we said, ‘Let’s reimagine education in the state of Oregon.’ We then invite communities to come talk to us about the federal law and federal plan. We’re go- ing to submit one nonethe- less but we want to make sure that that plan truly represents our values, what we consider to be most important.” Noor explained through a presentation that they learned five main things students, teachers, board members, and community members want. Noor explained that they loved hearing the students’ point of view and hearing from them kept Noor and his team on track. Friday, December 23, 2016 — Eastern Oregon (No new report due to holidays.) Prices trended generally steady in a limited test compared to week ago prices. Most demand lays with the retail/stable hay. According to some producers, horse owners prefer lower sugar, higher protein hay. The recent snows slowed movement as trucks couldn’t get to the farms to get loaded. Tons Price Range Wtd Avg Alfalfa — Large Square Good/Premium 30 140.00-140.00 140.00 Alfalfa / Orchard Mix — Small Square Premium 15 165.00-165.00 165.00 Timothy Grass — Large Square Fair 35 100.00-100.00 100.00 USDA Market News Service—AMS.USDA.gov — Cattle Market Report — Wednesday, January 4, 2017 Vale, Oregon Cattle sold through the auction: 305 Steer Calves 300-400# Bulk N/A Top N/A 400-500# Bulk N/A Top N/A 500-600# Bulk 126.00 - 142.00 Top 144.50 Samantha O’Conner / The Baker County Press Deputy Superintendent of Public Instruction Salam Noor visited the Baker High School. The five main things they learned were making sure education opportunities of- fered to students are rigor- ous, relevant, well rounded and engaging. They want it to be personalized and individualized learning. Equity was a large part of the conversations. Noor explained that students who are English learners, Native American, students living in poverty, disabled students, and others will be served under this law. Noor said that they want establishing the conditions necessary for educators to provide effective and cul- turally responsive services to students, families, and communities. The last is to measure student and school suc- cess in multiple ways, such as academic, social, emotional learning, and preparing students for their next steps. Noor talked about what the law means for students. It means that students will have English, read- ing, language, arts, and writing classes. They will also have science, technol- ogy, engineering, math, computer science, foreign languages, music, govern- ment economics, his- tory, geography, and other courses. Noor also said what it means for teachers. It makes students’ state test scores an optional part of teacher evaluations and provides additional recourses to support ongo- ing, meaningful, culturally responsive professional learning. “We’re proposing that a single rating is not the most effective way to tell the community about the quality of the school or the success of that school,” explained Noor. “We’re proposing to move away from a single rating system to what’s called Dash- board. A Dashboard gives you a lot more information, more meaningful informa- tion, and gives you a more comprehensive picture of what’s actually happen- ing in that school. So, the flexibility that we’ve been given is to not use a single rating but to use a different system to give the commu- nity what’s happening in that school.” Noor said that the law requires the district to consult with parents and the communities. Noor explained that he found it to be a positive fea- ture because it promotes communication with the community. Noor then asked for those attending to speak in small groups and to ask questions for him to an- swer while he was there. Noor said they are work- ing on their initial plan and between January and April they will be finalizing the state plan and will continue their community forums. The State Board of Education will have a work session on the 25 of January regarding the state plan. The Governor will also be involved with the conversations and their goal is to continue to vet the recommendations and get down to specific details as much as they can to submit their plan to the US Department of Education by April 3. After finishing his presentation, he then asked the attendants to write their feedback on provided pa- pers he collected to review for the plan. Drought disaster benefits available Producers in Baker County are eligible to apply for 2016 Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP) benefits on native and improved pastures due to drought. LFP provides compensa- tion to eligible livestock producers who suffer grazing losses for covered — Weekly Hay Report — livestock due to drought on privately owned or cash leased land or fire on federally managed land. County committees can only accept LFP applica- tions after notification is received by the Na- tional Office of qualifying drought or if a federal agency prohibits produc- ers from grazing normal permitted livestock on federally managed lands due to qualifying fire. Notification of drought has officially been received for Wallowa County. Eligible livestock pro- ducers must complete an application (CCC-853) and the required support- ing documentation no later than January 30, 2017 for 2016 losses. For additional informa- tion about LFP and to set up an appointment to participate in the 2016 pro- gram, contact the Baker- Grant County FSA office at 541-523-7121 x 2. Heifer Calves 300-400# Bulk N/A Top N/A 400-500# Bulk 122.00 - 133.00 Top 135.00 500-600# Bulk 117.00 - 129.00 Top 130.00 600-700# 700-800# 800-900# 900-1,000# Yearling Heifers 600-700# Bulk 109.00 - 121.00 Top 122.00 700-800# Bulk 102.00 - 106.00 Top 107.50 800-900# Bulk N/A Top N/A 900-1,000# Bulk N/A Top N/A Thin Shelly Cows 35.00 - 49.00 Butcher Cows 51.00 - 58.00 Butcher Bulls 51.00 - 61.00 Pairs Young N/A Hfretts. 64.00 - 79.00 Stock Cows Young - 865.00 - 1175.00 ProducersLivestock.com 541-473-3136 — Log Price Report — Prices are based on the majority of saw mills in Northeastern Oregon and Central Idaho. The prices listed below are a composite prices of various saw- mills willing to visit with me about this topic. Ponderosa Pine—small diameter class 8-11 inches diameter class $250 per mbf. Only one sawmill was willing to buy small diameter pine at this time. Ponderosa Pine—medium diameter class 12-17 inches diameter class $300 to $350 per mbf Ponderosa Pine-large diameter class 18 plus inches diameter class $380 to $410 per mbf The Pine prices are still approximately $40 per mbf below average lumber/log market due to 2017 fire salvage Doug Fir & Western Larch—$380 to $420 per mbf. Normal prices typically ranged between $425 to $475 per mbf. White Fir-$300 per mbf. Normal prices typically ranged between $340 to $360 per mbf. Engelmann Spruce—$350 at one Idaho sawmill, other sawmills including with White fir prices. In general, the log prices still impacted from 2015 fire season and fire salvage that resulted. Sawmills are starting to get log yard inventory in line with sawmill production needs. With a new Administra- tion as of 1/20/2017, a more normal economic envi- ronment should result and hopefully a more healthy housing situation will result in a better climate for Northeast Oregon Sawmill and private forest land- owners. BLM issues timber payments in western Oregon counties The BLM announced the distribution of over $19 million to 18 coun- ties in western Oregon. These payments follow a formula established in the 1937 Oregon and Cali- fornia (O&C) Lands Act and the Coos Bay Wagon Road (CBWR) Act, both of which authorize timber receipt-based payments to western Oregon counties, and both of which remain in effect following the expiration of the Secure Rural Schools and Com- munity Self-Determination Act. Payments made through the authority of the O&C Lands Act and CBWR Act are essential to O&C coun- ties and help offset county timber and tax revenue not generated by Federally- managed forests. The counties use these funds for county services such as law enforcement, road maintenance, health services, schools, libraries, and other county services. The O&C Lands Act provides that 50 percent of receipts from the sale of timber on O&C lands are distributed among the 18 O&C counties includ- ing Benton, Clackamas, Columbia, Coos, Curry, Douglas, Jackson, Jose- phine, Klamath, Lane, Lincoln, Linn, Marion, Multnomah, Polk, Til- lamook, Washington, and Yamhill counties. Coos and Douglas coun- ties have Coos Bay Wagon Road and O&C lands within their boundaries, so payments to those counties are covered by both the 1937 and 1939 statutes. The Oregon and Cali- fornia Railroad Revested Lands, known as the O&C Lands, lie in a checker- board pattern through eighteen counties in west- ern Oregon. These lands contain more than 2.4 million acres of forests with a di- versity of plant and animal species, recreation areas, mining claims, grazing lands, cultural and histori- cal resources, scenic areas, wild and scenic rivers, and wilderness. Yearling Steers Bulk 118.00 - 125.00 Top 126.00 Bulk 107.00 - 116.00 Top 117.00 Bulk 104.00 - 111.00 Top 112.00 Bulk 97.00 - 106.00 Top 108.00 Courtesy of Arvid Andersen, Andersen Forestry Consulting — Precious Metals Report — Price per ounce, USD Gold: $1,191.40 Silver: $16.76 Platinum: $972.95 Palladium: $754.72 Bloomberg.com — Ag Commodities — Corn: $357.25/bu/USD Wheat: $418.75/bu/USD Soybeans: $1,011.50/bu/USD Oats: $231.75 bu/USD Rough Rice: $9.61/cwt/USD Canola: $498.10 CAD/mwt Live Cattle: $119.13//lb./USD Feeder Cattle: $129.63/lb./USD Lean Hogs: $65.60/lb./USD Bloomberg.com