FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2017
THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS — 5
Local
MayDay speaks about abuse
Characteristics of Abusive Women*
• Low self-esteem.
• History of rushing into relationships with little identity outside of
one.
• View of men as a status symbol due to their job title or position,
or as a means to an end financially.
• Highly characteristic of an abuser is the ability to appear incred-
ibly charming or sweet in public, or to appear the victim, making it
difficult for others to believe the woman possible of abuse.
• Use of drugs or alcohol to handle stress.
• May have a personality disorder of some type, carrying with it
a sense of entitlement to things they may not have earned, poor
impulse control, tendencies to lie and make up stories, lack of
empathy, lack of insight, self-harm or violent tendencies, etc.
• Reliance on creating the relationship manipulation tactic known
as FOG (Fear, Obligation, Guilt).
Ways Abused Men React*
• Use of drugs or alcohol to handle stress. Suicidal thoughts. De-
pression. Confusion. Anger-filled or reckless behaviors. “Analysis
paralysis” in the relationship when trying to escape.
Typical Ways in which Women Abuse*
• In-depth communication is unavailable, leaving the man
feeling like he’s walking on eggshells unable to have an
honest conversation.
• Emotional and physical intimacy are withheld.
• Finances are controlled. Personal possessions broken
or tampered with.
• Gossiping, slandering and sharing personal information
about the man with others in order to shame and
manipulate, rather than handling issues discretely.
• “I love you” is used as a “magic phrase” to control and
incite guilt, though that love is artifice with abusers.
• Isolating, fear-creating phrases like: “If you leave me,
you won’t have a relationship with your kids/grandkids,”
or “If you don’t do what I want, _____ will happen.” Other
isolating tactics to remove a man from his support system.
• Threatening suicide or self-harm if the man wants to
leave her.
• Extramarital affairs, or giving the impression of them.
• Excessive reading, video-game playing or TV watching in order
to avoid interaction.
• Put-downs, insults, and guilt trips.
• Extramarital affairs. When asked, though, claims abusive
relationship is going great, or just fine.
• Showing up, texting or calling at work, though not
welcome, to control by making her presence always felt.
• Taking a hobby, work, or sport to an extreme in order to fill the
void, burn through the weeks and avoid interaction.
• Physical abuse such as kicking, pinching, slapping,
biting, etc.
*Sources: The Mayo Clinic, The Center for Disease Control,
Healthyplace.com, PsychCentral.com, Shrink4men.wordpress.com.
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Physical, verbal, sexual,
and emotional are the main
groups of abuse.
According to the
NCADV, one in 59 men in
the U.S. is raped during his
lifetime, 5.1 million men
have been stalked, and one
in 20 male murder vic-
tims are killed by intimate
partners.
Martin explained that
men do not often report be-
ing abused due to society
and the stigma of being a
man that says men are not
abused.
“I really applaud the
men that have come into
our agency because it is
a big step for them,” said
Martin. “They are so
brave. Just like women, I
mean really, there is no dif-
ference between men and
women coming in here,
about how brave they are,
to step in the doors and say
‘I need some help.’”
Symptoms in abuse
victims include not making
City
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Lohner also explained
how his Sergeants are
having to patrol rather than
tend to other necessary du-
ties. While he made it clear
that he and his department
are working very effi-
ciently as they are, it could
be better.
Lohner also brought up
an idea to increase funds
for the PD and Fire Depart-
ment but reallocating
money from the sidewalk
fund into a public safety
fund.
Kenton Hall addressed
Council on behalf of the
Building Department.
Hall stated it seemed that
permits for new homes and
major remodels were on
the rise and that was good
news as he felt it spoke to a
recovering economy.
He touched on e-permit-
ting and recent strides in
digital archiving.
Holly Kerns, City/Coun-
ty Planning Director, spoke
next telling Council that a
couple of projects her de-
partment were working on
were updating the develop-
ment code and updating
the floodplain map lines.
Both were very large
projects and with the flood-
plain redevelopment they
eye contact and looking at
the ground, and minimiz-
ing excuses for bruises and
injuries.
Martin explained that
there are many factors that
keep people in abusive
relationships.
The abuser makes them
feel that no one else will
love the victim. The abuser
threatens to kill them-
selves. She can threaten
to take the children away
from him and keep them
apart. She may tell him he
will lose standing in the
community if he leaves. An
abuser may use spiritual
and religious beliefs to
control the victim.
Low self-esteem is a
main factor in a man stay-
ing in the abusive relation-
ship.
Gas-lighting is another
form of abuse where the
victim is made to believe
they are crazy or doing
something wrong.
The abuser will tell them
that they did something
they did not do, making
them feel they are losing
time, etc.
Abusers can keep these
victims to a schedule and
handle all of the appoint-
ments, making the victim
feel they cannot do any-
thing for themselves.
Abusers will also take
control of finances, making
it impossible for the victim
to have access to their
money and no financial
way out of the situation.
Abusers will also hold onto
legal documents such as
birth certificates, marriage
licenses, social security
cards, and passports.
Martin reviewed the
boxes printed at the top
of this article and said the
lists, from sources like The
Mayo Clinic and Psych-
source.com, were indeed
accurate.
MayDay Inc. offers a
variety of recourses to
help abuse survivors. Men
have all the access to help
that women do. MayDay
can even place men in
their safe house, help with
restraining orders, or get
new locks on the prop-
erty for security, food, and
counseling. MayDay now
has access to a lawyer for
any domestic abuse situa-
tions and men are able to
get free legal help through
MayDay.
MayDay collaborates
with the Salvation Army,
the Harvest Church, the
Compassion Center, Men-
tal Health, Total Health,
the Department of Human
Services, and the Commu-
nity Connections to help
abuse survivors.
“I think the best thing
is, about male victims is,
that they have every right
that a woman abuse victim
has,” said Martin. “There
is no discrimination at all
and they are welcome. We
are not going to look at
them and say, ‘You were
abused?’ No, we will take
them in and we will com-
fort them and be there for
them, just like our female
survivors. So they don’t
have to be afraid, they
don’t have to be ashamed.”
Those in need can call
MayDay, Inc. confidential-
ly at 541-523-4134 or toll
free at (800)-213-4134.
were also working with
FEMA. She explained how
the City and County were
jointly utilizing her depart-
ment and the benefits.
The City used to employ
their own planning person
however since the agree-
ment to share that resource
with the City paying a set
fee to the County, the City
was now privy to full-time
staff and services whereas
they did not before.
Michelle Owen, City
Public Works Director,
spoke next of some of the
big project on the very near
horizon.
Some projects are: Street
overlay and chip seal
projects, plans to reline
old piping in town, work
done on the mountain line,
and the miles and miles
her department has plowed
already this winter season
and will continue to do as
winter marches on.
More include the need
for a new well and the
plans to update a waste-
water master plan, includ-
ing ideas for disposal of
wastewater as the City
has recently entered a
new agreement with DEQ
that requires this type of
planning. Owen did tell
Council, “You are aware of
some of this. We’ve been
talking about it. You’re go-
ing to hear a lot more.”
The final department to
address council was Ad-
ministration. City Manager
Fred Warner, Jr. assured
Council that he works for
them and will handle all
situations that come before
him in the manner that they
wish.
Robin Nudd recently
came to the City and is
serving the role of Com-
munity Development.
She told council she was
grateful for the opportunity
and was so far enjoying
getting in and working to
make a difference in our
community.
Jeanie Dexter, the City
Finance Director, advised
Council that when the time
for budget sessions they
would be tasked with very
difficult decisions, as there
is going to be a shortfall in
the City budget this year.
A possible water rate
increase is something
that was noted as going
to be a necessity as their
were many major changes
needing to happen within
our water system and she
expressed concern over the
ambulance billing that was
turned over to a third party
billing service and has
not produced the type of
revenue expected.
When all the departments
had presented the discus-
sion was turned over to the
Council.
The agenda had them
talking about the water
and wastewater system,
however they agreed to
table that as it had already
been touched upon earlier
in the evening and it was
an issue they were familiar
with and would continue to
deal with regularly.
They next turned to
Councilor appointments.
Councilor Abell asked if
they need to open it up to
see if more would apply
since the three that had
applied did so for what was
at the time only one Coun-
cil seat and there were now
two available.
After discussing they
decided that they did not
need to since they had
three applications already
and two open seats. There
was then discussion about
whether they should ap-
point then or at the next
meeting.
It was advised that at the
next meeting would be the
more appropriate time to
do that.
Mayor Downing advised
the applicants to be “pres-
ent at the next meeting as it
is likely you will be sworn
in and take a seat then.”
Council then discussed
the goal setting meeting
schedule and a budget
schedule.
Dexter stated that she
was preparing an interim
budget meeting in which
the expectations, rules
and guidelines would be
discussed. Council agreed
that their goal setting meet-
ing would be set sometime
after that budget meeting.
Belt blitz ahead
The Baker County Sheriff’s Office will be participat-
ing in the Oregon Safety Belt Blitz and increasing patrol
hours during this campaign.
• Law enforcement agencies throughout Oregon will
also be working to emphasize the importance of proper
safety belt use, distracted driving and driving appropri-
ate speeds during a statewide traffic enforcement “blitz”
from February 2 through February 18. The enhanced
enforcement is funded through USDOT’s National High-
way Traffic Safety Administration.
• Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause nation-
wide of death for children ages one through twelve years
old. Child seats may increase crash survival by 71%
for infants under one year of age and by up to 59% for
toddlers aged one to four. Booster seats may reduce the
chance of nonfatal injury among four to eight year olds
by 45% compared to safety belts used alone.
• Oregon law requires children weighing under forty
pounds to use a child seat with harness. Children under
one year or weighing less than twenty pounds must ride
in a rear-facing child seat. A child over forty pounds
must use either a child seat or booster until they reach age
eight or 4’ 9” tall and the adult belt fits them correctly. If
you are unsure whether your child is ready to transition
to an adult belt system, use the easy five-step test here:
http://www.carseat.org/Boosters/630.htm
• For help installing child car seats, consult the seat
manufacturer’s instructions, your vehicle owner’s
manual, or visit a local child seat fitting station listed at:
http://www.nhtsa.gov/apps/cps/index.htm or at http://or-
egonimpact.org/car-seat-resources/
• Product recalls related to your vehicle’s safety belt or
your child’s safety seat is provided by the National High-
way Traffic Safety Administration at http://www.nhtsa.
gov/ or check with the product manufacturer.
The ultimate goal of the Baker County Sheriff’s Of-
fice is this campaign will help with the decline of traffic
related death and injuries on Baker County Roadways.
County
Commissioners
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Attendance also included Baker County Planning
Director Holly Kerns, Planner Eva (Ceder) Henes, Baker
County Sheriff Travis Ash, Baker County Juvenile Court
Supervisor Staci Erickson, Baker County Administrative
Services Director Christena Cook, Baker County Fair
Manager Angie Turner, Baker County Community Con-
nection of Northeast Oregon Manager Mary Jo Carpen-
ter, Sumpter Mayor Cary Clark, Baker County Natural
Resource Advisory Committee (NRAC) Chair Doni
Bruland, Eastern Oregon Mining Association (EOMA)
President Ken Alexander, EOMA Mineral Policy Director
Jan Alexander, EOMA Executive Director Chuck Chase,
EOMA Treasurer Bobbie Danser, Forest Access For All
(FAFA) President Tork Ballard, FAFA Secretary Wanda
Ballard, Jefferson Mining District Coordinating Officer
Art Sappington, and Don and Lori Sutherland.
The meeting was called to order, followed by the Invo-
cation, and the Pledge of Allegiance, both led by Harvey.
With the noted additions of a County e-mail archive
policy approval, and a County Fair Board inter-fund loan
authorization approval, the agenda was adopted, with a
motion from Bennett, and a second from Nichols.
There were no comments noted for Public Participation.
The minutes from the Wednesday, January 18, 2017
regular session were approved, with some noted cor-
rections by Nichols, with a motion from Bennett, and a
second from Nichols.
A public hearing was held in the matter of Plan
Amendment (PA)-16-002, a request by Janesville,
Wisconsin-based Helge Bros, LLC, the applicant, to re-
zone a roughly 9-acre parcel of land located in the area of
Cracker Creek Road, north of Sumpter, from Rural Resi-
dential (RR-5), to Mineral Extraction (ME). The prop-
erty, owned by Janesville-based Nordon Properties, LLC,
is described as Tax Lot 1600 of Township 9 South, Range
37 East, Section 20 W.M. (Willamette Meridian), Baker
County, Oregon (Reference #13981). On Thursday, Janu-
ary 26, 2017, the Baker County Planning Commission
recommended denial of the request, by a vote of 4-2.
Kerns and Henes introduced the matter to those pres-
ent, including using the County’s interactive Smart Board
screen to show details. Harvey asked for any testimony,
and Jan provided the first, in favor of the application.
She pointed out several issues, among them an error with
the zoning process, and with the Planning Commission
hearing on the subject (on Thursday, January 26, 2017).
She said that the County’s Comprehensive Land Use
Plan states that all mining claims will be zoned ME, that
the aforementioned lot had been zoned as such, and that,
somehow between 1983 and 1985, inexplicably, there
was a zone change to RR-5. She said that the Planning
Commission ignored some documents, and failed to
analyze criteria.
Ken provided testimony in favor, echoing Jan’s senti-
ments, and he read from a letter he addressed to the
Board, regarding the subject. He said that he appreciates
the importance the County places on the development of
its mineral resources, but, like Jan, he said that the Plan-
ning Commission did not properly deliberate the zoning
change, failing to address each of the criteria.
Seeing no further testimony in favor, Harvey asked for
any in opposition, which the Sutherlands then provided.
SEE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
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