CITY: Baker City Council now has all seats
filled. PAGE 8
The
COUNTY: Wolf depredation compensation
issues discussed. PAGE 10
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Friday, February 17, 2017 • Volume 4, Issue 7
Snowbound calf rescued
• LUCKY THE CALF
GETS AIRLIFTED
OUT OF THE HIGH
COUNTRY
BY TODD ARRIOLA
Todd@TheBakerCountyPress.com
In late January, Baker
Aircraft owners and opera-
tors Troy and Genevieve
“Gen” Woydziak, among
others, played a piv-
otal role in the rescue of
rancher Mike Trindle’s
newborn calf and two year-
lings stuck in the Eagle
Cap Mountains.
Troy said that Trindle, who
has used Baker Aircraft’s
services in the past to
search for missing cattle,
informed Woydziak that he
was short several head in
the North Minham River
drainage area, and Woyd-
ziak told Trindle that the
Oregon Department of
Fish and Wildlife (ODFW)
regularly asks Woydziak to
fl y in that area to conduct
routine wolf presence
checks.
On Saturday, January 21,
2017, Troy, while fl ying
in the area on one of those
checks, spotted one cow
and two yearling calves
belonging to Trindle,
recorded the GPS (Global
Positioning System)
coordinates, which he then
relayed to Trindle, via text
message. Troy said he also
saw some buffalo, a famil-
iar sight there, across the
canyon from the cattle.
After Trindle received
the message, he called
Troy while he was still in
the helicopter, the three-
passenger, yellow and blue
Robinson R-44 Raven
II, with the tail number
N1795J, and he asked Troy
whether he could possibly
assist with getting some
hay to the cattle. Troy said
that he would try if there
was time, and he returned
to Enterprise, where he
dropped off an ODFW
passenger.
Troy attempted to return
to Baker, and he said
there was a snow storm
in the Elgin area, which
prompted him to fl y back
to Enterprise, where he
said an ODFW agent then
allowed him the use of the
agent’s vehicle to drive
back to Baker City.
SEE CALF PAGE 3
Submitted Photo.
Troy Woydziak of Baker Aircraft cradles little Lucky
as they head for the rescue helicopter.
Man arrested
on sex abuse
charges
Fighting for rural jobs
On February 5, The Baker
County Sheriff’s Offi ce be-
gan investigating an alleged
sex abuse case following a
disclosure made by a young
female victim.
The suspect in the case
was identifi ed as Joshua
Dean Baker (DOB: 05-22-
1977). Baker resided at
274 North Main Street in
Halfway, Oregon.
Photo courtesy of the
Baker was interviewed
Baker County Sheriff’s Offi ce
on February 9 regarding the
allegations and admitted to Joshua Baker.
inappropriately touching the
breasts and vaginal area of the minor child and corrobo-
rated several statements made by the child.
Baker was arrested and charged with Sex Abuse in the
1st Degree (two counts) and Unlawful Sexual Penetration
in the First Degree. The Sheriff’s Offi ce is still actively
investigating the alleged crimes.
Kerry McQuisten / The Baker County Press
Clockwise from left: Kathleen Chaves, Richard Chaves, Rep. Greg Walden, and Walden staff member Nick
from the congressman’s central Oregon offi ce.
Cougars in
South Baker?
BY KERRY McQUISTEN
• CONGRESSMAN GREG WALDEN TOURS
CHAVES CONSULTING
BY KERRY McQUISTEN
News@TheBakerCountyPress.com
Last Friday morning from 8-9 a.m., U.S. Rep. Greg
Walden visited the offi ces of Chaves Consulting on
Dewey Avenue to learn more about recent events at the
company that resulted in the loss of 54 local jobs.
The week before last, funding for those jobs was
removed as Governor Kate Brown announced her intent
to move those positions from the private sector in Baker
City to the public sector in western Oregon. That deci-
sion meant that the Chaves’ $2.5 million annual contract
to operate an Oregon Health Plan (OHP/Medicaid) call
center would not be renewed for the additional years that
were possible per that agreement.
Last week, owners Richard and Kathleen Chaves were
able to speak with Brown for 15 minutes via phone, and
felt hopeful that as a result, their issue was at least on the
radar.
After the couple gave Walden an overview of their op-
erations, Walden asked, “So what happened here?”
“You know, initially we employed 54 people and at the
start of the contract,” Richard explained, “they said we
guarantee this for a year through the end of January 2017,
but we’re putting in a clause in the contract for up to fi ve,
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Mostly cloudy with a few rain/snow showers.
Highs near 40. Chance of precip is 30%.
Night: Rain and snow showers. Low near 32.
one-year renewals because based on your performance
and ongoing demand, the contract could be extended. So
we operated from that perspective.”
Richard said that those positions came with full benefi ts
and started well above minimum wage, and that the call
center consistently met or exceeded all contract require-
ments.
“We out-performed the State call center,” Kathleen
said. “There are over 300 people in there and we out-
performed them by double.”
“Our average wait time is three minutes and some-
thing,” added Richard, “and theirs is 40-something min-
utes—up to four hours.”
Walden, as Chair of the Energy and Commerce Com-
mittee, of which Health is a subcommittee, is working
on two bills at present to combat fraud in the area of
Medicaid.
“We can help you with that,” Richard said.
“And that’s why we’re here,” Walden said. “We’re
looking at how to control costs... Last year the Govern-
ment Accountability Offi ce reported $36.3 billion in
improper payments.”
Walden listened to more about the situation and then
summarized, “You have a more effi cient, less costly
alternative that was providing better service—and is now
going to be hijacked—and hire new people in Salem at
double the cost.”
Those jobs—77 proposed to be added in Salem—would
be union-represented positions.
SEE CHAVES PAGE 9
Your weekend weather forecast for Baker County.
Our forecast made possible by this
generous sponsor:
Mostly cloudy with rain/snow showers. Highs
near 40. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Saturday Night: Mostly cloudy with a few rain/
snow showers. Lows in the mid-20s.
Scattered snow showers, otherwise partly
sunny. Highs in the upper 30s. Chance of pre-
cipitation is 30%. Lows in the mid 20s.
News@TheBakerCountyPress.com
Kristin and Nathan Neff live in South Baker, the back
of their house against the fi eld that stretches out behind
the Agape Church on Highway 7—and they believe a pair
of cougars may have visited on more than one occasion
within the past two weeks.
In an interview on Tuesday, Kristin Neff said that on
February 7 around 4 a.m., her husband looked out the
kitchen window and saw a large animal lope away from
the house, followed quickly by a similar but smaller ani-
mal that came from the same direction.
“He said it was the fastest moving animal he’d ever
seen,” said Neff.
Once daylight broke, the Neffs went outside and took
photos of what they believed to be two sets of cat prints
in the snow. They had previously butchered a pig, and
were drying the bones on the roof of their shed, and found
the bones pulled down onto the back porch.
The Neffs weren’t the only ones to contact The Baker
County Press about cougar suspicions in that timeframe.
The next night a second and unrelated citizen more in
the area due east by the river, less than a mile from the
Neffs if one were to draw a straight line between the two
points as the crow fl ies, reported a similar experience.
That person also pointed toward photos they took of what
they believed to be tracks from a pair of oversized felines,
and stated they had heard a sound they believed to be a
cougar.
SEE TRACKS PAGE 7
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE
Museum adds new lighting for rocks
Mental Health: Panic and anxiety
Tri-County weed structure discussed
Offi cial weather provider for
The Baker County Press.
SWAT robot donations still needed
Sumpter City shop collapses
Huntington: Two arrested in dispute
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