THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS — 3
FRIDAY, APRIL 14, 2017
Business / Agriculture
‘Path of Totality’ art show
held at Crossroads
BY SAMANTHA
O’CONNER
— Weekly Hay Report —
Friday, April 7, 2017 — Eastern Oregon
Prices trended generally steady in a limited test
compared to week ago prices. Most demand lays
with the retail/stable hay. According to some pro-
ducers, horse owners prefer lower sugar, higher pro-
teinhay. Many producers are sold out for the year.
Samantha@TheBakerCountyPress.com
Friday, April 7th, Cross-
roads Carnegie Art Center
held an art show called
“The Path of Totality.”
This art show was
inspired by the upcoming
solar eclipse that will pass
over Baker City on August
21, 2017.
Tymmera Whitnah’s
artwork entitled “Eclipsed”
was the winner of the
“People’s Choice” award
of $100.
Local artist Andrew Get-
tle explained his artwork
“Pause” was inspired by
the little moments people
hold onto when they pause
to experience something,
such as the full alignment
of the Earth, sun, and
moon.
Providing live music
for the evening was Tater
Field Funk. Guest speakers
at the event were Nancy
Coffelt, an author and art-
ist who published a book
titled “The Big Eclipse,”
and Timothy Bishop of
Baker County marketing /
Base Camp Baker.
Coffelt began speaking
by explaining that there
are different types of solar
eclipses. She explained
that solar eclipses happen
if there is syzygy, which
means three celestial bod-
ies lined up. This year, that
includes the sun, the Earth,
and the moon.
“The last time that we
had a total solar eclipse
in the United States was
1918,” explained Coffelt.
“The only time before then
in modern history was
1776 and the next solar
eclipse that will be in the
United States will be in
2024.”
Coffelt explained that the
first contact of the moon
over the sun will happen a
little after 9:00 a.m. Coffelt
explained that people need
to wear certified solar fil-
ters and they will be avail-
able at the Baker County
Library for a dollar.
“Once you get right
before totality, when the
sun is completely covered,
you have these optical oc-
currences called ‘Shadow
Bands,’” said Coffelt. “So,
try to make sure there is a
flat surface that’s lighter
color because there will
be snakey dark and light
lines that will go along the
City
Council
CONTINUED FROM
PAGE 1
He noted that Baker
County had very high
quality dispatchers and
acknowledged their ability
to handle life and death
situations professionally.
On hand to accept the
Proclamation were 911
dispatchers Jessica Lynch
and Lindsay Hodgson, em-
ployees of the 911 center
were present to accept the
signed copy of the proc-
lamation on behalf of the
911 center.
Watershed Discussion
Councilor Arvid Ander-
sen began the conversa-
tion about the watershed.
He is gravely concerned
about the condition of the
watershed. He stated that
he felt it was on the verge
Tons Price Range Wtd Avg
Alfalfa — Large Square Premium / Supreme
60 140.00-140.00 140.00
Timothy Grass — Large Square Premium
500 120.00-120.00 120.00
USDA Market News Service—AMS.USDA.gov
— Cattle Market Report —
Wednesday, April 5, 2017
Vale, Oregon
Cattle sold through the auction: 923
Steer Calves
300-400# Bulk 157.00-172.00 Top 174.50
400-500# Bulk 151.00-177.00 Top 192.00
500-600# Bulk 146.00-167.00 Top 167.50
Samantha O’Conner / The Baker County Press
Nancy Coffelt describes eclipses and how to view them to the audience.
ground. Scientists really
don’t know exactly what
causes this. It could be
like what causes stars to
look like they’re twinkling,
which is atmospheric
disturbances. So, look for
those. So as soon as that
starts to happen, then, it’s
like a giant looming shad-
ow that will just overcome
and you’ll be plunged into
twilight in 30 seconds.
“And the first thing
you’ll see is the Diamond
Ring Effect, which is the
sun disappearing and it’ll
look like a giant diamond
ring and you’re still
wearing your protective
eyewear. Once that goes,
and it covers over, you’ll
get something that’s called
‘Baily’s Beads.’
“And Baily’s Beads
is the sunlight shining
through the canyons on
the moon and it looks like
a ring of beads all around.
And then you have totality
and totality—now, what
was once the sun is a black
hole in the sky and you’ll
be able to see the corona
of the sun, which is the gas
out there. You see pictures
of the corona of the sun; a
camera can only pick up a
200% difference between
the inner chromosphere
and the outer corona, our
eyes can pick up 5000%.
“At this point, the eye-
wear is off, you can look
at it safely. Totality here is
about a minute and thirty
seconds. As soon as you
see the diamond ring you
will no longer be able to
safely look at the sun.”
Bishop spoke next and
explained the impacts the
event will have on Baker
County. Bishop explained
the last total solar eclipse
to cross the entire United
States was June 3rd, 1257.
Bishop explained that Bak-
er County is in the Path of
Totality and the edge of the
path crosses right between
Richland and Halfway.
“What this means
for Baker County is that
August 21, 2017 started
popping up on our calen-
dar about two years ago
when a number of our
hotels started getting full,”
explained Bishop. “They
were already booking full
for this weekend. This is
a really big deal. We are
expecting over one million
visitors in Oregon. We ex-
pect that number in Baker
County to be upwards of
50,000 people. Particularly
since that dead center line
of totality goes through
places like Hereford,
Unity, and Lime, we’re
expecting a lot of those
folks are actually going
to be right here in Baker
City and then going out in
the morning to watch the
eclipse.”
Bishop explained that
they are working with peo-
ple who want to lease out
land or rooms to visitors.
He suggests that people
mark their calendars for
April 21st to find a good
place to watch the eclipse
as the sun will be in the
same place on April 21st as
it will be on August 21st.
“We are extremely wor-
ried at this point just about
capacity issues,” explained
Bishop. “We think that
we’re all pretty friendly
here in Baker County but
we’re going to have a lot
of guests. And we’re re-
ally worried about making
sure there will be gas and
groceries and all of those
things they will need.”
Bishop explained they
are working with restau-
rants, grocery stores, and
gas stations to be prepared.
He also encourages locals
to buy groceries and gas
early on Wednesday or
Thursday before the week-
end and be prepared for
the visitors. He also asks
locals to be understanding
with visitors looking for
places to view the eclipse
and to help by giving spe-
cific instructions on where
to go.
“August 21st is a
Monday, so we are expect-
ing that this will be a very
busy weekend,” explained
Bishop. “Folks will be
traveling, arriving Thurs-
day, Friday, over the week-
end, and then it is over at
about 10:30 in the morning
and, so, we expect there to
be a lot of traffic Monday
morning as folks are trying
to figure out what they’re
doing after the eclipse.”
of a catastrophic event.
Ed Hardt of Baker City
also addressed Council
on the matter stressing,
“Something needs to be
done.”
He wondered if the City
could take back full control
of the watershed manage-
ment.
Owen did address those
concerns, reminding
everyone that the City
must work in partnership
with the Forest Service.
The Baker City watershed
is unique because it is on
Federal land.
Owen stated that the
City and the Forest Service
had previously done
some work on a plan but
acknowledged far more
needed to be done.
A lengthy discussion
ensued with a final sug-
gestion that some spe-
cific questions would be
presented to the Forest Ser-
vice with a date scheduled
for them to appear before
Council. City Manager
Warner, Council and con-
cerned citizens felt that the
City needed to take a more
active role in account-
ability of getting projects
completed in the watershed
to secure the City’s water
supply.
Monthly or quarterly
addresses to Council were
suggested.
Owen also reminded
everyone that some of the
projects she is working on
with securing additional
wells with the City are
partly due to concerns over
watershed safety.
2017/2018 Proposed Fee
Resolution Discussion
Jeanie Dexter, City
Finance Manager spoke to
Council about impending
fee increases within the
City. Last year at this time,
it was suggested that City
Water rates increase by
25%.
Feeling that was too
sharp of an increase all at
once it was suggested that
a 10% increase over three
years would be more ap-
propriate.
Now in year two, it is
time to put into place the
second of three increases.
Dexter is also changing
the fee structure for late
and/or overdue accounts.
If a customer is late they
are given 10 days to bring
their account current. If by
day 11 they have not paid
a $35 late fee is added. She
is purposing to lower that
fee to $5.
If the next billing cycle
carries a past due balance
and City employees have
to physically go hang a tag
on the door warning of a
pending shut off then a $30
fee would be assessed. If
still not paid and the water
is shut off another $30 fee
would then be added.
Dexter stated, “At that
point we still have to mon-
itor to make sure no illegal
activity is happening.”
SEE CITY COUNCIL
PAGE 4
Heifer Calves
300-400# Bulk 141.00-159.00 Top 163.50
400-500# Bulk 134.00-148.00 Top 149.00
500-600# Bulk 121.00-139.00 Top 139.50
Yearling Steers
600-700# Bulk 127.00-142.00 Top 144.00
700-800# Bulk 125.00-134.00 Top 138.50
800-900# Bulk 108.00-120.00 Top 121.50
900-1,000# Bulk 94.00-102.00 Top 104.00
Yearling Heifers
600-700# Bulk 114.00-131.00 Top 135.00
700-800# Bulk 110.00-124.00 Top 126.50
800-900# Bulk 103.00-114.00 Top 117.00
900-1,000# Bulk 104.00-112.00 Top 115.00
Thin Shelly Cows 43.00 - 62.00
Butcher Cows 64.00 - 72.00
Butcher Bulls 77.00 - 94.00
Pairs Young 1150.00-1375.00
Hfretts 77.00 -101.00
Pairs Older - 90.00-1275.00
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.
Courtesy of Arvid Andersen,
Andersen Forestry Consulting
— Precious Metals Report —
Price per ounce, USD
Gold: $1,274.80
Silver: $18.30
Platinum: $967.75
Palladium: $804.13
Bloomberg.com
— Ag Commodities —
Corn: $366.50/bu/USD
Wheat: $433.25/bu/USD
Soybeans: $939.25/bu/USD
Oats: $219.75 bu/USD
Rough Rice: $10.71/cwt/USD
Canola: $494.80 CAD/mwt
Live Cattle: $113.70//lb./USD
Feeder Cattle: $137.33/lb./USD
Lean Hogs: $74.00/lb./USD
Bloomberg.com