8 — THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS
FRIDAY, JULY 7, 2017
Local
Sumpter bookkeeper retires “Finding
Fremont”
exhibit at
Oregon Trail
Center
Submitted Photo.
John Young of Sumpter wishes Kathi Vinson a happy retirement. A celebration was held for Vinson on June
29. Vinson worked as bookkeeper for the City off and on “for a lotta years.”
Hearing held in Addison v.
Baker City, police lawsuit
BY KERRY McQUISTEN
News@TheBakerCountyPress.com
On June 21, a hearing
was held in Portland in
U.S. District Court with
Michael H. Simon, District
Judge, presiding. The hear-
ing was the most recent
step in a lengthy legal pro-
cess initiated in October
of 2015 by reporter Brian
Addison against the City
of Baker City, Police Chief
Wyn Lohner, and up to 10
unnamed “Doe” officers
from the Baker City Police
Department.
The hearing was an at-
tempt by both the plaintiff
and the defendants to
eliminate part or all of the
other side’s case via sum-
mary judgement.
Addison’s suit primar-
ily centers around these
claims: (1) Retaliation for
First Amendment Conduct
(42 U.S.C. § 1983); (2)
Tortious Interference with
Economic Relations; and
(3) Defamation, and was
filed in U.S. District Court,
Pendleton Division.
Addison’s claims stem
back to a situation re-
garding an opinion piece
critical of local police,
which he penned during
his employment with The
Record-Courier in 2008.
He claims that this piece
triggered a years-long ef-
fort by Lohner and his offi-
cers to retaliate against him
in the community, eventu-
ally culminating in actions
that led to his termination
from employment at New
Directions Northwest, and
an inability to continue
writing for local media.
Lohner has consistently
denied all allegations.
On June 29, Judge Simon
issued his opinion, ruling
on the summary judgement
hearing.
The defendants’ motion
for summary judgment was
granted in part and denied
in part.
Addison’s federal claims
that allege violations of
procedural and substantive
due process and his state
claims alleging personal
liability against Defendant
Lohner were tossed.
However, the bulk of
Addison’s claims, includ-
ing economic interference,
defamation of character,
and retaliation remain in
Submitted Photo.
Kerry McQuisten / The Baker County Press
Reporter Brian Addison.
Baker City Police Chief
Wyn Lohner.
the suit per the judge’s
order. Lohner remains
a defendant only in his
professional capacity as an
employee of the City, ac-
cording to the judge.
Addison’s motion for
partial summary judg-
ment was fully granted in
that several of the defen-
dants’ defenses will not
be allowed in trial. Many
additional defenses still
remain.
Addison is still seeking
an unspecified amount for
“economic/compensatory
and noneconomic/ special
damages, including: loss of
income and past and future
impairment of earning ca-
pacity; injury to reputation,
economically verifiable
and otherwise; expenses
related to having to relo-
cate out of Baker City for
fear of further retaliation;
and emotional distress.”
He is also seeking “rea-
sonable attorneys fees” and
“punitive damages” to be
determined at trial.
Barring any future negoti-
ations ending in a financial
settlement for the plaintiff,
the suit will continue on
toward trial, likely in the
first half of 2018.
Japanese drumming coming
to Geiser-Pollman Park
Sunday, August 6th,
2017 at 2:00 p.m. (Pacific
Time) at Geiser Pollman
Park in Baker City - Join
Janet Komoto and the
Kawa Taiko drummers and
folklorist Josh Chrysler for
a demonstration of tradi-
tional Japanese drumming
and a closer look at one of
the many living cultural
traditions of the Four Riv-
ers region.
In 2000, the Kawa
Taiko group was formed
to practice the traditional
Japanese art of taiko
drumming. With no prior
knowledge of the tradition,
Janet Komoto became part
student, teacher, and group
leader. Janet continues to
carry on the tradition with
students of all ages from
the community. Join us
as Janet and Kawa Taiko
share knowledge, stories,
and a taiko performance.
There will be an open
conversation so bring
your questions! This takes
place immediately prior to
the Powder River Music
Review, so stick around
afterwards for more music.
This program is made
possible by the Four Riv-
ers Cultural Center, the
Oregon Folklife Network,
Crossroads Carnegie Arts
Center, and the Na-
tional Endowment for the
Arts. This is in a series
of programs developed
by Josh Chrysler, Staff
Folklorist at Four Rivers
Cultural Center in Ontario.
Chrysler has been hired on
contract by Four Rivers
Cultural Center through
a grant from the National
Endowment for the Arts
to help produce programs
and exhibits that celebrate
the traditional culture and
folklife of eastern Oregon.
Start of fire season declared
Current and forecasted
consistently high tem-
peratures have prompted
fire officials with Oregon
Department of Forestry
(ODF) to declare fire sea-
son, which began at 12:01
a.m., Monday, June 26 for
forest and range lands pro-
tected by ODF Northeast
Oregon District.
During Fire Season:
Burn Permits for burn
barrels and all open burn-
ing except camp fires are
required on all private
forest and range lands
within the Northeast Forest
Protection District of the
Oregon Department of
Forestry (ODF).
Landowners who con-
ducted burning of slash
piles last fall and this past
spring are encouraged to
check the piles to ensure
that they are completely
out and all heat is gone.
Logging and other indus-
trial operations must meet
requirements for fire pre-
vention, such as fire tools,
water supply, and watch-
man service when those
operations are occurring on
lands protected by ODF.
Campfires must be dead
out.
To report a fire, dial 911.
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is hosting a
special exhibit about western explorer and politician John
C. Fremont at the National Historic Oregon Trail Inter-
pretive Center through December 10, 2017. BLM invites
families, youth, and visitors to learn how public lands
connect them to America’s natural and cultural heritage.
Fremont’s 1843 to 1844 expedition passed through
eastern and central Oregon and northern Nevada with
guides Kit Carson and Billy Chinook. That journey and
the impacts of the mapping and exploration, along with
Fremont’s fascinating life, is the subject of the exhibit
“Finding Fremont: Pathfinder of the West.”
The Nevada State Museum and the Deschutes County
Historical Society developed the exhibit, which started
its tour in Carson City in 2015. It includes photographs
by Loren Irving who in 2009 traced Fremont’s passage
through Oregon using his published journals and co-
ordinates. The exhibit includes a replica of the party’s
mountain howitzer cannon, plus carriage relics, coins,
cooking pots and similar artifacts found at campsites.
Pieces come from the Nevada State Museum, Arizona
Historical Society, the Deschutes Historical Museum and
the U.S. Forest Service.
On July 12 at 2:00 p.m., Loren Irving will present a
program on how modern day volunteer explorers located
and documented the historic campsites of Fremont’s
expedition through central Oregon. Using coordinates
and reports by Fremont, this team found several of the
campsites and relics of the expedition, including pieces of
a howitzer cannon that was abandoned in 1844.
The Oregon Trail Interpretive Center is located five
miles east of Baker City, Oregon on Highway 86. Take
Exit 302 from I-84. The Center is currently open from
9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. daily. Admission for adults is $8
and $4.50 for seniors; children 15 and under are admit-
ted for free. Federal passes are also accepted. Call (541)
523-1843 for updates on programs and events or visit
oregontrail.blm.gov.
BLM requests
public input
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) today an
nounced that it is requesting ideas and input on how the
agency can make its land use planning procedures and
environmental reviews timelier and less costly, as well
as ensure its responsiveness to local needs. This effort to
improve the planning process comes after the President’s
March 27 approval of House Joint Resolution 44, which
nullified the BLM’s Planning 2.0 rule.
“The decisions made in land use plans and environ-
mental reviews are fundamental to how public lands and
resources are used for the benefit of all Americans,” said
U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke. “The Trump
Administration and the Department of the Interior are
committed to working with state and local governments,
communities, Indian tribes, and other stakeholders as true
partners to determine the best ways to accomplish this,
now and into the future.”
Acting BLM Director Michael Nedd said the agency is
already working with state and local elected officials and
groups, including the Western Governors’ Association
and the National Association of Counties, to engage and
gather input. “We are doing this because Secretary Zinke
and President Trump both strongly believe that public
engagement, especially at the local level, is a critical
component of federal land management,” Nedd said. “We
need and want input from our state and local partners as
well as from the general public in this effort.”
All can submit ideas and provide input during a 21-day
period beginning July 3, 2017 and ending July 24, 2017 at
this online form: goo.gl/CYxqM5 The BLM will incorpo-
rate information from this effort in a report to Secretary
Zinke due later this year.
The BLM manages more than 10 percent of the nation’s
land and 30 percent of the nation’s subsurface minerals.
Resource management plans (RMPs) provide a frame-
work for land use authorization decisions on BLM-man-
aged public lands, including those relating to subsurface
Federal minerals. Most such land use authorization deci-
sions are preceded by review under the National Envi-
ronmental Policy Act (NEPA). Through the public NEPA
process, the BLM analyzes the effects of proposed plans
and land use authorization decisions and discloses them
to the public.
Before including your address, phone number, email
address, or other personal identifying information in your
comment, you should be aware that your entire comment-
-including your personal identifying information--may
be made publicly available at any time. While you can
ask the BLM in your comment to withhold your personal
identifying information from public review, we cannot
guarantee that we will be able to do so.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of pub-
lic land primarily located in 12 Western states, including
Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of
sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation.