THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS — 3
FRIDAY, JULY 28, 2017
Business / Agriculture
Visitors Bureau
CONTINUED FROM
PAGE 1
Nelson said, “In the past,
we’ve always carried the
contract with the Visi-
tors Center—we’ve had
a two-year contract with
the County. It really helps
with our strategic planning,
and this year, we were kind
of surprised that it was
only a one-year contract,
so, I asked why...It was
stated at the meeting (the
TLTC meeting held on
June 22, 2017) that it was
for a strategic planning
session that we are all go-
ing to be doing...It would
be a lot better for us if we
could plan for a two-year
program, like we have
been...We do need that
two-year contract.”
He said that, from Me-
morial Day through Labor
Day, the Visitors Bureau is
open seven days a week,
and during the off-season,
six days a week, and
that it’s the first stop off
the freeway for visitors.
Harvey asked Nelson what
Nelson needs, in the area
of staffing, and Nelson
said that the projection is
that the Visitors Bureau
will temporarily need four
times as many people,
to handle the surge of
visitors, including a major
increase in the amount of
information the Bureau
will be circulating, before
and around the time of the
Total Solar Eclipse, August
21, 2017.
Cutler said, referring to
hiring part-time and sea-
sonal staff, “That’s going
to be a challenge for me...
My payroll’s going to be
the hardest hit...The last
two employees that I hired
to work the weekend hours
quit, because it wasn’t for
them, so, we’ve been staff-
ing the weekends on our
own. There are challenges
there...”
Harvey said, “You can’t
shut the door ...” stressing
the importance of keeping
the Chamber and Visitors
Bureau office alive and
well.
McLagan explained
that the TLTC decided to
pursue a one-year strategic
planning session this fall,
which involves all associ-
ated groups, which affected
the length of the PSA con-
tract between the County
and the Visitors Bureau,
but she said, “We support
the Chamber, and what you
guys are doing...” explain-
ing that the decision wasn’t
meant to imply anything
negative about the Cham-
ber or Visitors Bureau.
Bishop said, “We’ve
had several reiterations
of a marketing plan, re-
ally based on a marketing
strategy, but really, over
the last year and a half, the
Marketing Committee and
the TLTC have begun to
identify that there are some
bigger industry issues,
that are bigger than just
marketing...”
A couple examples he
gave is the change in the
way that Travel Oregon is
handling marketing, and
changes in Eastern Oregon
Visitors Association’s mar-
keting efforts.
He said there are some
local challenges, specifi-
cally with the Total Solar
Eclipse event.
Harvey said, “Part of the
problem is that most of us
don’t see all these groups
at one time,” referring
to the difficulty with the
sharing of information and
with coordination between
the different boards, com-
mittees, and commissions.
Nelson, referring to the
TLTC’s strategic planning
process, said, “We’d love
to be involved in all of
that, but, I just don’t see
why we can’t do that with
that two-year contract...” a
concern he repeated.
Gettle said that, if the lack
of a two-year contract is
a deal breaker, there’s an
opt-out option, but, she
doesn’t wish to see that
happen.
Nichols said, “I like the
idea of you guys wanting
to do strategic planning. I
wish we had a time frame
of how long that was go-
ing to take ... I understand
Jeff’s point of view, as
well ... Maybe go ahead
and let him have that two-
year contract (Harvey also
encouraged the TLTC to
revisit this idea, too) ...”
He said that, in the
future, the Board is going
— Weekly Hay Report —
to be asking for a strategic
planning process and bud-
get details to be completed
earlier in the year (Harvey
suggested around April
1st), but that he wasn’t
“pointing fingers” at the
TLTC, because the County
overall has experienced
issues with the budget,
including responses to City
decisions this year.
Bennett said he person-
ally has an issue with
overturning a decision
made by any committee,
but, “I would encourage
both groups to go back,
and have some further
discussion, and understand
the options...Work together
in developing a time line
for strategic planning...I re-
ally believe you can come
back to us with some type
of a better document that’s
reflective of the various
groups...”
Peacock said, “I appreci-
ate what Chelsea’s saying
about strategic planning
and coordinating...But...
we’re dealing with volun-
teer groups, with a myriad
of schedules...It still boils
down to momentum...
We’re pretty darn excited
about the momentum and
the energy we have...With
momentum, you want
a vote of confidence...
symbolic of a two-year
agreement, not a one-year
agreement ...We feel we’re
moving forward ...”
Harvey said that the topic
would be further discussed
at the next TLTC meeting.
5J welcomes Chinese teachers
Friday, July 14, 2017 — Eastern Oregon
Prices trended generally steady. All prices re-
ported today are new crop, unless otherwise noted.
Most producers are done with first cutting and
working on second cutting. (No report for 7/21.)
Tons Price Range Wtd Avg
Alfalfa Large Square Premium/Supreme
90 160.00-160.00 160.00
Alfalfa Large Square Good
60 120.00-120.00 120.00
Timothy Grass Large Square Premium
1000 265.00-265.00 265.00
Meadow Grass Large Square Good
120 160.00-160.00 160.00
USDA Market News Service—AMS.USDA.gov
— Cattle Market Report —
Wednesday, July 19, 2017
Vale, Oregon
Cattle sold through the auction: 538
Steer Calves
300-400# Bulk N/A Top N/A
400-500# Bulk 159.00-170.00 Top 173.00
500-600# Bulk 157.00-165.00 Top 167.50
Heifer Calves
300-400# Bulk N/A Top N/A
400-500# Bulk N/A Top N/A
500-600# Bulk 137.00-155.00 Top 157.00
Yearling Steers
600-700# Bulk 152.00-165.00 Top 166.50
700-800# Bulk 143.00-148.00 Top 151.50
800-900# Bulk 127.00-132.00 Top 135.50
900-1,000# Bulk 119.00-131.00 Top 131.75
Yearling Heifers
600-700# Bulk 131.00-147.00 Top 148.00
700-800# Bulk 132.00-138.00 Top 139.00
800-900# Bulk 122.00-128.00 Top 128.75
900-1,000# Bulk N/A Top N/A
Thin Shelly Cows 51.00-68.00
Butcher Cows 72.00-83.50
Butcher Bulls 84.00-101.00
Stock Cows Young N/A
Hfretts 83.00-93.00
Pairs Young - 1300.00-1600.00
ProducersLivestock.com
541-473-3136
— Log Price Report —
Samantha O’Conner / The Baker County Press
The Chinese exchange teachers presented a wall scroll to the board. From left to right are Melissa Irvine,
Gang Hou, Mark Witty, Kevin Cassidy, and Zengxiang Yin.
BY SAMANTHA
O’CONNER
Samantha@TheBakerCountyPress.com
Thursday, July 20th, the
Baker School District 5J
Board held their meeting at
the City Council Cham-
bers.
At the meeting, Superin-
tendent Mark Witty swore
in Katie Lamb and Kevin
Cassidy took the Oath of
Office for another term.
The board unanimously
voted to have Cassidy con-
tinue as Board Chair and
Chris Hawkins as the new
vice-chair.
Witty introduced two
Chinese exchange teach-
ers to the board; Gan Hou
and Zengxiang Yin. This
is the third year Chinese
exchange students have
come to Baker. Hou and
Yin presented the School
Board members with a
wall scroll and the School
Board presented them with
gift baskets.
In their discussions, Wit-
ty explained that they are
still working on the OSEA
Contract and will discuss
it further in August’s board
meeting.
Witty discussed that
Measure 98 is up to $170
million that will be split
between the entirety of the
state. He explained that
Baker has Baker Early
College and Baker Charter
Schools, so that “our
punch on that is a little
bit higher than you would
anticipate.”
Witty discussed the rails
at the stadium. He said,
“We’re looking at the
stadium and if you, on the
South end of the stadium,
if you look at those rails,
they’re just not accept-
able at this point in time.
And we strongly believe,
our maintenance director
strongly believes, and I
believe that we need to go
ahead and take some mea-
sures there to make sure
that we can those things
secured and safe, which
is going to require some
more cement and some
work to try and get that
done at least on the South
end. So, we’re going to be
working from the South
end up to the 50 yard line
on those rails.”
Assistant Superintendent
Betty Palmer was not in at-
tendance at the meeting.
In her written report,
Palmer explained the
Summer Academy finished
their fourth week.
They have approximate-
ly 180 students registered
and an average of 125-135
daily attendance.
Palmer also explained
in her report, “Pre-Algebra
summer session is be-
ing offered at BHS three
hours a day, three days a
week under the leadership
of Zack Grammon (certi-
fied) and Jill Nelson (para
professional). Jill is also
facilitating credit recovery
for high school students.”
For the science cur-
riculum, she explained,
“Teachers worked sev-
eral days in June on their
curriculum mapping in
preparation for instruction
aligned to NGSS in 2017-
18.”
Palmer also recognized
Laura Morley and Kate
Johnson “for the extra
hours worked to prepare
Life Science units aligned
to NGSS for BMS for next
year.”
For the board reports,
Cassidy discussed the
OSBA Summer Confer-
ence and how it was the
largest attendance of by
school board members
since the conference start-
ed with over 400 people.
“I think the thing that
is great for school board
members that are newly
elected is the jump start
classes with Renee Ses-
sler,” explained Cassidy.
“And just kind of go over
the basic policy and pro-
cedure and those kinds of
things.”
In public comment, Elk-
horn Adolescent Treatment
Center Paraprofessional
Shannon Keck addressed
the Board, thanking Witty,
Hawkins, and Melissa
Irvine for their positive
and productive contract
bargaining process.
She explained that they
are scheduled to have a
ratification on August 23rd.
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: $1,256.10
Silver: $16.48
Platinum: $927.82
Palladium: $859.25
Bloomberg.com
— Ag Commodities —
Corn: $368.75/bu/USD
Wheat: $474.00/bu/USD
Soybeans: $992.75/bu/USD
Oats: $280.50 bu/USD
Rough Rice: $12.30/cwt/USD
Canola: $489.60 CAD/mwt
Live Cattle: $112.78//lb./USD
Feeder Cattle: $146.53/lb./USD
Lean Hogs: $66.85/lb./USD
Bloomberg.com