FRIDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2017
THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS — 5
Local
Dutch Oven cookoff uses
espresso this year
Gun grab
repeal
BY SAMANTHA
O’CONNER
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
News@TheBakerCountyPress.com
So if the new law is so widely opposed, why did the
attempt to get a repeal on the ballot fail?
State Representatives Mike Nearman and Teri Grier
spearheaded the effort, and said that effort failed for one
reason—Governor Kate Brown played the timeframe un-
til they had half the usual alloted time signature gatherers
typically have to collect.
Gatherers legally have 90 days after the end of the leg-
islative session in which to collect signatures on petitions.
However, the law also states that the petitions cannot be
signed before the Governor signs the bill.
Brown typically signs bills promptly, however, accord-
ing to Nearman she dragged her feet on SB719.
“The foot-dragging cost us 39 of our 90 days,” said Ne-
arman. He also pointed out that when the signature hap-
pened it was at the start of the full solar eclipse weekend,
which used another three days. Many offices were closed
that Monday as well, and by the time gathering could
begin, half the time had passed.
Rep. Bill Post, also a co-petitioner, said there “was no
reason” for Brown to put off signing the bill except to
prevent the repeal from going on the ballot for a vote of
the people.
In the end, the group collected 25,000 before realizing
there was no physical way to achieve the over 58,000
needed signatures to get the repeal on the ballot.
Saturday, October 7th,
the National Historic
Oregon Trail Interpretive
center and the Trail Ten-
ders volunteer group held
the third annual Cast Iron
Chef: Dutch Oven Cook
Off.
This year there were five
teams competing; The A
Team, Save the Ta Tas, the
Rattlers, Team Champs,
and Gun Point Gang.
Teams could be made of
up to three people.
The Judges for the event
were Joe Yeates from
Latitude 45 Grille, Joelene
Murray from AJ’s Corner
Brick Bar and Grill, Mike
Ware of the Elks lodge,
and Steven DeLeon from
Big Chiefs BBQ. Brian
Vegter made announce-
ments for the event.
The winners of the
Cast Iron Chef: Dutch
Oven Cook Off were the
Rattlers. Their winning
dish was Buffalo Espresso
Gumbo and Pumpkin
Apple Crisp.
Rachael Nickens ex-
plained the Trail Tenders
and the Interpretive Center
had participated in Dutch
Oven Cook Offs on Main
Street before it ended and
now hold it on a free day at
the center.
According to Trail
Tenders website, “Teams
will be assigned an open
fire cook space at the Trail
Center outdoor wagon
encampment.
Teams will not know
what ingredients they
Samantha O’Conner / The Baker County Press
The winning team, The Rattlers, creating Buffalo Espresso Gumbo and Pump-
kin Apple Crisp.
have to work with until
the Master of Ceremonies
reveals this information.
Using their wits, ingenu-
ity, and cooking skills, the
teams must use the ingre-
dients and the Dutch ovens
provided to produce a
delicious menu item within
the next two hours. Judges
with cooking expertise will
be watching!”
This year, the base
ingredients were pota-
toes, onions, squash, and
tri-tip bison meat that was
donated by the Stangel
Buffalo Ranch.
The secret ingredient the
teams needed to use was
espresso.
Each team was given a
cup and they needed to use
at least some of it in their
dishes.
Teams were also able to
use miscellaneous optional
ingredients provided. They
had two hours to make
their dishes and they could
not bring their own sup-
plies.
Other events for the day
included a blacksmith,
Cooking on the Oregon
Trail, Heirloom Gardening,
Buffalo Chip Toss, and ice
cream making.
Kathleen Martin pre-
sented Heirloom Garden-
ing, where audiences were
able to sample some of the
vegetables people would
have had seeds for on the
Oregon Trail.
Some of the items shown
were beets from Italy,
white carrots, turnips and
others.
Martin also had samples
of Hard Tack, hard bread
made from flour, salt, and
water that is baked until
the water is gone.
Cheri Carver demon-
strated Cooking on the
Oregon Trail, making
Heirloom Bean Soup that
had ham, bacon, onion,
and Mayflower beans and
Jacobs Cattle beans.
City Council: SAFER grant
CONTINUED FROM
PAGE 3
SAFER Grant.
City Council will meet
with County Commission-
ers on Wednesday, October
11, 2017 to discuss fund-
ing options to meet the
required grant match ob-
ligations needed to accept
this grant.
With a looming deadline
to accept the grant of Oc-
tober 31, 2017, there is not
much time left to secure
the funds necessary.
The SAFER grant, if ac-
cepted, will partially fund
three additional full-time
firefighter positions. Baker
City Fire provides ambu-
lance service to the entire
county; it does not operate
just within City limits.
The City is looking to
the County to help provide
funding, which would
help the City free up funds
toward grant match obliga-
tions, if the County takes
on responsibility for ambu-
lance calls outside the City
Limits, in the County.
The majority of ambu-
lance calls in Baker City
and Baker County are
Medicare or Medicaid
covered.
Those two payors have a
set amount that is paid.
The amount paid does
not truly cover the ex-
penses.
Private insurance pa-
tients are charged a slightly
higher rate for ambulance
services outside of City
limits but currently the
County does not pay the
City for the services.
Any additional mon-
ies received are through
the higher rate billed to
the patient for out of City
services provided.
City Manager Warner
advised Council that in
preparation for the October
11 meeting he had provid-
ed them with an analysis
of the fire department so
that each Councilor had
information to assist in the
discussion with Commis-
sioners.
Warner advised that
he thought it in the best
interest of the process for
the Council to discuss the
matter before the meeting
to gain insight and be pre-
pared for the meeting.
Warner also advised he
thought it would be best if
the Council and the Com-
missioners handled most of
the discussion with him on
hand to help provide fur-
ther information or answer
any questions.
The SAFER grant has
triggered not only the need
to discuss the ASA (am-
bulance service area) but
also how EMS (emergency
medical services) are
delivered throughout the
County.
Earlier this year as both
the City and the County
prepared their 2017-2018
Budgets it became appar-
ent that changes to the 911
center were necessary to
fund the center.
Operation of the center
was returned to the control
of Baker County Sheriff
Travis Ash.
Warner advised that due
to the situation that arose
with the 911 Center dur-
ing the last budget cycle
his opinion was that the
SAFER grant and the 911
budget should be discussed
together and a more sus-
tainable plan be found.
Warner said, “That I
realize that we are going to
have to try to adequately
add resources or cut ex-
penses. Both are extremely
hard to do.”
Warner advised that
some additional resources
becoming available that
were not expected were
monies from a recently
passed transportation bill
via gas taxes and he also
stated that the City was
going to be receiving a
portion of tax money col-
lected from the legal sale
of marijuana.
He made clear that
money estimated to be
around $28,000 would be
a one-time payment since
the City has opted out
of allowing dispensaries
within the City limits.
It was then mentioned
that perhaps that ban on
dispensaries would need to
be revisited.
Warner also advised
Council that there was a
possibility to tap into some
funding from ODOT to
help cover ambulance calls
to public highways.
Mayor Downing said
that the money anticipated
from the gas tax was ear-
marked for the street fund,
councilor Joseph asked,
“If those funds could be
shifted around between de-
partments?” (Such as when
funds are borrowed from
another fund, then repaid
at a later date.)
On a final note, War-
ner told Council that the
Police Department had
just received the resigna-
tion of one of its officers,
Dan Vile, effective Friday
October 13.
He said one idea he
was considering was not
replacing that officer for at
least three months to divert
the cost savings toward
SAFER grant match.
He stated he felt bad
about that option: “Replac-
ing one police officer for
three firefighters.”
Councilor Abell ques-
tioned that strategy,
citing the costs of of-
ficer overtime, which is a
certainty, to cover that lost
position— and would that
really save any money in
the long run?
Also, a public safety fee
was recently implemented
on each sewer/water bill to
assure no police positions
would be cut.
City Manager/Director
Comments
Warner updated Council
on the watershed saying
that he was anticipating a
meeting with Jeff Tomack
in which a fire crew would
tour the watershed and
help identify areas that
could be worked on next
spring to reduce the threat
of catastrophic damage
should there be a fire.
Jeanie Dexter updated
Council on the ambulance
billing that was recently
taken back from a third-
party provider.
She told them she had
found several instances
where the billings had been
rejected and never re billed
so she was anticipating
some additional revenue
from that.
She advised that the new
e-billing the city was doing
seemed to be going well.
She encouraged every-
one to spread the word that
this was available and by
signing up for the service
customers could save $1
on their bill.
SEE CITY COUNCIL
PAGE 9
Drug takeback
scheduled
On Saturday, October 28, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. the
Baker City Police Department and the Drug Enforcement
Administration will give the public its 14th opportunity
in 7 years to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their
homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and un-
wanted prescription drugs. Bring your pills for disposal
to the Baker City Police Department at 1768 Auburn
Avenue, Baker City. (The DEA cannot accept liquids or
needles or sharps, only pills or patches.) The service is
free and anonymous, no questions asked.
Last April Americans turned in 450 tons (900,000
pounds) of prescription drugs at almost 5,500 sites oper-
ated by the DEA and more than 4,200 of its state and lo-
cal law enforcement partners. Overall, in its 13 previous
Take Back events, DEA and its partners have taken in
over 8.1 million pounds—more than 4,050 tons—of pills.
This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public
health issue. Medicines that languish in home cabinets
are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse.
Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are alarming-
ly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and
overdoses due to these drugs. Studies show that a major-
ity of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family
and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet.
In addition, Americans are now advised that their usual
methods for disposing of unused medicines—flushing
them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash—both
pose potential safety and health hazards.
Peck graduates
basic training
Submitted Photo.
Airman Austin Peck.
U.S. Air Force Airman Austin L. Peck has graduated
from basic military training at Joint Base San Antonio-
Lackland, Texas.
The airman completed an intensive, eight-week pro-
gram that included training in military discipline and
studies, Air Force core values, physical fitness, and basic
warfare principles and skills.
Airmen who complete basic training also earn four
credits toward an associate in applied science degree
through the Community College of the Air Force.
Peck is the son of Lance D. Peck of Weiser, Idaho, and
Celinda M. Linscott of Baker City. He is a 2016 graduate
of Baker High School.