THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS — 3
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2017
Business / Agriculture
Benchmark moves to Dewey
BY SAMANTHA
O’CONNER
From last week:
Barley Straw / Utility
60 40.00-40.00 40.00
USDA Market News Service—AMS.USDA.gov
— Cattle Market Report —
Samantha O’Conner / The Baker County Press
on elevations and those are
always done for various
reasons,” explained Hat-
field.
They also do FEMA
flood elevation surveys
to find if a house is in a
flood plain, finding the true
elevation of the house for
the survey.
“What we can deter-
mine—sometimes—is
that perhaps, yeah maybe
that flood plain layer is
there but, actually, we’re
finding that the house and
the property is higher than
what they thought and, so,
it’s out of it by elevation,”
said Hatfield.
Benchmark also offers
mortgage surveys where
people want to build a
house on property they
have purchased.
Hatfield explained that
they also do easements,
legal descriptions for prop-
erty transactions, and water
rights.
Benchmark’s main office
is in John Day, Ore., and in
2008 they began a satellite
office in Baker City in the
Basche Sage Mall.
Co-owner Hatfield said
that February 2016, they
decided they needed a full
time presence in Baker.
Hatfield and Mike
Springer are the found-
ers of Benchmark Land
Surveying.
Before establishing
Benchmark, they were co-
workers for Bagett-Griffith
& Blackman.
Fogerson, who’s worked
for Wells Fargo for just
over four years, said,
“We’re always examining
our network—examining
traffic data, and customer
patterns,” and to have
branches located, “...where
it makes the most sense.
In some cases, we see that
traffic switches to mobile,
or online, or, traffic pat-
terns are shifting.”
Branch Manager Heidi
Quintela said, “I know that
when Bank of America
closed (it was located
at Washington Avenue
and Resort Street), we
absorbed a lot of their cus-
tomers, and now, we have
to tell them about this hap-
pening again, and it’s defi-
nitely unfortunate. I know
some customers have been
banking with Wells Fargo
for over 40 years, since
they were teens.”
Quintela has worked for
Wells Fargo for 11 years,
first as a part-time Teller
since January 30, 2007,
working her way up to
Branch Manager, a posi-
tion she’s held since May
5, 2011.
In May 1998, the branch
was relocated from the
current Umpqua Bank
location (and old Pioneer
Bank, which Wells Fargo
acquired) at Washington
Avenue and 1st Street, to
the north side of the 35,862
square foot Safeway build-
ing, built in 1977, and
owned by Boca Raton,
Florida-based Muffrey,
LLC.
The branch employees
eight “Team Members,”
including Quintela, a Ser-
vice Manager, two Bank-
ers, and four tellers.
Quintela said it was
a shock to learn of the
branch closure, espe-
cially with the next closest
branch located at Adams
Avenue and Fir Street,
in La Grande—45 miles
north of Baker City.
The La Grande branch
is a stand-alone, 6,946
square foot building, built
in 1974, and owned by
First Interstate Bank Of
Oregon (Wells Fargo ac-
quired Fist Interstate).
“It was a business deci-
sion with Wells Fargo,
with that lease coming
up,” in early May, which
Quintela understood was
the main reason why the
branch is closing. “If we
have some people who
want to relocate, Wells
Fargo’s all about retaining
them. But, three of us just
bought houses here, so,
you know, this is kind of
home for us, so, we’ll be
looking for a different ca-
reer, a different direction.”
She said she doesn’t know
yet whether she plans to
stay in banking, or to pur-
sue other opportunities.
While saddened by the
closure, on a more positive
Wednesday, November 15, 2017
Vale, Oregon
Cattle sold through the auction: 3,235
Jason Hatfield, co-owner of Benchmark Land Surveying.
Springer and Hatfield
bought out their previ-
ous boss, Bob Bagett, and
established Benchmark.
“A benchmark is some-
thing that is very iden-
tifiable as a land survey
monument and typically
a benchmark, as the name
implies, it’s held to a high-
er standard than maybe
some other monuments,”
said Hatfield. “It’s kind of
saying there’s a standard
there that we always want
to meet and we never want
to go below that standard.”
Hatfield explained that
they had historically served
Grant, Wheeler, and Gil-
liam Counties then Harney
County before receiving
calls and inquiries for do-
ing surveys in Baker City.
Wells Fargo branch to close
CONTINUED FROM
PAGE 1
Friday, November 17, 2017 — Eastern Oregon
Prices trended generally steady in a limited test.
Retail/Stable type hay remains the largest demanded
hay. Many hay producers have sold out for the
year. Recent showers and snow has hampered hay
movement.
Tons Price Range Wtd Avg
Alfalfa Small Square Good
40 130.00-130.00 130.00
Samantha@TheBakerCountyPress.com
Benchmark Land Sur-
veying has moved to a new
location at 1027 Dewey
Avenue.
“We’ve moved loca-
tions, we’re somewhat new
here although we’ve had a
presence here since 2008,”
explained owner Jason
Hatfield. “But now we’re
full time here.”
Benchmark offers dif-
ferent services and most
of what they do are land
surveys. Hatfield explained
that they can establish
where a landowner’s cor-
ners or property lines are.
“Anywhere from a small
lot, small land owners in
town, all the way out to do-
ing large scale properties,
ranches and we do subdivi-
sions and things like that,”
explained Hatfield. “That’s
all kind of in the realm of
boundary surveys.”
They also do property
line adjustments. Hatfield
explained that if two
neighbors agree on one
selling the other some of
their land, they can adjust
the line and that usually
has to be surveyed.
Outside of boundary
surveys, they also do
topographic surveys where
they capture all the physi-
cal features on the ground
such as buildings, utilities,
and elevation.
“We’ll actually create
topographic maps based
— Weekly Hay Report —
note, Quintela said, “I
can tell that we’ve been
growing steadily, over the
last ten years or so. I’ve
seen growth, for as long as
I’ve been here. We really
pride ourselves on good
customer service; custom-
ers’ families and friends,
sending them our way,
because of our service, is a
big thing.”
SEE WELLS FARGO
PAGE 7
Steer Calves
300-400# Bulk 181.00-213.00 Top 217.00
400-500# Bulk 151.00-216.00 Top 217.50
500-600# Bulk 141.00-163.50 Top 164.75
Heifer Calves
300-400# Bulk 153.00-186.00 Top 189.00
400-500# Bulk 137.00-168.00 Top 169.00
500-600# Bulk 127.00-140.00 Top 142.00
Yearling Steers
600-700# Bulk 138.00-157.00 Top 159.25
700-800# Bulk 131.00-153.00 Top 154.50
800-900# Bulk 129.00-136.00 Top 138.00
900-1,000# Bulk 118.00-132.00 Top 134.00
Yearling Heifers
600-700# Bulk 135.00-147.00 Top 148.00
700-800# Bulk 126.00-141.00 Top 144.00
800-900# Bulk N/A Top N/A
900-1,000# Bulk N/A Top N/A
Thin Shelly Cows 39.00-55.00
Butcher Cows 59.00-69.00
Butcher Bulls 52.00-75.00
Stock Cows N/A
Younger Hfrts. 75.00-91.00
Stock Cows Young - N/A
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: $1,291.10
Silver: $17.21
Platinum: $939.50
Palladium: $1004.55
Bloomberg.com
— Ag Commodities —
Corn: $356.50/bu/USD
Wheat: $441.75/bu/USD
Soybeans: $996.75/bu/USD
Oats: $271.50 bu/USD
Rough Rice: $12.41/cwt/USD
Canola: $515.50 CAD/mwt
Live Cattle: $125.70//lb./USD
Feeder Cattle: $153.63/lb./USD
Lean Hogs: $67.70/lb./USD
Bloomberg.com