FRIDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2017
THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS — 5
Local
Fighting the good fight
Ferrioli
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
CONTINUED FROM
PAGE 1
Carpenter said there were
approximately 3,000 U.S.
military personnel living
on the base in Kandahar,
along with civilian contrac-
tors.
“They added about an-
other thousand right after I
left,” Carpenter said.
Their goal in Afghanistan
is simple on paper—to
push back ISIS.
Carpenter said U.S.
forces often worked with
the Afghan National Army
(ANA) on missions to gain
back ground against the
terrorist invaders.
“Up north at Dwyer,”
she said, “so many were
killed that the ANA didn’t
want to go back up there.
They’re scared and didn’t
want to be killed.”
Carpenter recalls being
“mortared” by ISIS, but
not seeing the enemy up
close and personal.
“They hit some barriers
and the flight line,” she
said, “but nothing impor-
tant.”
Carpenter actually
enjoyed such missions, Ex-
peditionary Advisory Pack-
age deployments, or EAPs,
during which they would
move forward on the
ground and sit in a location
for several days at a stretch
to help tactically advise the
ANA, or respond in case
of emergencies, a strategy
the U.S. military switched
to in Afghanistan several
years ago.
Her primary purpose,
however was transporting
patients via helicopter—up
Submitted Photo.
Carpenter stands with two of her crew mates in Tarinkot, Afghanistan, a former
Australia military post.
to a capacity of four at a
time.
“We could carry two litter
patients and two walking
wounded at a time,” she
said. “Thank goodness it
was slow.”
Carpenter estimates
one or two transports per
month during which she
would hoist the patients
one hundred feet up to the
helicopter.
The toughest incident
she handled involved a
nineteen-year-old man who
had been killed in action
or KIA.
“The flag had already
been draped over him,” she
said quietly.
The troops looked to
life’s smaller joys to offset
the tragedy at times.
“Porcupines!” Carpenter
said. “They have porcu-
pines in Afghanistan just
like we have here—except
bigger.”
Also bigger—the spiders.
“Camel spiders,” she said.
“Big. Ugly.”
Carpenter also turned to
positive memories, such as
seeing Mt. Rushmore from
the air, circling the monu-
ment twice via helicopter.
“We got to fly across
the country,” she said.
This flight went along
with a stay in the Mojave
Desert in 2016 to train in
conditions similar to those
in Afghanistan prior to
deployment.
She also has fond memo-
ries of the bread pudding
at the base in Kandahar,
and grateful recollections
of indoor plumbing that
meant avoiding travel to
outdoor trailers in order to
shower.
After leaving Afghani-
stan, Carpenter was sent to
Kuwait for transfer, then a
17-hour-flight to Germany,
which ended up in Maine,
and from there to Ft. Hood
Texas for debriefing for
about a week.
When asked, she said she
has no plans for another
overseas deployment.
“But I would go back
if they asked me to,” she
concluded.
Because Ferrioli is a Republican, his replacement must
also be a Republican.
Ferrioli’s Senate District 30 includes all of Baker,
Harney, Grant, Malheur, Wheeler, and Jefferson counties.
Partial counties included fall in Deschutes, Wasco and
Lake counties. Strangely, the District also includes small
geographic strips inside the borders of two other counties,
but those have no PCP representation.
During the nominating convention, PCPs will cast votes,
which are weighted by the population in their respective
precincts, for their preferred nominees. While legal to
select up to five nominees, standard policy, and the legal
option previously taken in such situations, is to select just
the top three vote-getters.
Baker County has one of the largest groups of elected
PCPs within SD30—and one of the largest number of
PCPs traveling to the convention. Thus, Baker County
has the potential to greatly sway the outcome of the
process.
Ferrioli has clearly stated that he will step back and not
endorse any nominee who emerges. Organizations such
as the Oregon Cattlemen’s Association say they’re open
to endorsing multiple candidates. As of print, Oregon
Right to Life representatives stated they had not officially
endorsed any candidate, despite politically mailings to the
contrary.
Rep. Cliff Bentz from Ontario has expressed interest
in Ferrioli’s senate seat for quite some time, and almost
immediately began campaigning for the position. How-
ever, according to multiple sources, Bentz will not be
the sole competitor. To date, approximately five other
candidates have stated they are likely to file the appropri-
ate paperwork prior to Saturday’s convention. One of
those candidates, Mike Shirtcliff of Redmond, a distant
relative of Baker County District Attorney Matt Shirtcliff,
announced his candidacy Tuesday.
Mule deer
poached
Turkey Trot brings in 600 lbs.
of food for the needy
BY SAMANTHA
O’CONNER
Samantha@TheBakerCountyPress.
com
Last Thursday morning,
runners and walkers lined
up outside of Kicks Sports-
wear for the 10th Annual
Turkey Trot 5K Run/Walk
to kick off Thanksgiving.
The Turkey Trot was
presented by Northeast Or-
egon Compassion Center
and organized by Brian and
Corrine Vegter, who also
started the annual event.
“We had been told about
the Compassion Center
through Kathleen Chaves,”
explained Brian Vegter.
“The idea behind the
Turkey Trot in general,
like across the country is
that there’s a way to raise
money, generate food for
food banks, and do some-
thing fun and active before
we go and sit down for a
big meal.”
According to Brain
Vegter, this year had the
second largest turnout in
the race’s history with 516
registered, 160 of which
signed up the morning of
the trot, and 16 registered
teams.
This year, more than six
hundred pounds of food
was donated to the food
bank run by the NEOCC.
Brian and Corrine
estimated over $5,500 was
Photo courtesy of OSP.
Three deer were shot and or run over near Hunt
Mountain.
Samantha O’Conner / The Baker County Press
Best Costume Winners: The Mythical Magic team.
raised this year from entry
fees, donations, and spon-
sorships, bringing the races
contribution to the commu-
nity around $50,000 in its
ten year history.
A new course record was
set, for the second year
in a row, in the women’s
field by Rachel Roelle of
Anchorage, Alaska with
a time of 20:57 beating
her previous record 21:27
by 30 seconds. In second
place was Lydia Anderson
with a time of 21:49 and
in third place was Anika
Anderson with a time of
21:50.
In the men’s field, local
Nic Maszk came in first
place for his fifth Turkey
Trot with a time of 17:57.
In second place was Kale
Cassidy with a time of
19:20 and in third place
was Lucas Sterns with a
time of 20:14.
In the team category, 50
Shades of Gravy came in
first, The Tater Trots in
second, and Struttin Our
Stuffin in third.
Best costume went to the
Mythical Magic.
Fastest runner with dogs
was again Michelle Bou-
dreau with a time of 24:19,
almost a minute faster than
2016.
The fastest runner with
a stroller was Peter Fago
with a time of 23:24.
Volunteers who helped
with the event included at
least 11 people on traf-
fic control, six to ten who
helped with the finish
line area, and others who
helped serve food and bev-
erages to participants.
Organizers would like
to thank the community,
volunteers, participants and
their sponsors for the con-
tinued support and to re-
mind people that NEOCC
accepts food donations all
year long at 1250 Hughes
Lane in Baker City.
County needs two volunteers
Baker County is seek-
ing two volunteers for
the Transportation/Traffic
Safety Committee. The
Committee is seeking
representation from the
following categories:
1. Volunteer must own or
use a Commercial Mo-
tor Vehicle within Baker
County.
2. Volunteer must be a
senior citizen in Baker
County without public
transportation.
Volunteer forms can
be found at www.baker-
county.org/commissioners.
For additional information
please contact the Com-
missioner’s Office at 541-
523-8200 or by emailing
hmartin@bakercounty.org.
The Oregon State Police Fish and Wildlife Division in
Baker City is asking for the public's assistance in locating
the person(s) responsible for the unlawful taking and
waste of three mule deer (one buck, two does) that were
discovered on private property off of Hunt Mountain
Lane.
A Fish and Wildlife Officer responded to the call on
Saturday November 25th and believes this happened
after dark on Friday night November 24th. The officer
located two mule deer does that were shot, driven over
by a vehicle, and left to waste. The officer also located a
buck that was shot, had the antlers removed, and was left
to waste.
A reward is being offered by the Oregon Hunters Asso-
ciation through the Turn-In-Poachers (T.I.P.) program for
any information leading to an arrest in this or any other
wildlife case. Callers can remain anonymous. The T.I.P.
program number is 1-800-452-7888.
Anyone with any information is encouraged to contact
either the TIP hotline or by calling Sergeant Cyr at the
Oregon State Police Worksite in Baker City at 541-523-
5867 extension 4170.
The Oregon Hunters Association offers rewards to per-
sons, through their T.I.P. fund, for information leading to
the issuance of a citation to a person(s), or an arrest made
of a person(s) for illegal possession, killing, or taking of
bighorn sheep, mountain goat, moose, elk, deer, antelope,
bear, cougar, wolf, furbearers and/or upland game birds
and water fowl. T.I.P. rewards can also be paid for the
illegal taking, netting, snagging, and/or dynamiting of
game fish, and/or shell fish, and for the destruction of
habitat.
In addition rewards may be paid for information lead-
ing to the issuance of a citation to a person(s), or an arrest
made of a person(s) who have illegally obtained Oregon
hunting/angling license or tags. People who "work" the
system and falsely apply for resident license or tags are
not legally hunting or angling and are considered poach-
ers.
Rewards: Bighorn sheep, mountain goat, moose $1,000;
Elk, deer, antelope $500; Bear, cougar, wolf $300
Habitat destruction $300; Illegally obtaining Oregon
hunting or angling license or tags $200; Game fish, shell
fish $100; Upland birds, waterfowl $100; Furbearers
$100.
T.I.P. Hotline: 1-800-452-7888 (24/7). T.I.P. E-mail:
TIP@state.or.us (Monitored M-F 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.)