i Record-Courier
4
Independent
Party Achieves
Major Party
Status
Oregon Secretary of State
Kate Brown today an­
nounced that the Independ­
ent Party of Oregon has
achieved major party status
as of Feb. 2, 2015. Major
party status is subject to a
statutorily required re-verifi­
cation on the 274th day be­
fore the next Primary
election.
Oregon law requires that a
major political party have
membership totalling at
least five percent of the
number of registered voters
in the most recent General
Election. Based on the offi­
cial results of the 2014 Gen­
eral Election, a major
political party must have at
least 108,739 members.
On Feb. 2, the Independ­
ent Party of Oregon had
108,742 members. On that
date, a party official inquired
about, the process for the
Secretary of State to offi­
cially determine that the
party had met the major
party threshold.
Accordingly, as of Feb. 2,
2015, the Independent Party
of Oregon is a major political
party in Oregon, subject to
the re-verification of that sta­
tus as a major political party
on Aug. 17, 2015.
»
DOM
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• 35mm Slides
to Digital
• Consignments
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Tues - Fri 11-5:30
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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 12,2015
■■MHnHBHNBMI
II
Sat 11
—
2450 Cherry Street
Baker City
V^Oi^YY.
WIVES !in(1 a
SpJ-ASM
Property Identified
as Illegal Drug Lab
Site
On Feb. 4,2015 at about 12:50 p.m. Baker City Police and Fire
Departments were dispatched to 301 2nd Street for the report of
a “strong smell of ammonia." Upon arrival units could see a
gaseous cloud rising from the back of that residence. That gas
was later confirmed to be Anhydrous Ammonia.
Upon arrival, Officer Mike Lary observed two male subjects
near the origin of the gas cloud and called them away. One
subject was identified as 45 year old Kenneth Roy Street, who is
listed as living at 2275 19th Street in Baker City. Street was
subsequently found to be in possession of Methamphetamine
and was taken into custody for Unlawful Possession of a
Controlled Substance. Street was decontaminated at the scene
by Baker City Fire and then transported to the Hospital where he
was treated and released for exposure to Anhydrous Ammonia:
The second subject was 52 year old David A Baggerly, who is
the home owner at 301 2nd Street. Baggerly was-questioned at
the scene and released, after refusing medical attention. Based
on the belief the gas release was Anhydrous Ammonia, and the
reports of suspicious traffic to that residence, an Oregon State
Police Drug Enforcement Section Clandestine Lab Team was
requested and subsequently responded from Central Oregon.
Upon service of a search warrant, the team was able to confirm
the gas was Anhydrous Ammonia, which had been released from
a large metal container. A second container, which also appeared
to contain Anhydrous Ammonia, was discovered in the back of a
van in front of that residence. The OSP Team summoned an
Environmental Cleanup Crew out of Portland, which arrived in
Baker City at about 8:30 a.m. on Feb. 5, 2015. That crew
rendered both containers safe.
The Environmental Cleanup Crew confirmed that the second
container also contained Anhydrous Ammonia, which is a
component commonly associated with labs that are designed to
manufacture Methamphetamine. While searching the residence,
in conjunction with the search warrant, officers also located
additional items that are components typically associated with
labs that are designed to manufacture Methamphetamine. Based
on that discovery, the property and residence at 301 2nd Street
has been posted as an “Illegal Drug Lab Site."
Until state requirements are met by the property owners,
anyone found on that property will be arrested for Criminal
Trespass 1. The Baker City Police Department is continuing the
service of search warrants at 301 2nd Street and other locations
This investigation will be ongoing and additional arrests are likely.
Turbo Helps Make
Arrest
, ■■■Q n-E«tewr&;i20'l'6 . a t a bouL8 p.m. BGPD Det. Bass stopped a
vehicle driven by Alexander Prentice Griffin on Campbell Street
near Walnut Street in Baker City, Oregon for multiple traffic
violations. While Det. Bass was completing the traffic stop BCPD
Officer Weaver deployed K-9 “Turbo” around the vehicle. Turbo
“alerted” on the vehicle. More than one ounce of Methampheta­
mine and just under an ounce of Marijuana was seized. Alexander
Griffin was lodged at the Baker County Jail for Possession and
Delivery of Methamphetamine. This investigation is continuing.
• Sheet, Towel and
Comforter Sets
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and MUCH MORE!
Wed-Sat 10-4
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February 25th
2304 Broadway St., Baker City
Bell, Kimberly
T
DOB: 08/31/1986
Sex: Female
Race: White
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Brown
Height: 5'6"
Weight: 200
Convictions: Theft I
■ The_____
person above ......................
has criminal war-
» rants. If you see this person, do not at-
tempt to apprehend them yourself. If you
, 3 know where this person may be, contact
■ Parole and Probation at 541-523-8217
Hr or your nearest police department. You
V may also e-mail parole@bakercounty.
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Narcotic
Arrests
Made
On Feb. 10, 2015 at about
7:15 p.m., nine Baker City
Police Officers, supported
by two La Grande Police
Officers and one Union
County Sheriff’s Deputy,
arrested 38 year old Jose
Daniel Padilla-Albrido for
Conspiracy to Deliver a
Controlled
Substance
(Methamphetamine) and for
a Parole Violation.
Subsequently, Baker City
Police served a se’arch
warrant on Padilla-Albrido’s
residence at 3025 D Street,
along with six vehicles
located at that residence.
BCPD
officers
seized
approximately half a pound
of Methamphetamine in the
search, along with all six
vehicles and other associ­
ated evidence. This investi­
gation will be ongoing and
additional arrests are likely.
COMMISSIONERS
continued from page 2
Photo by Emily Braswell
The County Commission Chamber was full at last Wednesday's
meeting.
Commissioner Bill Harvey addressed the audience stating, “As most
of you may understand, the Forest Service has to have a MoU in order
to conduct projects. It had expired, so they circulated another one for
the counties to sign. The problem with that is they already have their
plan done, so they are basically asking us to agree to what they put to­
gether. . .We don’t agree with the Forest Revision Plan, as it is, so we
cannot, in good conscience, be a part of the Forest Revision Plan as
provided by the Forest Service.”
The Blue Mountain Forest counties who sign the new MoU will be
bound to “coordinate with the USFS to complete Blue Mountain Forest
planning activities, accept the designation as a cooperating agency fot
the Blue Mountain Forest planning effort and recognize that particiJ
paring as a cooperating agency during the planning effort does not con­
fer standing to appeal or litigate any decision resulting from the Blue
Mountain Forest planning effort.”
Letter Drafted from Commissioners to Forest Supervisor
To officially withdraw from the MoU, the Commissioners prepared
a letter to Wallowa-Whitman National Forest Supervisor, Tom Mon­
toya, which listed five reasons why the county had made the decision
to withdraw. The letter addressed the USFS never coordinating with
Baker County’s natural resource plan and how only the county’s resi­
dents truly know what is best for their forests and natural resources,
including those on national forest lands. It asserts the county does not
agree with the USFS becoming the lead agency and holding all au­
thority for management decision making. The final reason offers to
coordinate with any government agency only if they follow the 1976
Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA), as Baker County
Ordinance dictates.
FLPMA of 1976
The FLPMA of 1976 requires the BLM and USFS to manage its
lands for multiple use and sustained yield and to balance competing
resource interests, including historical, ecological, environmental and
archaeological values.
Baker County, along with its neighbors, has provided input to the
USFS adamantly declaring their disapproval of the draft plans over
the past few years, to the point where the Eastern Oregon Counties As­
sociation requested that the USFS just start the revision over from
scratch. The USFS declined to do so.
Baker County, specifically, has spent a lot of staff time and money :
“and it appears all for naught, actually, and even worse than that, be- ;
cause all of our feelings were very optimistic, but as we saw the end
product none of the benchmarks the county had put out there were
even addressed,” Commissioner Mark Bennett added. Alternative D
>of the BMFP revision, which wa§ formulated by the counties, remains :
only an alternative and was never considered an option to include in
the revision.
“One of the things that personally bothered me was that at no time
did those involved in the revision effort come out and just talk to the
people on the ground; whom this plan affects,” said Bennett. “At this
point, I cannot, in good faith, move forward on something that isn’t
representing what all of us, as a community, want...”
“I agree with both of you wholeheartedly...,” remarked Commis­
sioner Tim Kerns. “It’s been real frustrating, because this whole thing
started at least 13 years ago and they haven’t done anything that en- :
courages us. So I am all for this.”
What's Next?
Harvey opened the floor to citizen testimony and many positive re­
sponses were heard from all who spoke. Although there was no dissent
to opting out of the MoU, there were concerns about what steps need
to be taken next and an underlying worry that the county will, in •
essence, remove any rights to have a voice over USFS land by taking :
this step back.
Harvey answered, “What we’re going to do in Baker County is what ;
we have been tasked to do, and that is to pursue our natural resource
plan...We are supposed to be following the laws of Baker County.” He
continued with an explanation of how the FLPMA protects the coun­
ties from being completely pushed out of the federal land management
process.
Section 202 of the FLPMA, to which Harvey was referring, de- !
scribes the coordination policies as follows: “In implementing this di- :
rective, the Secretary shall, to the extent he finds practical, keep ;
apprised of state, local, and tribal land use plans; assure that consider­
ation is given to those state, local, and tribal plans that are germane in
the development of land use plans for public lands; assist in resolving, ■
to tiie extent practical, inconsistencies between Federal and non-Fed- •
eral Government plans, and shall provide for meaningful public in- ;
volvement of state and local government officials, both elected and
appointed, in the development of land use programs, land use regula- ;
tions, and land use decisions for public lands, including early public
notice of proposed decisions which may have a significant impact on
non-Federal lands. Such officials in each state are authorized to furnish
advice to the Secretary with respect to the development and revision
of land use plans, land use guidelines, land use rules, and land use reg­
ulations for the public lands within such state and with respect to such
other land use matters as may be referred to them by him. Land use !
plans of the Secretary under this section shall be consistent with state“
and local plans to the maximum extent he finds consistent with Federal*
law and the purposes of this Act.”
Baker County’s decision to withdraw from the MoU is only the first-
step in a process that will take some extra time and effort to develop. ~
Code Red Explained
Director for the Baker County 911 Consolidated Dispatch, Sheila
Thompson, gave her department update. She described Baker County’s ,
new emergency response system called Code Red. The reverse-911,
system was obtained with a grant that will pay for two years of use.-
Anyone can sign up to receive texts, phone calls and/or emails when­
ever the emergency response is triggered. Incidents that could set off
the notifications could include hazmat accidents, neighborhood inci­
dents, flooding, tornadoes, earthquakes, etc. Due to the high number
of landline to cell phone switches, they will be making outreach efforts
through the community centers and assisted living homes, and through
each of the rural fire programs. Be on the lookout for fliers that detail
how to get registered in the Code Red system. Registration ensures
citizens know who is calling them so the call can be answered. The
system will not leave messages on answering machines or voice mail.
The dispatch center employees work 12-hour shifts and, though not
always possible, they are scheduled in an attempt to have two dispatch- _•
ers working at all times. Thompson plans to request one more position
during budget planning so that the center can be have full time, two-
person shifts.
See COMMISSIONERS on page 5