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BAKER COUNTY LIBRARY
2400 RESORT ST
BAKER CITY OR 97814-2721
Welcome State
Basketball Teams!
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www.tìiérconline.com
Est. Haines 1901 ~ Haines, Baker County, Oregon
Thursday, March 5, 2015
Firefighters Raise Money
to Climb, Conquer, Cure
Volume 114, Number 10 *12 Pages • 75 cents
Three Local
Events Presented
Ovation Awards
Story and photo by Gina Perkins
Story and photo by Gina Perkins
Ben Decker and Brandon Har-
gous, firefighters and paramedics
with the Baker City Fire Depart­
ment were busy bagging groceries
at Albertsons on Friday to raise
money for the Scott Firefighter
Stairclimb in Seattle this Sunday,
March 8. They, along with Mike
Downing, who is a volunteer fire­
fighter and member of the Baker
City Council, will comprise the
team representing Baker City.
. The men will join 1900 other fire­
fighters from across the country to
climb 788 vertical feet in the Co­
lumbia Center which is located in
downtown Seattle and is the sec­
ond tallest building this side of the
Mississippi. They will climb 69
flights of stairs in full gear. The
event raises money to support the
mission of the Leukemia and Lym­
phoma Society. Money is raised by
individual firefighters, departments
and entry fees. The Baker City
team pays for their own travel and
lodging expenses, according to
Downing.
According to the Scott Firefighter
Stairclimb website, the 2014 event
"featured 1,800 firefighters from
over 300 different departments
arid brought in a record $1.97 mil­
lion for blood-cancer research and
patient services."
Those interested in donating to
the cause can either do so by vis­
iting the website www.llswa. org or
by stopping by the Baker City Fire
Department.
JT
The Oregon Festival and Events Conference held in Seaside this week
selected three Baker County events for Ovation Awards. The East-West
Shrine All Star Football Game earned Best Fundraising Event honors
with Dick Kirby of Baker City representing the organization and
accepting the award.
The Powder River Music Review represented by Lynette Perry
received the Best Music Event and the Hells Canyon Motorcycle Rally
won honors for being the Best Event Under a $150,000 Budget. Kurt
Miller accepted this award.
Remember Daylight
• Savings Time starts
Ben Decker and Brandop Hargous
this Sunday,
March 8
Spring Forward!
Local Men Successful in Getting Bill Introduced to Crack Down on Online Impersonation
Here's Why it Matters
By Gina Perkins
Representative Cliff Bentz (R-Ontario) announced in
a press release that on Feb. 19 he introduced House
Bill 3092, which creates the crime of online imperson­
ation and allows those who have been harmed the right
to sue for damages from the impersonator.
: Rep. Bentz was asked to draft legislation on behalf
:of constituents in Baker County, Mike Rudi and Kevin
Cassidy, who were among several people targeted by
someone posing as outspoken Baker City resident and
historian, Gary Dielman.
When Did the Dielman Impersonation Begin?
It appears the impersonator began targeting individ­
uals for the purpose of gleaning specific information
during the time of the failed and contentious 2012
school board recall. Mark Henderson and Lynne
-Burroughs were the subject of the recall. Dielman
publicly opposed the recall effort and spoke against
those behind it.
Henderson was one of the first people contacted by
the impostor. Because the "real life" Dielman showed
strong support for Henderson, the impostor was
successful in deceiving Henderson and gaining his trust
online. As a result of the deception, Henderson
engaged in lengthy written conversations through
private Facebook messaging for over a year up until the
time it was discovered in June of 2014 that Dielman had
been impersonated.
Who was Targeted?
In addition to Rudi (who was the treasurer for the Fred
Warner Campaign at the time of the Dielman imperson­
ation) and Cassidy, current Vice Chair of the 5J School
Board, names of some of the other people targeted by
the impersonator included: Nanette Lehmen, Oregon
Teacher of the Year from Haines Elementary School
who was also a strong supporter of Henderson and
Burroughs during the recall; Courtney Warner Crowell,
Deputy Communi­
cations Director for
U.S. Senator Jeff
Merkley (D) and
daughter of Fred
Warner, Jr., former
County Commission
Chair; Debi Bainter, Executive Director of the Baker
County Chamber of Commerce; Daniel McQuisten,
owner of Eltrym Theater; Ma'Lena Wirth 2012 5J
District Employee of the Year and current OSEA Vice
President; and Kathy Spence, Baker City Postmaster.
Rosemary Abell, two neighbors of Dielman, a staff
member of the Baker City Herald and the author of this
article (Gina Perkins) were also among the individuals
targeted by the online impersonation.
Not all received or responded to the questions posed
by the impostor.
Crime or Prank?
Rep. Bentz's bill would make any online communica­
tion made with the intent to deceive the recipient into
thinking that the sender is someone else a crime.
Currently, it is not a crime in Oregon but several states
have adopted legislation which has made it a crime.
Random or Specific? In my opinion....
The selection of "Facebook friends" by the impostor
did not seem to be random. Many were either 5J
School Board members or staff members. Other victims
were closely associated with the Fred Warner Jr.,
campaign. Some it appears were simply people the
impostor may have considered to have access to infor­
mation which might be useful in some way. There were
probably a few who stumbled across the "Dielman pro­
file" and sent their own friend request to the impostor.
Many of the questions asked were regarding the
2012 school board recall, school board election rnat-
ters, or the May primary election between Bill Harvey
and Fred Warner, Jr. Some were asked questions per­
taining to the anonymous postcard which was mailed
to voters during the primary regarding Warner.
Questions asked by the impersonator were very
specific in nature and were posed by sending private
Facebook messages.
Who Knows What's in a Facebook Message?
Like a letter that is mailed, only the sender(s) or
recipient(s) are of aware either of the existence of the
message sent or the contents unless 1) the information
is shared by either with a third party or 2) someone is
given access to the "post office box," which in the case
of a Facebook message would mean the electronic
device on which the message(s) are stored and/or the
username and the password to access the account.
That's why it puzzled Henderson how information he
had shared privately with the person he believed to be
Dielman became known to others. Henderson said at
one point he believed his computer had been hacked,
but never once considered that the person he believed
was Dielman might be an impostor.
Did the Impersonator Share the Information
Gleaned?
Based on Henderson's experience and evidence he
provided, it is clear the impostor shared at least some
of the information contained within the private
Facebook messages with others.
Henderson stated specifically that he had received
an "angry message" from Jason Smith, former BHS
teacher who publicly supported the recall, specifically
referencing language contained in a private message
exchange between Henderson and the Dielman impos­
tor. Smith also sent Henderson what appears to be a
screen shot or a photograph of that original exchange.
How Did a Third Party Obtain that Information?
The Record-Courier asked Smith that very question
in Oct. of 2014 in the form of a text message. A text was
sent because an email address was not known and for
reasons of accuracy because the information
exchanged would be in writing. The Record-Courier
clearly was identified as the party sending the message
and requesting the information.
Smith's response when asked who had provided him
information was, "As for my source, it was given to me
in confidence.... Therefore, I must respectfully decline
the request for said information."
Smith also said that he had no idea that Dielman had
been impersonated online with a fake Facebook
account and that his "qualm was with Mark's
comments, not the supposed impostor."
On Nov. 21, 2014, Smith wrote an Op-Ed in the
Baker County Press and stated that he considered the
matter of what he referred to as a 'supposed fake Face­
book account' as nothing more than a high school
prank. Smith also said in that piece that he believed in
accountability.
See IMPERSONATION on pg 2