OFF PAGE ONE
Saturday, September 18, 2021
East Oregonian
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Race:
Vendors:
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Some call it North Amer-
ica’s original extreme sport.
For Pendleton Round-Up
attendees, the Indian Relay
Race has become one
of the most popular and
exhilarating events during
the week-long rodeo. For
the competitors, the race
symbolizes many things: a
pure adrenaline rush; a way
to connect with family and
their culture; a way to bond
with the horses that almost
all of them grew up riding.
“We’re thankful for the
horse,” said Dallas Dubray,
from Browning, Montana,
of the Blackfeet Indian
Reservation. “It’s a power-
ful animal. It’s sacred. It
took care of us for genera-
tions.”
Dubray competes with
Carlson Relay, one of the
many teams that traveled
from far and wide to make
this year’s races the most
competitive yet. Several
former champions were
part of the lineup, including
Johnathan Abrahamson,
who estimated he’s won
the Round-Up more than a
dozen times.
“Us Natives hold our
horses because of compe-
tition and culture,” said
Chazz Racine, of Carlson
Relay, the 2019 Round-Up
relay champion.
But walking through the
small lot where teams camp
between races, it isn’t imme-
diately obvious these teams
are some of the fastest in the
circuit.
The racers lounge on
foldable chairs near their
trailers. Some smoke and
chew tobacco. They feed
and tend to their horses
while listening to a mixture
of Native songs and AC/
DC. Tents line the roads
and small dogs scamper
about. A few of them stuff
sage into their boots and say
prayers for safety and “to be
connected with the earth,”
said Slew Costel of Carlson
Relay.
“Lots of us, we grew up
doing it, riding horses,” said
Casey Nissen, the leader of
Cayuse Express. “It kept us
out of mischief.”
Nissen is from Omak,
Washington, on the Colville
John Gilsdorf, a church
volunteer, said Athena Chris-
tian Church is the second
oldest vendor on the Round-Up
Grounds. They’ve long sold ice
cream to fund their Young Disci-
ples youth program, with the
proceeds of Round-Up usually
paying for the program’s entire
annual budget. Gilsdorf said
he was initially concerned that
COVID-19 might affect sales,
but business at the ice cream
booth has been brisk.
“I think people are ready to
get back to normal,” he said.
“And who doesn’t love ice
cream?”
When the Round-Up Asso-
ciation decided to cancel last
year’s rodeo due to the virus,
the rodeo association quickly
pivoted to a new initiative: Let’er
Buck Cares. The charity initia-
tive raised nearly $1 million for
organizations, groups and busi-
nesses affected by the rodeo’s
cancelation, with a special
focus on the community vendors
within the Round-Up Grounds.
Many of the vendors said the
Let’er Buck Cares grant they
received was an important life-
line for them in 2020. But with
the rodeo back, not every group
was rebounding as strongly.
Every year during Round-Up
week, the Veterans of Foreign
Wars Post 922 takes over Still-
man Park to cook up the Cowboy
Breakfast, an event to offer locals
and visitors some pancakes,
ham and coffee before the day’s
events. It is the VFW’s only fund-
raiser, and although the Cowboy
Breakfast is back this year,
Commander Clifford Smith said
attendance was running below
average the first half of the week.
Smith said one reason the
Cowboy Breakfast might be
getting less than the 900 to 1,000
people it sees per day is there
were no exchange students visit-
ing from Minamisoma, Japan,
this year. He also was concerned
about how forecasted rain might
affect attendance Sept. 18. While
it has the benefit of a picnic shel-
ter, the event is otherwise all
outdoors.
“It’s a gamble every year
because of the weather,” Smith
said.
With Round-Up attendance
typically peaking Sept. 17 and
18, Smith is hoping business will
increase the second half of the
week.
Shortage:
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During much of the rest of
that year, and continuing into
2021, the number of custom-
ers at Baker County’s various
restaurants was limited due to
the county’s COVID-19 risk
level.
Those restrictions meant
it wasn’t feasible to reopen
Sumpter Junction, Tyler
Brown said.
Risk levels and restau-
rant limits ended June 30,
but Brown said it remains a
struggle to keep a sufficient
workforce to operate Barley
Brown’s Brew Pub and Tap
House, separate establish-
ments, both owned by the
family’s Windmill Enter-
prises LLC, on Main Street
in downtown Baker City.
In fact, Brown said the
situation has worsened in the
past month or so since the
governor required people to
wear masks in most public
indoor settings, including
restaurants.
Brown said he has lost a
couple employees who simply
refuse to continue working
while required to wear a mask
throughout their shift.
“I know it’s frustrating for
everyone,” he said.
Wearing masks isn’t the
only thing that discourages
workers, Brown said.
It’s also stressful for
employees to enforce the
mandate with customers,
some of whom refuse to
comply.
“It definitely wears on
(employees),” Brown said.
In addition, Brown said
he recently had four employ-
ees, all of whom are fully
vaccinated, test positive for
COVID-19.
Although none had severe
symptoms, they had to miss
work for 10 days, which
forced a reduction in his
restaurants’ hours.
The surge in COVID-
19 cases driven by the more
Ben Lonergan/East Oregonian
Andrew Whiteman of Nespelem, Washington, rides Thunder around the track Thursday, Sept. 16, 2021, in the final leg
of the Indian Relay Race at the Pendleton Round-Up.
Reservation. He is a thinly
muscular man with the
massive hands of one who
has tussled with many large
animals. For 40 years, he
was a bullfighter and also
competed in saddle bronc.
At 62, he has seven children,
and hopes to start bullfight-
ing again soon, perhaps
when he retires from racing.
Nissen works as a
contractor on the reserva-
tion and, in his spare time,
runs a nonprofit program
where he brings young
people, people who strug-
gle with substance abuse
and incarcerated people out
to train wild horses.
“They know this horse
Ben Lonergan/East Oregonian
has hardly been handled, Casey Nissen, of Omak, Washington, wraps the ankles of his horse Dusty Dan in advance
and the reward they get of the Indian Relay Race Thursday, Sept. 16, 2021, at the Pendleton Round-Up
for achieving each step
along the way is amazing,” do, they wave a stick with a ‘Man, you’re a badass moose, elk and deer.
Nissen said. “Our program noisy gadget on the end in leader. You’re smarter than
“It takes their mind off
is so badass. We establish front of the horse to direct me. You’re more athletic.’ racing,” said Dubray. “They
communication, open the them. It’s a method requir- Then, when you take off have more than one job.”
soul of a person. It’s crazy, ing great patience, he said, walking they come with
Each of the riders said
all it can do, because we and it’s meant to convince you. You stop, they stop. riding horses from a young
have the soul of that horse the horse they are a good You run, they run. Just like age was how they got into
that’s helping us.”
leader. It’s also meant to they do with their leader in racing.
Nissen, like many of the
“It’s in our blood,”
other competitors, sees his teach people self-esteem, the herd. It’s unbelievable.”
Dubray,
from
the
Black-
Nissen
said.
confidence
and
long-term
horses as much more than
feet
Reservation,
said
his
To
them,
racing provides
gratification,
something
just a way to race. So when
he trains wild horses with Nissen finds essential in horses are strong because an opportunity to bond with
they do much more than just their horse and their fami-
students, he does so using today’s digital age.
“We’ve
had
over
1,000
race. From their home at the lies. And as the sport is
a method involving what he
students
now
without
one
foothills of Glacier National growing larger and more
calls a “magic wand.”
Instead of running the ambulance run, and it’s all Park’s towering peaks, they competitive, they expect
horse into the ground and because this is so success- ride for miles, herding cattle events like the Round-Up
fatiguing them, like others ful,” he said. “They think, and buffalo and hunting relays to follow suit.
contagious delta variant has
affected other restaurants in
Baker City.
Dairy Queen, for instance,
posted a sign on its window
stating that the restaurant
would be closed for two
weeks, starting Sept. 3, due
to staffing shortages result-
ing from COVID-19. Dairy
Queen is slated to reopen,
with regular hours, on Sept.
18.
Some employers have
attributed the workforce
shortage to expanded federal
unemployment payments.
But even though those
benefits ended in early
September, Brown said he’s
not optimistic that this will
result in an influx of poten-
tial workers.
The scarcity of workers
has had an obvious effect on
the restaurant sector, with
many businesses, in Baker
City and elsewhere, reduc-
ing hours, and in many cases
closing altogether on some
days.
Hungry for workers
Among Eastern Oregon
counties, Baker County
saw the largest percent-
age decrease of workers
employed in the leisure and
hospitality industry, dropping
nearly 17%, or 120 workers,
between July 2019 and July
2021. Harney County saw an
increase of 3%, or 10 work-
ers during the same time
period, and Umatilla County
saw the largest total decrease
of employment in the sector,
losing 180 jobs from July
2019 to July 2021.
Across all industries in
Eastern Oregon, leisure and
hospitality saw the biggest
decrease in employment
from July 2019 to July 2021,
dropping 8.2% from its 2019
levels for a total loss of 570
jobs. The second hardest hit
industry was manufacturing,
which saw a 6.6% decrease
along the same time period
for a total loss of 570 jobs
as well. Compared to the
rest of the state in regards to
Alex Wittwer/EO Media Group
A “closed’ sign reflects in the mirror on Wednesday, Sept. 14,
202, 1at the Sumpter Junction restaurant in Baker City. The
restaurant has been closed for 18 months due to the pan-
demic and inability to find workers.
employment, however, the
leisure and hospitality indus-
tries were in far less dire
straits in Eastern Oregon —
Oregon overall saw nearly
a 20% decrease in employ-
ment within the sector; far
above any other industry with
regards to job losses.
Other Eastern Oregon
counties didn’t fare much
better. Union registered a
10.3% drop in leisure and
hospitality workers since
July 2019. Malheur County,
which borders Idaho and
remained open for much of
the pandemic, saw a 9.75%
decrease in the sector, while
Umatilla County saw a
6.8% drop, beating out the
regional average. Surpris-
ingly, Wallowa County saw
only a marginal decrease
from its July 2019 numbers;
it lost just 10 jobs.
Unsurprisingly, the manu-
facturing jobs lost aren’t
affected by seasonal employ-
ment changes normally seen
in the leisure and hospitality
industries. Still, manufactur-
ing in Eastern Oregon lost
200 jobs from the start of the
pandemic in March 2020.
Morrow County saw an
8.4% decrease in workers in
the manufacturing industry
since July 2019; a drop of 160
workers. Not to be outdone,
Umatilla County regis-
tered a neat 10% decrease
of workers within the same
sector, within the same time
period, numbering 340 lost
jobs. Baker and Union coun-
ties saw a 5% decrease in
the sector during the same
period, corresponding to 30
and 70 workers lost, respec-
tively.
At Behlen Mfg. Co.’s plant
in Baker City, where 110
employees weld and other-
wise assemble gates, panels,
troughs and other livestock
equipment, maintaining a
full workforce during the
pandemic has been “chal-
lenging,” said Stacy Delong,
the plant’s human resources
manager.
Only 30 jobs were lost in
the Baker County manufac-
turing industry from July
2019 to July 2021, represent-
ing a 5% decrease.
However, Delong said
Behlen, a Nebraska company
that opened its Baker City
factory in 1996, has been
“fairly successful recruiting
new applicants the last couple
of months.”
Among the company’s
techniques was setting up an
electronic reader board on
Campbell Street, Baker City’s
busiest thoroughfare, adver-
tising a job fair at the factory
on Aug. 18.
“We found that to be
successful,” Delong said.
She said she hopes that the
end of the federal unemploy-
ment payments will persuade
more people to apply for jobs
at the Baker City plant.
Behlen’s goal is to add
about 40 workers, to a total
of 150, by the end of 2021.
“Our approach has been
to broaden community
outreach through communi-
cation and to best utilize our
current advertising resources
and simply engaging current
employees to encourage
friends and family to apply,”
Delong said. “Fortunately,
Behlen Country offers excel-
lent benefits and competi-
tive wages. This does give
us slight edge over other
employers not able to offer
such benefits. We are not
there yet, there is a lot of work
to do.”
Delong said demand for
the company’s products has
continued to increase, “and
we don’t foresee any kind
of decline anytime in the
future.”
Out of woodwork
Another of Baker City’s
la rge r m a nu fa c t u r i ng
employers is Marvin Wood
Products.
The company, which
employs about 170 workers at
its factory, would like to hire
about 30 more employees,
plant manager Sandi Fuller
said in June of this year.
To entice people to apply
for jobs, Marvin Wood Prod-
ucts earlier this year boosted
its entry level wage to $17.73
per hour, plus a 50-cent bonus
for people who accept rotat-
ing shifts, and other incen-
tives including signing
bonuses of $500 and up to
$1,500 to help people move
to Baker City.
Shelly Cutler, executive
director of the Baker County
Chamber of Commerce, said
she recently heard “positive
feedback” from some busi-
nesses that have struggled
to retain their workforce,
although she said she doesn’t
know of any local restaurants
that are fully staffed.
Cutler cautioned that she
believes the county is in the
“very early stages of recov-
ery.”
She is optimistic the cessa-
tion of federal jobless bene-
fits, combined with higher
wages and incentives some
businesses are offering, will
entice people to reenter the
workforce.
Cutler also said she has
been sending an increasing
number of relocation pack-
ets to people who might be
interested in moving to Baker
County — including younger
people who would need a job.
Anna Johnson, a senior
economic analyst at Oregon
Employment Department,
wrote that difficult-to-fill
positions were largely unre-
lated to the pandemic.
“The phrase ‘no one
wants to work anymore’ was
already a common reason
given for why vacancies
were difficult to fill,” John-
son wrote. “Now, with lack
of applicants and lack of qual-
ified candidates still being a
major factor in hiring difficul-
ties, the reason has expanded
to become ‘no one wants to
work anymore … because of
high unemployment insur-
ance benefits.’ ”
Johnson reported that
between April and June,
only 14% of difficult-to-fill
vacancies had relatively high
jobless benefits reported as
the primary reason employ-
ers had trouble filling job
openings.
Johnson also noted leisure
and hospitality was the top
industry for the pandemic-re-
lated, difficult-to-fill vacan-
cies. Among the hardest to fill
jobs were restaurant cooks.
Reasons for the vacancies
vary — among those offered
up include lack of child care,
high unemployment bene-
fit pay and low wages at
leisure and hospitality jobs.
According to the report, the
number of employers citing
low wages as the reason for
the vacancies grew to 15% in
spring 2021.