MONDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2019
BAKER CITY HERALD — 3A
SOLAR POWER
L OCAL B RIEFING
Continued from Page 1A
The Sutton Creek project will cost an es-
timated $2.65 million, according to a permit
issued by the Baker City-County Building
Department.
The company paid almost $27,000 in
permit fees.
The solar array will produce 15 megawatts
of power. That’s enough to power approxi-
mately 3,000 homes.
The Unity project, which should be fi n-
ished soon and go online in mid November,
will produce about 2.75 megawatts from an
array overing about 23 acres.
Stevens said about 35 people are working
on the Sutton Creek solar farm, including
employees from contractor Vale Electric Inc.
Crews are also fi nishing a substation near
Interstate 84 that will connect the solar farm
to Idaho Power Company’s transmission line.
Work on the substation started in early
July, according to Idaho Power, which is
building the substation.
Both the solar farm and the substation
are on property owned by Hat Brand Land &
Community Christmas Tree needed
The Baker City Community Development Depart-
ment and Baker City Downtown are in search of this
year’s 2019 Community Christmas Tree. Candidates
must meet the following criteria:
• Within 3 miles of Court Plaza (downtown Baker
City on Court Avenue between Main and Resort streets)
• Maximum height of 40 feet
If you would like to submit your tree for consideration
contact Robin Nudd at 541-524-2036 or rnudd@baker-
city.com by Nov. 1.
Retirement party for Judge Greg Baxter
S. John Collins / Baker City Herald
Douglas Stevens is the construction manager for Enerparc Solar Proj-
ects LLC of Oakland, California.
Livestock LLC of Baker City.
Brent Gyllenberg is Hat Brand’s
manager.
Enerparc applied in March for a
permit to divide Hat Brand’s parcel
into two parts. The one where the so-
lar panels are being installed is 549.6
acres, and the site for the substation,
between I-84 and Old Highway 30, is
slightly larger than half an acre.
COUNTIES CLAIM STATE HAS FAILED TO MANAGE TIMBER LANDS FOR ‘GREATEST PERMANENT VALUE’
Trial begins in westside counties’
$1.4 billion lawsuit against state
ALBANY (AP) — A trial
that could shape how Oregon
harvests its forest trust lands
is underway, with 14 counties
and dozens of smaller taxing
districts saying they want $1.4
billion because the state has
failed to manage them for the
“greatest permanent value” as
required.
The trial began Thursday
in Linn County Circuit Court
and is expected to last three
weeks, the Albany Democrat-
Herald reported .
The breach-of-contract
lawsuit has its origins in the
Great Depression, when thou-
sands of acres of timberlands
were harvested by privately
owned companies. The land-
owners abandoned the lands
to the county after cutting the
trees, fi guring it wasn’t worth
it to replant and then wait 40
to 60 years to harvest again.
But the counties didn’t
want the properties, either,
and couldn’t afford to refor-
est them. Working with the
state, the counties turned
the timberlands over to the
Board of Forestry, with the
understanding that the state
would replant and share the
income with the counties upon
harvesting, managing for the
“greatest permanent value.”
The counties sued nearly
four years ago, claiming
that the state breached that
contract when it enacted new
rules since 2001, when it ad-
opted a plan that emphasizing
the protection of wildlife, clean
water and recreation. They
say their share of revenues
from the state’s six state for-
ests, totaling more than 1,000
square miles, has fallen by $35
million per year.
“This lawsuit is all about
economic development and
jobs,” said David Yamamoto,
a Tillamook County commis-
sioner and chair of the Council
of Forest Trust Land Coun-
ties. “This deal, this contract,
was made many years ago, in
the ’30s and ’40s, but unfor-
tunately production from our
forestlands is not what it could
be.”
During opening statements
before a 14-person jury Friday,
state’s attorney Scott Kaplan
said the contract between the
state and counties has always
included consideration of
values other than economics,
such as clean air, clear water,
recreational opportunities,
wildlife habitat and erosion
control. He said the plaintiffs
want to see the lands man-
aged like an “industrial tree
farm from the Cascades to the
Pacifi c.”
He said the term “greatest
permanent value” refers to the
value for the entire state, not
just the forest trust counties.
“State forest lands are not
an ATM for the counties,”
Kaplan said.
According to Kaplan, the
counties have actually seen
their annual incomes from
state timber harvest increase
since 1998, totaling $86 mil-
lion in 2019. He said that last
year, some 67,000 loads of logs
came off state lands. Laid end-
to-end, that train of logs would
reach from Albany to Salt
Lake City, Utah, Kaplan said.
State forest payments to
counties were about $10 mil-
lion in 1987 and $28 million in
FROSTY
The weather is predicted to moderate,
albeit slightly, by Halloween on Thurs-
Continued from Page 1A
day, with the gradual warming trend
Temperatures on Wednesday morning continuing into the weekend.
could dip into the single digits in Baker
Temperatures during Thursday’s
City, according to the National Weather downtown trick-or-treating event, from
Service. That would threaten the record 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., are forecast in the mid
low of 9 degrees for Oct. 30, set in 2006. to upper 30s — chilly but comfortably
1998, Kaplan said.
Most of the forest lands in
Oregon — about 30% — are
owned by the federal govern-
ment, he said, while the state
owns less than 3%.
In his opening statement,
lawyer John DiLorenzo,
representing the counties, said
the case isn’t about changing
the way the state manages the
forests, but about the state’s
broken promise to the coun-
ties.
“This case is based on
common sense and a sense
of fairness,” he said. “For the
deal to be amended, it has
to be agreed upon by both
parties.”
The fi rst witness called by
the counties, Paul Levesque,
a historian of the timber
trust lands, testifi ed Friday
that production and sale of
the timber was understood to
be paramount when the deal
was made.
“It was always clearly a
business enterprise,” he said.
However the jury decides,
the case is likely to be ap-
pealed.
above record-low levels.
The coldest Halloween on record in
Baker City was 2006, when the tem-
perature plummeted to 2 degrees at the
Baker City Airport.
However frigid it gets this week it will
at least be a dry cold. No precipitation is
forecast this week.
H EART TO H EART
Around 2 in the morning I
was awakened by the usual
nighttime urge. I groggily
stumbled to the bathroom.
On my way back towards bed
I grabbed a Q-tip from the
medicine cabinet, hoping to
quell the annoying itch in my
right ear. A couple of pokes
and twirls seemed to do the
trick and shortly thereafter I
slipped back into dreamland.
My eyes opened about 6 the
next morning and I drifted in
and out of slumber for a half
hour before arising to a new
this was nothing new. I have
lived my whole life with as-
sorted ear problems: vertigo,
airplane pressure, carnival
ride dizziness, balance issues
.. you name it. I attacked the
itchy situation with another
Q-tip and, satisfi ed, continued
on with my day.
Around midday my ear
thing became unbearable,
a relentless rustling tickle
inside my right ear? I moved
quickly to the bathroom
and grabbed another Q-tip,
jammed it in as far as I dared
gling from the end of the Q-tip
by a single web!! Screaming
and blathering like an insane
person I showed the creepy
invader to my wife before
stomping the life out of it.
They say a spider in the ear
is not an uncommon occur-
rence — so let’s all pretend
I’m OK, no really, ha ha I’m
OK…
Happy Halloween every-
one. Don’t forget the ear plugs.
Peace to all.
Mike Meyer
Baker City
Weekly Specials Oct 28 - Nov 3
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Crossroads seeks entries for two art shows
Crossroads Carnegie Art Center is inviting all art-
ists to submit works for the annual Ornament Expo
that opens Nov. 1. Crossroads will accept ornaments
throughout the holiday season from Oct. 21 through
Dec. 20.
All artists who enter the “Ornament Expo” will be
given a $10 Crossroads gift certifi cate
The yearly exhibition “Christmas at Crossroads-The
Gift of Art” opens Dec. 6. Crossroads is looking for fi ne
art and fi ne crafts including paintings, clay, fi ber art,
glass, wood, metal, mixed media, jewelry, hand-painted
signs, scarves, hats, collage, soap, small sculptural
pieces, and holiday cards of high quality and locally
hand-crafted.
Entries can be submitted on Monday, Dec. 2, from 9
a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
For both shows there is no entry fee and all items must
be available for sale but a commission (30% for members
and 40% nonmembers) will be collected on items sold
during the show. Both exhibitions will end Dec. 27 and
artists will collect their art that day from 10 a.m. to 5:30
p.m. For all of the exhibit information and an entry form,
go to www.crossroads-arts.org then, look for “Quick Forms”
at the bottom of our home page. Click on “Ornament
Expo 2019” and “Christmas at Crossroads — The Gift of
Art 2019” to view details and to print the entry form. For
questions, call Crossroads at 541-523-5369.
St. Francis annual turkey dinner Nov. 3
The annual St. Francis Turkey Dinner is scheduled
Sunday, Nov. 3.
Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children
Two meal sessions are scheduled. The fi rst starts at
2 p.m. and a second will begin at 4 p.m. at St. Francis
parish hall, 2235 First St.
The meal includes roast turkey, dressing, mashed
potatoes and gravy, green beans, fruit salad and home-
made pumpkin pie with whipped cream
Tickets are available from Jody Colton by calling 541-
519-0162 or the parish offi ce at 541-523-4521.
RATES RISE
Continued from Page 1A
A terrifying tale just
the light, rolled on to my side day. My ear tickle thingy had and twirled. When I pulled it
in time for Halloween and was asleep in short order. become more bothersome but out a spider followed — dan-
Any day now the witches,
goblins, ghosts and vampires
will roam the earth. Hallow-
een is fast approaching — an
appropriate time for a strange
and terrifying tale. This is
a true story that happened
to me, something I am still
trying to fully comprehend. It
began one gloomy night just a
few months ago…
I recall a thick fog and
weird chill that particular
evening. I was in bed read-
ing until about 9:30 or 10. I
put aside the book, turned off
Judge Gregory L. Baxter will be honored with a pub-
lic retirement party on Wednesday, Oct. 30.
The event will be from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the Baker
County Circuit Courtroom at the Courthouse, 1995
Third St.
Baxter announced this summer that Oct. 31 would
be his last day on the bench in his current position, end-
ing his nearly 19-year career as Baker County Circuit
Court judge.
Baxter, a 1978 Baker High School graduate, served
as Baker County district attorney from March 1992
to 2000, before being elected circuit judge of the 8th
Judicial District. He will serve as a senior judge after
retirement.
Gov. Kate Brown has appointed District Attorney
Matt Shirtcliff to fi ll Baxter’s vacancy beginning Nov. 1.
Shirtcliff has been district attorney since 2001 and
has worked for the district attorney’s offi ce, under Judge
Baxter, since 1994.
Meatloaf............................................................$8.95
All You Can Eat Spaghetti...................................$8.95
Beef Stroganoff..................................................$8.95
Chicken Fried Steak............................................$9.95
All You Can Eat Mini Shrimp...............................$9.95
Steak & Shrimp................................................$10.95
Pan Fried Oysters ............................................$10.50
Prime Rib ........................................................$14.95
Breaded Pork Loin.................................$9.50/8.95 sr
BUFFETS
Monday - Friday 11 AM - 2 PM
Lunch includes Salad Bar, Entree,
Grilled Bread, Baked Bean & Vegetable
221 Bridge Street • 541-523-5844
Open Daily 6 AM - 8 PM
Sunday 8 AM - 11 AM
Sunday Buffet includes Chocolate Fountain
In part, rates will increase because the cost of natural
gas supply spiked over the last year due to a pipeline
explosion last winter, which impacted regional gas sup-
ply and caused prices to increase, according to a press
release from the PUC.
Avista’s increase, as of Nov. 1, will be 15.2% for resi-
dential customers.
NW Natural’s increase for residential customers is
4.4%.
Over the past decade, natural gas rates have declined
most years, with the exception of 2013 and 2014, accord-
ing to the PUC.
Mobile Service
Outstanding
Computer Repair
Any issue $40 fl at rate
Call or Text 24/7
Dale Bogardus 541-297-5831
If your computer is scary and slow to boot
give me a call and I will save you some loot!
www.outstandingcomputerrepair.com
Refurbished Desktop & Laptops For Sale
House calls (let me come to you!)
Drop Offs & Remote Services are Available
All credit cards accepted