WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2019
BAKER CITY HERALD — 3A
Merkley: PERS should drop
investments in prison firms
the investments. Merkley is a main
critic in Congress of the Trump adminis-
SALEM — The Oregon state em-
tration’s immigration policies.
ployee pension fund should drop its
The Register-Guard newspaper in
investments in two prisons companies
Eugene noted in a recent editorial that
whose facilities have been used to detain in 1987, the state Legislature passed the
immigrants, U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley says. Oregon Anti-Apartheid Act, enabling
Oregon has $2 million
the pension fund to divest from South
invested in two prison com-
Africa because of its brutal repression of
panies, even though Or-
majority blacks.
egon pioneered statewide
“Progress has been slow since then,”
sanctuary status. New
the newspaper said.
York state and California
As AP reported last week, Oregon’s
recently dropped the same
Merkley
pension fund also has a $233 million
two companies from their
investment in Novalpina Capital, a
own pension funds.
private equity fi rm that with partners
“I think it’s way past time for fun-
bought a majority share of NSO Group,
damental values to be refl ected in our
an Israeli spyware company.
investment decisions,” Merkley, a Demo-
Human rights groups say NSO
crat from Oregon, told The Associated
Group’s spyware has been used by re-
Press late Monday when asked about
pressive regimes against human rights
By Andrew Selsky
Associated Press
MARLA’S
Continued from Page 1A
The shop originally was
established in Cavallo’s
former BHS classroom to
provide clothing and personal
care items for students. After
outgrowing the space, it was
moved to several classrooms
in the former North Baker
Elementary School Building.
Today Marla’s Mall offers
clothing, shoes and personal
hygiene items for men, wom-
en and children, all free of
charge, regardless of income.
The shop also provides
work experience for BHS
students and several summer
employment positions, the
press release stated.
Just last month, October
2019, Marla’s Mall had a
record number of shoppers
— a total of 514. Myers said
she had just eight customers
the fi rst month she took over
operating Marla’s Mall.
At this time, Myers said she
defenders, journalists and political op-
ponents in Mexico, the Middle East and
North Africa.
Oregon treasury offi cials have said
they cannot comment on private equity
investments, which go into companies
that are not publicly traded on a stock
exchange.
Oregon State Treasurer Tobias Read’s
offi ce has insisted that it can’t drop the
prison companies, CoreCivic and Geo
Group, because they’re part of an index
fund, and only the index provider can
determine what’s added or dropped. If
Oregon offi cials intervene, the pension
fund would incur costs that violate the
“paramount objective” of making money,
Read’s offi ce said earlier this year.
California and New York dropped
their investments despite the prison
companies being in an index fund.
is accepting small donations
of clean clothing with neither
holes nor stains. Other
needs include hygiene items,
backpacks, towels, kitchen
items, blankets, sleeping bags,
jewelry and small appliances.
Myers said she keeps items
stocked for people with emer-
gency needs, such as families
displaced by a house fi re.
Normally, Marla’s Mall is
open from 7:30 a.m. to 11:30
a.m. and 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Monday through Thursday.
Hours are subject to change
depending on the school
schedule. Updates are posted
on the Marla’s Mall Facebook
page.
During regular hours, shop-
pers are allowed to fi ll one
large bag per month. Hygiene
items are limited to one per
family per month.
All items are free, but
hangers, tables, fans, man-
nequins and items marked
“display only” are to be left at
the store.
Counties win timber suit against
state, but what happens next?
By Mateusz Perkowski
Capital Press
SALEM — The $1 billion
award against the State of Or-
egon in a class action lawsuit
over its forestry practices will
likely be subject to lengthy
appeals, but it may also put
pressure on the government
to consider settlement talks.
On Nov. 20, a jury found
Oregon’s government liable
for breaching contracts with
13 counties and numerous
taxing districts by logging an
insuffi cient amount of timber
from state forests, thereby
costing them money.
The plaintiffs included
Benton, Clackamas, Colum-
bia, Coos, Douglas, Josephine,
Lane, Lincoln, Linn, Marion,
Polk, Tillamook, and Washing-
ton counties, and other taxing
bodies within those counties
and Clatsop County.
The counties that pursued
the lawsuit originally donated
more than 600,000 acres to
the State of Oregon in return
for timber revenues, but
they argued the government
violated those contracts by
prioritizing environmental
and recreational qualities in a
1998 rule change.
While the lawsuit was
about the state govern-
ment’s contractual obliga-
tions to these counties, the
case hinged on whether the
“greatest permanent value”
from those forests came from
timber production or whether
environmental and recre-
ational considerations must
also be considered.
“While we are disappointed
in today’s verdict, we believe
there are strong arguments
to be made on appeal, and we
plan to appeal this decision,”
said Fred Boss, deputy attor-
ney general with the Oregon
Department of Justice.
The Oregon Department
of Forestry believes the best
long-term outcome for state’s
residents, including the
plaintiff counties and taxing
districts, is achieved with “bal-
anced and science-based pub-
lic forest management,” said
Liz Dent, chief of the agency’s
state forests division.
“We are disappointed that
the jury did not agree, but
we respect their time com-
mitment and the disruption
to their daily lives as they
analyzed complex information
and diffi cult legal questions,”
Dent said.
John DiLorenzo, attorney
for the county governments,
said the $1 billion award
shows that Oregon’s forest
managers can’t unilaterally
decide how the forests should
be managed without consid-
ering the state’s contractual
obligations to the counties.
“I kind of consider this
verdict a repudiation of the
state’s position that there’s no
contract and they don’t need
permission from their rural
partners when they decide to
change our deal,” DiLorenzo
said.
If the state government
decides to challenge the
validity of contracts with
the counties, or argue that
it has “sovereign immunity”
that prohibits such lawsuits,
the litigation may continue
for years before the Oregon
Court of Appeals and the
Oregon Supreme Court, he
said.
However, the county
plaintiffs will try to convert
the jury award into a court
judgment as soon as possible,
at which point the State of
Enjoy your
family & friends.
Safe travels this
Thanksgiving!
Oregon may be liable for 9%
annual interest if it eventu-
ally loses the case — increas-
ing the verdict by $90 million
a year, he said.
“Certainly, they can talk to
us about settling the case,”
DiLorenzo said. “Settlements
can occur at any time.”
When asked if a potential
settlement would involve
a change to Oregon’s state
forest policies, DiLorenzo said
there’s an “infi nite” number
of ways the problem could be
ironed out, and may involve
the Legislature weighing in
on the situation.
“I hope our current
governor gets interested in
resolving this in a way that
will help the people in these
rural towns,” he said.
Charles Boyle, press sec-
retary for Oregon Gov. Kate
Brown, said the verdict “was
not an unexpected fi rst step
in what will be a lengthier
legal process, and it would
be premature at this point to
make budget decisions based
on the jury’s decision.”
Linn County, the lead
plaintiff, will soon be discuss-
ing the verdict with other
plaintiff counties and taxing
districts but is appreciative of
the jury’s decision, said Roger
Nyquist, a Linn County com-
missioner.
“Going forward, this will
create a lot of conversations
and I think that’s a good
thing,” Nyquist said.
The Wild Salmon Center
and several other nonprofi t
groups tried to intervene
in the case as defendants,
but a state judge denied the
request because the lawsuit
dealt with contractual rather
than environmental concerns.
Ralph Bloemers, an at-
torney with the Crag Law
Center who represented those
groups, said he expects the
jury’s verdict will be over-
turned on appeal.
“Since Oregon acquired
these logged over lands in the
Great Depression, Orego-
nians have invested millions
of our tax dollars in fi xing
them for everyone’s benefi t,”
Bloemers said. “While we all
use and enjoy wood products,
state law recognizes that our
forests also provide us with
clean drinking water, fi sh and
wildlife.”
L OCAL B RIEFING
Thanksgiving meals planned
• Calvary Baptist Church, at Third and Broadway
streets in Baker City, will offer a free turkey dinner on
Thanksgiving Day at 3 p.m.
• Thanksgiving dinner at the New Bridge Grange,
about 3 miles north of Richland, at noon. In addition
to a dinner provided by the Grange featuring turkey,
ham, potatoes and gravy, everyone is invited to bring
a side dish and dessert, and then stay after dinner for
games including pinochle, dominoes, Yahtzee, Monopo-
ly and other games that participants bring.
• NE Oregon Regional Thanksgiving Day Gathering
& Potluck at the Churchill School Dancehall, at Broad-
way and 16th streets. Everyone is welcome to attend
the event, which is planned from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on
Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, Nov. 28.
A suggested donation of $3 to $5 per person, to
support the Churchill School Art Center, would be
appreciated.
Al-Anon Support Group forming
A local Al-Anon support group will have its fi rst
meeting on Wednesday, Dec. 4, from noon to 1 p.m. at
the Baker County Library, 2400 Resort St. Al-Anon
is a support group for people who are worried about
someone who has a drinking problem.
The local group will meet Wednesdays at the same
time and place. There will not be meetings on Christ-
mas Day or New Year’s Day.
More information is available by calling 509-420-
0010.
Kiwanis Club photos with Santa Dec. 7
The Kiwanis Club of Baker City will have its an-
nual photos with Santa event in partnership with the
Festival of Trees Family Day on Saturday, Dec. 7, from
10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Baker County Event Center,
2600 East St. Cost is $10 per sitting and includes two
5-by-7 or three 4-by-6 prints. Proceeds help pay for
community projects.
Oregon Trail Interpretive Center offers
free admission for all during December
Admission will be free for all visitors to the Oregon
Trail Interpretive Center during December.
The Center, operated by the BLM, is about 5 miles
east of Baker City off Highway 86.
The Center will shift to its winter schedule, open
Thursday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., start-
ing Dec. 2.
A ranger-led tour will be offered at 2 p.m. daily to
give additional insight into the lives of people who
traveled on the Oregon Trail.
Pioneer skills will be demonstrated at 11 a.m. on
Fridays and Sundays, including candle-dipping, rag
doll tying and other pioneer crafts.
At any time, youngsters and the young at heart who
fulfi ll the Junior Ranger challenge by completing fun
activities while exploring the exhibits can take the
Wagon Master’s Pledge at the end and receive a prize.
Only a few weeks are left to explore “Uncanny Tales
along the Oregon Trail” in the Flagstaff Gallery, high-
lighting the folklore that sprung up around the pioneer
experience, and the role these tales play in the history
of the Oregon Trail. This exhibit will close Dec. 20.
For a complete schedule of events and activities at
the center, call 541-523-1843 or go to oregontrail.blm.
gov
Huntington Historical Society Bazaar set
HUNTINGTON — The Huntington Historical So-
ciety’s annual Christmas bazaar and fundraiser is set
for Dec. 6 from noon to 5 p.m. and Dec. 7 from 10 a.m.
to 2 p.m. at the Huntington School. There will be bingo
games, hand-crafted gifts, baked goods and hot drinks.
Santa will also make an appearance. The venue is
wheelchair-accessible. More information is available by
calling Jenny at 208-407-2701.
Imagine The Difference You Can Make
DONATE YOUR CAR
1-844-533-9173
FREE TOWING
TAX DEDUCTIBLE
Help Prevent Blindness
Get A Vision Screening Annually
Ask About A FREE 3 Day
Vacation Voucher To Over
20 Destinations!!!
Your Family Deserves The
e
BEST
Technology...
Value...
TV!...
Add High Speed Internet
/mo.
190 Channels America’s Top 120
CALL TODAY
Save 20%!
Subject to availability. Restrictions apply. Internet not
provided by DISH and will be billed separately.
1-866-373-9175
Offer ends 11/13/19.
Savings with 2 year price guarantee with AT120 starting at $59.99 compared to everyday price. All offers require credit qualification, 2 year commitment with early termination fee and eAutoPay. Prices include Hopper Duo for qualifying
customers. Hopper, Hopper w/ Sling or Hopper 3 $5/mo. more. Upfront fees may apply based on credit qualification. Fees apply for additional TVs: Hopper $15/mo., Joey $5/mo., Super Joey $10/mo.
Physicians Mutual Insurance Company
Call for your FREE Information Kit!
Get help paying dental bills and
keep more money in your pocket.
1-877-599-0125
www.dental50plus.com/25
2390 Broadway, Baker City
541-523-5223
Coverage not available in all states. Acceptance guaranteed for one insurance policy/certificate of this type. Contact
us for complete details about this insurance solicitation. This specific offer is not available in CO, NY; call 1-800-969-
4781 for similar offer. Certificate C250A (ID: C250E; PA: C250Q); Insurance Policy P150 (GA: P150GA; NY: P150NY;
OK: P150OK; TN: P150TN).
AW19-1037B
6209