BAKER CITY HERALD • TuEsDAY, JunE 21, 2022 A3
LOCAL & STATE
Rep. Mark Owens plans meet
and greet in Baker June 22
Rep. Mark Owens, R-Crane, who rep-
resents Baker County in the Oregon House
of Representatives, will have a meet and
greet Wednesday, June 22 from 4:30 p.m.
to 5:30 p.m. at Oregon Trail Electric Cooper-
ative, 4005 23rd St.
Owens will give updates from the Legis-
lature and hear from constituents.
— Staff report
ODFW kills another wolf
from Chesnimnus pack
BY BILL BRADSHAW
Wallowa County Chieftain
ENTERPRISE — A second Chesnim-
nus pack wolf was killed by biologists
from the Oregon Department of Fish
and Wildlife, ending the activity of a kill
permit issued April 29, according to the
ODFW website Monday, June 13.
The website stated that the kill was ac-
complished from the ground. ODFW
also considered doing it from the air.
State officials agreed to help with the
lethal removal of one Chesnimnus pack
wolf after repeated attacks on livestock
in Wallowa County, a spokeswoman for
ODFW said June 9.
Michelle Dennehy, of ODFW, said the
permit was issued April 29 and extended
to June 14. That permit was for two wolves,
and an agent of Crow Creek rancher Tom
Birkmaier shot one wolf May 3.
The permit allowed Birkmaier or his
agent to kill two wolves in Dorrance
Library
Continued from Page A1
Wirth said pre-event train-
ing with Human Library
helped her develop the story
she wanted to share.
She was asked if she’d ever
experienced racism. Her an-
swer was yes — but it came
from people of her own race.
She had a story — one that
most people didn’t know.
“People know me, but they
don’t know of me,” she said.
And that, she discovered, is
the power of the Human Li-
brary — it is a chance to truly
learn a person’s story.
“I think it’s fascinating to
learn of people,” she said. “We
assume so much of each other
but we don’t know where we
come from.”
Andy Micka also volun-
teered to be a book. He’d pre-
viously shared his story of
addiction through Neighbors
Pasture or Trap Canyon Pasture, where
recent depredations on cattle occurred,
he said when the permit was issued.
Dennehy said June 13 that since the two
wolves allowed to be taken under the
permit are now dead, the permit is no
longer active. ODFW will continue to as-
sess the situation for possible further ac-
tions and another update will be made if
another wolf is killed or the permit is re-
issued, according to the website.
Before the permit was issued, Birk-
maier asked ODFW to “remove” — or
completely kill — the Chesnimnus pack
given its propensity toward predatory be-
havior, but the agency just issued the kill
permits.
John Williams, co-chairman of the
wolf committee Oregon Cattlemen’s As-
sociation, said ranchers are busy enough
and shouldn’t have to do what he consid-
ered the ODFW’s job of managing the
wolves.
of Baker.
“I’ve been talking about my
story a lot,” he said.
The story he shared was
about the long-term recovery
from addiction, and he said
he appreciated the interaction
with the readers.
“I think it went really well,”
he said. “It was interesting to
see people’s perspectives on
how they interact with people
who struggle with addiction.”
He said he’d like to partic-
ipate in another Human Li-
brary event.
“I enjoyed it, and I think it’s
important,” he said. “We all
have those preset judgments.”
Alex Castillo didn’t hesitate
to say yes when Stadler asked
him to be a book.
“I liked the whole idea,” he
said.
Castillo shared his story
about illness and long-term
disability.
“I talked about my ego and
Malheur County Court considers
renewing Greg Smith’s contract
BY PAT CALDWELL
Malheur Enterprise
VALE — Malheur County of-
ficials are considering renewing
the $180,000-a-year contract with
Greg Smith to continue running
their economic development
agency and remain in charge of
the struggling Treasure Valley Re-
load Center.
The contract with Smith,
through his company Gregory
Smith & Company of Heppner,
expires June 30. The county has
retained him since 2013 for eco-
nomic development work at
$9,000 a month and expanded
the contract in 2017 for the Nyssa
shipping project, adding in an ad-
ditional $6,000 a month.
County commissioners last
week tabled a decision on whether
to keep Smith in place. The mat-
ter wasn’t on the agenda for the
court’s meeting on Wednesday,
June 15.
“We need to continue to have
more discussion with Greg
(Smith),” said Commissioner Ron
Jacobs.
Commissioner Don Hodge and
Dan Joyce, Malheur County judge,
agreed with Jacobs.
Smith works part-time on the
my health and how my ego
prevented me from seeing that
I was sick,” he said. “I was stub-
born.”
He said he enjoyed being a
book for the Human Library.
“I feel like I connected with
every individual I talked to,”
he said. “People really do un-
derstand. They were really in-
terested in what I was talking
about.”
He looks forward to partici-
pating again.
“I’m so glad I was involved,”
he said. “A lot of stories are
pretty private, but this is a good
way for people to know who
I am — relate to a few simple
human stories.”
From a reader
Peter Fargo signed up to be
a reader, and he said having a
conversation was a big draw of
the Human Library.
“After having spent so much
time away from each other
Park
Logging
Continued from Page A1
The Elkhorn Wildlife Area
consists of 10 sites along
the east base of the Elkhorn
Mountains where ODFW em-
ployees feed elk each winter.
The purpose of the wild-
life area, which was created
in 1971, is not to prevent elk
from starving, but to keep
them from plundering ranch-
ers’ haystacks.
The logging planned this
year near the headquarters,
at the end of River Lane, is
part of the East Face project, a
long-term campaign that in-
volves the U.S. Forest Service,
Oregon Department of For-
estry and Natural Resources
Conservation Service.
The East Face project,
which includes commercial
logging, precommercial thin-
Market
Continued from Page A1
As a bonus, the North Powder
Library’s summer reading activ-
ity for youngsters is at 11 a.m. —
right during the market hours.
“We want more people to
come check it out,” Thompson
said of the market.
She said the market is ap-
proved for the Farm Direct Nu-
during the pandemic, the
chance to be face-to-face with
someone in a safe space was
exciting,” he said.
In the 30-minute conversa-
tion, he said he never ran out
of topics.
“It’s rare to take the time to
get to know someone we don’t
already know,” he said. “To
turn those pages and pull back
the layers. It was really special.”
The Human Library, he
said, offers a chance to find the
“common denominator of hu-
man experience.”
“When people are willing to
listen with an open mind and
heart — the Human Library
gave us the opportunity to do
that,” he said.
Stokes, in addition to help-
ing organize the event, partici-
pated as a reader to learn about
addiction.
“I was curious,” he said. “I’ve
read some books about addic-
tion, but it’s a world I’m com-
• Friends of Merrie Hensley,
from Randy and Theresa Den-
nis — April 2021
• Community Connection
tribute bench purchased by an
anonymous donor — January
2021
• Beverly Chadwick — May
2021
• Donna’s Groom and
Board LTD/ Dyer Kanyid
Ranches donation — May
2021
• Memorial to Duwayne
and Eleanor Sullivan of Here-
ford, donated by Dan “Boone”
Sullivan — July 2021
Perry said the bench proj-
ect started six years ago after
Baker City Events, which puts
on the summer concert series
in the park, the Powder River
Music Review, heard from res-
idents that there was a need
for more seating in the park.
Baker City Events bought
a cement bench and donated
it to the park, but Perry said
someone complained to the
city that the design wasn’t aes-
thetically pleasing.
The city asked Baker City
Events to find a new, metal
design. The new benches were
built by Natural Structures of
Baker City.
Baker City Events removed
the cement bench.
“The next wrinkle in the
project was COVID and sup-
ply problems and rising costs,”
Perry said.
ning and prescribed burning
on both public and private
land, is designed to reduce the
risk of wildfire.
Marvin said this year’s proj-
ect at the wildlife area’s North
Powder tract will include both
commercial logging and cut-
ting of smaller trees, as well as
prescribed burning.
“We are selecting trees
based on disease and form as
the first to be selected for har-
vest, trees with mistletoe and
parasites,” Marvin said. “It will
also help with fire risk, reduc-
ing the number of trees with
touching crowns.”
Mistletoe is a parasitic plant
that can cause “brooms” —
thick expanses of limbs low
in the tree — that can spread
flames from the ground to the
tree crown.
Thinning the forest will also
boost the growth of grasses
and shrubs that elk and deer
eat, as well as create snags and
tree cavity habitat for birds.
Producing forage is one of
the prime goals of the project,
Marvin said.
“This project isn’t neces-
sarily being done for (timber)
revenue, it’s being done for
forest health, fire protection
and making sure we’re pro-
viding forage for wild habitat
in this portion of the wildlife
area,” he said.
During the summer and
fall, visitors to the wildlife area
should expect to see increased
traffic, tree falling and log
trucks on weekdays.
Public access to the wildlife
area will remain open, includ-
ing the Anthony Creek camp-
ground.
“Most harvest and ex-
traction will be completed by
early to mid fall and then pile
burning and clean up into late
fall and early winter,” Marvin
said.
Logged areas will not be
treated with herbicide, as is
sometimes done to stem the
growth of deciduous trees and
shrubs that can grow quickly
after logging, he said.
More information about
the Elkhorn Wildlife Area is
available at https://myodfw.
com/elkhorn-wildlife-area-
visitors-guide.
Continued from Page A1
Owen said the city also
wants to avoid disrupting
events in the park, which pres-
ents a scheduling challenge.
Perry said city officials told
her the benches won’t be in-
stalled until after Miners Jubi-
lee, which is set for July 15-17.
“I think it’s all going to work
out. It’ll be great, there’ll be
places for people to sit,” said
Owen.
Money for the benches was
donated by several citizens
and businesses, Perry said, in-
cluding:
• Marvin Wood Products —
donation order April 2021
• Family of Carl and Vir-
ginia Kostol, tribute to par-
ents from children Teresa
Droessler, Lars, Carl S., and
Cristyn Kostol — May 2021
project leaders reported last week
Malheur County contract as he
it would take nearly all of the $26
holds contracts with other gov-
ernment agencies and is employed million budgeted for the develop-
ment to finish everything but the
full-time in Boardman. He op-
warehouse building.
erates a one-person office in On-
Smith has repeatedly
tario, staffed by an aide
cited sources for millions
who handles tasks for
both the economic devel-
needed to finish the work
opment agency and the
but he has so far failed to
reload center.
arrange any additional fi-
Baker County previ-
nancing.
ously contracted with
And the Enterprise
Smith to oversee eco-
reported in March that
Smith
nomic development as
while the contract re-
well. County commis-
quires specific tasks from
sioners decided in 2019 to not
Smith, records raised questions
continue the $96,000-per-year
about how much of the work was
contract with Smith beyond June
done. Smith released 16 docu-
30, 2019.
ments in response to a public re-
Commissioners cited declining
cords request to show what he had
revenue, not Smith’s performance. done.
The reload center is designed so
His work is under the charge of
onion producers can truck their
the county court, but Joyce, Hodge
produce to the Nyssa site for load- and Jacobs couldn’t answer ques-
ing onto rail cars and shipment
tions about Smith’s tasks, and they
to destinations in the Midwest
didn’t think the 16 documents an-
and East. The bulk of the center
swered the matter either.
is funded by the state with a $26
Joyce wasn’t sure what the docu-
million allocation approved by the ments proved.
Oregon Legislature in 2017 and
“There should be some explana-
another $3 million in special state
tion to go with it,” he said.
appropriations made in 2021.
Hodge said the information
Completion of the beleaguered
“doesn’t answer the question of
rail venture is now on hold after
what he’s done in the past year.”
Contributed Photo
Seven metal benches will be installed in Geiser-Pollman this summer.
trition Program, and several
vendors are in the process of be-
ing certified.
For more information
on becoming a vendor,
call Thompson at 541-
406-8771 or find updates
at www.facebook.com/
northpowderfarmersmarket.
Thompson’s email is
halfwayprintingandcrafts@
gmail.com.
Thank You
We would like to extend a thank you to all
the Hospice nurses and staff for their wonderful
care of our Mother, Donna Terrell. We especially
want to thank Mellissa, Seth, Kaitlyn, Haley, and
Sara. Special thanks to good friend and caregiver,
Brenda Fisher, who helped us to take care of both our
Mom and Dad when they most needed it. We appreciate
all the cards and phone calls of condolences and
memories you shared with us about our Mom.
Dan and Renece Forsea
Patti and Clair Pickard
Jane and Doug Leatherman
pletely unfamiliar with — how
people fall into that world, and
get out of it.”
He said he’d participate
again, and is already fielding
calls from libraries and orga-
nizations around the country
seeking advice on how to host
a Human Library.
Future events?
Stadler said she appreciated
the dedication of the Human
Library books,who completed
training and volunteered their
time for the event.
“It was time and energy on
their part — they were invested
in it,” she said.
Books and readers com-
pleted evaluation forms, which
are a requirement for the Hu-
man Library organization.
Communities who want to
host an event must apply ev-
ery time, and Stadler hopes
to bring another one to Baker
City.
“There’s definitely interest,”
she said. “Human Library is a
dialogue — the focus is on the
conversation and interaction.
You have a chance to hear the
story and see what you have it
common. I think it helps us feel
more connected as people.”
Judy Folkman
October 26, 1942 - June 7, 2022
Judith Lee Folkman, 79,
of Baker City passed away at
her home surrounded by loved
ones on June 7, 2022. She was
born on October 26, 1942, in
Pendleton, OR at St. Anthony
Hospital to Walter and Barbara
Youngman, weighing a mere 2
pounds, 8 ounces.
She
graduated
from
Pendleton High School in
1961. While in high school,
she worked at Hamley & Co., a western store and
saddle shop, as a sales associate during the Pendleton
Round-Up where her father made his career as a saddle
tree maker. She fondly told stories of riding on the
Hamley floats during the Pendleton Round-Up parades
ushering in the rodeo, and dancing after the rodeo with
her brother chaperoning.
Judy attended Eastern Oregon University where
she earned a bachelor of arts degree specializing in
Education in 1965. While at EOU, Judy enjoyed singing
in the traveling choir and was a princess on the 1964
homecoming court.
Judy met the love of her life, Vaughn Folkman, while
attending EOU. They were married June 13, 1964, and
stayed in La Grande while Judy finished her senior year
and Vaughn taught in Cove. A few years later Judy and
Vaughn moved to Baker City where they welcomed
their son, Chris Folkman. The family then moved
to South Dakota for a year so Vaughn could earn his
master’s degree in Education. They returned to Baker
City where their daughter, Amy Folkman Switzer, was
born.
Judy began a fulfilling, 23-year career as a beloved
2nd grade teacher, starting at Brooklyn Elementary
School and finishing her career at South Baker
Elementary School. She took great pride in teaching
children how to read and found joy in finding unique
and creative ways to engage her students.
Every summer for 28 years, Vaughn, Judy and
their kids would travel to Sequoia National Park
where Vaughn was a seasonal park naturalist. Judy
would lovingly transform the family’s rustic living
arrangements into a cheerful and comfortable cabin.
Her times in Sequoia were some of her most cherished
memories, recalling campfire programs, hiking and
backpacking in the national park with her family.
She was a faithful member of First Lutheran Church
in Baker City and taught Sunday School for many
years. After her retirement from teaching in 2000, she
immersed herself into the church’s youth ministry
program where she continued to teach and inspire
children. Judy was also an active member of PEO AX
Chapter for 18 years and enjoyed hosting meetings in
her home.
Judy was preceded in death by her husband. She is
survived by her brother, William Youngman of Lake
Oswego, OR; her son and daughter-in-law, Chris and
Carrie Folkman of Baker City, OR and her grandsons,
Austin and his wife, Taylor Jean Folkman of Haines,
OR and Taylor Folkman of Baker City, OR; her
daughter, Amy Folkman Switzer of Los Angeles, CA;
her sister-in-law, Marilyn Daggett of The Dalles, OR
and her much loved Daggett nieces and nephews.
A celebration of her life will be held Saturday, June
25 at 11 a.m. at First Lutheran Church, 1734 Third St.
in Baker City. A luncheon will follow in the church
fellowship hall. Memorial contributions in Judy’s
memory may be made to the First Lutheran Church
through Gray’s West & Co., 1500 Dewey Ave., Baker
City, OR 97814.
To leave an online condolence for the family of Judy,
please visit: www.grayswestco.com.