CHRISTMAS ON THE PRAIRIE THIS SATURDAY – PAGE A8
The
Blue Mountain
EAGLE
Grant County’s newspaper since 1868
W EDNESDAY , N OVEMBER 16, 2016
• N O . 46
• 18 P AGES
• $1.00
www.MyEagleNews.com
AFFORDING RETIREMENT
PERS rate increases impact school and government budgets
By Rylan Boggs
Blue Mountain Eagle
In order to keep the Public Em-
ployee Retirement System afl oat
and satisfy the $21 billion in un-
funded liability, PERS contributions
are climbing for schools, cities and
counties across Oregon.
Rates for 2017-19 were recently
released, leaving some in a position
that requires cutting budget items to
feed PERS.
The increase in their required
contributions depends on a variety
of factors — such as how many of
their employees are on the more gen-
erous Tier 1 benefi ts earned by those
hired before 2003 — but the average
increase is about 3.62 percent.
The need for higher contributions
from employers comes from a com-
bination of factors. About 70 percent
of the system’s revenue comes from
investment earnings, which have
been falling below the assumed 7.75
percent. Retirees are also living lon-
ger than expected, and the Oregon
Supreme Court struck down reforms
that lowered costs in 2015-2017, rul-
ing them an unconstitutional breach
of contract with public employees.
Although the new rates do not
take effect until July, agencies must
See PERS, Page A18
Eagle file photo
Sophie Cosgrove, named Oregon Small Schools Teacher of
the Year in 2014, reads to a few of her fourth-grade students:
Shyanne Smarr, left, James Allison, Sebastian Hodge, Tucker
Carpenter and Meika Pereira. Public Employee Retirement
System rate increases for 2017-19 will significantly impact
most local school districts.
“Sharon Livingston
is one of the reasons
Grant County will
always be strong.”
Cowboy Christmas-
themed coronation
celebrates queen
and princess
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
See COURT, Page A18
Schools
Grant School District No. 3’s Tier
1 and Tier 2 rates will increase from
8.77 percent in 2015-2017 to 14.18
percent in 2017-2019.
Superintendent Curt Shelley said
in an email, “The recent release of
PERS effective July 1, 2017, will in-
crease our district (expense) approx-
imately 5.41 percent, which, based
on actual payroll of 2015-2016, will
Fighting
for
agriculture
Contributed photo
Queen Jessica Carter and Princess
Trinity Hutchison are selling tickets
to the Grant County Fair and
Rodeo Court Cowboy Christmas
Coronation Dinner and Auction.
Grand plans are in the works for this
year’s Grant County Fair and Rodeo Court
Cowboy Christmas Coronation Dinner and
Auction.
The event, which begins at 5 p.m. Sun-
day, Nov. 20, will be held at the Grant
County Fairgrounds pavilion in John Day.
The community is invited to attend and
see fair and rodeo Queen Jessica Carter of
Seneca and Princess Trinity Hutchison of
John Day as they are crowned. Former fair
and rodeo Queen Reitta Wyllie will pass the
crown on to Carter.
Tickets are $15 a person or $25 for a
couple. The dinner includes tri-tip with all
the fi xings catered by Kris and Kjer Kiz-
er and a no-host bar by Snaffl e Bit Dinner
House.
Crowning a fair and rodeo court has
been a long-held tradition in Grant County,
but this year’s court advisor Nicole Israel
said the program has waned in recent years.
She would like to see the program re-ignite.
“We’re really trying to regrow the pro-
gram and educate the public that they’re
not just a pretty face,” Israel said. “They
are out working for the county, promoting
it and trying to get more people to our fair,
rodeo and community.”
Proceeds from the event will support
the court’s travel expenses and wardrobe
for themselves and the horses they ride.
soon begin preparing upcoming bud-
gets, and the increases will impact
each differently.
Eagle photos/Rylan Boggs
Sharon Livingston leans on a fence post on her property near Long Creek on Monday, Nov. 14.
Livingston named Agriculturist of the Year
By Rylan Boggs
Blue Mountain Eagle
I
t rained last night, and Sharon Livingston
couldn’t be happier about it.
Recently named Agriculturalist of the
Year, the welfare of her ranch is never far
from her mind.
Born and raised in Long Creek, Livingston,
now 77, still works the ranch she grew up on.
She leases her Angus and Angus-cross cattle to
a local rancher, Jim Jacobs, and helps when she
can.
Livingston works seven days a week
and doesn’t take vacations outside of work.
She’s deeply involved in Oregon agricul-
ture and is the former president of the Ore-
gon Cattlemen’s Association and a member
on both the Oregon Board of Agriculture
and the Oregon Beef Council.
In recognition, Livingston has
been named the 2016 Agricultural-
ist of the Year by Oregon Aglink.
She will receive the award at the
annual Denim & Diamonds Dinner and Auc-
tion in Portland Friday, Nov. 18.
Livingston is one of only two women who
have been president of the cattlemen’s association.
“I taught school for years with men, and
if we went through the lunch line and they
let me go in front, I would say, ‘Thank you.’
I’m appreciative,” she said.
“However, if you choose not
to, it’s OK. We’re all working
here together.”
Grant County Commis-
sioner Boyd Britton has
known Livingston for rough-
ly two decades and
spoke very highly
of her.
“Sharon
Living-
ston is one of the reasons Grant County will
always be strong,” Britton said. “She loves the
land, and she stands up for the rights of the ag-
ricultural community.”
The award is presented by Oregon Aglink, a
marketing and public relations association for
the agricultural industry founded in 1966. The
organization’s goal is to educate urban Orego-
nians on where their food comes from and how
farmers produce it, according to Aglink Execu-
tive Director Geoff Horning.
Agriculturalist of the Year is “the most pres-
tigious award” in the agriculture industry, he
said.
“It’s something that has to really be a career
achievement,” Horning said. “It’s really
more of an award to present someone
who has gone above and beyond over
a long period of time.”
It’s for this dedication that Liv-
ingston is being honored.
“Sharon has been an extraor-
dinary advocate for Oregon agri-
culture on so many fronts for her
See AWARD, Page A18
Judge explains decision to nullify Public Forest Commission measure
Cramer rules voters intended to assume management of lands
By Sean Hart
Blue Mountain Eagle
The judge who nullifi ed the mea-
sure creating the Grant County Public
Forest Commission said in his recently
released full opinion it was clear the pe-
titioner and voters intended to assume
management of public lands, which
confl icted with paramount laws.
Grant County Circuit Court Judge
William D. Cramer Jr. informed the
Grant County clerk of his intention to
nullify the citizen initiative in Septem-
ber to prevent Public Forest Commis-
sion candidates from appearing on the
November ballot and said in the abbre-
viated opinion he would later submit a
full opinion, which he issued Nov. 8.
In the full opinion, Cramer said the
county was free to pass a measure to
“
Chief petitioner Traylor and the voters, even
if they read only the summary, were without
doubt voting to manage public lands.”
Grant County Circuit Court Judge William D. Cramer Jr.
establish a forest commission to de-
velop plans to manage public lands if
and when the lands were owned by the
county, or to consult the county about
management practices, as long as the
measure clearly stated the commis-
sion’s limits, met procedural require-
ments and did not violate other “superi-
or or paramount laws.”
“As I understand how this commis-
sion actually functioned a proper mea-
sure could be developed and passed,”
Cramer said in the opinion. “The fact
that an unconstitutional or otherwise
invalid law is not enforced as written
does not mean it should remain as part
of the county code when its invalidity
has been properly raised.”
Former county judge Mark Webb
brought the matter before the court
when he fi led a petition for judicial re-
view in March of this year of Measure
12-39, a citizen initiative submitted by
chief petitioner Dave Traylor and ap-
proved by Grant County voters in 2002
to create the Public Forest Commission.
In his petition, Webb argued pro-
cedural errors were committed in the
adoption of the measure and that it con-
fl icted with paramount state law and
the United States Constitution.
Grant County’s attorney, Ron Yock-
im, argued voters did not intend to uni-
laterally assume control of public lands,
such as those managed by the U.S. For-
est Service and Bureau of Land Man-
agement, and instead only intended to
create a commission to manage land
that had been conveyed to the county.
Cramer said concerns about proce-
dural errors required “fact fi nding” and
could not appropriately be addressed
in a summary judgment, which was re-
quested by both Webb and Yockim. He
said, however, he could address wheth-
er the measure confl icted with para-
mount law and that it clearly did so.
See JUDGE, Page A18