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News Archive
Governor Proposes Controversial New Oregon State Mileage Tax
According to Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski’s official web site, the governor has filed more than 30 pre-legislative session bills, including the transportation-related proposal for a new mileage-based tax.
The governor’s site says he plans “a path to transition away from the gas tax as the central funding source for transportation.” This plan is focused on a new tax based on the miles driven by a certain vehicle. However, the current gas tax would stay in place, and increase by two cents per gallon, for cars not equipped to measure mileage for the tax.
Small Woodlands Association Explores Local Wood Industry Opportunities
Nils Christofferson of Wallowa Resources Community Solutions Inc. (WRCSI) presented a Prefeasibility Study of a value added wood products industry to Baker County’s Oregon Small Woodlands Association (OSWA) recently. The study was spurred by a $2 million dollar state grant awarded to Sustainable Northwest, which included $35,000 for Baker County OSWA for planning of new wood products markets, infrastructure, and for equipment.
Baker County OSWA in conjunction with Sustainable Northwest and WRCSI conducted a preliminary review of the available harvestable timber in Baker County for the Prefeasibility Study. The review showed that Baker County has over 100,000 acres of private forestland and about 185,000 acres of national forest system lands zoned for commercial timber production within 50 air miles of Baker City.
Halfway Woman Arrested For Stabbing Boyfriend
A Halfway woman was arrested Monday, Dec. 22, for allegedly stabbing her boyfriend. Anna Irene Brisk, 21, was taken into custody about 4 a.m. Monday and charged with assault.
Baker County Sheriff Mitch Southwick said an altercation occurred between Brisk and Jason W. Landers, 28, also of Halfway, which allegedly resulted in Brisk stabbing him once in the shoulder with a kitchen knife.
Southwick said Brisk called 911 and Landers was transported to St. Elizabeth Health Services where he was treated and later released.
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County Website Offers Payment Of Fines Online
By Eden Taylor
Lise Yervasi, Justice of the Peace, reported on the new Justice Court Website to the County Commissioners in their regular session on Dec. 17. The Website can be accessed through baker county.org. Once the Justice Court link is chosen, several tabs on the left hand side show what is accessible through the Website. One can access all the Justice Courts in the county. Huntington is now included in District 1. Forms can also be accessed. Those who wish to do a trial by affidavit can print off the affidavit and mail it into the Justice Court. This will save people lots of time and money in having to appear in person.
There is also a link to the ORS laws. Information on diversion on Marijuana cases can also be accessed. There is a tab on Weddings. This is linked to the County Clerk’s office for information on licenses, etc. One can also pull small claims forms off the Website. And there is juror information. Yervasi hopes that next year the juror’s questionnaires can be filled out online and submitted electronically. There is even a tab which has directions to the court house.
Should School Board Contract Out?
By Eden Taylor
In the school board work meeting on Dec. 16, School board members and those present, who included many school district employees, listened to Victor Musial talk about privatization of services. Victor Musial is the director of field operations of OSEA, the Oregon State Education Association. One of the possibilities to reduce the school district budget is to contract out busing, food services, and maintenance. The purpose of Musial’s presentation was to convince the school administrators and school board that contracting out is not a good idea. In fact, he said that “privatization is a bad thing.”
Musial showed how private companies are not obligated to hire the school district employees who are currently doing these jobs. The companies reduce wages by reducing benefits as much as 40%. This reduces the disposable income of those employees whose jobs are contracted out. Contractors will also reduce hours. No longer able to make a living in Baker County, many of these employees will leave the county, taking with them their children who are students. This, then reduces the school population, and more cuts will be necessary.
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Hospital Treats Record Number Of Patients Due To Icy Roads
Icy roads caused multiple wrecks Friday evening, which resulted in a full
emergency room (ER) at St. Elizabeth Health Services.
Amy Dunkak, Director of Communications and Business Development at St.
Elizabeth said per their protocol, Dr. Jacobson enacted the hospital’s
Disaster Plan at approximately 5:30 p.m. and by 10 p.m., they had treated
all 27 of their emergency room patients.
Of those 27, two were admitted to the Medical Floor, and three with neck
fractures and one with multiple broken ribs and facial lacerations were
transferred out to other facilities.
The ER reached its capacity, which includes three bays and three treatment
rooms in ER and two intensive care unit beds.
Dunkak said 38 staff members responded in addition to the crew on hand.
These included physicians, surgeon, nursing, dietary and facility staff.
Private Property Rights Group Holds Meeting
By Suzanne Ellis Jones
About a dozen Baker County residents met last Thursday in the Library
meeting room to discuss formation of a group that will address concerns
about private property rights in the county.
Jay Bowman of the Denny Creek area led the group in a discussion about his
experiences with the Baker County Planning Commission and other County
issues. Bowman's agenda had the following items for discussion: Role of the
Planning Commission and do some members have a private agenda, letting the
County Commissioners know concerns in regard to land planning and placement
of planning commissioners who will value private property rights, and
general organization of the group.
Firefighters Fend Off Fire And Cold
Even though the temperatures outside were below zero Tuesday, local
firefighters battled a hot blaze that started underneath a home on
Pocahontas Road.
Baker Rural Fire Chief Howard Payton said the owner of the home, Scott
Jager, had placed a space heater in the crawl space underneath the house to
thaw out frozen pipes.
“It was a diesel fired heater that runs hot out the end,” said Payton. He
said the heater had been left unattended and it has been determined this was
the cause of the fire.
The house, which Payton said some will recognize as the former Crabill home,
was being rented by Chris and Brianna Peppers. No one was home when the fire
started.
Josh Srack with Baker Rural was the first to arrive on the scene at about
3:17 p.m. Neighbors got the renter’s two dogs out of the house and Srack
rescued a cat that was in a bedroom. At that point Payton said the smoke
from the fire was at about ceiling level. Srack, who is a fire captain for
Baker Rural, was also the incident commander for this fire.
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Twilight Parade Twinkles Along Main Street
With the sounding of a police siren, Baker City’s annual Twilight Parade made its way down Main Street. Beginning at around 5:15 p.m. last Saturday, Dec. 6, a handful of parade floats, trucks and groups decorated in lights inched their way from the north end of Main, then looped around the Baker Tower onto Auburn and back up First Street.
Crowds on the sidewalks dove for candy tossed from the floats, took pictures, and gathered near the Christmas tree to await Santa Claus. Burn barrels were placed on either side of Court Street near the tree, to warm onlookers as the official tree lighting took place.
Commissioners Approve Zoning Change From Farm To Recreation In Homestead Area
By Eden Taylor
In their regular session on Dec. 3, the Baker County Commissioners approved the zoning change in the Homestead area. A 76.18-acre parcel of land owned by RLF Homestead Properties, LLC, was changed from Exclusive Farm Use (EFU) Zoning to Homestead Recreation Limited Use Combining (HRLUC) Zoning. After a second public hearing, the commission moved to the deliberation phase of the process.
During public testimony Andrew Bryan from Baker County Marketing Development Corporation stated that the new development would be a positive step to tourism. He indicated that this type of project also fits into the trails program, giving people more trails to explore. He added that this type of development meets the Marketing Development goals of cultural, recreation and heritage projects.
Mark Bennett, Planning Department Chairman, took the commissioners through the Planning Department findings. The commissioners added their conclusions to the report. Bennett gave credit to staff member Lauri Hoopes who he said had worked countless hours compiling the staff report. After the deliberations were finished, the commissioners unanimously approved the zoning change.
Proposed County Zoning Ordinances Raise Public Concern
By Suzanne Ellis Jones
Chairman Randy Joseph called to order the Baker County Planning Commission hearing on Tuesday, Dec. 2, on the Transportation Standards portion of the proposed Baker County Zoning Ordinances. A little over 50 people attended the meeting, with about 20 people testifying before the committee.
The differences of opinions in the room were partly because of the way the draft document was put together; those who have read it say it's impossible to tell what is the new proposal and what is the existing, current ordinance. This draft has been in the making for five years and between three different Planning Directors, which contributed to the content and format problems of the document.
Laurene Chapman, former owner of Elkhorn Title in Baker City, testified about the portion of the plan that states if more than two dwellings exist on a private road and a third is added, then the private road becomes a public (County) road. Chapman pointed out to the Commission that this would become "a taking of private property." Joseph asked staff for a definition and then concurred this is indeed what this document states.
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