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News Archive
BHS Honor Society Holds Prom
Baker High School National Honor Society Learning Center Prom for disabled students was held at Crossroads Carnegie Art Center Friday, Feb. 27. The girls and boys were "made" up at the Presbyterian Church by members of NHS and the dance started at noon. A formal luncheon was also held at the Church. This is the third year for the Prom, which is chaperoned by instructors Amy Powell and Sharon Defrees.
The Honor Society was awarded an Outstanding Volunteer Award by Crossroads this year as one of the great organizations that help Crossroads.
“They are always there to be servers, hosts and hostess at the Crossroads Gala's and whenever we need help,” said Ginger Savage, executive director at Crossroads.
City To Revamp Sign Code
By Debby Schoeningh
Local signs are getting more than a casual glance by City officials. The City’s existing Sign Code was developed in 1921 and hasn’t been updated since, but that’s about to change.
Planning Director Don Chance, told City Councilors at their regular meeting last week that “signage is probably the single most cost effective thing the City can do to advance urban design objectives and to contribute to a sense of place and authenticity. It can set an image for the community in the eyes of the outside world.”
The Planning Department drafted a sign code modeled after Meridian, Idaho’s code. Chance said the Department visited Meridian to see the physical outcome of their signage laws and talked to local businesses there to get their opinions.
EDC Moves Forward With Projects Including Higher Education Center
By Debby Schoeningh
The Economic Development Commission (EDC) reported to City Council last week that they are working on several projects and have adopted a strategic plan after considering 23 different strategies. Out of those they chose nine strategies as priorities: business retention and expansion, business recruitment, value-added forest products, downtown development, destination tourism, value added agriculture, health care, entrepreneurial development and energy diversification.
Jennifer Watkins, director of community development, said EDC’s focus for 2009 will include the Elkhorn View Industrial Park rail spur, which they expect to be completed in 2009; the Central Park, which they will break ground on this spring; Leo Adler Memorial Parkway, Resort Street Development, funding for the Airport Master Plan, which will be adopted this year; D Street Improvements; Base Camp Baker in collaboration with the Blue Mountain Heritage Trail; and County projects including Scenic Byways.
Baker’s Bloody Break-In
By Debby Schoeningh
An intruder entered a garage on the 2500 block of 8th Street in Baker City the night of Feb. 23-24 and left behind a sizeable amount of blood.
Sgt. Kirk McCormick with the Baker City Police Department said the garage had been left unlocked to allow the owner’s dogs to get out of the weather. The intruder broke into a car that was parked in the garage and damaged the car’s glove box and antenna. McCormick said the damage was estimated at $250. However, he said the owners did not find anything missing.
McCormick said a significant amount of blood that was described as “pooling or puddling” was left behind indicating that the intruder had a cut, probably on the forearm or hand. He said there was no indication that the incident involved more than one person and they could not determine exactly how the intruder was injured.
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Grasshoppers — Preparing For A Local Invasion
By Debby Schoeningh
The month of May is the prime time to spray for grasshoppers and Helmuth Rogg, program manager of the Oregon Department of Agriculture’s (ODA) Insect Pest Prevention and Management program, said “it’s coming up quick. Talk to your neighbors. You need to get ready — it’s not looking good.”
Rogg, along with representatives from other state and federal agencies held an Integrated Pest Management workshop in Baker City Feb. 13.
Hordes of grasshoppers began their descent on eastern Oregon in 2007, with the highest concentrations being in Union and Wallowa Counties, and then into Baker County last year. They ate their way through crops and pasturelands with densities as high as 200 per square yard in some areas. Rogg said it only takes 20 adult grasshoppers per square yard to make a major impact on a producer’s yield.
City Fire Department Receives AFG Grant
After two years of research, planning and development, the Baker City Fire Department will soon receive a new mobile fire-training unit that will allow firefighters from around the region to practice and improve a variety of specialized skills aimed at protecting our community. Funding for the mobile training unit, totaling $267,000 was awarded from the DHS/FEMA Assistance to Firefighter Grant Program.
“This project is a good example of local leaders and the fire service coming together to increase the skills and knowledge firefighters need to keep our communities safe,” said Jim Price, Baker City Fire Chief. “The fact that this project was identified as a national first round priority is definitely gratifying, but just as exciting is the fact that we are now in the final phases of receiving a specialized training-unit that will directly enhance fire and life safety services in Baker City and throughout the county.”
Haines Business Has New Owner
By Teri Brown Johnson
Ken Bain of Haines is the new owner of the Cole Brothers American Service on Front Street in Haines. He is buying the station from Clifford Cole. It is now Bain's Equipment Repair. Ken has had his business as Bain's Equipment Repair for many years and managed a lot of shops before, but this is the first time to have his own building for his business.
The shop’s opening date was on Jan. 1. He plans to turn the shop into an equipment and auto repair and has been operating since opening day. Ken says he has two employees, Larry Curry and J.O. Maxwell who formerly worked with Cliff Cole.
He is looking forward in working with them. Ken is still doing a lot of mobile repair and is comfortable with jobs being well done at the shop.
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Plug In Cars — Easy On The Environment And No Gas Required
By Debby Schoeningh
The GEM electric car probably won’t win any races, but like the tortoise, its slow steady pace will triumph in the long run by saving energy. Aside from the obvious perks of reduced fuel costs and less pollution, Don Fink of Baker City says it’s also a gem to drive.
He and his wife, Roberta, purchased two GEM models, a smaller e2 car and a flatbed utility vehicle, which Don uses in his work maintaining Mt. Hope Cemetery and Geiser Pollman Park.
Don brought their e2 home from Ohio in the bed of his Ford 350 — with the tailgate up. The GEM, looking somewhat like a misshapen bubble on wheels, he says drew a lot of stares.
“I guessed it looked kind of strange to people who hadn’t seen one,” he says. “I stopped at a Walmart on the way back and one lady thought I had a helicopter in the back on my truck. But after just a week of driving it, we were totally convinced getting it was the right thing to do.”
Made by Global Electric Motorcars, a subsidiary of Chrysler located in Fargo, N.D., the GEM tops out at 25 miles per hour, which is the legal limit for low-speed vehicles in Oregon. GEMs are legal to drive on any road in the state with a speed limit of 35 mph or less.
City Of Haines Gets New Pumper Truck
By Teri Brown Johnson
On Thursday, Jan. 29, the Haines Fire Protection District took delivery of the new 4x4 Pumper truck. Approximately 20 people attended a celebration breakfast at the Sunridge Inn in Baker City. This was a fantastic event for the Haines Fire Protection District.
According to Haines Fire Chief Jerry Hampton, last February, 2008 he met with Dan Weitz from Baker Rural Fire as well as Howard and Vince Payton to discuss what it would take to apply for a FEMA Grant. At that time Jerry knew that he could not do this all on his own so he visited with a group of the Haines firefighters, and they came up with the plan to meet with Dan and Howard. The Grant and Truck committee consisted of Jerry Hampton, Mike Brazofsky, David Johnson, Larry Curry and Martin Neske. Special thanks to Marge Loennig for proof reading and helping with corrections in grammar and spelling. One other person the Haines Fire Protection District would like to thank is Robert Seymour for all his help.
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Forest Service Presents Commissioners With Six Alternatives For Travel Management Plan Proposal
By Eden Taylor
In their regular session on Feb. 4, the County Commissioners heard from Steve Ellis, USFS Supervisor for Wallowa Whitman National Forest, Ken Anderson, District Ranger for Whitman Ranger District, and Judy Wing, Public Affairs.
Steve Ellis talked about the Forest Travel Management Plan. He told the commission that the planning team finalized a range of six alternatives that meet the purpose and need to be outlined in the plan proposal. These ideas will now go to an internal review. The regional staff will use the proposals to make a Draft EIS (environmental impact statement) for formal review. Then there will be another round of public meetings. It is important for the public to know that if they want any right to appeal, they must make their comments in the public meetings during the review processes. These meetings will be held in April and May.
The final decision is up to the USFS Supervisor. Once the final EIS is written, it will be published. There will then be an appeal period. Appeals are made to the Regional Forester. Again, in order to make an appeal, you must comment on the draft during a public meeting in the public review period. Ellis also emphasized that he must follow procedure as outlined in the National Environment Policy Act NEPA.
School Board Hears Proposal For Grade Level Elementary Schools
By Eden Taylor
In a work session on Feb. 5, the Baker School board members heard a proposal for Grade Level Elementary Schools presented by the Administrative Team. The team consists of the 5 elementary principals in the district, Troy Fisher, Craig Harlow, Betty Palmer, Beth Bigelow and Ben Carr. Troy Fisher gave the presentation. All involved emphasized that this is merely a proposal and that all options will be carefully scrutinized before a decision is made.
The idea of putting all the lower grades in one school building and all the upper elementary grades in another building is what this proposal is about. Fisher listed that the following are driving forces to make the change: (1) Budget constraints/declining enrollment; (2) More efficient staffing and collaboration; (3) Efficiency in curriculum and instruction; (4) Strengthening of programs; (5) stability in school attendance and attendance area. The district has been working on collaboration, and housing all the teachers for similar grades together can make for more efficient use of time in the collaboration processes.
Roe Sentenced To 10 Years In Prison
Gerald Dewayne Roe III, of Haines, was sentenced this week to a mandatory minimum 10-year prison term after Roe pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter in the death of his infant daughter, Mia.
The sentence, passed down by Judge Greg Baxter, came after an agreement was reached between the defendant and the District Attorney’s office. Late last year, a Grand Jury had indicted Roe on one count of first-degree manslaughter and two counts of murder.
According to District Attorney Matt Shirtcliff, the manslaughter conviction meant Roe had killed his daughter, “recklessly and under circumstances manifesting extreme indifference to the value of human life.”
Shirtcliff said the reason they allowed manslaughter instead of the original murder charges was that after a review with the medical examiner, they believe Roe had not intended to hurt his daughter.
“The baby’s mother felt this would be fair also,” he said. “It was more reckless than intentional. Roe also had no pattern of previous abuse, and the defendant’s age was taken into consideration. He had to be held accountable, and we tried to strike a fair balance.”
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