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News Archive
Homecoming Royalty Crowned
At Pep Night
By Eden Taylor
The format for Pep Night at Baker High hasn’t changed much in the past 20 years. But the kids are different every year, bringing a new enthusiasm and excitement to the night.
Masters of Ceremonies Megan Fitzpatrick, Cameron McAlister and Taralynn Taylor introduced this year’s court as the gentlemen escorted the ladies down the runner and to their seats. Those on court were: Weston Anderson and Courtney Baxter, Jacob Eastland and Kylie Kitzmiller, Dru Simonski-Davis and Annie Martin, Derek Blankenship and Mackenzie Warner, Jarrod Maxwell and Tori Wirth, Jon Burton and Annika Yates, Parker Warner and Haley Adams, Alex Bardizian and Hannah Prince, Erik Robertson and Melissa Clarke, Mark Swiger and Mallory Bailey, Trace Richardson and Becca Joseph, Dekker Smith and Krysti Cole, Trevor Davis and Missy McKim, Colton Flynn and Aly Ogan and Brandon Dolby and Amanda Lang.
Council Discusses Existence Of 2008 Work Plan For Brocato
By Mark Bogart
Tuesday’s Baker City Council meeting featured a running list of disagreements between councilors and former councilors, punctuated by the banging of the mayor’s gavel and the early exit of one Council member.
Issues ranged from the rules and purpose of executive sessions to the definition of a “work plan” for the former City Manager, and from the ethics of promoting the recall of fellow councilors to responsibility for the cancelation of training intended to resolve past conflict.
All seven current members were present for most of the meeting in addition to three former Council members; another former member sent her comments in a letter. City Manager Pro-Tem Tim Collins, however, was out of town.
County Commission Supports Justice Courts
By Eden Taylor
Characterizing Justice Courts as the people’s access to justice, Justice of the Peace Lise Yervasi explained to the Commission at their regular meeting last week the need for an additional employee in Justice Court. She said Justice Courts are always on the verge of elimination by the State. It’s a vigilant process to keep these courts open and available to the public.
At the present the Baker Justice Court has only two employees besides Judge Yervasi. Especially on Mondays during traffic court, it takes at least the two employees to keep things running smoothly. If anyone is sick or gone, the traffic court in affected. The Court has to close down for weddings.
Yervasi quoted Justice Martha Walters from the Oregon Supreme Court as saying, “In bad times we need the court system more than in good times.” Yervasi said that in poor economic times small claims suits and evictions are up.
Council Closer To Selecting City Manager
By Mark Bogart
Four names remain on the list of candidates for City Manager of Baker City, and the Council hopes to fill the position by the first week of November, according to Mayor Dennis Dorrah. That may be a difficult task, however, due to scheduling conflicts among both the Councilors and candidates. While part of the process has been carried on by a committee, all seven Councilors want to take part in the interviews.
“We’re all busy people,” Dorrah said in an interview Tuesday night. The candidates are “scattered across the country” and have their own scheduling conflicts as well, he added.
Baker Elementary Schools Receive New Names
By Eden Taylor
On Oct. 8 at 7:30 a.m., a special School Board session was held. In the session attended by Ginger Savage, Lynne Burrows and Rusty Munn, the School Board officially changed the name of Brooklyn Elementary (K-6) to Brooklyn Primary School (K-3). They also approved renaming South Baker Elementary (K-6) to South Baker Intermediate School (4-6). Keating Elementary changed their designation from K-5 to K-6.
The special session was necessary because of the Oct. 15 deadline to officially notify the State of the District’s elementary school restructuring, which will enable the school to receive the proper amount of State funding for each of the schools using the ADM formula.
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Car Seats Save Lives
By Eden Taylor
been proven over and over again. But car seats need to be installed properly, children need to be buckled in properly, and correct sizes of car seats need to be used. That was the purpose of the car seat check conducted by the Baker City Police Department at Eastern Oregon Medical Associates (EOMA) on Sept. 9.
Kelly Tanzey from Sterling Bank is a certified safety seat inspector. She, along with police officers Valeria Hysong and Tyra Ruberti, helped EOMA patrons and others make sure their car seats were installed correctly.
School Board Hears Grievance
By Eden Taylor
In a closed executive session, on Sept. 22, the Baker School Board listened to a grievance from BEA representatives. The relief sought is for the district to honor the current contract and pay the association members for 191 days of service for the 2008/2009 school year instead of 186 days.
The district has 10 days to render their decision. If the grievant is not satisfied with the disposition of the grievance at Level Three, or if no decision has been rendered within 10 days after the Level Three Conference, the Association may submit their grievance to arbitration. The Board will meet in executive session Oct. 24 at noon in the district office for further discussion on the grievance. Executive sessions are closed to the public and press.
Baker County Commission Approves Funding For Local Programs
By Eden Taylor
In their regular session on Sept. 23, the Baker County Commission heard updates from the Mason Dam project, Greenhorn, the Transmission line and the Commission on Children and Families.
Commissioners were informed that interviews were conducted and Sorenson Engineering was selected to conduct a feasibility study of the Mason Dam Hydroelectric Project and to complete the Preliminary Licensing Plan for FERC.
The Commissioners discussed the current events of Greenhorn and will visit the City of Greenhorn later that afternoon (Sept 23).
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After Three Decades Of Silence, The Courthouse Clock Chimes Again
Story and Photo By Tammy Bloom
Time keeps on ticking at the Baker County Courthouse, especially now that the building’s historic clock has been restored. A celebration was held Friday, Sept. 18 to commemorate the restoration of the clock and the Courthouse’s 100-year anniversary.
The Baker Lions Club cooked hamburgers and hotdogs for the crowd attending the celebration and the Courthouse staff provided the fixings, salads and sodas. Albertson’s furnished cake for the event. Musical entertainment was provided by Frank Carlson
The Baker High School Leadership Class of 2009, as freshmen, were challenged by their teacher to identify a project to improve the community. They chose to restore the Baker County Courthouse clock and enlisted the help of Tabor Clarke of J. Tabor Jewelers in Baker City.
Citizens Speak Out About Recall At Council Meeting, Court Plaza Design Accepted
By Mark Bogart
After some tension during the Citizens’ Participation period, the Baker City Council worked through its agenda with near unanimous agreement on a variety of issues during its regular meeting on Tuesday night.
Councilor Beverly Calder began the meeting, giving the invocation, in which she asked the council and public to practice acceptance and forgiveness.
However, three citizen comments and a councilor’s rebuttal revealed the hard feelings that continue due to a recall effort, which some believe are related to the firing of former City Manager Steve Brocato. Peggi Timm and Richard Langrell, who have both served on the Council in the past, condemned the efforts to recall Councilor Calder and Mayor Dennis Dorrah, saying the move was damaging to the community. Councilor Milo Pope responded with questions and defended his actions and his ethics.
Dorrah, Calder Recall Election Slated For Oct. 27
The Baker County Clerk’s office has received enough signatures to place Baker City Mayor Dennis Dorrah and Councilor Beverly Calder on a recall ballot. The ballots will be sent out Oct. 9 and the election is Oct. 27.
The petition to recall Calder gathered 793 signatures, 638 were certified and accepted. On Dorrah there were 831 signatures submitted and 664 accepted. Each petition needed 603 signatures for them to be eligible for a recall election.
Calder and Dorrah have submitted statements for the ballots.
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State Ag Board Tours Baker County Ranches
Story and Photo by Tammy Bloom
The Oregon Board of Agriculture held their quarterly meeting in Baker City Sept. 9-11.
The 10-member board reviewed agricultural certification programs from the Oregon Department of Agriculture and an update on Specialty Crop Grant Program awards. ODA’s Pesticides Division also provided an update on enforcement and reorganization efforts, and ODA Director Katy Coba led a review of the agency’s budget and 2009 legislative session.
In the afternoon, the board took a tour of Baker County agriculture.
Jan Kerns of Haines started off the tour with an introduction. She said with the first water rights in 1863, miners had priority over agriculture. There are fourth and fifth generation ranchers in Baker County with connections to those first water rights.
The tour visited several local ranches and properties including:
Brocato Seeks Severance Pay From City
The City of Baker City’s attorney Dan Van Thiel received a letter Aug. 27 demanding severance pay for recently fired city manager Steve Brocato. The letter was sent by Anne Denecke, an attorney in Portland representing Brocato.
In the letter Denecke stated, “I have been retained by Mr. Brocato to pursue a severance package on his behalf following his highly suspect and sudden termination from employment as the city manager of Baker City.”
Denecke cited the “contentious” Property Maintenance Code revision where Brocato had instructed the Community Service Officer to inspect each of the Councilor’s and the Mayor’s properties located in Baker City to determine potential violations under the proposed ordinance as the reason for his dismissal.
Local Brewmeister Wins Best Of Show Award
By Eden Taylor
Baker City's home-brewmeister Randy Scorby won the Best of Show award at the 2009 Oregon State Fair Home Brew competition. Scorby's "may the schwarz be with you" logged top honors in the Dark Lager category before being named top froth of all. Scorby also won the Dark Bock category with "the Dobienator" and also took two second place honors. Scorby and his wife, Laurie, will head to national competition in Minneapolis next year.
This is the second year in a row that Scorby has won the State Fair. He medaled in the finals of the National Home Brew Competition in both 2007 and 2008.
Though Randy has only been brewing for three and a half years, he credits his expertise to his master tutor, Ted Hausotter. Hausotter has been home brewing beer for more than 20 years.
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