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News Archive
McNavigators Tour Baker City
Photos and Story
By Tammy A. Bloom
Dan
and Joanne Schaub from Raleigh, North Carolina visited Baker City on a
whirlwind tour of six small towns across America as judges for the Best
of the Road, Rand McNally, USA Today contest. After winning a contest to
be the judges, they embarked on a three-week road trip starting June 23
from Liberty State Park near New York City, which will end July 16 in
Los Angeles.
The
Schaubs are competing with four other teams for $10,000 and a new car
by submitting the best content on their cross-country adventure. They
are traveling with the Best of the Road Video Crew. Baker City is
competing with five other towns for the distinction of being the "Most
Beautiful Small Town in America." Winners will be announced July 23.
Baker
County Tourism Director Timothy Bishop submitted an entry online
to have Baker City included in the contest. There were 324 towns
nominated. After several weeks of online voting by the general
population, Baker City was voted the third highest in the "Most
Beautiful Small Town in America" category, and fifth highest overall in
all categories. If selected, Baker City may be featured in both the Rand
McNally 2013 Road Atlas and in USA Today.
Wyden Discusses Everything From China’s Currency And Economic Bailout To Boise TV During Town Hall Meeting
By Debby Schoeningh
U.S.
Sen. Ron Wyden has visited Baker City every year since becoming Oregon’s
senator in 1996, including last Friday. He held a town hall meeting at
Baker City Hall July 8 for local citizens where he urged the crowd of
about 50 to "practice some pure democracy." He said, "You won’t hurt my
feelings, just say what’s on your mind."
Wyden fielded questions and comments from the audience on topics that included:
China’s Currency
Steve
Culley of Richland asked Wyden about China's undervaluing of its
currency for purposes of gaining an unfair competitive advantage in
international trade. Wyden said China, even in this tough economy, has
been a very important leading export partner in our state.
"China
refuses to value currency at a level that reflects what everybody else
does in the world in this economy so they are able to ship products
around the world more cheaply," said Wyden. "Unfortunately, there are
some Chinese companies engaging in merchandise laundering that are found
guilty of dumping under the market price." He said when caught, instead
of stopping this practice they move to another country, rebrand their
product and ship through some other area.
"It’s stealing American jobs, it's wrong, and I will support legislation for fair access to markets around the world," he said.
Council Adopts Plan For E Street Parking
At In & Out
By Joni Lea Linscott
In
their regular meeting on June 28, City Council members discussed the
installation of the new sidewalk along E Street, and the parking spaces
at the In & Out Drive-In.
The
discussion began with a short presentation from City Manager Mike Kee,
which included opinions from engineers at Anderson-Perry and City
Attorney Dan Van Thiel. He said that he had also been in contact with
the police department in regard to accidents in the area, and although
there had been several, only one involved a vehicle backing out of the
In & Out parking spaces.
Councilor
Beverly Calder said this issue had been discussed in length at the
previous council meeting, and, “There are parking spaces all over town
where this has happened. This is a landmark business, they have been
there since 1954.” Calder then made a motion to approve Councils’
decision from the last meeting which would allow the In & Out to
keep their parking spaces, and construct the sidewalk at the curb line
with 60-feet of low curb behind the vehicles, allowing them to back out
into the street.
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Bronson Sentenced For The Killing Of Two Bighorn Sheep
On June 30, 2011, Baker County Circuit Court Judge Greg Baxter found James Bronson Jr. guilty of two counts of unlawful taking of wildlife: bighorn sheep and two counts of unlawful possession of wildlife: bighorn sheep. His ruling concluded a three-day trial in Baker County Circuit Court. The Defendant, James Bronson Jr., 55, of Pendleton, Ore., was represented by Mount Vernon attorney Mike Kilpatrick and the State was represented by Matt Shirtcliff, Baker County District Attorney.
Bronson was charged in November of 2008 based on an investigation by the Oregon State Police game division. Bronson killed a bighorn sheep in the Lookout Mountain Game Unit in December of 2007 and again in September of 2008. The State contended that both rams were killed near the Soda Lake area and Conner Creek.
The case involved several motion hearings in which Judge Baxter ruled that the ceded boundary of the Nez Perce was the hunting boundary. The ceded boundary for the Nez Perce to the south is where the Powder River meets the Snake River near Richland, Ore.
Wally Byam Club Visits Baker City
Vintage Airstream travel trailers camped out in Geiser Pollman Park over the 4th of July weekend. They were part of the Wally Byam Caravan Club International.
Byam, who died in 1962, was one of the pioneer manufacturers of the Airstream. He was born July 4, 1896 in Baker City. As a youth Byam had traveled with his grandfather who led a mule train in Baker and later, as an adolescent he worked as a shepherd living in a two-wheeled shepherd's cart outfitted with a kerosene cook stove, a sleeping bag, and wash pail.
OTEC Announces Selection For Director
of Operations
Oregon Trail Electric announces Ned Ratterman has been selected for the position of Director of Operations effective July 1, 2011.
Ratterman has held the position of Interim Director of Operations for OTEC since May 24, 2011. Prior to that, he served as Manager of Loss Control for OTEC since 2002.
“Based on his performance during the interim period as well as his impressive background,” said General Manager Werner Buehler, “OTEC is pleased to promote Ned to his new position.”
OTEC Board Of Directors Elects New Officers
New officers of Oregon Trail Electric’s Board of Directors were elected at the June 27 board meeting. Board offficers are nominated and elected for two-year terms by the directors. The new officers are:
• Grant Holman of Union County - President
• Charles Hofmann of Baker County - Vice President
• Greg Howard of Union County - Secretary/Treasurer
The frequent election of new officers,” said Werner Buehler, “helps the board ensure that OTEC tackles problems with a fresh set of eyes and new ideas. It’s an important part of delivering the best service for our members.”
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Council Holds Work Session On Golf Course And Burning Ordinance
By Joni Lea Linscott
Billy Cunningham of Quail Ridge Golf Course and Golf Board members discussed an Economic Impact Study in regard to Quail Ridge Golf Course during a Baker City Council Work Session on June 22.
Cunningham said, “We want the City Councilors to be involved in what’s going on at the golf course.” He also invited the council to visit the golf course in an effort to include them in what’s going on.
Regarding the Economic Impact Study, Cunningham said they had been doing property tax evaluations, now have a greens committee, designed a new website, www.QuailRidgeGreens.com, and also have been communicating with members of the course, the community, and outside of the community.
Mayor Dennis Dorrah asked Cunningham, “Here in Baker City what do you think it’s going to take to increase playership at the course?”
Wyden To Hold Town Halls In Eastern Oregon
Portland — U.S. Senator Ron Wyden will host town hall meetings on Friday, July 8, in Baker and Grant counties and on July 9, 2011, in Burns and Ontario. Senator Wyden has been holding town halls in each Oregon county every year since 1996
Baker County Town Hall Meeting
Date: July 8, 2011
Time: 10 a.m.
Location: Baker City City Hall, 1655 First
Street, Baker City
Grant County Town Hall Meeting
Date: July 8, 2011
Time: 3 p.m.
Location: Grant County Regional Airport
720 Airport Road, John Day
Harney County Town Hall Meeting
Date: July 9, 2011
Time: 10 a.m.
Location: Harney County, Senior
Center, 17 S. Alder, Burns
Malheur County Town Hall Meeting
Date: July 9, 2011
Time: 4:30 p.m. (Mountain Time)
Location: Four Rivers Cultural Center
676 SW Fifth Avenue, Ontario
Miners’ Jubilee July 15, 16 and 17
This 29 year tradition of celebrating our mining heritage in Baker County brings alumni from all over the country back home, visitors from as far as Montana, and new friends from all over the west.
Baker County comes to life with Vendors in the park, a huge food court, Art in the Park featuring local artists with no velvet Elvis’s in the area.
The Eastern Oregon Mining Association is featured in the park as well with the Oregon State Gold Panning and Hand Steeling Championships, gold panning for the kids, a silent auction with rock specimens and gold nuggets, tool to find your treasure, and even an antiques table. EOMA will be raffling off a Pro-Line 3” dredge/Highbanker, Keene Super Concentrator, ten ounce bar of silver and a gold panning kit. Every ticket you buy also makes you eligible for a later drawing for ½ pound of GOLD and gives you $5 off on an EOMA once ounce silver medallion.
Other activities will include the Ruger Truck Load Sale at Thatcher’s Ace Hardware, Quail Ridge Golf Course Tournament, Lions Club Breakfast both Saturday and Sunday, Blue Mountain Baptist Church Family Fun area, Yo-yo contest, Downtown Sidewalk Sales, 4H Petting Zoo, Baker City Bronc and Bull Riding, Quilt Show, Live music on stage downtown, Saturday morning parade and Melodramas brought to you by Eastern Oregon Regional Theater all weekend long.
Rand McNally-USA TODAY Judges To Visit Baker City July 8-9 As City Vies For Most Beautiful Small Town In The US
The small Northeast Oregon town of Baker City is among the top six most beautiful small towns in the US at the end of online voting in a national contest sponsored by Rand McNally and USA TODAY. The Best of the Road Rally team that will make the final decision is scheduled to visit Baker City as part of the three week Best of the Road Rally is scheduled to visit baker City on July 8 and 9.
Baker County Tourism submitted the nomination in early May and Baker City quickly took a commanding lead in the first few days and remained in the number one spot for the first 3 weeks of the online competition. As voting heated up in the final week of the contest baker City was out paced by the well known beach resort communities of Pacifica, CA. and Coral Gables, FL. but still managed to hang onto third place finishing among the top five communities in the category for most beautiful town. 632 communities were nominated, including 302 in the category for most beautiful town. Baker City received the 3rd highest number of votes in the most beautiful town category and the 5th highest votes of any community in all categories.
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5J Teacher Files Grievance, Resigns From School District
By Eden Taylor
Patty Bogart resigned from teaching in the Baker 5J School District after 34 years. An involuntary transfer required by the District led to the resignation.
Bogart has been affiliated with Baker School District since 1977, including substitute teaching while raising her girls. She has taught 27 full-time years. She started out in Brooklyn as the primary ENR (special education) teacher and spent two years in that position. For the past 25 years she has taught first grade, mostly at South Baker.
Bogart found her niche and said she really enjoyed teaching first graders.
With budget cuts looming School District 5J anticipated some changes. Bogart first heard of a plan to move her to the middle school as a special education teacher in January. She was given a verbal indication that the choice was between her and another teacher. In March, Bogart received notice of the involuntary transfer in writing. However, Bogart said she didn’t think she would have to move because of her seniority. But when she found out seniority was only one factor and the District insisted she be transferred, Bogart filed a grievance.
Commissioners Hear Update On Department Facilities/Accomplishments
By Joni Lea Linscott
At the regular meeting of the Baker County Board of Commissioners on June 15, the board heard updates from Vince Woods, facility maintenance director for Baker County, on the improvements to the Baker County Departments done in the last year and also what is anticipated to be done in the next fiscal year. Woods said, “It was a trying year this year, we had the flood (courthouse) which put everybody out of their usual realm. But, all in all it all turned out really super.”
Woods began by going over a list of accomplishments from the last year:
• Completed HVAC control
• Elevator upgrade completed
• Fountain innovation complete and ready to go once the weather clears up
• Put in new automatic irrigation valves at County Jail
• During the flood, there was an opportunity to take care of other areas in the courthouse that were unaffected
• Third floor got complete overhaul
• Added ceiling fans to courtroom on third floor
• Replaced halogen light bulbs that were using too much energy with LED lights
• Placed flood can lights in lobby in hopes of someday placing artwork in that area
• Able to find some storage areas for certain departments
• Replace several heating units
He next continued with Department plans for this fiscal year:
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