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News Archive
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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Bomb Training
Oregon State Police Bomb Squad out of Pendleton gave a training Wednesday, Sept. 2, to local firefighters and hospital and emergency services personnel, and Sumpter and Eagle Valley volunteers and EMTs. The group learned what to look for in homemade bombs and how the Squad’s remote operated robot is used to pickup potentially dangerous explosives.
They spent the afternoon at gravel pits east of Baker City blowing up items including a mock suicide bomber, a suitcase and a backpack full of explosives. They also demonstrated what blasting caps can do to a person’s hand by using a glove stuffed with steak and hotdogs.
Senator Merkley Visits Baker City
By Suzanne Ellis Jones
The Baker County Armory accommodated one of the largest town hall meetings in years when Sen. Jeff Merkley came into town last Friday morning. The Baker County stop was part of an eleven-town hall meeting swing that started Tuesday in Bend and will end in Lakeview. Over 400 people attended the hour and a half meeting, with meeting officials setting out more chairs during the first part of the meeting. Prior to the public meeting Merkley met privately with County Commissioners and City officials. Sen. Merkley said this was the largest crowd since Sen. Mark Hatfield was last in Baker City.
People who wanted to ask Sen. Merkley a question were required to sign in and were given a number. The front table also had pro-health care plan signs available. Baker City Mayor, Dennis Dorrah drew the numbers lottery style and over a dozen questions were asked by Baker County residents. The questions ranged from food safety, to concerns about a cyber security bill, concealed carry permits, to many concerns about the Czars President Obama has hired, and health care. All questions and comments were respectful and thoughtful, but the overall mood of the crowd was that they were fed-up with government control.
Recall Petitions Lack Enough Signatures
Baker County Clerk Tami Green said verification of signatures to recall Mayor Dennis Dorrah and Councilor Beverly Calder has been completed. A petition to recall Dorrah had 549 signatures and Calder’s petition had 512. Fifty-four more signatures would be needed to successfully recall Dorrah and 91 for Calder. Green said petitioners have until Sept. 17 to gather the extra signatures needed.
If the recall is successful, Dorrah and Calder’ s positions would be replaced by appointment. Those appointed would fill in until the end of Dorrah and Calder’s terms, which expire in 2010. At that time both positions would be up for re-election.
Commission Discusses Wolf Problems
By Eden Taylor
In the regular session on Sept. 2 the County Commissioners listened to Curt Jacobs from Keating and others as they told of the devastation the wolves are causing to their flocks and herds. Jacobs had a slide show of his mutilated lambs and goat.
The wolves left the area for the hills after they had been captured and collared earlier this summer following livestock attacks in April. But about two weeks ago a collared male and his uncollared female began wrecking havoc in the Keating area again. Jacobs explained the condition in which he found the dead and mutilated lambs to confirm that they were definitely wolf kills. He said he lost 7 lambs and a goat this time, and that’s only what he has found. He does have other lambs missing.
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Local Lifesaver Celebrates 45 Years of Red Cross Service
By Eden Taylor
The Northeast Oregon District of the Oregon Trail Chapter of the American Red Cross held a celebration in the Baker City Office on Aug. 31. The purpose was to celebrate and thank Roberta Morin for her 45 years of service to the Red Cross.
Roberta Morin began as a Jr. Lifesaver when she was 13 years old. She’s been working with the Red Cross ever since.
Roberta and her husband, John, have owned a ranch in Hereford for 36 years. Roberta became a CPR Instructor because her father, Elmer Amundson, had a pacemaker. The pacemaker didn’t stop him from coming to Baker County to hike and hunt and fish at Roberta’s place. She decided she’d better become proficient at CPR.
Schoolbells Ring Across Baker City
By Eden Taylor
At 8:10 on Monday morning school bells all over Baker City rang for the first time of the 2009-2010 school year. Four schools welcomed the laughs, cries, noise and confusion of children in their playgrounds and hallways. One school, North Baker, stood as a lonely sentinel, saddened by its emptiness. Budget cuts had forced North Baker’s closure for this school year.
But at South Baker Intermediate School and Brooklyn Primary School children’s voices filled the air. Taking on their new divisions, the two elementary schools cruised through the confusion to welcome their new role in the district. First through third graders found their classrooms and teachers and learned rules to begin their new routines. Fourth through Sixth graders enthusiastically greeted each other and figured out their places in a new intermediate school.
City Council Discusses Court Plaza Concept
By Candie Campbell
The first item of discussion at the Aug. 25 City Council meeting was the adoption of the Development Code 3296 which will render Codes 2778 repealed, with the exceptions of Codes 3291 and 3295 (Sign Code Regulations). The intent of Code 3296 is to enhance code enforcement, improve livability and modernize the existing code according to the proposal.
Don Chance, Baker City Planning Director, said, “The City’s Development Code is basically our combined zoning code and subdivision ordinance.”
After repeated work sessions with home builders and developers over a period of 16 months, the Planning Department has come forward with the proposed Code 3296. Chance said that “they [City Planners] feel really good about it.”
Federal Government May Force Loss Of 116 Local Jobs At Ash Grove Cement
Ash Grove Cement Company’s Durkee, Ore., Plant may be forced to close, resulting in a loss of 116 jobs, due to a proposed Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rule.
The rule would change the mercury emission standards and, if adopted, would require cement manufacturers to dramatically lower mercury emissions or be forced to close.
Representative Cliff Bentz, District 60, asks that anyone concerned about this submit comments to the EPA regarding this proposed rule.
Representative Bentz said, “The more letters and comments sent to the EPA in Ash Grove Cement’s defense, the better the chances are that a sub-category will be added to this proposal, hopefully saving the Durkee Plant.”
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2009 Highland Games ‘Rocks’ Baker County Fairgrounds
Story And Photos
By Suzan Ellis Jones
Bagpipes, blue sky and athletes in kilts all added up to an amazing Baker County event Saturday. The second annual Celtic Festival and Highland Games was hosted by the Eastern Oregon Celtic Society and the Eastern Oregon Throwers, with approximately 1,500 visitors and participants attending.
The heavy events varied from tossing river rocks and cabers. Events were for both men and women. The contestants rotated through different events all day. Events included the Caber Toss and Sheaf Toss. If the event names sound a bit different, here is what they are: The Caber Toss is considered the main event at a highland game; men and women alike toss a post that is about 8” in diameter and 12 to 18 feet long. (Women’s caber is a bit shorter—but not much.) For you ranchers out there, this is like tossing up in the air, single-handedly, a corral rail, making sure it flies end-over-end before hitting the ground. To succeed, one has to have good balance to just lift the caber up, and then the strength to push it through the air.
Commission Approve New Phone Contract For Jail, Bentz Gives Legislative Update
By Eden Taylor
The County Commission tackled many important subjects at their regularly scheduled meeting on Aug. 19. Commissioner Carl Stiff was not in attendance.
Undersheriff Warren Thompson presented the advantages of changing the phone contract for the jail to Intelmate. Some of those advantages include (1) A personal pin system to identify each inmate and his phone account; (2) The capability to allow family or friends to leave a short voicemail accessible with the inmates pin number for a fee of $3 each; (3)There is a $3.50 charge for 15 minute collect phone call and a $2.50 charge for pre-paid calls; (4) PREA and Crime Prevention reporting; and (5) An automated Kiosk would be place in the front office lobby allowing friends and family to add funds to an inmate’s trust account or prepaid account. Intelmate also has a more user-friendly bookkeeping system.
Commissioners approved the recommendation to contract with Intelmate.
Baker’s Student Population Falls To New Low
By Eden Taylor
For the first time, the Baker School District will begin school this fall with fewer than 1,800 students. Down 70 students from the beginning of school last year, student population continues to decline. A loss of 600 student population in the past 10 years has forced the district to make school closures. First Churchill was closed. This year North Baker is closed and the Central Building at BMS will also be put in moth balls.
After registration, grade numbers look like this: 105 Kindergarten students in 5 classes; 110 First graders in 5 classes; 116 in 5 second grade classes and 124 third graders in 5 classes. The Brooklyn Primary Total is 455 including the Kindergarten housed at BHS. South Baker Intermediate Elementary will house 364 students as follows: 110 fourth graders in 4 classes; 115 fifth graders in 4 classes and 139 sixth graders in 5 classes. Haines will have 80 students and Keating, 22 students for a total elementary population of 921.
Biker City Riders Roar Into Settlers Park
Story and Photos
By Tammy Bloom
The sound of Harley motorcycles could be heard at Settler’s Park early Sunday afternoon as the Biker City Riders (BCR) visited residents. Members of BCR fixed the residents barbecued hamburgers and hot dogs with salads, chips and drinks.
The highlight of the afternoon was when the BCR took residents for rides on their motorcycles. Residents were fitted with leather vests, jackets and helmets before they hit the open roads.
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