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August 27, 2009 Front Page |
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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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