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January 28, 2010 Front Page |
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Burns Supper Attendance Grows From Last Year
Story and Photops
By Suzanne Ellis Jones
What do tipsey laird, rumble thumps, haggis and men in kilts mean? They mean a great time celebrating Scottish poet Robbie Burns’ 251st Birthday. Last Saturday night at the historic Baker Tower Ballroom, the Eastern Oregon Celtic Society and sister organization, the Eastern Oregon Throwers, hosted Baker City’s third annual Robbie (Rabbie as the Scots like to pronounce it) Burns Supper for over 100 kindred souls.
The crowd feasted on haggis, which must be blessed by a Scottish ceremony that included the “Piping in the Haggis,” a bagpipe presentation by Pete Elder, and the “Address to the Haggis” by Richard Forrester, before the dinner could commence.
The supper started with haggis, which is made from beef, lamb and rolled oats, a dab of whiskey and seasoned with nutmeg and other secret ingredients, and has the texture of meatloaf crumbs. The crowd consumed approximately 10 pounds of haggis served with crackers.
Johnson Turns Down City Manager Position, Council Selects Steve Bogart
By Mark Bogart
The Baker City Council selected a new City Manager again on Tuesday night. However, this time the vote was unanimous, and the choice was a local man who is expected to begin work on Monday. Steve Bogart, who served as City Manager in 2004 and 2005, was chosen to return to the position for an indefinite period of time.
The door was opened for Bogart’s unanimous selection by two events in the past week. On Thursday, Tim Johnson of Portland, who was chosen by a 4-3 vote in December, notified Mayor Dennis Dorrah, that he would not be available to take the job due to a medical situation in his family. Then on Tuesday evening, City Manager Pro-tem Tim Collins read his own letter of resignation at the council meeting.
In his letter, Collins explained his reasons for leaving the position.
Black Calves, Black Night Don’t Mix
By Debby Schoeningh
Four vehicles struck and killed 16 calves along Highway 30 Friday, Jan. 22, around 7 p.m. People driving the vehicles involved reported minor injuries, and some reported extensive damage to their vehicles.
Deputy Travis Ash with the Baker County Sheriff’s Department said the calves, registered bulls belonging to the Thomas Angus Ranch, weighed about 500 pounds each.
Rob Thomas said the calves had just been weaned and escaped from their holding pen.
“The gate to the pen had been chained and the calves managed to break it open,” he said. He said they had people working in the nearby shop at the time, but it happened so fast there was nothing they could do to stop them. He said about a 100 head escaped onto the Highway.
A 1996 Ford pickup driven by Eugene Robertson, 83, of Baker City hit 12 calves just south of Imnaha Road. Ash said Robertson’s vehicle was totaled.
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