Rain Causes Flooding And Road Closures
Due to heavy rains, Forest Road 39 (Wallowa Mountain Loop Road), a popular summer route between Halfway and Joseph was closed late last week by flooding in North Pine Creek.
A Wallowa-Whitman engineer flew the route on Saturday and reported five places where at least half the road width is washed away. In one 500 foot section, the entire width of the road is gone.
There is no by-pass. Forest Road 66 (Fish Lake Road), which at times has been used as a way around closures on Road 39, was also heavily damaged by high water and is impassible. Road 39 is closed to entry at the junction of Highway 86 near Halfway and north to the junction of Forest Road 66.
Flooding In Pine and Eagle Valleys
By Tammy Waldron
Recent rains have caused flooding and road closures in the area.
In Eagle Valley, the creek had turned into a raging river. Folks like Jim and Salina Church had a lake surrounding their home. Stephanie Brown captured a picture of a cow, up to its chest in water. That cow definitely had the look of "if you can read my mind, you know exactly what I am thinking."
In the low areas the Forsea ranch got part of that raging water, as did the Clemons. And with that water comes mud, and lots of it.
In Halfway, the bridge went out on the Holbrook Spur just off of the old Tarter Place on the highway. It is not only out, but gone.
Council Selects Gail Duman To Fill Andrew Bryan’s Position
By Mark Bogart
Former Baker City Councilor Gail Duman will be returning to the council, pending a qualification formality. The council voted to use the results in the last City Council election to determine a replacement for former Councilor Andrew Bryan, who resigned recently. By choosing this process, the council indirectly selected Duman, who finished fifth in the election for four open seats.
All that remains in making the decision final is for City Manager Steve Bogart to certify that Duman is a “qualified elector” as stipulated in the City Charter. Duman has already informed Mayor Dennis Dorrah that she still wants the position. Dorrah and fellow council members Beverly Calder, Aletha Bonebrake, and Clair Button voted in favor of the system to fill the vacancy, and will presumably make Duman’s appointment official at the June 22 council meeting.
Bogart summarized three options used to deal with council vacancies in the past, explaining that the City Charter doesn’t direct how the choice is made, only that vacancies will be filled by a majority of the City Council. Bogart discouraged leaving the position vacant as one council had done in the past, saying this seemed inconsistent with the intent of the charter and could present problems in reaching a quorum in future meetings.
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