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About The Baker County press. (Baker City, Ore.) 2014-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 6, 2017)
ART: Crossroads recognizes 2017 artists. PAGE 5 (Painting by Nanci Sheppard at right.) The COUNTY: Commissioners discuss Planning Commissioner’s investigation. PAGE 3 Baker County Press TheBakerCountyPress.com 75¢ All local. All relevant. Every Friday. Friday, October 6, 2017 • Volume 4, Issue 40 Local LEO receives Oregon Medal of Valor BY KERRY McQUISTEN with Press Release text from Chief Wyn Lohner News@TheBakerCountyPress.com On June 5, 2017, Offi cer Blake Hawkins of the Baker City Police Depart- ment (BCPD), walked in a direction that would be counterintuitive to most—into a smoke-fi lled apartment. There, Hawkins assisted a disabled citizen out of that burning apartment complex at 1490 Resort Street in Baker City. As a result of his actions, Hawkins is receiving the Medal of Valor from the Oregon Peace Offi cers’ Association (OPOA) next month at their awards ceremony in Pendleton. The Medal of Valor may be awarded to individuals who, while serving in an offi cial capacity with their law enforcement agency, distinguish themselves by reacting to a situation in a positive and professional manner, and thereby re- duce the risk of loss of life or injury to citizens. Ac- cording to the OPOA, their intent is never to give out many of these awards— only for rare service. Hawkins was nomi- nated for the award by Sgt. Wayne Chastain after details of Hawkins’ actions were brought to the atten- tion of the department by Hawkins’ partner, Offi cer Chris Sells, and Baker City citizens who were also on scene at the fi re. Hawkins said although he is very appreciative of the award, he feels that he was just doing his job. He think, “police offi cers are often put into extraor- dinary circumstances that necessitate immediate action and that this was no different.” Hawkins has been with the BCPD for almost ex- actly three years. Photo courtesy of the BCPD. Offi cer Blake Hawkins will receive this prestigious award next month. SEE VALOR PAGE 5 Pair produces ‘Paint your Wagon’ podcast Bennett files to run again BY KERRY McQUISTEN News@TheBakerCountyPress.com Samantha O’Conner/ The Baker County Press L-R: Andy Lindberg and Doug Kenck-Crispin on site at the Geiser Grand. • PODCASTERS COMMEMORATE LOCALLY FILMED MOVIE BY SAMANTHA O’CONNER Samantha@TheBakerCountyPress.com Podcasters Doug Kenck-Crispin and Andy Lindberg traveled to Baker County to commemorate the 50th an- niversary of the fi lm “Paint Your Wagon” with a special segment for their “Kick Ass Oregon History” podcast. “Paint Your Wagon” is a famous Western musical fi lm starring Lee Marvin, Clint Eastwood, and Jean Seberg. The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band also appear in the movie. Several of the stars stayed in the Geiser Grand Hotel, so the podcasters followed suit. Shooting on that fi lm began in the spring of 1968—coming up on that half-century mark. The two went to the fi lm site and camped there for a few nights before coming to Baker City. That site is located in the Eagle Cap Mountains nearest East Eagle and Jack Creek, and for years was marked with a sign. No Name City was built on this site but torn down after production ended. Stars were often seen walking on Main Street in Baker City during lulls in fi lming. Kenck-Crispin explained that they were looking into Friday Sunny and mild with a high near 70. Friday Night: Mostly clear and cool. Lows in the mid 30s. Saturday Mostly sunny and seasonable with a high in the lower 60s. Saturday Night: Mostly clear and cool. Lows in the mid 30s. Sunday Mostly sunny and seasonable with a high in the upper 50s. Sunday Night: Mostly clear and cool. Lows in the lower 30s. what that fi lm has meant to Oregon, fi lm history and Oregon history in general. “‘Paint your Wagon,’ at the time, was the most expen- sive fi lm ever made and it was made outside of Baker City with a lot of folks from Baker City as extras, as constructions workers,” explained Lindberg. “The expec- tation that we kind of had was that everybody in Baker City would have a ‘Paint Your Wagon’ story. But that’s not necessarily what we’re fi nding and that’s interesting because, at one time, it was a huge deal. But maybe 50 years is long enough that people forget.” Kenck-Crispin and Lindberg are both from Portland and began their podcast in 2011. Kenck-Crispin said that a podcast is like a radio show—except on the internet. Podcasts often do not have a set time slot they are aired or have a set time limit, allowing podcasters to discuss a topic for ten minutes or an hour, depending on the story. Other stories can take several podcasts to tell. They have traveled all over Oregon in places such as Copperfi eld, Astoria and McDermott. They have had segments on Jean Baptiste Charbon- neau the son of Sacagawea, Oswald West in Copperfi eld, and Bobbie the Wonder Dog that walked from Indiana to Silverton, Oregon. SEE PODCAST PAGE 5 The Fire, Weather & Avalanche Center forecast: Our forecast made possible by this generous sponsor: Offi cial weather provider for The Baker County Press. Unity rancher and County Commissioner incumbent Mark Bennett fi led last week for a chance to be re-elected to his pres- ent commission seat. The seats held by Bennett and Bruce Nichols are each part-time positions. Said Bennett, “I am run- ning for re-election simply Submitted Photo. because I care about the County Commissioner people of Baker County, Mark Bennett fi led to run and to insure that the again for the same posi- customs, culture, and the tion in the next election. economic stability of the county continue for the future generations.” Bennett, who has ranched since 1989, was fi rst appoint- ed to Commissioner to fi ll the term vacated by Dr. Stiff in May 2013. He was fi rst elected in 2015. Locally, he worked previously in the Baker County Sheriff’s Offi ce as a Captain under then-Sheriff Terry Speelman. He says his key roles as Commissioner are: Boardman to Hemingway Lead since 2006; BLM Resource Manage- ment Plan; and the Governor’s Sage Grouse Association of Oregon Counties Representative. Higher power rates in Nov. After reviewing the fi nal “Cost of Service” report and assessing revenue needs to sustain the Cooperative, at the September 26 meeting, OTEC’s Board of Directors approved a rate increase of 4.62 percent to recover cost increases passed through from BPA, OTEC’s wholesale power supplier, as well as to recover increased distribu- tion costs. Although BPA increased rates to OTEC as of October 1, 2017, members will not be impacted by the rate increases until November 1. For the non-profi t’s more than 23,000 residential members the increase will be $4.00 per month, raising the monthly delivery charge from $25.50 to $29.50. The residential energy rate (per kilowatt hour rate) will remain unchanged. “The board voted to increase the monthly delivery charge to $29.50 to move closer to full recovery of the actual cost to provide electrical service to a location,” said OTEC’s General Manager Les Penning. SEE OTEC RATES PAGE 4 ALSO IN THIS ISSUE “So I was thinking...” by Jimmy Ingram GriefShare Program to begin Man dies at Hewitt Park 5J, BEA reach agreement Word Search / Crossword Politicians schedule town halls Page Page Page Page Page Page 4 5 5 7 7 8