FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2015
THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS — 5
Local
Powder River Pavilion opens
• GEISER-POLLMAN
PARK HAS A NEW
CROWN JEWEL
BY BRIAN ADDISON
Brian@TheBakerCountyPress.com
A decade of persistence,
patience, and anticipation
came to a celebratory cli-
max Sunday, September 6,
as the east side of Geiser-
Pollman City Park filled
with an enthusiastic crowd
gathered to witness the
ribbon-cutting ceremony
for the new Powder River
Pavilion.
Original Baker City
Bandstand Committee
members Al Durgan and
Phyllis Badgely, whose
vision of a city central per-
formance venue was finally
realized, had the honor of
cutting the ribbon on the
Powder River Pavilion.
Joining Durgan and
Badgely on stage during
the ceremony included
members of the bandstand
committee, major project
donors, along with pavilion
architect Larry Abell and
construction contractor
Mark Johnson of Sid John-
son & Co.
After the dedication
ceremony, Baker City’s
own Blue Yesterdays big
band had the honor of giv-
ing the first performance in
the Powder River Pavilion.
The first song officiall
performed in the pavilion
was the “Star Spangled
Banner.” After the national
anthem the band played
John Phillip Sousa’s “Star
and Stripes Forever,” giv-
ing added tribute to the
American colors and to
commemorate the his-
toric concert played by the
world-famous Sousa march
band itself at the original
Baker City bandstand 103
years ago. After playing a
medley of military casons,
the Blue Yesterdays transi-
tioned back into its role as
a swing era big band.
After the performance, ar-
chitect Abell was grinning
ear-to-ear realizing that his
acoustic engineering more
than passed the test. Many
attended the ceremony
commented afterward on
the architectural brilliance
of Abell, who created a
design of aesthetic beauty
that frames the park while
serving as a functioning
stage for any size musical
ensemble.
Both Durgan and Bad-
gely fondly remember the
original bandshell and
those memories spurred
them to dream of con-
structing the new perfor-
Kerry McQuisten / The Baker County Press
Phyllis Badgely tests out the weight of the official ribbon-cutting sword.
Kerry McQuisten / The Baker County Press
The Blue Yesterdays became the first band to officially perform in the new
Powder River Pavilion.
mance venue. Committee
meetings, sometimes
contentious, began nearly a
decade ago when it seemed
everyone had their own
idea as to how the project
should be conducted.
The original bandshell
stood near the northwest
corner of the park un-
til 1972, when the state
widened Campbell Street
and razed the performance
structure. While the origi-
nal bandshell was more
of a traditional bandshell
structure with a stage and
back wall, the new struc-
ture incorporates an open
design allowing audience
members to view the trees
and the park beyond, and
itself is an artistic creation.
The bandstand commit-
tee worked during the past
decade to raise $250,000
to complete the project.
Donations of $20,000 or
more were received from
the Leo Adler Foundation,
Ford Family Foundation,
Baker City Bandstand
Committee, and the Baker
City Herald. Donors of
$10,000 are Ash Grove
Cement, sisters Janet
Aydelott Pease and Shirley
Aydelott representing the
Pease Family Foundation,
Michael and Linda Woot-
ers, Al Durgan and family,
Triple C Redi-Mix, Natural
Structures, LA Rose Ar-
chitect, and Sid Johnson &
Co. Donations of $1,000
were received from 27 dif-
ferent families. And, more
than 300 commemorative
bricks were purchased and
became a permanent part
of the structure. Triple C
Redi-Mix donated all the
concrete for the structure.
A long list of local and
visiting musicians donated
time during fundraising
performances during the
summertime Powder River
Music Review concert
series.
Baker City Bandstand
Committee members
celebrating on Sunday
included chairperson Dave
Hunsaker, vice chairperson
Marv Sundean, treasurer
and Soroptomist rep. Ly-
nette Perry, secretary and
grant writer Joyce Badgely
Hunsaker, and board of-
ficers Cindy Endicott, and
Joy Berryhill.
Bicycle lawsuit
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
The suit was filed in U.S. District Court, Oregon
District, Pendleton Division, claiming that on June 30,
2012 during the annual Baker City Cycling Classic—then
known as the Elkhorn Classic Bicycling Stage Race—
McDannel attempted to cross Dewey Avenue in front of
the Post Office to retrieve her mail when she was struck
by one of the race’s participants who was traveling north
on Dewey against the flow of normal traffic. Dewe
Avenue had been blocked to vehicle traffic and parking at
the time.
McDannel stated in her lawsuit that the defendants
failed to both adequately mark the pathway, thereby
warning pedestrians of the danger, and failed to provide
adequate human supervision in order to assure that pedes-
trians could cross the streets safely.
After being struck, the plaintiff sustained a fracture to
her right ankle, a broken left wrist, a right arm fracture,
destruction of her permanent dentures and dental im-
plants, and cuts and bruises to her head, neck and shoul-
ders. The required medical treatment ran $77,041.98,
which was the economic amount sought in her suit. An
additional $325,000 in non-economic damages was also
sought.
In defense, the City submitted several exhibits that in-
cluded the maps of the event route showing cordoned-off
sections and places where volunteers and officers were
located, and statements outlining the event’s organization
from Public Works Director Michelle Owen and Baker
City Police Chief Wyn Lohner. Per City ordinance, Kee
had also delegated safety authority during the race to
then-Fire Chief Jim Price.
As the suit progressed, on July 13, 2015, Baker City
filed a motion for summary judgement, hoping to have
the case dismissed. That document also outlined events
and included more exhibits, including one from Kee when
Brian Vegter, the event’s director applied for specific
street closures from the City.
The motion goes on to state that the plaintiff was in-
formed before she crossed the street by Officer Jury of the
Baker City Police Department that she would be unable
to access the Post Office by ca . McDannel parked her
yellow Corvette in the WorkSource Oregon parking lot
and proceeded to cross Dewey Avenue on foot, not within
any marked crosswalk, according to that document. A
crosswalk staffed with a race volunteer was available at
the intersection of Place and Dewey.
Before the City’s requested oral argument could occur,
the insurance company for Baker Loves Bikes negotiated
a settlement with the plaintiff via their attorneys, and a
60-day dismissal order was entered on August 19.
Terms of the settlement, to be paid by Riverport Insur-
ance, while not confidential were unavailable in time for
print.
Durkee man
dies in crash
On September 8, 2015 just before 10 p.m., OSP Troop-
ers and emergency personnel responded to the report of
a single vehicle motorcycle crash on Interstate 84 near
milepost 321 (east of Baker City).
Preliminary information indicates a 2013 Harley
Davidson was traveling eastbound on I-84, when for un-
known reasons, drifted off the shoulder. The motorcycle
struck a concrete barrier ejecting the operator, Dwight
W. Rosin, age 66, of Durkee, Oregon, onto the roadway.
Rosin landed in the lanes of travel and it is believed he
was struck by at least one other vehicle which has not
been identified
The motorcycle remained upright and crossed the center
median and into the westbound lanes where it was struck
by a 1993 Ford F150 operated by Wayne R Bonderer,
age 52, of Winnemucca, NV. Bonderer and his passenger,
April Bonderer were not injured.
The eastbound lanes of I-84 were closed for 5 hours while
the investigation was conducted. OSP was assisted by the
Baker County Sheriff's Office, the Oregon Department
of Transportation, the Baker City Police Department and
Baker EMS.
Public Arts Commission moves toward vinyl wraps
BY GINA K. SWARTZ
Gina@TheBakerCountyPress.com
The Public Arts Commis-
sion met in City Council
Chambers Tuesday at
5:30 to discuss the LAMP
extension project, the
Vinyl wrap project and the
Master Plan.
The committee that is
made up Ann Mehaffy,
Chairman, Brian and
Corinne Vegter, Mary
Miller, and Derek Hosler
was also attended by Mike
Kee, City staff representa-
tive. City Council repre-
sentative Mack Augenfeld
was not in attendance.
After calling the meeting
to order, Mehaffy called at-
tention to the minutes from
the last meeting which the
committee approved.
The LAMP (Leo Adler
Memorial Parkway) exten-
sion project was first up.
Mehaffy said she had
visited the site the day
before and it was looking
good. “The parking lot is
great and I think the lamp-
post is the only thing that
has really been installed,”
said Mehaffy.
Miller addressed
concern of a sign she had
seen at the other end of the
parking lot stating that it
was not a park and private
property. Miller felt the
sign was “very unwelcom-
ing.”
The committee discussed
the area in which the sign
was agreeing that the area
was private property that
has been used in the past as
parking and Kee advised,
”Well, there have been
trespassing issues there in
the past.”
Miller supported that
statement by saying,
“There was a homeless
man there when I was
there, oddly enough jug-
gling.”
Members made sug-
gestions that perhaps
approaching the owner
and asking for different
placement of the sign, not
diminishing any trespass-
ing issues, be an option.
Mike Kee said he would
look into the issue as he
was not aware of the sign.
Miller asked if there
were plans to provide
signage from downtown to
the area to which Kee said
he believed so.
The name of the park
was also discussed and it
was suggested perhaps a
‘name the park’ contest
would be a good idea. The
name “Inter Tube Park”
was also tossed out seeing
how much of the design of
the park is based on inter
tube symbols and the like.
The committee next
moved on to the vinyl
wrap project. Mehaffy
provided information from
a company out of Boze-
man, Montana called Clean
Slate. She said, “I think
the thing that was exciting
to me, was that they have
anti-graffiti vinyl. It is a
type of vinyl that regard-
less of whether it’s spray
paint, magic marker or
whatever it comes off with
simply a cleaner.” The
expected life time of the
product is about four years
and it was agreed among
the committee that that was
the type of product is what
they should go with.
Mehaffy said she had
conferred with the local
business Oregon Sign
Company who is looking
into whether or not they
can obtain the same prod-
uct from their vinyl sup-
plier to offer the service.
Mehaffy said she would
really like to keep the
money for the project local
if possible however if that
was not possible she knew
the Clean Slate Company
could do the work and was
sure there were others that
would be able to as well.
It was noted and dis-
cussed that OTEC was
not interested in allowing
utility boxes to be covered
and ODOT was willing to
keep an open mind about
the project involving traffic
boxes, but wanted to see
examples before commit-
ting to allowing the project
stating that to their knowl-
edge no other community
in Oregon had done such
a thing.
The Committee agreed
that OTEC may have a
change of heart once the
idea is more tangible and
they can see firsthand
examples.
The group also talked
about adhering vinyl to
buildings to make a “freak
alley” allowing for many
different types of paint-
ings or art be put on the
sides of buildings how-
ever the Historic District
Design Review Committee
has previously indicated
that because many of the
buildings are historic there
are restrictions as to not
changing or “defacing” the
buildings.
Vinyl is removable so it
was thought maybe that
would help get around
some of those restrictions.
SEE VINYL WRAPS PAGE 7