FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2015
THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS — 7
Sports / Local
PUBLIC NOTICE
WILDFIRE AWARENESS • SEPTEMBER 24th, 6:30 p.m. at the School House
Hosted by the City of Sumpter Volunteer Fire Department. Guest agencies:
• Baker County Emergency Management
• Oregon Department of Forestry
• United States Forest Service
• Bureau of Land Management
Learn the term "Defensible Space"; as it refers to area between a house and an oncoming wildfi re where the
vegetation has been managed to reduce the wildfi re threat and allow fi refi ghters to safely defend the house. In the
event that fi refi ghters are not available. Defensible space also improves the likelihood of a home surviving without
assistance. Community awareness and involvement can help you, your neighbor and your city.
It's your chance to ask questions and get answers.
to Suzan & Bebe!
Cycle Oregon
comes to
Baker County
• ROUTES CHANGE
DUE TO WILDFIRE
BY BRIAN ADDISON
Brian@TheBakerCountyPress.com
More than 2,200 partici-
pants landed in Baker City
setting up camp on the
northern grounds of Baker
High School Saturday,
September 12, preparing to
depart on Cycle Oregon’s
28th edition through some
of the most diverse and
scenic sections of north-
eastern Oregon. Cycle Or-
egon 2015 Hell on Wheels
Hells Canyon/Wallowas
covers about an approxi-
mate 400-mile loop over
the course of seven days.
“We have participants
representing 48 states and
nine countries this year,”
said Portland resident
Steve Schulz, Ride Direc-
tor for Cycle Oregon.
“Riders range in age from
eight to 82.”
Cycle Oregon 2015
riders departed from Baker
City Sunday morning on
the fi rst leg of the trip
down Old Highway 30 to
Farewell Bend State Park.
After resting for the
evening after the approxi-
mate 60 mile warmup,
with temperatures in the
90s, the pack peddled on to
Cambridge, Idaho. Follow-
ing the fi rst day heat came
a cooling trend with light
showers predicted for the
remainder of the trek.
From Cambridge, the
route next originally would
have wound to Halfway,
Oregon followed by one
of the most scenic portions
of roadway in the United
States, from Halfway over
the Forest Service Road
39 to Joseph, Oregon.
This portion of the route
reaches into the Wallowa
Mountains and, with about
16 miles at a six-percent
grade, may test the fi tness
of some of the riders.
Instead, due to the
15,000-plus acre Dry
Gulch Fire, riders were re-
routed to bypass Wallowa
Lake and instead head to
Huntington and Farewell
Bend on Wednesday,
then return to Baker City
Thursday.
“I’ve been trained on all
the hills in Florida,” joked
fl at-land Florida resident
Roger Johnson, who works
as a fi nancial advisor back
in the Gulf coast region.
“This is my fi rst trip to
Oregon. I love it. It is
beautiful country.”
Johnson was urged to
join the Cycle Oregon
adventure by his lifelong
friend Craig Pieringer who
resides in Lake Oswego
and works as a money
manager for Wells Fargo.
“I’ve known Craig since
I was three years old, and
it was his great idea to do
this,” Johnson said as he
embraced his friend for a
photo.
Pieringer and Johnson
enjoyed the Cycle Oregon
opening ceremony and
joined several hundred oth-
Brian Addison / The Baker County Press
Friends (from left) Tim Colahan, Harney County District Attorney and Marcie Colahan meet with Oregon
State Representative Cliff Bentz (R-Ontario) and Lindsay Bentz on Saturday evening, September 12, to
begin Cycle Oregon 2015 preparations.
er participants in the beer
garden as the Rock Creek
Jazz Band played contem-
porary jazz favorites
“One of the best parts of
Cycle Oregon is the chance
to make new friends,” said
Pieringer. “Look around,
the average age of the
people here is probably
60. The event always takes
place the weekend after
Labor Day and all the kids
have gone back to school.”
Oregon state Representa-
tive Cliff Bentz (R-Ontar-
io) and his wife Lindsay
were preparing for the ride
Saturday evening and met
up with friends Harney
County District Attorney
Tim Colahan and wife
Marcie.
“Lindsay talked us into
doing this,” said Bentz.
“This is our third time rid-
ing in Cycle Oregon.”
Ever the politician, Bentz
said Cycle Oregon 2015
would be an opportunity to
communicate with major-
ity leader of the Oregon
House of Representa-
tives Val Hoyle who also
participated in this years’
ride. Hoyle is running for
Oregon Secretary of State.
She is an avid bicyclist and
owned a bike shop for 20
years, according to Bentz.
“Val is a Democrat and a
good friend,” said Bentz.
“It’s a good chance to
talk about the issues like
the fi re—and we’ll travel
through some of those fi re
areas on the ride.”
“We’ll be going very
slowly over that hill,”
Bentz said of the trip from
Halfway to Joseph.
First-time participant
David Crosby, a self-em-
ployed engineer from Ca-
mano Island, Washington,
also had some trepidation
about the level of fi tness
required for the journey.
“Not nearly as much as I
should have,” he answered
when asked about training
preparation. “It’s going to
be mostly muscle-memory
for me. Sometimes life
gets in the way of proper
preparation.”
Upon reaching Joseph,
Oregon, participants have
the opportunity to recharge
with an overnight stay at
Wallowa Lake State Park.
“The reason I came back
was the ride from Hells
Canyon up the mountain
to Wallowa County,” said
Peter Bonafede, originally
from South Africa and now
a rheumatologist living in
Beaverton, Oregon. “I’m
on my own this year but
I’m going to make a bunch
of new friends. I partici-
pate because of the beauty
of Cycle Oregon, the won-
derful atmosphere, and the
chance to bond with folks.”
This year marks the third
time Cycle Oregon has
begun in Baker City. The
event departed from Baker
City in 2008 and in 2003.
This years’ ride would
have replicated the 2003
route.
“We’re so happy to be
back in Baker County,”
said Ride Director Shulz.
We just love the people.”
The fi nal day of Cycle
Oregon 2015, Day Seven,
routes from Union, Oregon
through the back roads
of Baker County in the
shadow of the Elkhorn
Mountains back to Baker
City.
On Friday, the group was
headed on to La Grande
then will return to Baker
City Saturday evening for
the end of the race.
BMS Volleyball
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Wendee Morrissey / The Baker County Press
Top: Baker Middle School Volleyball played in La Grande last night. 8th grade
results: First set 25-21 La Grande, Second set 25-19 Baker, third set 17-15 La
Grade. La Grande won 2/3 sets.
Bottom: 7th grade girls won in 2 sets over La Grande. 25-16 Baker and 25-18
Baker.