FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2015
THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS — 9
Local
Parks & Rec: Proposal for
BMX bike track in the works
BY GINA K. SWARTZ
Gina@TheBakerCountyPress.com
Monday evening the
Parks and Recreation Advi-
sory Board met with board
members Linda Collins,
Gail Duman, Lisa Jacoby,
Rick Taylor, Jeff Nelson
and Mayor Kim Mosier in
attendance.
Mike Clark was absent
and staff liaison, Joyce
Bornstedt noted that Clark
had in essence indicated
his departure from the
Board in a conversation
earlier.
They briefly discussed
the Leo Adler Fitness Zone
installed along the parkway
at Kirkway and “H” Street.
“It is completed except for
the sponsor sign,” Taylor
advised the board.
The Baker City Lions
sponsored the Fitness
Zone. Taylor noted he has
heard very positive com-
ments about the space.
Bornstedt advised, “I
have had a couple of
inquiries about the project
cost. There are some other
entities that are interested
in continuing that on fur-
ther down the pathway so I
need to get that info.”
Taylor mentioned the
“Adopt a Pathway” project
that has had no movement
and indicated he would
like to see something hap-
pen with that in the very
near future. He stated he
would be drafting some
info regarding the project
in the next few weeks.
The Board then addressed
school play equipment.
The proposal is to move
play equipment from North
Baker School that is no
longer being used; how-
ever, the issue was raised
that it may need to remain
as a neighborhood amenity.
There was also mention
that the play equipment at
the high school, used for
kindergarten students when
kindergarten classes were
held there, can’t be moved
due to safety concerns.
“If there are events like
track meets, it is nice to
have for younger kids to
play on,” Bornstedt said.
Gina K. Swartz / The Baker County Press
Jared Johnson addressed the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board.
They then discussed the
vegetation management
plan. It was noted that the
plan had been voted on
and accepted by the City
Council. “We are filling
out forms like we were
asked and our contractor
has been receptive to the
changes. I ordered new
signs that are more vis-
ible,” Bornstedt said.
Several Board members
said that signs were defi-
nitely more visible.
Bornstedt said, “I have
received in the mail more
information from Ms. De
Torre, the main advo-
cate, that I forwarded to
Michelle (Owen, Public
Works Director) because
she has been the one cor-
responding with her. She
also is the only person that
had requested to be on the
notification list (before
spraying is done).”
It was requested that
volunteers assist with weed
pulling by hand in lieu of
spraying but no volunteers
stepped forward and so
currently there are none.
In an effort to put a posi-
tive spin on things Mosier
said, “Maybe they are
out there doing it on their
own.”
The board all weighed
in saying they had toured
the park where the “pilot”
no spray initiative was
launched and without
volunteers the success of
the project was unlikely,
but they would see what
happens in the spring
through the summer. “A
big difference” is expected
to be seen.
Mosier indicated before
and after pictures would
have been a good idea in
hindsight, and indicated
she may go out and take
some on the next sunny
day. The Board toured
city parks recently and all
found the tour useful, gain-
ing ideas for improvements
and changes.
The new business item
on the agenda for con-
ceptual plans came out
of the tours. The board
then moved on to the new
business portion of their
agenda. First up the board
was addressed by Jared
Johnson who is proposing
a BMX bike track.
Johnson, owner of Flag-
staff on Main Street is also
a cyclist and a member of
the non-profit organization
Baker Loves Bikes.
His proposal is for prop-
erty that is currently for
sale along the Leo Adler
parkway at “D” street.
He notes that the area is
“very visible and patrolled
by the City Police fre-
quently” deterring from
unsavory behavior.
He indicated the track
would be extremely low
maintenance, the use alone
would be weed control
and inexpensive to create,
a bobcat could easily in
a matter of hours move
around dirt to create the
“pump track.”
Discussion was had over
the property and the board
indicated to Johnson that
they did not think they
could advocate for any
new property as it had
been directed to them by
the citizens of this com-
munity that the board was
to maintain and improve
what they already had plus
budget issues also could be
an issue.
Johnson suggested that
he work with Baker Loves
Bikes in an effort to secure
a grant to purchase the
property.
Bornstedt advised, as
was the case with the band-
stand, property or proj-
ects could be secured by
another entity and created
then donated to the City
and in the case of a BMX
bike track little City main-
tenance would be required.
Johnson even tossed out an
idea of creating a youth/
High School bike organi-
zation that would use and
maintain the track.
The Board agreed that
this was a great idea for
our community and sup-
ported Johnson’s idea di-
recting him to talk with the
Baker Loves Bikes board
and get back to them with
more solid information,
once a better picture of the
project was developed they
could then approach City
Council regarding the idea.
The board also sug-
gested he look at property
directly across “D” street
from where he was propos-
ing as usable space as it
was already City-owned
property and would be
really easy to develop into
this project. Johnson said
he would consider that
option but the property
the City owned was really
“skinny and might now
allow for the turns needed
very well.”
He indicated that reason
as to why the other prop-
erty he was suggesting was
more desirable. Johnson
also suggested making a
small park-like area along
the pathway there to allow
for families to stop and
enjoy while another family
member uses the “pump
track.”
After Johnson’s proposal
the board moved on to
talk about plans for both
Cedar Acres park between
Idlewood and Park Streets
and River Park by the
High School. Jeff Nelson
indicated he had heard a
great deal of opposition in
changing much at River
Park.
The Board thought the
idea of having a neighbor-
hood BBQ to invite those
that would see a direct
impact with any changes
made to those parks to be a
good idea.
More about this idea will
be discussed at the next
meeting.
Historical
books now
online
Oregonians and other historians are now able to harvest
information about hundreds of historical books and stud-
ies in an online History and Archaeology Library created
by the Oregon Heritage division of the Oregon Parks and
Recreation Department.
“During the past five decades, we have received hun-
dreds of studies and reports about historic and pre-historic
places in Oregon,” said Chrissy Curran, manager of
Oregon Heritage and the deputy state historic preserva-
tion officer. “We’ve worked so that the public can now
have easy access to these documents as well as the titles
of other books that have been published since the 195s.”
Organized by county, the online History and Archaeol-
ogy Library also includes links to lists of historic cem-
eteries and National Register sites in the counties. There
are also links to the State Archives location guides to
government records in each county.
“We have also included links to digital projects that
we have supported with our grant programs,” said Kyle
Jansson, coordinator of the Oregon Heritage Commission.
“For example, we link to the historic photos digitized in
a joint project of the Albany Regional Museum and the
Albany Public Library. Another link is to historic land
survey maps digitized by Baker County.”
The History and Archaeology Library also includes list-
ings and links of other regional and statewide resources
related to history and archaeology, and history research
guides. Oregon Heritage will continue to add studies and
book listings to the online library as they are received.
“We want researchers who know about other work to
let us know of its existence,” said Ian Johnson, manager
of the State Historic Preservation Office. “We want re-
searchers to think of this as the first place to go when they
are gathering information.”
The History and Archaeology Library is located at
http://www.oregon.gov/oprd/HCD/RESRCH/pages/his-
tarch.aspx
The Oregon Heritage division includes the State His-
toric Preservation Office, the Oregon Commission on
Historic Cemeteries, the Oregon Heritage Commission,
and the Oregon Main Street Program. Its website is www.
oregonheritage.org
Baker City man
charged in
Grant County
wolf shooting
Brennon Witty, 25, of Baker City, confessed to authori-
ties in Grant County last month that he’d accidentally
shot a wolf, mistaking it for a coyote while hunting.
Though the incident happened in Grant County, the
District Attorney there recused himself to avoid a conflict
of interest with the family. The case was moved to Har-
ney County, and this week, Witty was charged with the
killing of the wolf, and with hunting with a centerfire rifle
without a tag.
Both charges are Class A misdemeanors, and each one
punishable by up to a year in jail and a $6,250 fine.
Though wolves were listed as endangered species at
the time of the shooting, the Oregon Fish and Wildlife
Commission voted to delist them at the beginning of this
month. The change will not affect the penalties involved,
as penalties for a wolf kill have remained the same with
some commissioners even pushing for stronger penalties.
Witty’s arraignment is scheduled for Dec. 2 of this year.
Free Christmas
tree permits for
children
This year, Smokey Bear and Santa Claus are teaming
up to bring some holiday cheer to fourth graders across
the country! As part of the national Every Kid in a Park
initiative, the U.S. Forest Service is excited to announce
that all fourth graders are eligible for a free holiday tree
permit from their local national forest.
Every Kid in a Park is a national effort to encourage
children to visit national parks, forests, and public lands.
In November and December, the Forest Service is pro-
moting winter recreation on national forests, holiday tree
permits, and the annual Capitol Christmas Tree campaign.
In order for students to receive a free tree permit, they
must present a valid paper voucher printed from the Ev-
ery Kid in a Park website.
Step 1: Visit www.everykidinapark.gov and follow
instructions to obtain the paper voucher. Step 2: Print out
the paper voucher. Step 3: Bring the paper voucher to a
National Forest office to claim the free permit.
Regular Christmas tree permits for the Wallowa-Whit-
man National Forest will be available Friday, Novem-
ber 20 at Wallowa-Whitman National Forest Offices in
Baker, La Grande and Joseph, and Wednesday November
25 at several local businesses
Vending machines with maps and Christmas tree permits
are available 24 hours at Forest Service offices in Baker
City, Joseph and La Grande.