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Baker County Press
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Friday, August 19, 2016 • Volume 3, Issue 34
Law enforcement
concerned about graffiti
BY TODD ARRIOLA
Todd@TheBakerCountyPress.com
The Baker County Board
of Commissioners held its
second, regular session of
the month on Wednesday,
August 17, 2016, 9 a.m., in
the Commission Chambers
of the Baker County Court-
house, which included a
discussion about the grow-
ing City and County graf-
fi ti problem, with Baker
City Police Chief Wyn
Lohner, and Baker County
Sheriff Travis Ash.
Present from the Board
were Chair Bill Harvey,
Commissioner Tim Kerns,
and Executive Assistant
Heidi Martin.
Commissioner Mark
Bennett was absent due to
the Rail Fire outside Unity,
which has necessitated the
removal of his cattle from
pasture.
Attendance also includ-
ed Baker County Veterans
Service Offi cer Rick Glo-
ria, Community Connec-
tion of Northeast Oregon,
Inc. Manager Mary Jo
Carpenter, Baker Heritage
Museum Commission
Member Steve Bogart,
Baker County Roadmaster
Jeff Smith, Baker County
Assessor Kerry Savage,
Baker County Planning
Director Holly Kerns, Ed
Hardt, Ken Anderson,
Tork and Wanda Ballard,
Art Sappington, John and
Ramona Creighton, Gary
Dielman, and Mark Sayers.
The meeting was called
to order, and the optional
Invocation, and the Pledge
of Allegiance were recited,
both led by Harvey. His
Invocation included a spe-
cial prayer for fi refi ghters.
Agenda changes were
approved, with a motion
from Kerns, and a second
from Harvey, and the
agenda was adopted, also
with motion from Kerns,
and a second from Harvey.
Citizen Participation
included Lohner, Ash,
Sappington, Hardt, Wanda
Ballard, Dielman, the
Creightons, Sayers, and
Anderson.
Photo by Wyn Lohner.
An historic stone building near the freeway just a
few miles outside the City Limits was a recent
target, the graffi ti similar to that at Farewell Bend.
SEE GRAFFITI PAGE 3
Local woman lands on
‘Live with Kelly’ TV show
Sunridge: New
hearing held
• OWNER WITHDREW UNAUTHORIZED
$13K, POTENTIAL SALE DISCUSSED
BY TODD ARRIOLA
Todd@TheBakerCountyPress.com
A hearing was held last Thursday morning in the matter
of the Chapter 11 bankruptcy of Townridge, Inc., aka the
Best Western Sunridge Inn, during which Judge Trish M.
Brown voiced frustration and criticism as she spoke with
the associated parties about the case.
Carla G. McClurg, representing the Offi ce of the U.S.
Trustee, joined Brown for the hearing via telephone, as
well as D. Blair Clark, for Townridge, Inc., Joseph M.
Meier, for Baker County, and Townridge, Inc. General
Manager Lisa Wilson.
The 11 a.m. hearing, regarding the U.S. Trustee’s First
Amended Motion for an Order Directing the Appoint-
ment of a Chapter 11 Trustee, began with Brown’s ques-
tion to McClurg and Clark, about Carl Town’s conduct
(Town was listed as Owner and President of Townridge,
Inc,. on June 25, 2016, the date the bankruptcy docu-
ments were fi rst fi led).
SEE SUNRIDGE PAGE 7
Submitted Photo.
Mary Collard (at left) poses with the host of the show, Kelly Ripa.
BY SAMANTHA
O’CONNER
Samantha@TheBakerCountyPress.com
Mary Collard, a local
from Baker City, appeared
on ‘Live with Kelly’ in
New York July 28. She had
been contacted by a col-
lege suitemate she had not
seen in 32 years, who lives
in New York and whose
children are performers.
Collard, her mother, her
sister, sister-in-law, and
stepsister from Virginia,
had planned to go to New
York because her mother
loves it.
Collard went early to re-
connect with her suitemate
and applied for tickets for
the July 28 airing of ‘Live
with Kelly.’
She was pleasantly
surprised to hear she had
received the tickets. She,
BY KERRY McQUISTEN
her friend and another
person from Baker, went to
the show.
“It was a fun experience,”
explained Collard. She
has been a fan of the ‘Live
with Kelly’ show for years
and after being in the audi-
ence three times, she is a
bigger fan. She explained
that Kelly is fun and ap-
preciates her fans.
Collard spoke to camera-
men and the crowd director
to see if there was a way
she could get tickets for
the following week. The
director said to go back
Tuesday, that they were
VIPs, not having to wait in
line with the other audi-
ence members—and she
was able to meet the guests
on the show.
News@TheBakerCountyPress.com
Submitted Photo.
SEE ‘LIVE WITH KELLY’
PAGE 5
Mary stands under the lights and camera on stage.
Your weekend weather forecast for Baker County.
Friday
Sunny and mild, highs in the mid 80s. Clear and
cool at night, lows in the upper 40s.
Saturday
Sunny and not as mild. Highs near 90. Clear,
lows near 50 at night.
Sunday
Clear and warm, highs in the low 90s. Mostly
clear with lows near 50.
‘Gold Rush’
crew to leave
local claims?
Our forecast made possible by this
generous sponsor:
Offi cial weather provider for
The Baker County Press.
Just last week the two mining claims—one near
Hereford and one up Clark’s Creek by Bridgeport—that
served as the Baker County production sites for the hit
Discovery Channel show, “Gold Rush” were fi lled with
pricey Volvo heavy equipment, a large wash plant—and
prior to that, a bustling camera crew.
This week, not so much.
On Tuesday, the wash plant, trailers, and other telltale
signs of production were dismantled and hauled out dur-
ing what most locals believe is a shift in production from
Oregon to outside the state—Colorado, most say, but no
one is certain at present.
The show’s star, Todd Hoffman, said he was unable to
discuss anything with just about anyone at this point. The
Discovery Channel has cast, crew, and those related to
production locked into a strict nondisclosure agreement.
In July, some familiar with the claims expressed con-
cern yet hope that recent sluicing or “washing the dirt”
would produce the desired amount of gold. That doesn’t
appear to have been the case, and travels out of the area
by Hoffman himself caused many to speculate the trips
were prompted by the need to fi nd a new location.
Most will simply need to watch the new season featur-
ing Baker County and airing in October, to know the
details for sure.
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE
Huntington: Marijuana info meeting
Norovirus hits Unity
Man with knife arrested
Home Roots Tour coming
Pioneer Days held
Memory Cruise schedule
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