FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2016
THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS — 7
Sports / Local
Sumpter
Dome
CONTINUED FROM
PAGE 1
Last year for the season
opener, it was cold and
rainy, “darn near snowing
up here,” he said—and
Hollopeter thought the
event would be rained out.
Forty-five intrepid souls
showed up and crowded
together on his porch.
This year, Hollopeter
mounted a 16’ x 10’
screen in his shop and
put in bleachers. He has
two sound systems, with
a wireless subwoofer in-
stalled under the back row
of bleacher seats.
An amplifier and high
definition projector, along
with wireless satellite
receiver and laptop, round
out his system.
Hollopeter said it’s as
close as one can get to a
stadium-like experience
without actually going to
the stadium.
Hollopeter said they lost
track of attendance for
this year’s opening game
viewing after one hundred
showed up.
He had to open his bay
doors and people were
standing to watch the
game. They “made this
place rock.”
All the vendors around
told him they knew when-
ever Boise State had done
something good. Over half
the attendees were there
for the first time but said
they would definitely come
back next year.
Hollopeter said there are
always people who insist
on giving him money, and
he has passed on all dona-
tions to Beth Miller, The
Bronco Girl. Miller leads
the Boise State team out
onto the field. The school
does not pay her and so
all costs come out of her
pocket.
Miller explained that
hers is a volunteer posi-
tion, but said the school is
good about reimbursing
gas money.
She attends all home
games and the Bowl games
if the facilities will allow a
horse on the field.
Hollopeter happened to
have the opportunity to
meet Miller, and asked if
she would like to come up
to Sumpter during the Flea
Market. She did, and two
years ago, she and her hus-
band, along with her horse,
visited the Labor Day Flea
Market.
Hollopeter said she was
the hit of the Flea Market.
She let anyone who wanted
get on her horse, hold the
Boise State Flag, and get a
picture.
Hollopeter said, “You’ve
never seen bigger smiles
than those kids when they
got to climb on that horse
and hold the Boise State
flag.”
He said she had painted
the white blaze on her
horse’s face orange and the
orange was rubbed off by
the end of the day from so
much petting.
Hollopeter said Boise
State is “definitely the
most popular team up here,
followed by Oregon and
Oregon State.”
Miller said that Sumpter
is a very outgoing small
town and that it felt like
a home away from home,
almost like Boise with so
many fans.
Last year, the opening
game was at Boise, so
Miller could not come to
Sumpter, but was going to
come up this year. Hollop-
eter said that unfortunately,
she went out of remission
for her MS, and her doctor
would not let her.
Hollopeter also hosts
smaller game viewings for
all away games and hopes
to have Miller up for one
of those.
Miller said she and her
husband are excited about
coming and hope to make
it.
Hollopeter wanted to
do something extra this
year to encourage Miller,
so he decided to raffle off
three autographed items—
a running shoe signed by
star running back Jeremy
McNichols, a hat signed by
most of this year’s offense
and coach Bryan Harsin,
and a football signed by
the same and Hall of Fame
quarterback Bart Hen-
dricks.
Hollopeter said there was
a knock on his door one
day and he opened it to
Gerry McMullen. McMul-
len admired his set-up and
asked who was Hollop-
eter’s crew.
When Hollopeter said he
did not have one, McMul-
len volunteered. He and his
wife took over the raffle so
Hollopeter could focus on
showing the game. They
sold 150 raffle tickets, plus
several people made dona-
tions after the game. They
were able to raise a little
over $1,000.
Hollopeter plans to offer
three more raffle items
next year.
Raffle winners this year,
all Idahoans, were Jeff
Wise of Payette, Mike
Hampton of Boise, and
Salli Bolthouse of Eagle.
In addition to the raffle,
Hollopeter gives out door
prizes during the season
opener.
Each person who comes
gets 10 tickets and he
draws for prizes during
commercial breaks. He
saves up prizes throughout
the year and Les Schwab
also donates prizes ever
year.
Pepsi donates sodas for
the event.
Hollopeter is already
making plans for accom-
modating more fans for
next year’s opening game.
Miller is graduating, so
this will be her last season
as the Bronco Girl.
Hollopeter said, “We’ll
definitely be here next
year so we can keep her
replacement coming on the
field.”
In addition to all away
games through the season,
he said Boise State has a
strong team this year and
he thinks it’s likely that he
will also be hosting view-
ings of the Bowl games.
The next away game
kicks off September 24th
at 12:30 p.m.
Ladies golf
scores
Following are the Quail Ridge Ladies Golf and Bridge
scores for September 7 and 14, 2016:
Golf Winners.
Club Champion 2016 Myrna Evans.
September 7 Low Net, 1st Flight Tie: Myrna Ev-
ans- Judy Karstens; 2nd Flight Kathye Corn; 3rd Flight
Marianne Klinger.
September 14 Guess your Score 1st Flight Sammye
Linzel;
2nd Flight Karen Wollard; 3rd Flight Marianne Klinger
Bridge Winners.
September 7 1st Carol Arnstein; 2nd Deni Smith; 3rd
Shannon Sullivan.
September 14 1st Janice Smull; 2nd Pat Cook; 3rd
Dianne Ellingson.
Man killed in
Minam crash
On September 19, 2016 at about 3:06 p.m., Oregon
State Police (OSP) Troopers and emergency personnel
responded to the report of a single vehicle crash on State
Route 82 near milepost 31 (Minam Grade).
Preliminary investigation revealed an older Dodge
farm truck, operated by Gary Leonard Alford, age 70,
of Joseph, was traveling eastbound down Minam Grade
when his vehicle failed to negotiate a curve.
The vehicle left the roadway and traveled down the
embankment, where Alford was ejected.
Emergency services personnel extracted Alford from
the hillside below the roadway. Life Flight arrived on
scene but Alford had succumbed to his injuries before he
could be evacuated from the scene.
Witness statements and some scene evidence suggest
that an equipment failure may have been a contributing
factor in the crash.
The highway was closed for two hours while the inves-
tigation was being conducted.
OSP was assisted by Oregon Department of Transporta-
tion (ODOT), Elgin Fire, Union County Sheriff's Office
and Wallowa County Sheriff's Office.
County hears BMCC funding
vs. services concerns
BY TODD ARRIOLA
Todd@TheBakerCountyPress.com
The Baker County Board
of Commissioners held its
second, regular session of
the month, on Wednesday,
September 21, 2016, 9
a.m., in the Commission
Chambers of the Baker
County Courthouse, which
included a continuing
discussion regarding issues
with the Blue Mountain
Community College
(BMCC) program.
Present from the Board
were Chair Bill Harvey,
Commissioners Mark Ben-
nett and Tim Kerns, and
Executive Assistant Heidi
Martin.
The session was called
to order, and the optional
Invocation, and the Pledge
of Allegiance were recited,
both led by Harvey. With
a few noted changes to
the agenda, it was then
adopted, with a motion
from Bennett, and a second
from Kerns.
Citizen Participation
included Steve Culley, who
said he’d like to see any
possible County tax rev-
enue from the legalization
of recreational marijuana
be set aside for drug treat-
ments (dispensaries are
currently banned within
City limits, and within
unincorporated areas of the
County).
He said he’s experienced
some issues using the
prison inmate communica-
tion system, Telmate, and
he said that he’s noticed
problems with private bill
collectors (Bennett said
he didn’t think the County
used private collectors, for
fines and fees).
Among other details,
Culley said that he would
like to see more press
coverage, regarding meth-
amphetamine busts, and
the many issues with local
meth use and its effects, in
general.
The minutes from the
regular session on Wednes-
day, September 7, 2016
were approved, with a
motion from Bennett, and
a second from Kerns.
Baker County District
Attorney Matt Shirtcliff,
and Baker County Juvenile
Court Supervisor Staci Er-
ickson provided the Board
with D.A. and Juvenile De-
partment updates. Includ-
ed in Erickson’s update
were statistics for 2016
juvenile referrals, from
January 1, 2016, through
September 15, 2016.
Among the statistics: 16
MIP (Minor In Posses-
sion) marijuana referrals;
22 MIP alcohol referrals;
38 property crime referrals
(property crimes include
theft, criminal mischief,
burglary, criminal trespass,
and disorderly conduct); 24
person crime referrals (per-
son crimes include assault,
harassment, menacing, and
assaulting a public safety
officer); 7 alcohol and drug
crime referrals (alcohol
and drug crimes include
furnishing alcohol to mi-
nors, DUII, and possession
of methamphetamine); 14
runaway referrals; and 3
tobacco referrals.
Erickson’s chart showed
MIP marijuana and MIP
alcohol referrals, from
2013, through 2016 (so
far): in 2013, 9 MIP mari-
juana, and 18 MIP alcohol;
in 2014, 8 MIP marijuana,
and 19 MIP alcohol; in
2015, 10 MIP marijuana,
and 19 MIP alcohol; and in
2016, 16 MIP marijuana,
and 22 MIP alcohol.
During Shirtcliff’s
update, he emphasized the
importance of press cover-
age and public awareness,
regarding the continuing
battle to curb methamphet-
amine use and manufac-
ture, and to showcase the
efforts of law enforcement,
including drug raids. He
also voiced strong support
for Oregon Ballot Measure
11, first passed by voters
in 1994, which established
mandatory minimum sen-
tencing for violent crimes,
without possibility of early
parole, or reduction of a
sentence, for good behav-
ior, for offenders 15 and
older. Shirtcliff referenced
a recent protest against
Measure 11 in Salem,
spearheaded by a chief
petitioner, whose spouse is
in prison for child sexual
abuse.
He stressed the reduction
in violent crime since the
passage of the measure,
and he said that the mea-
sure is normally applied
properly, though that pro-
cess is often misunderstood
by the public, including the
assumption that it includes
mandatory sentencing for
lesser crimes.
The Board began a
discussion which was
intended to originally be
part of an executive ses-
sion, in order to consult
with County legal counsel
Drew Martin, about the
legal rights and duties of
a public body, with regard
to current litigation, or
litigation likely to be filed.
Bennett asked what the is-
sue was specifically, and
Harvey responded that a
citizen, in this case, former
BMCC Program Director
Peggy Hudson, wished
to bring to the Board’s
attention major issues with
the relationship between
BMCC and the County,
in the area of funding,
versus services provided
by BMCC.
Bennett said he didn’t
think that this topic met
the requirements for an
executive session, and
that it should be an open
discussion.
After some further
discussion, Bennett made
a motion to address the
topic without an executive
session, Kerns seconded
the motion, and it carried.
Hudson, who originally
thought the issues would
be addressed in executive
session, was reluctant to
provide copies of her re-
search at first, but then she
provided those documents.
The documents she pro-
vided detail issues, among
other items, with the
historic push of the BMCC
District (which includes
Pendleton, Hermiston, Mil-
ton Freewater, Baker City,
and Boardman) to increase
the percentage of students
of Hispanic descent, from
12%, to 25%, by the end
of fiscal year 2010, while
she noted that Baker
County has a very low
percentage, “too white,”
she said, which results in a
lower percentage over-
all, and less investment
in Baker County; with a
Baker County voter survey
conducted in 2012, which
included a question about
potential support for a $12
million bond measure,
to pay for the expansion
of BMCC facilities and
programs in Baker County,
rather than a question that
could have included pos-
sible lower bond amounts;
and the lack of response,
from certain BMCC per-
sonnel, when questioned
about these and other is-
sues, including the decline
in student enrollment
in Baker County—60%
within the last three years.
Hudson continued to
discuss the topic for a
significant portion of the
session, and the conversa-
Todd Arriola / The Baker County Press
Steve Culley addresses the Commissioners
regarding marijuana taxation.
tion included Martin, as
well as Randy Joseph, who
said that Hudson’s infor-
mation was an eye-opener,
and that it needs more pub-
lic exposure. The Board
discussed the options with
opting out of the BMCC/
County relationship, and
the need for the County to
have its own community
college.
At the conclusion of the
discussion, Harvey moved
to schedule a work session,
for Wednesday, October
12, 2016, 9 a.m., in order
to invite key personnel,
including members of the
5J School District Board,
and representatives of
BMCC, to discuss the
matter further. The motion
was seconded by Kerns,
and it carried.
Order No. 2016-156,
Appointing A Justice Of
The Peace Pro-Tem For
The Baker District, was
approved, with a mo-
tion from Bennett, and a
second from Kerns. Josie
Hermann was appointed,
during the absences of the
Honorable Don Williams,
Justice of the Peace for the
Baker District, her term set
to expire on September 21,
2016.
Amendment No. 3 to
Oregon Jobs and Transpor-
tation Act (JTA) of 2009
Agreement, Local Agency
Agreement for Fund
Distribution, Resort Street,
Best Frontage Road, and
Chandler Lane Improve-
ments, No. 26459, was
approved, with a motion
from Bennett, and a second
from Kerns. Bake County
Roadmaster Jeff Smith
discussed the agreement
with the Board, prior to
approval. According to
the agreement, the project
includes rebuilding of
Resort Street, installation
of a “pork-chop” barrier
on Best Frontage Road,
and shoulder improve-
ments on Chandler Lane,
and the total project cost is
$7,052,000, funded by the
JTA.
Local Contract Review
Board (CRB) Order No.
2016-155, An Order
Designating A Sole Source
Provider For Hot Mix
Asphalt For Baker County
Road Department, was ap-
proved, with a motion from
Bennett, and a second from
Harvey. Smith discussed
the Order with the Board,
prior to approval.
According to the docu-
ment, Baker County in-
tends to purchase hot mix
asphalt during fiscal year
2016-2017, and Roger As-
phalt Paving Company was
designated as a sole source
provider (Roger Asphalt
Paving Company is the
only provider of hot mix
asphalt within the area).
SEE COUNTY
PAGE 8