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About The Baker County press. (Baker City, Ore.) 2014-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 18, 2016)
LOCAL: New digital signs on 1-84 through Baker County. PAGE 5 OUTDOORS: Two bull elk poached. $500 reward offered. PAGE 7 The Baker County Press TheBakerCountyPress.com 75¢ All local. All relevant. Every Friday. Friday, November 18, 2016 • Volume 3, Issue 47 Sunridge sale draws closer BY TODD ARRIOLA Todd@TheBakerCountyPress.com A recent court-approved sale of the Best Western Sunridge Inn of Baker City to Nampa-based Deepak Prashar, for $6.3 million, brings to a close the previ- ously unresolved fi nancial issues associated with the property. Manager Lisa Wilson said Wednesday that while the court documents show no precise closing date, all of the involved parties be- lieve and hope the sale will conclude by year’s end. On October 19, 2016, the District of Oregon United States Bankruptcy Court approved the sale of the property, “... free and clear of all liens...” to Prashar. Deepak and Kalpana Prashar own the Super 8 in Baker City, through DK Hotel Management, LLC, and lease the Motel 6 in Baker City, through another company, Gurmaa, LLC. In mid-April 2016, Wisconsin-based Bayview Loan Servicing, LLC, holder of the Promis- sory Note and the Deed of Trust for a $4.9 mil- lion loan on the property, sued Townridge, Inc., and Carshetown, LLC, claim- ing that loan payments of approximately $35,000 had not been made since February 1, 2015, result- ing in a default of over $521,000, which included payments, interest, fees, and costs up to the date of the complaint. Bayview demanded the rest of the principle and interest, and sought foreclosure of the property. In June 2016, Townridge, Inc. (formerly Carshetown, LLC), dba Best West- ern Sunridge Inn, fi led for bankruptcy, retain- ing Boise, Idaho-based D. Blair Clark. Since that time, there had been numerous fi lings and hear- ings in Bankruptcy Court, with various claims and issues discussed, as well as County involvement in the local process. During the May 4, May 11, and May 18, 2016 Baker County Board of Commissioners sessions, delinquent Transient Lodg- ing Tax (TLT) penalties were discussed with Wil- son, and these penalties, which totaled $16,362.67, were ultimately forgiven by the Board during the May 18 session. Todd Arriola / The Baker County Press The Best Western Sunridge Inn is about to change owners it seems. SEE SUNRIDGE PAGE 3 BCPD one step closer to body cams Write-ins to be official November 23 BY KERRY McQUISTEN News@TheBakerCountyPress.com Todd Arriola/ The Baker County Press According to Baker County Clerk Cindy Carpenter, the offi cial results of the Sumpter Mayoral race will not be made offi cial until November 23, when they are certifi ed. LeAnne Woolf was on the ballot, receiving 25 votes, and others were written in—a total of 90 votes at last count. Carpenter said Sumpter City Recorder Julie McKinney has the unoffi cial results at present. Carpenter said the large number of write-ins for Baker County Commissioner and Baker City Council was not large enough to merit breaking that number into separate names or gathering an offi cial tally. Said Carpenter, “We do not need to count the write-ins for Commissioner or Baker City Council as ORS 254.500 (a) states we only have to count write-ins if the total num- ber of write-in votes equals or succeeds the number of votes for the candidate(s). This was not the case in either of these offi ces.” 506 unoffi cial write-in votes were received for Baker City Council. 476 unoffi cial write-in votes were cast for County Commissioner. In addition, measure 1-74, changing Baker County Commission seats to nonpartisan remains up in the air with a margin of 92 votes tipping the balance to the yes side. About 150 ballots remain uncounted due to chal- lenges and other circumstances. If a voter has received a call or notice from the County regarding their ballot, they are encouraged to contact the Baker County Clerk’s Of- fi ce before November 22. Sgt. Wayne Chastain demonstrates one of the cameras, which attaches to a shoulder mount. BY TODD ARRIOLA Todd@TheBakerCountyPress.com Anticipating future needs and requirements, the Baker City Police Department purchased 21 new RS2-X2L body video cameras from UK-based Reveal Media, which may be fully operational by mid-December, said Sergeant Wayne Chastain, during an interview recently. Chastain, who spearheaded the project a year ago, said that several different types of body cameras were tested over a two-month period, and Reveal Media had the clear winner based on a combination of factors. The price tag for the cameras and a server-connected charging station was about $22,000, Chastain said. One notable advantage of the Reveal camera, he said, is the adjustable, articulating camera head, which covers a 305-degree horizontal arc, and a 173.5-degree vertical arc. The camera also has a wide fi eld of view, at 100 de- grees horizontally, and 55 degrees vertically. Chastain demonstrated this feature with one of the cameras, as he attached it to a shoulder mount, which is a location he prefers. Another option is a chest mount, but he said that the camera’s weight, listed as 5.1 ounces, and the potential Friday Mostly sunny and chilly, highs in the lower 40s. Friday Night: Mostly cloudy. Lows near 30. Saturday Partly sunny with a few showers possible, no accumulations expected. Highs in the mid 40s,. Saturday Night: Mostly cloudy with a slight chance of snow and rain showers. Sunday Mostly cloudy with a few rain showers. Highs in the mid 40s. Chance of precipitation is 30%. Sunday Night: Mostly cloudy with a few rain showers. Lows near freezing. for a raised fi rearm to cause an obstruction in that posi- tion, make the shoulder location more practical for him. Plus, he said that, in the shoulder position, the unit can act as an in-car camera, with a view above the dashboard. An offi cer wearing the camera, as Chastain demonstrat- ed, can record high defi nition video and audio to internal storage (capacity is up to 32 gigabytes, and the battery ca- pacity is up to eight hours depending on video defi nition), by sliding a large, red button on the side, to the Record position. As the video and audio are being recorded, anyone facing an offi cer while in the frame of the video can see what is being recorded live, via a two-inch LCD (liquid crystal display) screen. Chastain demonstrated Stealth Mode, which makes the camera appear that it isn’t on (there are no visible lights, and the screen isn’t active), but it is, in fact, recording. This is a mode preferable at night, because he said the camera would normally shine brightly, creating an obvi- ous target. The camera, with Play/Pause, Forward and Rewind but- tons, gives an offi cer the ability to review video using the camera even while out in the fi eld. SEE BODY CAMERAS PAGE 5 Your weekend weather forecast for Baker County. Our forecast made possible by this generous sponsor: Offi cial weather provider for The Baker County Press. Funds still needed for SWAT robot BY KERRY McQUISTEN News@TheBakerCountyPress.com The Northeast Oregon Special Weapons and Tactics Team, which includes Baker County, continues to raise funds for a specialized robot, proven to save both the lives of law enforcement offi cers, suspects and hostages alike during standoff and other critical situations. The full story was reported previously in The Baker County Press. $25K of the original $29K is still needed. Robots of this type can be sent into a crisis situation for surveillance or to assist in communication, keeping offi cers out of harm. Donations can be mailed to the Baker City Police De- partment SWAT Fund, 1768 Auburn Avenue, Baker City Oregon 97814, and are tax-deductible. ALSO IN THIS ISSUE Peanut butter food drive “So I was Thinking” column County Commissioners coverage Man convicted in hunting violation Brooklyn School holds tech night Thanksgiving advertisements Page Page Page Page Page Page 3 4 5 7 8 10
