LOCAL: Festival of Trees effort takes more
than 100 volunteers. PAGE 5
BUSINESS: New historic home added to
holiday parlor tour. PAGE 3
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Friday, December 2, 2016 • Volume 3, Issue 49
Halfway: Bobcat attack
puts damper on goat farm
BY SUNNY WERNER
Sunny@TheBakerCountyPress.com
When Courtney and
Doug Holton moved their
family to Halfway, it was
with the intent to fi nd the
best environment in which
to raise their special needs
children. The Special Kid
Goat Farm, Courtney’s
dream, has been an idea in
the works—but their plans
were severely damaged
on the night of Saturday,
November 26, with the dis-
covery of bobcat predation.
The Holtons live right
across from the only
school in the area, Pine Ea-
gle Charter School, which
serves all school-aged
children from kindergarten
to 12th grade.
The fi rst loss found was
one of their brood goats.
The goat was found lying
on the ground with one
long rip across her belly,
but no evidence of mauling
and no blood.
The Holtons fi rst thought
perhaps the goat had
caught herself on a nail,
but a thorough search
found no nails that could
have caused the damage.
Although puzzled by
the lack of blood, neither
Doug nor Courtney consid-
ered a predator.
(Bobcats often kill by
suffocation, as they will
bite the throat of their
prey and hold on until the
animal drops, according to
Oregon Fish and Wildlife.)
When Courtney and
Doug were settling the rest
of their animals, as well
as those of their neighbor,
for the evening, Courtney
saw a broken window in
the barn.
Going inside they spotted
a large bobcat perching on
hay bales at the back of the
barn. The bobcat showed
no signs of fear even with
two adults and a large
dog entering the enclosed
space.
SEE BOBCAT PAGE 3
Submitted Photo.
Courtney Holton (left) and her daughter Chase
snuggle two of their goats, including one later to
become a bobcat victim.
Unity:
Meeting
held on
solar array
Sumpter: Christmas tree
decoration completed
BY TODD ARRIOLA
with contributions from Patty Trost
Todd@TheBakerCountyPress.com
Meghan Andersch/ The Baker County Press
A small group of volunteers gathered to decorate the Christmas tree in Sumpter last weekend after
Thanksgiving.
BY MEGHAN ANDERSCH
Meghan@TheBakerCountyPress.com
A small group of volunteers set up and decorated
Sumpter’s Christmas tree the weekend of November
26th. LeAnne Woolf stated the 35’ Douglas Fir came
from the property of Jan Smith and that Kurt Clarke and
John Young transported it. A hole for the tree was dug
using Clarke’s auger.
The Christmas tree is in a new location this year next
to The Depot Inn. Woolf explained it’s close to the PA
system and is an easier location for people riding the train
to get to and from.
Around 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, a group assembled
to help decorate. Young hung the star at the top of the
tree using a lift, then turned the adornment of the lower
branches over to the assembled kids, who decked the
branches with large decorations and tinsel. Adult volun-
teers fi nished the lights and higher decorations.
Sumpter’s tree lighting will take place on December
10th, immediately following the Sumpter parade, which
starts about 5 p.m.
Other Sumpter events that weekend are the Christmas
bazaar and Christmas trains. The bazaar will be held at
the Sumpter Municipal Museum from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday.
The Sumpter Valley Railroad offers three round trips
on Saturday and two on Sunday. Christmas train reserva-
tions can be made by calling 894-2268 or e-mailing res-
ervations@sumptervalleyrailroad.org. Per the Railroad
website, the Saturday evening lights train is now sold out.
Santa will be available for visits at the Sumpter Depot,
and word is out that several of his North Pole helpers
may be spotted handing out candy in the parade.
Friday
Mostly sunny with cool temperatures. Highs in
the mid 30s.Friday Night: Mostly cloudy with
snow showers possible. Lows in the upper 20s,
Saturday
Mostly cloudy with rain/snow showers. Highs
near 40. Chance of precipitation is 30%. Little
to no accumulation expected.Saturday Night:
Mostly cloudy. Lows near freezing.
Sunday
Mostly cloudy with scattered snow showers.
Highs in the upper 30s. Little to no accumula-
tions expected. Sunday Night: Scattered snow
showers otherwise mostly cloudy. Lows near 20.
Meghan Andersch/ The Baker County Press
Around 20 people attended a community meeting in
Unity, on Tuesday, November 29, 2016, 6 p.m., to discuss
a proposed 2.75 megawatt solar farm project in the area,
with Enerparc, Inc. Project Development Analyst Peter
Desmarais, and Associate Director of Project Develop-
ment Peter Davis.
Attendees included Baker County Planning Director
Holly Kerns, Baker County Commissioner Mark Bennett,
Bill Moore, Beth Atkins, and Patty Trost.
Desmarais and Davis spoke about the company’s plans
to lease about 23 acres of private land in order to con-
struct the farm, located north of the Y-shaped intersection
of Highways 26 and 245 near Unity, from owners Ken-
neth and Claudia Brush with whom they have remained
in contact.
The project, the Brush Solar Farm, which would be in-
terconnected with Idaho Power’s transmission line along
Highway 245, and possibly started in 2018 or 2019, is
estimated to cost between three and four million dollars,
could be partially funded with grants, and would be paid
for in six to seven years, Desmarais and Davis said.
Through a 20-year contract, Enerparc, Inc. would sell
the power to Idaho Power, and the farm would be moni-
tored remotely, via a computer terminal located at Ener-
parc’s Oakland offi ce. The perimeter of the farm would
be surrounded by an eight-foot tall fence and a gravel
road, and grasses and brush in the area would be mowed,
rather than removed, to minimize dust formation.
Desmarais and Davis provided copies of a site map and
details of the project, to attendees. Among the biological
and environmental details noted, biological surveys indi-
cate no signifi cant impacts, and there are no signifi cant air
quality emissions, or impacts to waterways.
Among other details presented were the following: the
silver-framed, photovoltaic (PV) solar panels would be
non-refl ective, reducing a “lake effect,” and glare; the
chain-linked perimeter fence would have no barbed wire;
the construction would take only about three months,
with a maximum workforce of 25-30, and at most, 20-25
trucks and employee vehicles, with the use of lighter
and smaller trucks; idling trucks/construction vehicles
won’t be permitted on-site; the farm will be unmanned;
reclaimed water will be used at all times during construc-
tion, and on the access roads, to control dust; intercon-
nection will be to Idaho Power’s existing 12 kV (kilovolt)
line, located on-site; the array will be low voltage (1,000
volt solar panels, with a step-up transformer to match
Idaho Power’s line voltage of 12 kV); there will be mini-
mal grading, to reduce dust; and there will be minimal
operational traffi c.
John Young puts the star in place.
SEE SOLAR ARRAY PAGE 5
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ALSO IN THIS ISSUE
So I was Thinking... column
EIS for B2H out now
Molly Atwater stats released
Classifi eds / Help Wanted
The Outdoor Column
City: New crusher bucket approved
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