LOCAL: Inmates donate money to help needy local children. PAGE 2 The LOCAL: VFW gives awards in Patriots Pen, Voice of Democracy contests. PAGE 5 Baker County Press TheBakerCountyPress.com 75¢ All local. All relevant. Every Friday. Friday, December 23, 2016 • Volume 3, Issue 52 Home for Christmas • COMMUNITY RALLIES TO LOCATE LOST DOG DURING TWO-WEEK EFFORT BY SUNNY WERNER Sunny@TheBakerCountyPress.com Anitra Castleton met her dog Toby almost fi ve years ago. But this month, she almost lost him. The story begins like this: Five years back, her neighbors’ horses had escaped their fence, and Castleton was helping round them up when some- one in a truck stopped by to help. Once the horses were herded, Castleton went over to talk to the truck’s owner and saw several pups playing in the bed of the truck. Being a long-term dog lover, she began petting them. All were playful except one; he sat quietly behind the other puppies. When the more excitable pups calmed down, the quiet puppy walked over to her, stood on his hind legs, and wrapped his paws around her neck. “He just pushed his nose into my neck,” says Castle- ton, “He chose me.” From that day forward, Toby and Castleton have been inseparable. Castleton, who has diabetes, explains that with no training, Toby knows when her blood sugars are low and will wake her up to take her medicine. “He is such a blessing.” she said. As Castleton, who is a recent double-amputee, lives alone, Toby’s com- panionship means even more to her. Consequently, when Toby insisted on going out- side early in the morning two weeks ago, she waited for him to “ask” to come back inside. Several hours passed, and she was concerned enough to ask a friend to come over to help call for the dog. Castleton and Toby live on the edge of Halfway, half a mile from both Old Pine Market and The Mercantile. SEE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS Sunny Werner/ The Baker County Press PAGE 2 Anitra Castleton, reunited with Toby. Christmas in Sumpter Tasty Bake returns to former owners BY TODD ARRIOLA Todd@TheBakerCountyPress.com Meghan Andersch / The Baker County Press Sumpter’s Christmas train pulls up at McEwen Station. BY MEGHAN ANDERSCH Meghan@TheBakerCountyPress.com Sumpter’s annual Christmas events were held December 10th and 11th. The Christmas Bazaar in the Sumpter Municipal Museum featured every- thing from crocheted items to homemade candy, hand- crafted toys, and jewelry. The Christmas parade was held Saturday evening and included fi re trucks, light bedecked ATVs, and the Snowmobile Club’s trail groomer. Grand marshals of the parade were Barbara and Dick Malone. Francis Weatherwax served as Santa. A group of elves and reindeer handed out candy to parade-watchers. The tree-lighting was held immediately after the parade, with LeAnne Woolf leading the crowd in several Christmas songs Meghan Andersch / The Baker County Press Hand-crafted items were on display at the bazaar. while waiting for the grand marshals to arrive from their fl oat. Barbara Malone thanked everyone involved in mak- ing the event a success. The Sumpter Railroad’s Christmas trains ran over Friday Mostly cloudy with snow, light accumulations are expected. Chance of precipitation is 70%. Highs in the mid 20s. Lows near 20. Saturday Mostly cloudy with a chance for snow showers. Light accumulations are possible. Chance of precipitation is 60%. Highs in the mid 20s. Sunday Partly sunny with a chance for snow showers. Little to no accumulations are expected. Chance of precipitation is 30%. Highs near 20. the weekend. Linda Raney had the train and depots decorated festively with garlands, snowfl akes, and Christmas trees. Dun Gordy played “Bubba Claus” on the trains this year. With his cowboy hat under his Santa hat, he ex- plained he is Santa’s older southern brother, and that’s how they do it in the south. Your weekend weather forecast for Baker County. Our forecast made possible by this generous sponsor: Offi cial weather provider for The Baker County Press. Idaho-based Peter R. and Brenda K. Johnson, former President and Secretary of Tasty Bake, Inc., have reac- quired the property they previously owned at 1945 8th Street, during a court-ordered Sheriff’s Offi ce foreclosure sale on the morning of Tuesday, December 6, 2016, at the Baker County Courthouse. Having the high bid of $350,000, the Johnsons took over ownership, despite last-ditch efforts of the defen- dants to derail that act, in Baker Circuit Court Case No. 15-918, in which the Johnsons were awarded over $750,000, in their lawsuit against Tasty Bake, Inc., and Illinois-based Cereal Holding Company. Earlier this year, Tasty Bake, with more than a 30- year presence as a pizza dough maker in the community, stopped distributing its products and closed its doors abruptly, surprising not only employees, but ingredient suppliers, food sales brokers, and clients, as well. In response, two parties fi led lawsuits against Tasty Bake, in Baker County Circuit Court: Wisconsin-based Lesaffre Yeast Corporation, on March 2, for over $21,000, and the Johnsons, on March 14. In Baker County Circuit Court Case No. 16-145, Lesaf- fre claimed that baking ingredients were supplied to Tasty Bake, for which Lesaffre received no compensation, total- ing $21,082.75. This included 45, 50-pound bags of SAF Instant Red Mix Dry Yeast, shipped on April 20, 2015, for a total of $5,352.75; 40, 50-pound bags of Red Star Double-Acting Baking Powder, shipped on June 1, 2015, for a total of $2,615; 45, 50-pound bags of Red Star Active Dry Yeast, shipped on June 25, 2015, for a total of $5,150.25; 45, 50-pound bags of SAF Instant Red Mix Dry Yeast, shipped on July 16, 2015, for a total of $5,352.75; and 40, 50-pound bags of Red Star Double-Acting Baking Pow- der, shipped on September 11, 2015, for a total of $2,612. Lesaffre claimed that requests and demands for pay- ment had been made numerous times, the last one on December 3, 2015, from Accounts Receivable Supervisor Jamie Olender, who indicated that the account would be turned over to a collection agency, and/or legal coun- sel, for further handling, if payment were not received. Following Lesaffre’s March lawsuit, which included the claims of Breach of Contract, Promissory Estoppel, Quantum Meruit, and Unjust Enrichment, an Order of Default was granted against Tasty Bake for non-response, and a judgment was awarded to Lesaffre for the claimed amount, on April 20, 2016. In the Johnsons’s lawsuit, they claimed, among other items, economic losses, fraud, breach of the sales con- tract. SEE TASTY BAKE PAGE 3 ALSO IN THIS ISSUE “So I was thinking...” column County Commissioners coverage The Outdoor Column BLM revises fi ling for drilling Santa visits Albertsons Christmas greetings and messages Page Page Page Page Page Page 4 5 7 8 9 10