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About The Baker County press. (Baker City, Ore.) 2014-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 20, 2017)
FRIDAY, JANUARY 20, 2017 THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS — 7 Outdoor Rec / Local Pine-Eagle school closure CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 “To the best of my knowledge it has never closed because of a direct weather issue. Just water, power, heat outages,” Tom Huff of Halfway said. “Never had a snow day we did get out due to pow- er outage though,” added Justin Welch, another local resident. The severe weather conditions that have been having a devastating effect on all of Eastern Oregon have played out a little dif- ferently in the tiny town of Halfway. Although seated at a much lower elevation than, for example, Sumpter (at 4,429 ft.), Halfway, at 2,651 ft,, is well known for receiving signifi cant snowfall. The town sits in Pine Valley, fully ringed by the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest, the Eagle Cap Wilderness and Hells Canyon National Recre- ation Area. Snow-lovers fl ock to Halfway in the winter to enjoy the hundreds of miles of groomed trails and winter play opportunities nearby. When the cities of Baker or LaGrande receive several inches of snow, Halfway measures theirs in feet. Consequently, closing the charter school, which also serves the nearby communities of Richland and Oxbow, is nearly unheard of. Once in a great while there may be a two-hour delayed start time, to give city plows time to clear roads for the busses. However, the storm this week has changed all that. Busses headed home on Wednesday ran into a num- ber of diffi cult situations, from getting stuck and tak- ing two hours for a normal 45-minute route, to sliding off the road in Richland, on Dance Hall Road. “Been here 50 years,” said bus driver Lolah Yo- shikawa. “Not closed for snow that I can remem- ber. Power outage and no heat were the only time I can remember. 34 years driving bus. We just kept rolling along. Sometimes not sure we would make it. This year has been a nightmare.” Locals are struggling to remember a worse winter. One group of local resi- dents is in the process of developing a community- wide resource to help con- nect people in need of help with snow removal with those who can provide the service. The Pine Valley Snow Team is working on a web- site, which will streamline the process, but at present is working from a spread- sheet showing providers or volunteers, and those who have requested help. Both paid and donated services are offered, with one of Halfway’s more fa- mous residents, Olympian Inga Thompson, offering to donate her help for those in need. Emergency service providers in the area are also working on develop- ing plans to meet the needs of the communities they serve. With the intense snow- fall and diffi cult driving conditions, collaboration between all agencies is a neccesitating. Debi Duggan, EMT with Eagle Valley Ambulance Service, Richland, said, “We are working on plans with other agencies so that our patients can be taken care of if the need arises.” On a more cheerful note, one of the benefi ts of the intense cold that has gripped Pine Valley is that two local volunteers have created an ice skating rink from the tennis courts at Pine Eagle High School. With the assistance of the local Lion’s Club, who is covering the insurance, Steve White and Galen West, with help from Half- way Fire Department who fl ooded the courts, have created a large ice rink and offer free use of around 45 pairs of ice skates in all sizes. Their opening night was Tuesday, when several families came out to enjoy evening skating. White and Galen stay on site to offer assistance and supervision. City’s Development code to be reviewed On February 1st, 2017 at 7:00 p.m., the Baker City Planning Commission will hold a public hearing to review proposed changes to the City of Baker City Development Code. The Baker City Devel- opment Code (BCDC) was amended in 2015. During the adoption process, a court decision was released identifying principles that needed to be incorporated into the sign chapter. City Council adopted all of the proposed changes in 2015 except for the sign chapter, and in 2016, the Planning Commission began work to revise the sign chapter. During the Planning Commission’s work sessions, other revisions were identifi ed. Some of these revisions are more complex and may have an impact on landowners. Other revisions are needed, including incon- sistencies and reference corrections, clarifi cations, organization, and other minor corrections. These types of house- keeping revisions are straightforward and do not materially alter the Code. Making changes to land use regulations is a Leg- islative (Type IV) proce- dure, which is considered initially by the Planning Commission with fi nal decisions made by City Council. A list of revisions was developed during Plan- ning Commission work sessions held in 2016 on January 20th, February 17th, March 16th, April 20th, May 18th, June 15th, August 17th, November 9th and December 14th. Proposed changes include corrections to inconsisten- cies and reference er- rors, clarifi cation of code content, clearer organiza- tion of defi nition section; revisions to the sign code based on case law princi- ples, as well as readability and ease-of-use, modifi ca- tions to approval criteria for temporary occupancy of motor homes in residen- tial zones, clarifi cation of language in Lot of Record criteria, clarifi cations and increases to size allow- ances for accessory struc- tures in residential zones, simplifi cation of submis- sion requirements for site plans and preliminary plats; addition of proposed public dedications as part of requirements to submit a preliminary plat, addition of requirement that City acceptance of any dedica- tion must be indicated on fi nal plats, and the addition of a process for determin- ing rough proportional- ity for development and required public improve- ments. Additional information is available on the Baker City website at: http://www. bakercity.com/depart- ments/planning/123. The Planning Depart- ment will also hold an open house on January 25th from 4:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m. at the Council Cham- bers in City Hall to answer questions and address any concerns from the public. If you have questions regarding changes to the City of Baker City Devel- opment Code, please visit the Planning Department or contact the Planning Department at (541)- 523-8219 or planning@ bakercounty.org. First Chamber Concert of 2017 ahead The next concert in the 2016-2017 Chamber Concert series, sponsored by the Grande Ronde Sym- phony Association, will take place Saturday, Janu- ary 21, 2017, at 7:30 p.m. The concert will be held at 905 14th Street, in La Grande which is handicap accessible. This fi rst chamber con- cert of the new calendar year will feature wood- wind and brass performers, in various combinations, from Union and Wallowa counties. The fi rst selec- tion, Duo for Flute and Oboe, will feature Colleen Nelson on fl ute and Lauren Guthridge on oboe. This will be followed by a Mo- zart piece, Divertimento II, performed by Lauren on oboe, and adding Aaron Boudreaux on clarinet and Hayley Buckley on bas- soon. The third selection features the combination of oboe, played by Lauren, and English horn, played by Heather Tyreman, performing Shepherds of Provence. The fi nal selec- tion will be Le Cheminee du Roi Rene by Milhaud for fl ute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, and adding Steve Tanner on French horn. Season chamber concert pass holders get in by fl ashing their passes. A season pass for the remain- der of the season may be purchased at the door for $75. Tickets are $25 at the door. For further information, please contact Patty San- doz at 541-963-7595. Why advertise with us? David Conn david@thebakercountypress.com or call 541.403.1858. Baker City, Haines • Low rates per column inch & promotional deals • Color at no additional charge as space permits • Friendly, professional sales staff Wendee Morrissey wendee@thebakercountypress. com or call 541.805.1688. Sumpter, Bates, Richland, Halfway, Medical Springs, Keating Family owned and operated. Packed with local news! • All display ads are also posted to our Facebook page, which means thousands of individuals see your ad from that source alone. We’re the only local paper that offers this service! Eastern Oregon backcountry festival this weekend The Eastern Oregon Backcountry Festival returns for its fi fth fun-fi lled weekend celebrating winter recreation in the region while supporting the Wallowa Avalanche Center. The Winter Wildlands Film Festival kicks things off at 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 20 at the La Grande Arts Center. Proceeds from a raffl e and auction that evening benefi t the avalanche center. Benchwarmers Pub and Grill is catering the event with micro brews available for purchase along with other beverages and food. The raffl e and auction features a selection of prizes donated by local businesses and individuals, including but not limited to a whitewater rafting trip from Winding Waters River Expeditions, a ski trip at one of the legend- ary Wallowa Alpine Huts, a pair of Black Diamond skis, outdoor gear from Blue Mountain Outfi tters and much more. The party moves to Anthony Lakes Mountain resort Saturday, Jan. 21, where the Kip Rand Memorial Uphill/ Downhill Race starts at 8 a.m. The two race winners will each receive a 2017-2018 season pass to Anthony Lakes. Other activities include free clinics in companion rescue and avalanche safety and live music by “Bag of Hammers” at the Starbottle Saloon. A backcountry tour of the Anthony Lakes area is the festival fi nale Sunday, Jan. 22. To sign up for the tour or for more information about the festival, contact Michael Hatch, EOU’s Outdoor Adven- ture Program coordinator, at 541-962-3621, mhatch@ eou.edu or visit eou.edu/outdoor. BLM to remove more Oregon land from mining The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced today that the Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management has signed a public land order for a 20-year term withdrawing lands managed by the U.S. Forest Service and the BLM in the southwest corner of Oregon, subject to valid existing rights. This withdrawal includes 95,805 acres of National For- est System lands on the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest, and 5,216 acres of Bureau of Land Management public lands in the Medford and Coos Bay Districts of the BLM. The lands are in Josephine and Curry Counties. The Assistant Secretary's Order withdraws these lands from settlement, sale, location, and entry under the public land laws, location and entry under the U.S. mining laws, and operation of the mineral and geothermal leasing laws, for a period of 20 years while Congress considers legislation to permanently withdraw those areas. This ac- tion will also protect the natural resources in the south- western Oregon watersheds from possible adverse effects of mineral development. This withdrawal does not prohibit or restrict any other authorized uses on these lands. The withdrawal protects these watersheds from possible adverse effects of mineral development. Also, while this action prohibits the loca- tion of new mining claims, it does not prohibit ongoing or future mining exploration or extraction operations on valid pre-existing mining claims. The area covered by this action is generally known as the Klamath Mountains and includes the Rough and Ready-Baldface Creek and the Hunter Creek-North Fork Pistol River subwatersheds of southwestern Oregon. The defi ning characteristic of the proposal is the North Fork of the Smith River, which originates in the Kalmiopsis Wilderness and drains most of the area under consid- eration for withdrawal. Creeks that feed into the North Fork and other rivers that fl ow to the Oregon Coast offer unique ecological features stemming from the confl uence of the Coast Range, Cascades, and Siskiyou Mountains. A high concentration of rare plants, forested trails, and scenic views are all emblematic of these drainages. Rough and Ready Creek and Baldface Creek are listed as eligible for National Wild and Scenic River designation by the U.S. Forest Service. The areas protected include the watershed of the National Wild and Scenic North Fork Smith River in Oregon and the watershed of Rough and Ready Creek. These rivers are known for their wild salmon and steel- head populations, and provide vital economic, recreation and natural resources to the area. ODFW commission to meet in Salem The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission will meet Friday, Jan. 20 at ODFW Headquarters in Salem (4034 Fairview Industrial Drive SE) to consider changes to the Columbia River Fishery Reform program. The meeting begins at 8 a.m. and follows this agenda http://www.dfw.state.or.us/agency/commission/min- utes/17/01_jan/index.asp. The Commission is the policy-making body for fi sh and wildlife issues in the state and it usually meets monthly. Individuals needing accommodations may call the ODFW Director’s Offi ce at 800-720-6339 or 503-947-6044.
