FRIDAY, JUNE 23, 2017
THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS — 9
Local
Chamber hosts latest eclipse
meeting in Baker City
BY SAMANTHA
O’CONNER
Samantha@TheBakerCountyPress.com
Wednesday, June 7th,
the Baker County Chamber
of Commerce hosted Baker
City Eclipse Meeting at the
Baker County Event Cen-
ter. The meeting provided
information about prepar-
ing businesses, emergency
services and personal
preparedness, and lodging
and camping.
Attending and speak-
ing at the event were Ida
Hastings proprietor of
At Lasta Home and RV
Park in Huntington, Jason
Yencopal of Baker County
Emergency Manage-
ment, Shelly Cutler the
Executive Director of the
Baker County Chamber
of Commerce and Visitors
Bureau, Holly Kerns the
Planning Director of the
Baker County Planning
Department, Sheriff Travis
Ash, and Timothy Bishop
the head of Baker County
Marketing.
Alice Trindle, the
Executive Director of the
Eastern Oregon Visitors
Association also spoke at
the event.
Other speakers included
Ned Ratterman, Director
of Engineering and Op-
erations for Oregon Trail
Electric Co-op and Lara
Petitclerc-Stokes the Man-
ager of Communications
and Government Affairs
for Oregon Trail Electric
Co-op.
“This is a huge event
for Oregon and for the na-
tion,” stated Bishop. “This
is the first time we’ve had
a complete solar eclipse
crossing the United States
since 1979.”
Bishop explained that
Baker County will have
about 50,000 people and
the closer we get to the
event those numbers are
becoming more realistic.
Oregon is expecting to get
a little over a million visits
for this event.
“We’re super excited
about the event but we
also, I think, are really
nervous about how do we
handle that many visitor
in Baker County,” Bishop
explained. “I know that the
last couple of weekends
have been busy for us;
Memorial Day weekend,
we had a great turnout; up
at the Interpretive Center,
in Sumpter for the Flea
Market, those numbers
were probably about a
tenth of what we expect for
the eclipse.”
Bishop explained that
they are expecting this
to be a Wednesday to
Wednesday event.
He said a lot of people
arriving for the event will
be going to the coast. They
are hearing an estimate
of about 350,000 people
will be heading to central
Oregon, around Redmond,
Madras, Prineville, and
Mitchell.
He explained that a lot
will be passing through
Baker and most of our
lodgers are requiring a
three-day stay.
Bishop explained that the
path of totality is 70 miles
wide, North to South. It
covers almost all of Baker
County and, depending on
where you are, you will see
40 seconds to two and a
half minutes of totality.
“If you’re the North part
of Baker County, you’re
going to be in the path of
totality,” explained Bishop.
“If you’re in Richland, if
you’re in New Bridge, and
right on the edge of total-
ity if you’re in Sparta. If
you’re in Halfway, you’re
going to want to come
down to New Bridge to
watch the path of totality.”
Bishop explained that at
some point, the people who
are traveling to Oregon,
will need to get gas, ice,
and groceries.
He said that getting ready
for that has been really
important. They are talk-
ing to business owners to
prepare for ten times their
normal customer loads. He
explained that they will
need to go to the bank and
get smaller change. They
are also working with gas
stations to order more gas
to prepare for the incoming
travelers.
“The ultimate thing
for us,” said Bishop. “We
know that we locally have
to be prepared because
we know that Safeway is
going to be inundated, we
know that the gas stations
are going to be inundated,
so it’s that being prepared
in advance. It’s knowing
that there is no lodging
left in our local hotels, so
we’re looking at alternative
lodging options. And then
it’s really understanding
that 50,000 people is just
a lot of people moving
around on a lot of our
narrow two laned roads,
some of them not knowing
where they’re going.”
There will be 20 events
happening during that
weekend of the eclipse.
There will be events in
Sumpter, Music in the
Meadow that is an annual
event that happens that
same weekend, and Hun-
tington will have Pioneer
Days.
Trindle talked about
what the Eclipse means for
Oregon and some of the
work they are doing as a
region.
She explained that
three years ago, she was
receiving phone calls
about getting ready for the
eclipse and realized that
every room in Mitchell and
Madras have been booked
for three years.
Trindle explained that
they believe we will see
one million people and
45% of that will be interna-
tional visitors and they will
be here for an extended
period of time.
She also explained that
they are expecting some-
where around 1,000 media
to come to Oregon for the
eclipse.
EOVA is working with
local teams and county
teams and have just pro-
duced a “Know Before
You Go” brochure with
information for visitors
and residents. They have
purchased 10,000 eclipse
viewing glasses.
Hastings explained that
Huntington is setting up
vendor booths and Pioneer
Days for the event. She
explained that their biggest
thing is they don’t have
any volunteers and they
are making calls asking for
help from their neighbor-
ing cities.
Yencopal discussed that
for people arriving, it’s all
about the totality. He en-
couraged people to buy so-
lar viewers for eye safety.
He also explained that the
reason people are coming
to Oregon is because we
are expecting to have clear
skies during that time.
He explained that they
are expecting bumper to
bumper traffic and first
responders will do their
best to get around that.
Cell phone networks will
probably be overloaded.
He encourages people to
store what they eat so they
will eat what they store.
Sheriff Ash discussed
that there will be roughly
60 police officers on
duty for the region. He
explained that all of the
Sheriffs are working
together for this event and
people may see a Clatsop
County police car show up
to handle a call.
Some of the minor calls,
they may not be able to
get to.
Cutler explained that
if anyone is interested
in opening their private
property to camping and
lodging, it needs to be
camp trailers that are
self-contained, as there
are no longer port potties.
If people are interested,
they are encouraged to call
Cutler at the Baker County
Chamber of Commerce.
Cutler explained that
they will be working with
business owners to share
information with the com-
munity to help incoming
viewers, such as where
to go and where not to
go. She also encouraged
people to talk with their
children’s or grandchil-
dren’s schools about doing
a fundraiser during the
eclipse to raise money for
their schools, clubs, and
sports teams.
Kerns is the one who
will help people set up
their land for camping or
lodging. She explained
that people will be given
permits and they will help
emergency services with
knowing where people are
in case of an emergency.
Petitclerc-Stokes
explained that they are en-
couraging members to fill
in prescriptions, for people
living within city limits
they are encouraged to
limit their vehicle usage in
the city because the roads
will be congested in the
counties they serve. They
have also started a safety
radio campaign and they
are emphasizing electri-
cal safety and they have
campaigns for generator
safety.
Ratterman explained
that they are taking this
event very seriously.
He discussed that they
are still in a situation
where there is only so
much that they can serve.
They do not have genera-
tors to supply as back up
for people. They are mak-
ing sure that their inven-
tory levels are appropriate
as well as man power for
the event.
He explained that their
biggest concern is com-
munication, as the cell and
land lines fill up quickly,
and they are trying to do
everything they can, and
they have an emergency
work plan.
Sumpter City Council
CONTINUED FROM
PAGE 8
Credit Card Limits
McKinney explained the
City has two cards with a
credit limit of $1250 each
and that they run into a lot
of trouble juggling funds
when needing to make pur-
chases for the Fire Depart-
ment and City office. She
requested that the office
card limit be increased
to $5,000 and the public
works limit to $2500.
Clarke commented that all
purchases are accountable
at the end of the month and
this would make things
easier. Council unani-
mously voted to approve
the increases.
Flea Market Fees
Clarke asked if the City
made any money on the
last flea market. McKin-
ney stated the City will
not make anything and
that there must be some-
thing to put back into the
buildings and for wear and
tear. She stated space rent
at the Grounds is three
dollars per foot, making it
the cheapest venue in the
State.
Rowan stated a permit
elsewhere is thousands of
dollars.
McKinney added that
vendors are also charged a
percentage of income else-
where. Vendor licenses for
the Sumpter Flea Market
are $40 for regular vendors
and $70 for food vendors.
Electricity charge is $35.
Clarke stated Sumpter
can’t afford to be the
cheapest venue.
He said the town doesn’t
need to bring in a lot, but
has to at least make money.
He suggested hiring one
more person on the City
side next year to handle all
the garbage.
Rowan volunteered to
call around about fees
at other venues. Clarke
motioned to increase space
rent to five dollars per foot
for the Labor Day Flea
Market and increase the
vendor license fee to $50
for regular vendors and
$80 for food vendors.
After discussion, the
Council decided to grand-
father in those vendors
who have already paid for
this year and the motion
passed unanimously.
Superintendent’s House
McKinney explained
the Oregon Parks and
Recreation Department
requires that Council take
a vote for approval of the
no-cost title transfer of the
Superintendent’s House.
They will need the minutes
with the specific word-
ing to proceed. Clarke
motioned to approve the
transfer. Motion passed
unanimously.
Armbruster asked what
happens next. McKinney
stated the minutes will be
sent to OPRD and they
will send a deed to the
City.
SEE SUMPTER COUNCIL
PAGE 10
County
Commissioners
Todd Arriola / The Baker County Press
Nick Myatt attended this week’s County
Commissioners’ session to voice property proposal
concerns.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8
Kerns and Quam introduced the matter, explaining
some details, and Harvey asked for any further testimony
in favor of the application, which was submitted by the
Daniels.
No further testimony in favor was offered; however,
Loennig provided testimony in opposition, stating issues
with increased traffic, possible expansion, and fire protec-
tion, among other concerns.
Hoffman mentioned a letter from attorney Steven J.
Joseph, of La Grande, in opposition, which Hoffman
wished to enter into the record, and the hearing was post-
poned for 20 minutes, while Hoffman acquired copies of
the letter, with a motion from Bennett, and a second from
Nichols.
The letter, which was read aloud by Harvey, was
entered into the record. Harvey asked if the applicants
wished to provide rebuttal, and they stated they didn’t.
The letter indicated Goal 5 issues, but Bennett said that
the statements were too broad and confusing, and the
public hearing was closed, with a motion from Bennett,
and a second from Nichols.
The application was approved, with a motion from
Harvey, and a second from Bennett. Kerns read the ordi-
nance by title only, and the ordinance was adopted, with a
motion from Harvey, and a second from Bennett.
A Sumpter Dredge tailings discussion was held,
which included reference to copies of the notes from the
Wednesday, September 7, 2016 session, provided by Mar-
tin. Several issues and concerns were discussed, among
them the size of the mining test parcel, whether it would
be a single parcel or two parcels, royalties to the County,
the majority of Sumpter citizens having expressed op-
position to the project, and the cost of the Request For
Proposals (RFP), and how the County would recoup that
cost.
Anderson and Hardt again provided significant input
on the subject matter, and the Board discussed the various
concerns, ultimately making the decision to move for-
ward with the process, the first step being the RFP, with a
motion from Harvey, and a second from Bennett.
In accordance with Tax Refund Resolution No. 98-01,
dated April 15, 1998, a total of $8,461.26 was approved
to be refunded for tax year 2016, to the following, with
a motion from Bennett, and a second from Harvey, with
Nichols recusing himself: $4,853.26 to Dennis Rad-
ford/Heritage Imaging; $1,473.80 to William Zikmund;
$638.27 to Steve and Sandra Oman; $374.06 to Mark
and Julie Pollock; $294.48 to Mitch and Amanda Grove;
$233.80 to Roger Nelson, Jr.; $222.07 to Marvin Endi-
cott; $217.44 to Bryce Kamerdula; $121.66 to Robert and
Sherry Buxton; $28.49 to Travis Fields; and $3.93 to Bob
Black/Poor Farm.
Order No. 2017-135, Appointing A Member To The
Baker County Weed Board, and Order No. 2017-136, Re-
Appointing Members To The Baker County Weed Board,
were approved, with a motion from Bennett, and a second
from Nichols.
According to Order No. 2017-135, Cynthia “Cookie”
Long was appointed, her term set to expire on April 1,
2018; and according to Order No. 2017-136, Bob Colton
and Bill Shumway were re-appointed, their terms set to
expire on April 1, 2019.
Order No. 2017-137, Appointing A Member To The
Northeast Oregon Economic Development District Bud-
get Board, was approved, with a motion from Bennett,
and a second from Nichols.
According to the order, Bryan Tweit was appointed, his
term set to expire on December 31, 2020.
Friends of the Library
book sale coming
The Friends of the Baker County Library will hold its
summer book sale from Friday, July 14 through July 23,
at the library.
The sale runs for two weekends, plus the week in
between.
Volunteers are needed for sales, set up, and final clean
up.
Volunteers receive a $20 gift certificate to use at the
sale or in the Library Book Shop.
To volunteer, sign up at the circulation desk in the
Library, call Julianne Williams at 541-523-3560, or Bar-
bara Haynes at 541-523-6596.