FRIDAY, JULY 28, 2017
THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS — 5
Local
Library gets by—with a little Orchestra to
hold summer
help from its friends
concert
BY SAMANTHA
O’CONNER
Samantha@TheBakerCountyPress.com
July 14th through the
23rd, the Baker County Li-
brary had its second book
sale of the year, hosted by
the Friends of the Library.
For the last day, they had
a special bag sale where
people could fi ll a brown
paper bag full of books for
fi ve dollars a bag.
According to the library’s
website, Friends of the Li-
brary is a non-profi t orga-
nization that “coordinates
activities and fundraisers
in support of the mission
and services of the Baker
County Library District of
Oregon.”
Barbara Haynes, the cur-
rent president of Friends
of the Library, and who
has been with Friends of
the Library for almost fi ve
years, explained that the
books sold at the book sale
are donated by members of
the community.
She explained that each
book is checked to see if
the library needs it or if
any other library branches
need it.
“They are checked to
see if they are in any bet-
ter condition than any of
the books that are already
in the library,” explained
Haynes. “And if the library
doesn’t need them, and it
Samantha O’Conner / The Baker County Press
Library patrons shopped for books right up through the last day of the sale.
isn’t a real special book,
then it’s sold by Friends
of the Library as a fund-
raiser and those funds are
used to support children’s
programs and buy dif-
ferent media things and
things that are outside the
library’s normal budget.”
Haynes explained the
book sale is now inspired
by the huge number of
donation books that the
library receives.
She said that the books
have to be moved through
the library and out other-
wise there would be too
many books for the library.
Friends of the Library
has a Board of Directors
and community volunteers
who help with their events.
Haynes explained that
they use up to fi fty people
at a time, it depends on
who is available at any
time they have an event
and they call on commu-
nity members.
Every year they have two
book sales.
This year, they will have
another book sale during
the time of the Eclipse.
The Literacy Coalition will
be using donation books
to put on a yard sale at the
library.
TLTC holds meeting,
hears local marketing updates
BY TODD ARRIOLA
Todd@TheBakerCountyPress.com
The Baker County Tran-
sient Lodging Tax Com-
mittee (TLTC) held a regu-
lar meeting on Thursday,
July 20, 2017, 10 a.m., in
the Commission Chambers
of the Baker County Court-
house, which included
approvals of $5,000 in
additional funding for the
Visitors Bureau, and a two-
year contract between the
Bureau and the County.
Present from the TLTC
were Chair Chelsea McLa-
gan, Beverly Calder,, Lea
Gettle, and Tori Brown.
Attendance also included
Baker County Chamber
of Commerce and Visitors
Bureau Executive Director
Shelly Cutler, Chamber
and Visitors Bureau Board
of Directors President Jeff
Nelson, Baker County
Tourism Marketing Direc-
tor Tim Bishop, Baker
County Accounting Coor-
dinator Shelly Christensen,
Baker County Commission
Chair Bill Harvey, Cham-
ber and Visitors Bureau
Director Jerry Peacock,
Baker City Manager Fred
Warner, Jr., and Blue
Mountains Community
College Baker County
Director Dan Koopman.
McLagan called the
meeting to order, and the
minutes from the June
22, 2017 meeting, and the
agenda for this meeting
were approved.
Bishop provided a Tour-
ism Marketing update, and
he said that June through
July has been a busy
period, but visitor num-
bers for the Hells Canyon
Motorcycle Rally and the
Sumpter Flea Market were
down.
Though the 4th of July
was mid-week, events still
saw strong numbers of
attendees.
He said that tourism
website traffi c is up by
about 25%, mostly driven
by Total Solar Eclipse
searches, and Facebook “...
continues to be a work-
horse for us.”
There’s more of a music
scene this year, including
the Powder River Music
Review in Geiser-Pollman
Park, and other events
which are being heav-
ily promoted, and there’s
signifi cant preparation in
anticipation of the Solar
Eclipse event, and the
East-West Shriners football
game prior to that.
Bishop said that applica-
tions for Travel Oregon
grants haven’t been sub-
mitted yet, but those are in
the works.
Calder asked Bishop how
he maintains all the differ-
ent platforms for tourism
marketing, including social
media posts, live feeds,
tagging photos (photos are
a major component), etc.,
all of which is a major
workload, and Calder sug-
gested that there could be
an extra person recruited
to assist with that, which
Bishop said would be “...a
worthy goal.”
Cutler provided a Visitors
Bureau update, and she
said, “We’re doing great;
our travelers are stop-
ping... and we’re having an
opportunity to send them
downtown ...We’re thank-
ful for that ...”
She said that during the
Friday of Miners Jubilee
weekend, the vendors felt
well supported, with the
numbers of locals and
visitors in the park, but she
became emotional as she
spoke about Saturday’s
parade, during which
seven-year-old Dylan Scott
Thomas had fallen from a
YMCA-sponsored fl oat,
and was killed.
“We still are proud of
what we’ve done...We’re
so happy with the park,
and the set up... Folks
came out, and they were
buying... Saturday oc-
curred, and... Aside from
that, I’m very thankful for
this community, and the
way we all rallied around
each other. We had a lot
of phone calls, and words
of support...So, we’ve had
some really tough days...”
She said that, in spite
of the tragedy, not one
vendor provided a negative
review of their experience
this year as part of Min-
ers Jubilee, and praise for
the Chamber’s efforts was
provided, as well as from
the TLTC.
Cutler said, “We’re try-
ing to do a good job...”
with organization of the
parade, which she said may
continue, but, “It’s just the
emotional toll that it’s tak-
ing right now.”
Calder said she under-
stands that, and that Miners
Jubilee showcased the part-
nerships in the community,
including the Chamber and
Baker City Downtown, and
the rallying of support.
Nelson discussed the
request he had made dur-
ing the Wednesday, July 19
County Commission work
session to the TLTC, for
additional funding to cover
marketing costs associated
with the Solar Eclipse,
which he said would be be-
tween $4,400 and $6,400.
$5,000 from contingency
funding was approved for
the Visitors Bureau, with a
motion from Calder, and a
second from Gettle.
Gettle said, as long
as the TLTC is able to
continue down the path of
strategic planning, she has
no issue with recommend-
ing a two-year contract, be-
tween the Visitors Bureau
and the County, which had
been recently approved
by the Commission, per
the TLTC’s recommenda-
tion, as a one-year contract
(historically, it had been a
two-year contract, which
Nelson expressed the need
for, and requested several
times).
The two-year contract
was approved, with a
motion from Gettle, and a
second from Calder.
Calder, in reference to
Miners Jubilee, said, “I
just want to say, this was a
really fabulous and terrible
weekend, and I appreciate
this community... I pray for
healing for everyone.”
The next TLTC meeting
is scheduled for Thursday,
September 21, 2017, 10
a.m.
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The Baker Community Orchestra will hold its Summer
Concert, Friday, August 11, at 6:30 p.m. at the Powder
River Pavilion in Geiser Pollman Park. There is no ad-
mission charge and all are welcome.
The concert will feature English Composer Gustav
Holst’s First Suite in E fl at for Military Band. This clas-
sic of wind band literature, composed in 1909 premiering
in1920, is considered the fi rst serious original composi-
tion for brass, woodwinds and percussion. And of course
what would a summer concert in the park be, without a
piece by John Phillip Sousa.
This year it is Hands Across the Sea, a classic by com-
poser Frank Erickson, and some new original composi-
tions will be featured as well.
The Baker Community Orchestra, under the direction of
Russ Carpenter is made up of volunteer community mem-
bers. The primary mission of the Orchestra is to provide
community members an opportunity to make and enjoy
instrumental music.
The orchestra is open to any community member who
can play a band or orchestra instrument, read music and
play, or learn to play, at a high school level.
There is no audition requirement, just come and play!
If you have never played an instrument, would like to
learn or re-learn, call us and we will be glad to help with
that as well.
The Orchestra has some instruments for loan to get a
person started. Come see what we do, and if it is some-
thing you would like to do, chat with a member.
For more information contact Brian Watt at (541) 523-
4662. “Like” us on Facebook to keep informed of our
activities.
100th birthday
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
Halverson said Truman was not at all like the newspa-
pers made him out to be, a mean old man.
Truman rented out cabins and boats on Spirit Lake on
the property he had on lifetime lease from the railroad.
Truman refused to evacuate and is presumed to have died
at his lodge when Mount Saint Helens erupted.
Halverson was living in Cougar, WA at that time.
He built a seismograph and recalled that his wife got so
mad about it going off every 20 minutes that she threw it
out the back door.
He said they were getting up to 200 tremors a day
before the eruption. When the area was evacuated, fi ve
people, including Halverson and his wife, remained in
town.
When asked what it was like when the mountain blew,
Halverson stated, “The chickens went back to roost at
8:30 in the morning.”
He remembered the state patrol driving through the
area, announcing the evacuation over the loudspeakers
and talked about fi sh jumping out of the water (due to the
heat of the water).
Halverson said the mountain erupted from eight in the
morning until six or seven that night. In all, the mountain
erupted six times that year and every time he’d have to
hose the roof off.
Halverson and his wife, Blondie, also retired from the
Forest Service, moved to Sumpter in 1981 where they
enjoyed the area’s many outdoor recreational activities.
Reed said her dad has always loved the outdoors and
wildlife.
He enjoys having the turkeys, deer, and squirrels in his
yard.
Halverson said his favorite activity of all in life has
been gold mining and that he regrettably had to give it up
a few years ago because he “got too damn old.”
He still owns a mining claim and gets up there with
assistance.
Among other fi nds, Halverson discovered a 3 ½ ounce
nugget named “The Man in the Moon Nugget.” He found
it “where I was mining.” Unfortunately, during a break-in
several years ago, the nugget was stolen.
Ron and Cheryl Borello hosted a birthday party on
Saturday. In a beautiful setting under the pines, complete
with ponds for fi shing or swimming to entertain the kids,
members of fi ve generations and friends gathered to cel-
ebrate with barbecued ribs, chicken, and oysters.
Halverson has two sons, one daughter, and three step-
sons as well as seven grandchildren and numerous great
and great-great grandchildren.
Tom Moran recollected going ice fi shing with Halver-
son.
He stated Halverson delighted in trash talking him
and Borello as Halverson outfi shed them both. Moran
conceded, “That was a few years ago, when he was only
in his mid-nineties.”
Others reminisced about gathering fi r cones to sell for
the seeds (at $2.50 per bushel recalled Halverson) and
picking fat huckleberries for pies.
Marilyn Scott talked about snowmobiling with Harvey
and Blondie.
She admired how the two raised their blended family.
(Blondie passed away in 2004.)
When asked the secret of making it to 100, Halverson
laughed and said, “I’d better not tell you.”
He said it’s hard to know, but having a couple shots of
whiskey a day and chasing girls helps.
He still smokes, and just renewed his driver’s license.
He’s looking forward to celebrating his “fi rst” birthday
next year.