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About The Baker County press. (Baker City, Ore.) 2014-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 18, 2017)
FRIDAY, AUGUST 18, 2017 THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS — 5 Local BCPD, Charley’s reward kids Nilsson for good helmet use CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 BY SAMANTHA O’CONNER Samantha@TheBakerCountyPress.com The Baker City Police Department (BCPD) will be looking for children rid- ing bicycles, skateboards, roller blades, or scooters who are wearing their helmets. These children will be given a reward—a cer- tificate for one free kiddie scoop from Charley’s Handcrafted Delicatessen. The new owners of Charley’s, Jodi Furtney and Daniel Bachelor, have donated 100 certificates to the BCPD to hand out. Oregon State Law stipulates, “A person com- mits the offense of failure of a bicycle operator or rider to wear protective headgear if the person is under 16 years of age, operates or rides on a bicycle on a highway or on premises open to the public and is not wearing protective headgear of a type approved under ORS 815.052.” Oregon State Law also stipulates, “A person commits the offense of failure of a skateboarder, scooter rider or in-line Samantha O’Conner / The Baker County Press The local police department has a selection of helmets available for kids and teens for free. The helmets are donated by Baker City Rotary. skater to wear protective headgear if the person is under 16 years of age, rides on a skateboard or scooter or uses in-line skates on a highway or on premises open to the public and is not wearing protective headgear of a type approved under ORS 815.052.” Children not wearing protective headgear will be subject to a citation of $25. “The goal is child safety,” explained School Resource Officer Lance Woodward. Woodward explained that they give warnings to children before giving citations. Children who do not have protective headgear will be given helmets from the police department. Baker City Rotary donates around $1,400 a year, which is the funding for the helmets given to the children. Lloyd Nelson, the cur- rent president of Baker City Rotary, explained that Jodi Toole is the head of this project and that they have been helping with it more than five years. He also explained that they always look for op- portunities to serve the community, particularly the youth. They have also given scholarships to the youth and worked with foreign exchange students. Sumpter Fire centennial marked BY MEGHAN ANDERSCH Meghan@TheBakerCountyPress.com Sunday, August 13th marked the hundredth an- niversary of the Sumpter fire that destroyed much of the city within a few hours. Sumpter Valley Commu- nity Volunteers hosted a community breakfast and afterward LeAnne Woolf gave a presentation com- memorating the centennial. After a few brief remarks about her family’s inter- est and involvement in Sumpter History, Woolf presented information on the day of the fire from the possible perspective of Dr. Samuel Clinton Browne, who had owned the local hospital for seven years. The day of the fire, Browne went picking huckleberries with wife, Ida Browne, hospital matron. Woolf talked about and showed photos of some of the buildings in town, including the opera house, Basche Hardware store, Sumpter Hotel, and the school. She mentioned the plank streets laid in 1900. By 1917, the town popu- lation was in decline due to the rising cost of gold min- ing and decreased price of gold, but was still a good place to live. When the Browns returned from their berry- picking expedition, they would have been shocked at the devastation. The Sumpter Hotel and First National Bank were just brick shells. All that was left of the Bank of Sumpter was the vault. Woolf said that in just three hours, twelve blocks were destroyed, at an estimated loss of one-half million in 1917 dollars. The Presbyterian Church was the last building to burn. Woolf said fire hoses don’t last long when laid across burning streets. Sumpter boasted three wooden-planked streets that were eighty feet wide. The streets were de- signed to be wide enough for 20-mule teams to have room to turn. Woolf commended the work of Miss Margue- rite Harris, the telephone operator. She remained at her sta- tion at the hotel as long as she could, then she and her assistant ran to fill buckets and hang wet blankets out the windows of the hospi- tal and school. Both buildings were saved, in part because of their assistance. Baker attempted to send aid, but by the time would- be helpers arrived by train, the damage was done. Many people lost furni- ture and belongings they had moved to the Sumpter Hotel as it was brick and not supposed to burn. Edwards Drug owner, L. C. Edwards, managed to save his malt shop chairs. Nancy Myers mentioned that Edwards’s store, along with an apothecary, carried everything one might need for a home, including items like crystal chandeliers. At the time of the fire, his inventory was valued at $250,000. Edwards did not rebuild, but moved to Baker after the fire and worked as a druggist there. Though the hospital was saved, Browne also decided to leave. He sold the hospital to Mrs. Bessie O’Neill who quickly turned it into the Mountain View Hotel. Leland Myers stated that Mrs. O’Neill’s hotel was “mostly a house of ill-repute.” The building was pur- chased by the Masons in 1918. Bricks were salvaged from ruins and the Basche hardware store rebuilt. That building served as City Hall from the 1920s to the 1970s. The Bank of Sumpter vault was preserved in the 1990s and the hospital is now a Bed and Breakfast. Sumpter’s rich historical legacy continues. Nilsson goes on to infer that he does not believe he committed a crime, and states that the Sheriff’s office is “poorly led, ill-equipped and under-trained.” However, a post by Nilsson on Instagram from nearly a month prior signals an awareness that tagging in Lime is illegal, as he tells others not to worry about police presence in the remote area. “They aren’t coming,” he assures. Nilsson writes under the screen name “Provolotus,” which is also the name of his band, for which he has recently been marketing a CD called “Americanto.” Ac- cording to Nilsson’s Facebook page, he also works as a farrier. His graffiti reflects his screen/band name. From Utah, Nilsson considers himself an artist. He was ap- pointed to City Council in February of this year. On August 9, Nilsson posted regarding his current criminal issues, “The best part about this, other that the timestamp is evidence, is that I got blamed for the #thrashbird @thrashbird13 #thrashexpress. That actually helped calm me down at a very #stressful moment. The #aerosol #aerosolart #stencil turned out pretty good for how quickly it was made, and under abnormal duress. I’m glad I got a photo before the #bakercountysheriff deputy walked up the hill and farmed it. I’d like to get a photo of it now; Maldonado, still wearing his black nitrile gloves from his #illegalsearch, smeared it up quite badly. I bet it looks #badass, though. And now it has a story. Test result: I like the shiny silver paint. It covers well, resists running, and looks pretty #fly. And in this case, maybe it saved my life. It definitely busted by fake case wide open. Thanks, #rustoleum. #lime #limecrime #limeoregon #thrashbirdsvalleyofsecretvalues #easternoregon #aban- doned #bakercounty #basecampbaker #pnw #highdesert #thismachinekillsfascists.” Thrashbird13 is the screen name of a prolific, though eternally incognito, Los Angeles-based tagger with whom Nilsson is pictured in other photos. Several of Thrash- bird’s works also appear at Lime. As Provolotus, Nilsson also takes credit online for graf- fiti located in the underpass at Dewey Ave. / Hwy. 7. As referenced in his public letter and posts, Nilsson claims Maldonado violated his Fourth Amendment rights by performing an illegal search of his motorcycle the evening of August 1 in Lime. He has indicated that he is seeking media attention outside the area and that his companion, Shroder, is considering civil action. If convicted of the trespassing with a firearm charge, Nilsson could face up to 180 days in jail with a maximum fine of $6,250. According to Shirtcliff, conviction of that crime would mean revocation of the concealed carry permit, which Nilsson does possess. Police to use DUII grant The Baker City Police Department, utilizing grant funds awarded through Oregon Impact, will be conducting overtime patrols that will augment regular patrol shifts in the search for impaired (DUII) drivers during the up- coming Solar Eclipse weekend, specifically August 18th through August 21st. “Our goal is simple, to save lives,” said Lieutenant Dustin Newman, “Whatever you drive, if you drive im- paired, you will be arrested.” High visibility enforcement, increasing the number of officers on the streets aggressively seeking out drunk drivers, is designed to deter people from driving when they are impaired. “Impaired driving is a big concern in Baker City during major holidays and large commu- nity events such as the upcoming Solar Eclipse,” stated Newman, “That’s why we’re joining forces with Oregon Impact to crackdown on impaired drivers.” Newman said, “We ask all of our citizens and visitors to our community to please be smart, to drink responsibly and to not drive impaired. In addition, please buckle up, eliminate driving distractions and stay safe.” No campfires on beaches, parks Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD) is prohibiting all campfires and open flames in Oregon State Parks and other properties owned and managed by the department beginning Aug. 16 until further notice. These restrictions extend to all Oregon beaches. Charcoal bri- quettes, tiki-style torches and candles are also prohibited until further notice. Only fuel sources that can be turned off instantly, such as propane stoves, will be allowed. Some parks will also allow propane fire pits; campers are advised to check directly with the park. “Most state parks are already under a fire restriction due to hot, dry conditions,” said MG Devereux, OPRD Deputy Director. “We are expanding these restrictions to prevent any unintentional fires in state parks that would add an unnecessary burden to firefighting efforts.” Fireworks are also prohibited year-round in Oregon state parks and on beaches. The ban will remain in ef- fect through the Aug. 21 total solar eclipse and will be reevaluated based on fire status, weather and guidance from state and local fire officials. Visitors planning a trip should check with park staff for the most current informa- tion. Information will also be posted at oregonstateparks. org, or call the state parks information line at 800-551- 6949.