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About The Baker County press. (Baker City, Ore.) 2014-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 25, 2017)
BUSINESS: Signage, Farewell Bend development, Industrial Park. PAGE 3 The SPORTS: Ultra runners conquer the Elkhorn Crest Trail. PAGE 7 Baker County Press TheBakerCountyPress.com 75¢ All local. All relevant. Every Friday. Friday, August 25, 2017 • Volume 4, Issue 34 Eclipsed: Inside the path of totality Photo courtesy of Chance Quintana. Photographer Chance Quintana of Haines said he looked forward to taking photos of the eclipse for two years, and even captured the pink edging. Kerry McQuisten / The Baker County Press Photo courtesy of the Baker County Sheriff’s Offi ce. Cars pulled off to the shoulders along the freeway and roads near Lime awaiting the eclipse. Totality as seen from the Devil’s Canyon Ranch in Bridgeport. • GREAT AMERICAN ECLIPSE CROSSES EASTERN OREGON BY KERRY McQUISTEN News@TheBakerCountyPress.com The Great American Eclipse proved Monday morning that some events just can’t be captured in a way that fully does them justice. Under nearly perfect viewing conditions, a 70-mile-wide lunar shadow crossed America from the Oregon Coast to the South Carolina Coast, with Baker County right in the path of totality. At 10:24 a.m. on August 21, the light, which had slowly shifted to a golden saturation as the sun was obscured by the moon, fell into black. The shadows, Photo Courtesy of Kyle Knight. National Guard soldiers positioned in Durkee helped clear the way for Lifefl ight in the parking lot of the Durkee Cafe after an accident during the post-eclipse exodus sent one woman to the hospital. which had gradually fi lled with crescent shapes and seemed to go backward, went out. Crickets began to chirp. The stars came out. The temperature dropped up to 10 degrees in some parts of the county. Then for two minutes and a few seconds, it felt as if the world stood still. “This eclipse was abso- lutely amazing! My family watched it from our fi eld and everyone enjoyed it. We were surprised at how cold it got,” said Kari Ste- phens Anderson of Haines. “The lighting leading up to totality was like nothing I’ve ever experienced. It really felt as though we were on another planet.. Everything was so clear and was more saturated in color than normal. We were in an area completely alone ... So so quiet, eerily quiet. In totality the kids were in awe of the stars that shown bright in the skies above,” said Brittany Aune of Halfway. Kerry McQuisten / The Baker County Press Even Mormon Basin, one of the most remote areas of the county, had a camp of about 40 visitors. Joyclynn Potter of Baker City added, “I was so surprised! I really thought all the hype was going to make it underwhelming- totally the opposite.” 5J awards summer program staff • IRVINE TO RESIGN, MOVE BY SAMANTHA O’CONNER Samantha@TheBakerCountyPress.com Thursday, August 17th, the Baker School District 5J School Board held their meeting in the City Coun- cil Chambers. At the meeting, Board member Melissa Irvine explained that her family is relocating and September’s Board meeting will be her last. Assistant Superintendent Betty Palmer presented certifi cates of Outstanding Recognition for the Sum- mer Programs. Jason Todd, the Summer Academy Facilitator, Melissa Garner from the Kindergarten Camp, and Laura Morley and Jonathan Baer from the Jump Start Program While the eclipse itself was predicted down to the split-second, not so were the crowds or the traffi c. SEE ECLIPSE PAGE 5 Scientists explain the eclipse BY SAMANTHA O’CONNER Samantha@TheBakerCountyPress.com Samantha O’Conner / The Baker County Press Left to right are Laura Morley and Jonathan Baer from the Jump Start Program, and Betty Palmer. were presented certifi cates. David Laws, the China Program Summer Facilita- tor, Eric Layton from the June Experience, and Zach Grammon from Algebra Readiness were not present but recognized. Kim Mosier gave an update on the Baker Val- Friday Partly sunny and mild, some areas of smoke are possible. Highs in the mid 80s. Night: Mostly clear and seasonable, some areas of smoke are possible. Lows near 50. Saturday Mostly sunny and warmer, some areas of smoke are possible. Highs near 90. Saturday Night: Mostly clear and seasonable, some areas of smoke are possible. Lows near 50. Sunday Mostly sunny and warmer, some areas of smoke are possible. Highs in the mid 90s. Sunday Night: Mostly clear and seasonable, some areas of smoke are possible. Lows in the lower 50s. ley Education Foundation (BVEF) to the Board. She asked that the School Board approve the new members BVEF has voted on by the BVEF Board and they are expanding the Board to include three additional members. The BVEF is a non-profi t organization whose mis- sion is to “promote, spon- sor, facilitate and support innovative teaching and education in the Baker 5J School District.” SEE 5J PAGE 4 The Fire, Weather & Avalanche Center forecast: Our forecast made possible by this generous sponsor: Offi cial weather provider for The Baker County Press. August 19th to the 21st, Barbara Sidway, the owner and operator of the Geiser Grand Hotel, presented and welcomed resident space scientists Jayne Aubele and Larry S. Crumpler to give a presentation, “Mystery of the Eclipse Explained.” Sidway explained that it took a year and a half to get someone to give context to what was happening in Baker City. “We were very delighted to be able to bring these ex- traordinary space scientists and have that gift of learning and context we were able to share with our community,” expressed Sidway. “And we always try hard to get inter- esting experiences to share with the community and an example is the Opera Elect that we have.” Aubele is the Adult Programs/Educator/Geologist and Crumpler is the Curator for the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science. SEE SCIENTISTS PAGE 8 ALSO IN THIS ISSUE Huntington’s Pioneer Days Baker City’s Eclipse Festival Sumpter’s Music in the Meadow Local P.O.’s eclipse postmark City: Tesoro’s local line repair ahead Memory Cruise/Car Show schedule Page Page Page Page Page Page 5 7 7 8 8 10