FRIDAY, AUGUST 25, 2017
THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS — 5
Local
The Great American Eclipse Pioneer Days
doubles as
eclipse
celebration
Submitted Photo.
Chloe Goodale said yes to Alex Dyke’s proposal of
marriage beneath the total solar eclipse Monday.
CONTINUED FROM
PAGE 1
The estimated influx of
more than 50,000 visitors
didn’t quite materialize
according to a year of pre-
dictions, nor did the travel
patterns of those who did
arrive.
Exact numbers of visi-
tors were hard to establish
before print. However,
according to the Oregon
Department of Transporta-
tion, August 16-21, 52,188
vehicles entered their
Region 5, which includes
over one-third of Oregon
geographically, spanning
the entire eastern part of
the state from its top to
bottom borders. At an
average of three people per
car, that would be 156,564
people for that large area.
29% of those travelers
were logged on August 20.
28% on August 21 before
10 a.m.—and only 3%
August 16.
The Wednesday prior
to the eclipse showed a
marked increase in travel-
ers within the Baker City
limits especially, and false
rumors began to circulate
through social media that
gas stations were running
out of gas and couldn’t
schedule refueling—which
was never the case.
Thursday, activity seemed
to slow according to sev-
eral downtown business
owners—then it picked up
again Friday.
The heavy traffic jams
mid-week were primar-
ily in Central Oregon
where the Symbiosis event
in Prineville drew over
100,000 participants to
a mini-Woodstock-like
gathering.
Baker City Police Chief
Wyn Lohner said, “There
really was a low impact on
the City other than traffic
moving through town.”
Lohner said, “As for
scheduling, we ran the
two extra DUII cars for
four nights in a row (10
hour shifts), totaling 80
extra hours of patrol time.
Lt. Newman and I both
worked all weekend, just
in case.”
Out in the County, the
Baker County Sheriff’s
Office and Baker County
Emergency Management
prepared as well.
Throughout the week-
end and during the event,
multiple local, state, and
federal agencies gathered
at the Emergency Opera-
tions Center (EOC) located
in Baker City.
The EOC operated as a
support system and pro-
vided assistance with plan-
ning, logistics, and dispers-
ing of public information
throughout the weekend
and into Monday.
One major area of con-
cern was unskilled campers
off the beaten path on pub-
lic lands, and the potential
for human-caused wildfires
that might bring.
By Sunday, camps were
set up even in some of the
more remote areas of the
County, with no corner left
undiscovered.
The visitors primarily
came from Washington
State and California, but
plates from Texas were
also seen parked on top of
Dooley Mountain.
NASA sent a team of
scientists to document the
eclipse from the grounds
of Burnt River School in
Unity.
According to Sheriff
Travis Ash, “Throughout
the weekend, the Baker
County Sheriff’s Office
operated approximately
16-23 personnel with the
majority being scheduled
for Monday.
“Deputies were assigned
to patrol specific areas and
remained in those desig-
nated areas throughout
their shift. Baker County
Dispatch was staffed with
an additional dispatcher
on each shift throughout
the weekend. Several staff
members were also dedi-
cated to the Emergency
Operations Center.
“Although data is still
being compiled, we have
estimated that deputies
contacted hundreds, if not
thousands, of visitors and
citizens. I’m extremely
pleased that we were af-
forded the opportunity to
host thousands of visi-
tors, with only one major
crash that required law
enforcement and medical
resources.”
The crash Ash referred
to happened just after the
eclipse concluded when a
green car left the overpass
above the freeway west of
Durkee, and landed on its
side, trapping the driver
inside. Medics and depu-
ties had to “snake their
way through traffic,” as
they said over the radio, to
the scene.
National Guard soldiers,
including Spc. Kyle Knight
and Sgt. Bo Hansen of
Baker City, had been po-
sitioned at every exit from
Durkee to Lime to Weath-
erby—and they helped
clear a place for Lifeflight
to land and transport the
lone female occupant.
Around that same time,
another fender-bender
about two miles down the
freeway in the opposite
lanes, sent two to the hos-
pital with minor injuries.
The National Guard
were set up to provide
humanitarian services
such as handing out water
and helping advise drivers
which roads were and
weren’t passable.
(One surprising moment
for the unit came when a
red Jeep full of men pulled
Kerry McQuisten / The Baker County Press
Mike Holden sat outside the Visitors Center Friday
helping to distribute eclipse glasses and answer
questions for travelers.
off the Lime exit and asked
where an appropriate place
to sacrifice their goat dur-
ing the eclipse might be.)
Jason Yencopal of
Baker County Emergency
Management said, “I took
dinner over to Unity for
the Medical Reserve Core
team of four and the AMR
ambulance of two, and
on the way over Dooley
Mountain there weren’t
that many vehicles parked
in the pull-outs. Then
on the way home I went
over Dooley at 9:30 p.m.
and there were vehicles
pulling off ... setting up
tents for the night. I don’t
think I have ever gone over
Dooley and had so many
cars going in the opposite
direction before.
“The Oregon Eclipse
Camp had near 1,000 and I
think Lime and Weatherby
probably almost became
the second largest com-
munities in Baker County
with over 300 cars parked
there—I would bet each
car had two to four people
in them.
“We had the National
Guard stage 27 guards-
men between Durkee and
Huntington to provide
information and aid should
it have been needed. They
also provided two to serve
in the EOC ... We also
had four airmen with the
Blackhawk that was an
eastern Oregon resource
staged in Baker.”
Baker County Commis-
sioner Mark Bennett of
Unity also assisted with
Emergency Managment.
Bennett was also im-
pressed with how smoothly
the event went.
“There were about
2,000 visitors to the Burnt
River area,” he said, “And
relatively few incidents—
baring the 400-lb. naked
man running around Denny
Flats. There were only two
medical calls—one heat
exhaustion the other an 80
year-old who had been ill
for the past week but still
wanted to see the eclipse.
Community members
stated that the roads were
open and the visitors did
not leave trash around—
and no fires.”
Bennett did express ini-
tial concern from City Hall
on Monday morning, when
a caravan of about 300 cars
were lined bumper-to-bum-
per from Baker City up to
the Interpretive Center.
Bennett thought about
3,000 people ended up at
Lime before the end.
One popular rumor circu-
lated about several couples
planning to conceive at
Lime during the eclipse—
Bennett wasn’t aware if
they truly attempted or
were successful.
Another rumor, that of an
eclipse suicide pact locally,
was debunked prior to the
event by Lohner.
Yet another eclipse
happening that was not a
rumor was a romantic pro-
posal of marriage—Alex
Dyke and Chloe Goodale
became engaged during
that celestial moment.
After the eclipse came
the biggest, most notice-
able traffic issues.
Lohner said this Wednes-
day, “Sunday afternoon
traffic picked up as people
moved in for the event
and then Monday morn-
ing our officers were very
busy directing people to
open areas and away from
private property. The only
real issue was the traffic
backup after the event.
We had bumper to bumper
traffic from the Highway
7 entrance into the city
all the way through the
city to the 304 on-ramp,
on Campbell Street, for
over two hours. Once that
cleared everything slowed
down again and today we
are back to normal.”
By late afternoon, traffic
in the area was flowing
well again.
Lohner concluded, “I
think the best part was just
how respectful and patient
people were as they were
trying to get through town
to head home.”
Bennett added, “I have
spoken with a number of
citizens who felt our little
town responded well to the
visitors.”
Shelly Cutler, Executive
Director of the Chamber
of Commerce and Visitors
Bureau said guests logged
there came from: Utah,
Texas, South Carolina,
California, Washington,
Australia, Hawaii
Idaho, Alaska, Michigan,
Pennsylvania, Massachu-
setts, Louisiana, Kansas,
Arizona, Ohio, Oklahoma,
British Columbia, France,
Germany, United King-
dom, Italy, and the Neth-
erlands.
Baker City’s Jim How-
erton put to words what
many others expressed, “It
was the most tranquil feel-
ing I’ve ever had watching
totality... and having my
family watching it beside
me made it even better.”
For those looking for
a way to dispose of their
extra eclipse glasses, the
Baker County Public Li-
brary is collecting them for
the Astronomers Without
Borders redistribution
program, which will send
them to schools in South
America and parts of Asia
for their 2019 solar eclipse
event.
While other total solar
eclipses are scheduled for
elsewhere in the globe—
and even elsewhere in
the U.S.—as soon as just
seven year from now,
another will not pass over
eastern Oregon until June
25, 2169—152 years from
now.
Eileen Driver / The Baker County Press
Backward shadows filled with a crescent pattern
were noted by so many beneath the eclipse.
BY EILEEN DRIVER
Eileen@TheBakerCountyPress.com
“Amazing!” was the consensus of the crowds lining the
streets, yards and formerly vacant lots of Huntington for
arguably the most epic astronomical phenomenon of this
century—the total solar eclipse.
Visitors came from all corners of the world to witness
the two minutes and nine seconds that the moon com-
pletely covered the sun turning day into night. Locals
said they had never before witnessed so many people
gathered together with but a single thought and purpose.
Everyone was quiet and still with solar glasses in place
and all eyes trained on the sky.
At the moment of totality, a mass cheer reverberated
thru the town and if there was a soul left who did not
know that a momentous event was occurring they knew
it then.
During the one and a half hours leading up to totality
and the one and a half after, another interesting and fasci-
nating event occurred on the lawn of Lion’s Park.
Millions of small crescent-shaped lights appeared
among the shadows of the trees and was a marvel to
behold. Pictures taken did not begin to due the celestial
light show justice.
For the days leading up to the eclipse locals and visi-
tors alike enjoyed the annual Pioneer Days Celebration
with live music in the park rocking out till midnight ev-
ery night, with among others, some favorite bands from
the Boise area including Raketooth, Captain Snafu and
Tim Swanson & the 80s Show.
The “Balloon Man” roamed the park making balloon
animals for young and old alike and with the vendor
and food booths available no one had time to be idle or
hungry.
The kids enjoyed beating the heat in the water park with
the 16 foot-tall water slide and bouncing the day away in
the Bouncy Castle.
Visitors were shuttled between Farewell Bend State
Park, Pioneer Days, the Huntington Historical Museum
and the Trapper Rendezvous on the Burley Farm by the
Snake River Sternwheeler bus.
The Chamber of Commerce would like to thank the
following sponsors for making this event possible:
420ville, Burnt River Farms, Hotbox Farms, Indianhead
Electric, Burnt River Junction, T & T Country Store and
The Harriman Family.
PD gives DUII
grant results
The Baker City Police Department participated in a
high- visibility enforcement campaign to locate and
aggressively seek out impaired drivers during the Solar
Eclipse weekend, August 17th thru August 21st. Utilizing
grant funds awarded through Oregon Impact, overtime
patrols were in place to augment regular patrol shifts in
the search for impaired (DUII) drivers.
The Baker City Police Department made three DUII
arrests and issued 113 tickets which include citations and
warnings. BCPD also issued five citations for Minor in
Possession of Alcohol during this time period. Baker
City Drug Recognition Evaluators (DRE) also conducted
three evaluations on impaired drivers under the influence
of controlled substances.
Law enforcement agencies throughout Oregon par-
ticipated in this nationwide effort to get more impaired
drivers off the streets — making the crackdown during
this unprecedented event count by saving lives that might
otherwise be lost.
The Baker City Police Department joined forces with
the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and
other State and local law enforcement and highway safety
partners in conducting the crackdown campaign, which
featured high-visibility enforcement combined with a
variety of outreach activities, including $14 million in
paid national advertising.
For more information, visit the High-Visibility Enforce-
ment Campaign Headquarters at www.StopImpairedDriv-
ing.org.