LOCAL: Search and Rescue locates lost
14-year-old boy in Boulder Park. PAGE 5
LOCAL: Fund raiser toward seizure dog
earns over $5K so far. PAGE 3
The
Baker County Press
TheBakerCountyPress.com
75¢
All local. All relevant. Every Friday.
Friday, September 8, 2017 • Volume 4, Issue 36
Fire Department awarded
partial grant for positions
• CITY WOULD
HAVE TO COME UP
WITH ADDITIONAL
FUNDS NOT IN
BUDGET
BY GINA K. SWARTZ
Gina@TheBakerCountyPress.com
Baker City received
word this week that they
have been awarded a
$426,000 SAFER (Staff-
ing for Adequate Fire and
Emergency Response)
grant that would help fund
three additional full-time
positions to the Baker City
Fire Department.
City Manager Fred
Warner explained, “They
would be three full-time,
40 hours per week shifts—
(four ten-hour shifts). We
would be able to space
them out during the times
when the call volume is
historically the highest.”
The grant was applied
for earlier this year by
Chief Tom Wills, who is
currently on a leave of
absence from the Depart-
ment.
Wills opted to take a
leave of absence partly to
help balance the budget
and is expected to return
to duty after the fi rst of the
year.
The SAFER grant is
funded through FEMA and
is a three-year grant.
The catch?
The City would be
required to provide a grant
match of 25% for the fi rst
two years at a cost of ap-
proximately $57,000 per
year and a match of 65%
the third-year costing ap-
proximately $150,000.
In an already extremely
tight budget cycle many
are questioning whether
this is a fi scally respon-
sible avenue for the City
to navigate even though
it means additional Fire
Department staff.
SEE BCFD GRANT
PAGE 3
Gina K. Swartz / The Baker County Press
A grant has been awarded toward three positions at
the BCFD. The catch? The required matching funds.
Man dies in
The entrepreneurial
spirit is alive and well! Chandler Lane
accident
On September 2, 2017,
Baker County Dispatch re-
ceived a report of a single
motor vehicle accident on
Chandler Lane at approxi-
mately 6:11 a.m.
Upon arrival, law
enforcement and EMS
determined that the driver
was deceased.
The driver was identifi ed
as Travis James Talbott
Submitted Photo
(DOB 3/14/86) of Baker
City, Oregon. Talbott
Travis Talbott.
worked as a ranch hand
for Chandler Herefords.
A press release from the Sheriff’s Offi ce stated it ap-
peared that the vehicle was traveling westbound on Chan-
dler Lane approaching the Powder River Bridge.
The vehicle drifted toward the side of the road and into
the barrow pit before rolling and coming to rest on the
metal fence line.
Samantha O’Conner / The Baker County Press
L-R: Moving their snow cone stand from Campbell Street to the park for a bit are Shelbe Miller, Londyn
McAdams, and Kolbe Miller.
BY SAMANTHA O’CONNER
Samantha@TheBakerCountyPress.com
If you are a Baker City local or have been here for the
summer, you have more than likely seen 10-year-old
Londyn McAdams selling snow cones on the corner of
Campbell and 2nd Street.
McAdams began selling snow cones around Miners
Jubilee weekend and has been doing so all summer.
“This place is super generous,” said McAdams’ grand-
mother, Laurie McAdams. “Baker is so generous, because
even in the tragedies, people would come by. She sits out-
side and she was selling snow cones from like 12:30 in
the afternoon until seven o’clock at night, and they would
just come by and thank her. ‘Thank you for sitting outside
and doing this’ by the hour, six days a week.”
McAdams wanted to do a snow cone stand for a few
years but her grandmother was hesitant until this year,
and McAdams has been persistent.
She started with her smaller snow cone machine that
would only do one snow cone in 30 seconds, but raised
enough to purchase an industrial machine to keep up with
her customers.
She also purchases her syrups and other supplies from
Boise or online.
Laurie McAdams explained that Londyn is saving
her money for a motor home. She and a friend of hers
thought it would be great to live in a motor home after
Friday
Periods of smoke and rain showers. Highs in
the mid 80s, chance of precipitation is 40%.
Night: Partly cloudy with a few showers pos-
sible. Lows in the mid 50s,
Saturday
Patchy smoke otherwise mostly sunny. Highs
in the mid 80s. Saturday Night: Patchy smoke
otherwise partly cloudy. Lows near 50.
Sunday
Patchy smoke otherwise mostly sunny. Highs
in the lower 80s. Sunday Night: Patchy smoke
otherwise partly cloudy. Lows near 50.
they graduate high school.
“When she fi gured out that you have to make money,
because it costs gas, she wants to have a snow cone
machine or a coffee shop in her motor home,” explained
Laurie.
Now that school has started, McAdams will be selling
snow cones probably on Fridays and Saturdays—until the
weather turns cold—and she will continue selling them
next summer.
So far, she has made $1,700, which she is saving to-
ward her motor home.
“I like making the snow cones,” explained McAdams.
“It’s fun for me to grind the ice and put on the fl avor. It’s
just really fun. I like that and I like cleaning my table,
keeping it really clean, and most of the day I eat snow
cones. I like to count back change, too. That’s one of my
favorite things.”
McAdams explained that she had two people who
bought snow cones and each gave her $20 for her motor
home. She has also received pictures and presents for her
motor home.
On Sunday, September 3, McAdams asked Lynette
Perry, the Events Coordinator/Treasurer for Baker City
Events, if she could sell snow cones at the benefi t concert
held that day for local Natasha Harrington and give them
the proceeds she earned. She and her two cousins, Shelbe
and Kolbe Miller of Yakama, Washington, raised $343,
which went toward the funding to help Harrington afford
an epilepsy service dog.
The Fire, Weather & Avalanche Center forecast:
Our forecast made possible by
this generous sponsor:
Offi cial weather provider for
The Baker County Press.
Preventing
suicides
• SEPTEMBER IS SUICIDE AWARENESS
MONTH FOR 2017
BY MEGHAN ANDERSCH
Meghan@TheBakerCountyPress.com
“You are not alone” is the name of a page dedicated to
sharing personal stories and “creative expressions” at the
National Alliance Mental Health (NAMI) website (nami.
org).
SEE SUICIDE AWARENESS PAGE 5
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE
Griffi n Gulch mercury acceptable
Cow tragically kills local woman
Baird arraigned on meth charges
Tips for surviving smoky air
Planning Commissioners reappointed
Car seat clinic scheduled
Page
Page
Page
Page
Page
Page
3
5
5
7
8
10