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About The Baker County press. (Baker City, Ore.) 2014-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 13, 2017)
8 — THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS FRIDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2017 Local ‘Taste of Baker City’ ushers in autumn again BY SAMANTHA O’CONNER Samantha@TheBakerCountyPress.com On Saturday, October 7th, Baker County Locals and visitors celebrated the annual Taste of Downtown Baker City put on by Baker City Downtown. Restaurant and busi- ness owners and workers offered samples of their menus or specialties for participants to enjoy. For the event, par- ticipants were able to buy Taste Tokens for a dol- lar each and use them to exchange for samples from restaurants and businesses. This year, participants were given a “tasting spoon,” a sheet to receive stamps from vendors—and when participants had six stamps, they could enter to win one of three $100 Baker Bucks Gift Certifi- cates. The event draws in many visitors and locals to downtown Baker City. “My grandmother lives in Baker and, so we visit, and then when you started having Taste of Baker we would come and now that I have a car that can manage the Sierra Nevadas, I come every year,” said Sarah Bowden of Stockton, Calif. Returning vendors in- cluded Sweet Wife Baking, Earth and Vine, and Main Event. “It’s a really great event for our downtown. It brings a lot of people into downtown,” explained Jenny Mowe, owner of Sweet Wife Baking. “We always have fun. It’s a nice, fun event.” This year, Mowe offered caramel apple macaroons, mini red velvet cupcakes, s’mores brownies, Kahlua chocolate cheesecake, and others. Mary Stevenson, owner of Earth and Vine explained that she has Samantha O’Conner / The Baker County Press A line of foodies wait to sample the wares at Earth and Vine. participated in the Taste of Downtown Baker City for nine years. This year, she offered artichoke dip with toasted focaccia bread, triple-layer cheese tort, and a Brie apple bacon flat bread. She explained the arti- choke dip and the cheese tort are both house-made with her recipes from when she originally opened. “It’s just a really great downtown event,” said Stevenson. “It gets people out there and we get to showcase our food. It’s a great event.” Kari Bachman, the daughter of the owner of Main Event explained that this was the first year she participated in the event. They offered prime rib street tacos with avocado horse radish and a pretzel with a homemade beer cheese. “I like it; it’s fun. It gets people out and trying our stuff and it gets people downtown,” said Bach- man. Alyssa Peterson, one of the owners of the family- run Peterson’s Chocolates, explained that they have participated in the event for around four or five years. They offered drink- ing chocolate, four differ- ent types of brittle, five types of truffles, five types of chocolates, and five dif- ferent types of cups. “We love being part of it, it’s really fun,” said Peterson. Denise Harman, owner of Hearts and Petals, par- ticipated in the event for the first time this year and offered in-store coupons for $5 off and three dif- ferent flavored truffles— huckleberry, peanut butter, and pumpkin spice. She opened her business De- cember 1, 2015. “We want to do anything that has to do with com- munity and downtown Baker City, Oregon,” said Harman. “BELLA’s has partici- pated for 20 years, this is the 21st year of Taste,” explained Beverly Calder, owner of BELLA on Main Street. “I sold Tokens the first year but BELLA’s has been open for 20 years, so this is our 20th year of Taste. It started the year before I opened the store and I was involved with the Downtown Organiza- tion and it seemed like such an incredible way to celebrate the season and it’s such a big city thing to have a taste event, and we’re a small city but we have great food.” BELLA offered a three cheese plate with a goat cheese, a sheep cheese, and a cow cheese with a Guava Paste and Spanish nuts and a demonstration by Cody Cook. They also offered Hot Spiced Chai Tea and Tom Bumble Oregon Bark organic chocolate. Suspect caught CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Officer Regan radioed the information and dispatch confirmed that the person Officer Regan recognized as Robert James Gray (11/18/1987) did have a valid Proba- tion Violation Detainer for his arrest. Officer Regan lost sight of Gray and other Baker City Police Department (BCPD) police units responded and began searching. Gray was spotted at about 12:57 p.m. in the area of Myrtle and Walnut Streets, where he pedaled away from pursuing officers up an alley. Gray ditched his bike in the backyard of 1130 Resort Street jumped a fence and ran toward the river. Gray crossed the river where he was cornered again by BCPD units in the backyard of 1380 Dewey and then jumped back in the river and started walking up stream. Gray was surrounded by several BCPD units and a Baker County Sheriff’s Deputy, while still in the river. Gray dropped his backpack in the river and let it float away, but it was retrieved by Sgt. Wayne Chastain who waded into thigh-deep water in full uniform to do so. Chief Wyn Lohner also walked into the river. Gray then complied with commands and walked to the shore where he was taken into custody by Officer Regan. After backpack was retrieved by Chastain, who then deployed Canine Capa on the backpack, Capa alerted, indicating drugs inside the backpack. A search warrant for the backpack was issued, and user amounts of meth found inside as a result. Gray was charged with Probation Violation Detainer; Escape III; Criminal Trespass II (two counts); Offensive Littering; Placing Offensive Substances in Waterway; PCS Meth, and more. However, due to Oregon’s recently revised and more lenient drug laws, none of these charges are felonies. Suspect flees, crashes car On October 07, 2017 at 3:03 p.m., Baker City Police Officer Weaver attempted to contact Brandi Kasinger at Safeway regarding multiple warrants for her arrest. Kasinger was parked at Safeway and was seated in a Honda Accord in the driver’s seat. Kasinger ignored Offi- cer Weaver’s commands to stop and drove at him, nearly striking Officer Weaver with her vehicle. Officer Weaver called out a pursuit and attempted to catch up to Kasinger as she traveled at a high rate of speed on Campbell Street, heading westbound. Kasinger failed to maintain her lane as she passed a vehicle, near Campbell and College Street, leaving the roadway and crashing through a telephone pole and street sign on the south side of the road. The telephone pole fell and damaged a vehicle stopped at the stop sign on Campbell in the Eastbound lane. Kasinger ran from her disabled vehicle and Baker City Police continued in a foot chase as Kasinger entered multiple yards attempting to avoided custody. Kasinger was taken into Custody by Baker City Police as she jumped over a fence in the 2300 block of Madison Street and surrender to approaching police. During this investigation Baker City Police learned Kasinger had left a minor child alone at Safeway when she took off to avoid her arrest. Oregon State Police arrived to assist the Baker City Police Department and at Baker City Police’s request took over the crash investigation at Campbell and Col- lege. Huntington man steals car On 10-05-17 at approximately 8:56pm, the Baker County Dispatch Center received a 911 call reporting a disturbance at 180 ½ West Adams Street in Huntington, Oregon. Deputies from the Baker County Sheriff’s Office re- sponded to the location and contacted all parties involved in the disturbance. The disturbance did not lead to a criminal offense. During the investigation John B. Buehler arrived at the residence and deputies learned that he was in possession of a stolen vehicle. The car, a 1994 Saturn Station Wagon had been stolen out of Pendleton on 09-29-17. John B. Buehler was arrested and charged with Unlaw- ful Use of a Motor Vehicle. The vehicle was impounded and towed to the Baker County Sheriff’s Office pending further investigation. BMTD Board has vacancy The Blue Mountain Translator District is seeking applicants interested in filling an upcoming vacancy on its Board of Directors. This position will be filled by appointment, completing a term of office that will be renewed by election in February 2019. Members of the Board are responsible for setting District policy, guiding staff, approving refunds, and representing the interests of the District in public. The Board meets once per month. Interested applicants should call the District Office at 541-963-0196 or email staff at bmtd.org@gmail.com for more information.