LOCAL: Police Department’s 2nd K9
fundraiser banquet a success. PAGE 5
BUSINESS: Durkee—Ash Grove earns
recognition from Idaho Power. PAGE 3
The
Baker County Press
TheBakerCountyPress.com
75¢
All local. All relevant. Every Friday.
Friday, December 15, 2017 • Volume 4, Issue 50
Lighted legacy to relocate
• DISPLAY TO CHANGE LOCATIONS
BY SAMANTHA O’CONNER
Samantha@TheBakerCountyPress.com
A Baker City winter tradition will change locations
next year, as this is the last year Nora Bass will have the
Winter Walkthrough at her home on 19th Street.
Her husband, Sam Bass, known to so many in the com-
munity, passed away on August 28th.
“Sam was the people person,” said Bass. “And I’ve got
to admit, I’m the one who pushed. I’m the one who found
all the characters and I did the painting. The fi rst several
years, he would draw them using the block system or the
grid system and he drew them like that. Then we got an
overhead projector, where you put them on transparencies
and put them on the board, and then we really got carried
away. “
Samantha O’Conner / The Baker County Press
Sam Bass, pictured above in this tribute, began a
legacy of Christmas lights that his family has
decided to continue at a new address.
SEE SAM BASS PAGE 9
Sheriff’s deputy honored City adopts
new parade
safety
guidelines
• RATE INCREASES ON THE HORIZON
BY GINA K. SWARTZ
Gina@TheBakerCountyPress.com
Tuesday evening the Baker City Council met for the
only scheduled meeting in the month of December and
for the fi nal time in 2017. Council began at 6:00 p.m.
with a work session before they began the regular meet-
ing. The public was notifi ed of the work session and
permitted to attend, however no public comment would
be heard at the time.
Mayor Mike Downing advised that any person wishing
to make comment on the matter would be allowed time
in the regular Council meeting directly following the
work session.
SEE CITY COUNCIL PAGE 7
Samantha O’Conner / The Baker County Press
Rebecca Monahan was named Deputy of the Year last week by the Oregon State Sheriff’s Association.
BY SAMANTHA O’CONNER
Samantha@TheBakerCountyPress.com
On December 6th, Baker City’s Rebecca Monahan
received the Parole and Probation Deputy of the Year
Award at the annual Oregon State Sheriff’s Association
conference in Bend, held December 3-7th.
According to a press release from Sheriff Travis Ash,
“When considering an award recipient, the selection
committee refers to the following criteria: 1) Exceptional
effort and/or accomplishment in fulfi lling the responsibil-
ities of the nominee’s assignment and responsibilities; 2)
Outstanding accomplishment to public safety and public
service and to the Sheriff’s Offi ce; and 3) Contributions
that are signifi cant to other employees and/or citizens.”
“I just want to say that it’s really kind of humbling to
have been given this award,” said Monahan. “Because I
don’t necessarily think that I do better work than anyone
I work with but I think that because of who I work with, I
think we all do good work together.
“I think that I’m really lucky in that I work for this
agency and I get to be exposed to so much because of
the size of our agency and the people that I work with.
They’re my family. But I bounce things off of them and
they bounce things off of me and I think we’re better at
our jobs because we have each other, because we com-
municate and we can communicate with each other. This
is my second family.”
Monahan has been with the Baker City County Sher-
iff’s Offi ce for ten and a half years and works with adult
offenders on felony level supervision with a few cases
that are misdemeanors the court assigned to them to
supervise. She explained that most misdemeanors are not
supervised, but there are special exceptions for sex of-
fenses and domestic violence that are misdemeanors.
Monahan said that parole and probation offi cers moni-
tor people who are released to the community either on
probation through the courts or parole, which is an older
term.
When released on probation or parole, there are condi-
tions they have to follow about behaviors and expecta-
tions.
Parole offi cers monitor their conformance to those
conditions and report back to the supervising authority,
either to the parole board or to the courts and let them
know if someone who is on supervision is adhering to
those conditions.
“Probation is really for people who made a mistake,”
explained Monahan. “It’s usually one really bad day in a
person’s life I get to meet them for and they’re not neces-
sarily bad people. They’ve done something bad, maybe
they have learned some bad habits for coping. Substance
abuse is a way people cope all the time; it’s not exactly a
healthy way to cope.
“They get caught possessing or selling drugs. Most of
the people that you meet that come into this offi ce are
really decent people that make bad choices or just didn’t
feel like they had other options.”
SEE MONAHAN PAGE 9
Planning Commission
sends decision on
Crawford’s fate back to
County Commissioners
BY TODD ARRIOLA
Todd@TheBakerCountyPress.com
On Tuesday, December 12, 2017, by majority vote, the
Baker County Planning Commission remanded the com-
pliance case of Commissioner Rob Crawford back to the
Baker County Board of Commissioners, with no recom-
mendation as to any action. The Planning Commission
also unanimously approved two applications, PA-17-001,
and PA-17-002.
Present from the Planning Commission were Chair
Alice Trindle, Vice Chair Jim Grove, and Commission-
ers Suzan Ellis Jones, Tom Van Diepen, Kasey Wright,
Tim Kerns, and Rob Crawford. Present from the Baker
County Planning Department were Planning Director
Holly Kerns, Planner Eva Henes, and Planning Assis-
tant Kevin Berryman. Attendance also included Baker
County District Attorney Matt Shirtcliff, Ken and Jan
Alexander, and Tim Bliss.
Trindle called the public hearing to order. She read a
standard hearing statement, and then asked whether there
was any challenge to the Commission’s jurisdiction to
hear the matter; whether there were any confl icts of inter-
est to be declared by any Commissioner; and whether
any Commissioner had any ex-parte contacts with the
involved parties. All answers were negative.
SEE PLANNING COMMISSION PAGE 8
Friday
Scattered snow showers. Highs in the mid 30s.
Chance of precipitation is 40%. Light accumula-
tions expected. Lows in the mid 20s.
Saturday
Partly sunny with a few fl urries. Highs in the
upper 30s. Saturday Night: Mostly cloudy. Lows
near 20.
Sunday
Partly sunny and cooler. Highs in the mid 30s.
Sunday Night: Mostly cloudy. Lows in the mid
20s.
The Fire, Weather & Avalanche Center forecast:
Our forecast made possible by
this generous sponsor:
Offi cial weather provider for
The Baker County Press.
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE
Keating students place in contest
Lane Parry gets forestry award
5J receives grant for soccer lighting
Dylan Thomas bench installed
Man sentenced in DUII accident
Sumpter City Council, festivities
Page
Page
Page
Page
Page
Page
2
3
3
5
5
7