FRIDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2017
THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS — 7
2017 in Review
Photo submitted by Pam Haney.
February. This avalanche near Dark Canyon Road in
Burnt River Canyon was 8’ deep by 25’ across.
Kerry McQuisten / The Baker County Press
An overload of heavy, wet snow brought down the
roof of the building at 1916 Main Street beside the
historic Geiser Grand Hotel, sending debris toppling
down onto Resort Street.
February
Nine snow slides block
areas around county.
This winter’s snow loads
and above-freezing
temperatures combined to
cause nine slides so far,
on Thursday and Friday,
January 19 and 20, the two
biggest ones in the Rye
and Burnt River valleys,
according to Baker County
Road Master Jeff Smith.
Mayday, Inc. speaks
out about abused men.
According to the National
Coalition Against Domes-
tic Violence (NCADV),
“One in four men is a
victim of some form of
physical violence by an in-
timate partner during their
lifetimes” in the United
States.
24% of intimate partner
physical violence victims
are male and one in eight
men is severely injured by
an intimate partner. This
total does not include the
high number of emotional
abuse cases.
Snowload crushes
historic building. On
Sunday morning, Feb. 5, at
8:10 a.m., a multi-agency
response was called into
action as the old two-story
Crabill Building, con-
structed in 1889, crumbled
under a heavy snow load.
The building, which
stands at 1916 Main Street,
is owned by Barbara Sid-
way and husband, Dwight.
Snowbound calf
rescued. In late January,
Baker Aircraft owners
and operators Troy and
Genevieve “Gen” Woyd-
ziak, among others, played
a pivotal role in the rescue
of rancher Mike Trindle’s
newborn calf and two year-
lings stuck in the Eagle
Cap Mountains.
Fighting for local jobs.
Last Friday morning, the
10th, from 8-9 a.m., U.S.
Rep. Greg Walden visited
the offices of Chaves Con-
sulting on Dewey Avenue
to learn more about recent
events at the company that
resulted in the loss of 54
local jobs.
OR46 gets collared. The
Oregon Department of
Fish and Wildlife (ODFW)
placed a VHF collar on
what is believed to be the
alpha male, designated
OR46, of the Minam Wolf
Pack, giving the agency
the ability to once again
monitor the pack via radio
for the first time since
August 2015.
March
Solar eclipse meetings
continue in Baker City.
“The 2017 monumental
massive solar eclipse event
is what we are here to talk
about,” was the welcome
by Craig Farley of the
Regional Solutions Office
of Oregon to the assembled
city, county and state agen-
cy representatives at Baker
City Hall last Wednesday.
Intro to law enforce-
ment classes held. Officer
Lance Woodward of the
Baker City Police Depart-
ment will begin teaching
an Introduction to Law
Enforcement four-part
course beginning Friday,
March 3 at the Baker High
School library.
Sycamore Tree gets new
owner. March 1st through
4th, The Sycamore Tree
held a launch party to
celebrate its 29th anniver-
sary and new ownership.
Josey Gaslin became the
official new owner of the
Submitted Photo.
Matty Cunningham is now home and on his way to a
miraculous full recovery.
business.
Local toddler survives
after rescue from pond.
22-month-old toddler,
Matty Cunningham of
Baker City, is lucky to be
alive—so fortunate, in
fact, that the story of his
survival has spread to tele-
vision news outlets such
as KTVB in Portland and
KBOI out of Boise, Idaho.
Last Thursday, according
to Baker City Fire Chief
Tom Wills, “Baker City
Fire Department (BCFD)
personnel responded to
a reported drowning in
the Salmon Creek area of
Baker County.
Sumpter City Hall
floods. In an ironic twist,
Sumpter’s City Hall flood-
ed just days after Utility
Manager Jeff McKinney
reported at the March City
Council meeting that there
would be some inevitable
flooding around town due
to runoff. Bookkeeper
Kathi Vinson discovered
the flooding when she
arrived for work Thursday
morning, March 16th.
Firearms manufacturer
expands. Clay Winton,
owner of Crosshair Cus-
toms, has purchased the
warehouse at 2300 Wind-
mill Road. Crosshair Cus-
toms offers AR-15 firearm
parts and gun accessories,
as well as custom design
services.
April
Carry the Fallen march
comes to Halfway. River
Colnot whose uncle, Kyle
Colnot, was killed in ac-
tion in Iraq in 2006, orga-
nized the area’s first “Carry
the Fallen” march.
Hearing set in BMCC
lawsuit. A pre-trial hearing
is set for late May in Baker
County Circuit Court
Case No. 16CV36651,
Peggy Hudson v. Blue
Mountain Community
College (BMCC), in which
Hudson, former BMCC
Baker County Associate
Vice President (AVP),
seeks at least $463,225,
for claims of employment
discrimination, to include
whistleblowing, age dis-
crimination, and common
law wrongful discharge.
Wyden holds town hall.
Senator Ron Wyden (D)
held his 808th town hall
Wednesday morning in the
Baker High School (BHS)
auditorium with a crowd
of about 175 students and
members of the public at-
tending.
5J’s four-day school
week to continue. On
Thursday, April 20, the
Baker School District 5J
voted unanimously to
adopt the 2017-18 Interim
School Calendar, keep-
ing the existing four-day
school week, adopted five
years ago.
Multiple businesses
burglarized. Over the
weekend of April 22nd,
several 10th Street Baker
City businesses were
burglarized, with four ad-
ditional attempted burglar-
ies, apparently by the same
individual or individuals.
Those businesses included
Long’s WaterWorks, Rush-
ton Podiatry, Farmer’s In-
surance (Tom Van Diepen),
and Baker County Custom
Meats. Attempted burglar-
ies were at the Animal
Clinic, Forty Winks and a
Splash, Elkhorn Chiroprac-
tic and Ne-Hi Signs.
On Wednesday, calls
came in from the Campbell
Street area with businesses
such as Carquest, Paradise
Truck Wash and Gene’s
Mobile Truck repair hit.
May
911 Consolidated
Dispatch Center Director
resigns. The Baker County
Board of Commissioners
held session Wednesday,
May 3, 2017, 9 a.m., which
included, among other
details, the announcement
that 911 Consolidated
Dispatch Center Director
Hope Lindsey is resigning,
effective mid-May.
NASA coming to Burnt
River. Around 35 people
were in attendance for a
meeting Monday eve-
ning in Unity to discuss
Suzan Jones / The Baker County Press
preparations for the total
In June, the old cottonwood in front of the library
solar eclipse on August 21. was removed for safety reasons.
Scientists from NASA will
traffic for about three days
make camp at the school
while crews tackled the
during the event.
process of removing the
Sumpter park vandal-
Oregon Trail Interpre-
giant old Cottonwood tree
ized. More vandalism in
tive Center celebrates 25
from the parking lot of
Sumpter’s Volunteer Park
years. On Thursday, May
The Baker County Public
bathrooms was discovered
25, the National Historic
Library.
this past week. Utility
Oregon Trail Interpretive
Manager Jeff McKinney
Center celebrated its
said while cleaning, the
25th anniversary with a
City Recorder bumped the
free admission day. The
heater in one of the bath-
Center had a reception,
rooms and the heater knob
performances, and activi-
fell off. Closer inspection
Labyrinth built. The
ties to celebrate the day.
revealed the wall heaters
Baker City Lion’s Club,
The speakers at the event
had been stolen from the
working in conjunction
included former Oregon
bathrooms and the grills
with the City of Baker
governor Barbara Roberts.
replaced so that it was not
City, and master brick
Union Pacific train
immediately obvious that
mason Dave Gagnon and
hits, kills pedestrian. On
they were missing.
crew, broke ground on
Sunday, May 28, 2017, at
Healthcare hecklers
Baker City’s first labyrinth.
approximately 5:44 p.m.,
make for unusual town
Sheriff to supervise
the Baker County Con-
hall.
Call Center. City and
solidated Dispatch Center
The story might have been
County officials agreed
received a 911 call from
that U.S. Representative
taht Sheriff Travis Ash,
Union Pacific personnel
Greg Walden chose the
who has been proposing
stating one of their trains
Baker High School gym
had just struck a pedestrian to take control of the 911
as the location for his 14th
Center, should do so.
walking on the tracks near
town hall this year—had
Merkley holds town
where the Burnt River and
it not been for the unusual
hall. Senator Jeff Merkley
the Snake River intersect.
makeup of the audience.
(Democrat) stopped in
33 year-old Kristoffer Mc-
Therein is the real story.
Creary of Caldwell, Idaho, Baker City on Saturday
Members of the group
afternoon to hold a town
was killed.
Health Care for All Oregon
hall at 4:30 p.m. Only 45
Apartment fire under
(HCAO), a Portland-based
or so attended.
investigation. Just before
politically motivated
Motorcycle rally calm.
midnight on Tuesday, the
nonprofit endorsed by the
The 2017 Hells Canyon
Baker City Fire Depart-
Oregon Communist Party
Motorcycle Rally was rela-
ment received a call to
and County Democratic
tively quiet for Baker City
respond to a fire at the
Central Committees across
Police Department person-
Powder River Terrace
Oregon to name a few,
nel this last weekend. All
Apartments.
came to the gathering en
investigatory contacts the
The fire, which quickly
masse.
Department had were with
consumed the entryway,
Geiser Grand to ex-
local citizens.
also left half of the eight
pand. The Geiser Grand
Body found in hotel.
apartments uninhabitable
Hotel has been awarded
On June 5, 2017, Baker
in one of the three com-
an Oregon Main Street
County Consolidated Dis-
plexes, and had several
Revitalization Grant—the
patch received a call from
firefighters and one police
maximum grant size of
The Oregon Trail Motel
officer rescuing residents
$100,000 to encourage
regarding the death of one
and putting out the fire
their efforts to save the
of their guests.
into the wee hours of the
historic Crabill Building,
Tragedy strikes. For the
morning. 21 individuals in
soon to be known as the
last 35 years in July, the
total responded, with three
South Wing of the Geiser
Miners Jubilee, honoring
hours spent at the site.
Grand Hotel.
Baker County’s heritage,
Burnt River student
City discusses new pub-
has been highly anticipated
wins congressional art
lic safety utility fee. The
throughout the community.
award. U.S. Rep. Greg
final item on the agenda at
Last Saturday, a corner-
Walden (R-Hood River)
the first City Council meet-
stone of that event, the
today announced that Jin
ing of the month, the idea
Miners Jubilee Parade, was
Sue Kim, a sophomore at
of a new public safety util-
changed forever in a split-
Burnt River High School,
ity fee, was the hot topic.
second with the death of
has been selected as a
Human trafficking in
seven-year-old Dylan Scott
Regional Winner for the
the spotlight. On Satur-
Thomas. Thomas was
2017 Congressional Art
day, May 13, Soroptimists
killed when he fell from a
Competition.
International of Baker City
float sponsored by the local
Gentry sells. According
partnered with Gentry Ford
to a press release issued on YMCA and was run over.
and Ford Motor Company
Woman hit by pickup.
Tuesday, June 20, 2017,
to hold their third annual
Last Wednesday, just after
after a 65-year run, Gentry
event “Take the Wheel to
6:30 p.m., police and med-
Auto Group owner Ryan
Stop Human Trafficking.”
ics were called to the 2100
Gentry sold the Gentry’s
Crowd turns out to
block of 5th Street right
family-owned and -oper-
support forest access.
behind Dairy Queen for an
ated Oregon dealerships
Over 130 people attended
incident involving a pickup
to Todd and Paula Mc-
another successful An-
truck and a pedestrian. The
Curry, who currently own
nual Forest Access For
female victim was severely
the Mountain Home Auto
All (FAFA) Banquet and
Ranch dealerships, the Me- injured, but did survive.
Auction.
BHS choirs to go to New
ridian Auto Ranch, Ontario
Controversial fee ordi-
York. The High School
Auto Ranch Chrysler Jeep
nance passes first read-
Bel Canto and Trebel
Dodge Ram, and now the
ing. City Manager Fred
Choirs were selected to
Ontario Auto Ranch Ford
Warner stated that this new
perform at Carnegie Hall
Subaru, and the newly
ordinance was based on
in New York in April 2018
named Baker City Auto
the $3 residential and $6
for a Choir Festival with
Ranch.
commercial amounts the
multiple other choirs. They
Bentz suffers heart
Budget Board had agreed
will be gone April 13th to
attack. On Sunday, June
on in the final budget
the 16th.
11, Representative Cliff
meeting Wed. May 17th as
Visitors Bureau re-
Bentz (R-Ontario) suffered
a revenue enhancement.
newed. The Profes-
a heart arterial blockage.
By imposing this amended
sional Services Agreement
He was admitted to the
amount, cuts to fire and po-
between the County and
Salem Hospital and is
lice services were averted.
the Visitors Bureau was
expected to make a full
Many from the public
renewed for only one year,
recovery.
expressed opposition.
instead of two.
Library’s giant cotton-
SEE 2017 IN REVIEW
wood removed. Resort
PAGE 8
Street was blocked off to
June
July