Image provided by: Baker County Library District; Baker City, OR
About The Record-courier. (Haines, Baker County, Oregon) 1932-2016 | View Entire Issue (June 23, 2016)
I Record-Courier 7 THURSDAY, JUNE 23,2016 Early Season Wildfire Burns 45 Acres Juni Fisher to Perform on Main Street Stage From Oregon Dept, of Forestry • A wildfire ignited Monday afternoon burning approximately 45 acres, five miles west of The Dalles in the Central Oregon District. The Chenoweth Fire began around 5:20 p.m. on state-protected land and burned through the night before crews could extinguish all vis ible flames. Alongside the crews from the Oregon Depart ment of Forestry, a private contractor, Steel head Enterprises, pitched in fighting this fire. Firefighters will continue to strengthen the trails creating a containment buffer. They ex pect to have the fire fully contained within a few hours, and will work on hot spots the rest of the day. The cause of the fire is currently under inves- tigation. As we head into this week, the Fire Danger Level is Low to Moderate throughout the state. The Fire Forecast shows windy, dry weather will last for one more day throughout several regions. But temperatures look to remain around average as more showers are antici pated in the middle of the week. Summer weather is expected to return this weekend. It's a reminder to know the changing conditions before enjoying the outdoors! Story courtesy of the Hells Canyon Journal FIRE STATISTICS: Fire statistics are for the current year and the average over the past 10 years for the 16 mil lion acres of private and public forestland pro tected by the Oregon Department of Forestry. January 1, 2016, through Today, June 21, 2016: Lightning-caused fires: 32 fires burned, 2,125 acres Human-caused fires: 154 fires burned, 177 acres Total: 186 fires burned 2,302 acres 10-year average (January 1st through the present date In the year): Lightning-caused fires: 29 fires burned, 34 acres Human-caused fires: .145 fires burned, 1,300 acres Total: 174 fires burned, 1,334 acres CYCLING continued from page 1 participate. “We have large numbers of riders from Canada who compete here,” said Vegter. The majority are from Oregon and Washington. Friday evening launches a first-time event for cyclists: The National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretative Cen ter Uphill Time Trial. It is as tough as it sounds. The event will begin at 6:00 p.m. Cyclists will gather on the grounds of the Interpretative Center, at the foot of the road that ascends up to the Center’s parking lot. One at a time, every 30 seconds, all 250 cyclists will launch an attempt to ascend the hill - time being the key factor. To date, the fastest time on record is four minutes, thirty- four seconds. There is talk, according to Vegter, that someone might push the four minute mark this year. He has his doubts. “It’s a pretty steep climb.” If you are interested in watching the event from the Center’s parking lot, Vegter asks that all spectators ar rive no later than 5:30 p.m. Spectators can access the exit route during the event, but will be prohibited from traveling up the race course to the parking lot. It should prove to be a good view for one very interesting and in credibly tough climb. Highway 86 will remain open, but motorists are again encouraged to slow down and use caution in the area. How crazy is it for Vegter and team as they prepare these last few days? “Last minute details like creating new signs, organizing numbers for riders, and making a round trip to Portland in one day to pick up the equip ment keep me very busy.” Every hour Vegter is hitting the refresh button on the event registration page to see where he is with the num bers. “Every year we have close to 160 cyclists register in June. That makes up about 40% of all participants, so I’m always looking to make sure we have hit our ex pected numbers.” What Drivers Can Expect: Motorists can expect Fri day morning delays on Highway 30, as cyclists take the road between Baker City and head towards Haines. There will also be cycling congestion on Highway 203 into Keating, Highway 86 into Baker City, and the area around Atwood Road. Racing begins at 9:30 a.m. and should conclude at approximately 12:30 p.m. Saturday, two races will take place: The first kicks off at 8:30 a.m. from the Baker City Church of the Nazarene. Cyclists will be moving along Highway 30, Davenport Road, Chandler Lane and the Old Oregon Trail Rd. There will be a detour of north bound traffic on Highway 30 from 8 a.m. thru 11:30 p.in. The second event on Saturday is the fast-paced Tour d'Town Critériums, held in Historic Baker City from 1:00 p.m. thru 7:00 p.m. There will be parking restric tions on Main Street, Valley, 1st Street, 2nd Street, the comer of 10th & Broadway, Court Street, and Washing ton Ave. These restrictions will be in place from early morning until 8:00 p.m. The Baker County YMCA will be hosting the Y's Kids Races on Saturday until 1:00 p.m. Its free and open to ages 4 thru 15. For more .information check it out: http://www.bakercitycycling.org/BCCC/ Stages.html Sunday is one grueling day for cyclists as they spend their day peddling a total of 84.5 miles. The race begins at 7 a.m. from the Baker High School. It will head north on Highway 30 to Highway 203. From there cyclists will follow a rolling course through Medical Springs, Union and North Powder. From that point the route will follow Anthony Lakes Highway to the finish line, just past Anthony Lakes Mountain Re- sort. The public can expect delays on Highway 203 and An thony Lakes Highway. Those wanting to spectate at the finish area should be at Anthony Lakes Mountain Resort no later than high noon. Vetger hopes motorists will be understanding. “We do ask for patience over this short period of time. We hope people will think of it as a fast-moving cattle drive.” Each year, the event has raised as much as $5,000 for the local Baker High School sports and education pro grams as well as for local volunteer groups such as the Lions Club, the Medical Springs Rural Fire Department, and the Northeast Oregon Compassion Center. “We at Baker Loves Bikes and all the riders that take part in this great race truly appreciate your support and encouragement. We look forward to seeing you out at the races cheering and ringing your cow bells,” said Vegter. Eagle Valley - Land That I Love Story courtesy of the Hells Canyon Journal It was one of those Eagle Valley Days for the books. It looked like rain, but the little storm cir cumvented the Valley. Gar Rovang hosted the parade again this year with a flair that only Gar can do. Grand Marshal and Grand Lady John and Dorothy Randall, and Grand Marshal and Grand Lady Frank and Shirley Randall were followed by a hay stacked flat bed with some of their ‘grand kids’ riding along, who were throwing out candy and smiles. Another hay stacked flatbed was filled to capacity with the Eagle Valley 4-H members. Their popular reputation in the Valleys for hard working, dedicated and dependable young people precedes them, as was evidenced by the extra cheering as they went by. They make Eagle and Pine Valleys proud. Horses, emergency services, local businesses and organizations all pitched in to make the parade a lot of fun. There were several requests that a very special appreciation be extended to the Eagle Valley Grange and to the Baker County Sheriff’s Office as they took safety to a higher level this year. There were some near mishaps last year as tourists with oversized RVs and boats entered the Main Street during the parade and children were running in the street to collect candy and treats. The Grange made arrangements with the City of Richland to have the side streets closed off during the parade this year and the Sherriff’s Deputies went the extra mile to hold traffic back until all of the parade festivities were deemed clear and safe. After the parade, the crowd grew substantially at the Eagle Valley Grange Park. There were Opening Ceremonies and wonderful entertainment by the Silversmiths with feature songs by Micah Gotzman on his guitar throughout the rest of the day. The buzz around the crowd enjoying ham burgers and hotdogs was constant with compliments to the chef. “They outdid themselves on those hamburgers and cheeseburgers!” The traditional fresh strawberry shortcake was a success of course and the only visible absence was that of Walt Forsea. He is the guy who insists that there be fresh strawberry shortcake at Eagle Valley Days. Grange Master Dan Forsea assured everyone that his dad was just fine and appreciated the inquiries. There was also a contingent of folks in the crowd trying to get the double cheeseburgers named the “Dennis Beam Special”. You’ll have to ask Dennis to explain that one! As always, the ladies of the Eagle Valley Grange outdid themselves again. Andy Russo had more fun than the kids with the games! He was in charge this year and rumor was that it’s going to be his job again next year! When asked how he did it, he smiled the smile of success and replied, “You get Kyle Ransom involved!” It was not possible to count the number of kids who were busy playing the different games and nobody stood on the side and watched; they all played. The park was filled with laughter and the sounds of children having fun. It was just after twelve noon when Chief Dave Kingsbury of the Eagle Valley Fire Department rolled his bigfruck into the park. Kids who had gone to eat or were still playing some games dropped everything and ran to see what was going on when the Chief sounded his horn. MC Ron Hunter announced that any kids who wanted to ‘get wet’ needed permission from their parents and then, the fun began. Kingsbury skillfully showered the entire play area with water, back and forth and up and down, drenching kids who ran into and out of the spray, then spun around to run into it again. See EAGLE VALLEY DAY on page 10 Hells Canyon Journal photo Juni Fisher, performing in the Pine Valley Grange Hall on September 28, 2014. Award-winning singer, songwriter; and horsewoman Juni Fisher will return to Halfway and perform on the MainStreet Stage on Saturday, June 25 at 7 p.m. Fisher is known for her western music celebrating the love of horses and those who work with them. Born in the Sari Joaquin Valley in California, Juni grew up in a farming family working with horses and participating in 4-H and FFA throughout her school years. She studied Equine Science at the College of the Sequoias in Visalia, riding her way through college with top honors at Intercollegiate and Quarter Horse shows. She used her musical talents to earn horse show money by singing big band standards in a dance orchestra. In 1984, Fisher moved to Santa Ynez, California to work for a cutting horse trainer and took her blossoming songwriting skills with her. A local band was quick to ask her to play rhythm guitar and sing leads and backups, and soon she was working in L.A. area clubs with a country dance band while continuing to hone her horse riding skills. Following her first release, “Tumbleweed Letters” in 1999, she soon shifted to music as a full-time profession. Fisher now performs at major festivals, rodeos and concert venues of all sizes across the U.S. One reviewer commented, “At the heart of her unique and complex artistry is her ability to bring alive what become unforgettable characters and images, stunning stories that often carry a deep and compassionate reflection of the human spirit.” Her latest album, Listen...to the Horse, was nominated for the 2014 Western Music Association Album of the Year. Her song “Still There” won the 2014 Western Writers of America Spur Award Best Song of the Year and “Listen” was nominated for the 2013 WMA Song of the Year and was featured in the newly released film V: The Legacy of Sheila Varian. Fisher’s other awards include 2011 WMA Entertainer of the Year; 2006,2009,2011 WMA Female Performer of the Year; 2008 Western Heritage “Wrangler Award” for Outstanding Western Album; and 2005 Academy of Western Artists Female Vocalist of the Year. Fisher’s return engagement in Halfway is sponsored by Cornucopia Arts Council. Donations will be gratefully accepted at the performance. Can You Help Me Find My Owner? Please help me find my owners or help me find a new forever home. Right now, my friends are calling me "Oxbow" because of where they found me. Oxbow is actually a very small town in Hells Canyon in eastern Oregon and I somehow got lost or aban doned. I followed two men around all day long watching them fish. At the end of the day nobody came for me so I was taken to Baker City and left with some really nice people with Best Friends of Baker, Inc. I am currently in a foster home. I’m a young male with short reddish brown hair, a long tail and weigh about 15 pounds. I am very friendly, well socialized and enjoy being around people inside or playing outside. I walk fairly well on a leash, ride well sitting on the console of a car, and have some house manners, but could work on improvement. I am house trained but am learning about being in a new home and learning to tell my people when I need to go outside. I will be available for adoption on June 25 and will be vaccinated and neutered prior to my adoption. If you would like to learn more about me or receive an adoption application, please call Carmen at 541-519-4530 or Best Friends of Baker at 541-519-7387.
