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About Baker City herald. (Baker City, Or.) 1990-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 30, 2019)
LOCAL & STATE WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2019 Bentz running for Walden’s seat; Buehler, others ponder campaign BAKER CITY HERALD — 3A Baker City Police investigating graffiti investigated at these busi- nesses: AmeriTitle, 2245 Baker City Police are Main St.; Club 24, 1924 investigating damage to Broadway St., the build- fi ve Baker City business ing that houses the Baker buildings and one home City Herald, Styles R Us site that were vandalized salon, Calvary Chapel with spray paint over the Church and A Therapeutic past week. Massage at 1668 Resort Offi cer Jonathan St.; Bella, 2023 Main St.; Parsons noted graffi ti of a and the Baker Tower, 1705 similar pattern sprayed at Main St. the six sites, Lt. Ty Duby Private property at 2580 said today. First St., owned by Charles Crimes of fi rst-degree and Candice Hofmann, criminal mischief are being also was damaged. By Chris Collins ccollins@bakercityherald.com From staff and wire reports Ontario Republican Cliff Bentz, who represents Baker County in the Oregon Senate, an- nounced Tuesday that he will seek to replace Greg Walden, who said Monday he will not run for re-elec- Bentz tion in 2020. Bentz has served in the state Senate for almost two years, and he previously served 10 years in the Oregon House of Representatives. “Congressman Walden has done (and is still doing) a great job as Oregon’s only Republican Congressman,” Bentz said in a press release. “It was a sur- prise to learn that he has decided not to run again. “The challenges in Washington, D.C., are great,” Bentz said. “However, based upon my years of working as a rancher, farmer, attorney, and as member of the Republican party successfully passing legislation in a Legislature controlled by Democrats, I feel confi dent that I can adequately represent the people of the 2nd Congressional District of Oregon,” Bentz said he will be establishing a congressional campaign team over the next several weeks. His campaign web- site is: https://www.cliffbentz.com Bentz isn’t the only Republican who has expressed an interest in replacing Walden as representative for the 2nd District, which includes all of Oregon east of the Cascades and parts of Jack- son and Josephine counties in Oregon’s southwest corner. Knute Buehler, a former state lawmaker who was the Republican nominee for Oregon governor in 2018, announced on Twitter that he’s consid- ering seeking his party’s nomination for Walden’s seat. The Oregonian/OregonLive reports that former state Sen. Jason Atkinson of Central Point also is considering a run. Buehler, of Bend, is a surgeon by training and served two terms in the Oregon House of Representatives, after fi rst winning election in 2014. He ran unsuccessfully for secretary of state in 2012 against Kate Brown, and Brown defeated him again in his 2018 bid for governor. Buehler is fi scally conservative but on social issues, he is much more moderate than Walden. Buehler is pro- abortion rights and a champion of gay marriage. Like many Republicans, Buehler was surprised by Walden’s announcement. In a telephone interview on Tuesday evening, Buehler said he is exploring a run for Congress but won’t impose a deadline on when he’ll jump in or stay out of the race. “I want to make sure I am not rushed into making the decision,” Buehler said. “I have no specifi c time marker for making a choice.” It has been just under a year since Buehler lost the governor’s race to Brown. But that campaign started in August 2017 and was demanding on his wife, Patty, and his adult son and daughter, Buehler said. “I really need to talk to Patty and my children,” Buehler said. “You have to be all-in if you are going to do something like this.” Buehler said he has already had con- versations with people who backed his past campaigns to gauge whether a run for Walden’s seat is a good idea. “I have supporters throughout Con- gressional District 2 and around the state,” he said. “I value their opinions. This is a really important decision for me personally and for the future of the state. This is a position that can do a lot of good for people.” Arctic air just misses October record ■ Low of 3 degrees at the airport; coldest October reading on record is 2, set in 2006 The frost, it seems reason- able to conclude, has perme- ated the pumpkin. Certainly any squash exposed overnight in Baker City acquired more than a superfi cial scrim of ice. The temperature dipped to 3 degrees this morning at the Baker City Airport. Gambleton That not only broke the previous record low for Oct. 30 of 9 degrees, set in 2006, but it’s also the second-coldest temperature ever recorded during October at the airport, where records date to 1945. The coldest October day was Oct. 31, 2006, when the low was 2 degrees. Baker teacher honored WALDEN Today is also the second straight daily low tempera- ture record at the airport. Tuesday’s low of 6 degrees broke the previous record for Oct. 29 of 9 degrees, set in 1971. Today’s record likely will be the last for a while, as the National Weather Service Stacy Gambleton, a fourth-grade teacher at South Baker Intermediate School, received an Apple Appreciation Award from Community Bank. The bank collected nominations for teachers in each town with a Community Bank branch. is forecasting a gradual warming trend through the weekend. Conditions for Thursday’s trick-or-treating event from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. in down- town Baker City should be clear with light winds, and temperatures dropping from around 40 to the mid-30s. Among the entries for Gambleton: “She is so great with the kids — kind, patient and loves everyone.” “She is the best teacher ever!” Gambleton chose the Fourth- Grade Book Club to receive the $200 dona- tion that goes with her award. challenger Jamie McLeod- “I think the District Skinner. should feel very grateful Continued from Page 1A Walden won 56.3% of the for the work Greg has put Tom Van Diepen of Baker votes to McLeod-Skinner’s City, who is a precinct com- 39.4% — the smallest margin in. It’s been an honor to mittee person for the Baker of victory in his congressional work with him. He’s one of County Republican Party, career. the good guys.” said when he heard Monday — Tom Van Diepen, precinct His previous low was his committee member, Baker that Walden would not seek fi rst race when, as a non- — Suzan Ellis Jones, chair, re-election he initially felt the County Republican Party incumbent, he won 61.5% of Baker County Republican Party same trepidation that Jones the votes against Democrat That law automatically has about whether the 2nd Kevin Campbell. District will remain Oregon’s registers people to vote if, In Walden’s subsequent website Monday announc- after visting a DMV to renew re-elections prior to 2018, he ing his pending retirement, lone GOP stronghold. a driver’s license or some But Tuesday afternoon received between 66.8% and Walden said he is “confi dent Van Diepen said that, after other transaction, they fail to 73.9% of the votes. I would earn the support of further refl ection, he’s not as fi ll out a form declining to be Jones noted that in 2018, 2nd District voters for another worried about Republicans registered. for the fi rst time, Walden lost term.” losing the seat. The Motor Voter law has in Deschutes County, where The Cook Political Report “Anything can happen, but added hundreds of thousands McLeod-Skinner, who lives rates the district as one of the I don’t see a progressive or a of people to Oregon’s voter in that county, received about 160 most “solid” Republican” liberal making much head- rolls, but a majority of these 100 more votes. Walden won House districts in the 2020 way in Eastern Oregon,” Van newly registered voters have Deschutes County by more election. The winner of the Diepen said. not declared a party affi lia- than 32,000 votes in 2016. Republican primary in May Although registered tion. (Walden also lost his home would be the likely front- Republicans outnumber The result is the percent- county, Hood River, to McLeod- runner to win the seat in Democrats in the District by age of non-affi liated voters Skinner, 6,735 to 3,578.) November. more than 46,000 — 189,983 has swelled. In the 2nd Walden dominated in Baker Jones believes the 2nd Republicans as of Septem- District the non-affi liated County, with 6,004 votes to District has benefi ted from ber, compared with 143,353 percentage has risen from McLeod-Skinner’s 1,894. Walden’s seniority. He is the registered Democrats — the 22.7% in 2014 to 27% in Van Diepen credits ranking Republican member GOP’s percentage has been 2016, 32.9% in 2018 and this McLeod-Skinner for running of the House Committee on decreasing over the past fi ve September, for the fi rst time, a strong campaign, but he Energy and Commerce. years. there are more non-affi liated doesn’t believe her com- “Greg is right up there in In September 2014, two voters in the District (34.6%) petitive race against Walden leadership,” Jones said. “A months before Walden was than registered Republicans means the 2nd District is on freshman coming in is not elected to his ninth term, (33.2%). the brink of joining Oregon’s going to have the same clout Republicans accounted for “The District is changing,” other districts on the Demo- that Greg has. That’s a given.” 40% of the 2nd District’s Jones said. cratic side of the aisle. Van Diepen, by contrast, electorate, compared with She points to Walden’s “She worked hard for those said he doesn’t mind that Democrats’ 29.2%. most recent election victory, votes” he said of McLeod- Walden’s replacement will The percentage of regis- in November 2018 when Skinner. lack seniority. tered Republicans dropped to he defeated Democratic In a video he posted on his Van Diepen said he sup- 37.1% in September 2016, to 34% in September 2018, and to 33.2% this September. Democrats have also lost Sponsored by Baker Branch AAUW ground during that period, going from 29.2% of the Dis- trict’s voters in 2014 to 28.5% in 2016, 25.8% in 2018 and 25.1% this September. The largest change among the 2nd District’s electorate during that period has been the increase in the number of voters who aren’t affi liated with any party, a trend due in part to Oregon’s “Motor Voter” law, which took effect in 2016. “Anything can happen, but I don’t see a progressive or a liberal making much headway in Eastern Oregon.” OPEN TO COMMUNITY BUYING Continued from Page 1A Cleanup and minor remodeling is planned in the spring, and Baker Charter Schools expects to be in the building by June, Huld said. The online schools, which have 60 students and 25 staff locally, will move to that building from the current location at North Baker School, 2725 Seventh St. “The building will better meet our needs, allowing us to more effi ciently utilize space for both faculty and staff,” Huld stated in a press release. Baker Charter Schools has eight locations across Oregon currently serving 2,500 students statewide. The main offi ce, which contains fi nancial and student records for the entire state, is housed in Baker City. Huld said the Ellingson building has offi ce spaces as opposed to the classrooms at North Baker, which will better meet the needs of Baker Charter Schools. Baker Charter Schools is its own entity with its own budget and board of directors, although it works in partnership with Baker School District. Huld said the school is using funds from its savings to purchase the building, not tapping into its operating funds. Baker Charter Schools consists of two separate charter schools — the Baker Web Academy, an online or textbook-based K-12 school, and Baker Early Col- lege, which allows students in grades 10-12 to complete high school and start their college experience early. More information is available at https://bakerchar- ters.org/about-us Baker School District Superintendent Mark Witty spoke in favor of the Baker Charter Schools’ purchase of the Ellingson building. “We appreciate the strong relationship that we have with Baker Charter Schools and believe this purchase will be advantageous in providing the operational space necessary to continue to grow the service model even further in the State of Oregon,” Witty stated in the press release. ports term limits for Congress — even a single term — be- cause he believes that the lon- ger lawmakers serve, the more likely they are to negotiate to advance their position rather than to focus on representing their constituents. Ultimately, Van Diepen said his chief concern is that Walden’s replacement will be a true conservative, regard- less of the candidate’s party affi liation. Although Jones acknowl- edges that some of her fellow Republicans have at times criticized Walden, saying he isn’t suffi ciently conservative to satisfy them, she believes Walden has effectively repre- sented what she sees as the District’s conservative values. “I’m a conservative, and to me Greg is a conservative,” Jones said. “He is a constitu- tionalist.” Van Diepen agrees. “I think he’s as good as any of them,” he said of Walden. Van Diepen does believe, though, that Walden was most effective in his fi rst term. Jones said Walden played a vital role in lobbying President Donald Trump to pardon Dwight and Steven Hammond, the Harney County ranchers who were sentenced to fi ve years in prison after being convicted of lighting fi res. Jones also believes Walden has consistently represented his constituents regarding management and use of natu- ral resources on public land, which makes up more than half of many counties in the 2nd District, including Baker County. Walden has sponsored legis- lation intended to increase the rate of logging on federal land and potentially reduce the risk of wildfi res. Jones contends Walden’s support of such bills has ben- efi ted not only the 2nd District but all of Oregon. Although she concedes she’s disappointed that Walden won’t seek another term in Congress, Jones, who said she speaks with Walden on a nearly week- ly basis, said she understands, and respects, his decision. “I think Greg made a good decision for himself and (his wife) Mylene,” Jones said. “I think the District should feel very grateful for the work Greg has put in. It’s been an honor to work with him. He’s one of the good guys.” Mobile Service Outstanding Computer Repair Any issue $40 fl at rate Call or Text 24/7 Dale Bogardus 541-297-5831 If your computer is scary and slow to boot give me a call and I will save you some loot! www.outstandingcomputerrepair.com Refurbished Desktop & Laptops For Sale House calls (let me come to you!) 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