Learn country swing,
line dancing at Churchill
Page 7
NORTHEAST OREGON
WEDNESDAY
CARMELO HELPS BLAZERS SNAP 4-GAME LOSING STREAK: PAGE 5A
NOVEMBER 27, 2019
www.gonortheastoregon.com
Also inside:
Jingle Thru Joseph
Nov. 29-30, Dec. 6-7
Page 6
GO! Magazine
Serving Baker County since 1870 • bakercityherald.com
November 27, 2019
IN THIS EDITION:
QUICK HITS
Good Day Wish
To A Subscriber
A special good day to
Herald subscriber Marilyn
Smith of Baker City.
Oregon, 3A
SALEM — The $1 billion
award against the State of
Oregon in a class action
lawsuit over its forestry
practices will likely be
subject to lengthy appeals,
but it may also put pres-
sure on the government to
consider settlement talks.
On Nov. 20, a jury found
Oregon’s government
liable for breaching con-
tracts with 13 counties and
numerous taxing districts
by logging an insuffi cient
amount of timber from
state forests, thereby cost-
ing them money.
Local • Business & AgLife • Go! magazine $1.50
Baker High School Students Create Prototypes For Useful, Marketable Products
Problem Solvers
BRIEFING
Baker Community
Choir concerts set
for Dec. 13, 14, 15
The Baker Community
Choir’s Christmas concerts
are scheduled for Dec.
13, 14 and 15 at the Baker
Heritage Museum, 2480
Grove St. Performances
are scheduled for 7 p.m.
on Dec. 13 and 14, and 3
p.m. on Dec. 15. The Baker
Valley Children’s Choir will
perform on Dec. 13 and 14.
Donations will be accepted
at the door, and proceeds
support the Children’s
Choir.
WEATHER
Today
36 / 20
Snow and
gusty wind
Thursday
34 / 15
Morning
snow showers
Full forecast on the back
of the B section.
The space below will be
blank on issues delivered
or sold from boxes. The
space is for a postage label
for issues that are mailed.
Lisa Britton/For the Baker City Herald
Hunter Long is working on a fi re suppression system for semi-trucks. Long is a student in Toni Zikmund’s
class at Baker High School in which students create prototypes for useful products.
By Lisa Britton
For the Baker City Herald
It starts with a “bug me” list.
Everyone has these pet peeves —
the everyday things that irritate and
make us wonder if there is a better
way.
Now students at Baker High
School are turning those annoyances
into real-life solutions.
The program is called INCubator
edu. It is the fi rst such program to be
offered in Oregon, said Toni Zikmund,
who teaches business classes at BHS.
She heard about the program at a
conference in San Antonio, Texas, and
saw real examples of what students
have created.
For example, a team from Arling-
ton Heights, Illinois, created a Hoodie
Hoop to help rethread hoodie ties that
come out in the wash.
Eight students signed up for the
year-long class at BHS. To begin, they
form those bug me lists and narrow it
down to one project. At the end of the
fi rst semester, team members present
their idea — their “Most Valuable
Product” — to a board of advisers in
search of funding to build a prototype.
The second semester is spent
designing the product and creating a
marketing plan. The class culminates
program. “We’re looking for people
to help us build these entrepreneurs
and help them be successful.”
Bryan Tweit is the program’s
“community champion.” Tweit runs
the business mentorship program
Launch Pad Baker. In his role with
Incubatoredu he contacted business
owners to recruit coaches and men-
— Toni Zikmund, BHS teacher
tors.
“There are a lot of people who can
with a pitch to the advisory board for bring a lot to the table,” Tweit said.
start-up funding.
He sees value in this program
“They’ll do a whole Shark Tank-
that inspires the next generation of
type pitch that night,” Zikmund said. workforce.
“It’ll be a big event.”
“The value it gives them later on
The students are divided into four is priceless,” he said. “Imagine if your
teams. Throughout the year, Zik-
kids had the mindset of a business
mund provides business-centered
owner. Think of how valuable that is
lessons on accounting, marketing,
as a person.”
material supplies, and patent law.
He has fi lled one of the mentor
Sixteen of the lessons are designed
roles. Working with the students, he
to be taught by coaches from the
said, requires the ability to give ad-
community, such as accountants and vice but let them fi nd their own way.
lawyers.
“To never give them the answer
Community members also serve
but direct them to fi nd the answer,”
as mentors who meet with the teams he said.
every two weeks. Zikmund still needs
Mentors also help the teams work
one or two mentors willing to work
through apparent roadblocks.
with the students.
“Realizing that walls aren’t cliffs —
“They really push working with
there’s another path,” he said.
your community and bringing in
See Solutions/Page 2A
the experts,” Zikmund said of the
“They really push working with
your community and bringing
in the experts. We’re looking for
people to help us build these
entrepreneurs and help them be
successful.”
Lisa Britton/For the Baker City Herald
Mentor Vanessa Spriet, right, works with the team of Gracie Farber and Payton Jones as they develop an
idea for eco-friendly hygiene items. In the background, Bryan Tweit works with Eric Bunarith who is design-
ing a tea infuser with Taya Riley (not pictured).
TODAY
Issue 86, 24 pages
Business ...........1B & 2B
Calendar ....................2A
Classified ............. 5B-8B
Comics ....................... 9B
Community News ....3A
Crossword ........7B & 8B
Dear Abby ............... 10B
Horoscope ................. 7B
Lottery Results ..........2A
News of Record ........2A
Opinion ......................4A
Senior Menus ...........2A
Your weekly guide
to arts and
entertainment
happening around
Northeast Oregon
Baxter
the new
district
attorney
Gov. Kate Brown on
Tuesday appointed Greg M.
Baxter, the son of recently
retired Baker County
Circuit Court Judge Greg
Baxter, as Baker County
district attorney.
The younger Baxter,
34, fi lls a vacancy created
by Brown’s
decision to ap-
point District
Attorney
Matt Shirtcliff
as Circuit
Baxter
Court judge
as of Nov. 1.
Shirtcliff replaced the elder
Baxter on the bench.
In announcing her ap-
pointment of Baxter as
district attorney, Brown
praised the 2003 Baker
High School graduate’s
experience.
“Greg Baxter has earned
the trust of residents, law
enforcement, and commu-
nity partners in Eastern
Oregon,” Brown stated in a
press release. “His experi-
ence as a prosecutor and
his deep ties to the com-
munity will serve him well
as he assumes his role as
Baker County’s district
attorney.”
See Baxter/Page 2A
Open
house at
Marla’s
Mall
An open house is sched-
uled at Marla’s Mall next
week to welcome Christ-
mas shoppers.
The center, which offers
free clothing and personal
hygiene items for all, will
be open from 4 p.m. to 7
p.m. Monday, Dec. 2.
“It’s an opportunity for
the community to see what
we have to offer and do a
little Christmas shopping,”
Susan Myers, who oversees
operations at Marla’s Mall,
stated in a press release.
“I’ll have tons of brand-
new stuff,” she said.
The shop, which is
housed in the former North
Baker School building, at
2725 Seventh St., will be
closed Monday to prepare
for the open house. The
entrance to Marla’s Mall is
on the B Street side of the
building.
Participants will receive
a special bag for shopping
during the event.
Marla’s Mall is dedi-
cated to Marla Cavallo,
who taught PE and health
at Baker High School for
20 years. She died of cancer
in 2007.
See Marla’s/Page 3A
Sports ........................5A
Turning Backs ...........2A
Weather ................... 10B
FRIDAY — A DIFFERENT SORT OF HOLIDAY DISPLAY AT HAINES POST OFFICE