LOCAL & STATE
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2019
BAKER CITY HERALD — 5A
Murderer could be released
PORTLAND (AP) — The
Oregon parole board on
Thursday signaled support
for the eventual release of one
of the men convicted in the
notorious double murder of a
central Oregon couple during
a home invasion robbery over
three decades ago.
The Oregonian/OregonLive
reports the Board of Parole
and Post-Prison Supervision
concluded Mark Wilson, 50,
is “likely to be rehabilitated”
and scheduled an April hear-
ing to determine his projected
parole date.
The final step involves
a separate exit interview
when the board will deter-
mine whether Wilson will be
released.
In its rehabilitation finding,
the board noted Wilson’s
efforts to take part in prison
programs, his work record
and effort to stay out of
trouble.
Wilson was 18 when he
shot Rod Houser, 53, 20 times
with a rifle on the porch of the
couple’s Terrebonne house.
Co-defendant Randy Guzek
shot Lois Houser, 49, with a
revolver in the head, heart
and stomach after finding her
inside the home screaming.
Wilson and Guzek then
looted the house and made
efforts to make it look like a
cult killing before fleeing.
Wilson confessed to the
killing and pleaded guilty
to aggravated murder and
murder. He was sentenced in
1988 to two consecutive life
terms with the possibility of
parole.
SUMMIT
of the Baker City group joining Witty for
the trip will be introduced.
Continued from Page 1A
School District representatives attending
“For the potential outcome, I think it’s a include Doug Dalton, Baker Technical In-
really good investment,” he said.
stitute president; and Baker School Board
Witty said about 1,200 people, including directors Julie Huntington, Andrew Bryan
state and national legislators, are expected and Kevin Cassidy, who also is the incom-
to attend.
ing president of the Oregon School Boards
The Oregon Legislature’s approval of $2 Association.
billion in additional funding for schools in
Others include Richard Chaves of
the next biennium has brought business
Chaves Consulting; Jeff Nelson, Baker
interests and schools together at the table. County business adviser for Blue Mountain
“Business is supportive and recognizes
Community College’s Small Business De-
the value of a quality workforce in order to velopment Center; Bryan Tweit, director of
be competitive in a global market,” Witty
Launch Pad Baker; Chris Knoll, manager
said.
of the Baker City branch of Umpqua Bank;
Baker Technical Institute is an example Les Penning, Lea Gettle, Wayne Overton
of how schools can provide students with
and Charlene Chase of OTEC; Clint Mor-
the skills they need to provide industry
rison, plant manager at Behlen Manufac-
with a high quality workforce, he said.
turing; Martin Arritola, owner of Oregon
The superintendent will be a presenter
Trail Livestock Supply; Robin Nudd, Baker
on a morning panel that will consider the
City Human Resources and Community
topic: “How Do We Make Our Economy In- Development director; Shelly Cutler, Baker
clusive.” Other panel members will be Ru- County Chamber of Commerce director;
kaiyah Adams, the Meyer Memorial Trust’s and Courtney Warner Crowell, Gov. Kate
chief investment offi cer; Anne Kubisch, The Brown’s Greater Eastern Regional Solu-
Ford Family Foundation president; and
tions Team coordinator. State Rep. Lynn
Carmen Rubio, Latino Network executive Findley, R-Vale, whose district includes
director. Ron Saxton, executive vice presi-
Baker County, also will join the discussion.
dent and general counsel for PeaceHealth,
Baker County expects to be designated
a nonprofi t healthcare system that serves as one of three pilot projects, with the oth-
Oregon, Washington and Alaska, will be
ers being established in the Portland Metro
the moderator.
area and in the Willamette Valley, Witty
Witty also is scheduled to lead a dis-
said.
cussion about how different partners in
Regional meetings will be scheduled in
a region can work together to improve
the coming year to consider ways to “ad-
outcomes in their communities. Members
vance economic mobility,” he said.
“Youʼll love the work we do. I guarantee it.” - JR
225 H Street • East of I-84 • 541-523-3200 • grumpysrepair.com
The (La Grande) Observer fi le photo
A quiet zone for freight train whistles is slated to take effect Dec. 27 in La Grande.
La Grande’s quiet zone for
trains takes effect Dec. 27
By Sabrina Thompson
The (La Grande) Observer
LA GRANDE — Life in La
Grande is about to get a bit
quieter. The city announced
the train whistle Quiet Zone
will take effect Dec. 27 at
12:01 a.m.
“I am ecstatic,” Mayor
Steve Clements said after
the Dec. 5 city council meet-
ing when he announced the
approval for the whistle ban.
“It shows the commitment
of the city, and how when we
had something we needed in
place, we followed the rules
and it got done.”
Conversation about the
ban on most train whistles
goes back to the early 1990s,
and the city offi cially began
discussions on the matter in
the early 2000s, according to
Father Hank Albrecht, former
pastor of the Our Lady of
the Valley Catholic Church.
Strides toward the instal-
lation of safety devices and
measures required began in
2017, with the completion
early this fall.
To qualify for a Quiet
Zone — in which trains are
not required to blow their
whistles at traffi c crossings
— the intersection of railroad
tracks and roadway must be
safe enough for vehicles and
pedestrians to cross without
being warned by a train
whistle. To receive Federal
Railroad Administration ap-
proval, the city installed
barriers to prevent cars from
going around the arms and
made any needed improve-
ments within the Quiet
Zone — encompassing the
crossings at Fir, Greenwood,
Cherry, Willow streets and H
Avenue.
The need for a Quiet Zone
has been the subject of much
debate. Some long-time
residents told The Observer
previously they did not see a
need for a Quiet Zone, stating
they got used to the sound
and didn’t notice it.
Online, many people posted
they would like the whistles
to remain, saying the sound
doesn’t bother them and they
“I am ecstatic. It shows
the commitment of the
city, and how when we
had something we needed
in place, we followed the
rules and got it done.”
— Steve Clements, La
Grande mayor
are needed for safety reasons.
“I lived right next to a
train station,” Faith Amanda
commented in a previous
Observer Facebook post
about the Quiet Zone. “I’m
so used to the horns, I would
hear him everyday at 5 in
the morning getting ready to
leave. They would blow and
blow and blow and never
stop. It’s important to have
the whistle. It’s for safety, to
let people know they’re com-
ing. I’ve always loved them. I
can still hear them. It may be
faint where I live now but I
can still hear it and I’ve never
stopped loving it.”
Others, however, see train
whistles as a disruption and
an annoyance.
Landlords have said they
have diffi culty fi nding ten-
ants for apartments near
the tracks, and visitors have
posted online reviews about
not being able to sleep with
the whistles going off.
Calvary Chapel of La
Grande sits right against
the tracks at 1433 Jefferson
Ave. Rob Collins, pastor for
the church, said the whistles
overpower his sermons at
least twice during morning
services.
“It doesn’t interrupt the
fl ow of things,” Collins said.
“But we are very excited not
to hear it anymore.”
Pendleton established a
Quiet Zone in the 1970s.
Railroad tracks cross city
streets at 11 points. The com-
munity turned out for public
hearings in the early 2000s
to keep the whistle ban in
place.
“In Pendleton you have
a train that ran through
the middle of the town and
Baker City
looking into
possibility of
pursuing quiet
zone as well
The Baker City Council
voted 6-0 on Nov. 12 to
fi le a notice of intend to
apply for a Quiet Zone
designation within the
city limits. The decision
doesn’t obligate the city
to actually fi le an ap-
plication or to take any
other action, but it is a
mandatory fi rst step.
A local group, Neigh-
bors for a Safer, Quieter
and Healthier Baker City,
urged councilors to
consider fi ling the notice
of intent.
The group signed a
petition signed by more
than 230 residents who
support a Quiet Zone
designation.
you’re in a valley, so it echoed
like the train was right next
to you,” said Phil Houk,
former mayor of the town
and former risk manager for
Union Pacifi c Railroad. “Most
people were generally happy
about the Quiet Zone.”
While reaction has been
mixed in La Grande, the city
went forward with pursuing
the zone.
The initial proposal to put
four-quadrant gates at three
of the crossings would have
cost La Grande a minimum
of $1.5 million. Further
review found ways to reduce
costs without compromising
public safety. In the end, La
Grande shelled out more
than $200,000 for the cross-
ing improvements.
Even with safety improve-
ments, Houk said people
need to take caution when
crossing the tracks.
“Trains can’t swerve
around you on the tracks,”
he said, “and they can’t stop
immediately.”
Harney County man cited
for riding back of mule deer
RILEY (AP) — Police say
a young man was arrested
after he was caught on video
riding on the back of a mule
deer buck that was trapped
in a fenced area in rural
eastern Oregon.
Oregon State Police say
18-year-old Jacob Belcher of
Riley, which is about 23 miles
west of Burns, was arrested
Friday and charged with
wildlife harassment and ani-
mal abuse. It wasn’t known if
he has a lawyer.
Police say someone sent
the state police’s Fish and
Wildlife division a video of
Belcher climbing onto the
young mule deer and riding
the animal, which appears
exhausted.
Troopers said the deer
makes grunting or bleating
sounds throughout the video.
After it escaped Belcher, it
jumped into a linked fence
repeatedly while trying to
escape.
The deer had been trapped
in a fenced feeding enclosure,
Photo via Oregon State Police
Scene from a video taken of Jacob Belcher, 18, of Riley,
near Burns, riding a mule deer buck.
police said. It was eventually
freed, and police don’t know
where the deer is now.
Belcher was arrested, and
another person who fi lmed
the alleged incident was also
interviewed. That person
may be charged with aiding
in a wildlife offense, state
police said.