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About Baker City herald. (Baker City, Or.) 1990-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 16, 2019)
MONDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2019 BAKER CITY HERALD — 3A L OCAL B RIEFING Democrats plan holiday party Dec. 19 Spay/neuter fund has helped with almost 2,800 animals in 14 years The Mollie Atwater and Friends Spay/Neuter Fund, in its 15th year, has helped pay for the spaying or neutering of almost 2,800 dogs and cats in Baker County and North Powder. The organization works with the community to reduce the number of unwanted and homeless cats and dogs in Baker County and North Powder by assisting people with spay/neuter surgery costs and providing informa- tion on the benefi ts of spay- ing/neutering one’s animals. The table at right has de- tailed numbers, based on the location, of the animals the Fund has helped. The fi gures are as of Nov. 21, 2019. Spaying and neutering feral cats and pets makes a difference in the health and well-being of our community and our animals, a spokesper- son for the group stated. Both males and females contribute to the birth of unwanted pup- pies and kittens. Had the animals spayed or neutered with help from the Mollie Atwater Fund not been treated, and each had contrib- uted to a litter of six puppies or kittens, then a minimum of 16,788 animals would have needed homes over the past 14 years. Money raised for this pro- gram is spent locally. Mollie Atwater Spay/Neuter Fund Results AREA BAKER CITY Domestic Dogs Domestic Cats (inside city limits) 392 BAKER CITY ADDRESS Capital Press SALEM — The Pacifi c Northwest will see slightly above normal temperatures and normal precipitation throughout the winter, a well-known weatherman predicts. Art Douglas, a professor emeritus of atmospheric sci- ences at Creighton Univer- sity in Omaha, Nebraska, is best known for his presen- tations at the Spokane Ag Show every winter. Warm waters in the North Pacifi c and North Atlantic will favor high pressure ridges across the north, meaning “weak storminess” for the winter, Douglas told the Capital Press. “Especially for you guys in the Pacifi c Northwest, it’s not scary,” he said. Uncertainty in NOAA and European forecasts continues to shift between El Niño, which means warmer winters for the Pacifi c Northwest, and La Niña, which means colder winters. Douglas predicts a mild December and January, with a cold February. The weather will be dry at the TOTAL 418 1,506 696 62 141 225 428 DURKEE HAINES HALFWAY HEREFORD HUNTINGTON IRONSIDE N. POWDER OXBOW RICHLAND SUMPTER UNITY 5 40 57 3 14 0 22 1 27 5 7 21 53 141 6 7 1 49 1 34 16 16 3 43 89 0 6 0 80 48 68 1 0 29 136 287 9 27 1 151 50 129 22 23 TOTALS 635 1,182 981 2,798 (outside city limits) The Mollie Atwater Fund, which operates under the nonprofi t umbrella of Best Friends of Baker Inc., has benefi ted from continued fi nancial support from local residents and from the Gene and Charlotte Hale Animal Care Fund and James G. Tyler Foundation. People needing help with spay/neuter surgery costs for their animals can pick up a request form in Baker City from the Animal Clinic or Baker Veterinary Hospital, in Halfway at the post offi ce or Old Pine Market, and at the Richland post offi ce. People wanting to contrib- Expert predicts slightly warmer winter this year By Matthew Weaver Feral Cats beginning of winter and wet in February, in the form of snow. “One of your biggest fears are arctic outbreaks, especially toward the end of winter that might freeze the wheat,” he said. “This is the type of winter where I would be very cautious as to what might happen to winter wheat.” Douglas says the year so far appears to be most like the years 2018, 2014 and 1959. He predicts “major jumps,” from a mild start to a cold fi nish, from mildly dry to much wetter. The cold in February will persist into March. “You go from a cold March to a warm April back to a cold May,” Doug- las said. In the spring, the Pacifi c Northwest will consistently trend toward slightly high- er temperatures compared to the rest of the country. “No concern in this forecast for you guys (for precipitation),” Douglas said. “Pretty darn normal in March, some spotty in April ... and then you get into May and the moisture tries to increase up into the ute to the local effort can send their tax-deductible dona- tion to: Mollie Atwater and Friends Spay/Neuter Fund, P.O. Box 402, Baker City, OR 97814, or go to Best Friends of Baker’s Facebook page and clock on the donate button below the fundraiser listed for the spay/neuter program. CHALLENGE Continued from Page 2A Tuesday’s group was the same mix of different students, Flanagan said. A total of 127 students and 43 adults participated over the two days, said Haley Hueck- man, Prevention supervisor for New Directions Northwest and co-chair of the Baker County Local Community Advisory Council (LCAC). Hueckman was among those who led the effort to return the program to Baker schools again this year. This year’s facilitators were Katie Salvage of Oakland, California, and Sealoyd Jones III of Detroit, Michigan. Chal- lenge Day has its headquarters at Concord,California. More information is available at challengeday.org The $10,000 cost of bringing the well-orchestrated program to town, which included dis- counted rates on hotel rooms at the Geiser Grand, was paid with an LCAC grant, Hueck- man said. Lunch also was provided for adult volunteers. Last year, a four-day Chal- lenge Day program was offered to freshmen and sophomores at Baker High School for two days and to seventh- and eighth-graders at BMS for two wheat area. If you want moisture, you want it in May as it’s really growing, starting to bloom and all that kind of good stuff.” The summer forecast so far resembles cool-and- wet summers from 2014 to 2019. The forecast could change if equatorial sea surface temperatures move to El Niño or La Niña, Douglas said. “I don’t see how an El Niño or La Niña could come between now and March,” he said. “What might happen after that? I’m truly clueless. We’ve had too many El Niño years in a row starting in 2014. We’ve never had a really good La Niña over the past fi ve years. Statistically, it’s overdue.” La Niña “recharges” the system to develop an “impressive” El Niño, Doug- las said. He doesn’t think that’s likely, but also doesn’t expect an El Niño for next summer. The Grove Team Welcomes Jeff Mobile Service Outstanding Anderson Computer Repair to the team! Any issue $40 fl at rate Call or Text 24/7 Dale Bogardus 541-297-5831 Have an OUTSTANDING Christmas! www.outstandingcomputerrepair.com Refurbished Desktop & Laptops For Sale House calls (let me come to you!) Drop Offs & Remote Services are Available All credit cards accepted 845 Campbell St. PO Box 762 Baker City, OR 97814 Jeff Anderson, Broker Cell 541-406-9444 Email Jeff @Th eGroveTeam.com Website www.Th eGroveTeam.com The Baker County Democrats will not be having their monthly meeting at Rogers Fellowship Hall as usual. They will instead be having a holiday party at the home of treasurer Ramon Lara. Dinner will begin at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 19. Those planning to attend are asked to call Peter Hall at 541-519-7274. Bazaar supports Upward Sports program A Last Chance Bazaar that supports the Upward Sports Program is set for Dec. 20 and 21, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. both days, in the Family Life Center at the Baker City Church of the Nazarene, 1250 Hughes Lane. Lunch options will be provided by the Upward Sports Program. Lane restrictions continue at Ladd Canyon The Oregon Department of Transportation will continue the Interstate 84 westbound lane restrictions through the Ladd Canyon construction zone over the next week or so. The restrictions should end by Dec. 21, according to ODOT offi cials. SKIING Continued from Page 1A Season passes can be picked up starting at 8 a.m. Saturday in the main lodge. Lift tickets will be sold starting at 8:30 a.m. in the ticket booth. The Rock Garden chairlift, along with the handletow and Magic Carpet, will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. H EART TO H EART Shop With A Hero was wonderful I had the pleasure of being one of the volunteers for the second-year event for Shop With A Hero. It was a very overwhelming experience for me to see the smiles on the children’s faces and the warmth in their hearts to know they got to buy a gift for every one of their family members and take it home with them and put it under their tree for Christmas. I hope the commu- nity of Baker City continues to support this wonderful event Thank you everyone of you for time and support for this event. All of the police agencies, the fi re depart- ment and the rural fi re departments and all of the other volunteers. A special thank you to Detective Shannon Regan for promoting this wonderful event. Marlene Rogers Baker City days. That means that next year at BHS, every student will have gone through the Chal- lenge Day experience, Hueck- man wrote in an email to the Herald. After the two-day Challenge Day sessions, 14 profession- als attended a Wednesday workshop to hone their skills for helping teens. “It was a way for commu- nity partners to work together to create the best possible outcomes for youth in our community,” Hueckman stated. “Team building and another Cross the Line activity helped us all relate and have a deeper understanding of each other.” Flanagan speaks with pride about his students and is happy that other adults get the chance to interact with them during the Challenge Day program. “They get to understand that these kids are amazing people,” he said. “It’s a real selfi sh time in their lives at 13, but when given the opportunity, they shine.” Challenge Day helps stu- dents gain a better under- standing of each other, he said. “It allows them to treat oth- ers with more compassion and 90% of these kids are forever changed.” Moving the program to December from last year’s Sep- tember schedule was benefi cial for staff and students. “This year we had time to develop relationships and bonds,” Flanagan said. Counselors were available after the training to meet with any students who felt the need to talk about issues brought up during Challenge Day. Flanagan and his staff are working hard to remove the stigma of what many perceive as the hardships of middle school for students. “One of our biggest goals is that they enjoy this and re- member it as a positive time,” he said. “This staff is amaz- ing. These kids know they’re supported and loved by these teachers.” VFW Christmas & Awards Dinner Friday, December 20th 5 PM Main Course: Turkey & all the stuffi ngs Please bring desserts, side dishes and salads Come meet our “Voice of Democracy” and “Patriot’s Pen” winners!
