2A — BAKER CITY HERALD
FRIDAY, JANUARY 17, 2020
B AKER C OUNTY C ALENDAR
FRIDAY, JAN. 17
■ Live Music by Keith Taylor: Ragtime piano, 4:30 p.m. to
5:30 p.m., Crossroads Carnegie Art Center, 2020 Auburn
Ave.; no charge; continues most Fridays.
SUNDAY, JAN. 19
■ National Oregon Trail Interpretive Center Free Fee
Day: In observance of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday;
winter hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; call 541-523-1843 for
more information; the Center is 5 miles east of Baker City,
just off Highway 86.
TUESDAY, JAN. 21
■ Elkhorn Community Preparedness: 5:30 p.m. supper;
6:30 p.m. meeting; at the Sunridge Inn Restaurant, 1
Sunridge Lane.
TUESDAY, JAN. 28
■ Baker City Council: 7 p.m., City Hall, 1655 First St.
MONDAY, FEB. 3
■ Haines Fire Protection District Board: 6 p.m. at the
Haines Library.
WEDNESDAY, FEB. 5
■ Baker County Board of Commissioners: 9 a.m.,
Courthouse, 1995 Third St.
County commissioners discuss
contract to manage reservoir parks
By Samantha O’Conner
soconner@bakercityherald.com
Baker County Commission-
ers met Wednesday to discuss
the county’s request for
proposals for a contractor to
manage Hewitt and Holcomb
parks near Richland.
Commissioner Bruce Nich-
ols was absent from the work
session.
The contract would be a
six-month, on-site manager.
The county will provide year-
round living quarters and pay
for utilities.
The county will accept pro-
posals through March 1.
Commissioners hope to
hire a parks manager before
the parks open April 1. That
would allow the contractor
to train to operate the water
and sewer systems, fi sh-
cleaning stations and other
responsibilities.
Commissioner Mark Ben-
nett said he thinks the county
should put a cap on utili-
ties at the average amount
charged for them in the past,
and add a defi nition of what
the utilities will be.
Bennett also suggested
asking members of the coun-
ty’s Parks Advisory Board to
have some of their members
review proposals the county
25 YEARS AGO
from the Baker City Herald
January 17, 1995
The Baker CIty Planning Commission on Wednesday
will consider a request from the Elkhorn Family Fellow-
ship for a conditional use permit to build a church in North
Baker City near the freeway.
The organization wants to build the church on 6.13
acres between Birch Street and the freeway about 500 feet
north of H Street.
10 YEARS AGO
from the Baker City Herald
January 18, 2010
A Richland farmhouse built in 1883, according to county
records, was demolished by fi re Saturday night.
The house sits on property owned by the Hammond
Ranch at 41173 Dry Gulch Road about a mile west of
Richland.
ONE YEAR AGO
from the Baker City Herald
January 18, 2019
Visitors to Baker City’s downtown historic district see
landmark buildings such as the Geiser Grand and the
Baker Tower, but they also see around 16 empty or under-
utilized properties.
City offi cials hope to address that situation soon.
City Manager Fred Warner Jr. said progress hasn’t been
as fast as some people would like, but he expects the
topic will come up during the City Council’s goal-setting
session later this year.
Baker City Downtown, a group of business and building
owners that formed in 2017 to promote the downtown
retail district, has contacted owners of vacant property to
inquire about their interest in selling or renting properties.
Baker City Downtown’s Economic Vitality Committee
met Wednesday to discuss the situation.
The organization is working with the city through Robin
Nudd, the city’s director of community development and
liaison with Baker City Downtown.
O REGON L OTTERY
MEGABUCKS, Jan. 15
1 — 8 — 16 — 30 — 32 — 40
Next jackpot: $1.6 million
POWERBALL, Jan. 15
39 — 41 — 53 — 55 — 68 PB 19
Next jackpot: $321 million
WIN FOR LIFE, Jan. 15
22 — 44 — 61 — 70
PICK 4, Jan. 16
• 1 p.m.: 0 — 3 — 8 — 3
• 4 p.m.: 9 — 7 — 8 — 6
• 7 p.m.: 2 — 6 — 4 — 6
• 10 p.m.: 4 — 1 — 4 — 0
LUCKY LINES, Jan. 16
1-8-9-16-20-21-26-32
Next jackpot: $16,000
S ENIOR M ENUS
■ MONDAY: Closed in observance of the Martin Luther King
Jr. federal holiday.
■ TUESDAY: Chicken-fried chicken, potatoes and gravy,
mixed vegetables, biscuit, cottage cheese with fruit,
brownie
Public luncheon at the Senior Center, 2810 Cedar St., 11:30
a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; $4.50 donation (60 and older), $6.75 for
those under 60.
C ONTACT THE H ERALD
1668 Resort St.
Open Monday through Friday
8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Telephone: 541-523-3673
Copyright © 2020
Fax: 541-833-6414
Regional publisher
Christopher Rush
crush@eomediagroup.com
Publisher
Karrine Brogoitti
kbrogoitti@lagrandeobserver.
com
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ISSN-8756-6419
Serving Baker County since 1870
Published Mondays, Wednesdays and
Fridays except Christmas Day by the
Baker Publishing Co., a part of EO Media
Group, at 1668 Resort St. (P.O. Box 807),
Baker City, OR 97814.
Subscription rates per month are:
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at Baker City, Oregon 97814
dinator job and instead seek
a contract to operate the two
parks on the Powder River
arm of Brownlee Reservoir
about three miles east of
Richland.
The commissioners’
decision was prompted by
declining revenue from the
two parks, a trend the county
attributes to fl uctuating wa-
ter levels in the reservoir and
toxic algae advisories.
Harvey said ending the
coordinator position, which
Karen Spencer has had since
2007, and hiring a contractor
will save the county an esti-
mated $100,000 annually.
O BITUARIES
T URNING B ACK THE P AGES
50 YEARS AGO
from the Democrat-Herald
January 17, 1970
The Baker College Rams received a standing ovation
from an enthusiastic Homecoming celebration crowd
Friday night after the Rams overwhelming defeat of the
Elko Cowboys by 107-52.
receives.
“The old one ran through
the parks board and I think
that they could either appoint
a couple people as a subcom-
mittee to work with you and
review them,” Bennett said.
Harvey agreed to have
Parks Board members avail-
able to review proposals.
Commissioners will con-
tinue their discussion of the
parks management when
they meet Jan. 22 at 9 a.m. at
the Courthouse, 1995 Third
St.
Commissioners decided
earlier this month to elimi-
nate the county’s parks coor-
Jerry Olmstead
Baker City, 1928-2019
Gerald “Jerry” Olmstead, 91, of
Baker City, died Dec. 31, 2019, at Yuma,
Arizona.
Jerry’s family will have
a private memorial service
for him in August.
Jerry was born on Dec. 8,
1928, at Chicago to Vernon
and Pearl Olmstead.
Jerry
During the Depression,
Olmstead
Vernon moved his family
of 5, including Joyce, Jerry
and Jane, to Remer, Minnesota, and
then to Palmer, Alaska, in 1935 during
the government’s Matanuska Valley
Settlement Project.
Jerry’s family left Alaska in 1941,
moving many different times during his
school years between Oregon, California
and Idaho. During these moves Jerry
helped provide for the family by raising
a big garden and selling produce, rais-
ing turkeys, milking cows and running
a store where he learned to cut meat
with his dad ... a skill that came in
handy since Jerry liked to hunt and
take care of his own game.
After his high school graduation in
Orland, California, the family moved
to Lewiston, Idaho, where they had a
sporting goods store and built cabins at
a lake property.
He married Joanne Clark and they
had two sons, Mike and Brad.
Jerry started a cabinet shop in Lew-
iston before serving in the Army during
the Korean confl ict. Upon his return
he and his friend, Duane Gage, started
building fi berglass catamaran boats,
which he raced on the Snake River.
Duane continued building boats while
Jerry started making survey stakes
for road crews, boxes for fruit growers
and stretcher bars for artists to stretch
canvas on. He called his shop Orchards
Wood Products because it was located
in the Lewiston orchards. He actually
used pine scrap wood from mills for his
raw material.
After marrying Linda Abbott in 1960
and having two sons, Paul and Mark,
Jerry moved his family to Baker in
1963, where Jack Nash assured him of
all the pine scrap wood he would need.
Baker Industries and Resources rented
and later sold him a mill building in
South Baker.
Jerry and Linda had a third son, Da-
vid, and a daughter, RaNae, and they
enjoyed boating, fi shing and camping
with friends and family.
After retiring and selling Orchard
Wood Products to Steve and Leanne
Haberle, Jerry and Linda sold their
dream home and became full-time RV-
ers until 2014. Despite his pulmonary
fi brosis, Jerry and Linda were able to
spend time traveling and spent winter
months in Yuma and summers in
Baker City.
Survivors include his wife, Linda; his
children, Paul (Pat), Mark (Lori Rising),
David (Christina), RaNae Huntting
(Dennis); as well as 10 grandchildren
and eight great-grandchildren.
Contributions in Jerry’s memory may
be made to a charity of one’s choice.
Please share your thoughts and
memories with the family by going on-
line to https://www.yumamortuary.com/
notices/Gerald-Olmstead, and clicking
on the “Share a Memory” button located
at the left below Jerry’s picture.
Betty Swensen
Baker City, 1928-2019
Beatrice Pauline “Betty” Swensen,
91, of Baker City, died on Jan. 11, 2020,
at her residence at Meadowbrook Place.
A memorial service
will take place at 1 p.m.
on Feb. 19 at Santa Rosa,
California.
Betty was born on July
13, 1928, at Park River,
Betty
North Dakota, to Ivan
and Thordyce (Thomason) Swensen
Spornitz. She obtained a
music degree from the University of
North Dakota and worked as a music
teacher. Betty married Alan Swensen
in Park River.
She was a music lover, gourmet cook
and enjoyed quilting, waterskiing and
snow skiing. She was past president
of the Women’s Medical Auxiliary and
was a member of the Sonoma County
Chorus. Her greatest accomplishments
include serving on the Santa Rosa
Opera Board, San Diego Opera Board
and being president of the Women’s
Medical Auxiliary in Santa Rosa.
Survivors include her children,
Allison Swensen Mitchell of Baker
City, Elizabeth Swensen of Oceanside,
California, Paul Swensen of Santa
Rosa, California, Bob Swensen of
Penfi eld, New York, and John Swensen
of Dublin. She is also survived by
seven grandchildren and one great-
grandchild.
To light a candle in memory of Betty,
or to leave a condolence for her family,
go to www.grayswestco.com
N EWS OF R ECORD
DEATHS
Walt Forsea: 95, a longtime
Eagle Valley resident, died Jan.
16, 2020, at his home, sur-
rounded by family and friends.
Arrangements are under the
direction of Tami’s Pine Valley
Funeral Home & Cremation Ser-
vices. Online condolences can be
made at www.tamispinevalleyfu-
neralhome.com
Betty Rouse: 83, of Baker
City, died Jan. 16, 2020, at Set-
tler’s Park Assisted Living Com-
munity. Visitations will be Friday,
Jan. 24 from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. at
Gray’s West & Co. Pioneer Cha-
pel, 1500 Dewey Ave. Recitation
of the rosary will be Saturday,
Jan. 25 at 9:30 a.m. at St. Francis
de Sales Cathedral, followed
by mass of Christian burial at
The family of Jerry Duncan would like to
thank you for each and every kindness
shown us during this time; whether a card,
phone call, food, prayers or a hug, each
one did not go unnoticed.
10 a.m. Father Suresh Kumar
Telagani will offi ciate. Interment
will be at Mount Hope Cemetery
following the service. Friends are
invited to return to the church af-
ter the interment for a reception
in the parish hall. Contributions
in Betty’s memory can be made
to the Catholic Church General
Fund through Gray’s West & Co.,
1500 Dewey Ave., Baker City, OR
97814. To light a candle in Betty’s
memory, go to www.grayswest-
co.com
Danny Peters: 89, of Baker
City, died Jan. 16, 2020, at Ashley
Manor Assisted Living Facil-
ity with his family at his side.
Arrangements are under the
direction of Tami’s Pine Valley
Funeral Home & Cremation Ser-
vices. Online condolences can be
made at www.tamispinevalleyfu-
neralhome.com
Alan King: 80, of Baker
City, died Jan. 16, 2020, at Saint
Welcom e, Dr. Brandon Snow
Baker Dental Group would like to welcome Dr. Brandon Snow to their
General Dental prac! ce. Dr. Todd Chandler will be re! ring in February and
Dr. Brandon Snow will be the new partner with Dr. Jus! n Bingham. Dr.
Chandler would like to sincerely thank all of his pa! ents, staff and friends
for many years of enjoyable associa! on. All of us at Baker Dental Group
have every confi dence in Dr. Snow and are excited to welcome him to the
prac! ce.
Brandon was born and raised in Boulder City, Nevada, a small town outside
of Las Vegas. A# er gradua! ng high school, he a$ ended Brigham Young
University where he met and married Jill Richards of Baker City. The couple
moved to Las Vegas where Brandon completed his formal educa! on at the
University of Nevada, Las Vegas School of Dental Medicine in 2016. For
the past 3 1/2 years they have been in Fruitland, Idaho while Brandon has
worked for Valley Family Health Care in Ontario and Nyssa. They are excited
to be moving to Baker City with their family to a community that they love.
Alphonsus Regional Medical
Center in Boise with his family at
his side. Arrangements are under
the direction of Tami’s Pine Valley
Funeral Home & Cremation Ser-
vices. Online condolences can be
made at www.tamispinevalleyfu-
neralhome.com
POLICE LOG
Baker City Police
Arrests, citations
THEFT II (Baker County war-
rant): Juanita Marie Kasinger,
53, of 2627 12th St., 12:30 p.m.
Thursday, at 12th and B streets;
cited and released.
Baker County Parole and
Probation
Arrests, citations
POST-PRISON SUPERVISION
VIOLATION: Jace Prowell, 29, of
Baker City, 8:53 a.m. Thursday, at
3320 K St.; jailed.