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About Baker City herald. (Baker City, Or.) 1990-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 6, 2020)
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2020 BAKER CITY HERALD — 3A Snow keeps city plowing round the clock S. John Collins / Baker City Herald The pieces of equipment at center and right will be moved, probably to South Baker Park, said Joyce Bornstedt, Baker City’s technical services supervisor. Older play equipment, which no longer meets safety standards, will be sold during a city auction. PLAY The biggest snowstorm to hit Baker City since Thanksgiving prompted the city’s public works de- partment to run plows through the night. With about 9 inches accumulating by Wednesday afternoon, a crew of nine workers was slated to start at midnight, focusing on downtown and other high- priority streets, said Tom Fisk, the city’s operations supervisor. Four workers drove plows, with fi ve driving trucks that haul snow to dumping locations, Fisk said. He said Baker County allowed the city to use one of the county’s graders, which is a major help. Although the National Weather Service was fore- casting the snow to change to rain, with temperatures rising into the 40s on Thursday, Fisk said the snow depth was too great to just let it melt. Snow from downtown sidewalks piled up next to the curbs can block storm drains and cause localized fl ooding, he said. Whether city crews will also plow neighborhood streets this week depends on how quickly the snow melts, Fisk said. Continued from Page 1A The new playground sur- face will be similar to what’s in place under the play- ground equipment that was installed at Geiser-Pollman in May 2014. The all-inclusive play equipment will be installed to the south of the current playground, in the area just north of Madison Street that’s underlain now by wood chips. City crews have removed the tall metal swing structure that has been in the park for about a century. It no longer meets safety standards, Born- stedt said. Workers also removed the three metal-lattice play domes, a structure that includes two short slides, and the longer, taller single slide. The three play structures between the tall swings and the 2014 playground are still in good shape and the structures, installed around 1993, also meet current safety standards, Bornstedt said. She hopes to move those structures to the city’s South Baker Park between Colorado Street and Canal Avenue, just east of Highway 7. Baker City’s new all- inclusive playground has been chosen as a national demonstration site by Play- Core, a company that makes playground equipment. The city’s goal throughout the project has been to build a playground where all kids, regardless of their physical abilities, can play “side by side,” Bornstedt said. L OCAL B RIEFING Photos of local tattoos to be featured Submitted illustration An artistic rendering of some of the new playground equipment slated to be installed in May at Geiser-Pollman Park. In the lower right is a merry-go-round that’s acces- sible to wheelchairs. A swing set is in the background. The two small items at middle left are musical chimes and bongo drums, and the nearby toy in front of the tree is a “rocking raft” toy that includes a wheelchair ramp. Although the new toys are designed to accommodate children who use wheelchairs or have other mobility issues, the new equipment will be suitable for all children, she said. “We want to encourage that interaction so we don’t have that us versus them mentality,” Bornstedt said. Details on some of the individual components of the new playground: • A “whirl” — the new word for a merry-go-round — is designed so wheelchairs can be rolled onto it • An “infi nity Bowl” is a circular dish that spins as children move on it • A “rocking raft” toy, which as its name implies rocks to and fro, will have a wheelchair ramp • A table toy, like several other pieces, is set at a height to make it easier for children to move from a wheelchair onto the toy. This piece has rollers that allow kids to use their arms to pull themselves back and forth • A seesaw with four seats, each with handles, also set at a proper height for kids to transfer from a wheelchair • An arch climber toy with hand grips • A 53-foot-long zip line that includes a seat, so kids don’t have to hold on with just their hands • A set of swings, including two with “companion” seats allowing a parent or guard- ian to accompany a child who sits in a specially designed seat. Bornstedt said the city will be installing two “zero-G” swings in the swing set in the 2014 playground section, and moving two conventional swings from that area to the new all-inclusive swing set. The idea, she said, is to encourage kids of all abilities to use both areas and to play with each other. The playground installed in 2014 will remain open at most times during work on the new section, although there could be temporary closures when crews pour a concrete pad at the northeast corner of the new playground area. Union County Judge Erin Landis sentenced Estudillo Continued from Page 1A on Jan. 30 to 10 years in Judge William D. Cra- prison on the attempted rape mer Jr. of Burns accepted charge and fi ve years in pris- the sentence agreed to by on on the attempted sodomy both parties, according to charge, to run consecutively. court documents. Bacon was Estudillo also will receive represented by Baker City credit for time served in the attorney Robert Whitnah. Baker County Jail since his Cramer sentenced Bacon arrest on Dec. 7, 2018, and he to 10 years in prison on will be eligible to earn good each of the two counts, to be time for early release while served consecutively. As part in prison, court documents of the agreement, Bacon will stated. receive credit for time served Two other charges of in the Baker County Jail fi rst-degree sodomy and fi rst- since his September arrest degree sexual abuse, and one and he will be eligible to other count of fi rst-degree earn good time toward early rape were dismissed as part release from prison. of the agreement. Estudillo was sentenced Estudillo was ordered to based on a plea of no contest serve 10 years post-prison on the charges of attempted supervision upon release. Ba- fi rst-degree sodomy and con was ordered to serve fi ve attempted fi rst-degree rape. years post-prison supervision He was represented by Baker upon release. City attorney Kyra Rohner. Both men also must com- plete sex offender treatment programs and register as sex offenders. Estudillo was scheduled to go to trial Tuesday. Baxter said the defendant accepted the state’s offer to plead no contest and serve the 15-year prison term. By pleading no contest, Estudillo is acknowledging that the state has enough evidence against him for a jury to fi nd him guilty, Baxter said. “I was fi ne rolling the dice and going to trial,” Baxter said. But he was happy the victim didn’t have to take the stand to tell her story in front of a jury. “If possible, I like to keep kids off the stand,” Baxter said. By pleading guilty to the attempt charges rather than the actual sexual assault offenses, both men avoided possible convictions that would carry mandatory minimum sentences, but the state and their victims were satisfi ed with the lengthy prison terms both agreed to, Baxter said. Under Jessica’s law, named after a child victim in Florida, crimes of rape, sodomy and unlawful sexual penetration each carry 25-year prison terms upon conviction for crimes involving victims younger than 12. PRISON Rachel Pregnancy Center 2192 Court Avenue, Baker City • 541-523-5357 Services Provided: A resource Free Pregnancy Tests center for Referrals for Free Ultrasounds families Pregnancy Options Counseling Adoption Referrals Prenatal, Infant Care & Parenting Classes Maternity & Baby Clothing Post Abortion Recovery Helping women & men in an Open Tues -Th urs unplanned pregnancy. All services free & confi dential. 10 am - 5 pm (closed for lunch) Best Friends of Baker Saturday Market Open EVERY Saturday 8 AM - 2 PM BUY A HEART TO SAVE AN ANIMAL 2950 Church St, Baker City (fi rst left after Broadway turns into 10th) We accept debit, credit, cash & checks! Donations accepted Tuesdays, Thursdays & Saturdays 9-1 (All proceeds benefi t the animals of Baker County) Baker City Christian Women and Stonecroft will presents a “Story Marks” event at 6:30 p.m. Satur- day, Feb. 8, at Churchill School, 16th and Broadway streets. This is a one-night gallery event featuring local women and the stories behind their tattoos. This event is free to the public and there will be fi nger foods served. Local photographers Jen Long, Shannon Regan with Custom Family Photography, and Joyclynn Pot- ter photographed the women and their tattoos. The pictures were taken upstairs at Lefty’s Taphouse and also in the Little Bagel Shop. There will be a preview of the show during Churchill’s First Friday event on Feb. 7 starting at 5:30 p.m. Diaper drive extended through February The Rachel Pregnancy Center has extended its Diaper Drive at the request of several participating churches. The drive, which began on Sanctity of Life Sunday (Jan. 19) will continue through February, said Vera Grove, Rachel Center director. The Center’s days of operation will be changing in February to Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (closed for lunch each day). The offi ce, at 2192 Court Ave., is closed Mondays and Fridays. More information is available by calling the Center at 541-523-5357 during operating hours. Church of Latter-day Saints schedule The Book of Mormon’s prophesies of Jesus Christ’s atonement, which were made in about 550 B.C., will be the subject of next week’s “Come, Follow Me” lesson at the Baker City Church of Jesus Christ of Latter- day Saints, and is based on 2 Nephi chapters 6-10. The lesson focuses on how the Savior’s atonement would bless all mankind and would deliver all people from spiritual and physical death. The three Baker City wards of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter- day Saints will have their annual Ward conferences on Feb. 16. The Bishops and a member of the Stake Presidency will speak on that day during the Sacra- ment Service. This Sunday, Feb. 9, members of the congregation will be the speakers in each of the wards and branches. The second hour of our meetings will be Relief Society and Priesthood meetings. Please download the app called “Gospel Library” to obtain all lesson material. Fireline Safety Refresher class March 21 Eastern Oregon Training Group will have an RT-130 Annual Fireline Safety Refresher class on March 21. The class will start at 8 a.m. at the Baker School District offi ce, 2090 Fourth St. in Baker City. A practice fi re shelter deployment will take place. This is a required class for all federal and state contrac- tors that will be on the fi re line. A certifi ed National Wildfi re Suppression Association (NWSA) instructor will teach the class. Cost is $100 for NWSA members and $130 for nonmembers. Registration can be done at oregonfi retraining.com. Pre-registration is requested. More information is available by calling Laurel Goodrich at 541-403-0907 or Jeff Sherman at 541-519-6213. Mobile Service Outstanding Computer Repair “Fall in love with your computer, upgrade to Windows 10” Fast & Reliable Call or Text 24/7 Dale Bogardus 541-297-5831 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
