THURSDAY
WORKING TOGETHER TO PROTECT LIVESTOCK FROM WOLVES: PAGE 1B
In OREGON, 3A
Serving Baker County since 1870 • bakercityherald.com
May 28, 2020
IN THIS EDITION:
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To A Subscriber
A special good day to
Herald subscriber Carolyn
Kulog of Baker City.
Oregon, 3A
SALEM — Parents,
teachers and school su-
perintendents will fi nd out
in early June how schools
are expected to function
this fall after months of
being closed.
Colt Gill, director of the
Oregon Department of
Education, said in an inter-
view that the state expects
school buildings to reopen
in September.
Local • Business & AgLife • Go! magazine $1.50
Judge stands by ruling
■ Judge Matt
Shirtcliff declines to
pull his decision
that Gov. Kate
Brown exceeded
her authority with
pandemic limits
By Jayson Jacoby
jjacoby@bakercityherald.com
Baker County Circuit Court Judge
Matt Shirtcliff is sticking with his
May 18 opinion that Oregon Gov.
Kate Brown exceeded her legal
authority in issuing executive orders
related to the coronavirus pandemic.
In a letter dated Tuesday, Shirtcliff
wrote that “I have elected to stand by
my original ruling.”
The Oregon Supreme
Court had given Shirt-
cliff a deadline of 5 p.m.
Tuesday to respond to
the alternative writ of
mandamus the Court
Shirtcliff
issued on Saturday.
That legal document
asked Shirtcliff to either vacate his
May 18 ruling, which temporarily
prevented the state from enforcing
the governor’s executive orders, or to
issue a written opinion defending his
decision. The Supreme Court issued
a stay on May 18, which temporarily
put a halt to the preliminary injunc-
tion and allowed the state to enforce
the governor’s executive orders. The
state continues to have that author-
ity.
Organizers Still Hope To Have Miners Jubilee, Bull And Bronc Riding Events
BRIEFING
County seeks
volunteers for
boards and
committees
Baker County is seeking
volunteers to serve on
these boards and commit-
tees:
• Baker County Fair
Board Advisory Committee
• Transportation/Traffi c
Safety Commission
• Northeast Oregon
Economic Development
District Budget Board
• Baker County Transient
Lodging Tax Committee
Volunteer forms can be
found at www.bakercoun-
ty.org/commissioners.
More information is
available by calling the
Commissioners’ Offi ce at
541-523-8200 or by email-
ing hmartin@bakercounty.
org
WEATHER
Today
85 / 54
Friday
88 / 58
Partly sunny
Full forecast on the back
of the B section.
The space below is for
a postage label for issues
that are mailed.
See Lawsuit/Page 3A
Council
mulls
security
at park
By Samantha O’Conner
soconner@bakercityherald.com
S. John Collins / Baker City Herald fi le photo-2016
Shelly Cutler, executive director of the Baker County Chamber of Commerce, hopes Miners Jubilee will
happen this July, including vendors in Geiser-Pollman Park.
Still On Schedule
By Jayson Jacoby
Mostly sunny
COVID-19
testing
troubles
Baker City Council
members on Tuesday dis-
cussed installing motion-
sensing cameras and lights
to discourage vandals who
have damaged the Powder
River Pavilion in Geiser-
Pollman Park.
Marilyn Shollenberger
broached the subject with
councilors.
She’s president of Baker
City Events, which puts on
the Powder River Music
Review and other events
at the city’s largest park.
Shollenberger told
councilors she’s concerned
about damage to com-
memorative plaques on
the pavilion, and about
people riding bicycles and
skateboards on the struc-
ture, which was dedicated
in 2015 after a 9-year
fundraising campaign.
See Pavilion/Page 6A
jjacoby@bakercityherald.com
Shelly Cutler is optimistic that
Miners Jubilee — in some form —
can happen as planned July 17-19.
And the new organizer of the
Baker City Bull and Bronc Riding
events, which happen the same July
weekend, also hopes to put on the
popular rodeo competitions.
But Cutler, who is executive direc-
tor of the Baker County Chamber
of Commerce, which runs Miners
Jubilee, said nothing is defi nite.
“I think that we can still do some-
thing safely,” Cutler said Tuesday. “If
it’s not going to be a safe situation
then we don’t do it. But I don’t want
to make that decision in May.”
Jason Mattox, who runs the
Challenge of Champions, a series of
rodeos that announced this winter
that it had added the Baker City
Bull and Bronc riding events to its
slate, said he is waiting to see what
the Chamber decides regarding the
Jubilee.
Traditionally the bronc riding
happens on Friday evening during
Jubilee weekend, with the bull riding
scheduled for Saturday evening.
“We feed off each other,” Mattox
said, referring to the Jubilee and the
rodeo events. “We’re gung ho as long
as they’re gung ho.”
Whether Jubilee can happen, and
if so how the festival might be differ-
ent due to the coronavirus pandemic,
depends on the status of state restric-
tions in July, Cutler said.
Right now, with Baker County still
in phase one of the state’s reopening
TODAY
Issue 8, 18 pages
Board
approves
school
budget
By Chris Collins
ccollins@bakercityherald.com
S. John Collins / Baker City Herald fi le photo-2017
Cody Ford of Hermiston is up against a mean bull during the short
round of the Baker City Bull Riding competition in July 2017.
plan, the event couldn’t happen.
Nor could the bull and bronc riding
Public gatherings are still lim-
events comply with those require-
ited to 25 people, a restriction that
ments.
popular parts of Miners Jubilee, such
Baker County could potentially
as vendors in Geiser-Pollman Park
advance to phase two by June 5.
and the downtown parade, obviously
See Events/Page 2A
couldn’t meet.
Business ...........1B & 2B
Calendar ....................2A
Classified ............. 3B-6B
Comics ....................... 7B
Community News ....3A
Crossword ........5B & 6B
Dear Abby ................. 8B
Horoscope ........5B & 6B
Letters ........................4A
Lottery Results ..........2A
News of Record ........2A
Opinion ......................4A
Once Baker School Dis-
trict Budget Board mem-
bers got answers to some
of their questions about
items included or missing
from the proposed 2020-21
budget, they approved the
plan unanimously Tuesday
night.
The Budget Board met
via Zoom video session
to consider the proposed
budget a second time after
looking it over during the
past week. The Board fi rst
met on May 19 to hear the
initial presentation of the
document.
Superintendent Mark
Witty said during Tues-
day’s session, that the May
20 economic forecast was
not as harsh as state agen-
cies had fi rst been told to
expect.
See Budget/Page 5A
Senior Menus ...........2A
Sports ........................6A
Weather ..................... 8B
SATURDAY — EXAMINING THE EFFECTS OF WILDFIRES, ERUPTIONS