COMMUNITY
TUESDAY, JUNE 2, 2020
BAKER CITY HERALD — 3A
Farmers Market opens Wednesday School officials
want a say in
plans for the fall
how those apply to markets.
“They’ve done a really good job
The Baker City
of connecting with markets and
Farmers Market opens
market managers,” said Upekala
Wednesday with a few
Wijayratne, board member for
changes due to the coro-
the Farmers Market. To ensure
navirus pandemic.
physical distance for everyone,
“I’ve been focusing on
vendors will be placed 10 feet
a sense of community.
apart. Prices will be rounded to
That’s important right
the nearest dollar to avoid use
now,” said Shaletta Bald-
of coins.
win, market manager.
Hand sanitizer will be avail-
The market runs from
able to customers, and high-
3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Court
touch surfaces will be sanitized
Plaza on Main Street.
on a regular basis. Customers
Customers are asked to
are asked to wear a mask and to
enter on the Main Street
come with a list of items to buy.
side, and exit at Resort
Vendors will pre-package items
S. John Collins / Baker City Herald fi le photo-2019
Street.
to eliminate handling of produce.
Donna Goodwin buys berries from Hermiston-area berry
So far, 10 vendors are
Live music, programs for chil-
salesman Aaron Anello during the 2019 Farmers Market.
signed up. Baldwin said
dren, and communal seating are
there is space for 14, and
canceled until further notice.
encourages anyone interested in being a
Farmers markets are considered es-
Hot food and drinks will be sold as to-
vendor to email bakercityfarmers
sential businesses. The Oregon Farm-
go and not consumed on site. There will
marketor@gmail.com or call 909-781-
ers Market Association has kept local
be no food samples.
See Market/Page 5A
4043.
markets apprised of state guidelines, and
By Lisa Britton
For the Baker City Herald
HOMES
Continued from Page 1A
More than 50 homes have
been built in that area dur-
ing that period, including
developments along F and G
streets between Cedar and
Birch streets.
Michel said he would like
to start building homes in his
subdivision later this year.
The Baker City Planning
Commission will have a pub-
lic hearing on the Michels’
application on June 17. The
hearing is scheduled for 6:30
p.m. at the Baker County
Courthouse, 1995 Third St.
Participants are encour-
aged to attend via teleconfer-
ence. To do so, call 1-877-820-
7831 and use the access code
8204693. People who plan to
attend in person should call
the Baker City-County Plan-
ning Department at 541-523-
8219 prior to June 17.
Michel said Haden Dam-
schen, a Baker City contrac-
tor, has built one home on a
parcel beside the proposed
subdivision, and is building a
second home.
Those homes are both
just east of Birch Street
near E Street, bordering the
proposed subdivision at its
northwest corner.
The proposal calls for
extending E Street to a cul
de sac near the freeway.
The proposed develop-
ment calls for 13 lots of about
7,500 square feet each —
eight on the north side of E
Street and fi ve on the south
TESTING
Continued from Page 1A
Lynn emphasized that
Saint Alphonsus is not asking
people to come to the hospital
solely for testing.
The program is designed to
test patients who have come
to the hospital for treatment,
she said.
Baker City Herald fi le photo
The proposed 21-lot residential subdivision would be built west of the freeway.
By Chris Collins
ccollins@bakercityherald.com
Administrators from more than two dozen school dis-
tricts in the eastern reaches of Oregon want to be heard
as state school leaders make plans to reopen classrooms
next fall.
The Baker School District was among the group
that sent letters to Lindsey Capps, the governor’s chief
education offi cer, and Colt Gill, deputy superintendent
of the Oregon Department of Education, asking that the
eastside schools be included in the conversation about
how the reopening plan would be rolled out.
Baker 5J Superintendent Mark Witty said in an in-
terview Thursday that he and Mark Redmond, Malheur
County Education Superintendent at Vale, led the group
effort to let the state education leaders know they expect
to have a say in the strategy.
Sen. Lynn Findley, R-Vale, and Rep. Mark Owens, R-
Crane, also sent letters on behalf of the schools. Lindley
represents Senate District 30, which includes Baker,
Grant, Harney, Jefferson, Malheur, Wasco, Wheeler
and parts of Clackamas, Deschutes, Lake and Marion
counties. Owens is the representative of House District
60, which includes the counties of Baker, Grant, Harney,
Malheur, and part of Lake County.
In their letter to Gov. Kate Brown, the two legislators
echoed the call for the school districts, ESD’s and charter
schools they represent to be included in the state-level
conversations. Directors noted in a letter approved by
the Baker School Board at its May 21 meeting that “As
recently as May 7th, 2020, the Oregon Department of
Education stated that school districts would be allowed
to open concurrently as their respective county opens
(documented as part of the Governor’s reopening plan,
under Phase II).
“On May 12th, 2020, state superintendents were in-
formed by the Oregon Department of Education that all
school districts within the state would follow a statewide
opening in 2020-2021, rather than a county/regional
opening,” the letter continues.
The Baker letter, signed by Witty and directors Chris
Hawkins, Katie Lamb, Kevin Cassidy, Andrew Bryan
and Julie Huntington, stated that it was written to
“express our concern regarding the signifi cant change in
policy which occurred within those fi ve days.”
Witty said until the last few weeks communication
between the state and the eastside school districts has
been nearly nonexistent. And they were not included in
surveys designed to gather input about reopening plans
until the last minute on their own initiative.
See Schools/Page 5A
Windstorm keeps OTEC
crews working all night
By Lisa Britton
For the Baker City Herald
side.
Michel said he would like
to build two-story townhous-
es on the remaining eight
lots, which would be on the
east side of the subdivision
and arranged north-south
paralleling the freeway.
Michel said he’s not sure
whether he will plan to sell
bare lots, or have homes built
fi rst.
Lynn said she hopes there
will be enough patients to
meet the goal of 15 tests per
week, but she conceded it’s
possible that won’t happen.
She expects many people
would welcome the chance to
be tested, for free, for the virus.
Tests would be voluntary
— hospital offi cials will ask
patients if they are willing to
undergo a test, Lynn said.
The hospital’s goal is to
start testing the second week
in June, she said. The program
will continue for a year.
Lynn said the Oregon
Health Authority (OHA) is
providing the tests and will
analyze the samples collected.
The program will not affect
the hospital’s ability to test
people who have COVID-19
symptoms or who might have
been exposed to the virus, she
said.
“It’s a great way for us to
increase our numbers and not
deplete the volume of tests
available,” Lynn said.
As of Monday, Baker
County has had one confi rmed
case of COVID-19. It was
announced on May 6 and the
person infected, who was not
identifi ed, recovered at home,
according to the Baker County
Health Department.
A total of 237 county
residents have been tested
for the virus, according to the
OHA. That’s about 1.3% of the
county’s population.
BOOKS
which hasn’t been operating
this spring due to the pan-
Continued from Page 1A
demic.
Sidway said the woman
Clark said she was sur-
always browses Betty’s Books prised, and gratifi ed, by the
during her stays in Baker City. donor’s generosity.
The books arrived last
“It is so cool,” she said.
week.
Clark said she has met the
The Clarks picked up their woman during some of her
books on Friday afternoon.
previous visits.
The eldest, 16-year-old
Sidway said she has
Lane, wasn’t at the Geiser
talked with the woman since
Grand Friday but he also
the books arrived, and the
received books.
benefactor wants to order
Mandy, who lives in Keat-
more books for Geiser Grand
ing Valley, said her kids have employees’ children and
“been getting bored all the
grandchildren.
time and tired of reading the
“It makes my heart swell
same books.”
and puts a smile on my face
The children are accus-
in a time when little else can,”
tomed to deliveries from the
Sidway wrote in an email to
Baker County Bookmobile,
the Herald.
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Crews from Oregon
Trail Electric Cooperative
worked overnight to re-
store power after a wind-
storm hit Eastern Oregon
Saturday afternoon.
“Trees and lines were
falling all over the place,”
said Joseph Hathaway,
OTEC communications
coordinator.
Union County was
especially hard hit with
4,000 customers losing
power. In Baker County,
730 lost power.
Winds gusted to 56
mph at the Union County
Airport near La Grande.
Hathaway said the on-
call crews as well as ad-
ditional linemen worked
through the night to
restore power by Sunday
morning.
“That’s a testament to
the hard work of our line
crews,” he said.
FAIR
animal classes and auction,
the small animal exhibits,
Continued from Page 1A
horse show and static
Rowan said the Fair
exhibits.
Board is working on logis-
Each event will be
tics for how the Fair will
modifi ed to comply with
be adjusted to deal with
social distancing and other
guidelines related to the
Oregon guidelines.
pandemic.
Open class shows will
Events that will take
not take place, however,
place include, in addition to and premiums will not be
the 4-H and FFA market
awarded to exhibitors.
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