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Serving Baker County since 1870 • bakercityherald.com
June 6, 2020
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Baker begins phase 2
By Jayson Jacoby
jjacoby@bakercityherald.com
Baker County began the second
phase of the state’s reopening plan
today, with more people allowed
to attend both indoor and outdoor
events, including church services.
Phase 2 guidelines also authorize
some types of the businesses that
had been closed during phase 1 to
reopen, including theaters, bowling
alleys and swimming pools.
Restaurants and bars, which had
been required to close at 10 p.m.
during phase 1, which started May
15, can now stay open until mid-
night.
In all cases the state continues to
require people, or groups who are
together, to stay 6 feet apart.
That guideline defi nes how many
customers are allowed in restau-
rants, bars and other businesses,
and how many people can attend
church services and other events,
both indoor and outdoor.
See Phase 2/Page 5A
Sex offender
released on
probation
Volunteers Clean Up Main Street Sidewalks
BRIEFING
■ Joshua Baker had a nearly
19-year minimum prison term
reversed by U.S. Supreme Court
Animal art returns
to downtown
Baker City
By Chris Collins
ccollins@bakercityherald.com
African metal animal
art sculptures will re-
turn to the sidewalks of
downtown Baker City this
month. This is a project of
Art Roamers, an organi-
zation founded by Jeff Jen-
tzsh and Susan Kippes.
The sculptures will stay
in place through October.
All are for sale; those
interested in purchasing
a sculpture can inquire at
the supporting business.
To learn more about
ArtRoamers, visit www.
artroamers.com
Joshua Baker, the Halfway man whose case was
returned to Baker County last week for
possible retrial after he had served 2
years of a nearly 19-year sentence on a
sex abuse conviction, has been released
from jail after accepting a plea agree-
ment with the District Attorney’s Offi ce.
Baker
Baker, 43, pleaded guilty Wednesday
afternoon in Baker County Circuit
Court to the charge of attempting to commit the
Class B felony of fi rst-degree sexual abuse. In plead-
ing to the charge of attempt, he was convicted of a
Class C felony.
See Probation/Page 5A
WEATHER
Today
63 / 42
Showers likely
Sunday
55 / 38
Showers
Monday
62 / 33
More showers
Full forecast on the
back of the B section.
Lisa Britton/ For the Baker City Herald
Volunteers armed with brooms and a bucket spruced up Main Street sidewalks on
Thursday. From left are Judy Head, Marlene Prowell and Gayle Gazley.
Boomers
With Brooms
Brooms.
They range from the BHS class of 1960 to
No speck of dust is safe when Boomers
the class of 1970.
with Brooms take to Main Street.
They swept sidewalks in September and
On her walks downtown last summer,
October last fall, then took a break for winter.
Marlene Prowell noticed how grimy the
Prowell, Gayle Gazley and Judy Head
sidewalks became with dust and leaves and were back at it Thursday to spruce up Main
other debris.
Street before the First Friday art walk. Other
“I was thinking someone needs to do some- members who help are Norma Nemec and
thing,” she said.
Jennifer Holden.
So she did.
“We have a good time,” Prowell said. “Last
Prowell recruited some friends — all
year we had so much fun talking to tourists.”
fellow graduates of Baker High School —
See Brooms/Page 3A
and named their group the Boomers with
By Lisa Britton
For the Baker City Herald
The space below is for
a postage label for issues
that are mailed.
Restaurants busy, but
with limits on seating
By Sam Anthony
santhony@bakercityherald.com
Three weeks have passed
since restaurants were
allowed to resume limited
on-site dining, and owners of
local eateries say customers
are glad to be able to sit in
booths and eat hot meals.
TODAY
Issue 12, 14 pages
“We’ve been packed, and
we can barely keep custom-
ers out,” said Julie Myers,
owner of the Eagle Cap Grill
on 10th Street.
Myers said her restaurant
has been exceptionally busy
since Baker County entered
phase 1 of the state’s reopen-
Calendar ....................2A
Classified ............. 2B-6B
Comics ....................... 7B
ing plan on May 15.
With some tables removed
to ensure they meet social
distancing requirements,
reducing occupancy, the res-
taurant has almost always
been at capacity, Myers said.
Sam Anthony/ Baker City Herald
The giraffe on the right, stolen the night of May
29, was found Wednesday and later reunited
with the two other sculptures in front of the Mad
Habit Boutique at Main Street and Valley Avenue.
Giraffe is back
By Sam Anthony
santhony@bakercityherald.com
On the night of May 29, a metal giraffe disap-
peared from the sidewalk outside Mad Habit Bou-
tique in downtown Baker City.
The 5-foot-tall statue seemingly walked off on its
own (or, for those without an active imagination and
a belief in “Night at the Museum”-esque phenomena,
was stolen and carried away), and was nowhere to be
found on the morning of May 30.
On Wednesday morning police located the giraffe
at Mount Hope Cemetery.
See Restaurants/Page 6A
Community News ....3A
Crossword ........3B & 5B
Dear Abby ................. 8B
Horoscope ........3B & 5B
Jayson Jacoby ..........4A
News of Record ........2A
See Giraffe/Page 2A
Obituaries ..................2A
Opinion ......................4A
Outdoors ..........1B & 2B
Senior Menus ...........2A
Sports ........................6A
Weather ..................... 8B
TUESDAY — SCENES FROM BAKER HIGH SCHOOL’S GRADUATION