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About Baker City herald. (Baker City, Or.) 1990-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 8, 2020)
SATURDAY, AUGUST 8, 2020 BAKER CITY HERALD — 3A COMMUNITY Baker City author set to publish novel School registration By Lisa Britton For the Baker City Herald Stephen Howard’s novel was years in the making but it only took him a month to get into book form. “I busted out 50,000 words in 29 days,” he said. That was in January of 2019. All told, he ended up with about 56,000 words for his Howard fi rst draft. He and his family moved to Baker City in May 2019 and he started working on the second draft. At the same time, he began work as a freelance editor for New Degree Press, a publish- ing company that works on a hybrid model where authors use crowdsourcing to fund publishing costs. The author retains 100% of creative rights to the book. “The students I worked with went on to get their books pub- lished,” he said. He also had a book. On June 1, 2020, he submit- ted his own manuscript to the publisher. It was accepted June 28. Howard is nearing the end of his crowdsourcing. His goal is $5,000 which will result in paperback copies, an ebook, editing, cover design, layout, format, and copy editing. Every supporter receives a signed copy of his book. If he raises $6,000 he will print hardcover books. Hitting $8,000 will add an audiobook that he will narrate. He plans to release “The City of Snow and Stars” in December under his author name S.D. Howard. Here is the link to his pre- order campaign: https://igg. me/at/the-city-of-snow-and- stars/x/24124975#/ About the book “The City of Snow and Stars” refl ects hardships How- ard has faced himself. The book addresses three main challenges. The fi rst is abuse. “Abuse is prevalent in today’s society and it’s not talked about,” he said. He is a survivor of abuse. His book addresses various forms, including physical, mental, verbal, emotional and sexual. The second component of the book is human traffi cking. “No one talks about it be- cause it makes them uncom- fortable,” he said. The third addresses this question: Why does God let bad things happen? “That’s something that I’ve struggled with,” he said. Looking at his own life, he said he would not change what happened — if he hadn’t endured those experiences, he wouldn’t have made the strong connections through his recovery. “The City of Snow and Stars” is the fi rst book of 12. He said the series will be divided into several trilogies. “This book was supposed to be a stand-alone book,” How- ard said. “I’ve been working on this world since I was 16 — this one is an introduction.” His main character is Trinia. “The fate of her people rests in her hands,” he said. “Every- one has access to a magical ability, a gift from God, that awakens when they turn 16.” Her gift is to make perfect duplicates of herself. Except her father, the an- tagonist, wants to exploit that gift to create an army. “He’s the worst,” Howard said. He describes the book like this: “I hope that in reading this book you will discover the pieces of the fl awed and broken characters who are looking for the answers in yourself the same as I did. Their story is our story in so many ways because the truth is this: We are all a little broken.” MOTHS Forest Service sprayed the naturally occurring virus on about 40,000 acres in the Blue Mountains. But subsequent surveys A periodic problem in 2001, which turned up Spiegel said entomologists almost no tussock moths in know far less about what both sprayed and unsprayed might trigger tussock moth areas, was compelling evidence outbreaks than about how to that the outbreak had already monitor for them. peaked in 2000 and that the There is no apparent cor- spraying wasn’t necessary, relation, for instance, between Spiegel said. drought, which can stress trees “In 2000 we were a year and make them more suscep- late,” she said. tible to insects and diseases, One issue is that the Forest and tussock moth populations, Service has to conduct an envi- she said. ronmental study before it does Nor is it clear why tus- widespread spraying to control sock moth numbers seem tussock moths, Spiegel said. to increase in certain areas, Those studies can take the Halfway area of eastern more than a year. And if the Baker County being one such evidence of an outbreak ap- example, Spiegel said. pears only the year before the Spiegel said it can be a infestation peaks, the envi- challenge to deal with large ronmental study that makes outbreaks in a timely way. spraying possible tends to be In 2000, for instance, the fi nished too late, she said. that the current population expansion is reversing. “I think this is the last year,” she said. Continued from Page 1A U.S. Forest Service photos Photos above and at upper right show tussock moth caterpillars. Photo at lower right shows the allergic reaction, called tussockosis, that can result when people touch a caterpillar. The reaction can affect skin, eyes and the respiratory tract. Spiegel’s belief that the current population surge is waning is based in part on the condition of tussock moth caterpillars she has examined recently in the Halfway area. Many caterpillars were smaller than average. Others showed more, well, graphic evidence that insect numbers are likely to be declining, Spiegel said. Caterpillars that explode don’t exactly exude good health. The issue is a virus. (No, not that virus.) This virus is a naturally oc- curring pathogen that affects only tussock moths, Spiegel said. The virus, she said, is the main reason that moth out- breaks tend to peter out after a few years. When caterpillars are infected they tend to swell, and to hang from tree limbs in a distinctive way, Spiegel said. “When you touch them they sort of explode,” she said. Spiegel said she also has examined fi r trees that were defoliated last year but have produced green needles this year, another bit of evidence LIVE AUCTION New At The Baker County Library Patrons can reserve materials in advance online or by calling 541-523-6419. 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All real estate agents must register at least 2 days prior to auction and be present day of auction. Steel on the inside where it matters most. PERSONAL PROPERTY AUCTION TO FOLLOW! MLS #98772155 Shops Garages Commercial Industrial www.WSBNW.com 855 • 668 • 7211 Sandy, OR S199236-1 Spiegel, who has worked as the federal entomologist in the Blues since 2001, said tussock moth population rises are periodic, usually happen- ing every seven to 13 years. Most episodes last for two to four years. Not every such surge results in what entomolo- gists consider an outbreak, in which the bugs kill a signifi - cant number of trees, Spiegel said. The most recent population surge on the Wallowa-Whit- man, for instance, in 2010, didn’t turn into an outbreak, she said. Forest managers monitor tussock moth populations with a network of traps set out each year. Spiegel said this “early warning” system started across the West after a major tussock moth outbreak in the early 1970s. During that outbreak tussock moths proliferated on about 700,000 acres in Oregon and Washington. On about 17,000 acres the moths killed almost every fi r tree. Traps are baited with pheromones — a scent that attracts tussock moths. Because the female moths don’t fl y, the traps collect only male moths, Spiegel said. She fi rst noticed an uptick in moth numbers in 2017, in the Fish Lake area north of Halfway, in eastern Baker County. Spiegel monitors eight trapping locations in that area, each consisting of fi ve traps. Spiegel said that when individual traps nab 25 or more moths, there’s reason to believe that a population surge has started. The moths fl y for only about a month each year, usu- ally during August and early September, she said. Surveys in 2018 showed relatively little defoliation — trees with red or brown needles that have been munched by tussock moth caterpillars, Spiegel said. Defoliation was more widespread in 2019, affecting trees on both sides of East Eagle Creek, a total of about 3,000 acres. This year the effects of the moths are noticeable along the Fish Lake Road, primar- ily in Douglas-fi rs between about 5,000 and 6,000 feet elevation, Spiegel said. She said she’s also heard from forest visitors about de- foliation in the Boulder Park area along main Eagle Creek, but she hasn’t inspected that area yet this summer. The defoliation can “make the forest look really bad,” but Spiegel said most trees likely will recover. That’s not the case with some other insects, such as pine beetles, which can kill a large percentage of trees. Baker School District students will register for classes at their own schools this year rather than gathering at Baker High School for a Parent Resource Fair as has been done in the past. Here is the schedule for individual schools: • Baker High School, Brooklyn Primary and South Baker Intermediate School students will register at their schools Monday, Aug. 10, though Thursday, Aug. 13, from 8 a.m. to noon and from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. BHS registration will be in the large gym, which should be entered through the student parking lot on the build- ing’s west end. •Baker Middle School students will register from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 10; from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 11; and from 8 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 12. (School photos for BMS students only will be taken during Monday and Tuesday registration times). • Eagle Cap Innovative High School students will register at BHS on Monday, Aug. 10, and Tuesday, Aug. 11, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and Wednesday, Aug. 12, and Thursday, Aug. 13, from 8 a.m. to noon. • Haines Elementary students will register at their school from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, Aug. 10, and Tuesday, Aug. 11. • Keating Elementary registration will be from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday, Aug. 10, and from 8 a.m. to noon, Tuesday, Aug. 11, at Keating School. Immunizations will be available at the Baker County Health Department, 3330 Pocahontas Road. Call 541-523-8211 to schedule an appointment. Larry Downs Downs Realty and Auctions 208-939-9456
