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About Baker City herald. (Baker City, Or.) 1990-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 13, 2020)
COMMUNITY THURSDAY, AUGUST 13, 2020 SALON Continued from Page 1A The two who tested posi- tive were able to return on Wednesday, Lang-Maxwell said. Nancy Staten, the Health Department administrator, said the agency does not offi cially clear employees to return to work after they have tested positive or been identifi ed as a close contact with someone who tested positive. But Staten said Health Department offi cials will advise business owners, on a case-by-case basis, about when employees have met state-recommended time frames for self-quarantining. Employees can return to work when health offi - cials determine they are no longer potentially infectious. The time frame depends on factors such as whether the person tested positive, and when symptoms went away. Lang-Maxwell said she felt it was her responsibility as a business owner who serves the public, to be forthcoming under the circumstances. “I want to let people know what happened,” she said. “The more we can get edu- cated about it the better. We have to be honest as a com- munity. The whole commu- nity doesn’t have to just shut down. We have to continue with life.” Lang-Maxwell said she also wanted to emphasize that she takes the threat of the virus seriously, both as a business owner and an individual. BAKER CITY HERALD — 3A “I want to let people know what happened. The more we can get educated about it the better.” City police help local man on record hot day — Shannon Lang-Maxwell, owner, A-Diva Salon & Day Spa in Baker City, where two employees tested positive for COVID-19 recently By Chris Collins She suffered a chemical burn to her lungs two years ago, an injury that caused permanent damage to her vocal chords and led to severe asthma. Her condition makes her susceptible to respiratory infections such as COVID-19. “I have done everything possible that you’re supposed to do because of my situa- tion,” Lang-Maxwell said. Although Oregon Gov. Kate Brown eased regulations on salons and some other businesses starting May 15, Lang-Maxwell said she didn’t reopen until late May, and then only allowed one employee with one client at a time in the salon. She said she gradually in- creased the number of people allowed in the building, although even before the two workers tested positive she was generally restricting capacity to three employees, each with one client, at a time. She said both her employ- ees and clients wear face masks. The salon’s waiting room is closed, and clients wait outside until their appointment. All clients and employees have their temperatures checked, and ccollins@bakercityherald.com Photo courtesy of Shannon Lang-Maxwell Allison Duman, background, colors a client’s hair on Tuesday at A-Diva Salon & Day Spa in Baker City. Both employees and clients are required to wear face masks. seats and other surfaces are cleaned after each appoint- ment, she said. (Lang-Maxwell said that neither of the workers who tested positive ever had a fever, which is also a com- mon symptom of COVID-19 infection.) “I feel completely safe and comfortable having clients,” she said. In her July 31 Facebook post Lang-Maxwell wrote: “We take this virus very seri- ously & have prided ourselves in providing a safe environ- ment & all the safe practices we have been following.” Lang-Maxwell said she didn’t lose her sense of taste or smell, but she did have what seemed like a severe sinus infection. Because of her pre-existing conditions she said she was actually tested twice, with both results being negative. She noted that health offi - cials told her the test is about 70% accurate on average, however. None of the three other salon workers had symptoms, Lang-Maxwell said. But she said Health Department of- fi cials told them to all assume they could have been infected and to self-quarantine. Lang-Maxwell said she’s not sure how many relatives and friends of salon employ- ees were interviewed by con- tact tracers. She said she’s not aware of any of those people subsequently testing positive. She noted that people who don’t have symptoms gener- ally aren’t tested, something the Health Department has confi rmed. Lang-Maxwell said she has no defi nitive evidence as to how either of the two salon workers contracted COVID-19. One had recently visited a water park in Boise and gone camping with friends, she said. Photo courtesy of Shannon Lang-Maxwell In addition to the state requirement that clients wear face masks, A-Diva Salon & Day Spa also checks their temperature when they arrive for an appointment. Police say circuit breakers stolen Chastain stated in a press They took four commercial- release. In that case, thieves grade circuit breakers belong- The Baker City Police De- broke into the electrical panel ing to the Tesla company, partment is seeking help from behind Maurices, the women’s operating out of Washington anyone with information about clothing store at 1090 Camp- state. The total damages and the theft of commercial-grade bell St. They took fi ve com- loss in that case are estimated circuit breakers from two busi- mercial circuit breakers and at about $12,000, Chastain ness sites over the past month. damaged two others belonging said. The fi rst took place the to Gregory Sackos of Baker Anyone with information night of July 14, Sgt. Wayne City, Chastain said. about the two thefts is asked to The total loss and damages call Chastain at 541-524-2014. exceeded $22,000. Maurices Police also urge local busi- also suffered the loss of a full nesses to take extra precau- day of business while the tions to protect their circuit breaker box was repaired, he breaker panels from potential said. theft. In the second case, Chastain Locks were cut on the prior said thieves broke into the thefts, so that is no guarantee power distribution area of the of safety, Chastain said. He Tesla charging stations at 1 suggested that business owners RICHLAND — The Dry Sunridge Lane. check to see if their electrical Gulch fi re was contained at Celebrating the 100th Anniversary 297 acres on Monday night of the Ratification of the 19th Amendment to the US Constitution after threatening fi ve homes. No structures were dam- aged, said Larisa Bogardus, public information offi cer for A Reader’s Theater the Bureau of Land Manage- Written by Gloria Holland, Salem, Oregon ment’s Vale District. Sharing the Stories of Remarkable Women The fi re, about seven miles Told in the Voice of the Women and Their Time north of Richland along Eagle Creek, was reported late Monday morning. The blaze, which burned in grass, started on private land and spread to public ground man- aged by the BLM. Residents were notifi ed about a possible Performances evacuation, but that wasn’t Park Pavilion in Geiser-Pollman Park necessary. 6 p.m. August 15, 2020 The fi re, the largest this 6 pm. August 21, 2020 summer in Baker County, was Oregon Trail Interpretive Trail Center human-caused, but investiga- 1:30 p.m. August 27, 2020 tors have not determined the origin, Bogardus said. Baker City, Oregon By Chris Collins ccollins@bakercityherald.com Fire near Richland contained “The Suffrage Movement in America” panels have been tampered with and to consider installing video surveillance cameras. The Tesla company knew about the issue with the theft from the charging stations before police were notifi ed, Chastain said. A tow company reported the crime to police after it was called to tow a vehicle stopped for a charge that couldn’t obtain one, Chastain said. Tesla, from its location in the Seattle area, knew about it within a half-hour of when the crime happened, Chastain said. The company deenergized the system for the safety of its customers, he said. Baker City Police Chief Ray Duman and Amanda Baker, the city’s community service offi cer, really weren’t looking for activity that would cause them to step out into the record-breaking heat on July 31. But before their work day had ended, a call came in from Garland, Texas, that required them to do just that. Robin Medina was worried about how her dad, James Klein- schmit, was surviving the 105-degree heat in his single-wide mobile home in Baker City, Du- man said. Not knowing who else to Submitted photo call, Medina Baker City Police Chief Ray Duman started with helped install an air-conditioner in the Baker a local home on July 31, the hottest City Police Department. day so far in 2020 at 105 degrees. It was a simple mat- “It was a simple matter. She called ter, Duman said. the PD and we helped out.” “She called — Ray Duman, Baker City Police Chief the PD and we helped out.” But Medina said she and other family members were left without words to express their apprecia- tion for the efforts of Duman and Baker. Phoebe Wachtel, administrative assistant for the police department, took the call at 3:10 p.m. Friday and began racking her brain for a way to help Me- dina. Wachtel said she was worried that if the need was passed to another agency, it might not have been immediately met near the end of the day on a sweltering Friday afternoon. So before referring Medina elsewhere, Wachtel said she fi rst briefed Duman on the matter and then forwarded the call to him. Kleinschmit is in his late 70s, has health prob- lems and uses a wheelchair, Medina explained to Duman. She said she could pay up to $250 for an air conditioner if help could be provided to make the purchase and install it at her father’s home. Baker was assigned to fi nd the item at the right price, Wachtel said. She tried several Baker City stores before making a purchase at Miller’s Home Center, which helped out by giving her a $50 dis- count on the deal, Wachtel said. All that was needed next was for someone to install the appliance at Kleinschmit’s home. Duman said the job was left up to him and Baker. “I said ‘either we go do this and be nice human beings or it doesn’t get done,’ ” he said. They made the choice to help. The air conditioner was set on a window ledge at Kleinschmit’s home and secured. “The family was very appreciative and so was he,” Duman said of Kleinschmit. See Hot Help/Page 5A Rachel Pregnancy Center 2192 Court Avenue, Baker City • 541-523-5357 Services Provided: Free Pregnancy Tests A resource 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 -Thurs unplanned pregnancy. All services free & confidential. 10 am - 5 pm (closed for lunch) THANK YOU, MARY NESKE! The Haines Fire Protection District (HFPD) wishes to thank Mary Neske for 15-plus years of volunteer service to the district. Mary served on the HFPD Board as a Director and as 7UHDVXUHUIRU\HDUVVKHZDVWKH)LUH3UHYHQWLRQ2IÀFHUDQG helped in many other ways, too. Always willing to pitch in and lend a hand, Mary helped with garage VDOHVIRUWKHÀUHGHSDUWPHQWDQG ZDVUHJXODUO\RQHRIWKHÀUVWWRVKRZ XSZLWKIRRGIRUÀUHÀJKWHUVDW incidents. The HFPD Board of Directors and its patrons offer their deep gratitude and thanks to Mary as she steps down from the board.
