TUESDAY
RUSSELL WILSON LEADS SEATTLE TO ANOTHER EPIC VICTORY: SPORTS, 6A
In HOME, 1B
Serving Baker County since 1870 • bakercityherald.com
October 13, 2020
Local • Home & Living • Sports
IN THIS EDITION:
QUICK HITS
Good Day Wish
To A Subscriber
$1.50
Fabulous
flatbread
toppings
Students coming back
A special good day to
Herald subscriber Kristi
Johnson of Baker City.
■ Baker School District students from pre-K to sixth-grade begin in-person classes on Wednesday
Community, 3A
By Chris Collins
A Baker City man who
was duck hunting in
the dredge tailings near
Sumpter Sunday morn-
ing when he was injured
in a fall was located by a
Life Flight helicopter that
conducted an aerial search
of the area before landing
and taking the man to a
Boise hospital for treat-
ment.
ccollins@bakercityherald.com
Baker elementary school students
will return to in-person classes
Wednesday.
Baker School District Superin-
tendent Mark Witty issued a press
release Monday morning announc-
ing the opening for students in
preschool through sixth grade.
But fi rst, families were noti-
fi ed over the ParentSquare school
communication system of the word
many had been hoping to hear since
online classes started Sept. 8.
“I am pleased that we are able to
return to in-person school for our
youngest learners,” Witty stated in
the press release. “We are excited to
welcome students back to our four
elementary campuses this coming
Wednesday.”
The fi nal decision to open this
week was made after consulting
with Baker County Health Depart-
ment offi cials early Monday, Witty
said.
The elementary schools snuck
in just under the wire to meet the
metrics set by the Oregon Health
Authority and Oregon Department
of Education for schools in counties,
including Baker, with fewer than 6
residents per square mile.
Orpheum Theater Renovation Continues In Downtown Baker City
BRIEFING
See Schools/Page 3A
BAKER CITY COUNCIL
MEETS THIS EVENING
City may
revise
lease for
Quail
Ridge
Baker County
Health Department
plans drive-thru fl u
shot clinic Oct. 16
at Baker High
The Baker County Health
Department will have a
drive-thru fl u shot clinic
on Friday, Oct. 16, from
10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Baker
High School in the student
parking lot, between the
school and football sta-
dium, 2500 E St.
Flu vaccine is available
to all people 6 months and
older. Alicia Hills, nursing
supervisor at the Health
Department, encourages
everyone to get a fl u shot
this season.
Flu vaccine costs $38
(available for age 6 months
and older) for the regular
vaccine and $73.50 for high
dose (available for age 65
and older).
Bring your insurance
card. More information
is available by calling the
Health Department at 541-
523-8211.
By Jayson Jacoby
jjacoby@bakercityherald.com
The Baker City Council
this evening will consider
approving a 5-year lease
with the owner of Anthony
Lakes Ski Area to continue
managing the city-owned
Quail Ridge Golf Course.
Tonight’s meeting starts
at 7 o’clock at City Hall,
1655 First St. The number
of audience members will
be limited due to COVID-19
restrictions.
In December 2019 the
City Council approved
the transfer of the golf
course management lease
from Mike Brooks to the
Baker County Development
Corporation, the nonprofi t
that owns Anthony Lakes
Ski Area. The corporation
formed a separate company,
Quail Ridge Golf Manage-
ment LLC, also in December
2019.
The transferred lease ex-
pires at the end of this year.
WEATHER
Today
62 / 37
Rain likely
Wednesday
See Council/Page 3A
59 / 27
Partly sunny
Trick-or-
treat site
changes
The space below is for
a postage label for issues
that are mailed.
S. John Collins / Baker City Herald, File
The interior of the Orpheum Theater was stripped to the wood frame a few years ago as part of a renova-
tion that started in 2016. In this photo from November 2018, Aletha Bonebrake, chair of the building com-
mittee for the Eastern Oregon Regional Theatre, looked at the project in progress.
The Next Stages
By Lisa Britton
For the Baker City Herald
The Baker Orpheum Theater
project is moving along, and by
early 2021 residents will start see-
ing changes at the location on Main
Street.
Since January, the project has re-
ceived $82,000 from fi ve local donors.
That boost will complete construc-
TODAY
Issue 66, 12 pages
tion documents, design review, and
permitting by the end of the year so
work can begin next year.
“That’s the good news,” said Aletha
Bonebrake. “We go from the quiet
phase to the active phase.”
Bonebrake is a board member for
Eastern Oregon Regional Theatre,
and chair of the building committee.
The project began in May 2016
Calendar ....................2A
Classified ............. 2B-4B
Comics ....................... 5B
Community News ....3A
Crossword ........2B & 4B
Dear Abby ................. 6B
with a donation from David Bur-
ris that enabled Eastern Oregon
Regional Theatre to buy the 1889
downtown building that housed the
fi rst Orpheum Theatre, a vaudeville
stage that changed and grew with
silent fi lms and “talkies” into the late
1950s.
See Orpheum/Page 3A
Home ................1B & 2B
Horoscope ........3B & 4B
Letters ........................4A
Lottery Results ..........2A
News of Record ........3A
Obituaries ..................2A
By Jayson Jacoby
jjacoby@bakercityherald.com
Shelly Cutler fi gures that
a Snickers or a Kit Kat bar
is an equally enticing treat
whether it plunks into a
kid’s bag or plastic pumpkin
on Baker City’s Main Street,
or in a parking lot a mile or
so away.
Main Street’s sidewalks
won’t be bustling with
ghosts, witches and other
creatively attired creatures
this Halloween.
But Cutler said volun-
teers want to ensure that
the coronavirus pandemic
doesn’t play a nasty trick on
costume-clad youngsters.
See Halloween/Page 5A
Opinion ......................4A
Sports .............. 5A & 6A
Weather ..................... 6B
THURSDAY — VOTERS GUIDE: BAKER CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATES