SATURDAY
DEMOCRATS DON’T GAIN SEATS TO BLOCK GOP WALKOUTS IN SALEM: PG. 2A
In OUTDOORS, 1B
Serving Baker County since 1870 • bakercityherald.com
November 14, 2020
Local • Sports • Outdoors • TV
IN THIS EDITION:
QUICK HITS
Good Day Wish
To A Subscriber
A special good day to
Herald subscriber Randy
Estes of Baker City.
BRIEFING
BHS Class of 2021
raffl ing Christmas
tree as fundraiser
The Baker High School
Class of 2021 is raffl ing
a Christmas tree to raise
money for the annual drug-
and alcohol-free gradua-
tion party. The tree is on
display at Lefty’s Taphouse,
1934 Broadway St. Tickets
are $5 each, or fi ve for $20.
The drawing will take place
on Dec. 5, and ticket buyers
need not be present to
win. Tickets are available
by calling Jana at 541-519-
6073.
Christmas Bazaar
set for Dec. 4-5
$1.50
New, stricter COVID rules
start statewide on Nov. 18
■ Restaurants will be limited to takeout, and other restrictions will be in place from Nov. 18 to Dec. 2
the statewide restrictions
two days after a 2-week
Gov. Kate Brown on Friday “pause” started in nine of
announced a 2-week state-
Oregon’s 36 counties, includ-
wide “freeze” starting Nov. 18 ing Baker.
that is designed to curb the
The pause was much less
surge in COVID-19 cases.
restrictive. Restaurants, for
During the freeze, res-
instance, are limited now to a
taurants will be limited to
capacity of 50 people, includ-
takeout and grocery stores
ing customers and staff.
are restricted to 75% of their
But starting on Nov. 18
customer capacity.
restaurants can offer takeout
The governor announced
meals only.
By Jayson Jacoby
jjacoby@bakercityherald.com
Jamie Kassien, co-owner
of D & J Taco Shop in Baker
City, said Friday afternoon
that he’s frightened about
how the restrictions will
affect not only his business,
but also many of his friends’
and neighbors’ businesses in
Baker County.
“It’s a very scary time,”
Kassien said. “I just wish
(Brown) could understand
and see what this is going to
do to small businesses.”
He said he fears that some
local businesses will not
survive the effects of the new
restrictions.
Kassien said that although
his restaurant lost revenue
when similar restrictions
were in effect this spring, lo-
cal residents “rallied” to help
many restaurants and other
locally owned businesses.
“We did see a great out-
Powerful Snowstorm Snarls Traffi c, Blocks Eastbound Freeway Friday
Baker County 4-H and
OSU Extension are host-
ing the annual Christmas
Bazaar on Dec. 4 and 5 at
the Baker County Fair-
grounds show barn, 2600
East St. Hours are noon to
5:30 p.m. on Friday, Dec.
4, and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on
Saturday, Dec. 5.
To reserve a vendor
space, call the Baker
County Extension Offi ce
at 541-523-6418. Tables
are $40 each. There is no
charge to attend the bazaar,
and there will be ample
parking. Local artists, craft-
ers, cooks and others will
be selling their wares.
See COVID-19/Page 3A
Manager
finalists
visit
soconner@bakercityherald.com
Today
39 / 31
Partly sunny
Oregon State Police photo
Multiple commercial trucks slid off the eastbound lanes of Interstate 84 near North Powder during a snow-
storm Friday morning. The eastbound lanes were closed for several hours.
44 / 30
Cloudy
pouring of support,” Kassien
said.
But he’s concerned that
that won’t happen to the
same extent now, in part
because he thinks the
restrictions the governor
announced Friday will scare
people to the point they won’t
leave their homes, even to
pick up a takeout order.
By Samantha O’Conner
WEATHER
Sunday
Ski season
could have
early start
The three
candidates for
the Baker City
manager job
were in town
on Thursday.
McClure
Residents
had a chance
to talk to Steve
Ashworth,
Scott McClure
and Jonathan
Cannon at the
Cannon
Baker Tower
and Crossroads
Carnegie Art
Center.
City coun-
cilors, as well
as the fi ve
councilors-elect Ashworth
who will take
offi ce in January, met the
trio of manager candidates
at City Hall.
See Manager/Page 3A
By Jayson Jacoby
jjacoby@bakercityherald.com
Monday
45 / 34
Cloudy
The space below is for
a postage label for issues
that are mailed.
Older
students
return to
classes
A snowstorm more typical of
January than of early November
brought copious amounts of snow
and gusty winds to Northeast
Oregon Friday morning, causing
a power outage and closing the
eastbound lanes of Interstate 84 for
several hours.
Snow started falling around 5
a.m., and about 4 inches had accu-
mulated in Baker City by noon.
The snow coated roads lead to
multiple commercial trucks sliding
off the eastbound lanes of Interstate
84 about 3 miles east of North Pow-
der, according to Oregon State Police.
See Storm/Page 3A
Oregon State Police photo
Blizzard conditions caused problems on Interstate 84 near North Pow-
der Friday morning. The eastbound lanes were closed for several hours.
City Council approves $7.5 million
loan for large wastewater project
By Jayson Jacoby
jjacoby@bakercityherald.com
The Baker City Council on Tuesday
agreed to have the city borrow as much
as $7.5 million from the state to pay
for one of the city’s bigger public works
projects in the past few decades.
Councilors approved a resolution
authorizing city officials to sign a loan
agreement through the Oregon Depart-
TODAY
Issue 80, 12 pages
ment of Environmental Quality (DEQ),
with a 30-year repayment schedule and
a 1.36% annual interest rate.
The city will use the money to pay
for a new wastewater pipeline and
lagoon. The agreement is for up to $8
million, but it includes a $500,000 loan
repayment forgiveness, according to a
written report by Michelle Owen, the
city’s public works director. The city
Calendar ....................2A
Classified ............. 2B-4B
Comics ....................... 5B
Community News ....3A
Crossword ........2B & 4B
Dear Abby ................. 6B
will repay the loan at a rate of about
$300,000 per year.
The wastewater project has been
in the works for several years. For
the past several decades the city has
piped treated wastewater, stored in
lagoons about a mile north of town,
into the nearby Powder River.
See Loan/Page 2A
Horoscope ........3B & 4B
Jayson Jacoby ..........4A
News of Record ........2A
Obituaries ..................2A
Opinion ......................4A
Outdoors ..........1B & 2B
■ High school,
middle school
students having
in-person classes
one day per week
By Chris Collins
ccollins@bakercityherald.com
The halls of Baker High
School and Baker Middle
School were abuzz this
week, albeit at reduced vol-
umes from past years.
Still, the noise and activity
levels that returned to the
schools on Monday brought
smiles to the faces of Greg
Mitchell, BHS principal, and
his counterpart, Skye Flana-
gan, at the middle school.
See Schools/Page 3A
Sports .............. 5A & 6A
Turning Backs ...........2A
Weather ..................... 6B
TUESDAY — BHS NEWCOMER HOPES TO MAKE MARK IN TWO SPORTS