Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Baker City herald. (Baker City, Or.) 1990-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 21, 2020)
SATURDAY SEAHAWKS TOP ARIZONA TO REGAIN FIRST PLACE IN NFC WEST: PAGE 6A In OUTDOORS, 1B Serving Baker County since 1870 • bakercityherald.com November 21, 2020 Local • Sports • Outdoors • TV IN THIS EDITION: QUICK HITS Good Day Wish To A Subscriber A special good day to Herald subscriber Andrew Bryan of Baker City. BRIEFING Turkey Shoot canceled due to COVID-19 ‘freeze’ The Powder River Sportsmen’s Club has canceled its annual Turkey Shoot, set for Sunday, Nov. 22, due to the statewide COVID-19 restrictions in effect through Dec. 2. Baker City Couple Donates Colorado Blue Spruce Trimming The Christmas Tree Home-buying aid for local veterans WEATHER Today 40 / 19 Sunny Sunday 38 / 24 Mostly sunny Monday 42 / 25 Mostly cloudy The space below is for a postage label for issues that are mailed. COVID-19 ‘FREEZE’ Officials call on Brown to change limits By EO Media Group Community Connec- tion is seeking fi rst-time veteran homebuyers in Baker, Grant, Union, and Wallowa counties for the Veteran’s Down Payment Assistance Loan Program. The program can pay up to $15,000 in down payment and closing costs. For more information call Debbie or Susy at 541-963-3186. Correction: A story in the Nov. 19 issue stated that the Chamber of Commerce has operated the visitor center on Campbell Street for about 30 years. The center has been in that location for that period but it was operated by other organizations, including the Visitor and Convention Bureau, before the Chamber took over. $1.50 Sluggish steelhead season Samantha O’Conner/Baker City Herald A Colorado blue spruce on Bob and Cherie Ward’s property on Foothill Drive in Baker City is this year’s Community Christmas Tree. A crew from Oregon Trail Electric Cooperative cut down the tree Friday morning, Nov. 20, and Superior Towing donated a truck to haul the tree, which is about 45 feet tall, to its traditional spot in the Court Street Plaza. By Samantha O’Conner soconner@bakercityherald.com Bob and Cherie Ward have donated Baker City’s Commu- nity Christmas Tree twice in the past three years, but their second spruce didn’t succumb as easily as the fi rst. This year the Wards’ donated blue spruce required reinforce- ments. The couple, who live on Foothill Drive in south Baker City, donated one of the ap- proximately 45-foot-tall spruces in their yard in 2018, and this year city offi cials again chose the Wards’ tree. But the truck that Oregon Trail Electric Cooperative sent to hoist the spruce wasn’t quite up to the task. OTEC dispatched a second truck to help handle the heavy tree. And even after the spruce was cut, employees had to unhook one wire to allow the tree to pass on its way to a fl atbed trailer donated by Superior Towing. Eventually the tree was on its way to its traditional spot in the Court Street Plaza, between Main and Resort streets. See Christmas Tree/Page 2A TODAY Issue 83, 14 pages Elected leaders from Eastern Oregon counties, including Baker, who signed a let- ter asking Gov. Kate Brown for changes to her approach to COVID-19 shutdowns say the letter was not in direct response to the current two-week “freeze,” but was crafted over several weeks as an outline of what they hope to see happen as the state con- tinues to address fl uctuations in COVID-19 numbers. The letter, dated Nov. 18 and signed by 51 county commissioners and state legislators, asks Brown to allow restaurants and bars to stay open throughout the pandemic, to fully reopen schools, to reopen state agen- cies such as DMV offi ces to the public and to allow religious leaders to use their own best judgment in operating their places of wor- ship. It also urges her to allow local elected offi cials to work with county health depart- ments to come up with their own versions of Phase 1 and Phase 2 for COVID-19 regula- tions. “A one-size-fi ts-all approach to shutting down the state was logical and appropriate in March when the onset of this pandemic was new and was un- known,” the letter states. “Over time, we have learned, adapted, Bennett adjusted and improved. Keep- ing counties and regions in a Phase II for an indefi nite period of time is a one size fi ts all approach that does not work any longer.” All three Baker County commissioners — Chairman Bill Harvey, along with Bruce Nichols and Mark Bennett — signed the letter. See Letter/Page 3A BHS senior tells board she’s glad to be back By Chris Collins ccollins@bakercityherald.com Samantha O’Conner/Baker City Herald Bob and Cherie Ward donated this year’s Baker City Commu- nity Christmas Tree. This is the second blue spruce the couple has donated. In 2018 they also offered the city a veritable twin of this year’s tree. Classified ............. 2B-4B Comics ....................... 5B Community News ....3A Crossword ........2B & 4B Dear Abby ................. 6B Horoscope ........3B & 4B Jayson Jacoby ..........4A News of Record ........2A Obituaries ..................2A Senior Renee Blincoe is happy to be back at Baker High School, even for one day a week. Blincoe, who routinely attends the Baker School Board’s monthly meetings in her role as student body president, shared her joy about the return to in-person classes with Board members during their meeting Thursday night. “The highlight of the week for me is going back to school,” Blincoe said. And she’s not the only student who feels that way, she told the Board. “A lot of people actually are really positive about going back,” Blincoe said. As student body president, Blincoe and other members of the BHS Leadership group have worked hard to help students enjoy the experience since in-person classes resumed, on a limited basis, on Nov. 9. See Schools/Page 3A Opinion ......................4A Outdoors ..........1B & 2B Senior Menus ...........2A Sports .............. 6A & 7A Turning Backs ...........2A Weather ..................... 6B INSIDE — TIPS FOR PREPARING A SMOKED TURKEY: OUTDOORS, 1B
