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About Baker City herald. (Baker City, Or.) 1990-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 1, 2020)
LOCAL & STATE TUESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2020 BAKER CITY HERALD — 3A PARADE CANNON Continued from Page 1A Continued from Page 1A Cutler said the Chamber paid $650 for event insur- ance in case the parade could happen. “We’re just trying to bring joy, but we’re not going to jeopardize anything,” Cutler said on Monday morning. Gov. Kate Brown an- nounced last week that start- ing Dec. 3, each of Oregon’s 36 counties will be placed into one of four risk categories for COVID-19 spread, with vary- ing restrictions on events, businesses and other activi- ties. The categories are lower, moderate, high and extreme. Offi cials from the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) on Monday were scheduled to review county statistics for the period Nov. 15-28 to determine the category for each county during the initial two-week period of restric- tions, Dec. 3-17, said Liz Merah, press secretary for the governor. OHA offi cials will reassess each county at two-week intervals, and counties can potentially move from one risk category to another. For counties with popula- tions below 30,000 — includ- ing Baker, which has about 16,800 residents — a tally of 60 or more new cases from Nov. 15-28 would put the county in the “extreme” risk category, with the most strin- gent limits. That includes a maximum of 50 people attending outdoor entertain- ment events. From Nov. 15-28, Baker County reported 65 new cases. State offi cials had not an- nounced the list of counties in the extreme risk category as of press time Monday afternoon. But Baker County Com- missioner Mark Bennett said he believes that based on the county’s number of new cases over the past two weeks, it will be in the extreme category. The county also could have The Council is slated to ratify an employment contract with Cannon at its next meeting, likely on Dec. 8. The contract calls for Cannon to offi cially take over the job Jan. 1. Mayor Loran Joseph ne- gotiated the contract with Cannon after the City Council decided Nov. 17 that Cannon was their top candidate to replace Fred Warner Jr., who is retiring at the end of the year. Cannon was among three candidates who visited Baker City in early November to meet with councilors, councilors-elect and residents. Cannon said his wife and their three children — two sons and a daughter — are also excited about “becoming part of the com- munity.” The contract sets Can- non’s annual salary at $105,000. He could earn a raise S. John Collins/Baker City Herald File Photo, 2019 A long train of Christmas presents entered by the Baker County Sheriff’s Offi ce helped brighten Main Street during the Twilight Christmas Parade in December 2019. This year’s parade probably will be canceled due to COVID-19 restrictions. qualifi ed as an extreme risk based on its test positivity rate of about 17.7% for the Nov. 15-28 period, above the 10% threshold for the extreme risk category. But even if the county had been in the high risk group — from 45 to 59 new cases during the two-week period, and a positivity rate between 8% and 9.9% — the maxi- mum of 75 people attend- ing outdoor entertainment events would have made it impossible for the Twilight Parade to happen, since it attracts hundreds of specta- tors, Cutler said. She said that as of Monday morning the Chamber had received just four applica- tions for parade fl oats. In a typical year there are 25 to 30 entrants, she said. The parade includes multiple vehicles from Baker City’s police and fi re depart- ments, but Warner said those wouldn’t have participated even if there was a parade. “We want to err on the side of caution,” he said. Other restrictions for counties in the extreme risk category include: • Restaurants and bars: Takeout highly recom- mended, no indoor dining, with outdoor dining limited to 50 people, a maximum of six people, from no more than two households, per table. • Grocery stores and other retail outlets: Maximum of 50% of building capacity. Jill McGinnis, commu- nications manager for the company that owns Safeway and Albertsons stores, said the 50% capacity limit in the Baker City stores “will not impact our operation as we typically run below these percentages in those stores.” Cody Miller, who owns the Grocery Outlet store in Baker City, also said the capac- ity limit won’t force him to restrict customers. • At-home social gather- ings: Maximum of six people, recommended limit of two households. • Churches, funeral homes, mortuaries, cemeteries: Indoor, maximum of 25% of building capacity or 100 people, whichever is fewer; outdoors maximum of 150 people. • Indoor recreation and fi tness establishments, and entertainment, including gyms, swimming pools, K-12 indoor sports, movie theaters museums and concert halls: prohibited to $110,000 if the Council rates his performance as satisfactory or better dur- ing an evaluation that, per the contract, will happen in July or August. Cannon will also be eli- gible for a merit increase in his annual salary, of a minimum of 2%, based on subsequent performance reviews after the fi rst such review in July or August 2021. The contract includes a provision for the city to pay Cannon up to $5,000 in moving expenses. The contract allows the City Council to termi- nate Cannon without cause, with severance pay depending on how far in advance the Council noti- fi es him. With 150 to 180 days notice, severance pay would equal his salary for one month. • 90 to 150 days notice — two months salary • 30 to 90 days notice — three months salary • fewer than 30 days no- tice — four months salary CLINIC Continued from Page 1A “These are diffi cult and unpredictable times for ev- eryone right now,” Shari Selander, New Directions CEO, stated in the press release. “And NDN desires to meet the behavioral health needs of Baker County residents with more accessibility than before.” The benefi ts of a walk-in clinic are twofold, Selander said. NDN will be able to meet the needs of Baker County residents at the time when services are needed, and clients will be able to come as often as they need, not just at an appointed time. This service also will add behavior health services to the community’s list of clinic services, she said. The New Directions Northwest walk-in clinic joins others offered at St. Luke’s Clinic — Eastern Oregon Medical Associates and Saint Alphonsus Medical Center to connect clients to health care providers with same-day access, rather than days of delay. “We are here when you need us, without needing to schedule an appointment,” Marji Lind, clinical director, stated in the press release. “We want to meet people’s needs in a better way.” New Directions Northwest accepts Eastern Oregon Coordinated Care/Oregon Health Plan, Medicare and most private insurances. More information is available by calling 541-523-7400 or at www.newdirectionsnw.org Deschutes goes blue, and other election details Democrat the majority of its votes for president for the Oregon continued its run fi rst time since Beatlemania of backing Democrats for swept the nation. President that dates back to Oregon Secretary of State when “Kokomo” by the Beach Bev Clarno has until Dec. Boys was the No. 1 song in 3 to announce fi nal voting the country. totals. The electoral map of But with many counties al- Oregon took on its usual ready reporting offi cial, fi nal hues: The population centers results, the remaining votes around the Portland metro are a tiny fraction of the area and a stretch from turnout. It’s safe to see how Eugene northwest through the election went in Oregon. Corvallis to the coast around Some of the numbers: Newport went for Democrat Joe Biden, who won the state Blue streak Biden kept the streak of and the national election. Democrats’ presidential wins President Donald Trump retained Eastern and South- in Oregon alive for another ern Oregon as strongholds of four years. The state last went with a Republican in Republican red on the map, 1984, when Ronald Reagan running up victories from Pendleton and Hermiston to won a second term in the Klamath Falls and Coos Bay. White House. In the far northwest corner More votes, same result of the state, Astoria and Trump increased his total Clatsop County went for the vote in Oregon in 2020, with Democrat, as per usual in 955,842 votes as Friday. recent races. But neighbor- ing Tillamook and Columbia That’s up from 782,403 votes counties stuck with President four years ago. But the extra Trump, after both fl ipping in votes only lifted Trump’s per- centage of the vote slightly 2016 following two con- — to 40.36% in 2020 from secutive wins by Democrat 39.09% in 2016. Barack Obama. But the biggest — if not Bigger bite unexpected — fl ip could be Biden has received seen on the map as a blue bulge running east out of the 1,337,329 votes, a big jump Cascades. Deschutes County over the 1,002,106 votes for Hillary Clinton in 2016. Both unambiguously gave the By Gary A. Warner Oregon Capital Bureau numbers were big enough to beat Trump, but Biden’s total gave him just over 56% of the vote in 2020, bettering Clinton’s 50.07% of the vote in 2016. Deschutes goes Demo- cratic: Deschutes County issued its fi nal vote totals on Friday. It’s a landmark result in the presidential vote. Biden won just under 52.7% of the presidential vote in Deschutes County. It marks the fi rst time the county gave over half its votes to a Demo- cratic candidate for the White House since Lyndon Johnson won 69% over Republican Barry Goldwater in 1964. Trump won the county in 2016 with 46.4% over 43.1% for Clinton. This year, Trump won 44.3% of the vote. Minor party candidates and write-in votes accounted for the fi nal 2.9% of the returns. In 1964, Deschutes County cast a total of 10,095 votes in the presidential election. The 2020 total: 125,234. The total Deschutes County vote in 1964 is 221 fewer votes than Biden’s margin of victory — 10,316 votes — over Trump in 2020. Flipper Most of the approximately 3,000 counties in the United States voted for the same party’s candidate as in 2016. Deschutes County was one of 59 counties to fl ip from Trump in 2016 to Biden, according to a national vote analysis by National Public Radio. Another 18 fl ipped from Clinton in 2016 to Trump in 2020. The 77 counties that fl ipped were a pittance compared to the last presidential election. In 2016, 237 counties changed parties from how they voted in 2012. Trump won 216 counties that went for Obama in 2012. In Oregon, Tillamook and Columbia counties made the switch to Trump. Both counties stuck with Trump this year. Old record Best turnout in 48 years. The 2016 election that led to Donald Trump becom- ing president saw a record 136 million ballots cast nationwide, a 59% turnout of eligible voters, the most since Richard Nixon was elected in 1968 with 60.7% turnout. of voters cast ballots in 1900 to elect Republican William McKinley over Democrat Wil- liam Jennings Bryan. Women could not vote until 1920 and “Jim Crow” segregationist laws in southern states kept many Black men from voting. seph Lane (namesake of Lane County), was Breckinridge’s running mate. Sparsely populated Oregon cast a total of just 14,761 votes, but good enough to give Lincoln three votes in the Electoral College. All-time champ Strong political difference drove just over 81 percent of eligible voters to the polls in 1860 to choose between four candidates. Republican Abraham Lincoln won with 39% of the vote against a split Democratic Party that fi elded two tickets, one from the north and one from the south, plus the Whig Party. The elec- torate did not include women or the 4 million Black slaves in the country. Lincoln’s win would set off the Civil War the following year. Watch out for the Wildlife on the Roads Oregon’s fi rst election Oregon became a state in 1859 and fi rst voted the following year. Lincoln won Oregon with 36% of the vote, New record just ahead of the pro-slavery Best turnout in 120 years. Southern Democratic ticket NPR projected there would be with Vice President John 155 million votes cast in 2020. Breckinridge of Kentucky That would equal a turnout running for the top job. It of 67% of eligible voters, the helped in Oregon that one of highest percentage since 73% the state’s U.S. senators, Jo- • Lumber • Plywood • Building Materials • Hardware • Paint • Plumbing • Electrical And much more! We’re now offering home remodels through the winter months as we’re fully licensed and bonded. stone.elitesprinklernland@gmail.com CCB#231936 LCB# 9809 The family of Howard Payton expresses sincere appreciation to Baker County’s wonder- ful community, including Fire Department, Forest Service, Law Enforcement, Church, Car Club, the many friends and neighbors for their prayers, love, and donations made to the Billy Payton Memorial, and Baker Rural Fire Depart- ment during our time of sorrow. We will never forget how fortunate we are to live in Baker County, Family of Howard Payton; Sandra, Vince, and Sheryl, Mark and Valerie Donicht, Bob and Kelly. 3205 10th Street Baker City 541-523-4422 S218717-1 541-519-5268 2390 Broadway, Baker City 541-523-5223 Mon-Fri 7:30 am - 5:30 pm Saturday 8 am - 5 pm Closed Sun
