COMMUNITY
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2021
SCHOOLS
Continued from Page 1A
Once back on track, the
Board voted unanimously
to place the $4 million
bond on the May 18 ballot.
If approved by voters,
the district would couple
the $4 million bond with a
matching $4 million state
grant and add another $4
million from the district’s
Capital Projects and Stu-
dent Investment Account
funds to pay for school
improvements.
The bond would be
repaid over fi ve years
and would cost property
owners about 66 cents per
$1,000 of assessed prop-
erty value. That amounts
to about $66 more per year
on a home assessed at
$100,000.
The summary of the bal-
lot measure explains that
the money will help pay to:
• Replace/upgrade
mechanical and electrical
systems at all schools to
provide heating, cooling
and ventilation.
• Construct an approxi-
mately 5,000-square-foot
multipurpose building at
Baker Middle School for
use as a cafeteria/kitchen.
• Replace the roof at
South Baker Intermediate.
• Upgrade security
and access systems at
all schools, including
key cards, door sensors,
security cameras, fi re
alarms and public address
systems.
• Add secure entry vesti-
bules at Brooklyn Primary
and South Baker Interme-
diate schools.
• Make site improve-
ments and provide fur-
nishings, equipment and
cover bond issuance costs.
The ballot title also
states that a citizen
oversight committee would
be formed “to ensure
that proceeds are used as
intended.”
Promise Students
As Thursday’s meeting
got under way, the Board
honored its Promise Stu-
dents of the month.
Doug Dalton, Baker
Technical Institute
president, was joined by
Ma’Lena Wirth to honor
Marco Rosales, a junior at
Baker High
School.
Wirth, who
works with
the District’s
English as
Wirth
a second
language
program and serves as an
interpreter and transla-
tor, was on hand to help
Marco’s parents, Filiberto
and Alba Rosales, follow
the presentation.
Dalton told the Board
that Marco’s parents came
to the United States to
fi nd opportunity for their
children. (In addition to
Marco, they have a fi fth-
grade son, Brandon, and a
daughter, Naomi, who is in
fi rst grade, Wirth said.)
Dalton told the story of
how Marco’s education got
off to a rough start.
He said Wirth had been
called to Marco’s school
when he was just a kinder-
gartner to fi nd him sitting
outside alone and visibly
upset.
Dalton said the young
Marco told her, “Miss
Wirth, I have decided I
don’t need school and I am
not learning English.”
Although school contin-
ued to be hard for him, he
didn’t give up and he did
learn English, Dalton said.
Wirth gave Marco’s
mother credit for helping
her son persevere through
his diffi cult early years of
education.
“In second grade he was
still not doing well,” Wirth
said.
That’s when Marco’s
mother came to her seek-
ing advice about what she
could do to help her son.
“She never gave up on
Marco,” Wirth said.
It was at BTI that Mar-
co really found his place,
Dalton told the audience.
“He has become a fabu-
lous welder and fabrica-
tor,” Dalton said.
And he said Marco plans
to pursue additional train-
ing to become certifi ed as a
professional welder at BTI
after graduation from high
school.
Ryan Butler, BTI weld-
ing instructor, said he
has worked with Marco
since he was a sophomore.
He praised his student’s
accomplishments in the
classroom and in his rela-
tionships with his peers.
“You have come a long
way,” Butler told Marco
and his parents via the
Zoom computer app that
linked the Board and audi-
ence to the presentations.
“I’m proud of you,” But-
ler said.
Marco’s father smiled
proudly, and his mother
wiped tears from her eyes
as they watched the pre-
sentation from their home.
Director Kevin Cassidy
later received word from
Dalton — and reported to
the Board — that Marco
gave his mother fl owers af-
ter being honored himself,
to thank her.
The Board next
watched an endearing
video tribute from the
kindergarten classmates
of Khaleesi Currie, the
daughter of Cassandra
and Allen Currie. Students
and teachers emphasized
the kindness and helpful-
ness Khaleesi displays as a
student at the Baker Early
Learning Center.
“She is always looking
out for others before her-
self,” her teacher Sharon
Paine told the audience.
In other business Thurs-
day night, the Board:
• Voted to dissolve the
District’s pay-
to-participate
policy that
has been in
place to help
fund student
Witty
programs
over the past
several years.
Superintendent Mark
Witty said money from the
state Student Investment
Account will
be used in-
stead for that
purpose.
Cassidy
said he was
Cassidy
happy to see
the proposal
come to the Board.
“I think it’s a great move
and it has been a long time
coming,” Cassidy said.
Witty added that even
though scholarships are
available to students who
can’t afford the participa-
tion fee, it still can remain
a barrier that prevents
some students from engag-
ing in programs.
“I do believe it is a bar-
rier and at the end of the
day it is an equity issue,”
Cassidy said.
• Accepted the retire-
ment of Jill Nelson, BHS/
BTI art teacher.
• Accepted the resig-
nation of Adriene Oster,
Future Center Facilitator/
Workforce Development
coordinator and Oregon
Teacher Pathway instruc-
tor at BHS and BTI. Witty
said Oster has accepted
a position at Baker Web
Academy.
• Approved the hiring of
Kira Reoch as a certifi ed
registered nurse instruc-
tor at BTI, and Lindsey
Bennington-McDowell, as
a confi dential employee
in the District Offi ce,
who will work as a public
information and communi-
cations coordinator.
• Learned that Lynn
Schmitt is retiring from
her job as a paraprofes-
sional at BHS and that
Kevin Lee has been hired
as a temporary parapro-
fessional at Brooklyn
Primary School.
SPORTS
Continued from Page 1A
The season for spring
sports — baseball, softball,
tennis, track and fi eld and
golf — is set for April 5
through May 23.
The season for traditional
winter sports — basketball,
wrestling and swimming — is
May 10 through June 27.
BAKER CITY HERALD — 3A
second, it’s really important
to be back in school, in-per-
son,” Benites said.
Girls Soccer
Girls varsity coach Eric
Layton is confi dent his
players, after practicing and
playing a couple of matches
against La Grande during
last fall’s mini-season, won’t
need to adjust to wearing
masks.
Cross-Country
Like Benites, Layton
Longtime coach Suzy Cole
acknowledges the challenge
said she was glad that BHS
of having only a week of
students returned to in-per-
practice to prepare for the
son classes two days per week
Bulldogs’ fi rst match, tenta-
on Jan. 25. Now, less than a
tively set for March 2 against
month later, they’ll also start
Ontario.
regular practices for an ab-
“I’d like to just hit the
breviated sports season.
ground running, on the day
“It’s huge academically,
we practice and just do two-
socially and emotionally,” Cole
hour practices,” Layton said.
said. “Kids just need to be
“Start easy and work our
able to be around one another
way up to a more rigorous
and have those relationships
practice.”
outside of just the house.”
Layton said he hopes his
Challenges remain, how-
team will have something to
ever.
shoot for during their regular-
The OSAA recommends
season matches.
that during cross-country
“I would still love to see
Corey Kirk/Baker City Herald some sort of culminating,
meets, runners from no more
Hudson Spike, freshman wide receiver.
than two schools be on the
league championship,” Layton
course at the same time to
said. “I think we are going
prevent potential crowds of
Football players had a four- to get enough games in, that
She has tempered her
runners.
you could see teams and have
expectations for Baker’s fi rst week mini-season last fall,
Cole, who serves on an
some sort of tournament. You
but there were no games.
practice Feb. 22.
OSAA steering committee,
need to have some sort of goal
The prospect of don-
“We will just treat it as a
said she believes that restric- workout, getting them out
at the end of the season.”
ning pads and having real
tion is feasible, although she there, being able to do some- practices, in preparation for
He also hopes parents will
hoped OSAA would be more thing, we just know the times a possible fi ve-game schedule be able to watch their kids
fl exible considering that
play, given the ample space
will be all over the board for a starting March 5, is a major
teams from smaller schools
on the sidelines for social dis-
achievement, Ramos said.
while,” Cole said.
in Eastern Oregon and other
“What our kids really need tancing. That wasn’t possible
Although the cross-country
rural areas have far fewer
right now is that connection, during the unoffi cial matches
season won’t culminate as
runners than bigger schools, usual with the state champi- back to school, connection
against La Grande last fall.
making the two-school re-
“I still think there’s a bet-
onship meet at Lane Commu- with their peers, the social
striction less necessary in this nity College in Eugene, Cole aspect of that is usually
ter way to do that, we could
region.
important,” Ramos said. “We space out families somehow.
said she hopes it’s possible
“Some schools like in Port- to arrange a multi-school
had that fall mini-season, and That was kind of hard for the
land, the 6A schools, they are competition of some sort.
families to not see the few
we were wanting a little bit
going to have a hundred on
games that their kids had,”
more.”
Cole said that besides
their team,” Cole said. “A dual being happy to coach again,
Although a regular playoff Layton said.
(meet) for them will look dif- she’s excited that parents will schedule, with a state cham-
ferent than a dual for us. We be able to root on their kids.
pionship game, won’t happen, Volleyball
Baker varsity coach Ali
were really hoping we could
“That’s a huge part of them Ramos said he hopes there
say, can we have a hundred
and their journey of their kids will be something to conclude Abrego said that although the
on the course, between the
the season, similar to a bowl Bulldogs were limited to the
going through high school,”
boys and girls team. Right
game, so players have some- abbreviated mini-season last
she said.
fall, she thinks the team made
now that doesn’t seem like it
thing to look forward to at
Football
would quite fl y yet.”
the end of the season, which progress then, and she’s ready
Coaches for volleyball,
Cole said she expects to
concludes the second week of to return to the court Feb. 22.
“I don’t plan to revisit things
have about half as many run- cross-country and soccer
April.
knew that practices could
that we covered in the fall, I
ners as she did in the fall of
“I think that would be a
plan on building off of that,”
2019, the last regular season start Feb. 22, but until Feb.
great idea, let’s get some
10, football was still the big
(the 2020 cross-country
maybe regional matchups be- Abrego said.
She’s excited about the
schedule was canceled). Cole question mark.
tween league champions, and
That afternoon, Oregon
potential for Baker to compete
said she has talked with
make it worth something,”
against regional schools,
other cross-country coaches in Gov. Kate Brown announced Ramos said. “That’s kind of
the region, and they reported that high school and middle
what kids are motivated for, is starting with a home match
school football could also
a similar drop in numbers.
what is that at the end of the against Burns on March 2.
“In our region we have a
With the OSAA limitation start.
season that’s driving us.”
Baker varsity head coach
lot of talent, that in a nor-
of two teams on a course,
mal year we wouldn’t get to
rather than the usual meets Jason Ramos breathed a sigh Boys Soccer
Boys varsity coach Victor
of relief when he heard that
come up against because of
that involve six or more
Benites is excited for practice the different classifi cations,”
schools, events will be pretty news.
“Our kids are happy, I feel to start Feb. 22, but he also
Abrego said. “I think it will
sparse.
like a weight has been lifted feels the pressure of trying to be benefi cial to our kids to
“That’s kind of frustrat-
get his players ready for their get to see different programs
off their shoulders, they’ve
ing, because our dual meets
fi rst match, tentatively set for throughout our local areas.”
been in limbo all this time
are going to be really, really
March 2 against Ontario.
Abrego, a special educa-
small,” Cole said. “I feel very since the fall,” Ramos said.
“We only got like one week tion teacher at Baker Middle
“We had guys texting us,
comfortable that we could
and we felt like we needed to of practice, I want to be ready School, said she was pleased
easily have a four-(school)
for the fi rst game,” Benites
celebrate because our guys
that students at that school,
meet and still meet all the
said. “It’s going to be tough,
are all in.”
as at the high school, returned
safety protocols. I am not
you have to get conditioning
Ramos, who also teaches
to in-person classes two days
getting that feeling right now
right away. I don’t know how per week on Jan. 25.
math at BHS, said that as
that we will be able to go in
the kids have been doing
“I fully believe that student-
that direction yet but we are excited as he is to return to
— it’s going to be hard but
athletes are students fi rst,
still hoping to push for that.” the football fi eld, he’s more
they need to be putting the
Baker’s tentative schedule happy that students are back we are going to have to go
work in the classroom and
calls for the Bulldogs to com- in the classroom two days per day-by-day.”
Though he knows his
getting a good education, and
pete in fi ve meets, the fi rst on week.
“Sports are extracurricular players are raring to return
viewing athletics as a privi-
March 3, but that plan was
to the fi eld, Benites is even
or co-curricular, that means
lege,” Abrego said.
based on having more than
more excited to see them
“Hopefully we will have a
two schools competing at the they go hand-in-hand with
spending more time in their productive season, and I am
school,” he said. “Obviously
same event.
classrooms.
school comes fi rst, and we
very anxious after seeing the
Trying to fi gure out a
“Your education comes
talent that I had in the fall. I
competition schedule is a top want our kids back in the
fi rst, then you do the sport
classroom.”
am super hungry for it.”
priority, Cole said.