LOCAL & STATE
TUESDAY, MARCH 2, 2021
BAKER CITY HERALD — 3A
“My discussion has been, we’ve got to get back
full time at some point. We think it’s time to begin
sometime after spring break to get all students back.”
BOARDMAN TO HEMINGWAY POWER LINE PROPOSAL
— Mark Witty, superintendent, Baker School District
SCHOOLS
Continued from Page 1A
EO Media Group/File
A crew works on a power line tower outside Boardman. Oral arguments were held in federal court
over a proposed transmission line between Boardman and the Hemingway substation in Idaho.
Power line foes ask judge to
overturn agency approval
lematic because it’s only one-half
mile from La Grande, runs across
SALEM — Opponents of a 300- an intact portion of the Oregon
mile transmission line in Eastern Trail, and passes near ecologically
Oregon claim the U.S. Bureau of
sensitive areas, critics say.
Land Management’s approval
“The public had no way to
of the route across its property
anticipate the two new routes that
violated federal laws.
would run through that area. It
The Stop B2H Coalition —
deprived residents of La Grande
which is challenging the high-volt- and Union County of the right to
age power line between Boardman weigh in on disproportionately
and the Hemingway substation in adverse effects,” said David Becker,
Idaho — is asking a federal judge attorney for the coalition, during
to overturn BLM’s permission for Monday, Feb. 22, oral arguments.
the project.
The coalition also argues that
Among the transmission line’s
BLM didn’t properly evaluate the
critics, the agriculture industry
transmission line’s “synergistic”
has raised concerns about the
effects with livestock grazing,
project taking prime farmland out which the group argues will have
of production and impeding farm cumulative impacts on the sage
practices.
grouse in the region.
The agency didn’t comply with
The BLM and Idaho Power,
the National Environmental
the utility company that would
Policy Act by selecting a preferred construct the project, are defend-
route and a variant in 2017 that
ing an inadequate NEPA analysis
were different than what it had
of the transmission line’s effects,
analyzed in a draft environmental Becker said.
study, according to the coalition,
“They really are trying to piece
which has members in Baker
together and point the court in 25
County.
different directions and say, ‘We
The newly chosen route is prob- deserve deference,’ ” Becker said.
By Mateusz Perkowski
Capital Press
The BLM countered that its
preferred route was a permissible
“logical outgrowth” of alternatives
examined in a draft environmen-
tal impact statement, or EIS, and
doesn’t require a supplemental
NEPA study.
The agency wasn’t required to
study burying a section of the
power line and it suffi ciently
evaluated the implications of
grazing while examining the
route’s effects on vegetation, said
Krystal-Rose Perez, attorney for
the BLM.
“The EIS is not organized in
the way plaintiffs want, but it’s
up to BLM’s discretion how to
disclose that information,” she
said.
Beth Ginsberg, an attorney
for Idaho Power, said both the
Obama and Trump adminis-
trations have recognized the
transmission line as a critical
connection between the electri-
cal grids of the Pacifi c West and
Intermountain West.
“The importance of a project
like this cannot be understated,”
Ginsberg said.
Witty said he’s looking at start-
ing a four-day in-person schedule
on April 5 or April 12. BHS and
BMS students have been taking
in-person classes two days per week
since Jan. 25.
Witty said the state would have
to agree to make changes to the
current classroom space require-
ment of 35 square feet per student,
and to the size of the cohort groups
students are a part of each day. The
current limit is 100 people per day,
including staff.
The square foot requirement
would have to be reduced to 16 to
20 square feet and the cohort size
would have to be increased to 160
to 170 at Baker Middle School, and
up to 190 at Baker High School, for
the schools to reopen four days per
week, Witty said.
The Monday morning meeting
Witty was part of included about
12 superintendents representing
larger districts in the state and
some of the midsize districts such
as Baker, Witty said.
Elementary school students have
been attending in-person classes
four days a week since Oct. 14.
To make his point for fully re-
opening schools for older students,
the superintendent said he pointed
out that all Baker staff members
who wanted to be vaccinated have
been.
“Seventy to 75% of the staff have
gotten the vaccine,” he said.
Witty noted most of the residents
in the community’s long-term care
centers have been vaccinated, as
have many county residents ages
75 and older who live indepen-
dently.
And because vaccinations and
the number of available beds in
the hospital’s intensive care unit
have long been part of the discus-
sion of opening schools during the
COVID-19 pandemic, Witty said he
believes now would be the time to
start considering that action.
“My discussion has been, we’ve
got to get back full time at some
point,” he said. “We think it’s time
we begin sometime after spring
break to get all students back.”
Spring break is March 22-26.
Witty said the school leaders
have asked OHA to check with
other state health administrators
to learn how reopening schools is
going for them.
“There are academic consider-
ations and social-emotional consid-
erations,” for returning students to
their classrooms full time, he said.
Witty speaks proudly of the hard
work that has been expended to
ensure safety protocols have been
followed and the positive results
the Baker School District has
produced.
“We’ve had more kids in school
than any other school of our type
and our size,” he said.
And to date, there has been no
spread of the coronavirus in the
schools. Students and employees
who have tested positive were
infected elsewhere, Witty said.
“We’re having success,” he said of
his argument that it’s time to open
schools up full time for all students.
“And I think it was well-re-
ceived,” he said of the state offi cials.
“It’s now a matter of continuing to
provide information for them to
consider — they never said that the
suggestion was dead on arrival.”
Witty added, however, that any
plan to return secondary students
to in-person classes full time must
be done with student and staff
safety foremost in mind.
There are options for families
who would prefer not to send their
children back to the classroom.
Comprehensive distance learning
through livestreaming instruction
from the classrooms would remain
available for families who have
extenuating circumstances, such as
a vulnerable person in the home,
Witty said.
The Eagle Cap School, which has
an enrollment of about 160 stu-
dents in Grades 7-12 this year and
allows students to participate in
online learning at their own pace, is
another option.
Under the current system,
secondary students rotate through
two days of in-person attendance
and two days of learning at home
through comprehensive distance
learning.
Oregon to offer vaccine to all adults by July 1
more help for states.
In Oregon, Phase 1 vaccine
Every adult in Oregon will be
eligibility, which covers about 1.36
offered a vaccination against CO-
million people, reaches its last eligi-
VID-19 by July 1, with the two-shot bility milestone Monday, when those
vaccines reaching all adults who
age 65-69 can make appointments.
want it by August, Gov. Kate Brown
The state then plans to use most
said Friday, Feb. 26.
of March to catch up with some of
“Come summer, any Oregonian
the Phase 1 backlog.
who wants the vaccine can receive
Phase 2 eligibility begins March
it,” Brown announced at a virtual
29, when residents 45-64 with medi-
press conference.
cal conditions that the Centers for
It was a surprisingly optimistic
Disease Control defi nes as making
forecast after recent estimates that them more likely to become seri-
the vaccination of the entire state
ously ill or die if infected with CO-
would stretch into autumn or even VID-19, can sign up. Conditions in-
early 2022
clude type 2 diabetes, cancer, heart
Oregon has had one of the lowest conditions, kidney disease, COPD,
COVID-19 infection rates in the
Down syndrome, compromised
nation, with 154,878 infections and immune systems, sickle cell disease
2,206 deaths through Friday. Na-
and type 2 diabetes. Pregnancy is
tionwide, there have been just under on the list, as is obesity that results
28.5 million infections and 510,089 in a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30
deaths, according to the Johns Hop- or more.
kins Coronavirus Resource Center.
Residents should consult with
The shorter timeline announced their doctor and with the full
Friday is based on reports from the explanation of qualifying conditions
Biden Administration that Pfi zer
on the CDC and Oregon Health
and Moderna, the maker of the two Authority websites.
currently available vaccines, will
Also eligible on March 29 are
hit their production targets, which
some farm and food industry work-
would increase the number of doses ers, homeless people, residents of
coming to states.
low-income or congregate housing,
A third vaccine, being developed
wildland fi refi ghters and those
by Johnson & Johnson, requires
displaced by the 2020 wildfi res.
just one inoculation, though initial
On May 1, those 16-44 with medi-
reports show its effectiveness is
cal conditions on the CDC list can
somewhat less than the Pfi zer and sign up. Also “frontline” workers
Moderna doses.
with jobs dealing with the public,
Logistical bottlenecks are being
and any adult living in a multi-
cleared and Biden is bringing in
generational household.
By Gary A. Warner
Oregon Capital Bureau
Blazing Fast
Internet!
ADD TO YOUR PACKAGE FOR ONLY
19 . 99
$
/mo.
where available
2-YEAR TV PRICE GUARANTEE
64
$
99
MO.
America’s Top 120 Package
190 CHANNELS
for 12 Mos. Including Local Channels!
CALL TODAY - For $100 Gift Card Promo Code: DISH100
1-866-373-9175
Offer ends 7/14/21.
All offers require credit qualification, 24-month commitment with early termination fee and eAutoPay. Prices include Hopper Duo for qualifying customers. Hopper,
Hopper w/Sling or Hopper 3 $5/mo. more. Upfront fees may apply based on credit qualification.
Phase 2 wraps up with anyone
over 45 eligible on June 1 and any-
one over 16 on July 1.
No vaccine approved for children
is available yet, though several are
under development.
The optimistic scenario for the
future clashed with the reality of
widespread frustration over the gap
between eligibility and availability.
Brown and Allen forecast “chaos”
last month for the system of large
vaccination centers and local phar-
macies that will handle inoculation
of seniors across the state.
The central math problem is too
little vaccine for too many arms.
Allen pointed out Oregon is at or
above the national average of 15%
of the populace having received at
least one shot.
But a look at the numbers is
daunting and at least for now, disap-
pointing.
About 1.36 million people in
Oregon are in Phase 1. Each vac-
cination requires two shots, or 2.72
million shots for the group.
Oregon is not close to reaching
that number. Between the vaccine
fi rst becoming available at the end
of December 2020 and Friday, Or-
egon reports it has injected 911,648
doses.
That would leave 1.8 million
shots needed to cover Phase 1 with
a month to go until Phase 2 starts.
Oregon has ramped up to about
20,000 shots per day and forecasts
expanding the number of places
and people who can inoculate those
Vaccine eligibility
MARCH 29
• Adults age 45 to 64 with
underlying health conditions,
as defi ned by the CDC
• Seasonal workers, such as
migrant farm workers, seafood
and agricultural workers, and
food processing workers.
• Currently displaced victims
of the September 2020 wild-
fi res
• Wildland fi refi ghters
• People living in low-income
and congregate senior housing
• Homeless
MAY 1:
• Individuals age 16-45 with
underlying health conditions
• All other frontline workers
as defi ned by the CDC
• Multigenerational house-
hold members
JUNE 1:
Adults 45 to 64.
JULY 1:
Everyone age 16 and over.
eligible as the vaccine supply
increases.
One number that’s not known is
how many people are refusing the
offer to be inoculated.
Oregon Health Authority Direc-
tor Pat Allen said neither state or
federal offi cials are tracking who is
eligible but says no to the vaccine.
The higher that number, the more
Imagine The Difference You Can Make
DONATE YOUR CAR
1-844-533-9173
vaccine is actually available for
those that want it.
Allen said OHA is still vaccinat-
ing Phase 1 groups who want to be
inoculated but have not yet been
able to get to a vaccine site.
Brown said that pausing this
month will allow Oregon to catch up
on the backlog.
“We want to keep our commit-
ment to our seniors,” Brown said.
Allen said Phase 2 will begin May
29 regardless of how many Phase 1
people get inoculated this month.
Brown has been sharply criticized
for her decision last month to depart
from CDC guidelines recommend-
ing the next priority go to vaccinat-
ing those over 65. In Oregon, 90% of
COVID-19 deaths have been age 60
or older.
The governor opted to put
153,000 teachers, school staff and
day care workers ahead of seniors.
Brown argued the school group
was small compared to the nearly
800,000 seniors. To wait would
likely wipe out any chance to get
schoolchildren back in classrooms in
the spring.
Learning in the classroom is
overall far better and equitable than
“virtual” learning where a laptop or
tablet and internet connection can
be diffi cult to obtain for poorer fami-
lies. Schools also offer hot meals,
and check in on children’s mental
and physical health, while freeing
parents to work outside the home.
See Vaccinations/Page 5A
Prepare for unexpected
power outages with a
Generac home standby
generator
SCHEDULE YOUR FREE IN-HOME
ASSESSMENT TODAY!
FREE TOWING
TAX DEDUCTIBLE
877-557-1912
Help Prevent Blindness
Get A Vision Screening Annually
FREE
7-Year Extended Warranty*
A $695 Value!
Off er valid March 16, 2020 - June 30, 2020
Ask About A FREE 3 Day
Vacation Voucher To Over
20 Destinations!!!
Special Financing Available
Subject to Credit Approval
*Terms & Conditions Apply