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About Baker City herald. (Baker City, Or.) 1990-current | View Entire Issue (March 13, 2021)
SATURDAY, MARCH 13, 2021 BAKER CITY HERALD — 3A COMMUNITY ARCHERY PRINCIPALS Continued from Page 1A Continued from Page 1A One is the increasing num- ber of archery hunters over the past few decades. ODFW said the number of archers hunting elk in Eastern Or- egon rose from about 12,300 in 1995 to about 18,500 in 2019. And due in part to im- provements in technology, which allow hunters to make longer kill shots, archery hunters have higher success rates. But because the archery seasons have remained gen- eral seasons, with no limits on how many tags are sold, ODFW’s lone tool to limit hunting to protect deer and elk herds has been to cut the number of tags for rifl e hunts, which are controlled hunts with limited tags awarded through the lottery system. “Currently the controlled rifl e season is the one place we have the ability to adjust hunter harvest, and they have taken almost all the tag reductions in the last 25 years,” said Jeremy Thomp- son, district wildlife biologist for ODFW’s Mid-Columbia area who is managing the review of elk archery hunts. “The ultimate goal of this proposal is to be able to make management actions equi- table for all users.” In choosing which units to propose the change from a general to a controlled ar- chery season, ODFW offi cials considered the current elk populations in those units, as well as hunter density and hunter displacement, which are based on a public survey of hunters done in 2020. Units where the bull ratio — the number of bulls per cows — have not met the state’s goals in three out of fi ve years are proposed to change from general to con- trolled archery hunts in 2022. “We have tried to craft a solution that addresses the problems we are seeing in some units, while continuing to retain as much general sea- son opportunity as possible,” Thompson said. ODFW is proposing to change from a general to a controlled elk archery hunt in some other units because although those units are meeting bull ratio goals, the bull elk harvest is near what biologists consider the unit’s capacity. In some units, archery hunters have been taking as many or more branch-antlered bulls than rifl e hunters have, according to ODFW. Two Baker County archery hunters, Bob Reedy and Keith Jensen, said they have Witty announced last month that Skye Flanagan, current middle school principal, would be taking the lead as BHS principal in the coming year. Greg Mitchell, current principal, will move to the District offi ce Flanagan where he’ll work as director of federal programs, curriculum and professional development. Jodi Thew, who was hired for that work last year, will move to Baker Middle School to replace Flanagan as prin- cipal there. “This is a great opportunity for us to pro- Mitchell mote leadership changes that capitalize on the strengths of our administrators,” Witty stated in the press release. “Each of these individuals has done an excellent job within their current assign- ment,” he stated. “Moving them to a differ- ent building will allow them to develop their Thew capacity as school leaders.” During Thursday’s meeting, Witty ex- pressed his pride in members of the administrative team. “I’ve worked with a lot of people over a lot of years and it takes time to develop the relationships we have,” he said. “I have absolute full confi dence in every one of these individuals.” In comments included with the March 11 press release, the reassigned principals and administrators talked about their new positions. Anderson said: “I’ve grown so close to the staff and families at Brooklyn, it will be hard to say goodbye. I’m really proud of what the staff has accomplished over the past fi ve years. I am excited to join the team at South Baker Intermediate and continue to support the great work they are doing.” Hurliman said: “I’ve really enjoyed working with our high school students and staff. I look forward to devel- oping close relationships with our families and staff at Brooklyn Primary and South Baker Intermediate, as well as further developing my leadership skills in this new role.” Collier, referring to Haines Elementary, said: “This school means so much to me. Working in a small school, you get very close to the staff, families, and students. It’s been a wonderful experience. I am looking forward to the opportunity of working with the community at Brooklyn Primary.” Bates said: “With all my past experience at the elemen- tary, middle, and high school levels, I am looking forward to helping Skye Flanagan in making a smooth transition for staff and students at BHS.” Moore said: “I’m excited to be taking this step in my ca- reer. While serving as the dean of students at South Baker, I was able to experience all aspects of school leadership. In addition, my family owns a ranch, so small, rural schools are near and dear to my heart. It will be a great fi t personally.” The Nature Conservancy/Contributed Photo A large herd of elk on the Zumwalt Prairie in Wallowa County. Units proposed to change from general season to controlled season, for archery elk hunters, in 2022: Silvies, N. Malheur River, West Beulah, Murderers Creek, Northside, North Sumpter, Desolation, Heppner, Ukiah, Starkey, Catherine Creek, Keating, Minam, Imnaha, Snake River, Pine Creek concerns about the potential effects of ODFW’s proposed changes. Reedy, who lives in Baker City and also owns an archery shop, disputes ODFW’s con- tention that switching from a general to a controlled season for elk is necessary to deal with declining elk populations and bull ratios. “I think a lot of this is about the state mismanaging the animals,” Reedy said. He contends that the state could either temporar- ily ban hunters from killing bulls, whether they use bows or rifl es, or change the bag limit to prohibit hunters from shooting spike bulls. By restricting hunters to harvesting only mature, branch-antlered bulls, Reedy believes the state could boost bull ratios in units where they’re below state objectives. “If they want better bull ratios, stop shooting so many bulls,” he said. Jensen, who also owns an archery shop, in Bowen Valley just south of Baker City, said he concedes ODFW’s point that for the past few decades rifl e hunters, not archers, have borne the brunt of cuts in elk tag numbers. But Jensen said he’s wor- ried that ODFW’s proposed “piecemeal” approach — moving to controlled archery seasons in some units but continuing with a general season in others — would push many hunters to units with a general season, leading to overcrowding. Both Jensen and Reedy also believe ODFW is failing to acknowledge that predation, by bears, cougars and wolves, is contributing to declining elk numbers in some units. ODFW is asking hunters to submit comments on the proposed changes, which the Fish and Wildlife Commission is scheduled to discuss during its June 18 meeting. The Commission will make a fi nal decision on archery seasons for 2022 during its September 2021 meeting. More information is avail- able online at myodfw.com/ articles/big-game-hunting- season-review Comments should be emailed to odfw.wildlifeinfo@ state.or.us no later than April 15. There will be additional opportunities to comment before and during the Com- mission’s June 18 meeting. airplane bound for New Jersey. “It was very random,” Cripe Continued from Page 1A said of how this opportunity Arvidson runs Med Trans- came about. “Everything just port Inc., and has contracts aligned.” with FEMA and other disaster He left Baker City on Feb. 3, relief agencies. Right now, and returned March 6. those contracts need medical Cripe was assigned to a professionals to help at vacci- vaccination clinic set up in nation clinics and “step down” an Atlantic City convention services at hospitals across the center — one of several “mega country. sites” established to adminis- Cripe called Arvidson, and ter COVID-19 vaccines. the next day Cripe was on an “The convention center is huge. We used maybe a tenth of it,” he said. When he arrived, a shift of 10 nurses were giving 400 to 600 shots a day. Cripe’s unit of 10 paramed- ics began working 12-hour shifts, seven days a week. “By the time we left, we were doing 3,600 shots a day,” he said. “Their was goal was to get to 4,000 a day.” Except for about 80 doses, he said they were giving the Pfi zer-BioNTech vaccine. A full pharmacy on site stored the vaccine until needed. The experience, he said, differed greatly from his career as a fi refi ghter/para- medic where he never knew what daily challenges he would encounter. At the vaccination clinic, he had the same routine every day: he got up at 5:30 a.m., had breakfast at 6:30 a.m., arrived at the convention center at 7 a.m., and then gave shots from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. “It almost seemed like Groundhog Day,” he said. It did, however, give him the chance to meet new people. “I had a lot of good conver- sations,” he said. “So many people were so thankful for me being there.” Having a vaccine avail- able, he said, seemed to give people new hope. “A bunch of people cried — the thought of the world going back to a sense of normalcy,” he said. And he’s glad he had the chance to help. “I was honored to do it. It was a great experience,” he said. “There are so many good people in the world. I made some lifelong friends.” He’s planning to stick around Eastern Oregon, and hopes to take more deploy- ments such as this one. “I think there will be endless opportunities,” Cripe said. HELPER New At The Library Patrons can reserve materials in advance online or by calling 541-523-6419. Drive-in hours at 2400 Resort St. are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. FICTION • “Fast Ice,” Clive Cussler • “Meant To Be,” Jude Deveraux • “Win,” Harlan Coben • “The Crown,” Nancy Bilyeau NONFICTION • “Think Again,” Adam Grant • “Irreversible Damage,” Abigail Shrier • “The Cult of the Constitution,” Mary Anne Franks • “Let Me Tell You What I Mean,” Joan Didion DVDS • “Are You Afraid of the Dark?” (Family) • “Not Of This Earth” (Sci-Fi) • “Possessor” (Horror) • “Relieving Stress With Yoga” (Documentary) Moore Expanded schedule possible for middle school, high school students In other business Thursday night, Witty told the Board that in discussions with Colt Gill, director of the Oregon Department of Education, he has reason to believe that the state will relax social distancing requirements in schools soon. That would open the door for Baker Middle School and Baker High School to return to in-person classes full time. Witty said Gill was “hopeful, but not certain” that the square-footage requirement in classrooms would decrease from the current 35 square feet per student and the number of children allowed in cohort groups in each class would be allowed to increase from the current 100 people per day. Those changes would allow the full reopening of Baker’s secondary schools to a regular four- day per week schedule. The Baker School District has many factors support- ing its efforts that has allowed it to be one of the largest districts in the state to be as open for in-person classes as possible under the guidelines, Witty said. Elementary students have attended classes four days a week since Oct. 14. Secondary students had in-person classes one day a week starting Nov. 9, and they moved to two days of in-person classes per week on Jan. 25. Witty credited the staff with helping achieve goals for getting students back to in-person instruction. “It’s a huge advantage to have willing teachers coming to work,” he said. All District employees who wanted to be vaccinated have been and have passed the two-week mark since the last inoculation to put them at maximum immunity, Witty said. Gov. Kate Brown announced on Friday, March 12, that the Department of Education would release the new guidelines early next week. If changes are made to allow full reopening for Baker secondary students, Witty said he will immediately con- fer with the Baker County Health Department and Dr. Eric Lamb, the county’s public health offi cer, to determine how to proceed. “It’s in the (Oregon Health Authority’s) hands and the governor’s offi ce at this point,” he said. Are you Interested in Teaching Preschool? St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church is hiring a part-time preschool teacher. Candidates with a background in early education and experience working with children are preferred. The position will pay $20-$25/ hour, depending on experience. Classes run three hours per day Monday-Thursday with additional prep time. Interested can- didates need to submit a letter of interest detailing their relevant background and experience along with two current references to St. Stephens Preschool, P.O. Box 1146, Baker City, OR 97814 or email to: Z[Z[LWOLUZ'X^LZ[VɉJLUL[ If you or someone you know might be interested in this opportunity you can also visit our YouTube channel to learn more by https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJ2rUNn94FA.
