‘AVY SAVVY’
THURSDAY
BAKER VOLLEYBALL TEAM SWEEPS NYSSA IN HOME MATCH: SPORTS, 6A
Sale of limited edition prints support
WALLOWA AVALANCHE CENTER
NORTHEAST OREGON
MARCH 18, 2021
www.gonortheastoregon.com
Also inside:
C rossroads restarts art classes
W ild & Scenic Film Festival streams live
C oncerto + Aria winner Sarah Plummer
“Bluebird, Baby!” by Nicole Freshley
GO! Magazine
Serving Baker County since 1870 • bakercityherald.com
March 18, 2021
IN THIS EDITION:
QUICK HITS
Good Day Wish
To A Subscriber
A special good day to
Herald subscriber Norman
Morris of Baker City.
Oregon, 3A
SALEM — The fuzzy
future of Oregon politics
east of the Cascades went
public last week — no
diagrams, charts, data —
really nothing tangible at
all to show how new leg-
islative and congressional
districts will be drawn.
Local • Business & AgLife • Go! magazine $1.50
Merkley has virtual town hall
By Samantha O’Conner
soconner@bakercityherald.com
U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore.,
had an online town hall for Baker
County residents on Tuesday,
March 16, and federal COVID-19
aid was a major topic.
Merkley, who was elected in
2008 and reelected to a six-year
term in 2014, started the town
hall by recognizing Crossroads
Carnegie Art Center for commit-
ting $11,000 to help Baker County
artists and for working with Baker
City to help distribute money
from the 2020 CARES Act to local
artists.
“They have been successful in
securing grants an increase of 30%
from the previous years, so well
done,” Merkley said.
Ginger Savage, Crossroads exec-
utive director, asked Merkley about
the status of a federal tax program
that makes some donations to arts
organizations tax-deductible.
See Merkley/Page 2A
Federal COVID-19 Aid Bill Will Send More Than $5 Million To Baker County
BRIEFING
North Powder
Rural Fire District
plans open house
at its new station
NORTH POWDER — The
North Powder Rural Fire
District will have an open
house at its new fi re sta-
tion, 710 East St. North, on
Saturday, March 20 from
11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Burg-
ers and hotdogs will be
served.
WEATHER
Today
58 / 39
Partly sunny
Friday
55 / 31
A few showers
Full forecast on the back
of the B section.
The space below is for
a postage label for issues
that are mailed.
Merkley
Recalling
a close
call on
freeway
■ Terry Benge
barely avoided a
collision with a
wrong-way driver
By Jayson Jacoby
jjacoby@bakercityherald.com
told him that the county
and cities will receive two
separate payments, one
this year and one next.
Bennett said he doesn’t
have a timeline for the
payments.
He also is awaiting
guidelines on how coun-
ties and cities can use the money.
However, Bennett said his goal
will be the same as with CARES Act
money — to distribute money to busi-
nesses and other local entities that
have struggled due to closures and
other restrictions.
“Our goal would be to get the
money out, and to make it the most
effi cient that we can,” Bennett said.
“We don’t want to leave any holes.
Our business community has suffered
so many losses.”
When Terry Benge saw
the silver car speeding
straight at him, he scarcely
had time to react.
Benge, who was driving
a tow truck, swerved to the
shoulder of Interstate 84.
Maybe a second later, the
car whizzed past.
Benge estimates the dis-
tance between the car and
his truck was a couple feet.
“It was close enough I
could tell he was clean-shav-
en,” Benge said.
A few miles farther along
the freeway, the driver of the
silver car, Logan Raye Deuel-
Clinkenbeard, 28, collided
with an Oregon State Police
SUV driven by Sr. Trooper
Andrew McClay.
Neither was seriously
hurt in the crash, which
happened about 2:10 p.m.
on Friday, March 12 near
Milepost 327, near Durkee
about 23 miles east of Baker
City.
Deuel-Clinkenbeard,
whose address was listed as
Missoula, Montana, by the
Baker County Jail but who
also has a Camas, Washing-
ton, address, according to
court records, was arrested
and charged with second-
degree attempted assault,
reckless driving and reck-
lessly endangering another
person.
See Aid/Page 2A
See Close Call/Page 2A
County scheduling
COVID-19 vaccine
appointments
Baker County residents
18 and older are encour-
aged to add their name
to the county’s COVID-19
vaccine list. Although cur-
rently people 65 and older
are eligible, the county
will offer doses to younger
residents if needed to
avoid wasting vaccine. To
get on the list, call 541-523-
0015 or go to the website
bakercountycovid19.com.
Your guide to arts,
entertainment and
other events
happening around
Northeast Oregon
Lisa Britton/For the Baker City Herald
Baker County will get $3.13 million and Baker City
$2 million from the COVID-19 aid package that Con-
gress passed earlier this month.
COVID Aid Coming
By Jayson Jacoby
jjacoby@bakercityherald.com
“We don’t want to leave any holes.
Our business community has
suffered so many losses.”
Baker County will receive
$3.13 million, and Baker City
$2 million, from the federal CO- — Mark Bennett, Baker County
VID-19 aid bill that President
Commissioner
Joe Biden signed last week.
Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., who
voted for the legislation, touted
the fi rst federal COVID-19 aid pack-
the fi nancial aid for local govern-
age that President Donald Trump
ments during a Zoom interview with signed almost a year ago, in late
the Baker City Herald on Tuesday
March 2020.
afternoon, March 16, prior to a virtual
Baker County Commissioner Mark
town hall with Baker County resi-
Bennett said the county received close
dents (see related story, above).
to $2 million from the CARES Act,
The $1.9 trillion American Rescue including about $1 million to offset
Plan Act includes $350 billion for
county expenses and $641,000 to sup-
state, local and tribal governments.
port local businesses and nonprofi t
Six other incorporated cities in
organizations.
Baker County will also receive money,
Baker City’s share include $292,000
ranging from $10,000 to $90,000.
that the city distributed among local
Both Baker City and Baker County nonprofi t groups.
are getting more money from this bill
Bennett said he also met with
than they did from the CARES Act,
Merkley on Tuesday, and the senator
Music maker
■ Lindianne Sarno, who recently moved
to Baker City, is eager to share her love of
music, as well as gardening and cooking
By Lisa Britton
For the Baker City Herald
Lindianne Sarno is ready to share her love of music and
gardening with Baker City.
Sarno, 68, recently moved to town and is establishing
what she calls her Music Garden.
“I’ve been teaching music since I was 16,” she said. “I love
music and I love teaching people of all ages.”
She moved to Oregon from the East Coast in the 1980s.
Since then, she spent 15 years in Tucson, Arizona, followed
by 11 years in Alaska.
See Music/Page 3A
TODAY
Issue 132, 22 pages
Business .............. 1B-3B
Classified ............. 4B-6B
Comics ....................... 7B
Richard Bremicker/Contributed Photo
Lindianne Sarno, second from left, playing fi ddle, performs at Homer, Alaska.
Community News ....3A
Crossword ........4B & 6B
Dear Abby ................. 8B
Horoscope ........4B & 6B
Letters ........................4A
Lottery Results ..........2A
News of Record ........2A
Opinion ......................4A
Senior Menus ...........2A
Sports ........................6A
Turning Backs ...........2A
Weather ..................... 8B
SATURDAY — HISTORIC BUILDINGS RECEIVE RENOVATION GRANTS