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About Baker City herald. (Baker City, Or.) 1990-current | View Entire Issue (March 20, 2021)
SATURDAY, MARCH 20, 2021 BAKER CITY HERALD — 3A OTHERS ALLEGED COACH ENCOURAGED ATHLETES TO COMPETE IN IDAHO TOURNAMENTS Wallowa basketball coach resigns after complaints from football team By Ellen Morris Bishop For the Wallowa County Chieftain WALLOWA — Wallowa High School Principal David Howe resigned his position as the school’s girls basket- ball coach Monday night, March 15, in the face of an offi cial complaint fi led by the school’s football team with the Wallowa superintendent of schools March 2. The outcome of the com- plaint is pending and still in review. Head football coach Matt Brockamp, Wallowa Super- intendent of Schools Tammy Jones and Wallowa School Board Chairman Woody Wolfe all declined to comment or provide the Chieftain with the text of the March 2 com- plaint or a second complaint fi led with the school board on March 8. “My duties as principal and my duties as the girls basketball coach seem to be in confl ict with each other and therefore I will be resigning my position as girls basketball coach, effective immediately,” Howe said in a prepared statement to the Wallowa School Board on Monday. Howe’s resignation was precipitated by the complaint as well as allegations of encouraging and supporting Wallowa High School athletes to participate in high school tournaments in Idaho earlier this year. Under Oregon School Activities Association (OSAA) rules, participation in out-of- state sports events requires student athletes to self-quar- antine for two weeks after the out-of-state games. Brockamp had protested Howe’s action, out of concern that students who participated in the Idaho basketball games would Ellen Morris Bishop/For the Wallowa County Chieftain David Howe, Wallowa High School’s principal and girls basketball coach, reads his letter of resignation to the Wallowa School Board on Monday, March 15. not be able to play the fi rst and possibly other games in Wallowa’s short, fi ve-game football season. “As a head coach, I made my concerns known to WHS about unsanctioned, out-of- state basketball tournaments jeopardizing our opportunity to play an OSAA-sanctioned football season,” Brockamp stated at an emotion-charged school board meeting March 8. At that meeting he called for “a fundamental change in Wallowa High School.” The concerns about Idaho basketball games are coupled with controversy over Wal- lowa High School’s failure to schedule a replacement game for the canceled Elgin contest, which had been scheduled for March 6. “I was instructed to tell my football team, which has worked hard preparing for a month outside in the snow, that WHS would not schedule them another home game with another team,” Brockamp said at the March 8 meeting. Howe’s resignation in- cluded an apology. “I am deeply sorry for any hurt I have caused my students, coaches and community members, staff members or board members,” Howe said in his prepared remarks. “That was not my intent. It was never my intent to undermine other sports programs or coaches. If that occurred, I apologize for that.” Six parents and Wallowa School District staff at the meeting spoke during the public comment period. Most expressed support for the school, and for Jones, who came under fi re at the March 8 meeting, as a competent and caring administrator. Wallowa fi rst-grade teacher Kelsey Layton praised Jones for “inspiring, encouraging and working alongside of us to build relationships with (teachers) and families during this unprecedented year.” “Students are the No. 1 concern,” said Melissa Lowe, who teaches Title 1 classes. “We need to remember in our community that education safety and well-being of our students, your children, and education should be fi rst and foremost, not sports.” But parent Joe Miles criticized the school board for a lack of community and educational leadership. “I support you guys, but at the same time I do have a higher expectation of any- body in a leadership posi- tion,” he said. “There’s a lot of frustrated people in this community.” Those thoughts echoed some of the comments made to the school board at the March 8 meeting. They included concerns about lack of respect for students, stu- dent athletes and Wallowa’s rural culture. At the well-attended March 8 meeting, the entire WHS senior class presented a letter regarding parts of the school’s mask policy. Specifi cally, the seniors were speaking against them being the ones called on to enforce the school’s mask mandates rather than administrators. They also spoke on concerns that this year’s senior trip might be canceled due to the seniors’ lack of enforcement of mask-wearing by all stu- dents in the high school. But the trip still is on, Jones said. It is tentatively planned as a three-day jaunt either to the Oregon Coast or Triple Play Family Fun Park in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. The fi nal decision on desti- nation and COVID protocols will be made as the date gets nearer, she said. “I think COVID defi nitely has placed a lot of stress on families and the community,” Jones said. “The more we can have kids have more normality, the better off the kids are.” L OCAL B RIEFING Annual cleanup at Mount Hope Cemetery scheduled for April 12-26 Baker City’s maintenance contractor, Grass Mas- ters, will be doing the spring cleanup at Mount Hope Cemetery, including removing deteriorated decora- tions and fl owers, from April 12-26. The city is asking people to remove those items before April 12. They can be replaced starting April 27. Items that are left and that the contractor has to move will be stored, except perishable items, until Nov. 1, 2021. A copy of the cemetery rules is available at www. bakercity.com, and more information is available by calling 541-524-2047. Free online training for landlords, housing providers scheduled April 6 The Fair Housing Council of Oregon (FHCO) and the Northeast Oregon Economic Development District are co-hosting a free online training for landlords and housing providers. The training will cover current fair housing laws, COVID-19 and best practices in rental housing and the Oregon eviction moratorium. The training will be April 6 from 10 a.m. to noon via Zoom. Registration is required. For more information or to receive information about registration, contact Lisa Dawson at lisadawson@neoedd.org or Glenda Moyer at gmoyer@fhco.org. State Sen. Lynn Findley, Rep. Mark Owens plan virtual town hall March 24 Baker County’s two state legislators, Sen. Lynn Findley, R-Vale, and Rep. Mark Owens, R-Crane, will participate in a virtual town hall with another repre- sentative, Daniel Bonham, R-The Dalles, on Wednes- day, March 24 from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. More information, including ways to participate in the online town hall, is available at Findley’s Facebook page, www.facebook.com/senlynnfi ndley. Free six-week ‘Business Foundations’ workshop series starting March 31 The Northeast Oregon Economic Development District (NEOEDD) is offering a free six-week work- shop series designed to help entrepreneurs and small business owners. The “Business Foundations” series will take place on Wednesday evenings starting March 31 and continuing through May 5, from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. each evening. Classes are done by videoconfer- ence, and preference for registration is given to people with low to moderate incomes. Lisa Dawson, executive director of NEOEDD, has been teaching the Business Foundations workshops for more than a decade. Topics covered include busi- ness concepts, analyzing fi nancial essentials, sales forecasting, market research, marketing and present- ing a business plan. For information about registering for the workshop series, call Dawson at 541-426-3593 or email lisadaw- son@neoedd.org. OREGON SENATE APPROVES RESOLUTION ASKING VOTERS TO AMEND STATE CONSTITUTION Voters could make affordable health care a human right committee in the Senate. If it had been put on the ballot and approved SALEM — The Oregon Senate on by voters, it would have been the Thursday approved a resolution that fi rst constitutional amendment in would ask voters to decide whether any state to create a fundamental the state is obligated to ensure that right to healthcare. every resident has access to afford- “Every Oregonian deserves access able health care as a fundamental to cost-effective and clinically ap- human right. propriate health care,” said Sen- The resolution, whose aim is to ate Majority Leader Rob Wagner. amend the state Constitution, was “Oregon’s Constitution should refl ect approved along party lines, with that truth.” Democratic senators in favor and If the House passes the bill, voters Republicans opposed. It next goes would be asked to consider amend- to the House in the Democrat-con- ing the state’s 162-year-old Constitu- trolled Legislature. tion. A similar effort in 2018 was ap- Republicans said any promise to proved by the House but it died in ensure all Oregonians are entitled to By Andrew Selsky Associated Press ADVENTURE health care lacks fi nancial backing. “The bill doesn’t fund any system to deliver on that promise,” Senate Republican Leader Fred Girod said. “If Democrats are serious about giving Oregonians free health care, they should come up with an actual plan.” The resolution says the state’s obligation must be balanced against funding public schools and other essential public services. Senate Republicans claimed in a statement that the League of Women Voters of Oregon has op- posed this measure “because of its obscurity.” But in a Feb. 15 letter, the League “We actually did a couple of runs just to pack down the trail,” she said. Continued from Page 1A When they arrived about noon on He’s referring to an especially steep Wednesday, Katie said she was en- section of the route that he and Katie, thralled by the view. who’s 14, traversed on Wednesday, March “It was amazing,” she said. “You 17 on the west side of the Elkhorns. could see forever. It was defi nitely a big Their goal was a saddle on the ridge moment getting to the top.” between Lake and Crevice creeks. Both David’s purpose went beyond the are tributaries of Deer Creek, which scenery, however. fl ows beneath Highway 7 between Union He also wanted to see how deep the Creek Campground and McEwen. Lake snow was at the saddle, elevation 7,360 Creek is the stream that drains from feet, particularly after the epic snow- Twin Lakes. storms in mid-February that pum- David, who lives in Sumpter Valley, meled the Elkhorns with many feet of had hiked to the saddle while hunt- snow. ing, but he had never visited during For that purpose he brought along a the winter, and certainly not aboard a 14-foot pole. snowmobile. Which sounds like an awfully This winter, he said, he and Katie awkward appendage to strap onto a made an attempt in January and another snowmobile. in February before fi nally succeeding But this pole, which holds up part of Wednesday. David attributes this to the a four-person dome tent, is collapsible, snow becoming more fi rm during the consisting of seven two-foot segments. recent mild, dry weather. Katie plunged the pole into the snow. Katie slightly contradicts her dad’s Except for piercing the crust, the description of the failures that preceded pole slid pretty easily, she said. the conquest. After retrieving the pole, father and of Women Voters of Oregon said it supports the resolution, and called it “simply an aspirational bill.” This year, as the coronavirus pandemic persists, “will be pivotal for national and state health care reforms,” League President Rebecca Gladstone and healthcare special- ist Bill Walsh wrote. “It’s time to continue to do our part in this effort by involving voters in the process.” Asked to explain why Senate Republicans claimed the League has opposed the resolution, caucus spokesman Dru Draper pointed out that the League had opposed it in 2018. A League president — Glad- daughter confi rmed that it had gone all the through, as evidenced by a bit of damp soil stuck to its tip. The measurement showed 83 inches of snow — one inch shy of seven feet. David said he was surprised. He was expecting four or fi ve feet. Although scattered clouds slightly interfered with the view — it had been mostly sunny for much of the snowmo- bile ride, Katie said — it was otherwise a pleasant day, with calm winds and a temperature of 38 degrees even at that lofty elevation. Katie said she didn’t even need gloves for the ride. She said she’s intrigued by the role that mountain snowpack plays in Eastern Oregon, as the main source of water to fi ll streams and reservoirs. “It’s interesting to learn about the snowpack in different areas and how it affects the water supply,” Katie said. Although David doesn’t plan to ever return to the saddle to compare this year’s snowpack with future winters, he said he might look for a more accessible spot, at a similar elevation. stone’s predecessor — had sent a letter in opposition in 2018, saying the state couldn’t afford “the added cost of health care coverage for all its residents at this time.” But Gladstone said things are different this time. “We are pleased to see provi- sions added to this 2021 bill that will balance health care with the public’s interest in funding schools and other essential public services,” Gladstone said in an email late Thursday. “This seems to be a direct response to the League’s work on the 2018 bill, when we advocated for provisions that would protect fund- ing of these essential services.” 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 • “A Matter of Life and Death,” Phillip Margolin • “The Nightmare Feast,” Andrew Klavan • “Merchants of Virtue,” Paul C. R. Monk • “Boyfriend Material,” Alexis Hall • “The Western Wind,” Samantha Harvey NONFICTION • “Keep Sharp,” Sanjay Gupta • “Between Two Kingdoms,” Suleika Jaouad • “Pandemics,” Christian McMillen • “The Last Days of John Lennon,” James Patterson • “Brave Enough,” Jessie Diggins DVDS • “Big Little Lies, Season 2” (TV Series) • “Larry the Cable Guy: Remain Seated” (Documentary) • “Navy SEALs vs. Zombies” (Action) • “The Dog Who Saved Easter” (Holiday) • “Vienna Blood” (Drama)