2A — BAKER CITY HERALD
SATURDAY, MARCH 27, 2021
T URNING B ACK THE P AGES
BACKHOE
50 YEARS AGO
from the Democrat-Herald
March 27, 1971
PORTLAND — Baker unleashed the baskets they didn’t
use Thursday to bomb the Medford Black Tornado 58 to 37
yesterday and move into today’s game against Sunset for
fourth place.
The Bulldogs took only 45 shots but they made them
count, hitting 53 percent from the fi eld. In the second half
when they ran up their 21 point lead, the Bulldogs hit 12 of
17 for a scorching 77 percent.
Continued from Page 1A
25 YEARS AGO
from the Baker City Herald
March 27, 1996
The Baker City Council on Tuesday ratifi ed a three-year
labor contract with the fi re department’s union employees
that includes a 3-percent salary increase the fi rst year and
raises of from 2 percent to 4 percent each of the latter two
years.
10 YEARS AGO
from the Baker City Herald
March 28, 2011
The pickup truck that looks as if it didn’t just drive
through mud but was actually dipped in it, like a chocolate
truffl e, is one indication.
The appearance of a stream where water rarely fl ows is
another.
This March already qualifi es as abnormally moist by
Baker County standards.
Whether its sogginess reigns supreme is yet to be
determined.
ONE YEAR AGO
from the Baker City Herald
March 28, 2020
Brian Ratliff is investigating a medical mystery that
threatens the future of Baker County’s biggest herd of
bighorn sheep.
Ratliff is the district wildlife biologist at the Oregon De-
partment of Fish and Wildlife’s (ODFW) Baker City offi ce.
His sleuthing has turned up some facts about the more
than 300 Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep that roam the
Lookout Mountain unit, which makes up much of Baker
County east and north of Interstate 84, extending to the
Idaho border.
At least a handful of sheep have died over the past
month or so from pneumonia caused by a strain of
bacteria that had not previously been found in bighorns
anywhere in Oregon, Ratliff said.
What’s not yet clear, he said, is how dangerous this
strain is.
Of the more than 50 identifi ed strains of Mycoplasma
ovipneumoniae, some can eliminate an entire herd rela-
tively rapidly, while others are comparatively mild and kill
few animals, Ratliff said.
“I don’t know how bad it’s going to be,” he said Thurs-
day.
The threat is serious enough, however, that ODFW this
week canceled the two bighorn sheep hunts scheduled
this summer and fall in the Lookout Mountain unit.
Those hunts included three tags — two for Oregon
hunters and one for a nonresident.
“I’m always going to err on the side of caution,” Ratliff
said.
Ratliff said he and other ODFW employees are regularly
monitoring bighorns in the Lookout Mountain unit to try
to gauge the lethality of the bacteria strain.
O REGON L OTTERY
MEGABUCKS, March 24
6 — 22 — 24 — 41 — 44 — 47
Next jackpot: $3.6 million
POWERBALL, March 24
4 — 9 – 17 — 27 — 38 PB 18
Next jackpot: $238 million
MEGA MILLIONS, March 23
12 — 23 — 35 — 38 — 55
Mega
11
Next jackpot: $137 million
WIN FOR LIFE, March 24
7 — 29 — 42 — 48
PICK 4, March 25
• 1 p.m.: 1 — 7 — 0 — 1
• 4 p.m.: 4 — 3 — 3 — 8
• 7 p.m.: 6 — 2 — 3 — 6
• 10 p.m.: 7 — 2 — 8 — 7
LUCKY LINES, March 25
3-7-9-15-17-22-25-31
Next jackpot: $53,000
S ENIOR M ENUS
■ MONDAY: Barbecued pork ribs, au gratin potatoes, corn,
biscuit, coleslaw, cookies
■ TUESDAY: Hot beef sandwich, mashed potatoes with
gravy, mixed vegetables, ambrosia, cheesecake
■ WEDNESDAY: Sweet and sour chicken, rice, Oriental
vegetables, Jell-O with fruit, apple crisp
■ THURSDAY: Lasagna, zucchini, garlic bread, pasta salad,
cookie
■ FRIDAY: Baked cod and clam chowder, Capri vegetables,
roll, coleslaw, ice cream
Public luncheon at the Senior Center, 2810 Cedar St., from
11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; $4.50 donation (60 and older),
$6.75 for those under 60. Meals must be picked up; no
dining on site.
The document, among
much else, requires that city
offi cials, before selling land or
buildings with an estimated
value of at least $5,000, or
vehicles and other equipment
worth at least $10,000, put
the matter on the ballot.
The idea seems to have
been that voters might want
to have a say in whether the
city disposes of relatively
valuable, but publicly owned,
items.
Over the past 30 years or
so the city has sought voter
approval for more than half
a dozen sales, all involving
buildings or land. Voters
approved each of those sales,
and usually by relatively wide
margins.
But as the value of vehicles
and equipment has increased,
the potential existed for prop-
erty other than real estate to
meet the monetary threshold
in the charter.
During the spring of 2020,
city offi cials deemed as
surplus a 1995 Case backhoe.
They also pegged its market
value at $16,000.
And so it was that the May
19, 2020, ballot included,
among the usual political
races, a measure asking
voters to decide whether to
authorize the city to sell that
digger.
Voters approved that
measure — which is to say,
the future sale of the backhoe
— by 92% to 8%.
But that wasn’t the only
unusual matter on the ballot.
City offi cials also had
identifi ed at least two other
surplus items that could
conceivably fetch more than
$10,000 — a 1990 Case ex-
cavator, and a 1988 Interna-
tional dump truck.
O BITUARIES
loved much more than a Dad,
he will be missed much more
Ronald Dale Peterson, 61, than a Dad, and remem-
of Baker City, died March 19, bered for his immeasurable
2021, at his home.
patience and immense size
To honor Ron’s wishes,
of heart that he put behind
there will not be a service.
all that he did. To those of us
Ron was born on Jan. 2,
whom he loved, Ron could
1960, and grew
only ever be accused of being
up in Halfway.
generous to a fault.
He graduated
Ron loved a good hunt-
from Pine-Eagle
ing story, was always up for
High School in
a four-wheeler ride, was a
1978. In 1984
fi rm believer in couch naps,
Ronald
he was mar-
and Sunday breakfast at the
Peterson Inland. Always prepared and
ried to Carol
Sadlowsky. They
always on time, Ron was a
moved to Baker the same
legend in his own time.
year, and were together for
He is survived by his two
16 years. They had two sons, sons, Cody and Landon Pe-
Cody and Landon.
terson; his mother, Charlene
Ron drove a log truck from Peterson; one brother, Bill
the age of 19. As a logger and Peterson; one sister, Sandy
a true Eastern Oregonian he Mills; and numerous great
was proudly committed to be- friends.
ing a woodsman and working
He was preceded in death
hard for a living. As a father, by his father, Bryan Peterson.
Ron was adamantly devoted
to making sure his kids knew James Romine
how to hunt, fi sh, fi x anything La Grande, 1957-2021
James Romine, 63, of La
with nothing, how not to
Grande, died March 4, 2021,
get your pickup stuck in the
at his home.
mountains and how to get
His memorial service will
it out if you do. Above all, he
made sure his kids knew they take place at 1 p.m. Friday,
April 2, at the Pine Valley
were loved. He loved being
outside, undeterred by weath- Presbyterian Church in
Halfway.
er or temperature. What he
James Russell “Jim” Romine
shorted us in years, he well
overpaid in mileage. Ron was was born on Oct. 18, 1957, at
Ronald Peterson
Baker City, 1960-2021
C ONTACT THE H ERALD
1668 Resort St.
Open Monday through Friday
8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Telephone: 541-523-3673
Fax: 541-833-6414
Publisher
Karrine Brogoitti
kbrogoitti@lagrandeobserver.
com
Jayson Jacoby, editor
jjacoby@bakercityherald.com
Advertising email
ads@bakercityherald.com
Classifi ed email
classified@bakercityherald.com
Circulation email
circ@bakercityherald.com
ISSN-8756-6419
Serving Baker County since 1870
Published Tuesdays, Thursdays and
Saturdays except Christmas Day by the
Baker Publishing Co., a part of EO Media
Group, at 1668 Resort St. (P.O. Box 807),
Baker City, OR 97814.
Subscription rates per month are
$10.75 for print only. Digital-only rates
are $8.25.
Postmaster: Send address changes to
the Baker City Herald, P.O. Box 807, Baker
City, OR 97814.
Periodicals Postage Paid
at Pendleton, Oregon 97801
Copyright © 2021
Also, buyers are required to
pick up their lots. Fisk said it
made sense to wait until the
pandemic had eased.
The backhoe, and more
than 100 other surplus items,
are available for bidding now
at govdeals.com. Search for
“Baker City” to summon the
local items.
The online auction con-
tinues through April 2, with
a couple of items extended
through April 9.
As of Friday morning,
March 26, the Case backhoe
had drawn 12 bids, the high-
est being $18,000.
Neither the excavator, with
a minimum bid of $12,000,
nor the dump truck, mini-
mum bid $10,000, had yet
attracted a bid.
Among other interesting
items on the block:
• The tall slide that stood
in Geiser-Pollman Park for
decades before being removed
last year to make way for the
all-abilities playground. As of
Friday morning the top bid
was $102.
Baker City Public Works/Contributed Photo
• A four-sided steel climb-
The tall metal slide that stood in Geiser-Pollman Park for ing structure and slide,
decades is up for auction at govdeals.com
which also was removed from
Geiser-Pollman Park last
To avoid larding future bal- estate; that $5,000 threshold year. Top bid was $102.
lots with measures involving remains.)
• Fiberglass steps from
equipment sales, the city also
City offi cials initially
Sam-O Swim Center. Top bid,
placed on the May 2020 slate planned to sell the backhoe,
$10.
a measure that amended the along with the excavator,
• Two fi re hydrants. Top
city charter, allowing the city, dump truck and several
bid for each, $10.
without voter approval, to sell dozen other surplus items,
• Three historic metal
surplus vehicles of any value, via the online auction site,
street signs, two for Campbell
so long as the money goes to govdeals.com, in 2020, said
Street, one for Fifth Street.
the city’s equipment replace- Tom Fisk, operations supervi- Top bid for each, $5.
ment fund.
sor for the city’s public works
• Side boom segments from
Voters also backed that
department.
an old city street sweeper. The
measure, although not quite
But offi cials decided to
city suggests these segments,
as enthusiastically as with
postpone the auction due to
with bristles six inches long,
the backhoe sale. The charter the COVID-19 pandemic, he “would make great boot
change measure passed by
said.
scrapers.” There are two
75.5% to 24.5%.
Although the auction is
separate lots, each consisting
(The measure did not
conducted online, prospective of 66 segments. There were
affect the requirement that
bidders sometimes want to
no bids for either as of Friday;
voters approve the sale of real examine items in advance.
minimum bid is $5 each.
N EWS OF R ECORD
DEATHS
Lucille Connie Petty: 96, of
Baker City, died March 24, 2021,
at her home. To leave an online
condolence for the family of
Connie, go to www.grays
westco.com
FUNERALS PENDING
James Dwight ‘Jimmy’
Hebert: There will be a celebra-
tion of Jimmy’s life, Saturday,
April 3, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at
Bonita’s home in North Powder.
Donations in his memory can be
made to Doernbecher Children’s
Hospital in Portland or the Wolf
Creek Grange No. 596 in North
Powder in care of Gray’s West &
Co. Pioneer Chapel, 1500 Dewey
Ave., Baker City, OR 97814. To
leave an online condolence for
Jimmy’s family, go to www.
grayswestco.com
Arlene Mae Schoorl: There
will be a public celebration of
Arlene’s life, with a potluck, on
Saturday, April 24, from 10:30
a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Unity
Community Hall. To offer online
condolences, go to www.grays
westco.com
La Grande to
David and Ora
“Skip” (Hendrix)
Romine. He at-
tended Green-
wood Elemen-
James
tary School and
Romine
graduated from
La Grande High
School in June of 1976. Jim
then joined the U.S. Army,
attending the Ordnance
Center School in November
of 1976, then going on to the
Aberdeen Proving Grounds
in Maryland. He served at
Fort Sam Houston, Texas, in
the Hospital Food Service in
1978.
In 1980, he met and mar-
ried his wife, Chae. Together
they had Jon and Tom. His
career continued in the
Army, being stationed at Fort
Sherman in Panama in 1982.
He completed his eight-year
tour at Fort Campbell, Ken-
tucky, where he received his
discharge.
Jim went to work for a
short time with the Oregon
Department of Transporta-
tion and Oregon State Parks.
His talent in maintenance
took him to Lynch Motors
for about a decade, then he
worked for Goss Motors for
four years.
Jim had a very likeable
personality. His life skills
were learned early. Jim
enjoyed motorcycle riding
in the mountains, tinker-
ing with his bike and was a
very good cook. Jim loved to
FISH. He was proud of his
boys and loved them very
much.
Jim is survived by his
sons, Thomas Dongsu and
Jonathan Russell Romine;
and his parents, David and
Skip Romine; and lots of
extended family.
He was preceded in death
by both sets of grandparents,
James and Eva (Buchanan)
Hendrix and Oliver Rus-
sell and Carrie (Houston)
Romine.
The family suggests
memorial contributions to
the Pine Valley Presbyte-
rian Church through Tami’s
Pine Valley Funeral Home
& Cremation Services, P.O.
Box 543, Halfway, OR 97834.
Online condolences may be
shared at www.tamispine
valleyfuneralhome.com
Are you Missing?
Young black lab
mix captured
March 20, west
Baker City.
First observed
February 14.
Seeking owner or
info leading
to owner.
Call 541-403-0724
Contact info is
Richard Haines
New Hope for Eastern
Oregon Animals
cell 541-403-0724
rjhaines64@msn.com
“You’ll love the work we do. I guarantee it.” - JR
225 H Street • East of I-84 • 541-523-3200 • grumpysrepair.com