THURSDAY, APRIL 15, 2021
BAKER CITY HERALD — 3A
State fines Black
Bear Diners $35,000
for COVID violations
By Michael Kohn
The (Bend) Bulletin
April Combes does a weightlighting workout on Wednesday, April 14 at the YMCA’s fi tness center in Baker City
under the guidance of Elissa Morrison, the Y’s health and wellness director.
BEND — The Black Bear Diner locations in Bend
and Redmond were fi ned $35,000 for violating COVID-
related restrictions, including allowing indoor dining when
Deschutes County was in the extreme risk category due to
high coronavirus caseloads.
Both diners, which are under the same ownership, “will-
fully” continue to potentially expose workers to the virus,
despite a public health order of limited or zero indoor
dining, according to a release from Oregon Occupational
Safety and Health.
Oregon OSHA has been actively pursuing businesses
that ignored the lockdown restrictions that limited
restaurants, coffee shops and bars to takeout service only.
Last month Kevista Coffee was fi ned $27,470 for similar
violations by OSHA.
Kathy Degree, the owner of the two Black Bear diners,
has hired the services of Salem-based Kevin L. Mannix
law fi rm to appeal the penalty.
Degree has 30 days to appeal the citation. She believes
she was properly adhering to U.S. Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention rules and regulations for busi-
nesses that were permitted to be open at the time.
“We felt that we were following all the CDC guidelines
of social distancing, face masks, sanitation as all business-
es that were open,” said Degree by phone. “We felt we were
entitled to those same parameters. We took the safety of
our employees to the highest priority, and the records will
show that no employee tested positive for COVID.”
WORKOUT
FEES
Corey Kirk/Baker City Herald
“It’s completely important because
your muscles require different things,
Continued from Page 1A
your mind requires change to keep going,
“Our programs would include
and if you continue to do the same thing
parent-taught swim lessons, all levels
every single day, you are not going to
of swimming for adults and children,
grow outside of the box you put yourself
lifeguarding classes, then we have sev-
in,” she said.
eral different water aerobics classes for
Both Morrison and Moe said fi tness
different needs,” aquatics director Paula
classes often bring families together,
Moe said.
with members cheering and inspiring
each other.
Pandemic precautions
“They get to know each other, they in-
YMCA offi cials have been trained to
spire each other, they have fun together,
properly screen visitors for symptoms,
and by the way the byproduct is they are
sanitize equipment, keep class sizes to
also getting their bodies in great shape,”
a manageable level and practice social
Morrison said.
distancing.
The Y’s facilities are also gathering
“Our style of cleaning, the products
places for groups of friends, Moe said.
that we use, limiting the use of the locker
“You are not going to fi nd a friendlier
rooms and limiting the use of the pool,”
group of people, more inclusive and
Moe said.
willing to take somebody in,” she said.
She said the Y has instituted a differ-
“They’ve been those people on the out-
ent check in process for swim lessons.
side and they love to have people to join
“Instead of the whole group coming
them. They do their exercises and often
into the building and checking in, we are
go to coffee and lunch then branch out to
going to meet them outside and keep
all kinds of friendships.”
them in their cohorts and keep them
Morrison urges newcomers, regardless
safe,” Moe said.
of age, to begin their experience at the Y
At the fi tness center, consistent com-
with strength training classes, which can
munication and sanitizing of equipment
help them fi gure out their own personal
is a key, Morrison said.
goals and the ways to achieve them.
“What we have done with every new
“They are learning how to use the
Corey Kirk/Baker City Herald different pieces of equipment, they are
mandate that has come out, we as a
team sit down and analyze it very care- A hand-sanitizing station at Sam-O
learning what to focus on, why they are
Swim Center in Baker City.
fully and we did more than what was
working out and what they are training
required of us as far as levels of saniti-
on,” Morrison said. “Then we actually
we call physical fi tness, those fi ve
zation, and people taking appropriate
help them with a workout plan so they
measures such as masking and that type components are your cardiorespiratory, get to try the actual equipment, and
the muscular strength, fl exibility, body
of thing,” Morrison said.
proper use of that equipment or it can be
composition and nutrition,” she said.
exercise of the body.”
Versatile workout options
“Each piece has a reason, each piece of
Membership fees vary depending on
The Y’s classes are designed to give
exercise contributes to particular parts of age. Starting April 18, members can
members and visitors a variety of op-
our body.”
work out on Sundays between 10 a.m.
tions that encompass all types of fi tness
Mixing different types of exercises is
and 2 p.m. For more information on all Y
objectives, Morrison said.
vital both physically and mentally, Moe programs, including classes schedules, go
“We have fi ve components of what
said.
to www.bakerymca.org/.
Continued from Page 1A
Dexter said city offi cials
discussed the idea of
forgoing rate increases last
year.
But this year, she said,
offi cials decided to propose
increases identical to the
Consumer Price Index
because the city needs
to cover its own costs for
operating the water and
wastewater systems.
Dexter noted that the
proposed increase of 1.9%
for water and sewer fees is
lower than several recent
increases the City Council
has passed.
The Council boosted
water rates by 10% in each
of three years, 2016-18,
and sewer rates by 10%
and 12.8% during the past
decade.
Dexter said the city
has been trying to offer
assistance for people who
struggle to pay their bills.
Dexter said she has
learned that The Salvation
Army has not distrib-
uted all of the $10,000 in
federal COVID-19 aid that
the City Council awarded
the organization last fall,
and that she extended the
deadline for disbursing
that money, including for
utility payment relief, until
June 30.
Councilor Lynette Perry
said she has heard from
residents who feel the cur-
rent rates are unbearably
high, and that another
increase would be a hard-
ship.
In reference to proposed
increases in fees at the
cemetery, including the
cost for perpetual care
rising from $882 to $899,
Councilor Joanna Dixon
asked if that price includes
spraying and removing
weeds.
Dexter said the fees
cover about half the city’s
annual cost to hire a
contractor to maintain the
cemetery.
Dexter said the funds
that go to support the
cemetery cover about 50%
of the actual expenditures
to pay the contractors.
Michelle Owen, the city’s
public works director, said
the contract does include
weed control.
Dixon also asked about
bike licenses, and whether
the city has considered
charging a fee for the
license, which is free.
Dexter said the purpose
of the license is to ensure
that the city has a record
of a bike and its owner so
there’s a chance to return
a lost or stolen bike to its
owner.
“They want to encour-
age the public to just come
and get one,” Dexter said.
“So that’s why we’ve never
charged a fee for that.”
In other business Tues-
day, councilors:
• approved by a 4-3
vote the fi rst reading of
ordinance 3881, which
adds two members to the
city’s golf board, bringing
the total from fi ve to seven.
Councilors Jason Spriet,
Shane Alderson, Sells, and
Perry voted in favor of the
fi rst reading.
Mayor Kerry Mc-
Quisten, and councilors
Johnny Waggoner Sr. and
Dixon voted against the
fi rst reading.
• declared the week of
April 19 as the commu-
nity’s Arbor Day celebra-
tion to celebrate Baker
City’s 36th consecutive
year of being recognized as
a Tree City USA through
the Arbor Day Foundation.
That’s the fi fth-longest
streak among Oregon
cities.
THEFTS
Continued from Page 1A
Corey Kirk/Baker City Herald
Jarri McClarin participates in a water aerobics class Wednesday, April 14 at Sam-O Swim Center.
Reed & Associates for
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After investigation, police determined that an
unknown person or persons had stolen mail from
numerous mailboxes. It appears that the thefts began
at Huckleberry Loop, in Sumpter Valley, spanning along
Highway 7 to Griffi n Gulch Road.
The Sheriff’s Offi ce encourages Baker County resi-
dents, in addition to checking their mail daily, to have a
relative or friend retrieve mail when on vacation, or buy
a locking mailbox.
Anyone with information about the mail thefts, or
who believes they may be a victim, is encouraged to
contact Sgt. Eric Colton at 541-523-6415.
541-975-1364
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