Elgin Opera House presents
‘HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL JR.’
THURSDAY
BUSY TUESDAY FOR MULTIPLE BAKER HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS: PAGE 5A
Also inside:
NORTHEAST OREGON
APRIL 22, 2021
www.gonortheastoregon.com
JOSEPHY CENTER’S ‘FIRE STORIES’
ART CENTER EAST UPDATE
MUSIC, FILM SCREENINGS & BOOK REVIEWS
GO! Magazine
Serving Baker County since 1870 • bakercityherald.com
April 22, 2021
IN THIS EDITION:
Spring 2021
FARMERS, RANCHERS FEAR
DROUGHT AFTER PARCHED MARCH
PAGE 2
UNION COUNTY SUNFLOWER
SEEDS GROW ON WORLD STAGE
Local • Business & AgLife • Go! magazine $1.50
Your guide to arts,
entertainment and
other events
happening around
Northeast Oregon
County risk level to rise
■ From Friday, April 23 through May 6, restaurants, some other businesses limited to 25% of capacity
PAGE 12
WHEAT GROWERS WORRIED
ABOUT LACK OF MOISTURE
PAGE 18
Photo by Ben Lonergan, East Oregonian
INSIDE TODAY
24-page section looks
at the agriculture industry
in Northeast Oregon, with
topics including concerns
about drought, a budding
bison ranch near Baker
City, and the outlook for the
wheat and potato markets.
By Jayson Jacoby
jjacoby@bakercityherald.com
After a two-week reprieve, Baker
County’s recent increase in CO-
VID-19 cases will result in more se-
vere restrictions on some businesses
and events starting Friday, April 23.
The county’s risk level, under
Oregon Health Authority guidelines,
will rise from the lowest of the four
levels to the second-highest, des-
ignated as “high” risk, for the fi rst
time in more than two months.
(“Extreme” risk is at the top of
that list.)
Baker County will remain at the
high risk level through at least May
6, Gov. Kate Brown announced on
Colorful Greeter At Baker Heritage Museum
QUICK HITS
Tuesday afternoon, April 20.
The county has been at either the
lowest or the moderate risk level
(one level above lowest risk) since
Feb. 12.
See Risk Level/Page 3A
Fire damages
Baker house
By Jayson Jacoby
jjacoby@bakercityherald.com
Good Day Wish
To A Subscriber
Investigators were focusing on the laundry
room as the likely source of a fi re that severely
damaged a Baker City home Wednesday morn-
ing, April 21.
No one was hurt in the blaze that was reported
around 7:30 a.m. at 1504 Chestnut St., Baker
City Fire Chief Sean Lee said.
The single-story home, which is about 900
square feet and was built in 1900, according to
Baker County Assessor’s Offi ce records, was
“fully involved” when the fi rst group of fi refi ght-
ers arrived, Lee said.
The property is owned by Herb W. Kemry Jr.,
according to Assessor’s Offi ce records. Lee said
he believes Kemry was alone in the home when
the fi re started. Kemry was able to get out of the
house safely with pets that included two dogs
and a snake, Lee said.
Some fi refi ghters went inside the home but
they had to leave when the structure began to
collapse, Lee said.
A special good day to
Herald subscriber Jeremy
Hindman of Baker City.
Business, 1B
An old-fashioned butch-
er shop, meat counter and
full-service deli opens May
1 in Baker City.
Elkhorn Custom Meats
and Deli is at 2970 H St.,
just west of 10th Street in
a refreshed building that
formerly housed a similar
type of business.
BRIEFING
Prescription drug
return event set
for Saturday
See Fire/Page 3A
Residents can drop
off expired or unwanted
prescription medications
for free on Saturday, April
24 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
at the Baker County Sher-
iff’s Offi ce, 3410 K St. The
drive-thru event is part of
National Prescription Drug
Take Back Day.
Dry spring spell
likely ends soon
By Jayson Jacoby
jjacoby@bakercityherald.com
WEATHER
Today
68 / 32
Lisa Britton/ Baker City Herald
Bessie the Bovine, a colorful piece of public art, took up residence recently in front of the
Baker Heritage Museum at 2480 Grove St.
Mostly sunny
Friday
63 / 40
Mostly sunny
The space below is for
a postage label for issues
that are mailed.
Bovine Welcome
to Baker City
By Lisa Britton
done,” Cammy said. “It was
fun.”
The Public Arts Commission
— Cammy Warner, who
wanted the cow placed some-
painted Bessie the Bovine,
where along Campbell Street.
a metal cow that stands in
Warner serves on the Baker
front of the Baker Heritage
County Museum Commission,
Museum
and the Baker Heritage Mu-
seum is located at the corner
And there it sat for several
of Campbell and Grove streets,
months, until moving to the
just east of Geiser-Pollman
garage of Warner, who volun-
Park.
teered to put the artistic touch
She talked to other com-
on the creature.
mission members to see if the
“I knew what I wanted to
museum could host the cow.
do. I’d do a little here, a little
The answer was yes.
there,” she said.
“I think it catches people’s
Her husband Fred helped too eyes and might draw them in,”
— he handled the details while Warner said.
she focused on the abstract art
Bessie the Bovine was
aspect. She used bright, metal- placed in front of the museum
specifi c spray paint to decorate in mid-April.
the hide in blocks of color.
See Bessie/Page 3A
“He helped and we got it
“I think it catches people’s eyes
Friendship and a public art and might draw them in.”
lbritton@bakercityherald.com
project are the reasons there’s
a colorful new bovine in front
of the Baker Heritage Mu-
seum.
Molly Wilson, who serves
on the Baker City Public Arts
Commission, is heading a
project to place cow sculptures
around Baker City.
Her friends, Cammy Warner
and Diana Brown, knew about
the project. On a trip through
Central Oregon last year, the
trio discovered a large metal
cow at an antique shop in
Canyon City.
Wilson knew it was perfect.
All it took was a return trip
with a horse trailer, and some
hefting, and the blank canvas
of a cow came to Baker City.
TODAY
Issue 147, 46 pages
Business ...........1B & 2B
Calendar ....................2A
Classified ............. 3B-6B
Comics ....................... 7B
Community News ....3A
Crossword ........3B & 6B
Dear Abby ................. 8B
Horoscope ........3B & 6B
Lottery Results ..........2A
Baker County’s abnormally long spring dry
spell likely will end this weekend.
A month has passed with no measurable rain
at the Baker City Airport.
And the most recent “rainy” day scarcely
deserved that adjective, as a meager 0.01 of an
inch moistened the rain gauge at the airport on
March 22.
That’s the smallest volume that qualifi es
as “measurable” by National Weather Service
standards. A trace of rain fell at the airport on
two days earlier in April.
The persistent weather pattern that has
brought mostly clear skies, along with an awful
lot of wind, to Baker County since early March
will give way this weekend to a more typical —
and potentially damp — spring pattern, said
Jay Breidenbach, warning coordination meteo-
rologist at the National Weather Service’s Boise
offi ce, which issues forecasts for Baker County.
See Rain/Page 3A
Downtown
cleanup planned
Everyone is invited to help spruce up Baker
City’s downtown area during the 2nd-annual
Spring Clean event on Friday, April 23 and
Saturday, April 24. Those interested in helping
can meet at 9 a.m. at Court Plaza (Main and
Court streets).
Chores will include touching up paint,
sweeping sidewalks, and sprucing up benches
and fl ower boxes. There will be a contest to
see who has the best “before and after” photo.
Send photos to witmcknight@gmail.com.
Bring gloves and, if you prefer, favorite tools
(mostly brooms).
Garbage bags will be provided. Flowers and
planting soil donations are always appreci-
ated. Any specifi c questions can be answered
by Kate at Royal Artisan: 541-465-4547 or
katephill843@gmail.com.
News of Record ........3A
Obituaries ........ 2A & 3A
Opinion ......................4A
Senior Menus ...........2A
Sports ........................5A
Weather ..................... 8B
SATURDAY — SPRING PHOTOGRAPHY PILGRIMAGE TO THE ELKHORNS