TUESDAY, APRIL 27, 2021
BAKER CITY HERALD — 3A
Wallowa Lake State Park returns to
something closer to normal operation
By Bill Bradshaw
Wallowa County Chieftain
WALLOWA LAKE —
Things are getting back to a
bit more normal this year, now
that state parks are begin-
ning to reopen — including
Wallowa Lake State Park,
which began taking reserva-
tions April 15 for the group
campsites that open May 1.
According to a press release
from the Oregon Parks and
Recreation Department, some
state parks were to begin
taking reservations April 15.
A complete list of which ones
are opening is available at
the OPRD website at www.
oregon.gov/oprd/Pages/index.
aspx.
Mac Freeborn, manager
at Wallowa Lake State Park,
said Wednesday, April 14, that
a few campers already were
at the park. But they were the
ones who could do without
park-provided water, which
won’t be turned on until May
1.
“My park has been taking
reservations for a while now,”
he said. “The ones opening
May 1 are group campsites.”
The park’s website bills it as
being “ideally positioned as a
base camp for both wilderness
treks and water sports fun.”
He said those camping now
are ones who take advantage
of the park’s opening through-
out the offseason.
“We had a recent request
for more reservations … and
we’re accepting walk-ins,” he
said.
Last year, the park was
forced to be closed until June
5 by the closures associated
with the COVID-19 pan-
demic. The group facilities
are reopening after being
closed for more than a year
due to revenue shortfalls and
reduced staffi ng associated
with COVID-19.
“Summer is quickly ap-
Kindergarten
registration set
Registration for in-coming kindergarten students
will be held in small groups this year due to COVID-19
restrictions. Reservations for a specifi c time are re-
quired. Face coverings are also required.
Registration includes an opportunity to meet the
kindergarten teachers, an informational session for
parents, and a classroom visit for the child. Please
bring your child’s birth certifi cate, immunization re-
cord, and information about custody issues.
Available dates and times:
• Friday, May 14: 7:30 a.m., 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1
p.m.
• Tuesday, May 18: 4 p.m.
• Thursday, May 20: 5 p.m.
All sessions are at the Baker Early Learning Center,
2725 Seventh St. in Baker City. To reserve a time, call
541-524-2310. For more information, email angela.
lattin@bakersd.org.
VACCINATIONS
Continued from Page 1A
Bill Bradshaw/Wallowa County Chieftain
Wallowa Lake State Park began taking reservations April 15 for the group campsites
that open May 1, which is when the park turns on the water.
He said the park — and
all Oregon parks — are still
closely adhering to COVID-19
— Jason Resch, Oregon Parks and Recreation Department
guidelines set by the federal
Center for Disease Control
and Prevention and the
proaching, and we want to
But campsite reserva-
Oregon Health Authority.
give visitors plenty of time to tions are almost fully booked Those, he said, can be subject
plan their group events,” said already.
to change.
Jason Resch, communica-
“If people are not fi nding
Available at the park are:
tions manager for the OPRD. anything online, it’s because
• 121 hookup sites (includ-
“Although we can’t open all
we’re already booked. It’s been ing two ADA sites).
group areas in all parks and
fast and furious with reserva-
• 88 nonhookup sites.
the lower group limits isn’t
tions,” Freeborn said.
• Two hard-sided rustic
what we are used to, we ask
He said that’s probably a
yurts.
for your patience as we move combination of people missing
• Three group tent areas.
forward.”
last year’s camping season
• A hiker-biker area.
But now it’s returning to
and an eagerness to recreate
Site-specifi c alerts and
closer to normal.
outdoors where they’re not
information can be found by
“As normal as it can be,” he cooped up in a hotel or the
clicking on the site name then
said. “We’re back on track for like.
scrolling to the bottom of the
bringing back seasonals in hir-
He said that if recreation-
Reserve America website page.
ing. … Normal is a subjective ists fi nd they can’t rent
Freeborn said those
term, but we’re going to be
day-use areas, they can look
interested in a reservation
back for full operation this
into getting a special-use
can still try to get one by
summer.”
permit. Day-use areas consist calling 541-432-4185, ext. 26.
He said the docks won’t
of two reservable picnic sites
Reservations must be made
go back into the water until
and one reservable covered
one day ahead of arrival and
around May 1.
shelter named Ice Creek. Boat can be made up to six months
“We start really ramping up reservations and information in advance.
things in early May,” Freeborn are available at www.wallow-
“We booked out pretty fast,”
said.
alakemarina.com.
he said.
“Summer is quickly approaching, and we want to give
visitors plenty of time to plan their group events.”
Rising population means Oregon
will get 6th seat in the U.S. House
By Sara Cline
Associated Press/Report for America
PORTLAND — Steady population
growth, driven by newcomers streaming
in from other states, is giving Oregon
greater national political clout.
U.S. Census Bureau fi gures released
Monday show the state’s population
expanded over the past decade enough
to give it an additional congressional
district for the fi rst time in 40 years.
Expanding its U.S. House seats from
fi ve to six won’t necessarily be a win for
Democrats, who control the state politi-
cally and hold all but one of the current
seats.
“The real quandary for Democrats is
that Oregon is much more of a competi-
tive state than you would think,” said
Priscilla Southwell, a political science
professor at the University of Oregon.
In last year’s presidential election,
she said 42% of Oregon voters cast their
ballot for a Republican House candidate.
Democrats are concentrated in Portland,
its suburbs and Eugene, home to the
University of Oregon. Rural and eastern
Oregon is heavily Republican.
“I think (Democrats) are going to
come under a lot of pressure, probably
from Republicans more than anyone
else, to recognize that there are a lot of
Republicans in the state of Oregon (who)
have been underrepresented in the U.S.
House,” Southwell said.
The 2nd Congressional District is the
lone district held by a Republican and is
the largest in Oregon, covering roughly
two-thirds of the state. The histori-
cally conservative region has not had a
Democratic House representative in four
decades.
Some local offi cials say they are wor-
ried that the addition of a congressional
seat and the redistricting that follows the
once-a-decade census could lead to more
competitive districts that hurt Republi-
can chances of representing the region.
George Murdock, the commissioner
of Umatilla County in the northeast-
ern part of the state, said his “greatest
concern is that our district could be ger-
rymandered in order to further diminish
representation for a portion of Oregon
that refl ects ideology, values and interests
much different than the remainder of
Oregon.”
Political gerrymandering, the drawing
of legislative and congressional districts
in a way that helps the majority party
maintain its hold on power, may be more
diffi cult for Democrats after a deal they
struck with minority Republicans.
Democrats agreed to give up their
advantage in redrawing the state’s
political boundaries for the next 10 years
CITY COUNCIL
Continued from Page 1A
The base rate for water includes three units of water — one
unit is about 750 gallons. The cost for additional units would
rise from 95 cents to 97 cents.
For wastewater, the monthly residential rate would in-
crease from $28.52 to $29.06.
The commercial monthly rate, which is based on water
usage than a fl at rate, would rise from $2.66 per unit of water
used, to $2.71.
Fees for a variety of services at Mount Hope Cemetery
would also increase by 1.9%.
in exchange for a commitment from
Republicans to stop blocking bills in the
Legislature with delay tactics.
With the agreement, Democrats and
Republicans each will have three mem-
bers on the state’s redistricting commit-
tee. A party-line vote will be insuffi cient
to pass new maps, which essentially
grants Republicans veto power to block
any map of legislative or congressional
districts from passing.
Should lawmakers fail to reach an
agreement on U.S. boundaries, the
matter would be settled by a panel of
fi ve judges, one from each of the state’s
current congressional districts. If the law-
makers are unable to complete the state
legislative maps by their deadline the
task would fall on the Secretary of State.
As with other states, redistricting in
Oregon will be affected by the delay in
community-level census data, which will
not be distributed to states until August
or later.
July 1 is the state’s deadline to draw
new districts.
That prompted state legislative leaders
to fi le a petition with the state Supreme
Court asking for an extension to the
statutory July 1 deadline. After the court
agreed, the Legislature now has until
Sept. 27 to complete the redistricting
process.
Bennett said the total of 62 inoculations actually
underestimates, slightly, the benefi ts to Baker County,
which is below average among Oregon counties for vac-
cination rate. Of the 35 other counties, 19 have a higher
vaccination rate per 10,000 residents than Baker County,
according to the Oregon Health Authority (OHA).
That’s because a few
of the people who got
COVID-19
their fi rst dose Satur-
day don’t even live in
vaccines in
the county.
Or in Oregon, for
Baker County
that matter.
As of Monday, April 27,
Bennett said a few
a total of 5,521 Baker
non-Oregonians —
County residents —
one from Hawaii, one
almost 33% of the
from Arizona and one
county’s population of
from California — saw
16,800— have been
the sign advertising
either fully or partially
the clinic and pulled
vaccinated against
into the Fairgrounds.
COVID-19. Details
Fortunately, Ben-
include:
nett said, county
offi cials didn’t have
FULLY VACCINATED
to discard any of the
4,401 — 26.2% of
doses.
county’s population
“We were really
careful,” he said.
PARTIALLY
Once a 10-dose vial
VACCINATED
is opened, all the doses
1,120 — 6.7% of county’s
have to be used within
population
several hours.
During previous
WOMEN
MEN
vaccination clinics at
2,980
2,536
Baker High School,
the Health Depart-
ment scheduled
appointments with people who signed up in advance.
The county administered more than 700 doses at two
separate clinics.
Bennett said he can’t explain why so few people
turned out Saturday.
He said both state and federal offi cials urged Baker
County to schedule the drive-thru clinic on a Saturday,
the idea being that having the event on a weekend
would be more convenient for people who work on
weekdays. Also, people didn’t even have to get out of
their car to get the vaccine.
Bennett said he doesn’t expect the county will sched-
ule another drive-thru clinic.
Instead, the county will continue to schedule appoint-
ments for people who sign up online at www.bakercoun-
tycovid19.com or by calling 541-523-0015.
Everyone 18 and older is eligible, and Bennett said the
county is working to schedule appointments for 16- and
17-year-olds, who are eligible to receive the Pfi zer vac-
cine, which also requires two doses.
Bennett reminded residents that pharmacies at Safe-
way, Albertsons, Bi-Mart and Rite Aid also are making
vaccine appointments.
He said the Pfi zer vaccine could potentially be ap-
proved for people as young as 12 within the next week or
so, with parental approval, and if that happens the county
will have Pfi zer doses available for ages 12 to 18.
Bennett, who participated in a conference call with
state offi cials on Friday, April 23, said the county’s vac-
cination rate likely will help determine when it’s no
longer subject to risk levels and the associated restrictions
that have harmed many local businesses over the past year.
Staten said the county remains ready to administer
vaccines.
“I see vaccination as
the key tool to move us
out of this situation and
stop the virus’ spread,”
she said. “We’re doing,
and will continue to
do, everything we
can to make it easy
for everyone to get a
vaccine.”
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