2A — BAKER CITY HERALD
SATURDAY, MAY 1, 2021
B AKER C OUNTY C ALENDAR
MONDAY, MAY 3
■ Baker City Parks and Recreation Advisory Board:
5:30 p.m. at City Hall, 1655 First St. Agenda items include
the new security cameras in Geiser-Pollman and Central
parks, and the ongoing online parks survey, results of
which will help the city update its parks master plan.
To participate in the survey, go to www.surveymonkey.
com/r/CQ2KNDC.
T URNING B ACK THE P AGES
50 YEARS AGO
from the Democrat-Herald
May 1, 1971
Possible solutions, both short term and long range, re-
garding where 220 third graders will be housed next fall in
light of the impending razing of St. Francis Academy were
discussed at a district 5J school board meeting last night.
Two solutions, involving using two shifts or fi nding other
quarters for the students, were discussed.
25 YEARS AGO
from the Baker City Herald
May 1, 1996
Several Baker City residents volunteered Tuesday night
to help the Baker County Vector Control Board tell people
how the county kills mosquitoes, and suggest ways by
which they might avoid infestations of the biting insects.
The volunteers offered during the board’s meeting to
help write a brochure explaining anti-mosquitoes for the
vector control district.
10 YEARS AGO
from the Baker City Herald
May 2, 2011
Baker County employees will begin moving back to the
Courthouse this week, fi ve months after the historic struc-
ture sustained severe water damage when two water pipe
valves broke during sub-zero weather.
Many services that were available in the courthouse be-
fore the building rehab work commenced should be back
there early next week.
ONE YEAR AGO
from the Baker City Herald
May 2, 2020
Julie Winton knew the thunderstorm was strong, but
she didn’t realize how strong until she saw the 3-foot-thick
tree sprawled across her front yard Thursday morning.
Sprawled, in fact, across the very spot where she often
parks her car.
Winton, who lives on a cattle ranch in Keating Valley
about 15 miles east of Baker City, hadn’t parked there the
day before because she didn’t have any groceries or other
packages to carry through the nearby front door.
When she woke up Thursday morning and saw the
massive box elder toppled, Winton felt fortunate.
Also a trifl e puzzled.
“We didn’t even hear it,” she said.
Her husband, Mark, let their dog out Wednesday night,
after the storm had moved off, but it was full dark by then.
And the front door, when opened, partially blocks the view
of where the tree had stood, she said.
Winton, who has lived on the ranch east of Keating for
14 years, said she always fi gured if any of the big old trees
on the place fi nally succumbed after enduring storms over
a century or so, it would be an adjacent elm.
O REGON L OTTERY
MEGABUCKS, April 28
3 — 12 — 14 — 19 — 30 — 48
Next jackpot: $2.1 million
POWERBALL, April 28
16 — 18 — 35 — 39 — 53 PB 21
Next jackpot: $129 million
MEGA MILLIONS, April 27
15 — 22 — 30 — 41 — 42
Mega
25
Next jackpot: $319 million
WIN FOR LIFE, April 28
2 — 35 — 76 — 77
PICK 4, April 29
• 1 p.m.: 9 — 3 — 9 — 4
• 4 p.m.: 4 — 9 — 3 — 0
• 7 p.m.: 2 — 6 — 6 — 2
• 10 p.m.: 1 — 8 — 0 — 5
LUCKY LINES, April 29
2-6-11-13-17-21-26-31
Next jackpot: $16,000
S ENIOR M ENUS
■ MONDAY (May 3): Barbecued ribs, baked beans, corn,
rolls, ambrosia, cookies
■ TUESDAY (May 4): Chicken fried chicken, mashed
potatoes with gravy, carrots, rolls, macaroni salad, ice cream
■ WEDNESDAY (May 5): Salisbury steak, au gratin potatoes,
mixed vegetables, rolls, coleslaw, pudding
■ THURSDAY (May 6): Liver and onions, baked potatoes,
corn, beet-and-onion salad, rolls, tapioca pudding
■ FRIDAY (May 7): Baked ham, candied yams, mixed
vegetables, green salad, rolls, tapioca pudding
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.
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
Corey Kirk/Baker City Herald
Replacing the press box is one of the projects included in a proposed three-year renovation at Baker Bulldog Me-
morial Stadium.
STADIUM
Continued from Page 1A
The three-year project,
which includes rebuilding
and replanting the grass
fi eld, replacing the roof on
the grandstand, installing a
new press box and rebuilding
the concrete walkways, stairs
and ramps, would cost an
estimated $4.3 million.
Gonzales, who made a
presentation to the school
board about the proposal on
April 15, acknowledged the
fi nancial challenges.
“The District obviously
doesn’t have that kind of
money sitting around, so that
would be something that the
athletic department and the
district would fundraise for,”
Gonzales said. “The money is
going to be the hardest piece
to bring to fruition, so we are
just going to have to do a lot
of work to get that in place.”
Mark Witty, the school dis-
trict superintendent, echoed
Gonzales’ thoughts.
“We want to be a partner —
that’s why we did the study,”
Witty said. “We recognize
there’s a responsibility to
upgrade that stadium. But as
far as funding we’re going to
need some serious help.”
Witty said the district’s top
priority within its budget is,
and will remain, improving
its schools. That’s the reason
the district is asking voters
in the May 18 election to
approve a $4 million property
tax bond measure that would
be added to a $4 million
state grant, and $4 million in
district capital project dollars,
to replace heating, cooling
and ventilation systems at
all schools, replace the roof
at South Baker Intermedi-
ate, build a cafeteria/kitchen
at Baker Middle School and
improve the security at all
schools.
The stadium renovations,
by contrast, will depend on
fundraising, not on district
dollars, Witty said.
Corey Kirk/Baker City Herald
Cracks have formed over the decades in the concrete stairs and in the grandstand
at Baker Bulldog Memorial Stadium. The concrete would be replaced as a part of a
proposed three-year renovation project.
Then, a year ago, Gonzales
joined that group, which re-
viewed the list of renovations
and came up with a formal
proposal.
“They looked at the facilities,
studied the plans and they
came with their recommenda-
tions after they did it in their
assessment piece,” Gonzales
said.
A major need in the 71-year-
old stadium is improving
access for people with disabili-
ties.
“That’s probably one of the
high priorities, the ADA acces-
sibility,” Gonzales said.
After seven decades of wear
and tear from weather, the
stadium also has cracks in
its concrete, and wood siding
needs to be replaced.
“The actual physical condi-
tion of the facility itself needs
to be addressed,” Gonzales
said.
Due to the extent of the
work, the architects divided
the project into three phases
over three years, potentially
starting in the summer of 2022
if money is available.
“They gave a timeframe,
phase one, two and three that
would meet those upgrades,”
Gonzales said.
The tentative schedule:
Stadium project history
The project started about
three years ago when a group Phase 1: Summer of 2022
of district offi cials and others
• Demolish lower eastside
assessed the stadium and
bleachers and lower concrete
came up with a list of sug-
slab
• Demolish existing fi eld
gested improvements.
and regrade/reposition.
• New retaining wall and
guardrail.
EWS OF
• Remove shrubs.
• Install prefab press box.
ECORD
• Order new sports equip-
ment.
N
R
DEATHS
Walter Ottis Wood Jr.: 74, of
Baker City, died April 28, 2021, at
St. Luke’s Boise Medical Center.
He will be buried at the Shipman
Cemetery in Shipman, Illinois. A
memorial service will be sched-
uled for a later date in Baker City.
Memorial contributions can be
made to the Baker High School
Trap Club through Coles Tribute
Center, 1950 Place St., Baker City,
OR 97814.
Phase 2: Summer of 2023
• New restrooms, conces-
sions with all new equipment
and fi xtures.
• Replacing the wood siding
• Replace electric, water and
sewage.
• ADA accessibility upgrades
• Upgrade signage, lighting
and wayfinding
• New stone veneer in the
front entryway
ment behind the home team
bench area.
Workers also installed a new
sound system. Ash Grove Ce-
ment contributed $15,000 and
the Baker Quarterback Club
$5,000. The school district paid
the remaining $20,000 for the
sound system.
Phase 3: Summer of 2024
He also emphasizes that the
• Replace roof on west side.
renovations will not alter the
• Replace bleachers on the
stadium’s unique character and
west side.
appeal, with the field in a bowl
• Replace concrete walkways, that sits below the street level.
stairs, ramps.
“It still maintains its iconic
• Demolish section AA and
bowl-shaped feature, a gorgeous
extend the wood wall.
grass field, a little bit wider,
• Demolish and replace up- safer for our student-athletes,
per east side bleachers.
multi-purpose so it will get used
• Demolish westside press
more often,” Gonzales said.
box.
“The look of it will have a new
appeal to it — new bleachers,
Although he concedes the
new paint, the bathrooms will
fundraising challenge the proj- be upgraded, wider entrances,
ect entails, Gonzales is confident better signage. It will give that
he can show potential donors
facility a much needed face
why the upgrades are needed. lift but it will still be Baker
“You have this gushing
Bulldog Memorial Stadium.”
wound, you just don’t want to
Gonzales is ready for the
keep putting a Band-aid over
long road ahead to see these
it, at some point you are going
plans come to fruition.
to have that’s a long-term fix,”
“The fi rst step is completed,
Gonzales said.
we got the assessment, we got
In 2019 the school district re- the cost. Now the hard work
placed the railing at the bottom is fundraising the money, and
of the westside grandstand and getting the money in hand,”
removed the grassy embank-
Gonzales said.
With deepest gratitude we extend a word of
thanks to those who contributed to the Go
Fund Me account for Nick and to the Main
Event for their generosity.
The family of
Nick Ballou
“You’ll love the work we do. I guarantee it.” - JR
225 H Street • East of I-84 • 541-523-3200 • grumpysrepair.com