Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Baker City herald. (Baker City, Or.) 1990-current | View Entire Issue (May 8, 2021)
SATURDAY RACHEL PREGNANCY CENTER’S FUNDRAISER STARTS SUNDAY: PAGE 3A In OUTDOORS, 1B Serving Baker County since 1870 • bakercityherald.com May 8, 2021 Local • Outdoors • TV IN THIS EDITION: QUICK HITS Good Day Wish To A Subscriber A special good day to Herald subscriber Erin Hansen of Baker City. Local, 3A MEACHAM — Umatilla County Search and Rescue and Oregon State Police are coordinating a multi- agency search Saturday, May 8, and Sunday, May 9, near Meacham for Deborah Hendrichs, the 56-year-old woman from Star, Idaho, who went missing in the area on Jan. 11. The search will concen- trate on areas on the east- bound side of Interstate 84 near milepost 238, where her abandoned vehicle was found after she was reported missing. $1.50 YMCA Will Operate Facility At Baker School District’s Early Learning Center New Child Care Option Coming Tips for tempting the trout DEQ fines county $8,400 ■ County is appealing penalty for allegedly disposing of asbestos without a permit, and has not paid the fine By Jayson Jacoby jjacoby@bakercityherald.com BRIEFING Schools seek feedback on proposed Spanish curriculum The Baker School Dis- trict is seeking community feedback on a proposed Spanish language cur- riculum for use at Baker Middle School and Baker High School. You can learn more at https://www.carn- egielearning.com/national- wl/que-chevere/#materials and see the physical books on Wednesday, May 12, from 4:15 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. at the School District Of- fi ce, 2090 Fourth St. Baker School District/Contributed Photo A new child care center will open in September at the Baker Early Learning Center, in the historic North Baker School building at 2725 Seventh St. The Baker County YMCA will operate the child care center. By Samantha O’Conner soconner@bakercityherald.com WEATHER Today 56 / 34 Mostly sunny Sunday 58 / 34 Showers possible Monday 64 / 31 Partly sunny The space below is for a postage label for issues that are mailed. The Baker County YMCA will open a child care center at the Baker Early Learning Center in September. The center will have space for 40 children — 12 from age six weeks to two years, and 28 three-, four-or fi ve-year-olds. In a press release announcing the facility, Rob Wilkinson, CEO of the Baker County YMCA, said the center is a collaborative effort to address a critical need for families and employ- ers. “We look forward to providing high-quality, dependable child care to local families who need it,” Wilkinson said in the press release. “Parents and other caregivers will be able to work productively throughout the community without worrying about the care of those most precious to them.” According to the press release, the new center is the result of “tremendous community support” with multiple agencies and fi nancial contributors. The Baker School District will provide the building and custodial services at the Baker Early Learn- ing Center, in the historic North Baker School at 2725 Seventh St. Baker School District kinder- gartners and Head Start preschool students attend classes there now. The YMCA will provide staffi ng and programming at the child care center with ongoing fi nancial sup- port from Saint Alphonsus Medical Center and Wilson Cattle Company. Additionally, start-up resources have been contributed by St. Luke’s Health System and the Ford Family Foundation. “We are honored to be a partner in providing this additional resource to the families in our community,” said Angela Lattin, director of the Baker Early Learning Center. “The collabo- ration involved in meeting this need has been inspiring.” Investments in a playground to be shared by all Baker Early Learning Center students were made pos- sible by the Oregon Trail Electric Cooperative, Intermountain Educa- tion Service District, Eastern Oregon University Head Start, and Chaves Consulting. See Child Care/Page 5A Joe Strus Was Stranded Sunday After Edge Of Remote Road Collapsed His truck stuck, Richland man walks out after two nights By Jayson Jacoby jjacoby@bakercityherald.com Joe Strus had never been so happy to have a package of hot dogs. The buns were just a bonus. The meals he made of those provi- sions were among the few pleasant parts of an otherwise painful experi- ence that Strus, 63, of Richland had earlier this week in the mountains north of Keating Valley. After the rocky edge of a remote forest road gave way beneath the weight of his 2006 Dodge three-quar- ter ton fl atbed pickup around dusk on Sunday, May 2, the truck rolled once, landing on its wheels near a small stream. “My beautiful truck is not so beau- tiful anymore,” Strus said in a phone TODAY Issue 154, 12 pages “My beautiful truck is not so beautiful anymore.” — Joe Strus, Richland resident interview Thursday afternoon, about 48 hours after, as he puts it, he got “back to civilization.” Strus was in somewhat better condition than his blue, four-door pickup, with lingering soreness in his back and neck. “I hit pretty hard,” he said, recounting his tumble down the embankment. It all started because Strus, who moved to Baker County around 2005, wanted to go fi shing at Balm Creek Reservoir. Classified ............. 2B-4B Comics ....................... 5B Community News ....3A Crossword ........3B & 4B Dear Abby ................. 6B Horoscope ........3B & 4B The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality has issued Baker County an $8,400 fi ne for allegedly removing vinyl fl ooring that contains asbestos from a county-owned building, without obtaining an asbes- tos abatement license. The county has not paid the fi ne and is appealing the matter, County Commis- sioner Bruce Nichols said on Thursday, May 6. Asbestos is a known car- cinogen, and its fi bers can cause lung cancer, mesothe- lioma and asbestosis. State law requires that people who remove materials con- taining asbestos be licensed for that specifi c type of work. The case involves work done in August 2020 in preparation for renovations in the building at 2200 Fourth St. See Asbestos/Page 2A Police seize $20,000, meth in arrest He had tried to reach the reservoir some days before from the west, via Medical Springs, but was turned back by snowdrifts. On Sunday, May 2, Strus decided to try a different route, via Forshey Meadow to the east. He got close, but again was foiled by snow. Although he didn’t get a chance to hook some trout, Strus said he had a new remote control predator call and he fi gured he’d try to summon a coyote. He took Forest Road 7025, a route along Goose Creek, several miles north of Keating Valley, that he’d never driven. Members of the Baker County Narcotics Enforce- ment Team arrested a 37-year-old man Thursday afternoon, May 6 in a motel room in Baker City as part Carroll of an inves- tigation into distribution of heroin and methamphetamines. Tom Raymond Carroll, who is on parole after serv- ing a prison term on drug and fi rearms offenses, was arrested about 2 p.m. and taken to the Baker County Jail. Police found two pounds of what is suspected to be meth, along with more than $20,000 in cash, according to a press release. See Stuck/Page 5A See Arrest/Page 2A Jayson Jacoby ..........4A Lottery Results ..........2A News of Record ........2A Obituaries ..................2A Opinion ......................4A Outdoors ..........1B & 6B Senior Menus ...........2A Turning Backs ...........2A Weather ..................... 6B TUESDAY — LANDOWNER SUES BAKER COUNTY OVER PINE CREEK ROAD