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BAKER GIRLS GOLF TEAM PLACES THIRD AT STATE TOURNEY: PAGE 6A
NORTHEAST OREGON
MAY 20, 2021
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Travel Baker County/Contributed Photo
also inside:
Seth Brown concert in Halfway
Whoop it up at virtual Hootenanny
Grande Ronde Symphony performs alfresco
GO! Magazine
Serving Baker County since 1870 • bakercityherald.com
May 20, 2021
IN THIS EDITION:
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Good Day Wish
To A Subscriber
A special good day to
Herald subscriber Donna
Kanyid of Baker City.
Local • Business & AgLife • Go! magazine $1.50
Voters pass school bond
■ $4 million bond first approved in the 5J District since 1948; Jessica Dougherty elected to school board
By Jayson Jacoby
BRIEFING
Baker City testing
fi re hydrants
The Baker City Public
Works Department started
its annual fi re hydrant test-
ing and waterline fl ushing
on Tuesday, May 18. Test-
ing will continue for two to
three weeks. This testing
is done annually to fl ush
sediment from the system,
ensure all hydrants are
functioning properly and
are delivering water at the
correct pressure and vol-
ume, according to a press
release from the city.
Through this testing/
fl ushing process small silt-
like particles may become
“stirred up” in the lines.
These are particles which
have settled in less active
water lines. This accumu-
lation of sediment may
cause water clarity prob-
lems. If you do experience
water clarity problems,
turn on a cold-water faucet
outside and let it run until
it clears.
Any further problems
may be addressed to
Baker City Public Works
Department. If you are
using a water fi ltration
system in your home,
please remember to clean
the screen to restore full
water fl ow. If your water
continues to be cloudy, call
the water department at
541-523-6541.
jjacoby@bakercityherald.com
Voters in the Baker School
District made history in the May 18
special election, approving the dis-
trict’s fi rst bond measure for school
improvements since 1948.
In unoffi cial results from the
Baker County Clerk’s offi ce, the $4
million measure was passing by a
margin of 2,509 yes votes to 2,315
no votes.
The district will add the $4 mil-
lion from the property tax-funded
levy to a $4 million state grant
and $4 million from the district’s
capital budget for a total $12 million
project.
The district will replace heating,
cooling and ventilation systems in
all schools, as well as upgrade secu-
rity systems in all schools.
The district also will build an
approximately 5,000-square-foot
cafeteria/kitchen at Baker Middle
School, the only school that lacks
such a facility.
52 / 37
Rain showers
Friday
52 / 36
“We’re obviously thrilled and
thankful to everybody that’s been
involved, from staff members to the
community,” said Chris Hawkins,
chairman of the Baker 5J School
Board. “It’s been a long time coming.
It’s just monumental.”
By Jayson Jacoby
jjacoby@bakercityherald.com
Contributed Photo
The Potter family of Baker City has been a certifi ed foster family since 2002. The Potters have cared for more
than 70 foster children over the past 19 years.
For Love Of Family
Rain showers
So the Potters, who live in Baker
City, became a certifi ed foster family.
Joyclynn and Ben Potter can’t
Since then they’ve cared for more
agree on how they became foster care than 70 foster children.
parents.
The most common question they
It was 2002, and Joyclynn was
fi eld about foster care is this: How
pregnant with their fi rst child.
do they handle the sadness when a
The reason may have been as
foster child leaves?
simple as space.
Ben points out that the emphasis is
“We had this extra room,” Joyclynn on the child.
said. “We could be a loving, stable
“You’re not doing foster care to fi ll a
family.”
void in your life, it’s to fi ll a void in the
By Lisa Britton
Full forecast on the back
of the B section.
The space below is for
a postage label for issues
that are mailed.
See Schools/Page 3A
City police
warn of
‘dangerous’
suspect
May Is National Foster Care Month: Part 2 In 3-Part Series
WEATHER
Today
Your guide to arts,
entertainment and
other events
happening around
Northeast Oregon
lbritton@bakercityherald.com
foster child’s life,” he said.
The goal, he continued, is “to be
there in a season of their life, provid-
ing love and stability.”
“And no matter how long the
season, that child is safe,” Joyclynn
added.
But this doesn’t mean it’s not hard
on the family when a foster child
leaves.
See Potters/Page 5A
The Baker City Police
Department issued a public
notice Tuesday,
May 18 alerting
residents about
a Baker City
man accused of
several crimes
Sprague
earlier this
month, including
spraying bear repellent into
the face of a city police offi cer.
The notice describes
the suspect, Travis James
Sprague, 24, who has no
fi xed address, as “armed and
dangerous.”
“Travis is an active threat
to our society and is consid-
ered to be armed and danger-
ous,” the notice reads. “Please
DO NOT try to apprehend
him. If you know where Tra-
vis is located or see him please
call 911 immediately.”
According to court records,
Sprague sprayed Baker City
Police Offi cer Koby Essex
with “bear mace” on May
14 while he was talking to
Sprague about an alleged
incident involving Sprague
and a woman.
See Wanted/Page 2A
County
proposes
lodging
tax review
By Samantha O’Conner
soconner@bakercityherald.com
dren — some long-term, and
some for just a few hours for
emergency care.
“We never did make it to
China,” Rebecca said with
a smile.
Her advice to anyone con-
sidering foster care is this:
“You’ve got to set aside
everything you think you
know about parenting,” she
said. “It’s not going to work
with a 5-year-old who is
traumatized and scared.”
Two of the three Baker
County commissioners want
to hire a consultant to coordi-
nate a comprehensive review
of how the county spends
nearly half a million dollars
in lodging taxes that guests
at motels and other establish-
ments pay annually.
But that plan is contingent
on Drew Martin, an attorney
for the attorney, deeming it
legally sound for the county
to extend, for the fourth time
in the past 15 months, the
county’s current contract
with the Baker County
Chamber of Commerce to op-
erate the visitors center using
lodging tax revenue.
See Fosters/Page 5A
See County/Page 3A
LA GRANDE: Couple’s missionary trip to China
never happened as they focused on foster care
thinking “surely there are
children here we can take
LA GRANDE — Rebecca care of.”
and Ken Foster were set to
She brought up foster
be missionaries in China
care to Ken, who agreed.
with their children, ages 3
That was in October
and 1.
2003, and two months later
They were going to focus they had their fi rst foster
on orphan care.
placement.
“Plans suddenly
Their initial experience as
changed,” Rebecca said.
a foster family was hard.
They found themselves in
“We were amateurs,” Ken
La Grande, but the couple
said.
still wanted to do something
“We didn’t know anything
to help children.
about trauma,” Rebecca
Rebecca remembers
said.
By Lisa Britton
lbritton@bakercityherald.com
TODAY
Issue 4, 22 pages
Business .............. 1B-3B
Classified ............. 3B-6B
Comics ....................... 7B
After that fi rst experience,
she wasn’t sure they could
continue as a foster family.
Then she got a call about
a 12-week-old baby boy.
“We prayed about it,” Ken
said.
They said yes. And later
adopted him.
“That’s our son Mykail.
Who is now 17 years old,”
Rebecca said. “I’m so grate-
ful we said yes.”
This is their 17th year
as a foster family. They’ve
fostered more than 50 chil-
Community News ....3A
Crossword ........3B & 6B
Dear Abby ................. 8B
Horoscope ........4B & 6B
Letters ........................4A
Lottery Results ..........2A
News of Record ........2A
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Opinion ......................4A
Senior Menus ...........2A
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