A2 — BAKER CITY HERALD
SATURDAY, JULY 24, 2021
Elbow Creek fire nears 21,000 acres
By Ronald Bond
Wallowa County Chieftain
T URNING B ACK THE P AGES
50 YEARS AGO
from the Democrat-Herald
July 24, 1971
Baker 13-year-olds downed the Ontario Americans in
Babe Ruth tournament play at the Harmon Killebrew fi eld
in Payette last night 5 to 4 in a squeaker that had the crowd
on its feet. Duffy Miles went the full seven innings to claim
the victory for Baker.
25 YEARS AGO
from the Baker City Herald
July 24, 1996
The Baker City Council on Tuesday voted 4-2 to ask the
state to paint new lines on Campbell Street from Main
Street to the freeway, switching from two travel lanes in
each direction to one.
Other changes include adding a 14-foot-wide center
turn-only lane and 6-foot-wide bicycle lanes on each side
of the street.
Parking would still be allowed at the curb on both sides.
The new paint job is among the projects recommended
in the city’s almost-fi nished transportation system plan.
That plan, which David Evans & Associates wrote, will
guide the city for the next 20 years.
The city doesn’t know when the state will paint the new
lines, City Attorney Tim Collins said.
The Oregon Department of Transportation usually re-
paints Campbell Street in the spring.
10 YEARS AGO
from the Baker City Herald
July 25, 2011
The fi rst “Conversation at Crossroads” this week will
feature a view of recent efforts to improve the health and
safety of American soldiers and Afghans.
The speaker is Dr. Daniel Lowe. Lowe, a 1965 Baker High
graduate, is a retired surgeon, and his talk is “Lessons
Learned in Afghanistan,” a conversation about his experi-
ence as a health care systems developer working for the
U.S. Department of Defense in Afghanistan.
ONE YEAR AGO
from the Baker City Herald
July 25, 2020
It all started with a modest crop of potatoes and now,
105 years later, the Ward family’s fi elds in Baker Valley
continue to yield their yearly bounty of spuds.
But this year the Ward Ranches’ harvest will include
something new.
Something not so tasty as a french fry, to be sure, but
valuable in its own way.
The business, still operated by two grandchildren of
its founder, Clyde Ward, has been honored as an Oregon
Century Farm.
The Oregon Century Farm and Ranch program, which
started in 1958, is run by the Oregon Agricultural Educa-
tion Foundation. The program recognizes families that
have worked the same land for at least 100 years.
Ward Ranches is Baker County’s one entry in the 2020
class.
It joins 28 other farms and ranches in the county to
receive the Century designation.
“We are blessed and thankful by this heritage and
lifestyle that makes us who we are today,” Clyde’s grand-
daughter, Kathy Ward, wrote in the biography she com-
piled as part of the family’s application. “Ward Ranches
is the result of generations of family working together to
make their farm’s legacy live on and thrive.”
O REGON L OTTERY
MEGABUCKS, July 21
5 — 6 — 7 — 13 — 19 — 25
Next jackpot: $5.7 million
POWERBALL, July 21
27 — 28 — 44 — 67 — 68 PB 11
Next jackpot: $174 million
MEGA MILLIONS, July 22
10 — 26 — 30 — 52 — 57
Mega
10
Next jackpot: $138 million
WIN FOR LIFE, July 21
4 — 11 — 42 — 55
PICK 4, July 22
• 1 p.m.: 6 — 8 — 4 — 7
• 4 p.m.: 6 — 5 — 1 — 9
• 7 p.m.: 6 — 1 — 5 — 9
• 10 p.m.: 8 — 3 — 5 — 5
LUCKY LINES, July 22
2-5-11-16-20-22-28-31
Next jackpot: $36,000
S ENIOR M ENUS
■ MONDAY: Chicken-fried chicken, mashed potatoes with
gravy, biscuits, corn, coleslaw, pudding
■ TUESDAY: Lasagna, garlic breadsticks, Italian vegetables,
three-bean salad, pineapple sherbet
■ WEDNESDAY: Beef burgundy over fettuccine with
mushrooms, mixed vegetables, rolls, pea-and-onion salad
■ THURSDAY: Hot turkey sandwich, mashed potatoes with
gravy, carrots, ambrosia, bread pudding
■ FRIDAY: Baked ham, scalloped potatoes, green beans,
rolls, green salad, ice cream
Public luncheon at the Senior Center, 2810 Cedar St., from
11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; $5 donation (60 and older), $7.50
for those under 60.
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
WALLOWA — Link Smith
has fought fi re in every por-
tion of Oregon except for the
northeastern corner.
He’s now coordinating the
attack on the Elbow Creek
Fire burning southwest of
Troy.
Smith is the incident
commander for the Type
1 Oregon Department of
Forestry Incident Manage-
ment Team 3 that has been
on the scene trying to quell
the Elbow Creek Fire since
Sunday morning, July 18.
Smith, the district for-
Ben Lonergan/East Oregonian
A stump continues to burn in a section of the Elbow
Creek Fire near Promise on Thursday, July 22, 2021.
ester for the Western Land
District west of Eugene, is a
Chieftain July 20 this is his
37th year fi ghting fi re, his
29th with the ODF and his
eighth as an incident com-
mander.
He’s faced some of the
state’s biggest blazes, as
well. Smith was the IC on
the Holiday Farm Fire,
which burned more than
173,000 acres east of Eugene
and Springfi eld in 2020.
The Elbow Creek Fire,
while much smaller than the
Holiday Farm Fire at 20,810
acres as of Friday, July 23,
presents its own challenges.
veteran fi refi ghter. He said
during an interview with the
See Fire/Page A5
Organizer expecting a crowd for
Community Night Out event Aug. 3
p.m. The meal is provided by Oregon
Trail Restaurant, Elkhorn Grills, and
Phoebe Wachtel is expecting hun-
the Baker City Lions Club.
dreds of people for dinner on Tuesday,
Vendors will be set up throughout the
Aug. 3.
park. Space is still available — it is free
Her projection is based on experience for nonprofi t organizations, or $20 for
— every August, as many as 700 people those selling products or sharing politi-
spend a few hours in Geiser-Pollman
cal information. To inquire about being
Park for Community Night Out.
a vendor, email pwachtel@bakercity.
“It will be pretty much like we’ve al- com or bakercityevents1@gmail.com.
ways done it,” said Wachtel, who is the
“We’re hoping to interact with the
administrative assistant for the Baker public and let them know what services
City Police Department and helps orga- are out there,” she said.
nize Community Night Out.
Each vendor is asked to donate an
A free dinner — barbecued pork loin item or basket to the raffl e.
sandwich, grapes, chips, and soda or
“I encourage them to donate some-
water — will be served starting at 5
thing that refl ects their mission or
By Lisa Britton
lbritton@bakercityherald.com
COMPOST
breaks down into a product
that resembles what buyers
Continued from Page A1
are used to seeing when they
Periodically turning the
purchase compost. Eventu-
batch ensures that every bit ally, Henry plans to use worm
of material reaches the heat fertilizer called vermicast to
in the middle, which can get improve the process. But he’s
up to 160 degrees under the
not quite there yet.
tarp. Garrett Virtue is the
“That’s still our end goal,”
landfi ll manager at Baker
Henry said. “I think at this
Sanitary Service, and he’s in point, it’ll probably be next
charge of turning and manag- spring.”
ing the batches.
Henry plans to test the
After eight weeks, the
benefi t of the fi nished product
batch is moved to another lo- before selling it to commercial
cation where it can begin the ranchers and farmers, and
two- to three-month matura- even vineyards and orchards
tion process. The material
that desire a high-quality
what they do in the community,” Wach-
tel said.
Every person who goes through the
food line receives one free raffl e ticket.
Additional tickets can be purchased —
one for $1, seven for $5, 15 for $10, or
35 for $20.
“That’s what funds (Community
Night Out) for next year,” Wachtel said
of the ticket sales.
Raffl e winners will be announced
after 6:30 p.m. when most people have
had a chance to get food and a ticket.
Updates on the evening, and a list of
vendors, can be found on the Facebook
page for the Baker City Police Depart-
ment.
compost. Eventually, he’d like
to sell it to customers directly
out of Baker Sanitary Service.
“We’re just early enough
that we don’t know what the
fi nal product is going to look
like and there might need
to be adjustments,” Henry
said. “But the goal would be
to have some sort of product
that has a market value, and
that would have some form of
being available to customers.”
The facility is also able to
compost food waste, although
Henry has not started reach-
ing out to restaurants and
grocery stores to solicit their
material. It will essentially be
the same process, but more
challenging because the food
waste can attract birds and
rodents, and emit odors, if not
managed properly.
The Baker County Plan-
ning Commission modifi ed
Baker Sanitary Service’s
conditional use permit for the
landfi ll in August 2020 to al-
low the composting facility.
“We just wanted to be
slightly innovative and try to
be ahead of the curve there
and see what options could
come out of that experimenta-
tion,” Henry said.
O BITUARY
Upon graduation from Oregon State,
Kerry joined the United States Navy.
Kerry Duane Cameron, 74, died on
He went to Offi cer Candidate School
July 17, 2021.
in Pensacola, Florida. He was commis-
A military service will be scheduled at sioned as a Naval Flight Offi cer in 1970.
a later date.
During his 22 1/2 years in the Navy, Kerry
Kerry was born on Nov. 30, 1946,
traveled the globe. He was on the Com-
at McMinnville. He was
missioning crew of the Dwight D. Eisen-
raised in McMinnville and
hower in Norfolk, Virginia, in 1977 and his
graduated from McMin-
favorite duty station was Adak, Alaska,
nville High School in
from 1984-1987.
1965. He graduated from
He retired from the Navy in 1991
Oregon State University
and began work for the Department of
Kerry
in Corvallis in 1969 with a
Energy in Richland, Washington, for 12
Cameron years. After resigning from the Depart-
bachelor of science degree
in Forestry and Business
ment of Energy in 2003, Kerry and Judy
Administration.
began a 17-year journey with Volunteer
Kerry met Judy Senn on a blind date Mobile Missionaries and then Volunteer
in 1967. They got married in October
Mobile Missionaries, doing volunteer work
1969 at McMinnville and have been
throughout the US including construction-
married 51 years.
related work for Christian churches,
Kerry worked with his father and
camps, Christian schools, etc. This was the
brothers while growing up helping their highlight of his life.
dad build houses. During summer vaca-
Kerry was an avid bike rider, loved go-
tions, Kerry worked for US Plywood.
ing on tandem bike rides with Judy, loved
Kerry Cameron
1946-2021
tennis, racquetball, sports, camping with
his family, hunting with his brothers, and
helping others. He loved attending the
sporting events his grandchildren were
involved in.
Kerry leaves behind his wife, Judy;
his son, Kris (Liz) Cameron of Spokane,
Washington; his daughters, Kailin (Carter)
Wells of Union, and Kacy (Karissa) of Fox
Island Washington; fi ve grandchildren,
Elly, Audrey and Noah Wells, Issac Cam-
eron, and Claire Cameron; his brothers,
Forrest Cameron of Turner, and Colin
Cameron of McMinnville; his sister, Shelli
Thornton of Salem; numerous nieces and
nephews and numerous loving cousins in
Arkansas.
Donations in Kerry’s honor can be made
to Faith Center in Island City, Heart ’N
Home Hospice in La Grande, or Meals on
Wheels in La Grande, through Tami’s Pine
Valley Funeral Home & Cremation Ser-
vices, P.O. Box 543, Halfway, OR 97834.
Online condolences can be made at www.
tamispinevalleyfuneralhome.com.
N EWS OF R ECORD
Nancy Curtiss: 66, of
Baker City, died July 19, 2021,
at Memory Lane in Baker City.
Her graveside service will be
Tuesday, July 27 at 11 a.m. at
Mount Hope Cemetery. Father
Suresh Telagani of St. Francis
de Sales Cathedral will offi ciate.
Donations may be made to The
Knight of Columbus, through
Coles Tribute Center, 1950 Place
St. Baker City, OR 97814. To light
a candle in Nancy’s memory, go
to www.colestributecenter.com.
morial service, Aug. 14 at 11 a.m.
at the Baker City Church of the
Nazarene, 1250 Hughes Lane. A
reception will follow the service
at the Nazarene Church’s Family
Life Center. Memorial contribu-
tions can be made to the Burnt
River Community Church or the
Northeast Oregon Compassion
Center through Gray’s West &
Co. Pioneer Chapel, 1500 Dewey
Ave., Baker City, OR 97814. To
leave an online condolence for
Kent’s family, go to www.gray-
swestco.com.
FUNERALS PENDING
POLICE LOG
DEATHS
Denny and Charlie Oliver:
Memorial service and celebra-
tion of their lives, Saturday, July
31 at noon at the Pine Haven
Cemetery in Halfway. Friends
are invited to join the family for
a reception immediately follow-
ing at the Halfway Lions Hall.
Laurie Gulick: Memorial
service Sunday, Aug. 1 at 10
a.m. at the Gulick Ranch on Pine
Town Lane in Halfway. Online
condolences can be made at
www.tamispinevalleyfuneral-
home.com.
Robert Kent Nelson: Me-
CONTEMPT OF COURT (10
Baker County Justice Court war-
rants): Michael Steven Myers-
Gabiola, 30, Baker City, 6:30 a.m.
Thursday, July 22 at Broadway
and Chestnut streets; jailed.
CONTEMPT OF COURT (Baker
County Justice Court warrant):
Sharon Lee Beck, 35, Baker City,
9:51 p.m. Monday, July 19 on
Campbell Street at Geiser-Poll-
man Park; cited and released.
Baker County Sheriff
HARASSMENT: Brandon Cole
Cook, 46, Richland, 7:35 a.m.
Tuesday, July 20 in Richland;
cited and released.
SECOND-DEGREE DISOR-
DERLY CONDUCT: Jessica M.
Gonzales, 31, Halfway, 3:33 p.m.
Monday, July 19 in Halfway;
cited and released.
Funeral for
Baker City Police
FOURTH-DEGREE ASSAULT,
SECOND-DEGREE CRIMINAL
MISCHIEF, HARASSMENT, MEN-
ACING, ATTEMPTED ASSAULT:
Joshua Mark Kelly Fulfer, 18,
Baker City, 5:02 p.m. Thursday,
July 22 in the 3500 block of
Carter Street; jailed.
Laurie Gulick
August 1st at 10:00 a.m.
At the Ranch on Pine Town Ln., Halfway
*Shade will be provided
“You’ll love the work we do. I guarantee it.” - JR
225 H Street • East of I-84 • 541-523-3200 • grumpysrepair.com