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About Baker City herald. (Baker City, Or.) 1990-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 18, 2021)
A2 — BAKER CITY HERALD SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2021 TURNING BACK THE PAGES 50 YEARS AGO from the Democrat-Herald September 18, 1971 Meadow Valley, Idaho’s 1970 eight-man powerhouse could do little more than scratch the Locomotives’ de- fensive pride as Huntington rolled over its third foe 52-6 Friday in a home encounter. Huntington had previously slashed Greenleaf 50-0 in its opener, and followed with a 26-0, one quarter pounding over Burnt River to take the Baker A League Jamboree last week. 25 YEARS AGO from the Baker City Herald September 18, 1996 Baker County, its cities, and other agencies that receive property tax revenue would have to deal with an esti- mated 20-percent cut in their budgets if Oregon voters pass Measure 47 on Nov. 5. County Judge Steve Bogart and Assessor Allen Phillips explained the potential effects of the property tax-limiting measure Tuesday. 10 YEARS AGO from the Baker City Herald September 19, 2011 Spring was rather treacherous for Baker County potato growers, with its persistent cold, wet weather, but sum- mer might turn out pretty sublime. “We had just about as ideal of conditions as you could hope for growing potatoes,” said Jan Kerns, who with her husband, Tim, raises spuds in Baker Valley west of Haines. The lack of severe heat and an abundance of cool nights should result in a good crop, Jan Kerns said. So far the temperature has hit 90 degrees or higher on 14 days this summer at the Baker City Airport; the average is about 26 days. And the average low temperature for both July and August was well below average, nearly setting a record in both cases. ONE YEAR AGO from the Baker City Herald September 19, 2020 Fourteen people applied for the Baker City manager job, and a selection committee comprising three city council- ors who met Thursday night pared the list of candidates to fi ve. Fred Warner Jr., who has been city manager since May 2016, plans to retire at the end of the year. The seven-member City Council will choose the new manager. Mayor Loran Joseph said the selection committee, which consists of himself and councilors Lynette Perry and Jason Spriet, will propose to the City Council, when it meets Tuesday, Sept. 22, that the full City Council inter- view the fi ve candidates via Zoom. The Council would then trim the roster to two or three fi nalists whom the city would invite to Baker City for in- terviews and potentially a meet-and-greet with residents, contingent on complying with COVID-19 precautions, Joseph said. The city did not release the names of the fi ve candi- dates. According to the Oregon Attorney General’s Public Records manual, public agencies can — but are not legally required to — withhold the names of applicants because releasing the names could jeopardize the applicants’ cur- rent job. OREGON LOTTERY COVID wave crests, but recovery unlikely before holiday season By GARY A. WARNER Oregon Capital Bureau Oregon’s record wave of COVID-19 cases appears to have crested, but the long re- covery will likely stretch into the winter holiday season. “I’m happy to deliver some promising news — dai- ly cases and hospitalizations are slowly coming down from record highs,” said Dr. Dean Sidelinger, the state epidemi- ologist, during a press call on Thursday, Sept. 16. New infections and deaths also remain high but are trending down the past two weeks after eight weeks of rising numbers driven by the highly contagious delta variant. But it will take as long to get down from the crest as it took to get there, about two months, according to state forecasts. “The Delta variant re- mains a formidable threat,” Sidelinger said. With more than 1,000 COVID-19 patients state- wide — nearly all unvac- cinated — hospitals are reeling and medical atten- tion is delayed to not just virus patients, but heart attack victims, those injured in car crashes and other life- threatening incidents. “These capacity levels are not sustainable. Our health system remains under signif- icant stress,” Sidelinger said. The Oregon Health Authority on Thursday reported 11 new COVID-19 related deaths in the state, raising the overall death toll during the crisis to 3,547. Despite the recent sharp rise in cases, Oregon’s overall per capita death rate ranks 46th among the 50 states. The Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center reported that as of Thursday, the pan- demic has killed 4.66 million people worldwide, including 667,894 in the United States. COVID-19 trend forecasts from Oregon Health & Sci- ence University last month held out the possibility that after dropping through September and October, COVID-19 levels could fall to NEWS OF RECORD DEATHS MEGABUCKS, Sept. 15 MEGA MILLIONS, Sept. 14 WIN FOR LIFE, Sept. 15 4 — 10 — 34 — 73 PICK 4, Sept. 16 • 1 p.m.: 2 — 6 — 4 — 3 • 4 p.m.: 6 — 7 — 9 — 1 • 7 p.m.: 6 — 3 — 2 — 6 • 10 p.m.: 5 — 6 — 6 — 9 LUCKY LINES, Sept. 16 4 — 13 — 19 — 63 — 64 2-8-11-14-19-21-27-29 6 – 11 — 15 – 16 — 24 — 46 Next jackpot: $3.2 million POWERBALL, Sept. 15 1 — 4 — 18 — 46 — 62 PB 25 Next jackpot: $457 million Mega 16 Next jackpot: $405 million Next jackpot: $23,000 SENIOR MENUS MONDAY: Chicken strips, mashed potatoes with gravy, corn, rolls, cottage cheese with Jell-O salad, sherbet TUESDAY: Herb-baked chicken, mashed potatoes with gravy, peas and carrots, rolls, macaroni salad, cinnamon rolls WEDNESDAY: Turkey sandwich, turkey noodle soup, green salad, tapioca THURSDAY: Chili cheese dog, potato wedges, mixed vegetables, Jell-O with fruit, ice cream FRIDAY: Spaghetti, green beans, garlic bread, rolls, green salad, cookies 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. CONTACT THE HERALD 2005 Washington Ave., Suite 101 Open Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 4:30 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 Edison ‘Ed’ Bowman: 79, of Richland, died Sept. 16, 2021, at his home, surrounded by his family. Arrangements are under the direction of Tami’s Pine Valley Funeral Home & Cremation Ser- vices. Online condolences may be made at www.tamispineval- leyfuneralhome.com. Donald ‘Don’ Gage: 83, of Halfway, died Sept. 16, 2021, at his home, surrounded by his family. Arrangements are under the direction of Tami’s Pine Valley Funeral Home & Cremation Ser- vices. Online condolences may be made at www.tamispineval- leyfuneralhome. FUNERALS PENDING David Coughlin: Celebra- tion of life, Sunday, Sept. 19 at 4 p.m. at the Quail Ridge Golf Course, 2801 Indiana Ave. in Baker City. Viola Perkins: Graveside memorial service Friday, Sept. 24 at 10:30 a.m. at Haines Cemetery. Donations in Viola’s memory can be made to the Eastern Oregon Museum in Haines, Haines First Baptist Church, or the Rock Creek- Muddy Creek Mutual Improve- ment Club through Coles Tribute Center, 1950 Place St., Baker City, OR 97814. To light a candle in Viola’s memory, go to www. colestributecenter.com. Donna Weir: Graveside service will be Saturday, Sept. 25 at 11 a.m. at the Eagle Valley Cemetery in Richland. Arrange- ments are under the direction of Tami’s Pine Valley Funeral Home & Cremation Services. Online condolences can be made at www.tamispinevalleyfuneral- home.com. POLICE LOG Baker County Parole & Probation Arrests, citations PROBATION VIOLATION: Mariam Everson Collard, 22, Baker City, 3:03 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 15 at the parole and proba- tion offi ce; jailed. levels not seen since the very beginning of the pandemic. But the latest forecasts show a later and slower decline. Hospitalizations are project- ed to be below 200 per day by Thanksgiving. Oregon residents should hope for the best, but prepare for the virus to once again impede holiday cheer. “We’re not fortune tellers,” Sidelinger said. “We will probably all be considering celebrating differently. We may shiver a bit out in the cold.” The rebound could slow or stall amid challenges from several factors, in- cluding Labor Day holiday weekend socializing, K-12 schools reopening to in-class instruction, the return of college students, and major events such as the Pendle- ton Round-Up and college football games. “Every opportunity that brings people together is an opportunity for the disease to spread,” Sidelinger said. The severity of the fl u season and the level of wet and cold weather that may cause people to congregate indoors more could also con- tribute to infection levels. All are occurring as the state experiences its highest infection rates of the entire crisis, which is now into its 19th month since the fi rst case in Oregon was reported at the end of February 2020. Sidelinger’s press call came just after the an- nouncement that Reynolds High School in the Portland suburb of Troutdale, the state’s second largest high school, would close for a week because of likely CO- VID-19 exposure. Setbacks to in-class instruction were expected, Sidelinger said. He noted the Oct. 18 deadline for school staff to be fully vaccinated. Anyone — teachers, staff, parents, students — who believes they were exposed to COVID-19 needs to isolate and not come to school. “They are not drivers of infection,” Sidelinger said of schools. “The drivers of infec- tion is the community.” Following masking and social distance protocols and encouraging anyone who has not been vaccinated to get their shots was the best counterattack. Those who remain unvac- cinated, go unmasked and gather in groups are being selfi sh because their deci- sions put others at risk, Side- linger said. “Come together as a com- munity,” he urged. “Vaccina- tions work, masks work.” Fatigue over the warped daily reality of living with COVID-19 can easily set in. “Did I grab my keys, did I grab my wallet, did I grab my mask?” he said, reciting the new version of people’s checklist when going out. But giving in to the fa- tigue will only give the virus a chance to grow again. “This is going to be with us through the fall and the winter and perhaps beyond,” Sidelinger said. Vaccination rates are slowing again, leaving mil- lions of Oregonians without protection. But many of those already inoculated could be eligible for booster shots of vaccine within a month. Those with com- promised immune systems are already receiving third shots, a total of 610 people last week. A Centers for Disease Control and Preven- tion committee will meet for two days next week to set policy on booster shots for more people, particularly the elderly or those with medical conditions that make them more prone to severe cases of COVID-19. The recent appearance of the mu variant is being monitored but is not current- ly a cause of concern because of the dominance of the delta variant crowding out the growth of other COVID-19 spin-offs. Memorial Service for Evelyne Fisher September 18 at 10:30 am • Haines Baptist Church Interment to follow at the Haines Cemetery Zoom Link below: Meeting ID: 846 3290 5984 • Passcode: funeral or phone #: 669 900 6833 Meeting ID: 846 3290 5984 • Passcode: 5621543 Due to an overabundance of caution, use mask indoors. “You’ll love the work we do. I guarantee it.” - JR 225 H Street • East of I-84 • 541-523-3200 • grumpysrepair.com Darrell Robert Bales July 13, 1938 - August 22, 2021 Darrell Robert Bales of Baker City, Oregon, 83, passed away from pneumonia on Aug 22, 2021 after a 7-month stay at Meadowbrook Place Assisted Living facility. His family gath- ered to be with him during that last week of his life. Memorial service plans for the spreading of his and his wife’s ashes will be made in the spring. Darrell was born July 13, 1938 at the hos- pital in Mt. Vernon, Oregon to Robert “Bob” Thomas Bales and Lila Grace Friedly. He spent his earliest years on the Bales sheep ranch near Kimberly and John Day, Oregon. In January of 1945 the Bales relatives sold off the ranch and his family moved to Baker where he lived for the rest of his life, a loved and respected part of the community. He graduated from Baker High School where he played on the varsity basketball team and enjoyed playing basketball with his friends well into his 50s. He was a hard worker. His first job was as a printer at the Record Courier newspaper and later he delivered supplies for the Baker school district where he would give the kids he knew a friendly wave. He retired in 1999. On April 12, 1959 Darrell married the love of his life, Bertha Ann Morris. They bought a fixer-upper house out on Pocahontas Road which he continued to help Bertha remod- el into the house of her dreams. They loved their home and to make it nice inside and out. There was the gorgeous garden and patio, the Western-themed bedroom up to the last major project, a complete kitchen redo. Darrell simply adored Bertha with a rare level of dedication (thus the photo of both of them in this obit) and would help her do anything with a happy heart. She would say things like “the windows need cleaning” and soon the task would be done. He deeply grieved her passing and that of his sister Sally and cousin Tom who called him daily. Darrell studied his wife’s Catholic faith, be- coming a devout member of Baker’s St. Francis Catholic church and until the end attended services whenever he was able to, after which he enjoyed gathering with a group of others for a meal out. He had a special bond with his half-sister, Sally Farmer, and a few times a week they had lunch at the Inland Cafe. Bertha, Darrell, and Sally always attended events together at the church of the other such as the Methodist Ice Cream Social and the Catholic Thanksgiving dinner. He greatly enjoyed the many holiday family gatherings and meals. Darrell loved the outdoors, frequently camping, hunting, fishing and taking the time to be with his family. Besides these outdoor adventures, the couple never took a vacation except for when they won a trip to Hawaii. He had fun visiting Tom’s ranch where he could ride the 4-wheeler while helping out with the cows. The couple enjoyed having their grandchildren, Kevin and Kelly, come over from Medford for 2-week stays. He was slow to anger, agreeable, kind, loving, and generally quiet unless someone else initiated it, then a long conversation might follow. He was a favorite uncle that liked to entertain the nieces and nephews. A very close and sweet relationship developed between the couple and nephew Cody who loved visiting them and the long, warm and easy talks they had that made him feel especially loved. Niece Jeanie fondly recalls that when she made a batch of apricot jam that did not set up right, she gave it to Darrell and “Bert” and it tasted so yummy that they fought over who got to eat it. His passing leaves a huge hole in the hearts of those who loved him yet we know he is surely joyous to move on to his eternal “home” to be with those loved ones who passed before him. Special thanks to Rocky Morris and her family for their help with the move to Meadow- brook, and many other things over the years; and to the Martin and Mary Neske family who helped Darrell around the property and with getting to appointments during his last few years (and more). Darrell Bales was preceded in death by his parents Bob and Lila, wife Bertha (Morris) Bales and all his siblings, Roberta Bard of Pueblo West, Colorado, Dennis Bales of Umatilla, Oregon, Patty Moyes and Sally Farmer, both of Baker City; and nephew Kevin Moyes of Baker. He is survived by sons, Brad Bales of Day- ton, Oregon and Brian Bales of Medford, Ore- gon; grandchildren Kelly of Medford, and Kevin (Bergan) of Missoula, Montana; great-grand- children, Riley Bales of Medford and Greyson Bales of Missoula; nieces and nephews, Karen Eck, Kay Patterson, Kip Farmer, Michael Moyes, Dean, Chris and Colette Bales, Lori Bushke, Jeanie Dexter, Stephanie and Jessica Eck, Jason and Brad Waldrop; and the many members of his wife’s family. For those who would like to make a dona- tion in memory of Darrell the family suggests St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church through Tami’s Pine Valley Funeral Home and Cremation Services, PO Box 543 Halfway, Oregon 97834. Online condolences can be shared at www. tamispinevalleyfuneralhome.com