THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2021
BAKER CITY HERALD — A3
LOCAL & STATE
COVID
RESTAURANTS
Continued from A1
Continued from A1
A 72-year-old Baker
County woman died Sept. 7
at her residence, according
to OHA.
Her death was the fi rst
reported in the county since
Aug. 19.
Baker County Commis-
sioner Mark Bennett said
in a press release Wednes-
day: “I hope for solace for
all of the families who are
grieving in our community
right now. This many deaths
reported inside a week is
a hard blow for our small
community.”
The four deaths during
September coincide with a
record-setting number of
infections in the county.
From Sept. 1-21, the
county had 355 cases, an
average of 16.9 per day.
The previous record was
set in August 2021, when
there were 300 cases.
The previous record
was 196 cases in December
2020.
While the statewide rate
of cases per 100,000 popula-
tion dropped by 14.3% for
the week ending Sept. 18,
Baker County set a record
with 139 new cases that
week.
The county’s case rate
per 100,000 rose by 8.6%, to
822, the fourth-highest rate
among Oregon’s 36 counties.
Each of the 23 county
residents who died after
testing positive was 59 or
older.
A majority of cases this
month, however, have been
in people younger than 50.
That age range accounted
for 72% of the county’s cases
from Sept. 1-15, accord-
ing to the Baker County
Health Department.
The program is designed to help
businesses continue operating by
compensating them for revenue losses
caused by shutdowns and other
pandemic-related issues.
Businesses don’t have to repay
the money so long as they use their
grant for eligible purposes by March
11, 2023.
Baker City’s biggest recipient is
Windmill Enterprises, the business
owned by the Brown family that in-
cludes Barley Brown’s Brew Pub and
Tap House, and Sumpter Junction
restaurant.
Windmill Enterprises was ap-
proved for a grant of almost $1.25
million.
Tyler Brown, who operates the
brew pub and tap house on Main
Street, said he understands that
“sounds like a lot.”
But he said the grant, which is
based on the company’s operating
losses in 2020 compared with 2019,
doesn’t include unrealized profi t.
Brown said his family’s business
will still end up losing a signifi cant
amount of money due to the pan-
demic.
One of their restaurants —
Sumpter Junction, on Campbell
Street near the freeway — closed in
March 2020, at the start of the pan-
demic, and has not reopened.
For much of the pandemic, Brown
said it didn’t make economic sense to
open Sumpter Junction given state-
imposed limitations on the number
of customers.
Right now, he said, it’s diffi cult to
fi nd enough employees to operate the
brew pub and tap house.
Even procuring enough food
through suppliers has been challeng-
ing recently, Brown said.
He said he recently ordered 100
cases of food but received only 60.
“Everything’s messed up in the
supply chain,” Brown said.
Brown also pointed out that the
pandemic has affected not only his
family’s restaurants, but also the
brewery, what he called a “double
hit.” When restaurants and bars
were closed during parts of 2020,
and limited in occupancy for more
than a year stretching into 2021,
demand for Barley Brown’s beer,
which is served in restaurants and
bars across Oregon and in Idaho, all
but evaporated, he said.
Many of those fi nancial losses
weren’t eligible to be included with
the Restaurant Revitalization Fund
application, Brown said.
That said, he is grateful that the
RRF was created, and that his fam-
ily’s business qualifi ed.
“It’s a lot of money,” Brown said.
“I’m confi dent that it will allow us to
move ahead and continue to operate.
But there’s a lot of problems money
doesn’t solve. It takes so much time
to rebuild a business.”
According to the Small Business
Administration, RRF money can
be used for a variety of purposes,
including:
• Business payroll costs (includ-
ing sick leave)
• Payments on any business
mortgage obligation
• Business rent payments (this
does not include prepayment of rent)
• Business debt service, both
principal and interest (this does not
include any prepayment of principal
or interest)
• Business utility payments
• Business maintenance ex-
penses
• Construction of outdoor seating
• Business supplies (including
protective equipment and cleaning
materials)
• Business food and beverage
expenses (including raw materials)
• Covered supplier costs
• Business operating expenses
Other qualifying businesses
Barbara Sidway, who owns the
Geiser Grand Hotel and Restaurant
with her husband, Dwight, said she
“very appreciative of all the govern-
ment programs,” including the RRF,
which approved $224,000 for the
Sidways’ company, Grand His-
tory LLC.
“It’s not going to make us whole,
but I’m not bitter about it,” Barbara
Sidway said. “Life happens.”
Sidway said she is eager to use
the grant to continue operating the
business that the couple started
when they bought the decrepit Geiser
Grand, built in 1889, and restored it
over the next several years.
“We are committed to surviving
and thriving and getting back to
where we were before the pandemic
started,” Sidway said. “This program
and others are going to help us get
there.”
Both Sidway and Brown said they
feel badly for the hundreds of business
owners who didn’t receive a grant
before the fund was depleted. They
said they hope Congress replenishes
the program.
“The restaurant business really
took it on the chin compared with
other industries,” Sidway said.
The Oregon Restaurant and Lodg-
ing Association is among those urging
Congress to pony up money for a
second round of the RRF.
“We’re certainly working with our
national partners, national restaurant
association to try to replenish the
restaurant revitalization,” said Greg
Astley, director of government affairs
for the Association. “We’re hoping that
more money will be made available
again. This didn’t happen overnight.
It’s not going to be solved overnight.
And even as we can reopen right now,
we know that operators are facing a
problem with getting people back to
work.”
Restrictions during the pandemic
have affected restaurants and other
related businesses in a variety of ways.
Travis Cook, who owns Copper
Belt Winery in the Keating Valley, said
his tasting room on Main Street in
Baker City depends on walk-in traffi c,
with that accounting for about 65% to
70% of its business.
“People come in off the interstate
— they taste our wine, then they buy
our wine,” he said.
But the tasting room was closed for
most of 2020.
“We were pretty well closed for the
duration,” Cook said.
OBITUARIES
Watson, Jerry Watson and
Rodger Watson; her sister, Judy
Bingham; her niece, Kimberly
Bingham; and her nephews,
Joshua Hardesty and William
“Will” Watson.
In her later days, her biggest
desire was to dance again, and
she worried that she would nev-
er get the chance to do so. We
know she is dancing in heaven
to God’s beautiful choir, without
pain and a great, big smile on
her face, her family said.
She loved her family and
friends, and we loved her back
— as she would say, “love you
long time.”
A note from the family of
Laura Mae Watson:
On September 11, 2021,
we lost our loving mother. Our
hearts are heavy, and we now
have to say goodbye. In her time
on Earth, she was full of life and
has seen and done many things,
from her travels to Louisiana,
Germany, and everywhere
in between, before settling in
Oregon. To all our family and
friends, we want to say thank
you for loving her and receiving
the love she gave; never will we
meet another like her. Until we
meet again!
To leave an online condo-
lence Laura’s family, go to www.
grayswestco.com.
cies, as well as
having many
private clients
she lovingly
cared for. Her
showing of
love and giv-
Vicki Profi tt ing encourage-
ment to many
foster and runaway children
helped put their lives back
together. She cared about others
and making sure everyone
was OK.
Vicki enjoyed playing card
games, coloring and sewing.
Vicki is survived by her
daughters, Daisy Carrier and
Trista Pauline Baker of Baker
City; her grandchildren, Raven
Dover, Thomas Dover, Skie
Lynn Ritch, Nadia Ayasha
Ritch, Savanah Rayne Ritch
and Avalanna Ivory Ritch, all of
Baker City.
She was preceded in death
by her mother, Bertha “Fritzi”
Ridpath; and her grandmother,
Bertha Pauline Aldrich.
To leave an online condo-
lence for Vicki’s family, go to
www.grayswestco.com.
Rachel Pregnancy Center
2192 Court Avenue, Baker City • 541-523-5357
Services Provided:
Free Pregnancy Tests
A resource
center for
Referrals for Free Ultrasounds
families
Pregnancy Options Counseling
Adoption Referrals
Prenatal, Infant Care & Parenting Classes
Maternity & Baby Clothing
Post Abortion Recovery
Helping women & men in an
Open Tues -Thurs
unplanned pregnancy.
All services free & confidential.
10 am - 5 pm
(closed for lunch)
On behalf of my Dad
Phil D. Stevenson
Vicki Profi tt
Baker City, 1965-2021
Vicki Sue Profi tt, 56, of
Baker City, died Sept. 5, 2021,
at her home.
Vicki was born on Aug. 22,
1965, in Salem to Hershell
and “Fritzi” (Bertha Ridpath)
McGranahan. Vicki attended
Highland High School and at
the age of 30, Vicki succeeded in
receiving her GED, an accom-
plishment she was very proud
of. Vicki worked as a homecare
provider/CNA for various agen-
(1930-2019)
THANK
YOU
Don Burrows and his Masonic
Brothers of Baker City
and
The Boise Naval Funeral Travel Team
for helping me give my dad the honor he deserved
Rest easy, Pops
Much Love, Deb Sue
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Vintage clothing, over 150 cookie jars,
cut glass, antique and collectible dishes,
(From Top’s and Millers Cafe era) many crock
jugs, guy tools of all kinds, Craftsman
floor drill press, old steamer trunk, many
cases of copy type paper, large selection
of envelopes, various kinds of copiers and
computer equipment, misc hardware for
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& much, much more
For more information contact
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541-910-0189
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LOCALLY!
10106 N N. ‘C’ • Island City
541-975-1364
Baker City office hours:
Mon-Thurs 8am-5am
Clinic hours: Tuesday 8am-5pm
Thursday 8am-12pm
Clinic offices in Ontario (every other monday)
John Day (every other monday)
La Grande (every Wednesday)
@ 1920 Court Ave. • Baker City
Sunday September 26
Starts at 10:00AM Preview 9:00AM
An Independent
Insurance Agency
Associates
Reed & Associates
for for
vice
Lisa Britton contributed to this
story, along with Davis Carbaugh of
The (La Grande) Observer.
Jay & Kristin Wilson, Owners
2036 Main Street, Baker City
541-523-6284 • ccb#219615
Continued from Page A2
Her favorite story to tell
was when she was on her
ex-husband’s ship in the ocean,
and pirates came and took over
controls of their ship and they
had to take off in the boat they
had been towing with the ship.
She was a wonderful gar-
dener of plants inside and out.
Her granddaughter, Ashleigh,
would call her the “plant doctor,”
as she could bring any plant
back to life. Laura had a love for
music such as opera, country,
’80s genre and, of course, her
“Hope Floats” soundtrack.
Laura was a hippie at heart,
and she will be remembered
wearing her capris and ankle
bracelets. She had a love for
everyone, regardless of their
background, color of their skin,
or religion. She had a deep con-
nection with her dog, Dutchy
B, and all other pets that she
was around. Her memory will
be treasured for all the days of
our lives (which was also her
favorite soap opera)!
Laura is survived by her
children, John Beatty and
Colleen Klassen; granddaugh-
ter Ashleigh King-Price and
grandson-in-law Taylor Price;
great-grandchildren McKynzie,
Olivia, and Lincoln; sisters
Cindy Shuckle and Vicky Wat-
son-Worsham; her nieces and
nephews include Rick Watson,
Rhonda Watson-Yanez, Justin
Watson, Michelle Watson, Tracy
Fass, Todd Beatty, Chris Beatty,
Holly Hardesty, Little Rhonda
Yanez, Erica Watson, Vorzheva
Yanez, Damien Yanez, Devin
Yanez, Alexis Watson, Kasey
Watson, Enola Watson, Dallas
Hardesty, Coby Beatty, Dwight
Beatty, Tessa Banister, Gabriel
Banister and Eli Banister.
Laura was preceded in
death by her mother and father,
Frank and Alpha Watson;
her brothers, William “Skip”
His only business was bottle sales
to-go, by appointment. Restrictions
prohibited on-site tastings.
Due to this, he didn’t bottle as
much wine as he normally would,
between February and late April of
this year.
“Last year I thought, ‘let’s see
where this goes,’ ” he said. “I’m just
starting to bottle and get inventory
back.”
The tasting room is now open
seven days a week. During the
pandemic, he added space next door
to the building he shares with The
Cheese Fairy, owned by his sister
Cody Cook. This extra space helped
when restrictions began to ease.
“Our tasting room was easy to
overcrowd,” he said.
Cody Cook said that from March
through August of 2020, she could
only sell chunks of cheese or pre-or-
ders — and a bulk of her business is
customers who come in and sit down.
But people still came, even if her
offerings were limited. And many or-
dered gifts of cheese for the holidays.
“I wouldn’t have survived without
the local support,” she said.
The Cheese Fairy received
$28,240 through the RRF, and Cop-
per Belt Winery $18,823.
Other Baker City businesses that
qualifi ed for grants, according to the
Small Business Administration (the
SBA database does not list which
applicants have received, or spent,
money):
•Aaron Schierman (owner, Lone
Pine Cafe): $449,289
• Rising Sun Palace Inc.,
$377,877
• Frontier Restaurant LLC,
$210,094
• Latitude 45 Grille LLC:
$186,960
• AJ’s Corner Brick Bar & Grill
LLC: $160,044
• Danjo Holdings LLC (Charlie’s
Ice Cream), $13,295
• Ed’s Idle Hour LLC (Idle Hour
tavern), $13,045
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