A2 — BAKER CITY HERALD
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2021
HEART TO HEART
Thanks to everyone who helped Search and Rescue volunteers, using rison and his crew, for taking the time and
a technical rope system, pulled me up the effort to retrieve my ATV from the bottom
me after my ATV accident
BAKER COUNTY CALENDAR
THURSDAY, OCT. 7
Baker County Transient Lodging Tax Committee: 9
a.m. at the Courthouse, 1995 Third St., special meeting to
review the two proposals for operating a visitors center in
Baker City.
TURNING BACK THE PAGES
50 YEARS AGO
from the Democrat-Herald
September 30, 1971
Lady Luck, in the form of weather, seems to point in
favor of the deer hunters as the 1971 season-starting week
approaches.
Snow blankets the mountains surrounding Baker with
a foot of snow reported around the 7,000-foot level near
Halfway.
25 YEARS AGO
from the Baker City Herald
September 30, 1996
KEATING — There were more than 50 people in the
basement of the tiny school here Saturday night, students
and former students, teachers and former teachers, par-
ents and principals.
They came to talk, and to laugh, and to sample the des-
serts that fi lled a table and a linoleum counter.
But all that was secondary. Their real purpose — the
only purpose for the gathering — was to thank Kitty
Brettelle, and to watch her play the piano.
10 YEARS AGO
from the Baker City Herald
September 30, 2011
Even with the deadline to fi le as a candidate four
months away, and the primary election more than six
months distant, the Baker County ballot is starting to fi ll.
One of the three seats on the Baker County Commis-
sion, the one held by Tim L. Kerns, is in play.
Kerns’ four-year term ends Dec. 31, 2012.
ONE YEAR AGO
from the Baker City Herald
September 29, 2020
Parents of Baker School District students will have a
chance to ask Superintendent Mark Witty during a Zoom
meeting Wednesday evening about plans to possibly
resume in-person classes for younger students on Oct. 12.
Witty also encourages parents to outline their problems
regarding the online classes that started Sept. 8.
“I want to hear concerns or questions parents may have
about how things are going and the decisions we are
making as we work our way back to in-person learning,”
Witty said.
A link to the Zoom meeting, which starts at 6:30 p.m., is
available on the Baker City Herald’s Facebook page and at
www.bakercityherald.com
During a Baker School Board meeting Sept. 23, Witty
said the District’s goal is to welcome students from pre-
school to sixth-grade back to classrooms on Oct. 12.
That proposal, Witty emphasized, depends on Baker
County continuing its recent trend of having few new
COVID-19 cases. The county has had seven new cases in
the past 3 weeks. The state threshold for in-person classes
is 30 or fewer new cases over the most recent 3-week
period.
OREGON LOTTERY
MEGABUCKS, Sept. 27
MEGA MILLIONS, Sept. 28
WIN FOR LIFE, Sept. 27
34 — 39 — 44 — 52
PICK 4, Sept. 28
• 1 p.m.: 3 — 3 — 8 — 9
• 4 p.m.: 6 — 2 — 0 — 3
• 7 p.m.: 4 — 6 — 2 — 5
• 10 p.m.: 4 — 8 — 2 — 0
LUCKY LINES, Sept. 28
18 — 30 — 43 — 68 — 69
1-6-10-16-19-21-26-30
4 — 8 — 11 – 13 — 26 — 34
Next jackpot: $3.7 million
POWERBALL, Sept. 27
21 – 22 — 39 — 44 — 60 PB 12
Next jackpot: $570 million
Mega
22
Next jackpot: $34 million
Next jackpot: $13,000
SENIOR MENUS
FRIDAY: Chicken croissant sandwiches, chips, potato
salad, fruit, brownies
MONDAY (Oct. 4): Chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes
with gravy, corn, cottage cheese with fruit, cookies
TUESDAY (Oct. 5): Meatloaf, mashed potatoes with
gravy, rolls, mixed vegetables, pasta salad, pudding
WEDNESDAY (Oct. 6): Roast beef sandwiches,
vegetable beef soup, chips, broccoli and bacon salad,
apple crisp
THURSDAY (Oct. 7): Chicken a la king, rice, rolls,
carrots, macaroni 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.
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
On Aug. 28, while riding ATVs along
Phillips Ditch in the West Eagle mountain
range, I was injured after rolling my ATV
approximately 40 feet down a steep and
rocky embankment. My riding partners,
Darin Helman and Kay Burritt, made
their way down the steep embankment to
assess my injuries and to try to make me
as comfortable as possible as I had landed
face down on sharp rocks (and unknown
at the time, had broken/cracked eight ribs.)
Darin went to fi nd cell service to call 911
and to then direct the fi rst responders to
our location, Kay stayed with me to keep
me awake and to keep me from going
into shock.
bank and transported me to an ambulance
approximately three miles away. Medics
assisted me at the site and on the trip to
Saint Alphonsus Medical Center in town.
I was later fl own to Saint Alphonsus in
Boise but am now home and on the mend.
I would like to praise and express my
sincere gratitude to the following fi rst re-
sponders from the Baker County Sheriff’s
Offi ce, the Baker County Sheriff’s Search
and Rescue Volunteers, the U.S. Forest
Service, the medical team from Eagle Val-
ley Ambulance, Life Flight, and the medi-
cal providers at Saint Alphonsus Medical
Centers in Baker City and in Boise.
Also, I would like to thank Levi Mor-
of the embankment and bringing it back
to town.
Thank you, too, to all of my friends,
family and community members for the
outpouring of care, support, and well
wishes.
Finally, I want to express special grati-
tude to my great friends Darin Helman
and Kay Burritt, both of whom showed
composure, strength and selfl essness to
ensure my safe and successful rescue
and for all their care and support while
I have been on the mend. Can’t wait to
ride again soon!
Verl Cote
Baker City
OBITUARIES
Ronald Robinson
mer. He split logs
year-round to stoke
his wood-burning
1941-2021
stove in the winter,
Ronald Clarke
and he spent those
“Ron” Robinson, 80,
cold Illinois months
of Springfi eld, and a
making many beau-
former Richland resi-
‘Ron’
tiful items by hand.
dent, died Sept. 23,
Robinson
Over the 25
2021, at 12:25 p.m.
years spent in
at his home in the
company of his close family. central Illinois, Ron loved to
go to farm auctions, festivals
He had been in hospice
and historical reenactment
for one month, which al-
events. Another part-time
lowed Ron to pass at home
pursuit was selling books
with a minimum of pain or
and antiques at local shops
discomfort.
Per his wishes, he will be and fl ea markets. He was
buried without a formal cer- also an early retailer on a
new platform, called eBay.
emony in his favorite place
After a realization that
— Eagle Valley — where he
so looked forward to being in life was too short to miss,
the midst of other members Ron decided to take an early
of his family and community. retirement. He and Mary
sold their house and moved
He will be buried Friday,
Oct. 1 at 1 p.m. at the Eagle to Richland in the summer
Valley Cemetery in Richland. of 1999.
They then built and
Friends and family are wel-
come to stop by and say hello moved into their current
home in Springfi eld, where
and pay their respects.
they lived down the road
Ron was born on Feb. 5,
1941, in Baker City to Bethel from Cassie and son-in-law
Tom Stockton. Ron settled
Mae (Frasier) Robinson
easily into his new life-
and Sidney Arthur “Hez”
style, and his particular joy
Robinson. They lived in a
was sharing time with his
small place at Bobcat Bar
grandson, Walker James
on Big Creek before mov-
Stockton (2004). The two of
ing to Pondosa, where they
remained until the closure of them spent many hours in
the state’s woods and rivers,
the sawmill in 1959.
Ron had an idyllic child- and more recently at the
hood in the region; his family Oregon Air and Space Mu-
seum, where they were both
spending much time with
their Randall, Johnson and involved as volunteers.
In Springfi eld, Ron
Duncan relations. He consid-
continued to sell books and
ered the Eagle Cap Wilder-
antiques locally and grew his
ness area his “playground”
and worked for the US For- business on eBay. He eventu-
ally included both of his
est Service, on trail, for fi ve
daughters in the book and
summers. After graduating
collectible business and they
from Union High School in
1959, Ron went on to college spent the past several years
and earned his BA degree in working as a family team.
History from Portland State Ron loved working with his
daughters in this way, and
University.
he made many widespread
He served in the US
and lasting connections
Army from 1965-1967 and
through his love of books
was stationed at Jackson-
ville, Florida. It was there he and historical ephemera.
Over the years Ron and
met nursing school gradu-
Mary Lou enjoyed traveling
ate Mary Lou Thrift, from
southern Georgia. They were together. Ron made many
trips back to Eastern Oregon
married in 1967. After his
discharge, Ron began work- to visit his friends and fam-
ily, and he enjoyed nothing
ing for State Farm Insur-
ance company as a systems more than an elk hunt or
pack trip with his Randall
analyst. He and Mary Lou
remained in the Jacksonville cousins. He also enjoyed the
area and had two daughters, many visits to Springfi eld
made by his mother and
Leslie Lee (1968) and Cas-
sandra Bethany (1970). Ron aunt Cleo, relatives and
transferred to the company’s anyone else who “knew-him-
home offi ce in Bloomington, when.”
In 2004 Ron found a way
Illinois, in 1973; and the fam-
ily built their home in a new to combine his love of hik-
housing development located ing with a spirit of service
towards his local commu-
outside the small town of
Towanda the following year. nity, when he founded the
Scorpions Trail Crew — a
Ron very much enjoyed
the community that he lived part of a larger web of trail
stewardship working closely
in. He was an active leader
with the US Forest Service.
in the Boy Scout Troop and
He was passionate about
a friend to many. He took
full advantage of the natural this endeavor; just two
landscape of the area, loving days before he passed away
he was presented with an
to hike, camp and fi sh. Ron
award for Lasting Impact by
and Mary Lou had a large
backyard garden in the sum- the US Forest Service. This
Formerly of Richland,
NEWS OF RECORD
POLICE LOG
Baker City Police
Arrests, citations
PROBATION VIOLATION
(Baker County Circuit Court war-
rants): Colvin William Cutshall III,
31, transient, 8:26 p.m. Monday,
Sept. 27 in the 700 block of
Campbell Street; jailed.
PAROLE VIOLATION: Eric Lee
Cavyell, 30, Baker City, 7:04 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 25 in the 1900
block of Main Street; jailed.
PROBATION VIOLATION:
Wendy Rose Bonneville, 48,
Baker City, 1:31 a.m. Saturday,
Sept. 25 at Main and Campbell
Streets; cited and released.
Baker County Sheriff’s Offi ce
Arrests, citations
FELON IN POSSESSION
OF A WEAPON, CARRYING A
CONCEALED WEAPON: Riky
Lee Carter, 37, Haines, 7:52 p.m.
Sunday, Sept. 26 at Stices Gulch;
cited and released.
honor was conferred to him
bedside by uniformed rep-
resentatives, and all those
in attendance witnessed his
great gratitude and appre-
ciation.
Ron had several health
challenges over the years,
and he fi nally succumbed
to multiple myeloma after
his diagnosis seven years
earlier. His sheer strength
and pragmatic attitude were
astonishing to many. Until
the fi nal leg of his cancer
journey he was active and
literally unstoppable. He
was known to “shred” his
walking aids and remained
working with the trail crew
for as long as he possibly
could.
Ron is survived by his
wife of 54 years, Mary Lou;
his daughter, Cassie; Carl,
the much-loved family dog;
his grandson, Walker James;
his son-in-law, Thomas
Stockton; his daughter,
Leslie Robinson and her
partner, David Klawans, who
reside in Los Angeles.
Ron was preceded in
death by his parents; his
brother, James Stanton
Robinson; and his niece, Pa-
tience Robinson-Campos.
For those who would like
to make a donation in Ron’s
memory, the family suggests
the Eagle Valley Cemetery
Beautifi cation Fund (future
kiosk) through Tami’s Pine
Valley Funeral Home &
Cremation Services, P.O.
Box 543, Halfway, OR 97834.
Online condolences can be
made at www.tamispineval-
leyfuneralhome.com.
two quickly realized they
never wanted to be apart
and tied the knot on Aug. 2,
1991. They wanted to start
their family right away,
and on Sept. 9, 1992, they
welcomed their fi rst daugh-
ter, Shelby, into the world.
A short two years later, on
Sept. 2, 1994, Kristen was
welcomed to the family.
Elmer’s world and priorities
were forever changed. His
little girls had him wrapped
around their fi ngers. In 1997
Elmer ended his career in
logging to join Ash Grove
Cement Company so that he
could spend more time with
his family. He worked there
for the past 24 years.
Elmer loved the outdoors.
His favorite things were
hunting and fi shing. He nev-
er missed a chance to take
his girls with him. Archery
hunting became a passion of
his. He loved the challenge
and the rush of calling in a
big bull elk. He passed his
love for hunting and fi shing
onto his girls, and countless
memories were made.
Elmer and Sheila entered
a new phase in their lives
when they were blessed
with grandchildren. A whole
new love was found. His
grandkids quickly became
the center of his universe.
From playing race cars with
his grandsons to dress up
with his granddaughters, he
never could tell them no.
Elmer also had a strong
love for the Lord. On April
26, 1995, he asked Jesus into
his heart and learned the
importance of teaching his
children to know
Elmer Hill
and love the Lord.
Elmer was a gen-
Baker City, 1958-2021
uine, kind, reliable,
Elmer Merle
and hard-working
Hill, 63, of Baker
man who always
City, went to be with
put his family fi rst.
the Lord on Sept.
It is going to be very
24, 2021, with his
Elmer Hill
diffi cult for Sheila,
wife, Sheila, and his
Shelby, and Kristen
daughters, Shelby
to face their tomorrows with-
and Kristen, by his side.
out him.
Elmer’s celebration of
Elmer is survived by his
life took place Sept. 30 at
wife of 30 years, Sheila; his
the Baker City Church of
daughters, Shelby (Shane)
the Nazarene, with Pastor
Page of Norfolk, Virginia,
Lennie Spooner offi ciating.
Interment followed at Mount and Kristen (Tommy) Lein
of Baker City; his grandsons,
Hope Cemetery.
Connor and Austin Page,
Elmer was born on July
and his granddaughters,
30, 1958, in Baker City to
Jacquelyn and Danika Lein;
Don and Martha Hill. He
grew up on the family farm his brother, Larry (Lorrie)
Hill, and his sister, Donna
on Old Wingville Road.
(Tom) Bunch, all of Baker
Growing up on the farm
taught Elmer from a young City; and numerous nieces,
nephews and cousins.
age what hard work re-
He was preceded in death
ally is. One of Elmer’s fi rst
by his two infant daughters,
jobs was milking cows for
Emily and Katie; and his
Rohner’s Dairy. He later
parents, Don and Mar-
went to work for Ellingson
tha Hill.
Lumber Company, which
Memorial contributions
led him to the woods as a
can be made to St. Jude’s
timber faller for various
logging companies. Logging Children’s Hospital through
Gray’s West & Co. Pioneer
was one of the fi rst loves of
his life, which only made his Chapel, by mailing your
love for the mountains grow check to 1500 Dewey Ave.,
Baker City, OR 97814. To
stronger.
leave an online condolence
Elmer met the true love
of his life, Sheila Treanor, on Elmer’s family, go to www.
New Year’s Eve of 1990. The grayswestco.com.
Jay & Kristin Wilson, Owners
2036 Main Street, Baker City
541-523-6284 • ccb#219615