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Serving Baker County since 1870 • bakercityherald.com
November 20, 2021
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Shopping Benefi ts
Pets
BRIEFING
The animals
At the rear of the shop is
a reminder of why the store
exists — to help animals.
Jane Barrett, a volunteer
with Best Friends, leans in
close to a kennel and talks
to a kitten curled against
the door.
After a comparatively tran-
quil month in Baker County,
COVID-19
cases have
risen rapidly
this week.
For the
four-day
period,
Monday, Nov.
Staten
15 through
Thursday, Nov. 18, the county
reported 41 new cases.
That’s more than in any of
the three previous full weeks
— 24 from Nov. 7-13; 20 from
Oct. 31-Nov. 6; and 24 from
Oct. 24-30.
With Friday and Saturday
cases yet to tally, this week
could have the highest total
since Sept. 26-Oct. 2, when
there were 69 cases.
“We are seeing an increase
in cases, and that means CO-
VID is not out of our commu-
nity,” Nancy Staten, director
of the Baker County Health
Department, said on Thursday
morning, Nov. 18.
Staten said it’s possible that
there are more people in the
county who have contracted
the virus but have not been
tested and thus aren’t counted
as cases.
Staten said the depart-
ment’s case investigators
and contact tracers have not
connected recent cases in the
county to a specifi c large-scale
event.
Rather, she said some of the
recent cases have been linked
to parties or other small house-
hold gatherings, where the risk
of one infected person spread-
ing the virus is much higher
than, for instance, at a grocery
store or other business.
There have also been
instances of multiple members
of the same household testing
positive, Staten said.
The Oregon Health Author-
ity (OHA) reported Baker
County’s 31st COVID-19-relat-
ed death this week.
A 70-year-old man, who
tested positive on Nov. 9, died
on Nov. 15 at Saint Alphonsus
Medical Center in Boise. The
presence of underlying medical
conditions is being confi rmed,
according to OHA.
WEATHER
Today
See, Rescue/Page A3
See, COVID/Page A3
Lisa Britton/Baker City Herald
Mary Boyer, Carmen Ott, and Jane Barrett — all three volunteers with Best Friends of Baker Inc. — unload
donations of pet food at the shop that benefi ts the animal rescue organization.
 Best Friends of Baker’s Rescued
Treasures shop in Baker City raises
money for animal rescue work
This shop, called Res-
cued Treasures, supports
the mission of Best Friends
It’s a fl urry of activity
of Baker Inc., a nonprofi t
this morning at the Best
Friends shop in Baker City. organization focused on the
Outside, local youth help welfare of animals, includ-
unload bag after bag of pet ing medical needs, foster
care, and placement.
food.
The store is open Fri-
Inside, workers organize
days from 8 a.m. to noon,
and price donated items
and Saturdays from 8 a.m.
as customers browse the
to 2 p.m. It is located at
inventory.
By LISA BRITTON
lbritton@bakercityherald.com
2950 Church St., just west
of 10th Street near the old
Sumpter Valley Railroad
depot.
The shop occupies the
front half of the space with
a variety of donated items
including books, clothes
(including a wedding dress),
shoes, stuffed animals,
artwork, dishes and sea-
sonal decor (the Christmas
decorations are coming out
of storage).
They also have musical
instruments.
“We’d really like to sell
that piano,” said Mary
44 / 20
Sunny
Sunday
42 / 23
Mostly sunny
Monday
46 / 26
Mostly sunny
Full forecast on the
back of the B section.
The space below is for
a postage label for issues
that are mailed.
Lisa Britton/Baker City Herald
Thanks to a donation from the Idaho Humane Society, Best Friends of Baker
Inc. has a supply of pet food for animal foster families, those feeding feral cats,
and pet owners with limited income.
Boyer, who helps run the
store.
They accept donations
during store hours or donors
can call or text 541-519-7387.
“We take stuff in good
condition and clean, or new,”
Boyer said. “We also like
decent furniture — we’re
low on that right now.”
They could also use some
extra hands.
“It would be wonderful
to have volunteers,” said
Karen Skeen, who also
helps run the shop.
Funds raised by sales
from the store go fi rst to
pay the rent. The rest sup-
ports the mission of helping
animals.
“Anything not for the
rent goes to pet food and the
animals,” Boyer said.
In addition to store
donations, Best Friends also
accepts bottles and cans
during store hours.
Town’s tree takes a trip
By SAMANTHA O’CONNER
soconner@bakercityherald.com
The shifting of the seasons has been marked
by chilly mornings, falling leaves and frost-covered
lawns, and now another sign of the holidays is
in place.
Baker City’s community Christmas tree was felled
on Friday morning, Nov. 19, and trucked to its tradi-
tional spot in the Court Street Park, in the historic
downtown district between Main and Resort streets.
Chuck Carey performed his usual role with a
chain saw to bring down the estimated 45-foot-tall
spruce that grew on Jeremiah Allies’ property at
Third and Campbell streets.
Crews from Oregon Trail Electric Cooperative
were on hand, and Superior Towing, Eastern Oregon
Rental, and the city’s police and public works depart-
ment helped with the operation. The tree was loaded
onto a truck for its short trip downtown in less than
an hour.
See, Tree/Page A3
TODAY
Issue 82, 12 pages
Calendar ....................A2
Classified ............. B2-B4
Comics ....................... B5
Samantha O’Conner/Baker City Herald
Baker City’s community
Christmas tree was loaded on
a trailer for its short trip to the
Court Street Park downtown on
Friday morning, Nov. 19.
Community News ....A3
Crossword ........B2 & B4
Dear Abby ................. B6
COVID
surge
continues
By JAYSON JACOBY
jjacoby@bakercityherald.com
CASA gingerbread
house contest
returns this year
CASA of Eastern Oregon
is again inviting local
youth to decorate a ginger-
bread house and enter it to
win prizes. To participate,
decorate a gingerbread
house (homemade or
store-bought) and submit
it to 1780 Main St. (former
location of The Little Bagel
Shop) on Friday, Dec. 3,
between 10 a.m. and 3
p.m.
The base needs to be
12 inches by 15 inches
or smaller. The house
and decorations must be
edible. Please include the
child’s name and age on
the base. Winners will be
displayed after 4 p.m. on
Dec. 3.
Entries can be picked
up on Dec. 10 between
10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Any not
claimed will be thrown
away.
Each entry will receive
a prize, and special prizes
will be awarded in these
age groups: 2-4; 5-7; 8-10;
12-15; and 15-18.
For information, or to
get an entry form, call Sue
Richard at 541-519-7227.
Jozie Ramos (top),
GOL player of the year
Herald to publish expanded issue Nov. 23;
e-edition only on Thanksgiving
In observance of the Thanks-
giving holiday, the Baker City
Herald will not publish a print
edition on Thursday, Nov. 25.
Because the Herald is
delivered by mail, an issue
published on Thanksgiving
couldn’t be distributed that
day.
“It’s a chance to give our
employees an opportunity to
spend an uninterrupted holi-
day with their families,” said
Andrew Cutler, regional editor
for the EO Media Group, which
owns the Herald.
The Herald will publish an
expanded edition, including
additional comics and puzzle
features as well as the weekly
GO! magazine, on Tuesday,
Nov. 23.
Horoscope ........B3 & B4
Jayson Jacoby ..........A4
News of Record ........A2
Obituaries ..................A2
Opinion ......................A4
Outdoors ..........B1 & B2
An e-edition only paper will
be published on Thanksgiving
and will be available to paid
subscribers through the Her-
ald’s website, www.bakercity-
herald.com.
To make sure you are sub-
scribed to the e-edition, follow
these steps:
• Go to www.bakercityher-
ald.com/users/forgot, enter
your email address and click
I’m not a robot, then Reset
Password.
• An email will be sent to you
with a link — click on the link.
• A website will pop up to
enter your new password.
• You’re all set.
For questions or problems,
call our customer service line at
800-781-3214.
Sports ........................A6
Turning Backs ...........A2
Weather ..................... B6
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