BAKER CITY HERALD • THuRsDAY, FEBRuARY 3, 2022 A3
LOCAL & REGION
Fundraiser
Closures
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The program currently has an
open position for a teacher/home vis-
itor. For information and details, con-
tact Butler at 541-239-5054 or email
her at raeann@bakerreliefnursery.org.
The relief nursery also depends
on volunteers to help in the class-
room, work on fundraisers, or serve
on the board of directors.
“We will always take volunteers,”
Butler said.
In addition to classroom time
for children, the program includes
home visits, parent education, and
ensures families are connected with
community resources.
The nursery also offers a diaper
bank, food bank, and baby cloth-
ing bank — all stocked with do-
nated items.
Snow spread southeast through
the evening, and there were ac-
cidents in Baker County in addi-
tion to the crashes farther north,
Strandberg said.
Heavy snow fell in Baker City be-
tween around 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m.
The eastbound lanes of the free-
way reopened about 11 p.m., and the
westbound lanes around midnight.
The westbound lanes had been
closed to trucks between Ontario
and Baker City due to a lack of
truck parking space in Baker City
and La Grande.
Other traffic was allowed west-
bound.
The bus carrying the Baker High
School girls and boys basketball
teams, which played Tuesday night
at Nyssa, was able to make the trip
without delay.
But the reprieve from closures was
shortlived.
Two commercial trucks collided
in the westbound lanes near Mile-
post 299, about 5 miles north of
Baker City, around 4:37 a.m.
Diesel spilled from one of the
trucks, which necessitated calling out
a clean up crew, Strandberg said.
That closed the westbound lanes
until about 10 a.m. on Wednesday,
Feb. 2.
Information
For more information, visit the
Baker Relief Nursery page on Face-
book, call 541-239-5054, or email
raeann@bakerreliefnursery.org.
Fire
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Firefighters “knocked
down” the fire in about 20
minutes, and then spent
about two hours mopping
up, Kiyokawa said Tues-
day morning, Feb. 1.
There were people in
the home, and all were
evacuated without injury,
he said.
No firefighters were in-
jured.
The cause of the fire is
Act
Baker Relief Nursery/Contributed photo
The Baker Relief Nursery has an infant class on Wednesday mornings, and toddler
classes on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. Both classes are currently full, and
more volunteers are welcome.
undetermined, but Kiy-
okawa said it was not “sus-
picious” in nature.
He said Casey Kump of
the Oregon State Fire Mar-
shal’s Office would oversee
any further investigation.
Cold temperatures —
it dropped into the teens
while firefighters were
working — complicated
the effort, Kiyokawa said.
Firefighters had to keep
their hoses running to pre-
vent water from freezing.
They also had to swap
breathing apparatus when
valves got clogged with
ice.
“Eastern Oregon win-
ter,” Kiyokawa said.
He said crews would
return to the site Tuesday,
Feb. 1, to douse any re-
maining hot spots.
With the partial col-
lapse of the home’s roof,
and widespread ice, it was
too dangerous to con-
tinue working last night,
he said.
Kiyokawa didn’t have
any estimate of the value
of the damage.
The two-story,
697-square-foot house
was built in 1900 and the
owner is Jermey O’Neil
Wheeler, according to the
Baker County Assessor’s
Office.
The house is valued
at $7,720, and the land,
which covers 10,500
square feet, is valued at
$25,460.
The Baker City Pub-
lic Works Department,
OTEC and other utilities
also responded to the fire,
Kiyokawa said.
nations from 2,500 Oregonians. the productive use of their re-
Baker County’s resolution
sources.”
Continued from A1
contends that the River De-
“This is not workable,” Har-
mocracy Act would harm the
vey said. “That is why I came
The county has 57 miles
county’s economy.
to writing a resolution in de-
of such streams now, includ-
“Use of the Wilderness Act
fense against the River De-
ing reaches of Eagle Creek in and Wild and Scenic Rivers
mocracy Act.”
the southern Wallowas, the
Act or other protected desig-
Bennett said commission-
lower Powder River between nations has resulted in an in-
ers have talked to a variety of
Thief Valley Dam and Keat-
creased burden on local Baker county residents about the Act.
ing Valley, the North Powder county communities, includ-
“We talked to the irrigation
River on the east side of the
ing adverse impacts on grazing districts, it’s a concern to ev-
Elkhorns, and the North Fork allotments, mining, and for-
erybody,” Bennett said.
of the Malheur River in the
estry, loss of tax revenues and
Nichols said Congressman
county’s southwest corner.
increased costs to operate local Cliff Bentz, the Republican
“A resolution is a statement government,” the resolution
whose district includes Baker
of belief in essence, it’s how we states. “The River Democracy
County, asked his opinion on
feel about something,” Baker Act, if implemented, is likely
the bill.
County Commission Chair-
to cause significant harm to
Nichols said he responded to
man Bill Harvey said. “It is
economy of Baker County and Bentz with a single sentence.
not an ordinance, like a local injure the County’s businesses
“This bill, as it is written,
law. So, resolutions don’t have and its citizens by depriving
should not ever see the light
any, let’s use the term, teeth
them of access to public lands, of day.”
in it to enforce something. It’s rivers, streams, and preventing
“That’s how strongly I feel
basically a statement of our
position on something.”
Commissioners have previ-
Wayne Arthur Erickson
ously submitted letters to the
February 10, 1947 - January 26, 2022
senators raising concerns about
the River Democracy Act.
Wayne Arthur Erickson, 74,
Commissioners in three of
a resident of Baker City, Ore-
the counties bordering Baker
gon, passed away on January 26,
— Wallowa, Union and Grant
2022, at St. Alphonsus Medical
— have also formally objected
Center in Boise, Idaho. His lov-
to the River Democracy Act.
ing family surrounded him as he
The resolution that Har-
touched the hand of God. His
vey and commissioners Mark
celebration of life will be held
Bennett and Bruce Nichols
on February 4, 2022, at the Bak-
approved on Wednesday, Feb.
er City Church at the Nazarene
2, cites several of the same
at 2 p.m. A dessert reception
complaints that their col-
will follow the service in the
leagues in other counties have
Fellowship Hall.
mentioned with regard to the
Wayne was born in St. Helens, Oregon, to Walter M.
River Democracy Act.
and Mary Louise (Blodgett) Erickson. He graduated
These include the lack of de-
from St. Helens High School in 1965 and received both
tailed maps.
his Bachelor of Science and Master Degrees in Edu-
“We’ve asked for two years
cation from Pacific University in Forest Grove, Ore-
for maps for this to delegate
where these sections of rivers
gon. He began his 30-year teaching career for Baker
are being proposed in Baker
Middle School in 1970, teaching social studies/history
County and all across Ore-
and P.E. He enjoyed coaching middle school and high
gon,” Harvey said.
school basketball and was asked to be part of the Mike
He said the purported
Doherty boys basketball teams of the 1991, 1992, and
length of some of the Baker
1993 seasons.
County stream reaches in the
Wayne was married 49 years to his love and best
River Democracy Act over-
friend, Sharla Rae DeMeyer, on November 24, 1972.
states the actual distance.
Together they raised two awesome children, Jason Lee
Killamacue Creek, for in-
Erickson and Staci Marie Erickson.
stance, a tributary of Rock
Wayne was an active member of the Baker City
Creek on the east slopes of the
community
- being a part of various clubs and organiza-
Elkhorn Mountains, is listed as
tions.
However,
dear to his heart was when he became
4 miles in the Act.
a member of the Baker City Church of the Nazarene in
Harvey contends the stream
1997. There he served on the church board, took part in
is less than 2 miles long.
the Nazarene Church District Assemblies, was on vari-
He had similar complaints
ous church committees, went to Work and Witness trips
about two other streams in the
(Honduras twice, Costa Rica, and Ukraine), and gave
Elkhorns — Rock Creek and
of himself by volunteering in many, many ways. He
the North Fork of Rock Creek.
enjoyed people, making new friendships wherever he
“These are the issues that we
went. He was known for his laughter, his ability to have
keep bringing up and we don’t
get responses,” Harvey said.
a song or quote for every situation, his jokes, his yo-
The resolution also states
gi-isms, and movie quotes. The way he led his life told
that segments of some of the
all who crossed his path of his caring nature and all-en-
streams on the list are inter-
compassing love for others. He was and will remain an
mittent, and don’t have water
incredible son, husband, father, and friend.
year round.
He is survived by his wife Sharla, his son and daugh-
“Others can be stepped
ter-in-law Jason and Robin Erickson, his daughter Staci
across without getting wet feet,”
Erickson, sister-in-law Alena Erickson, his niece Karen
the Baker County resolution
Taylor (husband Tom and sons Alec and Luke), cous-
states. “None of these pro-
ins Barbara Freeman, Brian and Rick Love, and their
posed river and streams went
families.
through any screening or eval-
Celebrate Wayne’s life with us in person (feel com-
uation process required under
fortable
by wearing masks) or by connecting on live-
the Wild and Scenic Rivers
stream at: https://www.youtube.com/c/bakercitynaza-
Act (1968), rather the list was
rene.
developed by the Senators sur-
Memorial contributions may be made to the North-
veying the public to nominate
east Oregon Compassion Center or the Baker City Naz-
their favorite stream.”
arene Upward Sports Program through Gray’s West and
Wyden and Merkley have
Co. Pioneer Chapel at 1500 Dewey Ave, Baker City,
touted the public involvement
OR 97814.
in creating the River Democ-
To leave an online condolence for the family of
racy Act, noting that they re-
ceived more than 15,000 nomi-
Wayne, please visit: www.grayswestco.com.
Oregon State Police/Contributed Photo
Two commercial trucks collided early
Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2022, about 5
miles north of Baker City, blocking the
westbound lanes of Interstate 84.
will support a slight chance of
snow showers this evening across
the mountains of Baker county
and southwest Idaho while some
lower elevation sites will see flurries
through this evening.”
It turned out to be rather more
than flurries, at least in Baker Valley.
Tom Fisk, operations supervisor
for the Baker City Public Works De-
partment, said two city trucks spread
salt and sand at busier intersections
Wednesday morning, Feb. 2.
He decided not to call out the
fleet of snowplows and graders be-
cause the snow was so light and
powdery that traffic packed the
snow to a thin layer.
The plow blades wouldn’t have
had much snow to scrape from more
heavily traveled streets, Fisk said.
Somewhat surprising storm
He said he would reassess the sit-
The National Weather Service
uation Wednesday night — if much
didn’t predict any significant snow ac- more snow falls, plowing of down-
cumulations in valleys from the storm. town and other higher-priority
A forecast discussion posted
streets could start early Thursday,
Tuesday afternoon, Feb. 1, by the
Feb. 3.
National Weather Service’s Boise
The National Weather Service was
office, which issues forecasts for
forecasting a slight chance of snow
in Baker City during that period,
Baker County, noted that “a mi-
with little or no accumulation.
nor wave embedded in the flow
that this bill is not good for Baker
County, it is also not good for
Oregon. Period,” Nichols said.
County commissioners ar-
en’t the only elected officials
who have objected to the
River Democracy Act.
Bentz expressed his opposi-
tion to the bill during a floor
speech in Washington, D.C.,
on Jan. 11.
Bentz noted — as does Baker
County’s resolution — that the
River Democracy Act would
designate protective corridors
along streams that are a mile
wide, twice the usual width.
Wanda Ballard of Baker
City told commissioners to
continue to oppose the River
Democracy Act.
“I hope the resolve stays
firm,” Ballard said.
In response to complaints
from Bentz, county commis-
sioners and others that the
River Democracy Act would
severely restrict what can be
done in protected corridors,
Wyden said the Act would not
affect private property within
the corridors, nor would it
prohibit logging and other
work on public land designed
to reduce the risk of wildfire.
Wyden said the bill would
require land management
agencies such as the Forest
Service and Bureau of Land
Management to assess wildfire
risks in each wild and scenic
river corridor.
Wyden’s website includes
a list of testimonials from
elected officials, business
owners and residents in Ore-
gon who support the bill.
The list includes Mike Hig-
gins, a farmer and retired sci-
ence teacher from Halfway,
who wrote: “As a fifth-gener-
ation eastern Oregonian I’m a
strong supporter of Oregon’s
clean wild rivers. I applaud
Senator Wyden for his lead-
ership and vision in thinking
about protecting our clean
drinking water sources and
the lifeblood of our wildlands
as wild and scenic rivers. This
is a gift to our children and
their children for generations
to come.”
Pearl DuMars
January 30, 1934 - January 21, 2022
Pearl DuMars, age 87, peacefully
passed away January 21, 2022, while lis-
tening to country music with her daughter.
We’re sure she was dancing her way back
to Vern.
On January 30, 1934, Dan
and Blanche Forsea were
blessed with one last child
- a baby girl they named
Pearl Edith. Pearl joined
her other siblings - Harold
(1915), Bob (1918), Marga-
ret (1921) Walt (1924). And
so began Pearl’s adventures
growing up at Home, Ore-
gon on the family ranch on
the Snake River,
Pearl loved growing up
there. She wore her favor-
ite little coveralls with a pocket on the
bib where she carried her treasures. Oc-
casionally, Pearl would wander off with
the family dog to Blanche’s dismay. But
Dan would say “Don’t worry, I have been
watching where she went!” One day, while
Pearl was sitting by the field while Dan and
the boys worked - she proceeded to use up
the whole can of drinking water to wash
her doll clothes! Besides working on the
ranch, the Forsea’s always went on road
trips. Pearl got to see Old Faithful in Yel-
lowstone Park when she was just a little
girl!
Pearl went to school in Home, Oregon
for grades one through three. She went to
Huntington, Oregon for grade four where
Dan took her to and from school every
day. For grades five through eight, Pearl
went to school in Richland, Oregon where
she stayed with Jessie Cummings during
the school year. There she met a lifelong
friend, Dorothy (Williams) Randall. In
Pearl’s own words, Pearl was the shy in-
stigator of their shenanigans and Dorothy
was the implementor! Next, Pearl went to
boarding school for grades 9 through 12
at St. Francis Academy in Baker, Oregon.
While there, Pearl wrote a school column
for the Record Courier. She loved every-
thing about writing. A big highlight every
fall was a school trip to Gonzaga College
in Spokane, Washington for journalism
seminars. Pearl said her time at St. Fran-
cis broadened her horizons. She met and
made many friends from around the whole
area. Pearl also said that there were nev-
er enough boys in her class to go to Prom
with so she would just invite other boys
she knew from spending time with her
brothers, Bob and Walt.
After Pearl graduated in 1952, she
worked for Dr. John Higgins in Baker,
Oregon. She said that sometimes trying to
translate some of his dictations was quite a
challenge!
Pearl first met Vern DuMars when he
was dating one of her best friends, Millie.
When Vern got back from serving in the
U.S. Army in Korea, he said
to his mother “For two bits, I
oughta call up Pearl.” Well,
folks - his mother gave him a
quarter and that was the start
of Pearl’s next adventure!
Pearl and Vern were
married April 19, 1953 in
Baker, Oregon. She loved
telling the story about their
big beautiful wedding cake.
It was made in Richland by
Mrs. Nave then transported
to Baker on that curvy road
and arrived still intact!
Pearl and Vern first lived in Union, Ore-
gon where Vern was employed. They start-
ed their family With Bob (1954) and Mar-
garet (1955). Later Pearl and Vern moved
to Snake River to work for the Forsea fam-
ily ranch. Their daughter, Chris (1956),
joined them there. When the dams were
going to be built on the Snake River, Pearl
and Vern moved to Richland in June 1958.
Their daughter, Barb, arrived that summer.
In 1961, their last child, Dana, was born.
Eagle Valley was their final and forever
home. Pearl and Vern started a dairy which
they ran together for many years and raised
their kids. They always made time to go
dancing. After the kids went to bed, Pearl
and Vern would put on their favorite coun-
try music and dance.
Pearl never met a stranger. She and her
big smile would start a conversation with
anyone, anywhere. People were always
very interesting to Pearl. Pearl may be
gone but she will never be forgotten. We
can all just imagine how happy she is to
be holding Vern’s hand again and dancing.
She was preceded on death by her hus-
band of 59 years, Vern; her daughter, Dana
Lynn DuMars; parents, Dan and Blanche;
siblings, Harold, Bob, Margaret and Walt.
Pearl is survived by her son and daugh-
ter-in-law, Bob and Pam DuMars of Rich-
land; daughter, Margaret of La Grande;
daughter and son-in-law, Chris and Rob
Stacey of Richland, and daughter and son-
in-law, Barb and Bill Ephrom of Vander-
hoof, British Columbia; also many grand-
children and great-grandchildren.
Donations may be made to Eagle Valley
Ambulance Fund or charity of one’s choice
through Tami’s Pine Valley Funeral Home
& Cremation Services PO Box 543 Half-
way, Oregon 97834. Online condolences
may be shared at www.tamispinevalleyfu-
neralhome.com