BAKER CITY HERALD • SATuRDAY, FEBRuARY 5, 2022 A3
LOCAL
Commissioners
Lisa Britton/Baker City Herald
The Baker Rural Fire Protection District’s new 11,000-square-foot station is a major
upgrade over the structure it replaces.
Station
Continued from A1
The application was approved for
$650,000 — the final price of the
property.
Of that total, $350,000 is loaned
from the USDA to OTEC, which in
turn loans it to Baker Rural. When
the fire district repays the loan, OTEC
returns the money to the USDA.
The $300,000 is from the Revolving
Loan Grant. This money, as it is repaid
to OTEC, will create a fund that can be
loaned out again — keeping the grant
dollars in the local community.
“As they repay it, we can reloan it
to other community partners,” Dal-
ton said. “The ripple effect will go on
for years.”
She said OTEC’s work with Baker
Rural supports the local community,
benefits the OTEC membership, and
aligns with the utility’s fire mitiga-
tion plan and coordination with first
responders.
“It was really clear, the alignment
between our strategy and their vi-
sion,” Dalton said.
Coincidentally, the fire station is
just south of OTEC’s headquarters.
Possibilities
The new station has about 11,000
square feet, and includes office
spaces that could be leased to other
emergency agencies, Lee said.
He said the building has ample
space to offer a regional training
facility for all disciplines of emer-
gency services.
The first, a training on defensive tac-
COVID
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That was down from the weekly
record of 183 cases from Jan. 16-22.
Starting with the week Dec. 12-
18, weekly case totals were 22, 25,
29, 91, 176 and 183.
Baker School District
The situation improved this
week in the Baker School District,
with student and staff absentee
rates declining, Superintendent
Mark Witty said.
The Baker Early Learning Cen-
ter, which houses kindergartners,
had the highest student absentee
rate at 20% on Thursday, Feb. 3.
That includes students who missed
school for any reason — Witty
said the district doesn’t have details
about how many absences were re-
lated to COVID-19.
Districtwide, daily absentee
rates ranged between 10% and
12% this week, compared with
14% to 16% last week.
“Potentially we’ve ridden the
crest,” Witty said, referring to the
county’s record-breaking rate of
COVID-19 cases during January
due to the omicron variant. “That’s
what we’re hoping for.”
Breakout report
The Feb. 2 OHA report listed
breakouts (more than three re-
cent cases) at four places in Baker
County (not including schools).
• Powder River Correctional Fa-
cility, 11 cases (report does not dis-
tinguish between inmates and em-
ployees). Outbreak investigation
started Jan. 26, also the date of the
most recent onset.
• Marvin Wood Products, 11
cases. Investigated started Jan. 11,
with the most recent onset Jan. 24.
• Meadowbrook Place, five
cases, no deaths. First case re-
ported Jan. 26.
• Memory Lane Homes, Baker
City, three cases, no deaths. First
case reported Jan. 5.
Age breakdown of cases in
December and January
Although cases jumped by five-
fold in January, with 646 cases
compared with 106 during De-
cember, the distribution among
age groups did not change nearly
as dramatically.
In both December and Jan-
uary, the county’s youngest
(younger than 10) and oldest (70
and older) residents accounted
for a relatively low percentage of
cases proportional to their share
of the county’s population.
Those two age groups combined
constitute 31% of the county’s pop-
ulation of about 16,800.
The breakdown for cases
in those age groups for each
tics, is planned for the end of March.
In the future, he said Baker Rural
would like to build a training tower
for live burns, searches and other
rescue skills.
This will bring people to Eastern
Oregon and provide a local place to
train firefighters — rather than send
them out of town, Lee said.
“The nearest is Pendleton, but most
everyone goes to Salem,” he said.
Baker Rural, as with all rural fire
departments, depends on trained
volunteers. Many departments have
struggled over the past several years
to maintain a roster of volunteers.
“This is going to be a huge recruit-
ment and retention benefit for us,”
Lee said of the new station.
Baker Rural has 15 volunteers on
the roster. When a call comes, the re-
sponse depends on who is available.
More volunteers are welcome and
can help in various ways — drivers,
support, or fighting fires.
Training is the same for volunteer
and career firefighters, Lee said.
Dalton said OTEC, as part of the
partnership, will help advertise the
fire district’s mission and hopefully
gain more volunteers.
“The partnership is exciting,” Lee
said.
Hoover said OTEC is hoping to
form partnerships with rural fire dis-
tricts across the utility’s service dis-
trict, which includes Baker, Union,
Grant and Harney counties.
Baker Rural is planning an open
house, but the date hasn’t yet been set.
For information, or to inquire
about volunteering, call 541-523-
3897 or 541-523-3711.
roughly 2-week period in De-
cember and January:
Dec. 1-15
• Ages 0-9: 7.6% (of total cases)
• Ages 70+: 19.2%
• Total: 26.8%
Dec. 16-31
• Ages 0-9: 5.5%
• Ages 70+: 9.3%
• Total: 14.8%
Jan. 1-15
• Ages 0-9: 4.6%
• Ages 70+: 7.4%
• Total: 12%
Jan. 16-31
• Ages 0-9: 7.6%
• Ages 70+: 10%
• Total: 17.6%
Older residents have by far
the highest vaccination rates in
the county (although the OHA
uses age 65, rather than age 70,
as the threshold).
Among Baker County resi-
dents 65 and older, 65.9% are
fully vaccinated (not including
booster doses).
County residents from age
20-49 had a higher share of
cases, relative to their share of
the population, in both Decem-
ber and January.
That age group accounts for
about 29% of the county’s pop-
ulation. That group’s share of
cases was at least 15 percentage
points higher than that for
each of the two-week mea-
suring periods.
Dec. 1-15
44.3% of total cases
Dec. 16-31
44.5% of total cases
Jan. 1-15
49.5% of total cases
Jan. 16-31
48.5% of total cases
The vaccination rates for
county residents ages 20 to
49 is 40.6%.
The biggest increase in
the share of cases during
the past two months has
been in county residents
ages 10 to 19.
That group, which makes
up about 8% of the coun-
ty’s population, accounted
for 1.9% of the cases during
the first half of December.
That rate rose to 14.8%
for the second half of De-
cember, rose again to 18.2%
of total cases from Jan. 1-15,
then dropped slightly to 15%
of cases from Jan. 16-31.
The vaccination rate in
the county for ages 10 to 19
is about 30%.
The share of cases has been
relatively steady over the past
two months for county resi-
dents in their 50s and 60s, the
two largest groups.
Residents ages 50 to 59
make up about 13.7% of the
county’s population.
1025, Masking requirements for in-
door spaces) states that individuals
Continued from A1
five years of age and older, regardless
of vaccination status, are required to
Martin spoke during
wear a mask, face covering or
the public comment
face shield when in an indoor
period of the Feb. 2
space. All individuals in at-
meeting, leading to a
tendance at meetings under
sometimes heated dis-
the control of Baker County
cussion with Commis-
are expected to comply with
sion Chairman Bill Har-
this rule, unless actively eat-
vey and Commissioner
ing, drinking, speaking or
Mark Bennett.
Bennett
presenting in the meeting.”
In a Feb. 3 letter to
Harvey replied in an email
commissioners calling
to Martin, which Martin
for Nichols to apolo-
quoted during the Feb. 2
gize, Martin wrote that:
meeting:
“During my public tes-
“This is one of the continu-
timony, Commission-
ing requirements from OHA.
ers Bennett, Harvey and
The county has no authority
I engaged in dialogue.
to enforce a private citizen to
Harvey
All of us with a direct,
comply,” Harvey wrote. “It is
strong held positions of
not up to the county to fine
disagreement, but respectful of each or attempt to punish anyone and I
other’s right of free speech and ex-
will not change this position.”
pressing, passionately those opin-
Martin said during the Feb. 2
ions, with possibly raised voices to
meeting that although he under-
emphasize our points. Unbeknownst stands Harvey’s point that the county
to me at the time, Nichols got up to isn’t enforcing the mask requirement,
ask for Court Security personnel to he objects to what he called “acqui-
come to the Commission Chamber, escence to continue compliance with
evidently wanting to shut down the these illegitimate agency mandates.”
robust discussion we were having.”
“It’s time to quit hunkering down
Nichols said in a phone interview and face this tyranny head on and
on Friday, Feb. 4, that shutting down tell these agencies Baker County will
the discussion was not his intention. not tolerate nor adhere to their di-
Nor, Nichols said, was his re-
rectives,” Martin said. “A majority of
quest for a security officer directed citizen constituents want less oppres-
at Martin.
sion and leadership that expresses
“I’m sorry he felt that way because true to local representative govern-
it was not directed at him,” Nichols
ment. I can assure you, that is not
said. “It was directed at the flaring
what we are getting now.”
tempers in the room and I thought,
Martin made similar points
if we could get a deputy down here
during commissioners’ public hear-
to just come in, just have a presence ing on Jan. 12 regarding Baker
there. That’s all I wanted is to calm
County United’s request that com-
things down a little bit because I
missioners approve a resolution stat-
was afraid of things escalating and it ing, among other things, that “all
actions by the federal government
wasn’t directed at Curtis at all.”
Nichols said he requested the dep- and its agents will conform strictly
uty’s presence because he wasn’t sure and implicitly with the principles
whether other speakers would con- expressed within the United States
tinue the discussion and whether the Constitution, Declaration of Inde-
situation might become more tense. pendence, and the Bill of Rights.”
During the Feb. 2 discussion with
Martin had previously written to
Martin, Harvey said that he agrees
Harvey to object to wording that
the county added last month to its with Martin’s objection to Brown’s
public announcements about com- executive orders.
“For me personally, I don’t want
mission meetings.
mask requirements, I don’t want
The notices included this para-
mandates on shots,” Harvey said.
graph:
“Baker County must comply with “But I do have to follow the rules
as far as my employees but not the
all federal, state and local laws, or
face penalties and fines. Oregon Ad- public.”
Martin reiterated his complaint
ministrative Rule (OAR 333-019-
They accounted for 13.5% of
cases during the first half of De-
cember, 18.5% in the second half
of December, 10.3% in the first
half of January and 10.6% in the
second half of January.
The 60 to 69 age group is
18.5% of the county’s population.
They had 13.5% of cases the
first half of December, 7.4% the
second half of the month, 10%
for the first half of January, and
8.4% the second half.
The vaccination rate for
ages 50 to 64 is 50.4%, the sec-
ond-highest for any age group in
the county.
Breakthrough cases
Baker County had 69 break-
through cases during the most
recent week measured, Jan. 23-
29. Those cases in fully vacci-
nated residents accounted for
almost 42% of the county’s total
165 cases during that week.
The rate of breakthrough cases
during the previous two weeks
was 34.4% and 31.8%.
Statewide, breakthrough infec-
tions made up 34.7% of the total
cases from Jan. 23-29.
During January, breakthrough
cases accounted for 28.8% of Or-
egon’s 222 COVID-19-related
deaths, according to OHA.
about the paragraph, which men-
tions the mask mandate, that was
added to the public meeting an-
nouncements.
“As I read that, it states to folks
coming to this meeting that they’re
supposed to have a mask on,” Mar-
tin said. “That comes from you
guys, that comes from the county
commissioners.”
Bennett countered by noting
that Oregon Revised Statute 401 al-
lows the governor to put into place
emergency declarations that have
the force of state law.
“401 says Governor Brown —
and I’m not saying I support it,
please don’t get that confused
— I’m just saying she had the au-
thority and continues to have the
authority,” Bennett said. “The legis-
lature failed to overturn her author-
ity. For whatever reason they did.”
Bennett said the county’s legal
counsel has reviewed the orders.
“I’m not making this up and
it went all the way to the US Su-
preme Court that said the gover-
nors have the authority to do that,”
Bennett said.
Martin said the commissioners
need to have the “gumption and in-
testinal fortitude” to take the matter
to court.
“I think you guys are totally lack-
ing the pushback that we need for
this county,” he said.
Martin told commissioners that
he was initially irritated by the
commissioners’ actions, then dis-
gusted, but now he’s angry.
He believes there is a majority of
county residents who feel the same.
“We’ve had enough,” Martin said.
Kody Justus of Baker County,
who also spoke during the Jan. 12
public hearing, during the Feb. 2
meeting urged commissioners to
vote on the resolution that Baker
County United proposed.
“I think in a matter of fairness and
integrity, we need to honor the effort
that was put forth in preparing the
resolution and the research and time
that was put into researching the
matter before it was put forth,” Justus
said. “So, I’m just encouraging you
guys to actually make a motion and
vote whichever way your conscience.”
Harvey said the county first
needs to have its legal counsel re-
view the resolution, then put it on
the agenda for a future meeting so
the public knows there could be a
motion for approval.
Man indicted on charges from
Farewell Bend police chase
BY JAYSON JACOBY
jjacoby@bakercityherald.com
A Baker County grand jury has in-
dicted a Baker City man on three charges
stemming from a car chase that led to his
arrest on Jan. 25 near Farewell Bend.
Tyler Joseph Anders, 32, fled from po-
lice who were trying to arrest him on mul-
tiple charges from a Jan. 23 incident in
which Anders allegedly broke into a Baker
City home, pointed a handgun at a woman
and threatened to kill her if she called 911.
On the morning of Jan. 25, police, who
had been alerted that Anders was a suspect
in the Jan. 23 incident, saw him driving a
silver Dodge Avenger near Huntington.
Anders refused to stop. He is accused of
driving in the wrong lane at high speed di-
rectly at a car driven by Baker City Police
Detective Christopher Sells, according to the
grand jury indictment on Thursday, Feb. 3.
That resulted in a charge of recklessly
endangering another person, a Class A
misdemeanor.
Anders was also indicted on a charge of
fleeing or attempting to elude police offi-
cers, a Class C Felony, and reckless driv-
ing, a Class A misdemeanor.
The pursuit ended when Anders drove
over a spike strip and an Oregon State Po-
lice patrol car forced his car off the road on
Old Highway 30 near Farewell Bend.
Anders is scheduled to enter a plea
on Feb. 16 at 1:15 p.m. in Baker County
Circuit Court.
Anders has been in the Baker County
Jail since his arrest on Jan. 25. His bail
is $30,000, and he could be released by
posting 10% of that amount, according to
court records.
Anders is represented by court-appointed
attorney Damien Yervasi of Baker City.
As for the Jan. 23 incident, Baker
County District Attorney Greg Baxter filed
a motion on Thursday, Feb. 3, to dismiss
those charges against Anders, which in-
cluded first-degree burglary, unlawful use
of a weapon, coercion, menacing, being a
felon in possession of a firearm and point-
ing a firearm at another person.
However, those charges were dis-
missed without prejudice, meaning they
can be filed again.
Baxter said on Friday, Feb. 4, that the
Jan. 23 incident is still under investigation
and may be pursued in the future.
The charges related to the Jan. 25 con-
stitute a separate incident, and Baxter
said he will continue to prosecute Anders
on those charges.
Sandra Lee Cartwright
Kenneth Edward Smith
November 15, 1945 – December 15, 2021
June 23 1928 - Jsnsuray 6, 2022
Sandra Lee Bailey was born
on Nov. 15, 1945, to Cloyed and
Rose Bailey in Caldwell, Idaho.
A short while later she moved to
Baker, Oregon, with her family,
where she graduated from Baker
High School in 1963. She also met
James Orlin Cartwright in Baker,
and they were married on Dec. 4,
1964. They moved to Medford in
1965, to expand the family business, and then moved
to Grants Pass in 1975. They were the proud parents of
three children: Jodi, Curt and Jamie. Jim passed away
in June 2003. She met Albert “Ab” Vaughn a few years
later, and he became her close companion and friend.
Ab passed away in May 2021. Sandy’s family was most
important to her. She never missed a birthday, gradu-
ation, or any important event. She especially enjoyed
baking with her family during the holidays. In her free
time she loved tending to her garden, including the
wildlife. She loved her family’s business, Cartwright’s,
and will be dearly missed there. Through that associa-
tion she was able to donate to many community orga-
nizations. She is survived by her brother, E. Joe Bai-
ley, and three children: daughter Jodi Harford (Bill), of
Grants Pass, Oregon; son Curtis Cartwright, (Asra) of
San Diego, California; and son Jamie Cartwright (El-
vie), Grants Pass, Oregon; seven grandchildren, Kayla,
Michael, Calista, Chloe, Kai, Kaden, and Kyle; and one
great-grandson, Vali. A funeral service was held on Dec.
22, 2021, at Hull & Hull Funeral Directors Interment
followed at Hawthorne Memorial Gardens. Please visit
the obituary, and sign the family guest book, at www.
since1928hull.com.
Kenneth Edward Smith, 93, of
La Grande (formerly of Baker City),
passed away on Thursday, January
6, 2022 at a local care facility. At his
request, there will not be a service.
Kenneth was born on June
23, 1928 in North Powder, OR
to Charles and Bessie (Gilkison)
Smith. He lived in Baker City and
moved to La Grande in 2016 to
be closer to his daughter. He attended school in North
Powder and played basketball and baseball all through-
out high school. He was married to Shirley Smith, Pearl
Duffy, and Naomi Charbonneau.
Kenneth worked with his father as a boy at their log-
ging business pulling logs with a team of horses. He re-
tired from Baker School District Maintenance in 1997.
He was a self-taught skilled carpenter and was very
proud of the cabinets he made. He could fix just about
anything.
Kenneth was a member of the Baker Elks Lodge.
He was an excellent dancer and preferred the “good old
western music”. He enjoyed hunting, fishing, 4-wheel-
ing, and horseback riding. His favorite place to be was
in the mountains.
Kenneth is survived by his daughter, Charmaine
Boesch (Emmett) of Cove, OR; grandchildren, Amy
Brownwell of Newberg, OR, Brian Fosnaugh (Amber)
of Tigard, OR, and Sandra Ward (Ray) of Redmond, OR;
2 great-grandchildren; and 5 nieces and nephews. He
was preceded in death by his parents, Charles and Bessie
Smith; wife, Shirley Smith; daughter, Wanda Dima; and
infant daughter, Sandra Smith.
Online condolences may be made to the family at
www.lovelandfuneralchapel.com.