BAKER CITY HERALD • THuRsDAY, FEBRuARY 10, 2022 A3
LOCAL
Baker students excel at FBLA competition
Survey
Schools combined
had 19 regional
champions
Commissioner Bruce Nichols is a
member of the task force.
“And based off of the findings they
will prioritize what the housing needs
are for people that have behavior
health issues, and that is what goes for-
ward to OHA, what their recommen-
dations are for the county,” Walsh said.
New Directions is required to file a
report to OHA by August 2022, with
a summary of the county’s priorities
and recommendations for meeting
housing needs.
That report will help determine
how the state allocates money for
housing projects, said Sara Haynes of
Farallon Consulting, co-coordinator
on the project with New Directions.
“And the task force will actually pri-
oritize what those needs are. So the data
goes back to the task force,” Walsh said.
During Walsh’s presentation to com-
missioners, Commission Chairman Bill
Harvey urged New Directions to consult
with the Baker City-County Planning
Department regarding the possible zon-
ing conflicts if new housing is proposed.
“OHA may say put it anywhere you
want but our codes don’t allow that as
of yet,” Harvey said.
Walsh emphasized that the survey is
the initial step, and that New Directions
will present its findings from the survey
to commissioners and to city councils
in the county before any actual housing
construction projects are proposed.
Harvey said he will ask the Northeast
Oregon Housing Authority, which op-
erates many subsidized housing projects
in the region, to communicate with the
Baker County Housing Task Force.
“They are requesting funding for
all of these levels of housing and they
can’t get the contractors in the area be-
cause these projects that they have de-
signed are so large,” Harvey said.
Harvey said he is concerned about
having the right contractors available.
“The contractors are out of Portland,
the drywallers and framers are out of
Bend, other entities are out of other ar-
eas. I’d prefer to try and use local help as
much as possible. And even local con-
tractors to run the project,” said Harvey,
who is himself a building contractor.
22 students out of a total of
35 from three schools.
The regional competi-
tion was organized by Baker
High School and Imbler
High School FBLA.
Judges included Bryan
Tweit of HatchLab in Baker
City, who judged the intro-
duction to event planning,
marketing and network de-
sign event, and BHS prin-
cipal Skye Flanagan, who
judged the elevator speech
event in the middle school
competition.
In addition to compet-
ing in events, students at-
tended workshops, watched
a performance by the EOU
Choir and listened to ad-
dresses from EOU Presi-
dent Tom Insko and Ed-
ward Heddinger, dean of
the EOU Business College.
The top 10 finishers at the
regional competition quali-
fied for the state FBLA busi-
ness leadership conference
April 7-9 in Portland. The
top four in each event at state
will qualify for the National
Timm, 1st; Grayson Hawkins,
• Human resource man-
2nd; Madeline Hassmiller, 3rd agement: Taylor Gyllen-
• Learning strategies: Jaxyn berg, 1st; Daniel Brown,
3rd; Abigail Benson, 5th;
Baker Middle School results Ramos, 1st
Maria Guadalupe Rodri-
• Business ethics: Cadell
guez Sanchez, 6th; Meadoh
Mills, Adelaid Walden and
Baker High School results
Waldrop, 10th
Lilly Wilson, 1st; Alexzan-
• Accounting II: Taylor
• Intro to business com-
dria Honsvick, Connor Ni-
Dalton, 1st
munication: Daniel Brown,
day and Adeline Shaw, 2nd
• Advertising: Campbell
1st
• Career exploration: Ade- Vanderwiele, 4th
• Intro to financial math:
line Shaw, 1st; Nolan Briels,
• Business communica-
Ashlyn Dalton, 1st; Alex
2nd; Cadell Mills, 3rd; Alex- tion: Savannah Brown, 1st;
Wise, 2nd
andria Honsvick, 4th; Taylor Tristen Tritt, 4th
• Intro to public speak-
Lee, 5th; Connor Niday, 6th
• Business ethics: Owen
ing: Ashlyn Dalton, 4th
• Critical thinking: Colbi Higdon and Abbey Ben-
• Marketing: Savannah
Bachman, Jaxyn Ramos and son, 1st
Brown, Caitlin Lien and
Elizabeth Timm, 1st; Isaac
• Business law: Owen
Phoebe Wise; 1st
Berry and Ashlyn Child, 2nd Higdon, 1st; Salissa Ches-
• Personal finance: Macey
• Digital citizenship:
terman, 4th
Moore, 2nd; Teygan Coley,
Gwendolyn Rasmussen, 1st;
• Client service: Maria
Colbi Bachman, 2nd
Guadalupe Rodriguez San- 6th; Brooklyn Jaca, 8th
• Political science:
• Elevator speech: Gwen- chez, 2nd
dolyn Rasmussen, 5th; Tay-
• Entrepreneurship: Salissa Phoebe Wise, 4th
• Securities and invest-
lor Lee, 9th; Madeline Hass- Chesterman, Teygan Coley
ments: Sarah Plummer, 1st;
miller, 10th
and Taylor Gyllenberg, 3rd
• Exploring technology:
• Health care administra- Caitlin Lien, 4th
• Sports and entertain-
Harris Gaslin, 1st
tion: Tristen Tritt, 3rd; Jozie
ment management: Taylor
• Exploring economics:
Ramos, 5th
Dalton and Macey Moore,
Harris Gaslin, 1st
• Hospitality and event
2nd
• Financial literacy: Nolan management: Brook-
• Supply chain manage-
Briels, 1st; Isaac Berry, 2nd
lyn Jaca, Jozie Ramos and
• Leadership: Elizabeth
Campbell Vanderwiele, 2nd ment: Sarah Plummer, 1st
Anyone who would like
to donate to the event can
Continued from Page A1
contact Keister at 541-523-
5839 or drop off items at
The next big fundraiser
The Windshield Doctor,
is Saturday, Feb. 19, at the
2975 10th St.
Elks Lodge, 1896 Second St.
An account for the foun-
It begins at 5 p.m., and the
dation has been set up at
public is welcome.
Banner Bank, or mon-
etary donations can be
Attendees can purchase
commemorative pint glasses sent through Venmo (@
WadeWilliams2021) or Pay-
for $25 (there are only 72
Pal (email wadewilliams-
available), and participate in
raffles, silent and live auctions, foundation@gmail.com).
Updates to the event are
and baseball-themed games.
“We’ll see how fast you can posted on the Foundation’s
put on a set of catcher’s gear,” Facebook page.
Keister said. “We’re trying to
make a fun night out of it.”
Future plans
Ballpark food will be
Keister has two imme-
available to purchase.
diate goals: bring back the
parade to kick off baseball
season, and create blue-
prints for new bleachers at
Wade Williams.
The field also needs a
new irrigation system, fresh
dirt for the infield, more
sets of bases, fencing, bat-
ting cages, gravel, grass, and
weed removal.
“Everything has aged,” he
said.
So far, he said RD Mac has
helped a lot with the gravel
— the company’s logo is fea-
tured on the commemorative
pint glasses.
And the community, he
Kenny Keister/Contributed image
said, is stepping up.
This image shows Wade Williams Field before work began in
“I’ve had a ton of help,” he
2021. A fundraiser for the new Wade Williams Foundation is
said.
set for Feb. 19 to raise money for upkeep at the field.
BAKER CITY HERALD
LA GRANDE — Baker
High School had 10 regional
champions, and Baker Mid-
dle School had nine, at the
FBLA regional skills con-
ference on Feb. 3, at Eastern
Oregon University.
Four high schools that
normally attend the confer-
ence were absent this year,
as those schools joined a
virtual conference rather
than the in-person event at
La Grande, said Toni Zik-
mund, Baker High School
FBLA advisor.
Dawna Blincoe is the
Baker Middle School advisor,
and last year’s BMS advisor,
Nicole Miller, helped chaper-
one the Baker students.
A total of 188 students
from 11 high schools com-
peted. Baker High School
had 20 students attend.
Baker Middle School had
Field
Leadership Conference in
June in Chicago.
All students had online
classes during the spring of
Continued from Page A1
2020.
The district’s elementary stu-
Baker Superintendent Mark dents returned to in-person
Witty said on Tuesday, Feb. 8,
classes on Oct. 14, 2020.
that although district officials
Middle school and high
will be discussing the issue with school students began attend-
the Baker County Health De-
ing classes one day per week
partment and with the school on Nov. 9, 2020, moving to two
board, he believes, based on the days per week on Jan. 25, 2021,
downward trend in COVID-19 and to a full four-day schedule
cases, that the district
on April 12, 2021.
will drop the mask re-
All students have
quirement on the first
had a full in-person
day possible.
class schedule for the
“I fully anticipate
current school year
that come March 31
starting in August
we won’t be wearing
2021.
masks,” Witty said.
Hawkins said he
Witty
“We’ve been seeing
expects widespread
a dip in cases, and I
enthusiasm about the
think there’s every
end of the mask re-
chance by the time
quirement.
we get to March 31
“I think the major-
that the risk goes
ity of people are go-
way, way down.”
ing to be very happy
Witty noted that in
and feeling that it’s
addition to the drop
been a long time
Hawkins
in new cases — down
coming,” he said.
37% in Baker County
Some might have
over the past two weeks —
concerns about the removal of
the level of protection in the
masks, Hawkins said.
community from vaccinations
Witty said he understands
and natural infections is also that some parents and other
higher than at any previous
district residents think the
point in the pandemic.
mask mandate should end
Chris Hawkins, chairman of immediately, not seven weeks
the Baker School Board, agrees from now.
with Witty that the situation by
But Witty said he appreci-
the end of March will warrant ates that state officials gave
ending the mask requirement school districts time to assess
that’s been in place since stu-
their individual situations and
dents returned to in-person
have discussions with health
classes either in 2020 or 2021.
officials and others.
Masks
Theft
Continued from Page A1
Williams’ bail was set at
$65,000. He could be released
by posting 10% of that amount.
The investigation started
with a call to the Baker County
Dispatch Center at about 7 a.m.
on Friday, Feb. 4, about what
was initially reported as an at-
tempted car theft at the Super 8
Motel on Campbell Street just
east of Interstate 84.
Baker City Police Sgt. Mike
Regan and officer Koby Essex
went to the motel and found
one man, Robert Hartley, chas-
ing another man.
Hartley told police that the
other man had taken his room
key card.
The other man gave police
two different names, both of
which were false, according to
Regan’s report.
Regan referred to the suspect
as John Doe, but he was later
identified as Williams from
fingerprints, Baker City Police
Chief Ty Duby said.
While Essex was investigat-
ing the alleged robbery of Hart-
ley, Regan had information
from dispatch about a separate
incident in which a Honda ve-
hicle had been reported stolen
from The Sunridge Inn, on the
other side of the freeway.
The car’s owner, Erickson
Blair, reported that between
11 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 3,
and 7:15 a.m. on Friday, Feb.
4, someone had entered his
motel room, taking his vehi-
cle keys and a backpack con-
taining a laptop computer and
headphones with a value of
about $1,300.
Blair told police that the
theft might have happened
while he and his girlfriend
were having breakfast on Fri-
day morning, Feb. 4. They
were gone for about half an
hour. The sliding glass door to
their room was unlocked.
They discovered that both
the car, which had Utah li-
cense plates, and the back-
pack, were missing when they
returned from breakfast.
Regan, who was still at the
Super 8, saw a Honda, which
matched Blair’s description
of his vehicle, including Utah
plates, parked in the Super 8 lot.
Blair arrived at the Su-
per 8 and confirmed that the
Honda was his.
Regan wrote in his report
He said he believes that
the district’s precautions, in-
cluding enforcing the mask
requirement, have “helped us
keep kids in school.”
Witty said he doesn’t want
to do away with masks prema-
turely.
“The last thing I want to do
is take off masks and have to
shut down a school (due to
an outbreak of infections),”
he said. “I get the impatience.
But I think we’re really close
to this being an endemic sit-
uation.”
County’s COVID-19 situation
The Baker County Health
Department reported 19 new
cases on Tuesday, Feb. 8, fol-
lowing three days with cases to-
tals of three, three and six.
That was the lowest three-
day total since Dec. 29-31,
when there were eight total
cases.
Statistics strongly sug-
gests that the record-setting
surge in cases driven by the
omicron variant has peaked
both statewide and in Baker
County. Here, weekly cases
have dropped 37% over the
past two weeks.
The Oregon Health Author-
ity (OHA) has reported Baker
County’s first COVID-19-re-
lated death during February.
A 78-year-old woman who
tested positive on Jan. 20, died
Feb. 4, at Saint Alphonsus
Medical Center in Boise. She
had underlying medical con-
ditions, according to OHA.
that the Super 8 manager
showed him video from a secu-
rity camera that showed Wil-
liams — identifed as John Doe
in the report — getting out of
the Honda at about 7:08 a.m.
on Friday, Feb. 4.
While arresting Williams,
Essex had taken a black back-
pack that matched Blair’s de-
scription of his missing pack.
Later on Friday, Feb. 4, po-
lice examined the backpack
at the police department and
found a MacBook Air laptop
computer and a pair of Sony
headphones that matched
Blair’s description of his miss-
ing items.
Police also have identified
Williams as a suspect in the
theft of a Jeep Renegade and
cellphone belonging to Jason
Brown. That vehicle was taken
from the Maverik store in
Baker City about 5 a.m. on Fri-
day, Feb. 4, about 2 hours prior
to the report from the Super 8.
Duby said police, who were
alerted to the theft of the
Renegade, found that vehicle
in the Sunridge parking lot
while investigating the theft
of Blair’s Honda.
Both vehicles were returned
to their owners.
Continued from Page A1
ANNIVERSARY
Youngs to celebrate 50th anniversary
Gary and Pat (Barsotti)
Young are celebrating their
50th wedding anniversary on
Saturday, Feb. 12.
All friends and family are
invited to an open house
to help them celebrate that
day from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.
at the Veterans Memorial
Club, 2005 Valley Ave. in
Baker City.
Gary served over five years
in the U.S Army, with three
years of active duty, before re-
turning home and beginning
his career in banking at Pio-
neer Federal Savings & Loan.
He began his education at
Eastern Oregon College (now
EOU). Because at that time
EOC did not have a business
program, Gary decided to
move to Portland to pursue a
degree in business.
Lucky for him, (and all of
us) Pat had also returned to
college that term, after travel-
ing and spending a few years
working for the US Depart-
ment of Commerce in Wash-
ington, D.C.
Gary and Pat met at Port-
land State University on the
first day of Spanish class in
1970, and that was it, they’ve
been together ever since. Pat
In 1994 Gary needed a
change and took his talents a
few blocks away to the Baker
County Assessor’s office
where he worked happily
and with a much lower blood
pressure for the remainder of
his career.
Pat worked as a full-time
mom raising their three
young children in the early
years. In addition to main-
taining her full-time job as
the family chef and domestic
Contributed Photo stewardess, she also picked
Gary and Pat Young
up side gigs as a bookkeeper
for the law firm of Yturri,
still tells stories about her in- Rose, Burnham, Ebertz and
Bentz in Ontario, and then
ability to speak Spanish due
to the distraction of Gary in worked as bookkeeper for
Ellison Motors, and then as a
this class.
receptionist/bookkeeper for
Gary and Pat were mar-
ried in Baker City on Feb. 12, Mike Garchar, CPA in Baker
City until she retired from
1972. Gary worked for Pio-
neer Federal Savings & Loan being paid for her labor.
Gary and Pat have three
as a loan officer. He quickly
children — Anne (Barry)
moved up the ranks and his
Nemec of Baker City, Craig
job took him and his grow-
ing family to Burns, and then (Leslie) Young of Eugene,
and Chris (Amy) Young
a few years later to Ontario
of Baker City. They have
for Gary to manage those
eight grandchildren —
branches. In 1987 they re-
Isaac, Isabella and Lincoln
turned to Gary’s hometown
Nemec; Jackson, Lauren and
of Baker City as he joined
Ben Young; and Otis and
the corporate office of Pio-
Zea Young.
neer Bank.
The most valuable and respected
source of local news, advertising and
information for our communities.
www.eomediagroup.com
Barbara Lee Sherman
March 15, 1941 - January 31, 2022
Barbara Lee Sherman, 80, of Baker
City, Oregon passed away peacefully on
January 31, 2022 surrounded by her fam-
ily. Barbara grew up in Baker City, a town
she loved and never left.
Barbara Lee Sherman,
born to William T.H. and
Peggy Sherman on March
15, 1941. Barbara was a
force to be reckoned with
from the get go, graduating
from Baker High School in
1960 and Links School of
Business in 1963. She pur-
sued and was awarded a de-
gree in Junior Accounting.
While Barbara never
married, her nephews and
nieces meant more to her
than words can describe. She
had many loving pets that she absolutely
adored; Licorice, Buddy and Squirrel. She
dedicated her entire working career to The
Record Courier where she worked for 40+
years.
Barbara was an active member of her
1960s class reunion committee and the Re-
publican Central Committee. When Barba-
ra retired, she spent her mornings with a
cup of coffee and good fellowship at the
Baker Truck Corral.
Barbara was preceded in death by both
parents, sister Mary Ger-
mond, and nephew Patrick
Germond.
She is survived by her
brothers, Bill and wife
Donna Sherman, Dick
Sherman, and Jim Sher-
man. Nephews Mike Ger-
mond, Kenneth Sherman,
Richard Sherman. Nieces
Ruth Germond, Brenda
and husband Billy Buck,
Nancy Sherman, Kim
Huntley, Sandy and hus-
band Buzz Harper, Jody
and husband Jeff Colton,
Patty and husband Brandon Ruiz. Numer-
ous great nephews and great-nieces who
loved giving Aunt Barb a hard time.
Services will be held at Coles Trib-
ute Center on Saturday, April 23, 2022 at
11:00 AM. In lieu of flowers, please con-
sider a donation to Best Friends of Baker
City, OR.