Explore
StoryWalk
PAGE 3
Enjoy
Taste of
Nordic
MARCH 16–23, 2022
PAGE 4
WWW.GOEASTERNOREGON.COM
Listen
Music
at HQ
PAGE 14
Jenny Don’t
and the Spurs
PLAY CHURCHILL
PAGE 8
Jenny Don’t/Contributed image
After several canceled trips
to Baker City, Jenny Don’t and
the Spurs will play live March
25 at Churchill School.
INSIDE
SPORTS A5
Go! Magazine
Arts and entertainment magazine
Baker baseball returns to
Arizona after two-year hiatus
IN THIS EDITION: LOCAL • BUSINESS & AG LIFE • SPORTS
QUICK HITS
—————
Good Day Wish
To A Subscriber
A special good day to
Herald subscriber Charlotte
Landers of Baker City.
BRIEFING
—————
Baker County Library
plans spring break
events
The Baker County Library
is planning several special
events for spring break.
On Friday, March 18,
youth ages 3 and older are
invited to a Lego Build-Along
from 10 a.m. to noon. Kids
can build with Legos while
watching “The Lego Movie.”
In the afternoon is Kids
Game Day from 3 p.m. to 5
p.m. for grades 5-8.
Tuesday, March 22, is a
special spring-themed story-
time at 10 a.m., and Friday,
March 25, is Teen Game Day
from 3 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. The
library is at 2400 Resort St.
in Baker City.
Serving Baker County since 1870 • bakercityherald.com
THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 2022 • $1.50
‘Constitutional county’ resolution undecided
The resolution also prohibits
the use “of vaccine passports by
Two of the three Baker
any Baker County office, board
County commissioners are still
or agent.”
interested in possibly adopting a
During their regular meeting
resolution, promoted by the lo-
on Wednesday morning, March
cal group Baker County United,
16, Commission Chairman
that states, among other things,
Bill Harvey and Commissioner
Nichols
Bennett
Harvey
that “all actions by the federal
Mark Bennett voted to have
government and its agents will con-
missioners in December 2021, with
county counsel Kim Mosier review
form strictly and implicitly with the
proponents claiming the resolution
the resolution.
principles expressed within the United would stand as a bulwark against
The commission would then sched-
States Constitution, Declaration of In- what they consider government
ule a public hearing to solicit com-
dependence, and the Bill of Rights.”
overreach, notably Oregon Gov.
ments about the resolution before de-
Baker County United submitted
Kate Brown’s executive orders setting ciding whether or not to approve it.
the proposed resolution to com-
mask and vaccine mandates.
Commissioner Bruce Nichols voted
BY SAMANTHA O’CONNER
soconner@bakercityherald.com
Past presidents
club dinner Friday at
Eagles Lodge
Baker City Public Works/Contributed Photo
Goodrich Reservoir, which sits at the base of
Elkhorn Peak west of Baker City, is one of the
city’s sources of water. The city typically begins
tapping the reservoir in mid to late summer.
BY JAYSON JACOBY
jjacoby@bakercityherald.com
YMCA preschool
fundraiser set for
March 31
he Elkhorn Mountains rising west of
Baker City remain a nearly solid wall
of white as the spring equinox nears,
but Michelle Owen is thinking about a couple
of other colors, and another season.
Green and brown.
Also, summer.
Owen is Baker City’s public works director.
What she’s thinking about — and worrying
over — is water.
Both the liquid form and — those white slopes
of the Elkhorns — the frozen version.
The Baker County Family
YMCA’s annual preschool
fundraiser is set for March
31 from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.
at the Baker County Events
Center, 2600 East St.
WEATHER
—————
Today
48/30
See, Water/Page A3
Baker City Public Works/Contributed Photo
Nate Miller of the Baker City Public Works
department adjusts the flow of water from
Goodrich Reservoir, high in the Elkhorn
Mountains west of Baker City.
Mostly sunny
Friday
54/34
Full forecast on the back
of the B section.
The space below is for a postage label
for issues that are mailed.
See, Commission/Page A3
5 sustain
minor
injuries
in crash
Baker City Herald
The past presidents club
at the Baker Eagles Lodge
is having a dinner Friday,
March 18, from 6 p.m. to 8
p.m. at 2935 H St. in Baker
City. Dinner is a potato bar
with all the toppings, for
$10. Eagles members and
their guests are welcome.
Mostly cloudy
against the motion Wednesday, saying
he believes the language in the resolu-
tion is redundant.
He said he has taken an oath of of-
fice multiple times and that the reso-
lution basically reiterates the oath.
“I don’t disagree with the things
that are said, I just disagree with the
way we are doing this,” Nichols said.
“I feel this is redundant and not really
necessary. We have law enforcement
in this county and we also have a
court system, so does the state and so
does the federal government.
OTEC resumes youth tour of D.C.
Two local high
school juniors
selected
Baker City Herald
After being can-
celed the past two
years due to the pan-
demic, Oregon Trail Elec-
tric Cooperative’s Youth
Tour returns in 2022.
Four high school ju-
Union High School
• Isabella Beckner,
Eagle Cap Innovative
High School in Baker
City
•Marissa Lane, La
Grande High School
Lane
Baker
Beckner
Flanagan
The foursome will
represent Oregon
niors will represent the
This year’s delegates are: and the Northwest and
will join more than 1,500
cooperative on a weeklong
• Makenzie Flanagan,
trip to Washington, D.C., Baker High School
See, OTEC/Page A3
this June.
• Tayleur Baker, Crane
Five people suffered minor injuries
late Monday, March 14, when a com-
mercial truck struck their vehicle from
behind on Interstate 84 near Durkee.
According to a report from Oregon
State Police Trooper Jason Henry, eight
people were in the Ford Econoline van,
which was hauling a utility trailer and
traveling eastbound at about 55 mph
near Milepost 328, about 24 miles south-
east of Baker City. Around 11:17 p.m., a
commercial truck pulling a box trailer
crashed into the trailer being hauled by
the van. The van went off the freeway,
rolled and landed about 30 yards off the
road, according to the report.
The commercial truck, driven by
Dimitry Olejnic, 39, of Sedalia, Mis-
souri, came to a stop on the shoulder
of the freeway about 60 yards from
the van.
Olejnic was cited for following too
closely, according to the OSP report.
Five of the eight occupants of the van
were taken by ambulance to Saint Al-
phonsus Medical Center-Baker City,
where they were treated and released.
The van’s driver was Kristopher
Langton, 39, of Ellensburg, Washing-
ton. All seven passengers are also from
Ellensburg. The OSP report lists Lo-
anna Newlyn Langton, 38; Elijah Lang-
ton, 19; and Patricia Magruder, 27.
The four other passengers are all ju-
veniles, and their names were not listed
on the report. Their ages are 3, 12, 13
and 19.
According to the OSP report, the
three occupants who didn’t need hos-
pital treatment were taken, along
with two dogs and one parrot, to a
local motel by Baker County Sheriff ’s
Office deputies.
City to start
cemetery
clean up
Baker City Herald
Cribbage tourney returns to Baker
Tournament
canceled past
2 years due to
pandemic
March 18 through Sun-
day, March 20.
The event, a fixture in
Baker City, returns after
a 2-year hiatus due to the
pandemic.
The early bird, new-
Baker City Herald
comer-friendly session,
Competitive cribbage is with seven games, starts
coming to Baker City this at 3 p.m. on Friday, said
weekend.
Kim Corn, who’s organiz-
The American Crib-
ing the tournament along
bage Congress has sched- with Rob Palmer and Pat
uled the Gene Sissel Me- Reynolds.
morial Northwest Open
Canadian doubles, with
regional tournament at
nine games and also new-
the Baker Elks Lodge,
comer-friendly, starts at
1896 Second St., Friday,
7 p.m. Friday.
TODAY
Issue 129
28 pages
Business ...........................B1
Classified ....................B2-B4
Comics ..............................B5
The main event starts
at 9 a.m. Saturday, with 22
games. Registration be-
gins at 8 a.m.
Consolation, with nine
games, starts at 9:30 a.m.
Sunday. Registration and
seating starts at 8:30 a.m.
Both the main and con-
solation events are sanc-
tion by the American
Cribbage Congress (ACC),
and ACC membership is
required for those events.
More information is avail-
able at www.cribbage.org.
Fees are $20 for early
bird, $50 per team for Ca-
Community News.............A2
Crossword ...............B2 & B4
Dear Abby .........................B6
nadian doubles, $65 for
the main event and $25
for consolation.
Walk-ins are welcome.
Corn said organizers
are expecting around 45
to 50 players.
In addition to this
weekend’s tournament,
the local Grassroots Club
38 has weekly cribbage
events each Tuesday at
6 p.m. at the VFW Club,
2005 Valley Ave. New
players are always wel-
come at the weekly events,
which average around 15
players, Corn said.
Horoscope ..............B2 & B4
Lottery Results .................A2
News of Record ................A2
Baker City’s cemetery and parks
contractor, HnT Lawn Care Inc., will
soon be doing the spring clean up at
Mount Hope Cemetery.
That includes removing deterio-
rated decorations, flowers and floral
designs, as well as thatching, edging,
fertilizing, and weed spraying, weather
permitting. This work is scheduled for
April 1-15.
The city is asking residents to re-
move decorative items from graves
and headstones prior to April 1. Items
that aren’t removed will be collected
by the contractor and stored until Nov.
1, 2022. Items that conform to the
city’s cemetery rules can be placed on
graves starting April 16. A copy of the
rules is available on the city’s website,
www.bakercity.com.
More information is available by
calling the city at 541-524-2047.
Opinion .............................A4
Senior Menus ...................A2
Sports ...............................A5
Sudoku..............................B5
Turning Backs ..................A2
Weather ............................B6
