A2 BAKER CITY HERALD • THURSDAY, APRIL 7, 2022
Local
TURNING BACK THE PAGES
50 YEARS AGO
from the Democrat-Herald
April 7, 1972
The Yellow Daisy is a new clothing store at 1833 Main
devoted exclusively to children’s “fun” apparel.
Carole Smith, owner, said her shop should fi ll the
casual and sports clothing needs of infants up to teens
and juniors, as well as maternity wear.
25 YEARS AGO
from the Baker City Herald
April 7, 1997
Baker’s girls and boys track teams fi nished fi rst at the
Baker Invitational Friday at Baker High School.
The girls topped Burns, Ontario and Vale with 94 points,
and the boys scored 105 points on a windy afternoon
better suited to ice hockey than to track and fi eld.
10 YEARS AGO
from the Baker City Herald
April 6, 2012
Baker County commissioners on Wednesday made an
emergency declaration for the small city of Greenhorn.
The action was prompted by no candidates fi ling for
Greenhorn’s vacant positions to be included on the May
15 primary election ballot.
“Landowners within the city have been unable to
build, conduct land-use actions or conduct business with
the city as a result of the current lack of governance for
the city,” said Mark Bennett, the county’s emergency
management director.
ONE YEAR AGO
from the Baker City Herald
April 8, 2021
Last year Baker County declared a drought disaster
when summer was on the wane.
In 2021 the drought situation is dire while spring has
barely begun.
On Wednesday morning, April 7, the Baker County
Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a
resolution declaring a drought disaster in the county and
asking both Gov. Kate Brown and U.S. Agriculture Secretary
Tom Vilsack to follow suit.
State and federal drought declarations could make
county property owners eligible for fi nancial aid and other
assistance, and give state water regulators more fl exibility
in allocating water.
Baker County could become the second of Oregon’s 36
counties to have a state drought declaration.
Brown on March 31 declared a drought in Klamath
County, the fi rst such declaration of 2021.
Jason Yencopal, the county’s emergency management
director, told commissioners during their regular meeting
Wednesday that the drought has been worsening.
“Baker County’s had extreme drought in the county
since February second,” Yencopal said. “So we’re a little
over eight weeks now.”
Until Feb. 2, the U.S. Drought Monitor Index rated
the central part of the county, including Baker Valley, as
being in severe drought on a fi ve-level scale that starts at
abnormally dry and moves into moderate, severe, extreme
and exceptional drought.
But on Feb. 2 the index, which is updated weekly,
added a circular area, including Baker Valley, that’s rated
as extreme drought.
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SENIOR MENUS
FRIDAY (April 8): Roast turkey, stuffi ng, corn, rolls, Jell-O with
fruit, cheesecake
MONDAY (April 11): Baked ziti, garlic bread, zucchini and
tomatoes, ambrosia, brownies
TUESDAY (April 12): Hot turkey sandwich, mashed potatoes,
peas, green salad, cookies
WEDNESDAY (April 13): Chicken broccoli fettuccine, green
beans and tomatoes, garlic bread, fruit and cottage cheese,
ice cream
THURSDAY (April 14): Beef stew, broccoli, rolls, green salad
FRIDAY (April 15): Baked cod, clam chowder, capri
vegetables, rolls, coleslaw, bread pudding
Public luncheon at the Senior Center, 2810 Cedar St., from
11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; $5 donation (60 and older), $7.50
for those under 60.
CONTACT THE HERALD
2005 Washington Ave., Suite 101
Open Monday through Friday
8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Ambulance
He said he made the mo-
tion to offer $150,000 to the
Continued from Page A1
city because he wants to keep
the discussion going.
Commissioner
Bennett said he
Mark Bennett said
was shocked when
the $150,000 figure
the Baker City Coun-
is based on an esti-
cil during its March
mate from the city
22 meeting, after
that about 20% of the
hearing a presenta-
ambulance calls the
tion from City Man-
city fire department
ager Jonathan Can-
Harvey
handles are outside
non, voted to send a
the city limits but
notice to the county
within the approxi-
that the city intended
mately 2,000 square
to cease ambulance
miles that comprise
service Sept. 30.
the Baker ambulance
Bennett noted that
service area.
a one-year contract
Kim Mosier, the
that the city pro-
county’s attorney,
posed this winter
told commission-
Nichols
called for a county
ers that the city es-
contribution of about
timates its shortfall
$130,000 for the next
for operating ambu-
fiscal year, and that
lances at $750,000.
the county had of-
Bennett said the
fered $137,000.
$150,000 offer from
That the figure has
the county is 20% of
apparently increased
the $750,000.
to $750,000 “kind of
Bennett
Mosier told com-
boggles my mind,”
missioners that
Bennett said.
based on recent conver-
Nichols said that although
sations with city officials,
he understands the city’s fi-
even a county contribution
nancial predicament — “they
of $750,000 might not be
are literally going broke with
enough to allow the city to
the ambulance service” — he
continue operating ambu-
is upset with the city’s ap-
lances.
proach, in sending the notice
Bennett, along with Com- with the Sept. 30 date.
mission Chairman Bill Har-
“We could have worked
vey and Commissioner Bruce together,” Nichols said. “We
Nichols, pointed out that the need to do this in partner-
county can’t afford to give the ship, not working against each
city $750,000.
other. That benefits no one.”
“There’s zero way we can
Nichols described the City
get to that target,” Bennett
Council’s March 22 notice as
said.
“pulling the rug out from un-
derneath” the county.
During a public hearing
on the issue during Wednes-
day’s meeting, two Baker City
Fire Department firefighter/
paramedics spoke to commis-
sioners.
B.J. Lynch, a 20-year vet-
eran, said that although he
appreciates the county’s offer
of $150,000, it’s not enough
“to solve the problem.”
Casey Johnson, president of
the local union chapter that
represents firefighters, said
he addressed commissioners
“because Baker City’s public
safety is at risk.”
Johnson said that if the
city does stop operating am-
bulances, the loss of revenue
from billing — even though
that doesn’t cover the city’s
costs for operating ambu-
lances — would force the city
to cut its firefighting staff
by half.
That would significantly
reduce the department’s abil-
ity to fight fires, Johnson said.
With just two people on duty,
firefighters wouldn’t be able
to enter structures to try to
rescue people or pets in many
instances, he said.
Wes Morgan, chief of the
Powder River Rural Fire Dis-
trict in the Sumpter Valley,
and Kathi Vinson, a long-
time volunteer emergency re-
sponder in Sumpter, both told
commissioners that the Baker
City Fire Department pro-
vides a valuable service.
Harvey also read a letter
from Pat Sullivan, chief of the
volunteer department in the
Unity and Burnt River area.
Sullivan also expressed appre-
ciation for the Baker City Fire
Department, and suggested
the city and county seek a
one-year contract to continue
having the city be responsible
for the Baker ambulance ser-
vice area.
Dean Guyer, a Baker City
Council member who said
he was speaking as a private
citizen and not a councilor,
noted that one reason for the
city’s financial troubles is that
the city accepted a federal
grant in 2018 to hire three
new firefighter/paramedics.
But the federal money went
away in 2021, and now the
city is solely responsible for
the personnel costs for those
three people. The fire depart-
ment’s personnel costs have
risen from about $1.6 million
to $2 million over the past
four years.
Harvey said he understands
that situation. He described
it as a “mistake” to accept the
grant.
“But we’re past that point,”
he said.
Harvey said the county
needs figures from the city,
regarding the cost of oper-
ating ambulances outside
the city.
Without those numbers,
Harvey said, the county can’t
ask voters to approve a prop-
erty tax levy to pay for ambu-
lance service.
Such a levy is one potential
option for raising money for
ambulance operations.
“Until we have facts we
don’t have solutions,” Harvey
said.
Competition
business for seven years, but
he’s not on the county’s list of
contractors.
“They aren’t even following
their own commitment to you
and to the county to do their
job to maintain that list of
contractors,” Hill said.
“If the work is there, let’s let
private business take care of
it,” he said. “The government
has an unfair competitive ad-
vantage over a private busi-
ness like myself.”
Commissioner Mark Ben-
nett said he doesn’t think the
county is trying to compete
with Hill’s or anyone else’s
business.
The goal, Bennett said, is
to deal with noxious weeds as
effectively, and as widely, as
possible.
“I think there’s a balance
there” between the county pro-
moting weed control and sup-
porting local businesses.
He said a simple solution
would be to have a list of weed
contractors available to citizens.
“But there gets to the point
of, some of the people won’t
do it, so we’ve got to help
them and if they can’t find
anybody because all of you
are so busy in the hot spring
time, and then next thing you
know hot weather shows up
and you can’t do it, but these
little spot spraying things and
I think there’s that balance,”
Bennett said.
Continued from Page A1
Hill, though, contends that
having the county rent spray-
ers and sell herbicide, at what-
ever frequency or amount,
constitutes a “slippery slope” of
government competing against
private businesses.
He concedes that county of-
ficials have good intentions in
wanting to expand weed con-
trol, but he’s still worried about
“driving private business out a
little at a time.”
Hill said he appreciates
Pettingill’s efforts to pro-
mote work to stem to spread
of weeds, which can reduce
the productivity and value
of farmland and rangeland,
and respects his “passion” for
the task.
Hill said he also supports the
county’s cost-share program,
which helps defray landown-
ers’ expenses to control weeds.
“I’m not trying to dampen
that fire at all,” Hill said. “What
I’m saying is we’re going about
it the wrong way.”
Hill brought his complaints
to Baker County commission-
ers during their meeting on
Wednesday, April 6.
Commissioners’ agenda in-
cluded buying a credit card
reader to handle transactions
for sprayer rentals and herbi-
cide sales.
News of
Record
FUNERALS PENDING
Kathleen Mae Bradshaw: Her
memorial service will be Friday, April 8,
at 1 p.m. at Gray’s West & Co. Pioneer
Chapel, 1500 Dewey Ave. A reception
will immediately follow the service, at
Community Connection, 2810 Cedar St.
Refreshments will be served. Memorial
contributions can be made to the Make
A Wish Foundation through Gray’s West
& Co., 1500 Dewey Ave., Baker City, OR
97814. To leave an online condolence
for Kathleen’s family, go to www.
grayswestco.com.
Agnes Bird: A celebration of Agnes’
life and graveside service will take
place Saturday, May 21, at 1 p.m. at
Pine Haven Cemetery in Halfway. A
reception will follow immediately at the
Halfway Lions Hall. Those who would
like to make a donation in memory of
Agnes can do so to the Hells Canyon
Junior Rodeo through Tami’s Pine Valley
Funeral Home & Cremation Services,
P.O. Box 543, Halfway, OR 97834. Online
condolences can be made at www.
tamispinevalleyfuneralhome.com.
POLICE LOG
Telephone: 541-523-3673
ISSN-8756-6419
Serving Baker County since 1870
Publisher
Karrine Brogoitti
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Copyright © 2022
Baker City Police
Arrests, citations
MULTIPLE WARRANTS: Paul Adam Heller,
50, transient, 12:40 p.m. Tuesday, April 5,
at Resort Street and Washington Avenue;
cited and released.
PROBATION VIOLATION: Tamara Kay Fine,
48, Baker City, 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, April 5,
at Wade Williams Park; jailed.
Baker County Sheriff’s Office
Arrests, citations
FOURTH-DEGREE ASSAULT (domestic),
HARASSMENT: Daniel Allen Clary, 42,
Haines, 8:04 p.m. Tuesday, April 5, on
Welch Road; jailed.
Hill told commissioners
he “vehemently” opposes the
county buying a card reader
for the weed district because
it promotes what he considers
unfair competition with his
business and others.
“The bigger issue of the
card reader is why does the
county even need to sell prod-
ucts?” Hill said. “You have
eleven different pesticide sup-
pliers in this county.”
Commission Chairman Bill
Harvey said he doesn’t want
the county to compete with
private firms, either.
But both he and Pettingill,
in response to Hill’s concerns,
said there aren’t enough lo-
cal contractors to do all the
types of work that landown-
ers need.
Harvey said he prefers pri-
vate contractors do as much
weed control work as possi-
ble. But if a contractor isn’t
available, he said, it’s import-
ant to deal with weeds.
Hill countered by saying
that the county’s weed control
board isn’t complying with
its bylaws, which require it to
keep an updated list of weed
control contractors.
Hill said he’s been in the
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