BAKER CITY HERALD • SATuRDAY, ApRIL 9, 2022 A3
LOCAL & STATE
Police seek to solve
Union County cold case
BY DICK MASON
The Observer
UNION COUNTY — The Ore-
gon State Police are turning up the
heat on a local cold case.
OSP officers and OSP crime lab
personnel will soon reexamine a
site near Finley Creek, 18 miles
north of La Grande, where the re-
mains of an unidentified woman
were found in August 1978.
The OSP team, which will have
human remains detection dogs,
will be searching for anything con-
nected to the unidentified woman
who was found there in a shallow
grave more than 40 years ago.
The OSP will go to the site after
all the snow there has melted. De-
tective-sergeant Sean Belding of the
OSP said his agency will be facing a
big challenge.
“It will be a little like looking for a
needle in a haystack,” Belding said.
Melinda Jederberg, of La Grande,
a member of the Finley Creek Jane
Doe Task Force, is more hopeful.
“We are very optimistic,” said
Jederberg, who founded the task
force in 2019.
A big reason for the confidence
is that task force members went
to the Finley Creek site where the
woman’s remains were found twice
in 2021 with cadaver dogs. The task
force brought a single dog once
and two on another trip. Each of
the two dogs indicated they found
ground under which there are hu-
man remains at the same site at or
near a tree.
“One dog pawed at the ground
near the tree,” Jederberg said.
The task force members did not
dig at the site because it is a crime
scene and thus it would be illegal to
disrupt it. They instead notified the
Oregon State Police who later de-
cided to investigate the site and pos-
sibly dig there.
Suzanne Timms of Walla Walla,
Washington, who is assisting with
the search as a volunteer, is glad
that highly trained OSP investi-
gators will soon be examining the
Finley Creek site.
“They know how to collect evi-
dence without contaminating the
site. I can’t wait,’’ Timms said.
Ben Lonergan/East Oregonian
Suzanne Timms poses for a portrait at
her home in Walla Walla on Tuesday,
Oct. 26, 2021, alongside a missing
person poster for her mother, Patricia
“Patty” Otto, and a collection of doc-
uments pertaining to her disappear-
ance. Timms believes the Finley Creek
Jane Doe, discovered near Elgin in
August 1978, is her mother, who went
missing in 1976.
certain the Finley Creek Jane Doe
is her mother, Patricia “Patty” Otto,
of Lewiston, Idaho, who has been
missing since Sept. 1, 1976.
Timms first suspected that the
Finley Creek Jane Doe was her
mother in 2021 when she saw an
image created by a forensic artist
in Massachusetts, Anthony Red-
grave, the operator of Redgrave
Research Forensic Services. Red-
grave was assisting the Finley
Creek Jane Doe group, and the
image he created looked very sim-
ilar to that of Timms’ mother.
Other details have contributed to
Timms’ belief that the Finley Creek
Jane Doe is her mother. The re-
mains were found with a white shirt
and red pants, which is what Patty
Otto was last seen wearing before
disappearing.
As part of the investigation in
1978, Lewiston police believed
the Jane Doe could be Patty Otto,
and Timms’ grandparents Thomas
O’Malley and Ardys O’Malley
were flown from Lewiston to
A daughter’s search
Timms is elated that the OSP will La Grande to identify the body.
be investigating the site since she is Timms said they were sure the re-
YMCA
The Y should be, he said, “a pos-
itive influence on overall health
Continued from Page A1
and wellness for everybody.”
The YMCA is also working with
Looking ahead, the Y will bring other organizations in the com-
back football — both tackle and
munity. For instance, it is partner-
flag — and add a youth tennis camp ing with the school district to host
to the offerings.
a weightlifting program before
“We want to give them a good in- school for Baker Middle School
troduction to sports,” he said. “Why students.
not try new things?”
Programs were somewhat lim-
24-hour access
ited during the past two years due
Starting May 1, the fitness cen-
to health restrictions.
ter will be available to members 24
“We had Y rules we had to follow hours a day, 365 days a week.
with COVID,” Myer said.
This is for ages 18 and older,
However, many continued un-
and access is limited to the fitness
abated, such as gymnastics.
center.
The goal, Myer said, is to serve
“It’s busier than it’s ever been,”
a wide variety of the community,
Myer said.
such as those who work swing
A new addition to the Fitness
Center, at 3715 Pocahontas Road, is shifts or can’t make it in during the
regularly staffed hours.
a swath of turf, which can be used
The 24-hour access is one of
for high intensity interval training.
For instance, a metal “sled” can be Myer’s first goals. Another is to
loaded with weight and pushed or revive the Y expansion to add a
gymnasium to the fitness center
pulled on the turf, which adds re-
building.
sistance.
“I’m aware and fully commit-
Myer said offerings such as this
ted to bringing the gym expansion
focus on overall fitness, not just a
back to the table,” he said.
specific sport.
School
won’t be enough host families
to accommodate all the visit-
Continued from Page A1
ing students.
“That’s why we’re making
He expects 22 to 25 for-
the investment” in the two
eign students will attend BHS homes, he said.
when the 2022-23 school year
Each home will have space
starts this fall.
for at least six students, as well
Andrew Bryan, a member
as local families who will live
of the Baker School Board,
in each home, Witty said.
said he believes the Interna-
He said several current dis-
tional School will benefit dis- trict employees have expressed
trict students as well as the
interested in living in the
community.
homes and helping to over-
Students will have a chance see the international students.
to sit side by side in BHS class- Those employees will likely
rooms with teenagers from
work under a personal services
around the world, Bryan said. contract with the district.
Moreover, he believes that
Bryan said it’s possible that
the program will bolster the
some visiting students will live
district’s budget and allow the part of the school year with
district to offer scholarships to a local host family, and the
Baker students that makes it
rest of the time in one of the
possible for those who are in- homes.
terested to travel abroad and
expand their perspectives both District projects financial
academically and socially.
surplus
“It’s a fully global endeavor,”
The district’s financial pro-
jections for the Oregon In-
Bryan said.
ternational School, which is a
Although Witty said the
charter school, show the pro-
district hopes to place some
gram generating a surplus for
visiting students with host
each of its first three years.
families, the traditional sys-
Witty said some of that
tem through foreign exchange
student programs such as Ro- money would be used to re-
tary and AFS, he said it’s clear pay the district, with interest,
for the money used to buy the
to district officials that there
mains were those of their daugh-
ter, because the white shirt and red
pants were found with the remains
at Finley Creek.
“I found records indicating that
they told the Lewiston police that
the white shirt and red pants looked
very similar to what my mother was
wearing before she disappeared,”
Timms said, who discovered this
information earlier this year.
Timms believes that her mother
was murdered in Lewiston by her
father, and then taken to Finley
Creek where he buried her in a
shallow grave.
The OSP’s autopsy records for the
Finley Creek Jane Doe, however, do
not match those of Patty Otto.
Timms believes the discrep-
ancy is due to an error made by
the OSP’s medical examiner while
doing examinations of the skeletal
remains for two Jane Does in his of-
fice at about the same time in 1978.
She suspects he assigned his reports
to the wrong Jane Does because
his report for the second Jane Doe
matches her mother’s autopsy pho-
tos and dental records.
“It appears that he had the two
Jane Does confused based upon
documents he wrote himself,’’
Timms said.
A cash award
Timms said she is excited about
the OSP’s plans to examine the
Finley Creek site because if bones
are found their DNA tests could
prove that they are the bones of
her mother. Currently, there are no
known bones of the Finley Creek
Jane Doe because they are believed
to have been cremated by the state
after they were found, Timms said.
A recent cash award for informa-
tion on the Finley Creek Jane Doe
also offers hope that new evidence
may come to light.
Interest in the Finley Creek Jane
Doe has picked up since Crime
Stoppers of Oregon announced in
March that it was offering a cash
award of up to $2,500 to help iden-
tify the murdered woman.
“It has generated a lot of calls
about the case,” Jederberg said.
Jederberg, of the Finley Creek
Jane Doe Task Force, said she
hopes the reward and increased
interest will encourage people to
step forward.
New additions, and a special week
A new “member’s lounge” is now
open with coffee, a variety of bev-
erages such as protein shakes, and
tables to sit and visit. This space also
includes a room for Timberline Mas-
sage, owned by Tanya Pozzi. Massage
appointments are available for both
Y members and nonmembers — for
information, call 541-216-3584.
Look ahead, Member Apprecia-
tion Week is May 2-7.
“We’ll have activities every single
day,” Myer said.
That week also offers a chance to
“try the Y for free” for those who
aren’t members.
For more information, or to find
out about new programs, visit the
website bakerymca.org, follow the
Baker County YMCA on Facebook,
or stop by the fitness center.
The YMCA board
The YMCA has a board of direc-
tors, and Myer said he’s hoping to
bring on additional board mem-
bers.
Those interested in serving on
the board can call Myer at the
YMCA, 541-523-9622.
two homes.
The revenue also would be
used for scholarships to help
defray tuition for Baker stu-
dents who attend school out-
side the U.S., he said.
The school district paid
$295,000 last month for the
home at 1706 Washington
Ave. Known as the Moomaw
house, it’s a Queen Anne/East-
lake-style cottage build around
1900. It’s named for original
owner David L. Moomaw.
Witty said the Baker School
Board will meet on April 12 to
discuss buying a second home.
That’s the Kolb-White House,
also known as the Langrell
House, at 1503 Second St. The
asking price is $490,000.
The money for the home
purchases is from the district’s
regular budget, Witty said.
The money is not part of the
$4 million the district will col-
lect from the levy that voters
approved in May 2021. That
money can only be spent on
earmarked projects, including
the construction of a cafete-
ria and multipurpose building
at Baker Middle School, and
new heating/cooling/venti-
lation systems at all district
schools.
Witty said he understands
Council
the revenues collected for the service
which could approach a million dollars
Continued from Page A1
a year in the very near future.”
The personnel costs for the fire de-
The City Council will meet Tuesday, partment have risen from about $1.6
million per year in the 2017-18 fiscal
April 12, at 7 p.m. at City Hall, 1655
First St.
year to $2 million for the current fiscal
If the city fire department ceases am- year, which ends June 30, 2022.
bulance service Sept. 30, Baker County
The main reason for the increase is
commissioners, by Oregon law, would that the city in 2018 hired three new
be required to find a different ambu-
firefighter/paramedics — the city
lance provider.
fire department is a dual-role depart-
Commissioners will discuss a request ment, handling both fires and ambu-
for proposals for ambulance services
lance calls.
during a work session on Wednesday,
Ambulance calls make up the bulk
April 13, at 9 a.m. at the Courthouse,
of the department’s total calls — about
1995 Third St.
84% over the past four years, Cannon
Commissioners voted 3-0 on
said.
Wednesday, April 6, to offer to contrib-
The city received a federal grant that
ute $150,000 to the city for
paid about two-thirds of the
ambulance services during
cost of the new firefighters,
the fiscal year that starts July
but the grant ended in 2021.
1, 2022.
Although the city has in-
McQuisten said the City
creased the amount it collects
Council will consider that
from ambulance bills over the
offer during their April 12
past year or so, Cannon said
it’s not enough to offset the
meeting.
expenses of operating ambu-
City Councilor Dean Guyer
Guyer
lances in the future.
said on Thursday, April 7, that
The biggest problem, he said, is that
he hopes city and county officials can
agree on a solution that makes it possi- about 80% of the ambulance bills go to
ble for the city fire department to con- people who are covered by Medicare
tinue operating ambulances.
or Medicaid, and those federal pro-
But to accomplish that, the city can’t grams pay only about 20% of what the
continue to shoulder the bulk of the fi- city bills.
nancial burden, Guyer said.
City and county officials have dis-
“We need to go a different direction cussed several times over the past few
and the city cannot continue to subsi-
years the looming financial issue once
dize the county’s ambulance service nor the federal money went away, leaving
can it continue to operate in the nega-
the city responsible for making up the
tive,” Guyer said.
difference in the fire department budget.
He said he hopes that the county’s
The City Council discussed the mat-
$150,000 offer will lead to a joint city-
ter in August 2020 and cited it as a rea-
county meeting.
son for delaying a decision on buying a
“We need to start fresh and go for-
new ambulance.
ward as opposed to going backwards
The county paid the city $99,000
and plowing that ground,” Guyer said.
over the three-year grant period to
help offset the cost of hiring the new
“I hope that we can get it resolved. I
talked to many of the firefighters and
firefighters. The county is contributing
also ambulance folks yesterday after the $100,000 for the current fiscal year.
The county, being responsible for
(county commission) meeting. And I
feel their pain, I do. They don’t want
choosing ambulance service providers,
to move and they want to continue to
in 2019 also sent letters of interest to
live in our community and they’re see- 21 potential providers, including the
ing that it could affect the quality of the city fire department. That covered the
ambulance service if we continue to go Baker ambulance service area, which
down this road and we can’t come to
includes Baker City and about two-
a resolution between the city and the
thirds of the rest of the county.
county in paying for the services.”
(The county has three other smaller
Guyer was referring to a projection
ambulance service areas, covering the
from the city that if the fire department Richland, Halfway and Huntington
no longer provides ambulance ser-
areas.)
vice, the loss of revenue — estimated at
Three of those providers ended up
about $1 million for the current fiscal
submitting bids — the city, Med Trans-
year — would force the city to lay off
port Inc. of North Powder and Metro
half the current firefighter/paramedics. West Ambulance Inc. of Hillsboro.
Casey Johnson, president of the local County officials didn’t disclose details
union chapter that represents firefight- from those bids, and in 2020 commis-
ers, said that would significantly reduce sioners tabled the matter. The city has
the department’s ability to fight fires,
continued to provide ambulance ser-
particularly in cases when there’s a need vice, without a contract, since then.
for firefighters to enter a burning home
County officials have also discussed
or other structure.
asking voters in the ambulance service
City Councilor Johnny Waggoner
area to approve a property tax levy that
Sr. said that although he doesn’t sup-
would be a new, long-term source of
port the city continuing with the
revenue for ambulance service.
amount of financial shortfall it has in
Residents in the service area outside
operating ambulances, he also doesn’t the city limits don’t directly contrib-
like the possibility of layoffs in the fire ute to the city’s fire department bud-
department.
get now.
“If we can do it and provide the same
A portion of property taxes that
service and not go in the hole, I’m will- city residents pay, however, does go
ing to do it, to keep it going,” Waggoner to the fire department, which is part
said. “Cause nobody wants to lay any-
of the city’s general fund. The biggest
body off.
revenue sources in the general fund,
“There’s no quick fixes for it,” he said. which also includes the Baker City
“I hope Baker City does not have to quit Police, are property taxes, ambulance
doing ambulance services. But we’ll see bills and franchise fees paid by utility
what the county puts out in the (request companies.
for proposals) and if we can do it, as
McQuisten said she understands
much as I hate to see government com- that the current situation, with the
pete against private stuff, I would rather Sept. 30 date on the table, might have
keep our level of service for the citizens surprised some people.
of Baker County, for our (ambulance
“The citizens who understand the
service area).”
legal roles of our county commission-
ers, city council and city manager un-
City Council sets Sept. 30 deadline
derstand that we’re in the middle of a
The City Council voted on March 22 process and why we are where we are,”
to send the notice to commissioners,
she said. “Others who haven’t followed
including the Sept. 30 date for the city
the situation very closely over the years
fire department to cease ambulance ser- are of course feeling sideswiped.
vices, after hearing a report from City
“In the end, all of us simply want the
Manager Jonathan Cannon in which
best ambulance services for our people,
he wrote: “We are anticipating short-
in a way we can actually afford. I think
falls between the cost of service and
we can get there,” McQuisten said.
that the district could have
used the money that will go
to the two homes for other
projects.
“It always comes down to a
choice,” he said.
But he believes the invest-
ment in the two homes will
benefit local students and, ulti-
mately, the district’s bottom line.
Bryan agreed.
He contends the Baker
School District is in better fi-
nancial shape than any other
district in the state.
Bryan believes that the In-
ternational School will benefit
both the district’s students and
the district’s financial situation.
Witty cited the district’s
projections that the Interna-
tional School program will re-
pay the district for the homes
in less than 15 years, and that
the program’s overall revenue
will exceed its expenses.
That’s possible in part be-
cause the district has qualified
to host international students
under the J-1 visa program,
Witty said.
Under that designation, the
state would pay the district
the same annual rate — about
$8,700 — that the district re-
ceives for local students.
“This generates revenue for
Jamie Barton, the vice prin-
cipal at Brooklyn and South
Baker schools, will work half-
time as vice principal and
marketing director for the In-
ternational School.
McDowell and Jason Todd
will serve as support staff, a
total of 0.15 FTE.
Witty said the Baker School
District has talked with offi-
cials from multiple European
countries, including Ger-
International School staffing many, Austria, France, Spain
Lindsey McDowell, public and the United Kingdom, as
information and communi-
well as Thailand, Cambodia
cations coordinator for the
and China.
Baker School District, said
The goal is to expand the
the International School will program to South America
have four employees, three of and other parts of the world,
whom will work half-time or he said.
less for the program.
In the shorter term, Witty
All are current district em- said three officials from a
ployees.
school on the Isle of Jersey,
Witty, who is retiring as
part of the United Kingdom
superintendent, will serve as
and the largest island in the
executive director, at 0.3 full- English Channel between En-
time equivalent.
gland and France, are sched-
Thomas Joseph, the current uled to visit Baker City from
principal for the Eagle Cap
April 25-28 and to sign an
Innovative High School, an al- agreement for student and
ternative program in the dis- staff exchanges later this year.
trict, will be the sole full-time
He said the plan is to have
employee, serving as principal 10 Baker students spent four
and instructor. The district is weeks on the island in Sep-
recruiting his replacement at tember, while 10 Jersey stu-
Eagle Cap.
dents visit Baker City.
sure,” Witty said.
He said only about six school
districts across the country
have qualified for that J-1 visa.
The International School
also has a contract in Taiwan
to offer online classes, with
dual high school and college
credits, for students there. The
projected budget forecasts net
revenue of $46,000 from that
contract the first year.