MAY 11–18, 2022
WWW.GOEASTERNOREGON.COM
Two aft ernoons of
music
Bev Standish/Contributed photo
Camerata PYP, Portland Youth Philharmonic’s
chamber orchestra, and Portland Piano International
Rising Star Llewellyn Sanchez-Werner will perform
May 15, 3 p.m., at Vert Auditorium in Pendleton.
page 8
Visit
Quilt
show
Explore
Arts
Festival
Listen
Chautauqua
Music Fest
PAGE 3
PAGE 4
PAGE 15
INSIDE
SPORTS A6
Go! Magazine
Enjoy a pair of concerts in Go!
Baker boys, girls golf teams qualify for state
“The food is fresh, locally sourced and unbelievably delicious.
Their IPAs are distinct and clearly not copy-cats of each other or
anyone else making NW IPAs.” - Yelp Review, Bend. Oregon
1219 Washington Ave • La Grande, OR 97850
www.sideabeer.com
IN THIS EDITION: LOCAL • BUSINESS & AG LIFE • SPORTS
Serving Baker County since 1870 • bakercityherald.com
Sheriff
concerned
about
‘chronic’
attacks by
wolves
QUICK HITS
—————
Good Day Wish
To A Subscriber
A special good day to
Herald subscriber Wilma
Suitter of Baker City.
BRIEFING
—————
Baker County Garden
Club meets May 18 at
Eagle Cap Nursery
The Baker County Garden
Club will meet on Wednes-
day, May 18, at 10:30 a.m.
at the Eagle Cap Nursery,
45328 Mother Lode Road
in the Keating Valley. Those
who want to carpool should
meet at 9:30 a.m. at the
Baker County Library, 2400
Resort St. Please bring a
sack lunch. New members
are always welcome.
Bigfoot town hall
scheduled for May 19
at Ison House
Squatch America, an
organization created by
Scot and Hannah Violette of
Baker City, is hosting a Big-
foot Town Hall meeting on
Thursday, May 19, at 7 p.m.
at The Ison House Bed and
Brew, 1790 Washington
Ave. in Baker City. The com-
munity is invited to attend
and share stories about
experiences with Bigfoot.
Attendance is free.
Learn more about
Squatch America on Face-
book.
WEATHER
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Today
55/33
Mostly cloudy
THURSDAY, MAY 12, 2022 • $1.50
BY JAYSON JACOBY
jjacoby@bakercityherald.com
lead to deaths because firefighters
in some situations might lack the
support crew they need to enter a
burning building.
People also gathered outside City
Hall prior to the meeting, some car-
rying signs with slogans such as
“Keep our firefighters and ambu-
lance services” and “Firefighters/
EMTs we need them.”
After Tuesday’s meeting, Coun-
cilor Shane Alderson said his goal is
to continue having the city fire de-
partment operate ambulances for
the next fiscal year. That could give
city and county officials time to pre-
pare a proposal to take to voters for
an ambulance district that includes
a new property tax levy to boost the
revenue for ambulance services both
inside the city and in the rest of the
Baker Ambulance Service Area.
That plan could go on the May
2023 ballot.
“I want to try for a year because
I’m really excited about getting a dis-
trict put together,” Alderson said. “I
think that will alleviate the burden
on both the city and the county and
provide an incredible opportunity
for better fire and EMS protection.”
Baker County Sheriff Travis Ash sees
a troubling trend with wolves attacking
cattle east of Baker County.
And although Ash’s duties don’t in-
clude managing wolves or other wild-
life, he hopes the agency that is respon-
sible will work with ranchers to curb
the recent series of attacks, potentially
including killing some wolves or autho-
rizing ranchers to do so.
The agency in charge of such matters
is the Oregon Department of Fish and
Wildlife (ODFW).
Agency biologists have determined in
the past week that wolves from the Cor-
nucopia pack had killed
one calf and injured two
others north of Rich-
land, and that wolves
from the Keating pack
injured a calf in the
Skinner Road area of
the Keating Valley.
The calf that died
Ash
was likely attacked on
May 4, according to an ODFW report.
The calf weighed about 225 pounds.
The two calves in the Richland area
that survived were injured about two
weeks before the May 5 investigation.
One calf weighs about 75 pounds, the
other about 100 pounds.
The other injured calf, in the Keating
Valley about 15 miles west of Richland,
was found by its owner while moving
cattle in a 1,000-acre public land graz-
ing allotment on the morning of May 7.
According to an ODFW report that
confirmed wolves were responsible,
the calf, which was six weeks old and
weighed about 125 pounds, was injured
about two weeks earlier.
More recently, the Sheriff’s Office re-
ceived a report at 9:45 a.m. on Monday,
May 9, of another possible wolf depreda-
tion north of Richland.
See, Council/Page A2
See, Wolves/Page A3
Samantha O’Conner/Baker City Herald
A standing room only crowd attended the Baker City Council’s meeting on Tuesday, May 10, 2022.
Council will respond to
county’s ambulance service
request for proposals
The City Council set the Sept. 30
deadline in a notice it sent to Baker
County commissioners on March 22.
City Manager Jonathan Cannon
he Baker City Council has
has told councilors that he doesn’t
not precluded the possibil-
believe the city can afford to con-
ity of having the city fire de- tinue operating ambulances because
partment continue to operate ambu- the city isn’t collecting enough in
revenue from ambulance runs com-
lances beyond Sept. 30, 2022.
pared to the cost of the service.
After hearing from 18 residents
If the city ends its ambulance ser-
who implored the city to keep its
vice, it would lose an estimated $1
current fire department staffing,
million in annual ambulance reve-
councilors voted 7-0 on Tuesday
nue. The city’s budget for the fiscal
night, May 10, to send a response to year that starts July 1, which the bud-
Baker County’s request for proposals get board approved May 3 but which
for providing ambulance services in the City Council, which has the final
the Baker Ambulance Service Area, say, has not adopted, assumes that
which includes Baker City and about ambulance service will end Sept. 30.
The loss of ambulance revenue
two-thirds of the rest of the county.
would prompt the city to lay off six
The county, which is responsible
firefighter/paramedics. The fire de-
under Oregon law for choosing an
ambulance provider, has set a June 3 partment is budgeted for the current
fiscal year for 16.25 full time equiva-
deadline for responses.
County commissioners approved lent positions, although two of the po-
sitions for the 12 firefighter/paramed-
the request for proposals as a key
part of their preparation for finding ics who work 24-hour shifts are vacant.
All of those in the standing room
a new ambulance provider were the
only audience who spoke to coun-
city to end its service Sept. 30.
cilors during Tuesday’s meeting ob-
Councilors also agreed to sched-
jected to the proposed layoffs. Many
ule a work session for 8:30 p.m. on
said they believe the cuts would re-
Wednesday, May 11, to discuss the
response they will send to the county. duce public safety and potentially
BY SAMANTHA O’CONNER
AND JAYSON JACOBY
Baker City Herald
T
Friday
57/42
Partly sunny
Full forecast on the back
of the B section.
The space below is for a postage label
for issues that are mailed.
Baker Farmers Market has new spot, day
location within the park —
instead, vendors will chose
where they’d like to set up.
Hettum said booths will
move each week to preserve
the grass.
BY LISA BRITTON
lbritton@bakercityherald.com
The Baker City Farmers
Market opens June 2 at a new
location and on a different day
of the week.
The time is slightly differ-
ent, as well.
The market is moving to
Central Park — directly east of
Resort Street from its previous
location at Court Plaza.
The event will take place
Thursdays from 4 p.m. to
7 p.m.
Last year the market was on
Wednesdays.
One reason for the location
change, said Jen Hettum, a
member of the farmers market
board of directors, is the road
construction planned on Main
Street that would close down
the market for several weeks
this summer.
That work involves upgrad-
ing more than 300 curb ramps
to be accessible to people who
use wheelchairs. The Oregon
Department of Transporta-
tion is in charge of the project,
which will involve Campbell,
Main, Broadway, Dewey and
Elm streets.
Central Park can be ac-
cessed from Resort Street, as
well as along the Leo Adler
Parkway (access points are
TODAY
Issue 1
30 pages
Vendors
Hettum said several ven-
dors have already committed
to this market season. These
include Aichele’s Farms, Celtic
Cauldron, A Time for Art,
My Roots Farm, Hedge Rose
Farms, Granny Made It, Clear
Creek Beef, Delicioso and a
fairy garden vendor.
More vendors are welcome
— cost is $20 per market or
$340 for the season, which
runs June 2 through Oct. 13.
Each vendor also pays a $15
membership fee.
Community members are
Travel Baker County/Contributed Photo also welcome to buy a mem-
Vendors at the Baker City Farmers Market will set up their booths
bership.
“Anyone can do that to sup-
at Central Park this year, moving from the Court Plaza. The market
port the market,” Hettum said.
opens for the season on June 2, 2022.
Other vendor options are
off Washington and Valley
“Come down, get a tamale, available to youth and com-
avenues).
listen to music and sit in the
munity groups. For informa-
“Walk down the path and grass,” she said.
tion, send an email to baker-
come to the market,” Hettum
As for the time adjustment, cityfarmersmarketor@gmail.
Hettum said shifting the hours com.
said.
a bit later will help hit the din-
She said the new location
For details, visit the website
will hopefully encourage mar- ner hour and cooler evening
www.bakercityfarmersmarket.
ket shoppers to stick around a temperatures.
com/vendors.
There will not be a specific
bit longer.
Interested vendors can also
Business ....................B1-B3
Classified ....................B4-B6
Comics ..............................B7
Community News.............A2
Crossword ...............B3 & B6
Dear Abby .........................B8
Horoscope ..............B4 & B6
Lottery Results .................A2
News of Record ................A2
Opinion .............................A4
Senior Menus ...................A2
Sports ...............................A6
contact the market through
the website, Facebook or Ins-
tagram.
“Reach out to use on any of
those platforms,” Hettum said.
She said the board is also
seeking a market manager
— find information about
the position on the Facebook
page or www.bakercityfarm-
ersmarket.com.
Musicians needed
The Farmers Market board
is seeking musicians who
would like to play at markets
this season. Pay is $50 per
market.
“We want to showcase lo-
cals,” Hettum said.
Musicians can inquire by
sending an email to bakercity-
farmersmarketor@gmail.com
or sending a message through
the Facebook page.
Double Up Food Bucks
The Baker City Farmers
Market will again participate
in the Double Up Food Bucks
program, which matches
— up to $20 — the SNAP
benefit for fresh fruit and
vegetables (SNAP stands for
Supplemental Nutrition As-
sistance Program).
Learn more at doubleupore-
gon.org.
Sudoku..............................B7
Turning Backs ..................A2
Weather ............................B8