BAKER CITY HERALD • SATURDAY, MAY 21, 2022 A3
LOCAL & STATE
Oregon primaries set up competitive governor’s race
Democrat Tina Kotek will face
Republican Christina Drazan and
nonaffiliated candidate Betsy Johnson
While Oregon
Julius L. Meier from
hasn’t seen a GOP
1931 to 1935.
governor in 35 years,
“The biggest
political experts say
change Oregon can
Republicans have an
make this year is put-
BY SARA CLINE
“This will be a three-way
opening amid wide-
ting the people back
in charge with an in-
Associated Press/Report for America race for the highest office in our spread discontent in
PORTLAND — Guber-
state. And this will be an elec-
the state and a possi-
dependent governor
Johnson
Drazan
Kotek
natorial elections in Oregon
tion unlike any of us have ever ble split in votes be-
loyal only to Orego-
usually result in victories for
seen,” Kotek said in her victory tween Kotek, a progressive,
bernatorial candidate collects nians, not the political ex-
the Democrats, but this No-
speech Tuesday night.
and Johnson, a former Demo- nonaffiliated votes and sup-
tremes,” Johnson tweeted.
vember’s contest is setting up
Drazan, the former state
cratic state senator.
port from undecided Dem-
The former lawmaker,
to be a competitive and con-
House Minority Leader, won
“I think this is the best shot ocrats and Republicans will
whose time in the Legislature
tentious three-way race.
the GOP gubernatorial pri-
they’ve had in quite a few
play a major factor in the No- overlapped with Kotek’s, de-
Former Oregon House
mary, maintaining a lead over
years,” Christopher McKnight vember election.
scribed the Democratic gu-
Speaker Tina Kotek won the
former Oregon Republican
Nichols, an associate profes-
“For Johnson to win she’s
bernatorial nominee as “more
Democratic nomination for
Party Chair Bob Tiernan as
sor of history at Oregon State going to need to get Inde-
Kate Brown than Kate Brown”
Oregon governor Tuesday,
more ballots were counted
University, said of the GOP
pendents, Republicans and
— a common comparison by
May 17. She will face Re-
Wednesday, May 18.
party’s chances in November. people who weren’t the low
opponents of Kotek, in hopes
publican nominee Christine
Drazan said Tiernan called
In the blue Pacific North-
turnout Democrat voters in
of associating her with the
Drazan as well as nonaffili-
her Wednesday afternoon and west state, Republican vot-
the primaries — so sort of
current governor’s historically
ated candidate Betsy Johnson conceded, which was con-
ers account for about 25%
lukewarm or not as observant low approval ratings.
in the fall. As a nonaffiliated
firmed by his campaign.
of the state’s total number of
regular voting Democrats,”
Kotek, who wielded the
Incumbent Gov. Kate
candidate, Johnson did not
registered voters. Democrats Nichols said.
House speaker’s gavel for
need to run in a primary race Brown, a Democrat, can’t run and nonaffiliated voters each
The only nonaffiliated gov- a record nine years as the
again due to term limits.
to make the fall ballot.
amount to 34%. Which gu-
ernor in Oregon’s history was Democratic Party increased
its power and pushed ambi-
tious progressive agendas, has
called Johnson a conservative.
The Portland-based Kotek,
beat her biggest Democratic
challenger — Oregon State
Treasurer Tobias Read — by a
comfortable margin Tuesday
night. But as someone who
held power during a tumul-
tuous time in Oregon, Kotek
must convince voters she can
improve the state while avoid-
ing blame for its problems.
“I think it’s important to
remember that all the Dem-
ocrats in this race share a
similar vision for what we
want the state to be,” Kotek
said in her victory speech.
“We’re all going to work to-
gether to make sure we win.
That a Democrat — that I
win in November, because
frankly there is just too much
at stake.”
Lisa Britton/Baker City Herald
Noah Erickson, a silviculture technician for the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest, explains how to plant a ponderosa pine seedling to science
students from Baker High School during a field trip on May 18, 2022.
Planting
“This is the toughest place we plant. It’s dry, it’s
windy, it’s cold.”
finished the day tired with
scratched skin and dirty
Continued from Page A1
clothes, each dirt-smudged face
had a smile.
— Bill Mitchell, U.S. Forest Service
But first came the vo-
“I enjoy this,” said Jaylyn
cabulary lesson as Mitchell
Baird.
quizzed the kids for the words lush green of grass, lupine and any with all the classes,” she
“It feels more rewarding,”
that describe a fire that de-
arnica.
Lisa Britton/Baker City Herald
added Joy Murphy.
said.
stroys everything.
This summer will mark
Jordynn Scholl points to the next location and Cierra Lafferty makes
And the Forest Service,
In addition to planting trees,
After a hint, one student
seven years since the wild-
Mitchell told the group, appre- sure the seedling is secure in the ground at Dooley Mountain on
the students hunted for mo-
called it out: “Stand replace-
fire burned this portion of the rel mushrooms — in fact, the ciates the help.
May 18, 2022.
ment.”
Wallowa-Whitman National
“You guys did a solid job,”
planting took a bit longer be-
“Is there a seed source left to Forest.
he said. “That’s a tough place
cause the prized fungi kept
rebuild this forest?” Mitchell
“We’ve planted about 2.5
to plant trees — the toughest
distracting their attention.
asked, sweeping an arm across million trees since the burn,”
we have.”
And even though they
the landscape littered with
Erickson said.
fallen logs and skeletons of
The survival rate, he said,
standing trees.
can vary from 15% to 50%
“There is not.”
depending on weather condi-
The source on this day is the tions.
students, who planted 750 pon-
“It depends on the year,” he
derosa pine seedlings.
said. “Ponderosa has the high-
Program for
“Your goal is 20 trees each
est success.”
3
and
4 year olds
Saturday, May 28, 2022 • 11am-2pm
today,” Mitchell said.
Crews contracted with the
Sept. - May• Mon. - Thurs., 8-11
He and Erickson demon-
Forest Service have planted
at Catherine Creek Community Center
strated how to dig a hole, ei-
western larch, ponderosa pine,
(Old Methodist Church) on Main St., Union.
Call: 541-523-4812
ther with a shovel or a hoedad Douglas-fir and western white
Please join us for a light lunch.
— a tool with a long, flat blade, pine.
Email: st-stephens@qwestoffice.net
Bring
your stories and memories.
rather like a large-scale tongue
This is Erickson’s fifth year
For questions, call Tanya Collier at 541-398-1952.
depressor — that was big
with the Wallowa-Whitman.
http://www.bakerststephens.
*Wasteland Kings will be performing following the
enough for the tree’s roots.
He never saw this area covered
Celebration at the Community Center.
org/preschool.html
Location matters too — the in tall, green trees — but he
*Union High School Alumni Breakfast will be Sunday morning
has seen it coming back to life.
students were instructed to
“I’ve only see Dooley like
plant by the “microsite” tech-
nique, which means finding a this,” he said. “I’ve seen the
growth.”
place, such as beside a fallen
Nancee C. Heath
log, where the seedling would
March 2, 1941 - May 12, 2022
be protected from the ele-
Picking as well as planting
ments.
This tree-planting excursion
Nancee Heath, 81, of Baker
“This is the toughest place
brought out students from sev-
City, died at her home Thursday,
we plant,” Mitchell said. “It’s
eral different classes: general
May 12, 2022, with her family at
dry, it’s windy, it’s cold.”
science 2, advanced biology,
her side. She will be laid to rest
Then it was time to load up advanced ecology, natural re-
next to her father at Mount Shasta
the bags with seedlings, each
sources and wilderness readi-
Cemetery.
first dipped in a bucket of wa- ness survival.
Nancee C. Heath was born
Senior at Baker
ter to give it a good start on
Nicole Sullivan, who teaches
March 2, 1941, in Mount Shasta,
growing.
science at BHS, planned the
High School
California, to James and Zelfter
In pairs or trios, the students field trip to wrap up a unit on
(Carleton) Love. She met her first
hiked uphill, picking their way the plant kingdom.
husband, William L. Garriott Jr., at Mount Shasta High
through charred logs and the
“And we’ve been doing bot-
School. They married and had two children, William
L. Garriott and Micheal James Garriott. They later
divorced.
She married Carl L. Heath, “by the hanging judge”
in Caron City, Nevada. They moved to Baker City in
1993, where she loved living In the “Bubble of Baker
City.” She was a member of Local VFW and Eagles
Club.
Baker City Kiwanis
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Nancee wanted to be remembered as being happy.
She loved to travel and explore new areas. One of her
greatest joys was being in her yard with her flowers.
Her favorite season was winter, she had her own special
word for snow. In her later years one of her saying was
“if I can get one foot on the floor and hope that the other
one follows.”
She had a great love of animals; she was the caretaker
of 13 cats. Any cat the came over the fence and needed a
home knew that Nancee would take care of them.
Senior at Baker
She was preceded in death by her parents and her
High School
brothers, James and Steve Love.
Nancee is survived by her husband, Carl Heath;
her brothers, Carl and Paul Love; her sons, William
(Deana) and Micheal (Mary).; 5 grandchildren and 2
great-grandchildren.
She will be dearly missed.
Online condolences may be shared at www.
tamispinevalleyfuneralhome.com.
St. Stephen’s Preschool
Registration for 2022-23
KIWANIS STUDENT
OF THE MONTH
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Grove
M
A
Y
Emrie
Osborn
Celebration of
Lives for
Dwight & Donna Brooks