LOCAL/SPORTS
BAKER CITY HERALD • TUESDAY, MAY 24, 2022 A3
BAKER AT STATE TRACK AND FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS
Bulldog girls take 7th at state track meet
Baker City Herald
EUGENE — The Baker girls
finished seventh in the team
standings at the Class 4A state
track and field championships
at Hayward Field in Eugene last
weekend.
Emma Baeth won the 1,500,
setting a school record in the
process, and she finished second
in the 800 to lead the Bulldogs
to a team total of 34.5 points in
the two-day event, Friday, May
20, and Saturday, May 21.
Baeth also ran the anchor leg
for Baker’s 4x400 relay team,
which placed third. The other
runners in the relay are Anna
Belding, Brooklyn Jaca and
Emma Timm.
Jozie Ramos placed fourth
in the high jump, and Jaca was
fifth.
Ryann Paulsen was eighth in
the javelin.
On the boys side, Baker
scored four points.
“It was very exciting to
be back at the state meet in
Eugene,” Baker coach Suzy
Cole said.
In 2019 the state meet took
place at Mount Hood Com-
munity College while Hay-
ward Field was being reno-
vated.
The 2020 meet was canceled
due to the pandemic, and the
2021 meet was in Florence.
“It was nice for the seniors
to finally have a chance to
compete at Hayward because
it is such a nice facility,” Cole
said. “It felt like starting over
because no one has ever been
to an event like it is run at
Hayward. It was an exciting
meet watching Emma cap off
her senior year while watch-
ing our underclassmen get the
state track bug.”
The world track and field
championships will take place
at the venue this July.
Champion
Continued from Page A1
With about 500 meters left, Sophia
Stubblefield of Phoenix started her kick
— speeding up to try to outrace the rest
of the field.
Baeth stayed with Stubblefield.
With 200 meters or so left she started
her own kick.
With 150 meters left she was pulling
ahead.
As she raced down the homestretch,
Baeth’s surprise at what she had already
done began to be mixed with elation
about what she was about to do.
“Oh my gosh, I just won state,” she
said.
Baeth had completely forgotten about
Jordan’s school record.
But then she saw the numbers on the
clock.
4:45.56.
And then Baker coach Suzy Cole was
there, congratulating Baeth and saying
that she might have just broken the re-
cord.
Neither could remember, in the excite-
ment of the moment, the final two digits
on Jordan’s time.
But when they checked the figures
they realized that Baeth had nipped the
record by slightly more than one quarter
of a second.
“Emma absolutely ran the perfect race,”
said Cole, who pointed out that Baeth’s
time would also have earned her the
state championship at the Class 5A meet.
“Super gratifying not only to be a state
champion but it also highlighted her
ability to overcome the disruptions with
COVID interrupting two of her seasons,”
Cole said.
Ambulance
Continued from Page A1
The March 22 notice
prompted county commission-
ers to release the RFP, with a
goal of finding a replacement
ambulance service if the city
follows through on the Sept. 30
timeline.
On May 10, after hearing
from 18 residents who criti-
cized the March 22 notice and
urged the City Council to con-
tinue the ambulance service,
councilors decided to send a
response to the county’s RFP.
Councilors discussed that re-
sponse during a work session
on May 11, and Cannon has
been working on the draft ver-
sion of the response that coun-
cilors will review Tuesday night.
Since the county released its
RFP, a firefighter/paramedic
has submitted a two-week no-
tice that he plans to leave his
position.
That follows the resigna-
tion of another firefighter/
paramedic, Brian Johnson, in
early April. A third position
has been vacant for several
months.
Cannon cited the staff-
ing challenges in his weekly
newsletter, released on Friday,
May 20.
“I expected as we move to-
wards the September 30 end
Girls individual results
• Jozie Ramos, fourth in
the high jump, 12th in the
shot put.
Cole said Ramos “jumped
very well and had good at-
tempts at the 5-foot mark.” Ra-
mos cleared 4 feet, 10 inches.
• Ryann Paulsen, eighth in
the javelin.
Cole said Paulsen injured
her shoulder about two weeks
ago but she managed to nearly
set a personal record with a
throw of 105 feet, 2 inches.
• Sofie Kaaen, a freshman,
placed eighth in the pole vault.
“Sofie had an amazing first
experience at state,” Cole said.
“It is a very intimidating expe-
rience at state, especially in the
pole vault.”
Kaaen cleared eight feet, a
personal record, and nearly
made it over at 8-6.
“I had a first, second and third.
For my last races in a Baker
jersey it was just awesome.”
— Emma Baeth
But after her triumphant 1,500, Baeth’s
high school career wasn’t over.
About 90 minutes later she competed
in the 800-meter finals, an event she had
won at several meets earlier in the season.
Just as in the 1,500, Baeth was in posi-
tion to win.
But in the final 200 yards she said she
got “boxed in” a bit in a group of other
runners and couldn’t reach that extra bit
of speed she needed.
Until the very last stride, though, Baeth
believed she might win again.
“I told myself, ‘Emma, you can get an-
other one.’ ”
It was an eyeblink of a difference.
Jennifer Tsai of Marist Catholic crossed
the line in 2:21.71.
Baeth was just .14 of a second behind,
at 2:21.85.
“I wasn’t upset,” she said. “I was
pretty happy already. It was a really ex-
citing race.”
Baeth said she was happy for Tsai, who
had finished second in the 1,500.
That race wasn’t nearly so close,
though, as Baeth finished slightly more
than 3 seconds ahead of Tsai.
Baeth was also comforted by her per-
formance in the 800. Just as in the 1,500,
she ran her best time ever, coming in un-
der the 2:22 mark for the first time.
It was her best time since her freshman
year.
Baeth said it was especially gratify-
ing to complete her high school career
with personal bests in two races because
date of the ambulance service,
our staffing numbers would
diminish, as staff appropriately
look toward their own future
and seek other employment,”
Cannon wrote. “With fewer
paramedics and EMTs, our
ability to maintain ambulance
coverage will become increas-
ingly difficult.”
Baker City Fire Chief Sean
Lee notified Baker County that
the city fire department might
have to delay responses to fire
and ambulance calls due to a
staffing shortage.
In a Tuesday, May 17, email
to county commissioners and
Jason Yencopal, the county’s
emergency management direc-
tor, Lee wrote that “We are at
the point that we will have to
start staging the calls for ser-
vice that we receive. We will
be able to take the first call for
service, but doubles and/or
triples may have to wait until
the crew can clear the first call.
When we receive fire call and
medical call simultaneously,
we will have to triage the calls
as they come and determine
the greatest threat to life and
property. My hope is that this
will give you an opportunity to
find a provider for the interim
that will be able to maintain
the existing level of service as
is referenced in OAR 333-260-
0070 (d).”
In the weekly newsletter,
Ian Crawford/Baker City Herald
Baker freshman Sofie Kaaen, who won the pole vault event at the district track and field meet May 14,
See, Track/Page A5 2022, at BHS, placed eighth in the event at the state championships in Eugene.
she wondered, not long ago, whether
she would ever match the times she set
years earlier.
Baeth said a deficiency in ferritin, a
protein that affects the concentration of
iron in her blood, plagued her during the
cross-country season in the fall of 2021.
But a change in diet, combined with
medication, corrected the problem in time
for the track season.
“Eating a lot of spinach, which is always
fun,” Baeth said with a chuckle that sug-
gests the leafy green, for all its healthy at-
tributes, isn’t her favorite. “I felt 10 times
better than I did in the fall.”
She also credited the training regimen
that she worked on with Cole.
That included 7-mile runs on Sundays,
an ordeal Baeth said she couldn’t have
managed without music, and in particular
a playlist dominated by Billy Joel.
Baeth said she and Cole share an affin-
ity for Joel, who recorded most of his mu-
sic long before Baeth was born.
In addition to her state championship
in the 1,500 and silver medal in the 800,
Baeth ran the anchor leg for Baker’s 4x400
relay team, which finished third.
“I had a first, second and third,” she
said. “For my last races in a Baker jersey it
was just awesome.”
And the setting couldn’t have been
better.
Baeth said she competed in a middle
school meet at Hayward Field, but that
was before the venue on the University
of Oregon campus underwent a whole-
sale renovation.
“It’s the most iconic track and field sta-
dium in the country,” Baeth said. “It was
just super cool to be there and have the
opportunity to run there. It was kind of
nerve-wracking to run where so many
Olympians have run.”
Cannon wrote that based on
increases in call volumes —
mostly for ambulances rather
than fire calls — the city would
need to hire three additional
firefighters beyond replacing
the three current vacancies.
“The union in 2021 re-
quested that we hire three ad-
ditional firefighters/paramed-
ics,” Cannon wrote. “Budget
constraints did not allow for
this to occur.”
Casey Johnson, president
of the firefighters’ union, said
recently that although he be-
lieves the city would need to
hire more firefighter/para-
medics in the future, he be-
lieves the city could continue
to operate ambulances for
at least the next fiscal year,
which starts July 1, if the city
filled the current vacancies.
In a staff report to coun-
cilors for Tuesday’s meeting,
Cannon wrote that as part of
his draft proposal to the coun-
ty’s RFP, he will recommend
how much the city would need
in financial contributions from
the county during the five-year
contract that the county listed
in the RFP.
County commissioners
have offered to give the city
$150,000 for the next fiscal
year, an increase of $50,000
from the county’s contribution
for the current fiscal year.
Cannon is suggesting that
councilors, after reviewing
his draft proposal Tuesday,
schedule another work ses-
sion to discuss details of the
proposal, and then schedule a
special meeting to approve a
final version of the proposal
to submit to the county by the
June 3 deadline.
If the county chooses the
city fire department to con-
tinue operating ambulances,
and the city and county sign a
contract, the city would need
to start a supplementary bud-
get process, Cannon wrote in
his report to councilors.
The current proposed bud-
get for the upcoming fiscal
year, which the city’s budget
board has approved but which
the City Council has not ad-
opted, is based on the expecta-
tion that the city will cease am-
bulance service and lay off six
firefighter/paramedics.
If the city continues to oper-
ate ambulances, those layoffs
would not happen and the city
would need to replace those
positions in the budget prior to
its adoption.
The deadline to adopt the
budget is June 30, the last day
of the current fiscal year.
Deannie Wirth
March 31, 1936 – May 3, 2022
Celebration of
Lives for
Dwight & Donna Brooks
Saturday, May 28, 2022 • 11am-2pm
at Catherine Creek Community Center
(Old Methodist Church) on Main St., Union.
Please join us for a light lunch.
Bring your stories and memories.
For questions, call Tanya Collier at 541-398-1952.
*Wasteland Kings will be performing following the
Celebration at the Community Center.
*Union High School Alumni Breakfast will be Sunday morning
Deannie Wirth, daughter and eldest child of Elmer
and Emily Burnside, passed away May 3, 2022 at the
age of 86.
Deannie was born in Baker City, Oregon, March 31,
1936. She married Wayne Wirth of Newbridge, Oregon
on June 21, 1957. The couple had 3 children and shared
64 years of marriage together.
She was a wonderful mother, enjoyed camping and
loved to fish.
She is predeceased by her 3 younger siblings,
Patricia, Wayne, and Daryle, and a daughter, Andrea.
Deannie is survived by her husband, Wayne, son
Randal, daughter Rhonda, four grandchildren, and four
great-grandchildren.
A celebration of her life will be held at the clubhouse
in Shenandoah Forest Park in Mead, Washington on
June 21, 2022 at 2:00 p.m. The date was chosen as
it also celebrates Deannie and Wayne’s 65 wedding
anniversary.
ROBERTSONS CELEBRATE 70TH ANNIVERSARY
Daryl and Dulcina
Robertson of Baker City,
longtime Halfway resi-
dents, will celebrate their
70th wedding anniver-
sary on May 24, 2022.
The couple were mar-
ried on May 24, 1952, at
Pendleton.
Contributed Photo
Dulcina and Daryl Robert-
son on their wedding day,
May 24, 1952.
Baker School District/Contributed Photo
Cristina Hyde and her granddaughter Addy. Hyde will be the new
director/principal at the Baker Early Learning Center this fall.
Principal
Continued from Page A1
During her tenure, the
program was named a “pro-
gram of excellence.” She
later joined the Coos Bay
School District to oversee its
Structured Learning Center
for students with emotional
disturbances.
She later worked in spe-
cial education for the Red-
mond and Bend/LaPine
school districts, before mov-
ing to Pullman in 2019.
“I am so excited to join
the Baker Early Learning
Center team,” Hyde said. “It’s
such a special place, and I
look forward to serving both
the staff and young families
in ever creative ways.”
Mark Witty, Baker School
District superintendent, said
Hyde is a “natural collabora-
tor with a strong background
in early childhood education
and behavior supports. We’re
eager to see the Baker Early
Learning Center and all our
community partners who
share the building continue
to thrive with her leadership
and coordination.”
Hyde, whose annual sal-
ary will be $109,797, will re-
place Angela Lattin, who has
taken a job in Pendleton.
Barbara Schimke
November 22, 1935 – May 13, 2022
Barbara Schimke, 86, of Baker
City, died peacefully in hospice
with her two sons, Steve & Doug,
by her side, after only a month
earlier being diagnosed with ALS.
A celebration of life will be held
at a later date.
Barbara was raised in West
Virginia and came West with
her husband Art for his Forest
Service career eventually landing
in Baker in 1970. While working as a counselor at the
early beginnings of Baker County Alcohol & Drugs,
she became very inspired by the 12 step groups which
completely changed her life. She used and organized
these group meetings to help others as she helped
herself.
Barbara was also very actively involved with the
Methodist church, Christian Women’s Club, and
Community Concerts.
She was happily married for 60 years and in her
spare time was a world traveler even celebrating her
45th wedding anniversary on the Concorde. One of
her favorite things to do was go waterskiing which she
learned from her son at the age of 60.
Toward the end of her life as things became harder,
she was on computer zoom meetings helping others
worldwide as she helped herself find peace. She truly
was a treasure and will be lovingly missed by many.
If you wish, donations in Barbara’s memory may
be made to the United Methodist Church of Baker
City through Tami’s Pine Valley Funeral Home &
Cremation Services, PO BOX 543, Halfway, OR
97834. Online condolences can be shared at www.
tamispinevalleyfuneralhome.com.