A2 BAKER CITY HERALD • SATURDAY, JUNE 4, 2022
Local
TURNING BACK THE PAGES
50 YEARS AGO
from the Democrat-Herald
June 4, 1972
PORTLAND (UPI) — The wilderness is getting so
crowded the U.S. Forest Service has announced plans to
require permits for entry into the 14 wilderness areas of
Oregon and Washington.
25 YEARS AGO
from the Baker City Herald
June 4, 1997
The Oregon Trail Interpretive Center will begin collecting
fees on June 18, said Dave Hunsaker, center director.
The center was scheduled to begin charging fees
June 1, but that plan was delayed because the fee booth
was not fi nished.
Three Arbor Day posters to be displayed
Baker City Herald
Baker City announced the
winners in its Arbor Day
First place winner
poster contest on Thursday,
in Baker City’s
June 2.
Arbor Day poster
First place went to Joshua
contest was
Bradford, a sixth grader at
drawn by Joshua
Haines Elementary School.
Bradford, a sixth
Tabitha Bradford, a fourth
grader at Haines
grader at Haines, placed second. Elementary School.
And Finley Ellis, a homes-
chooled first grader, won the
third place award.
All the winning posters
will be displayed at Ryder
Brothers, 1735 Main St.
10 YEARS AGO
from the Baker City Herald
June 4, 2012
Baker Bulldog Memorial Stadium’s bleachers were
tightly packed on Sunday’s cloudy but warm afternoon to
see off the 110 graduates of the Class of 2012.
“Never been so excited in my life,” said graduate
Nathan Payton.
“I’m fi nally here,” said graduate Erin Brandon.
Jeremy Baxter, ASB president, welcomed all to this
year’s graduation ceremony.
Tabitha Bradford, a fourth grader at Haines Elementary School, was the second
place winner in Baker City’s Arbor Day poster contest.
ONE YEAR AGO
from the Baker City Herald
June 5, 2021
Spencer Shirtcliff lost his senior prom and his
graduation ceremony and his fi nal high school baseball
season to COVID-19, but he concedes things might have
turned out even worse.
He could have been his brother.
Spencer, 19, glances at Payton, who’s 18 months
younger and, more important in this case, one year behind
at Baker High School.
Although Spencer laments the larceny that the virus
committed on the last term of his senior year, in the spring
of 2020, he has greater sympathy for Payton and the BHS
Class of 2021.
“I felt really bad for you,” Spencer said to Payton on
the warm, breezy evening of Monday, May 31 in the shady
backyard of the Shirtcliff family’s Baker City home, fi ve
days before Payton’s 18th birthday and six days before he
was set to receive his diploma.
“We had some normal for our senior year,” Spencer
said to Payton. “You had none.”
Payton considers this.
And although he acknowledges that his brother has
a point, Payton also feels that, comparatively speaking,
he fared better than some of the younger students at
Baker High.
Payton points out that when his senior year started in
September 2020, BHS students “attended” their classes
online only.
(BHS students returned to school for one day per week
on Nov. 9, 2020, and for two days per week on Jan. 25,
2021. They have had a regular four-day weekly schedule
since April 12.)
“I can’t imagine going into your freshman year on a
computer,” Payton said. “I feel bad for them.”
The brothers gathered with their parents, Beth and
Matt Shirtcliff, to reminisce about the most unusual
15-month period their family — and most families —
have experienced.
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SENIOR MENUS
MONDAY (June 6): Chicken fried chicken, mashed potatoes
with gravy, corn, rolls, green salad, ice cream
TUESDAY (June 7): Beef burgundy over fettuccine noodles,
broccoli, rolls, green salad, fruit cup
WEDNESDAY (June 8): Chicken cordon bleu with hollandaise,
rice pilaf, green beans, Jell-O with fruit, cake
THURSDAY (June 9): Salisbury steak, mashed potatoes with
gravy, mixed vegetables, rolls, three-bean salad, pudding
FRIDAY (June 10): Clam chowder, Caesar salad, rolls,
apple crisp
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
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Open Monday through Friday
8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Telephone: 541-523-3673
ISSN-8756-6419
Serving Baker County since 1870
Publisher
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Copyright © 2022
Finley Ellis, a first grader
who is homeschooled,
drew the third-place poster
in Baker City’s Arbor Day
poster contest.
Container
proximity of Lethlean’s property to the
city’s Central Park, which is the new site
Continued from Page A1
for the Baker City Farmers Market, and
the city’s downtown district.
They approved Lethlean’s application.
Russell cited the “homeowner/City fi-
According to the city’s development
nancial impact and/or improper zoning
code, Type I decisions involve “clear and
practice Baker City allowing this Junkyard.”
objective approval criteria, and applying
Lethlean, who declined to comment,
City standards and criteria requires limited
noted that he had gone through the re-
quired process, submitting an applica-
discretion.” In such cases, planning depart-
tion and receiving approval from the
ment officials can approve the application
planning department to place the ship-
without public notice or a public hearing.
ping container.
The Type II procedure, which Russell
According to Kerns, “When an acces-
contends the department should have
Ian Crawford/Baker City Herald sory building is less than 20 feet tall and
used with Lethlean’s application, also
less than 1,200 square feet, or less than
A shipping container placed in the front
allows a planning department official
1.5 times the size of the primary struc-
to make a decision, but the department
yard at 1620 Valley Ave. in Baker City has
sends a public notice to nearby residents prompted complaints from a neighbor about ture, whichever is greater — these struc-
tures are permitted through a Type I
prior to approving or rejecting the ap-
the city’s development code.
decision. No accessory structure or com-
plication. In addition, Type II decisions
binations of such structures shall have
Holly Kerns, the city/county planning
can be appealed to the city planning
a footprint any larger than 1.5 times the
commission, which is not an option with director, refuted that contention in a
primary structure.”
Sept. 7, 2021, email to Russell.
Type I decisions.
Based on those criteria, the owner of
Kerns wrote, in part: “In Mr. Lethlean’s
In an email in August 2021, Eva Henes,
a residential parcel similar to Lethlean’s
case, many of the staff here have spoken
a senior planner, suggested that Russell
could place multiple shipping containers
bring his concerns about the development with him in the past at the department.
While I understand the concern, the deci- through the Type I process.
code to the city planning commission.
Russell and a couple of his neighbors
sion for Mr. Lethlean’s property was based
Russell wrote a series of emails to the
have also suggested that the city at least re-
planning department in August and Sep- solely on the application meeting the cri-
teria included in the Development Code, quire Lethlean to place the shipping con-
tember 2021.
tainer at the back of his property rather
and no other factors were involved.”
In an Aug. 26, 2021, email, Russell
than in the front.
Russell again cited the shipping con-
wrote: “Frankly, it’s dishearteningly to wit-
He noted that planning department
tainer in emails to the city on March 9 and
ness Baker City considering yet allowing
officials suggested last year that he file
May 14 of this year.
this historic (downtown) gateway neigh-
In the March 9 email he included photos a complaint with the Baker City Police
borhood to diminish like it is. Many fam-
of Lethlean’s property, writing: “I thought Department if he believes Lethlean, who
ilies use Valley as their daily walk and/or
also has trailers, machinery and other
commute downtown. Unfortunately, Val- you might like to see an update result-
ley Ave. is looking pretty poorly these days. ing from your poor judgment in allowing items on his property, is violating the
... broken weeded sidewalks, unkept rent- (Lethlean) to drop a 40 (foot) ocean ship- city’s property maintenance ordinance.
Russell considers that idea “passing the
ping container one block from historic
als, and now Port of Long Beach out my
front porch. Not what I envisioned when I downtown. This IS NOT beautifying our buck.”
“Baker City should do what they
neighborhood. The reason for a Type II
bought my property.”
Russell also claimed that Lethlean, who approval process. Since you allowed him to should have done in the first place —
skirt your Type II approval process he has perform a Type II approval process,”
is a former city employee, had “bragged”
polluted what was once a nice open build- Russell said. “Type II also includes eco-
about his relationship with the city, and
cited it as a reason his application was han- ing lot — and turned it into a junk yard!” nomic and environmental assessments
and a forum for debate.”
In the May 14 email, Russell cited the
dled as a Type I decision.
News of Record
DEATHS
Donna Terrell: 91, of Baker County, died
June 2, 2022, at her daughter’s home in
Keating. Her graveside service will be
Thursday, June 9 at 1 p.m. at the Eagle
Valley Cemetery in Richland. A reception
will immediately follow at the Eagle
Valley Grange. Arrangements are under
the direction of Tami’s Pine Valley Funeral
Home & Cremation Services. Online
condolences can be shared at www.
tamispinevalleyfuneralhome.com.
FUNERALS PENDING
Charles Richard ‘Dick’ Kirby:
Celebration of life will take place
Wednesday, June 8 at 1 p.m. at the Baker
City Christian Church, 675 Highway 7,
with a reception following. Pastor Jesse
Whitford will officiate. A private family
urn burial will follow the reception
at Mount Hope Cemetery. Memorial
contributions can be made to the
Shriner’s Hospital for Children through
Gray’s West & Co. Pioneer Chapel, 1500
Dewey Ave. To light a candle in Dick’s
honor, or to offer online condolences to
his family, go to www.grayswestco.com.
Carol Bouchard: Graveside military
service will be Friday, June 10 at 3 p.m.
at the North Powder Cemetery. A
celebration Carol’s life will follow at
4 p.m. at the Wolf Creek Grange in North
Powder. For those who would like to
make a donation in memory of Carol,
they may do so a charity of their choice
through Tami’s Pine Valley Funeral
Home & Cremation Services, P.O. Box
543, Halfway, Oregon 97834. Online
condolences can be shared at www.
tamispinevalleyfuneralhome.com.
Bob Pollock: A celebration of Bob’s
life will take place Saturday, June 11 at
11 a.m. at the Pine Valley Fairgrounds in
Halfway. Please come and join us as we
share good food and stories. For those
who would like to make a donation in
memory of Bob, they may do so a charity
of their choice through Tami’s Pine Valley
Funeral Home & Cremation Services, P.O.
Box 543, Halfway, Oregon 97834. Online
condolences can be shared at www.
tamispinevalleyfuneralhome.com.
William Jackson: A celebration of
William’s life will take place Saturday,
June 11 at 2 p.m. at the Halfway
Lions Hall. Donations to Community
Connection in his honor would be
greatly appreciated, and can be made
hrough Tami’s Pine Valley Funeral
Home & Cremation Services, P.O. Box
543, Halfway, Oregon 97834. Online
condolences can be shared at www.
tamispinevalleyfuneralhome.com.
Samuel F. Orr: Celebration of life, June
18 at 1 p.m. at the Haines city park.
David G. Cherry: Graveside service
will be Friday, June 17 at 2 p.m. at
Mount Hope Cemetery. Bill Rompa will
officiate the service. To leave an online
condolence for David’s family, go to
www.grayswestco.com.
POLICE LOG
Baker City Police
Arrests, citations
HARASSMENT (Baker County Justice
Court warrant): Alicia Dawn Hills, 40,
Baker City, 11:05 a.m. Thursday, June 2
in the 3300 block of Cedar Street; cited
and released.
Baker County Sheriff’s Office
Arrests, citations
PROBATION VIOLATION: Kenny Lee
Hellman, 53, Baker City, 9:54 a.m.
Thursday, June 2 at the Sheriff’s
Office; jailed.
CONTEMPT OF COURT (Baker County
Justice Court warrant): Jason Richard
Harris, 49, Baker City, 12:54 p.m.
Wednesday, June 1 at the Baker County
Jail, where he was in custody on other
charges.
CONTEMPT OF COURT (Baker County
Justice Court warrant): Andrew Jay
Culley, 33, Baker City, 12:38 p.m.
Wednesday, June 1 at the Baker County
Jail, where he was in custody on
other charges.
Oregon State Police
Arrests, citations
DRIVING WHILE SUSPENDED: Jason W.
Surratt, 46, Lyons, Oregon, 6:05 p.m.
Thursday, June 2 on Interstate 84,
Milepost 306 eastbound; cited and
released.
IDAHO FUGITIVE WARRANT: Darren
Glenn Yeater, 32, 1:40 p.m. Wednesday,
June 1 in Baker County; jailed. Yeater had
outstanding arrest warrants from Ada
County, Idaho, on a charge of possession,
introduction or removal of certain items
into or from correctional facilities, and
from Benton County, Washington, on
charges of failure to appear and second-
degree escape.
Accident report
Interstate 84, Milepost 332 eastbound,
2:58 p.m. Thursday, June 2. A commercial
truck lost control on a curve and landed
on the driver’s side against the center
barrier, blocking the fast lane. The driver,
Richard Simon, 57, of Hominy, Oklahoma,
and the lone passenger, Lisa Simon, 49,
of Hominy, were taken by ambulance to
Saint Alphonsus Medical Center-Baker
City with minor injuries. Richard Simon
was in good condition at the hospital on
Friday morning, June 3, and Lisa Simon
had been treated and released.
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