BAKER CITY HERALD • SATuRDAY, AuguST 20, 2022 A3
LOCAL
“We’ll be camping right
there on the fairgrounds,
so we’re gonna have about
33 military vehicles there
for them to walk around,
talk to our people, look at
the vehicles.”
— Dan McCluskey, convoy
commander
Convoy
Continued from A1
“We’ll be camping right
there on the fairgrounds,
so we’re gonna have about 33
military vehicles there
for them to walk around,
talk to our people, look at
the vehicles.”
All the vehicles are privately
owned by the people partici-
pating in the convoy, who are
all MVPA members.
Founded in 1976, MVPA
is a nonprofit with more than
100 affiliates worldwide “dedi-
cated to providing an interna-
tional organization for military
vehicle enthusiasts, historians,
preservationists and collectors
interested in the acquisition,
restoration, preservation, safe
operation and public educa-
tion of historic military trans-
port,” according to its mission.
McCluskey estimated that
about 30%, and maybe more,
of the participants in this year’s
convoy are military veterans.
When the convoy reaches
Baker City it will be on day
11 of a 15-day, 1,600-mile his-
torical loop taking the convoy
through Idaho, Washington
and Oregon.
Parts of the loop overlap
with a longer, 6,350-mile high-
way the National Parks Service
established in 1924 — the Na-
tional Park-to-Park Highway
— that encompasses all the
national parks in the 11 west-
ern states.
The convoy’s schedule in-
cludes visits to the Lewis and
Clark Trail, Mount Rainier Na-
tional Park, Mount St. Helens,
Mount Hood, Washington’s
Pacific Coast, Oregon Trail
sites, Hells Canyon and other
significant military sites after
leaving Kamiah, Idaho, the
start point, on Aug. 14.
Occasionally, McClusky
said, members from MVPA
affiliations along the route join
in for segments of the journey.
MVPA has affiliate clubs in
Woodland, Washington, and
in Wilsonville.
McClusky said the vehicles
— from World War II, Ko-
rea, Vietnam, Desert Storm
and current eras — can’t travel
faster than 35 miles per hour.
“That’s our max speed,” he
said. “A lot of times it’s a lot less
because we are going up over
hills. These old military vehi-
cles are definitely not doing
60 miles per hour going over
the grades.”
Three units make up the
convoy during travel: the
“heavies,” 1.5- through 5-ton
vehicles, lead the charge,
followed by ¾-ton Dodge
cargo trucks, followed by the
jeep unit.
McCluskey said they travel
anywhere from 85 to 170 miles
per day.
This 1,600-mile trip isn’t
the longest McClusky and the
MVPA have completed. They
traveled the Lincoln military
highway, which spans from
Washington, D.C., to San
Francisco, in 2009, and com-
pleted the Bankhead Route
from D.C. to Seattle in 2015.
They also drove from Seattle to
Plymouth Rock last year.
McCluskey said people usu-
ally show their support when
they see the convoy.
“Along the way, we’ll have
people out at the end of their
driveways, waving flags, waiting
for the convoy to go by,” he said.
The convoy will leave the
Baker County Fairgrounds
at 7 a.m. on the morning of
Aug. 25 and stop in Oxbow, at
the Oregon/Idaho border, for
lunch. It will then head north
for an afternoon display in Jo-
seph and spend the night at
the Eagle Cap Shooters Associ-
ation in Enterprise.
Race
Continued from A1
Four of the seven positions
on the council will be up
for election. Those posi-
tions are held now by Joanna
Dixon, Waggoner, Guyer
and Damschen.
The three other Baker City
councilors — Kerry McQuis-
ten, Shane Alderson and Jason
Spriet — are serving terms
that continue through the
end of 2024. All three were
elected to four-year terms in
November 2020.
Huntington man accused of domestic violence
BY JAYSON JACOBY
jjacoby@bakercityherald.com
A Huntington man is charged with
multiple domestic violence crimes
after an incident early Thursday,
Aug. 18 in Huntington.
David Carson Weiss, 19, was ar-
rested around 5:30 a.m. at 145 E.
Madison St. in Huntington, Baker
County Sheriff Travis Ash said.
Weiss is charged with menacing,
harassment and strangulation, each
involving domestic violence, as well as
recklessly endangering another per-
son, and resisting arrest.
The strangulation charge is a
Class C felony. The other charges are
misdemeanors.
Weiss was in the Baker County
Jail on Friday morning, Aug. 19. He
was scheduled to be arraigned Friday
afternoon in Baker County Circuit
Court.
Ash said Weiss’ girlfriend and
mother, who were in the home, called
911 about 3:46 a.m. to report a do-
mestic disturbance. Weiss doesn’t live
in the home, Ash said.
Ash said that when he and Deputy
Kyle Ebeling arrived in Huntington,
Weiss’ girlfriend and mother had left
the home along with Weiss’ 4-month-
old child. The child’s presence is the
reason Weiss is charged with reckless
endangering, Ash said.
Ash said Weiss, who was alone in
a room converted from a garage, was
“very aggressive” when officers
arrived, yelling and apparently
under the influence of alcohol and
other drugs.
Ash said the two women said Weiss
had put his hands around his girl-
friend’s throat, which led to the stran-
gulation charge.
He also allegedly verbally threat-
ened his mother, Ash said.
Ash said Weiss denied the claims.
Ash said that Weiss, when told he
was under arrest, refused to get out of
the chair he was sitting in and became
“belligerent.”
Ash said he and Ebeling were able
to maneuver Weiss’ hands behind his
back and handcuff him.
Weiss’ girlfriend had minor injuries
but she didn’t need medical treatment,
Ash said.
On Feb. 6, 2021, Weiss pleaded
guilty to fourth-degree assault, consti-
tuting domestic violence, in an inci-
dent that happened Dec. 28, 2020, at
the same home in Huntington where
he was arrested on Thursday.
Weiss was sentenced to 18 months
probation and ordered to do 80 hours
of community service and complete
a domestic violence intervention pro-
gram.
Splash
Continued from A1
In deciding what type of
project to raise money for,
Penelope settled on a splash
pad, an area with water fea-
tures that have become pop-
ular attractions during the
summer in many cities.
Baker City doesn’t have a
splash pad — the closest are in
La Grande and Ontario.
“I just think Baker really
needed one,” Penelope said
“We go to other places to go
use a splash pad. And why not
have one here? I think Baker
just really needs something
besides the river to play in.”
The Powder River, which
runs just east of Central Park
— between Washington and
Valley avenues — is a favorite
spot for kids to take a dip, but
Penelope said a splash pad,
unlike the river, would be ac-
cessible to all kids, including
those in wheelchairs.
Charline Simmons said
they are raffling off a shot-
gun donated by Trader Ray’s,
a rooster weather beam do-
nated by Oregon Trail Land-
scapes and Nursery, and a full
vehicle detail donated by RM
Detail & Car Wash.
“We set up at the farmers
market every Thursday, then
we did Community Night
Out on August 2, we did the
parade for Shriners, and then
we’re doing the car show,”
Charline said. “We’ll have a
table set up there with raffle
items at the car show.”
The latter reference was
to the Baker City Memory
Cruise, set for this Saturday,
Aug. 20, at Geiser-Pollman
Park.
They have also discussed
Move
Continued from A1
He said the sidewalk out-
side the new office has been
recently repaired.
The new office is in the
southern section of the
Health Department build-
ing, with the door facing out
toward the lawn. In addition
to Gloria’s office, there’s
a waiting room and a
bathroom.
He said the Health De-
partment has more parking
and less traffic than the area
around the courthouse.
His office is complete
with memorabilia from
Gloria’s time in service — he
served 22 years with the Or-
egon Army National Guard.
But his current position,
which he’s had for about
eight years, is his “dream
job,” he said.
Gloria said he’s actively
managing about 1,500 vet-
erans, many of which have
come to see him at the of-
fice. He said it can be chal-
lenging since county vet-
erans service is a one-man
operation.
“People say, ‘Rick, you
need to slow down, you’re
going to burn out.’ I say,
‘What do you mean, burn
out?’ ” Gloria said.
According to a 2022
report from news outlet
Stacker, data from the US
Census Bureau shows that
roughly 15% of residents in
Baker County are veterans,
the highest percentage of
veterans per capita out of all
the counties in Oregon.
Gloria encouraged veter-
ans who haven’t registered
for their eligible benefits
or those seeking service
to come into the office,
or call in.
“Veterans, this is your
home, I’m just managing it,”
he said.
For the federal fiscal year
2020, which ended Sept.
30, 2020, benefits to Baker
County veterans totaled
$24,451,000 — an increase
of almost $2.6 million from
the previous year, Gloria
said.
That amount included:
• $12,710,000 in disability
Samantha O’Conner/Baker City Herald
Penelope Simmons, 17, is raising money as a Girl Scout Gold Award project with a goal of helping to build a splash pad at Baker City’s Central
Park.
having fundraisers at the
Christmas bazaars.
So far, the duo have raised
$800 out of the approximately
$300,000 they need.
“We’ve got a ways to go,”
Charline said.
Joyce Bornstedt, the city’s
technical administration su-
pervisor, said the city is not
involved in the Simmonses’
fundraising project, but add-
ing a splash pad to Central
Park is a city goal.
“I think it’s a good idea —
there has been a lot of inter-
est in having a splash pad for
a long time,” Bornstedt said.
“I think it kind of fits well
within the scope of the plan-
ning for that park.”
The master conceptual
plan for the park includes a
water feature, she said.
Penelope said she had her
Gold Award project approved
by the Girl Scouts in late
2019, but then the pandemic
hit, pausing the project.
She said a committee sup-
porting the splash pad project
started planning in October
2021.
The idea is to buy the
splash pad with items from
Northwest Playground
Equipment of Washington.
The water features will cost
$103,208, and Charline said
they would need half that
amount by Nov. 1 to place
an order to allow installation
in 2023.
“We didn’t want to start
raising money for it until we
had a plan because then what
are you going to do with the
money if it never comes to
anything?” Charline said.
The daughter-mother duo
are working with the Baker
Lions Club, which is helping
them apply for grants and
holding the money they raise.
The Lions Club is a tax-ex-
empt nonprofit, so donations
can be claimed on tax returns.
Anyone who wants to vol-
unteer is welcome to contact
the Simmonses through Face-
book.com/bakercitysplashpad
where Penelope’s phone num-
ber is available. They can also
email her at Bakercitysplash-
pad2023@gmail.com.
People can also go to
Community Bank to put in
a money donation by saying
they want to donate for the
Lions Splash Pad.
“We’re just trying to get the
community behind it,” Char-
line said. “It’ll be a nice thing
for our community and ev-
erybody, we haven’t had any-
thing negative about it.”
and pension payments.
• $11,255,000 in medical
services.
Baker County commission-
ers decided in August 2020 to
buy the Fourth Street building
for $500,000 from New Direc-
tions Northwest, which for-
merly used the structure, built
in 1970. The building is about
5,000 square feet.
The county used federal
pandemic relief money for the
$150,000 down payment and
for much of the remodeling,
which cost around $80,000.
The county is paying the re-
mainder of the price over 10
years at 3% interest.
Rick Gloria
has worked
as Baker
County’s
veteran ser-
vice officer
for the past
eight years.
Clayton Franke/
Baker City
Herald
Elaine Logsdon
Helen Jean Heizer
January 31, 1943 - August 12, 2022
August 24, 1937 - July 27, 2022
Elaine Logsdon, 79, of Baker
City, died on Friday, August 12,
2022 at Settler’s Park Assisted
Living Facility. A Graveside Service
will be held on Thursday, August
25, 2022 - 11:00 a.m. at Mt. Hope
Cemetery in Baker City, Oregon.
Elaine Marie was born on
January 31, 1943 in Prairie City,
Oregon to Joe and Leona (Medlin)
Logsdon. The family moved to Baker City, where she
was raised, attended school and graduated from Baker
High School class of 1961.
Elaine met Joe Barton through a mutual friend. On
June 21, 1961, they married in Weiser, Idaho and they
had two sons. She later married Bob Lees in 1991, they
later divorced.
During her life she worked as a waitress, secretary
for Lake County Chamber of Commerce and was
manager for the West Park Plaza Mall in Ontario,
Oregon. She also broadcasted the Chamber Chatter
program on Radio KQIK, secretary/treasurer of the
Lake County Horse Racing Commission and a board
member of the Lake County Activity Center. Elaine
served as a state officer of the Eagles Auxiliary in many
offices, including State President in 1972.
She enjoyed crochet, knitting, yard ornaments,
beading, playing guitar and singing. Her favorite color
was red and she enjoyed the summer.
She was preceded in death by her parents, son Lyle
Barton, and her brother Howard Logsdon.
Elaine is survived by her son Richard “Rick” and wife
Janine Barton; sister Caroline Barton; 5 grandchildren
and 8 great grandchildren.
For those who would like to make a donation
in memory of Elaine, she asked that they go to the
American Cancer Society in memory of her son
Lyle through Tami’s Pine Valley Funeral Home &
Cremation Services PO Box 543 Halfway, Oregon
97834. Online condolences may be shared at www.
tamispinevalleyfuneralhome.com
Helen Jean Heizer was born on
August 24, 1937, in Weiser, Idaho.
She passed away on July 27, 2022, at
Settlers Park Assisted Living Com-
munity in Baker City, Oregon.
Jean married Bill Heizer in 1974
in Ontario, Oregon. Jean and Bill
enjoyed traveling and made several
long trips across the country and up
and down the West Coast on their Gold Wing Honda. Jean
and Bill enjoyed working on and living in their secluded
beautiful home at the base of the Elkhorn Mountains, com-
plete with fish ponds, elk, deer, bear, geese, cougars, and
very few neighbors!
Jean was a very astute businesswoman who owned
and operated the Gourmet Goose in Baker City for many
years. She sold everything from heating stoves to gifts and
was an accomplished florist. She loved creating floral ar-
rangements and was a very hard worker. She could often
be found working side by side with Bill maintaining their
many rental properties in Baker City.
Jean loved animals and always seemed to have a pet
dog nearby. For the last several years of her life Jean at-
tended McEwen Bible Fellowship in Sumpter Valley
where she was loved and enjoyed by many people. The
people at that small church were blessed by her generous
donation of padded pews for the entire sanctuary.
She is survived by her son, Brent Ricks, nieces, Mariet-
ta Holman and Monica Walker, nephew, BJ Walker, step-
children, Dallas Kyriss, Wendy Ricks, and Kelly Baker,
and stepgrandson, Christopher Kyriss.
Jean was preceded in death by her parents, Sydney and
Helen Dolores Babcock Walker, her brother, Butch Walk-
er, and by her husband, Doctor Bill Heizer, a longtime lo-
cal dentist.
A memorial service will be scheduled and announced
later this year. Those wishing to make memorial contribu-
tions in her memory may direct them to Orpheum Theater
or Best Friends of Baker, this may be done through the
Coles Tribute Center 1950 Place St. Baker City, OR 97814.
If one wishes to light a candle in memory of Jean,
please visit www.colestributecenter.com.