LOCAL
BAKER CITY HERALD • TuEsDAY, AugusT 23, 2022 A3
Investigators
probing cause
of Pendleton
flour mill fire
Cruise
Continued from A1
It’s a yellow, flame-emblazoned
1929 Model A that Joan said was
her late husband Jim’s “dream car.”
Jim Sherman, a longtime circu-
lation director for the Baker City
Herald and lifelong Baker City
resident, died of cancer on Feb. 7,
2018, at age 72.
Joan Sherman said this is the
first time since Jim died that she’d
brought his Model A for a public
show.
Patrick Oberlander of Liberty
Motorsports watched over an ar-
ray of classic cars, some his own
and some owned by friends.
“Second time I’ve done the
show,” Oberlander said. “First year
I brought this many cars, though,
most of these are newer ones,
projects I just worked on.”
Some of the cars were old
enough to have been prized heir-
looms for several generations.
Some were raised from all but
shells and reassembled with love
and torque in equal measure, and
some were the furious, modern,
speed demons of today, the kind
you only see in the mirror for a
second before they shoot by in the
passing lane.
Above the event, a crane held
the giant American flag on prom-
inent display on the east side of
the park. The flag was supplied by
Superior Towing.
Some of the cars also bore flags,
including ones honoring military
veterans who are missing in ac-
tion or were prisoners of war.
After all, some of the oldest cars
on display had lived through ev-
ery war in recent memory.
At conclusion of this 30th ver-
sion of the Memory Cruise, prizes
and honorable mentions were
doled out and ultimately the raffle
managed to bring in nearly $1,000
from donated items, according to
the event’s Facebook page.
Fires
Continued from A1
Like Meyer, McCraw cred-
ited the rain that accompanied
the storms with quelling the
flames long enough for crews
to arrive.
The potential challenge, Mc-
Craw said, is with “holdover”
fires — ones sparked by light-
ning that can smolder for sev-
eral days before growing. When
holdover fires are invigorated,
sometimes by wind, there typi-
cally isn’t any rain to slow their
spread, McCraw said.
Fire officials were taking
airplane reconnaisance flights
over the region on Monday
morning and afternoon to
look for fires that have yet to
be reported, he said.
Two helicopters are on
standby at the La Grande/
Union County Airport to help
ground crews deal with any
new fires, McCraw said.
“We’re feeling pretty good
Deputy
Continued from A1
He is a point of contact for
unrepresented individuals in
the community including un-
sheltered homeless, veterans
who aren’t receiving benefits,
and others.
Maldonado said he recently
helped investigate an assault
against an older man who is
homeless. Maldonado said he
interviewed the man and of-
fered services trying to con-
nect him with community
partners.
He also helped return a
homeless veteran to his com-
munity in Washington.
“Just yesterday I heard that
there was a homeless per-
son living out of a tent in the
Sumpter area,” Maldonado
told commissioners. “So I went
and tried to find them to offer
services and see what we could
do to help, see what services
they are getting, see if they are
missing out on anything.”
Maldonado has partnered
with Community Connection
and coordinated a week-long
crisis intervention team train-
ing with a variety of speakers.
Another training is planned
for this fall.
Maldonado also works as a
liaison with each city council
in the county.
“Each community is unique,
so it’s not just a cookie cutter
situation,” he said. “I have to
get to know each mayor and
each recorder and all these
people and figure out what
they need and make sure they
know what we have to offer.”
He represents the sheriff’s
office on different committees
including the Baker County
Housing Task Force, the Baker
County Suicide Prevention
Committee, and others.
“All those things expose
me to different things that we
might be able to provide ser-
BY DAKOTA CASTETS-DIDIER
East Oregonian
Ian Crawford/Baker City Herald
While it wouldn’t hold a candle to the modern engine, the Ford Model T is still the first mass production car, coming off the line as
early as 1908.
Ian Crawford/Baker City Herald
A modified 1931 Ford Sports Coupe, given the pipe-organ exhaust
and dragster wheels, on approach to being a century old and
likely could carry on for another.
Slightly cooler weather forecast
August is on pace to be the hottest on record at the Baker City
Airport, but a slight cooling trend this week could end the bid for a
new record.
Through Aug. 21, the average high temperature for the month
at the airport was 92.1 degrees. The hottest August on record at the
airport, where statistics date to 1943, was 2017, when the average
high was 91.7.
The current average is likely to drop a bit, however, as the Na-
tional Weather Service is forecasting daily highs between 87 and 91
for the rest of this week.
The recent heat wave has tied or set a couple of daily records.
The high temperature of 99 degrees on Aug. 17 tied a record for
the date, set in 2020.
The low temperature of 62 degrees on Aug. 19 was the warmest
low temperature on record for the date. The previous record was 58,
set in 1991 and tied in 2020.
The high has topped 90 on 16 of the first 21 days in August, in-
cluding a string of seven straight from Aug. 15-21.
— Jayson Jacoby
with our (firefighting) re-
sources,” he said.
Firefighters remained busy
on Monday, Aug. 22, as an-
other round of thunderstorms
swept through.
vices for, make connections
with community partners,”
Maldonado said.
His other duties include in-
vestigating complaints about
violations of the county’s nui-
sance ordinance.
There are nine open cases,
he told commissioners.
Maldonado said much of
his time regarding the nui-
sance ordinance is explaining
to residents what it entails and
how the enforcement process
works.
“This part of my task and
my assignment all starts with
keeping an open line of com-
munication with both the per-
son complaining, making the
complaint, and the person that
they’re complaining against,”
he said.
Commissioner Chairman
Bill Harvey asked Maldonado
how he deals with issues about
potentially dangerous dogs.
Maldonado said the sher-
iff’s office doesn’t enforce or-
dinances that cities, such as
Baker City, have in place.
“If you have a city that has
its own ordinances, they are
in charge of dealing with that,”
Maldonado said.
He said he frequently re-
ceives questions about dogs,
and when he does he helps
callers navigate the various city
ordinances.
Maldonado has been in
communication with Rick
Gloria, Baker County’s veteran
service officer, the VFW, and
people at the armory to help
veterans.
“What we can do for the
locals that are unbenefited is
make sure that everybody’s
tied into Rick Gloria so he can
get them as many benefits as
possible,” Maldonado said.
Commissioner Bruce Nich-
ols said he had heard great
things about the county’s com-
munity service deputy pro-
gram so far.
There were several other
fire reports during the morn-
ing, according to the Blue
Mountain Interagency Dis-
patch Center in La Grande.
Details weren’t available for
Ian Crawford/Baker City Herald
The custom 1929 Ford Model A, owned by Joan Sherman, a car
maintained by her husband, Jim, who died in 2018, was on dis-
play at the 30th Baker City Memory Cruise on Aug. 20, 2022.
most reports by press time
Monday, although one light-
ning fire, in the Taylor Spring
area about 15 miles south of
La Grande, was 0.1 of an acre.
Friday fire near Halfway
The biggest blaze during the
weekend was reported around
2:30 p.m. on Friday along the
Sag Road about 4 miles south
of Halfway.
The fire, which started on
private land and spread onto
BLM ground, burned in grass
and sagebrush near the road
that runs south from Highway
86 to Brownlee Reservoir.
Crews from the Bureau of
Land Management’s Vale Dis-
trict, along with volunteers
from the Keating and Greater
Pine Valley districts and em-
ployees from Idaho Power
Company, contained the fire
about 7:20 p.m. on Friday.
Four single-engine air tank-
ers also dropped retardant to
block the fire’s spread.
Larry Willis Rood
September 13, 1946 - August 13, 2022
Larry W. Rood, age 75, of
Haines, Oregon, passed in a
memory care home on August 13,
2022, in Meridian, Idaho.
Larry was born on September
13, 1946, in Emmett, Idaho, to
Walter and Phyllis Rood. He
married Kathryn (Kay) Spence
on December 14, 1965, after they
graduated high school. Together
they had three children, Wes, Nancy, and Randy.
Larry is a Vietnam veteran. He served as a Navy
corpsman at the Da Nang Naval Hospital from August
1967 to August 1968. He received the following
honors: Meritorious Service Citation as Senior Ward
Corpsman under arduous living and working conditions
in an advanced combat area while keeping the highest
traditions of the hospital corpsman and the United States
Navy. Award of Commendation in recognition of his
meritorious support of combat operations in Southeast
Asia July 11, 1968.
If you asked Larry what he enjoyed most about his
working career, he would tell you “logging.” Larry was
strategic when it came to who he worked for and where.
He was passionate about his family and thoroughly
enjoyed logging. His pastime activities included
hunting, fishing, snowmobiling and many other outdoor
recreational activities. If you told him the trail was
unsafe, he would disagree with you and prove you
wrong.
He was the Scout leader for the Haines Boy Scouts
Troop #422 for many years. Larry willingly helped any
boy who wanted to make it to Eagle Scout and become
successful. He was also a Little League baseball coach.
Larry survived by his wife of 57 years, Kay, son, Wes
(Joy) Rood of Meridian, ID, daughter, Nancy (Jarrod)
Bunker of Greenleaf, ID, and son, Randy (Cristina)
Rood of Boise, ID. Eleven grandchildren, Rex Rood,
Triniti Kirkwood, Leamae Bunker, Zach Rood, Sam
Rood, Josh Rood, Charlotte Rood, Kayden Rood,
Audney Bunker, Kylie Truax, and Michael Truax; sister,
Bonnie (Dewey) Maxwell of Lincoln City, Oregon, and
nieces, Tammy (Erin) Spellman of Hermiston, Oregon
and Deanna Chandler of Weiser, Idaho.
A memorial service will be held at Larry and Kay’s
home on Saturday, September 24, at 1 p.m. PDT. The
address is 740 2nd St. Haines, OR 97833. The United
States Navy will conduct the military ceremony.
For those who would like to make a memorial
donation in memory of Larry, the family suggests
making the donation to the VFW, Baker City, Oregon.
PENDLETON — Investigators
continue working to determine what
sparked the fire more than a week
ago that tore through the Grain
Craft flour mill in Pendleton as well
as plans for the future of the burned
building.
Assistant Chief Anthony Pierotti
with the Pendleton Fire Department
said a structural engineer came
Wednesday, Aug. 17, a week after
the fire, and Grain Craft “is going to
find a demolition company.”
Pierotti also said an investigation
is ongoing as to the cause of the fire.
The fire department continues to
keep a firetruck on-site to “knock
down” the smoke and combat any
potential flare-ups.
“All is status quo,” he said.
Although the situation has re-
mained unchanged, roads sur-
rounding the mill have steadily re-
opened, and Grain Craft dispatched
members of its leadership team to
walk the site last week.
James Reeder, owner of the Out-
lying Perspective, a drone opera-
tor from Athena, flew a specialized
drone on Aug. 17 on behalf of Grain
Craft into and over the mill to create
a 3D model of the building to help
determine its structural integrity
and to find any remaining hot spots.
A timeline for demolition has
yet to be established, but there are
discussions of opening an on-site
asbestos testing facility, according
to Pendleton Building Official Ty
Woolsey.
The fire turned active again
Saturday, however, and air tank-
ers and two helicopters helped
ground crews suppress the blaze.
The fire, which didn’t
threaten any structures,
burned about 250 acres.
The fire was human-caused,
and it remains under investi-
gation, said Larisa Bogardus,
public information officer for
the Vale District.
Crews mopped up and
monitored the fire through the
weekend to ensure the control
lines held.
The focus on Saturday
shifted to the numerous fires
sparked by lightning that
spread across the region during
the afternoon and evening.
Many of the lightning
strikes were west of Baker
City, in the Elkhorn Moun-
tains and the North Fork John
Day River area farther west.
The list of fires, all of which
were contained either Saturday,
Aug. 20, or Sunday, Aug. 21:
• Packsaddle trailhead area,
23 miles southeast of Ukiah, 0.1
of an acre, Saturday, 3:19 p.m.
• Yankey Sawmill area,
North Powder River, 11 miles
southwest of North Powder,
0.1 of an acre, Saturday, 4 p.m.
• Mount Ireland area, 9
miles northwest of Sumpter,
0.25 of an acre, Saturday,
4:13 p.m.
• Sponge Creek Camp, 23
miles southeast of Ukiah. 0.1.
of an acre, Saturday, 4:46 p.m.
• Boulder Creek, 10 miles
northwest of Sumpter, 0.1 of
an acre, Sunday, 9:21 a.m.
• Bucks Crossing trailhead,
14 miles northeast of Half-
way, 0.1 of an acre, Sunday,
3:06 p.m.
Billy Lee, Sr.
October 9, 1931 - August 8, 2022
Billy James Lee, Sr., 90 years
young, of Baker City, Oregon,
passed away on August 8, 2022,
at his residence with his loving
family by his side.
Bill was born on October
9, 1931, in Exeter, Missouri. A
memorial service was held on
August 13, 2022, at the Nazarene
Church, including family and
friends.
The service included military honors with members of
the Coast Guard playing “Taps” and a flag presentation.
Musicians Ellie Winkler (great-granddaughter) and
Pastor Lennie Spooner played his favorite songs,
including: “Wildwood Flower” and “Amazing Grace.”
As Bill Sr. was honored, it was said that he “loved and
lived!” He enjoyed and lived his life to the fullest, every
day, for as long as he was able. Neither age, a cane, nor
a wheelchair slowed him down.
Honorary pallbearers included: Taylor Lee, Jack
Schroeder, Otis Schroeder, and Bill Lee, Jr.
Bill was a member of the Coast Guard. During
his time in the Coast Guard, he worked on various
construction crews, which taught him skills he would
later use. After the military, Bill spent time as a laborer
in the construction trade. While Bill was very skilled at
construction, music was his life’s passion.
Over the years, Bill Sr. played in many bands, as well
as with the Elks. Bill was a talented and gifted musician.
He also taught guitar lessons for several years. Bill
loved music and sharing his music with other people.
There were many Sundays when he played his guitar in
church. He loved his guitar, pickup trucks, boats, ATVs,
and motorcycles. He was an avid outdoorsman.
Bill Sr. was a musician, a music teacher, a friend, a
veteran, a grandfather, a husband, and a father. But most
importantly, Bill was a man of God. Bill was a member
of the Christian Church for many years; for the last few
years, he attended the Nazarene Church.
Bill J. Lee, Sr., was preceded in death by his wife,
JoAnn Lee, his mother, Gladys Lee, his father, James
Lee, and his son, Stephen Duane Lee.
Survivors include his wife of four and a half years,
Wynona Lee, LaYelle Palmer (the mother of his
children), daughter, Sue Schroder, son-in-law, Forrest
Schroder, son, Bill James Lee, Jr., daughter-in-law,
Shandra Lee, and many grandchildren and great-
grandchildren. Special friends include Mary Brooks
and Melissa Robertson.
Memorial contributions may be made to the
Northeast Oregon Compassion Center through Gray’s
West & Company Pioneer Chapel at 1500 Dewey Ave.,
Baker City, Oregon 97814.