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About Baker City herald. (Baker City, Or.) 1990-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 8, 2022)
Local A2 Tuesday, November 8, 2022 TURNING BACK THE PAGES 50 YEARS AGO from the Democrat-Herald November 7, 1972 The Athletic Committee of the Baker County Chamber of Commerce unanimously passed a resolution last night urging the Chamber’s Board of Directors to sponsor the 1974 Oregon State Babe Ruth tournament. The Babe Ruth Association gave Baker the clear swat at the classic, which would be Baker’s fi rst if the board votes in favor of the tournament. 25 YEARS AGO from the Baker City Herald November 7, 1997 Baker City’s population is about a dozen families short of reaching 10,000 for the fi rst time in almost 40 years. The city’s population as of July 1 was 9,960, according to a preliminary estimate from the Center for Population Research and Census at Portland State University. If the preliminary fi gure stands, Baker City’s population would be higher than at any time since the 1960 U.S. Cen- sus, when 9,986 people lived in the city. 10 YEARS AGO from the Baker City Herald November 7, 2012 Nanette Lehman, a second-grade teacher at Haines Elementary School, has been named Oregon’s 2012-13 Teacher of the Year. Lehman was honored at an all-school assembly Tuesday at Haines. The award was presented by Rob Saxton, the Oregon Department of Education’s deputy superintendent of public instruction. After receiving honors and recognition of their own, Haines students were all smiles when Lehman was called to the front of the gymnasium to receive her award. ONE YEAR AGO from the Baker City Herald November 9, 2021 The black-and-white fl ag that honors America’s military members who are prisoners of war or are missing in action has a direct connection to Baker City. The connection is Michael George Hoff. Hoff, who was born in Baker City on Sept. 11, 1936, was fl ying an A-7 Corsair over Laos, a country bordering Vietnam, on Jan. 7, 1970. Hoff’s jet was shot down. Hoff, a 33-year-old commander in the U.S. Navy, was listed as missing in action. He was never found, alive or dead. His wife, Mary Helen Hoff, waited in her Florida home with the couple’s fi ve children, the oldest just seven, the youngest not yet two. The second-youngest of Michael Hoff’s children, and the only daughter, is Suzanne Hoff Ogawa. She was just two when her father’s plane was shot down. “I have no memories of my father at all,” Ogawa, who lives in Bowling Green, Kentucky, said in a phone interview on Nov. 4. But as she grew up, Ogawa learned not only about her dad, but about her mom’s diligent efforts to ensure that the families of other missing aviators, soldiers, sailors and Marines had a way to publicly display their plight. “My mother was really an amazing lady,” Ogawa said. (Mary Hoff died Nov. 10, 2015.) Mary Hoff had seen the Blue Star and Gold Star banners hanging in windows. Blue Star banners are for families who have a member serving in the armed forces. Families with a Gold Star banner have had a member killed while serving. But it was the families who, like the Hoffs, were mired in the purgatory where there only questions, but no answers, that Mary Hoff was thinking about. OREGON LOTTERY Wildfires burned far fewer acres, but smoke was still a big problem BY MICHAEL KOHN The Bulletin The amount of forestland burned by wildfire in the Pa- cific Northwest fell by two- thirds this year compared to a year ago, due in part to wet spring weather. More than 549,000 acres burned in Oregon and Wash- ington this year compared to the more than 1.5 million acres burned a year ago, according to data from the Deschutes Na- tional Forest. The steep decline comes af- ter years of increasing wildfire activity in the west that has de- stroyed towns and burned mil- lions of acres of forest in Cali- fornia, Oregon, New Mexico, Colorado, and other states. Two years ago, wildfires in Oregon burned 1 million acres, destroyed more than 3,000 buildings, and killed 10 people. Last year the massive Bootleg Fire burned 413,765 acres, the third-largest fire in state history. This year’s largest fire in Or- egon was the Double Creek Fire in Wallowa County. Trig- gered by a lightning strike, the fire eventually burned through 161,591 acres. The state’s sec- ond-largest fire was the 127,311- acre Cedar Creek fire, which burned on the Willamette and Deschutes National forests. While the Cedar Creek fire did not destroy any struc- tures it created a toxic pall of smoke that hung over the city of Oakridge for most of September and October. In Oakridge, wildfire smoke was the main reason why the city experienced 37 days of air pollution that was unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse. That was by far the worst in the state, followed by Eugene, which experienced eight days of air that was unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse. Two firefighters died in Ore- gon this year from falling trees: one in the Big Swamp Fire in Brentwood Reid/Pacific Northwest Incident Management Team, Contributed Photo Firefighters on the Double Creek fire near the Imnaha River on Sept. 7, 2022. Northeastern Oregon fire season The Blue Mountain Interagency Dispatch Center in La Grande, which covers most of the public and private land in Northeastern Oregon, recorded 213 wildfires this year — 160 started by lightning, and 53 human-caused. A total of 212,766 acres were burned — 210,037 acres by lightning fires. More than half of the blazes — 118 total, 103 started by lightning — were on public land managed by the U.S. Forest Service. Another 55 fires were on state land or private land protected by the Oregon Department of Forestry. Forty of those fires were started by lightning. Douglas County and the other in the Rum Creek Fire in Jose- phine County. The quieter fire season across the Western U.S. allowed Ore- gon to keep most fire crews and resources in the region, which helped teams put out most fires Climate Vigil hosting free dinner Nov. 10 Climate Vigil is hosting a free dinner with live music Thursday, Nov. 10 from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at Crossroads Carn- egie Art Center, 2020 Auburn Ave. “We are serving vegan chili, corn bread, homemade ice cream, live local music, and hope for the future,” said the organizer, Peter Fargo. WIN FOR LIFE, NOV. 5 Turkey Trot set for Thanksgiving 3 — 25 — 29 — 39 — 43 — 44 Next jackpot: $1.3 million 42 — 53 — 57 — 74 POWERBALL, NOV. 5 • 1 p.m.: 3 — 7 — 6 — 8 • 4 p.m.: 8 — 7 — 5 — 5 • 7 p.m.: 4 — 2 — 4 — 2 • 10 p.m.: 3 — 8 — 2 — 6 The 15th annual Turkey Trot run/walk happens Thanksgiving morning, Nov. 24, in front of Kicks Sports on Main Street. Registration starts at 7:30 a.m. and the event begins at 9 a.m. Participants are asked to bring a non-perishable food item to do- nate. Proceeds from the event support the Northeast Oregon Compassion Center. Entry is $15 per person. Register online at www.neoregoncompassioncenter.org or find a link on the Facebook page, www.face- 28 — 45 — 53 — 56 — 69 PB 20 Next jackpot: $1.9 billion MEGA MILLIONS, NOV. 4 2 — 20 — 47 — 55 — 59 Mega 22 Next jackpot: $154 million LUCKY LINES, NOV. 6 4-6-12-14-18-23-25-31 Next jackpot: $23,000 SENIOR MENUS WEDNESDAY (Nov. 9): Tuna salad, croissant chips, pickle wedges, green salad, pudding THURSDAY (Nov. 10): Meatloaf, mashed potatoes with gravy, carrots, rolls, green salad, apple slices FRIDAY (Nov. 11): Barbecued ribs, baked beans, rolls, corn, coleslaw, peach crisp MONDAY (Nov. 14): Salisbury steak, au gratin potatoes, green beans, rolls, broccoli-bacon salad, cheesecake TUESDAY (Nov. 15): Stuffed peppers, scalloped potatoes, peas, cottage cheese with fruit 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 2005 Washington Ave., Suite 101 Open Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ISSN-8756-6419 Serving Baker County since 1870 Publisher Karrine Brogoitti kbrogoitti@lagrandeobserver.com Jayson Jacoby, editor jjacoby@bakercityherald.com Advertising email ads@bakercityherald.com Classifi ed email classifi ed@bakercityherald.com Circulation email circ@bakercityherald.com Published Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays except Christmas Day by the Baker Publishing Co., a part of EO Media Group, at 2005 Washington Ave., Suite 101 (P.O. Box 807), Baker City, OR 97814. Subscription rates per month are $10.75 for print only. Digital-only rates are $8.25. Postmaster: Send address changes to the Baker City Herald, P.O. Box 807, Baker City, OR 97814. Periodicals Postage Paid at Pendleton, Oregon 97801 Copyright © 2022 book.com/NortheastOregonCompassion- Center. Participants can also register the day of the race from 7:30 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. Awards will be given for the top overall finishers and teams. Baker County Garden Club meets Wednesday The Baker County Garden Club will meet Wednesday, Nov. 9 at Community Connection, 2810 Cedar St. at 10:30 a.m. Helen Loennig will be the guest speaker and discuss Medicare Part D. Please put on your thinking caps for sug- gestions about topics for 2023 meetings. Lunch will be available. Livestock Producers Association awards 3 scholarships Thanks to memorial contributions, the Baker County Livestock Producers Foun- dation has awarded scholarships to three Baker County second-year college students who are pursuing an agriculture-related de- gree. • Ty Morrison, who has completed his associate’s degree in agriculture business, plans to complete his bachelor’s degree at Eastern Oregon University. • Kylie Siddoway is attending Texas A&M University and majoring in agriculture lead- ership development. Her goal is to pursue a career in marketing and to work with pro- ducers and consumers. • Kaylee Dalke has dual enrollment with Eastern Oregon University and Oregon State University, majoring in agriculture sci- ences. Her goal is to teach and advocate for the agriculture community. The Livestock Producers Foundation was created by and is affiliated with the Baker County Livestock Association and Baker County Cattlewomen. Donations from me- morials and other private donations make it possible to offer scholarships each year without using any of the foundation’s principal. News of Record DEATHS Paul Schon: 69, of Baker City, died Nov. 4, 2022, at his home. Arrangements are under the direction of Tami’s Pine Valley Funeral Home & Cremation Services. Online condolences can be shared at www.tamispinevalleyfuneralhome.com. Michael Randolph, 51, Durkee, 12:51 p.m. Friday, Nov. 4 on Express Road; jailed. CONTEMPT OF COURT (Baker County Justice Court warrant): Dyllan Jacoby Simonis, 31, Baker City, 9:18 a.m. Friday, Nov. 4 in the 1600 block of Third Street; cited and released. NEWS, SPORTS & OBITUARIES @ bakercityherald.com FUNERAL PENDING John Vernon Hays: A visitation will take place Tuesday, Nov. 8 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Gray’s West & Co. Pioneer Chapel, 1500 Dewey Ave. Recitation of the Rosary will follow, at 6 p.m. at Gray’s West & Co. Mass of Christian burial will take place Wednesday, Nov. 9 at 11 a.m. at St. Francis de Sales Cathedral, with Father Rob Irwin officiating. Vault interment will follow the mass at Mount Hope Cemetery. Memorial contributions can be made to the Oregon Cattlemen’s Association through Gray’s West & Co. Pioneer Chapel, 1500 Dewey Ave., Baker City, OR 97814. POLICE LOG Telephone: 541-523-3673 before they had a chance to reach out-of-control levels. At the start of the fire season, it was announced that Central Oregon would receive $41.3 million in federal funding over the next three years to increase forest management activities. Larry O’Neill, an associate professor at the Oregon State University College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sci- ences, said the lower number of fires and burned acres can be attributed to Oregon’s wet- ter-than-normal spring, when the state received late-season rain and snow. In May alone, the Upper De- schutes and Crooked River ba- sins had precipitation that was 202% of normal. “The wet spring I think really helped push back fire season, especially in the Cascades,” said O’Neill. “While it didn’t help as much with the drought in a lot of places it really pushed back fire season by a few weeks in the higher elevations.” Local Briefing MEGABUCKS, NOV. 5 PICK 4, NOV. 6 Baker City Herald • bakercityherald.com Baker City Police Arrests, citations FOURTH-DEGREE ASSAULT: Oisin Thomas Moore, 23, Baker City, 2:51 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 6 in the 900 block of Elkhorn Drive; jailed. DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF INTOXICANTS: Oisin Thomas Moore, 23, Baker City, 1:41 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 6 in the 1200 block of Campbell Street; cited and released. Baker County Sheriff’s Office Arrests, citations PROBATION VIOLATION: Joseph “You’ll love the work we do. I guarantee it.” - JR 225 H Street • East of I-84 • 541-523-3200 • grumpysrepair.com S oroptimiSt i nternational of B aker C ounty 2022 a nnual t iCketS on Sale now : S helia m errill 541-519-8842 J o h inriChSen 541-379-3226