BAKER CITY HERALD • SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2022 A3
LOCAL & STATE
LA GRANDE
Lampkins
PUC sets B2H public comment hearing
Continued from A1
BY ANDREW CUTLER
The Observer
LA GRANDE — The Ore-
gon Public Utility Commission
is holding a public comment
hearing on an Idaho utility’s
petition for a certificate of pub-
lic convenience and necessity.
The hearing is scheduled for
6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 16, at
the Gilbert Center on the cam-
pus of Eastern Oregon Univer-
sity, La Grande.
Idaho Power has requested
the petition for its Boardman
to Hemingway transmission
line project. The certificate de-
tails the purpose and route of
the transmission line, its cost
estimate and other relevant in-
formation.
“These events provide the
public opportunities to speak
directly to the commissioners
about the application with the
PUC to issue a CPCN related
to this project,” a release from
the public utilities commission
said. “If granted, Idaho Power
would use this certificate in any
court proceeding where it seeks
to condemn an interest in land
along the transmission line’s
path. We encourage you to pro-
vide your thoughts.”
Fuji Kreider, a member of
the Union County-based Stop
B2H Coalition, said the up-
coming public hearing isn’t
necessarily about any particu-
lar properties, which is why the
Stop B2H Coalition is involved
in the hearings.
“Right now, we are just help-
ing people through the bureau-
cracy and what to do with the
rules and regulations,” she said.
There is a second public
S. John Collins/Baker City Herald, File
The proposed Boardman to Hemingway power transmission line could follow the route of an existing line that runs along the eastern edge
of Baker Valley near Highway 86.
comment hearing scheduled
for Dec. 5. However, unlike
the hearing at Eastern Oregon
University, the December hear-
ing will be all virtual. The Stop
B2H Coalition is encouraging
people to attend both hearings.
“People should participate to
express to the commission that
they need to consider the eco-
nomic impacts to the people
and the communities and they
need to assess alternatives be-
fore they decide to take people’s
land,” Kreider said.
She said Idaho Power’s pe-
tition for a certificate of public
convenience and necessity al-
lows the consideration of al-
ternate routing — something
that’s very important for Union
County.
How to call in
Public comment priority
will be given to individuals
attending the hearing in
person, but there is a call-in
option available by calling
669-254-5252, entering the
webinar identification num-
ber (161-548-6812) and the
passcode (7667963170).
“This opens up the (Bu-
reau of Land Management)
route again in a way,” she said.
“It must be considered in the
context of this condemnation.
That’s probably the biggest
news for people locally.”
In September, Oregon’s
Energy Facility Siting Coun-
cil approved a site certificate
for the B2H project. The per-
mit authorizes construction
of the 290-mile, 500-kilovolt
line across five Eastern Ore-
gon counties, including Union
County. Federal agencies have
already granted permission
for the line to cross land they
manage.
The proposed transmission
line would connect a new sta-
tion near Boardman to an ex-
isting substation in southwest
Idaho near Melba. Supporters
of the project say the trans-
mission line would provide a
crucial link to move energy,
much of it from hydroelectric,
wind and other clean sources,
between the Pacific Northwest,
where energy use peaks in the
Sacrifices
Continued from A1
“The War on Terrorism has
helped us all realize how truly
unique the American way of
life is,” she said. “The freedom
we enjoy is extremely special,
and that is why we must de-
fend it.”
Little encouraged the au-
dience to defend that way of
life even if they don’t join the
military.
“We can protect our free-
dom simply by maintaining
it here in America,” she said.
“If we want to preserve our
freedoms, we must put them
into action — for example, by
voting in elections or speaking
out against injustices. We must
also ensure that everyone feels
the benefits of freedom. We
can do that by volunteering
in our communities or teach-
ing our children what it really
means to be an American.”
Council
Continued from A1
In May the clerk’s office re-
ceived 61 postmarked ballots
within seven days of the elec-
tion. Some of those were from
voters who live outside the
Baker City limits. Only voters
who live within the city lim-
its vote on Baker City Council
races.
If the current order of can-
didates remains, Diaz, Guyer,
Waggoner and Calder would
join incumbent Jason Spriet
starting in January 2023.
Two other current councilors
— Kerry McQuisten and Shane
Alderson — will both be leav-
ing the council before the end
of the year.
McQuisten is moving outside
the city limits and thus won’t be
eligible to serve as a councilor.
Her last meeting is Nov. 22.
Alderson was elected Nov.
8 as chairman of the Baker
County Board of Commission-
ers. Alderson said he will stay
on as a councilor through De-
cember.
The city charter states that “a
vacancy in the council shall be
filled by appointment by a ma-
jority of the council.”
As for the term of the ap-
pointed councilors, the charter
states that if the vacancy is filled
more than 90 days before the
next general election — which
is the case, since the next gen-
eral election won’t happen until
November 2024 — “the appoin-
tee’s term of office runs only
until the first council meeting
in the year immediately follow-
ing the election, and at the elec-
tion a candidate shall be elected
to the council for a two-year
term.”
Lisa Britton/Baker City Herald
About 75 people attended a Veterans Day ceremony on Friday, Nov. 11, 2022, outside the Baker County
Courthouse.
Duncan Pierce, chaplain
with the Baker American Le-
gion Post 41, and a retired first
sergeant, told the audience that
he wanted to honor someone
with whom he had served on
Preliminary results
for the good of the commu-
The closest margin in prelim- nity and I don’t see any prob-
inary results is between Calder, lem with that,” Guyer said. “I’m
who has the fourth-highest vote looking forward to working
total at 1,830, and Katie LaFa-
with each of them as we go for-
vor in fifth with 1,779 votes.
ward.”
That’s a margin of 51 votes.
Waggoner, who was elected
If the current order stands,
to a two-year term in 2020,
Calder would serve a two-year
said he thinks the new council
term.
will be “a good council because
The top three candidates
there’s a lot of, I guess I would
would serve four-year terms
call us holdovers. So we all have
— Diaz, 2,357
a gist of what’s
“I think it’s an opportunity going on rather
votes, Guyer,
2,068 votes,
than somebody
to move forward and
and Waggoner,
that’s fresh
kind of get past what
1,893 votes.
to the coun-
Diaz said
and has no
happened in the previous cil
he’s “pretty ex-
information
city council, I think there’s on anything
cited” about
receiving the
hasn’t sat
some changes that should and
most votes.
or been to the
“I think it’s
be made and probably council meet-
an opportu-
in quite a
need to be made but I’m ings
nity to move
while. I see the
forward and
excited for the future. I biggest hur-
kind of get
dle we’ve got
think we have a good
past what
coming up is
happened in
team and we’ll have a money and
the previous
how to keep
great opportunity to
city council, I
the city solvent.
think there’s
secure the future of Baker And hire a po-
some changes
lice officer and
City.”
that should
maybe increase
be made and
some of the fire
— Matthew Diaz
probably need
department in
to be made but
the near future.
I’m excited for the future,” Diaz I think police and fire need one
said. “I think we have a good
or two people so we’ve just got
team and we’ll have a great op-
to figure out how to fund that.”
portunity to secure the future of
Calder, who served on the
Baker City.”
city council from 2000-10, said
Guyer, who was appointed
she wants to encourage more
on Dec. 14, 2021, to fill a va-
public input at council meet-
cancy on the council, said he’s
ings and schedule regular work
“fine with the group that was
sessions “where members can
voted for” in the Nov. 8 elec-
fully discuss and explore op-
tion.
tions, with the goal of becom-
“I think that all of them that, ing a better informed and more
along with the current residing
productive council. This will
councilors, can work together
allow the council to listen to
winter, and the Intermountain
West, where energy use peaks
in the summer.
“We’re looking forward to
moving this crucial project
forward, and this meeting is
one step in that process,” Sven
Berg, a spokesperson with
Idaho Power, said. “For more
than a year, we’ve worked hard
to reach agreements on ease-
ments with private landowners
along the project route. We are
committed to working with
landowners, and the meet-
ing won’t change that. In fact,
the meeting will be another
chance to interact with them
and make our case for how im-
portant B2H is as we continue
providing reliable, affordable,
clean energy.”
a crew that fired antiaircraft
missiles.
Pierce said another first ser-
geant, Calvin Foster, a rancher
who lives near Baker City, lost
his military honors in a house
fire many years ago.
Pierce asked Foster to come
forward, handing Foster an
engraved meritorious service
medal.
“Thanks, Cal,” Pierce said.
Little concluded her address
— she made it brief, she said
with a laugh, in deference to
the cold — by asking the au-
dience to remember that Vet-
erans Day is a celebration of
America.
“Veterans Day isn’t just a
day for veterans — it’s a day
for all Americans,” she said.
“It’s a day to remember why
they were fighting and a day
for all of us to begin our jour-
ney of protecting our freedom
and the freedom of many fu-
ture generations.”
more public testimony at the
council meetings. There should
be time in each meeting to hear
from people on all sides of an
issue. Council can better under-
stand the priorities of the com-
munity this way as well as fos-
tering more involvement which
leads to better future leaders,”
she said.
Calder also said she wants
the council to add a Future
Committee to its roster of advi-
sory boards and committees.
“I have been so impressed by
the young people and their ed-
ucators in our city and I believe
we should get them involved
now in helping the council to
plan for their future,” she said.
“There is also the opportu-
nity to include many agencies
and organizations in our com-
munity to better understand
the needs of our older citizens,
as well as other community
members that are underrepre-
sented.”
Calder noted that despite
the council setting “prioritizing
public safety” as its top goal,
“we lost the city ambulance
service which subsidized our
fire department and left the
community shaken and a fire
department with many chal-
lenges.”
“Our city manager must
bring forth plans and solutions,”
Calder said.
“That position is tasked with
the responsibility of running
the business of the city, not just
pointing out the challenges. As
the creator of a successful busi-
ness, I know what is involved in
anticipating future challenges,
planning for how to adapt, and
making sure my staff is pre-
pared to seamlessly carry on. It’s
something every small business
owner in this city knows
well.
“This election brings
significant change to
both city council and the
county commission. I
am hopeful that we can
begin building a work-
ing, mutually beneficial
and cooperative relation-
ship between the two
entities. We consolidated
the Emergency Dispatch
Center years ago but we
need to explore other
possible efficiencies that
could provide our com-
munity with sustainable
public safety, good roads
and emergency services.
Overall, I am ready to
get to work and putting
the public good back in
focus.”
But Lampkins has stories. And,
at age 100, he is believed to be the
oldest World War II veteran in
Baker County.
He and 12 others were honored
on Veterans Day, Nov. 11, in a cer-
emony at Meadowbrook Place,
where he has lived for about 6
years.
“We should always continue to
honor our veterans,” said Julie Daly,
community relations director at
Meadowbrook.
Spurred by Pearl Harbor
Lampkins joined the U.S. Navy
in 1942, prompted by the bombing
of Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941.
He enlisted with a buddy, who
joined the U.S. Marines.
“He never spent any time in a
war zone, and that’s where I spent
all my time,” Lampkins said.
He was stationed on a Navy de-
stroyer, the USS Bradford, in the
South Pacific. The ship’s mission
was to intercept Japanese kamikaze
pilots before they got to the main
fleet.
His fleet was Task Force 58 with
1,500 ships.
Lampkins was assigned as a
radar operator, which meant he
watched the radar screen for four
hours at a time. U.S. aircraft carried
a special signal, so he could deci-
pher between U.S. and Japanese
planes.
“Every one was identified,” he
said. “You had to know who every-
body was.”
During his tour, his ship shot
down 15 Japanese airplanes, and
sank a Japanese cruiser and several
smaller ships.
His own ship was never hit by
enemy fire.
Others weren’t so lucky and he,
along with other sailors, were sent
to find the survivors after an attack.
In a 2019 interview with the
Baker City Herald, Lampkins re-
counted that grim task.
“There weren’t many (survivors)
— oil burning on the water, the
ship still exploding,” he said.
Lampkins was discharged in
1945. He’d married his wife, Vir-
ginia, on Sept. 11, 1944, during a
10-day leave.
They were married for 70 years.
She passed away in 2014.
He still carries the stories of
World War II. And he’ll talk about
them, a bit, in his quiet voice.
“That’s a long time ago,” he said.
Command
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The command center will be
made available when possible to
other local agencies, including
Baker City Police, Oregon State
Police and Baker County Emer-
gency Management, as well as
search and rescue operations in
other counties.
Money for the trailer comes
from Oregon’s State Prepared-
ness and Incident Response
Equipment (SPIRE) grant pro-
gram. The amount the county
receives will depend on the final
cost of the trailer.
The program is part of Oregon
House Bill 2687, which the Leg-
islature passed in 2017.
Sheriff Travis Ash applied for
the grant earlier this year.
According to a state docu-
ment, the SPIRE program “pro-
vides equipment to local govern-
ments and other recipients for
emergency preparedness. The
program funds the purchasing
and distribution of equipment,
including vehicles and other
property, to be used during an
emergency to decrease the risk
for loss of life and property dam-
age.”
Baker County’s command
center will be equipped with an
8-kilowatt diesel generator.
McClay said the unit probably
won’t arrive for several months.
In memory of
Capt. Elliott
Averett Jr.
Co. F, 24th Cavalry Rcn. Squadron
US Army 1940-1946
European Theatre of Operations