BAKER CITY HERALD • TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2022 A3
LOCAL
Festival
kyrarohner.elkhorn@gmail.
com.
Continued from A1
Aldape said volunteers are
welcome to help during the
day. For more information,
contact Jason Yencopal,
541-519-0599, or Evan
Kaseberg, 541-980-8730.
The trees
About 24 small trees — two
to four feet tall — will be dec-
orated by community mem-
bers and sold by silent auction.
Proceeds will support the local
Foundation.
Anyone who would like
to sponsor or decorate a tree
can contact Kyra Rohner at
Santa
The Kiwanis Club will again
offer photos with Santa for
$10, which includes two 5x7
prints or three 4x6 prints.
“This is an opportunity for
your child to have a one-on-
one with Santa and get that
Christmas card photo, too,”
said David Cowan, of the Ki-
wanis Club.
Proceeds from this event
support Kiwanis’ community
service projects, which fo-
cuses on supporting children
that supports the club’s mis-
sion of “changing the world
one child and one community
at a time.”
Children can also write let-
ters to Santa either before or
after visiting with the jolly elf.
Art
Crossroads Carnegie Art
Center is bringing back the
“make it and take it” craft ac-
tivities during the festival.
Ginger Savage, executive di-
rector, said the craft station will
be set up in one end of event
center, rather than the small
room as in previous years.
The art projects will be free
this year, thanks to support
from the D.E. and Jane Clark
Foundation.
John Vernon Hays
September 25, 1942 - November 2, 2022
Lisa Britton/Baker City Herald
Malachi Martell mops the floor at Marla’s Mall on Tuesday, Nov. 8. The thrift store is one of three Baker High
School programs that provides work experience for students, while also providing a service to the community.
Marla’s
Continued from A1
To prepare for the evening
event, the store will be closed
during that day.
Marla’s Mall is in a build-
ing just west of the Baker High
School gymnasium, between
the student parking lot and
Baker Technical Institute.
“Overall, it’s the best loca-
tion,” Myers said.
To get there, access the park-
ing lot at the corner of Ninth
and G streets — on the
north side of Bulldog
Memorial Stadium.
Learning job skills
BHS students work shifts at
the three businesses, gaining job
experiences and earning credits.
Myers said students are
graded on work skills — being
on time, being on task, finishing
a job, good attitude and having
good hygiene.
On a recent afternoon at
Marla’s Mall, Horn and Bran-
don Unrein sorted clothes while
Malachi Martell mopped the
floor between clothing racks.
As they worked, Horn and
Unrein shook out clothes,
checked pockets and inspected
items for holes or stains.
“Some people take the time
and wash it for us,” Unrein said.
Horn has one wish for
donations:
“Clean things.”
After inspection, clothes are
separated into bins organized
by size.
Myers said they are accepting
donations, but especially need
men’s clothing.
“We get five times more
women’s clothes than anything,”
she said.
She said donations of gloves
and boots are also welcome.
“The only thing we can’t
take are large amounts or large
items,” Myers said.
For information about donat-
ing, call 541-524-2309.
Hours
Marla’s Mall is open Mon-
day through Thursday from
7:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and
1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Hours are subject to change,
based on the school schedule,
and updates can be found on
the Facebook page for Marla’s
Mallew.
Visitors are asked to sign in
each time, which helps Myers
keep track of numbers for
grant applications.
“We’re averaging 400 visitors
a month,” she said.
Everything is free, and visi-
tors are limited to one small
bag per week, or one large bag
per month.
Other businesses
Students also gain job skills at
Bulldog Bubbles, which
uses a commercial-sized washer
and dryer.
Bubbles serves the district, as
well as seven businesses in town.
The general public is wel-
come to utilize the service as
well — Myers said the laundry
machines can clean up to king
size quilts. The cost is $5.
To inquire, call 541-524-2309
or email susan.myers@bakersd.
org.
Money earned from Bull-
dog Bubbles is used for supplies
and business expenses, student
needs, field trips, and to employ
students during the summer.
The third business, Bulldog
Blender, is located inside
Baker High and sells blended
drinks at the end of lunch
and after school.
As for job skills, Myers said
students learn how to bill
monthly for Bulldog Bubbles,
and the Blender teaches money
skills, such as how to count
back change.
Trends
Continued from A1
The city does use some local property tax dollars
to maintain streets, although the state gas tax is the
larger source for the street department — about
$800,000 for the current fiscal year compared with
$670,000 in property taxes.
The budget board, which consists of the seven
city councilors and seven city residents appointed
by councilors, typically meets only during the
spring, when the board reviews the proposed bud-
get for the fiscal year that starts July 1 and advise
the city council, which has the final authority on
adopting the budget.
Cannon said earlier this fall that he intended to
propose a special budget board meeting to give the
board an update before starting on budget discus-
sions next spring.
Five city councilors were absent from Wednes-
day’s meeting — Kerry McQuisten, Dean Guyer,
Jason Spriet, Kenyon Damschen and Johnny Wag-
goner Sr.
Councilor Shane Alderson attended the meet-
ing by computer, while councilor Joanna Dixon at-
tended in person.
Budget board members Jason Bland, Richard
Haynes Jr. and Shelly Cutler attended by computer,
and members Ray Duman, Amanda Daugherty,
Dan McQuisten and Randy Daugherty attended
in person.
Concerning trends
Cannon used a series of slides to illustrate trends
in the cost of the police and fire departments and
the city’s revenue. The slides showed figures from
previous years as well as projects through the 2027-
28 fiscal year.
The overall trend is that the city’s costs for public
safety are rising faster than property taxes.
During the past 40 years, Cannon said, the city’s
property tax revenue has been enough to pay for
both the fire and police departments only once.
Currently the city receives barely enough in
property taxes to pay for only one of those
departments.
Jennifer Spencer, the city’s finance director, said
property taxes for the general fund totaled about
$2.9 million in the prior fiscal year. The police de-
partment’ s budget was $2.76 million, and the fire
department’s budget was $2.61 million.
The police department budget for the current
fiscal year, which started July 1, is slightly lower, at
$2.71 million.
The fire department’s budget, however, is much
lower, at $1.67 million. That’s due to the city coun-
cil’s decision, at Cannon’s suggestion, to discontinue
ambulance service, which brought in about $1
million in revenue. The fire department’s staffing
dropped from 16.25 full-time equivalents last fiscal
year to 10.5 this fiscal year.
Randy Daugherty, chairman of the budget com-
mittee and a former city councilor, noted a drop in
the city’s beginning working capital — the cash on
hand at the start of the fiscal year — in 2008-9.
Baker City Fire Department/Contributed Photo
Firefighters from the Baker City Fire Department and
Baker Rural Fire District doused a blaze in a home
at 948 Valley Ave., in Baker City on Saturday, May
7, 2022.
The working capital dropped from about $2 mil-
lion to a little more than $1 million, largely because
the council agreed with then-city manager Steve
Brocato’s proposal to buy the building at 1768 Au-
burn Ave. as police department headquarters. The
city paid $615,000 for the building, which contin-
ues to house the police department.
The beginning working capital has increased in
recent years, however, from $1.2 million in 2019-20
to a budgeted $2 million for the current fiscal year.
Cannon said that even with the cuts in the fire
department, personnel expenses will be rising in
the future, and that the city’s total public safety cost,
for police and fire, will rise faster than property tax
revenue.
Daugherty said he believes public safety should
be the top priority for general fund dollars and
that the rest of the general fund “has to suffer until
things turn around”.
“The general fund is public safety. It’s that sim-
ple,” Daugherty said.
Other departments in the general fund include
administration (the city manager, human resources
director and finance director), cemetery, parks and
airport departments.
The police and fire departments, however, com-
prise the majority of the general fund budget — al-
most 54%.
Cannon said the next step for the budget board is
to discuss spending priorities, and possible sources
of revenue other than property taxes.
“What do we really value in the community?
What’s important enough for us to figure out how
we’re going to fund?” Cannon said.
The next meeting is tentatively planned for late
January or early February.
That would give city staff time to incorporate
the budget board’s discussions into preparing a
proposed budget for the 2023-24 fiscal year.
John Vernon Hays of Baker City,
OR was born on September 25, 1942, in
Enterprise, Oregon to Vernon and Mary
Hays. He passed away with his family by
his side on November 02,
2022, at Saint Alphonsus
Hospital in Nampa, Idaho
at the age of 80 years. John
was the third of five children
born to Vernon and Mary.
Big John grew up in
Enterprise, Oregon on a
registered Hereford Cattle
Ranch, which his parents
owned. He attended school
in the Enterprise School
System, graduating from
Enterprise High School in
1960 where he was active in
FFA and enjoyed showing
cattle. John also served as an Altar Boy for
the Catholic Church in his youth.
John voluntarily enlisted in the US
Marine Corp at the age of 17. He served
our country for just under five years.
Some of his duties included being an
Embassy Guard in Paris, France. He was
also stationed in Okinawa for a time. He
received a Good Conduct Award and one of
his proudest duties was to provide security
for the President of the United States.
While John was in the Marines, he wrote
many letters back and forth to his mother,
father, siblings, and friends. He was always
positive and upbeat in his letters and his
love and care for the recipient was evident
in his writings.
After his service with the Marines, he
returned and worked with his father on the
Hays Hereford Cattle Ranch in Enterprise,
OR. While in Wallowa County he met and
fell in love with Callie “Joann” Pifher. The
two were married on June 18, 1966. John
and Joann raised four children: Johnny
Thomas (1967), Christine Ann (1968),
Debra Mary (1970), and Ryan Eric (1982).
Later in 1967, John and Joann moved to
John Day, Oregon where John managed the
Elks Lodge in John Day, OR. In 1968 he
became the Manager of the Elks Lodge in
Pendleton, Oregon. In 1977, John moved
from Pendleton to Ontario, Oregon to own
and operate Moore’s Alley Restaurant,
where his brother Dan worked side by side
with him. He later owned and operated The
Locker Room in Fruitland, Idaho. In 1981,
John moved to Milwaukie, Oregon, where
he managed the Milwaukie Elks Lodge.
Later, he purchased and operated Winner’s
Bar & Grill in Beaverton, Oregon, and
also worked for the Portland Breakers, a
football team affiliated with the USFL. He
later worked at Beaverton Nissan as the
Fleet and Lease Manager.
Following the death of his Uncle
Michael Rouse, John moved to the Rouse
Brothers Ranch in Unity, Oregon, to help
his Uncle John Rouse. Following his
Uncle John’s death in 1987, he continued
to operate and later acquired the Rouse
Brothers Ranch. During this time, John
became very active in the Baker County
and Oregon Cattlemen’s Association. John
was very passionate about ranching and
landowner grazing/water rights. In 2001,
he became President of the OCA. It was
this period of John’s life that was the most
satisfying and enjoyable, as he worked with
his brothers Mike and Dave, his children
and grandchildren. He also befriended
many employees, neighbors, and OCA
Cattlemen. John didn’t know a stranger.
When he loved, he loved hard. You could
almost bet he was your number one fan and
if you were a friend, you quickly became
family.
John’s most enjoyable times would
consist of watching his grandchildren
play sports and follow them on social
media as well as their daily phone calls.
He was so proud of all his kids and
grandkids, bragging to everyone of their
accomplishments.
He was a regular fixture at the
National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas and
the Pendleton Round Up. In the early
years, his children would testify that you
couldn’t walk 10 feet before stopping and
visiting with yet another friend. John was
an avid Trail Blazer fan and had season
tickets, where he befriended many Blazer
fans, coaches and players. In November
of 1970, he happened to be at a Portland
Trail Blazers game while his daughter
Debra was born. Something Joann would
continue to remind him of regularly. He
always watched The Cowboy Channel,
the Oregon State Beavers, and Portland
Trail Blazers on TV. He especially enjoyed
being able to watch his granddaughter
Mary Shae and her now husband, Jason
Thomas, compete in rodeos on the Cowboy
Channel, videoing their runs and sending
them via text message to all of us. John
also followed the local cowboys he knew
and would root for them so loud through
the TV that it’s quite likely he was heard
in the arenas they were
competing in.
John enjoyed family
gatherings
and
Deb’s
cooking. It didn’t matter
what she made, it was better
than any restaurant he had
ever been to, and second
helpings
were
always
a given. He would say,
waving his plate, “just a
little bit more, if you don’t
mind” with a twinkle in
his eye and a smile on his
face. He was happiest when
surrounded by his children
and grandchildren. As one could imagine,
the volume in the room would elevate
when family gathered. John was okay with
this, as he would just turn the TV up louder,
take a phone call (there were many), and
turn the TV up just a little louder again so
he could hear both the phone and the TV
over the chatter of family members, who
also got louder. It was a vicious cycle, one
we will now miss.
As far as his grandchildren go, John
was especially looking forward to the
wedding of his grandson Morgan to Cody
Jo. He was honored to attend Mary Shae’s
wedding to Jason. The day Anthony
married Chelsea he was beaming with
pride. He was also beaming with pride
when Suzanne married Dustin. John loved
that “Little” John had married Ashley and
was so proud of how devoted they are to
each other. Additionally, he enjoyed that
Trevor always had a pretty girl on his arm.
John loved his family and friends more
than anything. There was rarely a moment
that he wasn’t on the phone joking with one
or the other and bragging about his kids
and grandkids. If you ever spoke with John
in person or on the phone, you knew how
at least one of his children or grandchildren
were excelling at something, whether it be
occupations, military accomplishments,
sports, everyday successes, raising their
families or where they were traveling to
and what incredible adventures they were
on. He also became quite proficient with
emoji’s in his later years.
John loved his siblings and had close
relationships with his cousins as well. He
was often sharing the latest updates about
his brother’s and their families. It was not
uncommon for John to be on the phone
with his cousins and brothers, laughing
so hard he was crying. They had a very
special relationship.
John will be missed by many and
forgotten by none. He was the best Dad,
Grandpa, Gramps, Papa, Uncle, Mentor
and Friend. He will continue to root all
of us on from Heaven and continue to be
proud of all of our accomplishments, no
matter how big or small they are. We are
all better people because of him. John is
survived by his son Johnny (Joan) Hays
of Hermiston, OR, daughters Christine
Massingale of Otis, Oregon and Debbie
(Ty) Bennett of Baker City, OR and
son Ryan (Candice) Hays of Jiggs, NV;
Grandchildren Mary (Jason) Thomas of
Archer City, TX, Heather (Johnny) Lunny,
Holly (Roy) Schuening of Pendleton, OR,
Suzanne (Dustin) Jackson of Tualatin,
OR, USMC Staff Sgt. Anthony (Chelsea)
Massingale of San Diego, CA, Elizabeth
Massingale of Grass Valley, OR, John
(Ashley) Massingale of Baker City, OR
and Trevor and Morgan Bennett of Baker
City, OR. John had 4 great-grandchildren.
Brothers Mike (Ella Mae) Hays of
Newberg, OR and David (Angie) Hays of
Kennewick, WA. He was predeceased by
his parents, sister JoAnn Radinovich and
brother Dan Hays.
Memorial Contributions can be made
to the Oregon Cattlemen’s Association
through Gray’s West & Co. Pioneer
Chapel at 1500 Dewey Ave., Baker City,
OR 97814.
A visitation was held on Tuesday,
November 8, 2022, from 4:00 pm - 6:00
pm at Gray’s West & Co. Pioneer Chapel.
Recitation of the Rosary was held following
the visitation at 6:00 pm at Gray’s West
& Co. Pioneer Chapel. Mass of Christian
Burial was held on Wednesday, November
9, 2022, at St. Francis de Sales Cathedral
beginning at 11:00 am, with Father Rob
Irwin officiating. The vault interment
followed the mass at Mt. Hope Cemetery,
and a reception ceremony was held at the
Baker City Elks Lodge.
To leave an online condolence for
the family of John, please visit www.
grayswestco.com.