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g = i - i Serving Baker County since 1870 • bakercityheratd.com
April 16, 2014
iN mis aomoN: Local • Business @AgLife • Go! magazine 75e
LUNAR ECLIPSE: Lori Rowland took this photo of the total lunar eclipse early Tuesday
QUICIC HITS
Good Day Wish To A Subscriber A special good day to Herald subscriber Holly L. Miller of Baker City.
BRIEFING
Holy Week schedules at area churches FIRST LUTHERAN CHURCH: Thursday, April 17: Maundy Thursday service, 7 p.m. Friday, April 18: Good Friday service, 7 p.m. Sunday, April 20, The resurrection of our Lord Easter breakfast, 9:30 a.m., service, 11 a.m.
• Five candidates for Baker County Commission gathered at a GOPsponsored forum Tuesday evening in Baker City
By Pat Caldwell pcaldwell©bakercityherald.com
While the Baker County Commission Republican candidates forum Tuesday night didn't deliver any dramatic plot points, the event did produceplenty ofstraightforward questions fiom the large crowd. At leastinitially, the event,
sponsored by the Baker County Republicans, summoned a standing-room-only crowd to the Sunridge to hear the five candidates. Bill Harveyis challenging three-term incumbent Fred Warner Jr. for commission chairman, the lone full-time position on the three-member board.
Incumbent Mark Bennett, who was appointed to his position last spring after Carl Stiff resignedforhealth reasons, has drawn two challengers: Gene Stackle and Dick Flemmg. W arner said he believes honest communication with voters is essential. He also emphasized that successful
BaKerCounty'sEagle CreeKOrchardRecovers From2013Freeze
BAKER UNITED METHODIST: Sunday, April 20: Easter brunch, 9:30 a.m.; services at 8:30 a.m. and 11 a.m.; Children's Sunday school, 8:30 a.m.; adult study, 10 a.m.
By Pat Caldwell pcaldwell©bakercityherald.com
Phato by Lisa Britton
Asian pear trees are in loaded with blossoms at Eagle Creek Orchard near Richland. But not every flower results in fruit — Rob Cordtz can tell by looking that the flower with a brown center (right) isn't viable, but the one just to the left appears healthy. Also, the fruit must be thinned to allow room to grow and ensure the limbs don't break from a heavy load.
By Lisa Britton For the Baker City Herald
A year ago Rob and Linda Cordtz spent all night watching the temperature plummet in their fruit orchard and trying everyfrostprotection measure they had to save the harvest. The cold won, resulting in a nearly 100 percent loss. A year later to the day — April 15 — the couple
smile and laugh among trees bursting with blooms and the promise of fruit. "They grew like crazy. It's going tobe a bumper year," Rob says. They own Eagle Creek Orchard near Richland. It has been certified organic with Oregon Tilth since 2008, and this year will be their 10th harvest. After losing their crop in 2013, the Cordtzes knew they had to up-
"They grew like crazy. Itsgoingto bea
bumper year." — Rob Cordtz, Eagle Creek Orchard
gradetheirfrostprotection system, and were encouraged to fundraise through a crowdsourcing website called Indiegogo. Donations met the goal of
$30,000.
'That made it doable," Rob says. The new system, called AgHeat, was developed by a fruit farmer in Hood River. It is fueled by propane insteadofdiesel. Pyramid-shaped heatersareplaced strategically around the five-acre orchard, and are fired up when thetemperature drops to the danger zone of 28 degrees. An alarm wakes Rob and Lindawhen the temperature hits 29 degrees. Even 30 minutes at 28 degreescan kill10 percent of the blossoms, Rob says. The heaters quickly warm the air. "It's almost instant," Rob sald. SeeOrchard I Page6A
Today Photo by Lisa Britton
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A network of newly installed propane-powered heaters will help protect Eagle Creek Orchard's fruit trees from the cold.
Partly cloudy
Thursday
a.,o;
Few showers
Baker City residents could face a number of fee hikes in theupcoming year,and many ofthepriceboostsaretied to the annual consumer price index and the city's fixed debt obligations. City officials will ask the City Council to approve the full slate of fee increases at its next meeting, April 22. 0$cials are recommending price increases in ambulance base rate charges, cemetery, building department and wastewater fees along with a boost in water mainline charges. Modest price hikes on city fees are common, Finance Director Jeanie Dexter said. ''We setthese (fees)every year. Every year some fees change," Dexter said. The proposed increase that will affect the largest number ofresidents isa 5-percent hike in the base water charge for residential and commercial accounts. SeeCity Fees/Page GA
WEATHER
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Council to look at fee increases
Childcare classes scheduled Child Care Resource 8t Referral has scheduled three upcoming classes in Baker City, with the first one starting Thursday. It is titled Recognizing and Reporting Child Abuse and Neglect. The class will meet from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday in the Community Connection meeting room at 2810 Cedar St. This free class is open to the public and is required for those planning to become registered family child care providers or to qualify for the enhanced payment rate through the state Department of Human Services. The next class is titled "Medic First: First Aid and Infant/Child/ Adult CPR." It will meet from 5 p.m. to10 p.m. Monday, April 21, in the Community Connection meeting room. Those attending are asked to enter on the west side of the building near the greenhouse. The fee is $37.50 with scholarships available (call Jean at Child Care Resource and Referral). The third class will be from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 23, at Community Connection. It is titled "Talking with Children about 'Sensitive' Subjects." To register for any of these classes or for more information, call 541-523-7838 or toll-free, 800-956-0324, Extension 7.
governance often depends on inding am iddleground on f flash-point issues. "I believe in open and honest communication and I strive to build bridges. I believe in solutions,"Warner said. Yet he also said he believes there is a limit to federal power. SeeForum IPage6A
T ODAY Issue141, 32 pages
Business ....................1B Calendar....................2A Classified............7B11B
School board d1scusses new tests By Chris Collins ccollins©bakercityherald.com
Implementing new state standards and a new testing programwillnothappen overnight and there will be plenty ofangstforstaffand students along the way, Superintendent Walt Wegener assured the Baker School Board Tuesday night. Butif the program works as its designed to, the district will produce students who are well-prepared forthefuture, he said. The Common Core state standards don't change the basic educational requirements for students, Wegener said. See Te4s/Page 5A
Co m i c s....................... 6B D e a r Abby...............12B Lot t ery Results..........2A Spo r ts ........................SA C o m m u nity News ....3A Hor o scope....10B & 11B N e w s of Record........2A Se n i o r Menus ...........2A Cr o s sword....10B & 11B L e t t ers........................4A Op i n i on......................4A We a t her...................12B
Full forecast on the back of the B section. 8
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