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Serving Baker County since 1870 • bakercityherald.com
April 25, 2014
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iN mis aomoN: Local • Health@Fitness • Outdoors • TV QUICIC HITS
Tracking tiger
NewCodeEnforcementONicer Hired
Good Day Wish To A Subscriber
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A special good day to Herald subscriber Janet Shepardson of Baker City.
Greg Walden here Saturday
• Ruthie Boyd will work to help residents comply with city ordinances
Rep. Greg Walden, R-ore., will have a town hall meeting Saturday, April26, at8 a.m. at the Geiser Grand Hotel, 1996 Main St. in Baker City.
Sports, 7A Mike Knutson and Davey Peterson both had a goal in mind for finishing the Boston Marathonheld Monday. But, Knutson says, it isn't always about the numbers on a clock. "My overall goal is to give it everything I've got on a given day," he sald.
Knutson, 34, finished in 2:30 — just five minutes from his goal of 2:25. However, this was the fastest he's ever run a marathon.
BRIEFING
Candidates forum set for Monday at BHS Candidates for Baker County elected offices to be decided in this year's primary election will present the case for your vote at a candidate's forum on Monday,April 28, at the Baker High School Commons, 2500 E Street. The forum, sponsored by Baker County Association of American UniversityWomen (AAUWj and the Baker City Herald, is open to the public and will be from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Nancy Peyron will be the forum moderator. Candidates for Baker County Commission Position 2 are incumbent Mark Bennett, Dick Fleming and Gene Stackle. All three are Republicans. Candidates for Baker County Commission Chair, Position 3, are Bill Harvey and incumbent Fred Warner Jr. Both are Republicans. Candidates for Baker County Clerk, a nonpartisan position, are Cindy Carpenter, Marcy Osborn and Lara Petitclerc. For more information, call AAUW forum organizer Wanda Raffety at 541-523-2551.
WEATHER
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• There is no detailed proposal, but city and county oficials have discussed ideas such as merging certain aspects of city public works and countyroad department
S. John Collins / Baker City Herald
Code Enforcement Officer Ruthie Boyd checks a south Baker City residence that's been abandoned. Rubbish and household items were left strewn about the yard, porch and garage. By Chris Collins ccollins©bakercityherald.com
Ruthie Boyd's new job as the Baker City Police Department's civilian code enforcement officer is much like the story of the "Magic Porridge Pot." As the story goes, once the pot was started,itw ould continue producing porridge until the magic words "stop littlepot, stop" were uttered by the cook. Although there is no magic involved, Boyd's work seemingly multiplies in much the same way with each contact she makes throughout the
day. "She goes out to address one issue and she comes back with two more," says Police Chief Wyn Lohner. For example, Boyd recently was called to investigate a complaint of someone living in a camp trailer on a south Baker City property with no water or sewer service, which is prohibited by city ordinance. While investigating that issue, another neighbor pointed to a house acrossthe street that has been abandoned for the past two years. "There is garbage everywhere and cats galore," Boyd sard. She was to meet today with the property owner, who lives at Prineville, to begin addressing the problem. Yet another neighbor pointed toa vehicle that had been parked across the street from his home for an extended period. Boyd marked the vehicle and the owner will have a specific time to move it or it will be towed. Rather than simply citing
the property owners and moving on, Boyd is charged with taking the time to explain the problems and to help resolve them, Lohner sard. The 20-year-old Boyd, who will graduate from the Eastern Oregon Regional Reserve Academy on June 7, began her new role with the Baker City Police Department on April 15. She is a 2011 Baker High School graduate and also is employed as a reserve dispatcher with the Baker County 911 Consolidated Dispatch Center. Boyd's father, Jerry Boyd, worked as a police officer in California before he and his family moved to Baker City in 2003. Jerry Boyd was head ofoperations at the dispatchcenter before retiring in 2011. He has since served as commander of the reserve academy, which servespolicedepartments in Baker and Union counties
and Nyssa. Ruthie Boyd says she's interested in following in the footstepsofher dad, and an olderbrother,who also is a policeofficer. She sees the code enforcement position as a way of getting her foot in the door. "I want to do something career wise in law enforcement," she said. "This will help me geta feelfor itand I can help out as much as
By Pat Caldwell pcaldyyell©bakercityherald.com
An idea to consolidate portions of the Baker City Public Works Department with the Baker County Road Department resonates with some city councilors, but what that process would actually mean — and how it could be executed— remains undefined. Some members of the Baker City Council consider a plan to consolidate certain government branches a viable method to save money and increase efficiency. The consolidation concept is not a new one. Several years ago the city planning department folded into the county, and the city and county also have combined their building inspection departments.
possible." She enjoys working at the dispatchcenter as well asin her new role and says she will see where they take her in the future. "I'm young — I'm feeling it out as I go," she said. She has taken some college classes through Blue Mountain Community Col-
SeeCombinelPage 8A
Harvey, Warner have each spent over 8,000
lege. She's studied childhood development and psychology, following the lead of her mother, Jay Boyd, who has a SeeBoydlPage 8A
By Jayson Jacoby llacoby©bakercityherald.com
Total spending on the campaign for Baker County Commission chairman has surpassed
$16,500.
'P
Republicans Fred Warner Jr., the incumbent, and challenger Bill Harvey have spent nearly the same amount this year — Warner has
spent $8,437.80, and Harvey $8,314.92, according to campaign finance reports the candidates filed with the Oregon Secretary of State's office. Warner has accelerated his spending considerably in the past two weeks. Since April 7, Warner's campaign has shelled
out $6,353.13. Most of that went for advertisements on
radio ($3,485 to Elkhorn Media Group) and in newspapers ($1,645 to the Baker City Herald,
S. John Collins/ Baker City Herald
Ruthie Boyd notes the date she tagged this vehicle, which has been parked and unmoved on a south Baker City street for longer than the 72 hours allowed by city ordinance.
$525tothe Record Courier,$393.13 tothe Hells Canyon Journal). See Campaign/Page 8A
Today
Cnuntycommissionershlsckmedicalpststores
54/26 Snow showers
moratorium for the county and the city of Unity Wednesday morning. The Board of Commissioners consists of Chair Fred Warner, Mark Bennett and The meeting was short, to the point and no one arrivedto testify againstaproposalby the Baker Tim Kerns. "It (the moratorium) is just until May 1, 2015. County Board of Commissioners to enact a one-year moratorium on medical marijuana dispensaries. That will give us a chance to see what the state is By a 3-0 vote the Commission approved the goingto do,"Warner said. By Pat Caldwell
Saturday
pcaldyyell©bakercityherald.com
54/30 Mostly cloudy
Sunday
50/29 A few showers
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More than 100 cities in Oregon have ratified bans — in one form or another — on medical marijuana dispensaries, including Baker City. Earlier this week Washington County voted to authorize a oneyear ban on medical marijuana facilities. See Pbt Shops/Rge 8A
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T ODAY Issue 145, 22 pages
Calendar....................2A Co m m u n ity News ....3A Hea l t h ........................1C Obi t u aries..... Classified.. ...........4B-SB Crossword........5B & 7B Jayson Jacoby..........4A Opinion Comics.......................3B De a r Abby...............10B Ne w s of Record........2A Ou t d o ors......
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Sp o r ts ........................7A T e l e vision .........3C & 4C W e a t her ................... 10B
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