Baker City Herald paper 4-1-15 by NorthEast Oregon News

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April 1, 2015

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BaKerCountySnowpacKAt0r NearRecordlows

Good Day Wish To A Subscriber A special good day to Herald subscriber Keith Koeff of Baker City.

Oregon, 5A BEND — The cougar killed Saturday on Pilot Butte was the first big cat confirmed to be on the Bend landmark in more than a decade. But it was the second to be killed in a part of Bend surrounded by development in the past two months. Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife officials killed a cougar found Jan. 30 resting in a tree near S.E. Polaris Court and Roosevelt Avenue, about a block west of Kiwanis Park, and a Bend Police officer shot and killed the cougar Saturday seen sitting near a trail on Pilot Butte. They gave the same reason for killing both cougars — public safety.

By Joshua Dillen ]dtllen©bakercttyherald.com

Baker City officials are negotiating a possible settlement with City Councilor Richard Langrell in his lawsuit against the city. Earlier this month the judge overseeingthe lawsuit ruled that the city can't use its key evidenceifthe case goesto trial. A jury trial is scheduled for Thursday and Friday in Baker Lan grett County Circuit Court. A settlement would eliminate the need for a trial in Langrell's suit in which he is asking the city to repay more than $9,000 in water and sewer bills that he and his wife, Lynne, paid fortheirmotel overthepastdecade.

Nation, 6A Yosemite National Park is bracing for its driest year on record, with visitor bureaus downplaying the allure of the park's most famous waterfall and instead touting the park as a destination for hiking, bicycling and photography. Yosemite Falls will probably go dry in June — two months earlier than usual, parks officials say. The Merced River, which powers the spectacular Nevada and Vernal falls before meandering across the Yosemite Valley floor, will probably slow to a shallow stream about the same time.

BRIEFING

Learn more about sage grouse habitat program Baker County landowners can learn more about a program that could protect them from the possible effects if the sage grouse is listed as a threatened or endangered species. The county recently signed a Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurances deal with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Property owners can learn more about the program during a public meeting set for April 9 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the OTEC headquarters meeting room, 4005 23rd St. in Baker City.

WEATHER

Today

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See Lawsuit/Page GA

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City to rmTtp up fire inspections

By Joshua Dillen ]dtllen©bakercttyherald.com

S. John Collins /BakerCity Herald

Bald Mountain, seen here from Bowen Valley south of Baker City, isn't merely devoid of trees near its 6,600-foot summit — it's also lacking snow, a rarity for this early in the spring.

By Jayson Jacoby

that depends on mountain snowpacks to replenish irrigationreservoirsand keep Baker County's snowpack is setting records. streams and springs flowing, But not the sort of records and already is suffering from theeffectsoftw oconsecutive anybody is apt to brag about. A few snow-measuring sites drought years. have no snow to measure, someThere is still snow at Little thing nearly unprecedented for Alps, in the Elkhorn Mountains early spring in more than half a about three miles from Anthony Lakes Ski Area iand 900 verticentury of record-keeping. The absence of snow bodes cal feet lower). badlyfora county,and region, But the water content in that ]]acoby©bakercttyherald.com

The Baker City Fire Department is ramping up its fire prevention and safety inspection program. Although the program is a long-standing one, the process of providing fire safety inspections at local businesses has not been consistent, Fire Chief Mark John said. He said the department is going to expand and enhance that program. 'The fire department completed a total of eight fire prevention inspections during 2014," said John, who started work as fire chief this winter.'This represents approximately two percent of the total number of commercial occupancies in the city."

snow is the lowest ever measured at this time of year. Surveyors have kept track of the snowpack at Little Alps every winter since 1959. Little Alps is one of several sites in the region where people still measure snow, a task handled in the main by a series of more than three dozen automated"Snotels." See Snowpack/Fbge 8A

See Inspect/Page GA

uickactionsaves Sumnter womanfromhlaie ByChris Collins ccolltns©bakercttyherald.com

As Sundaymarked the beginning ofthe Christian celebration of Holy Week, guardian angels seemingly were gathering over the home of Lorraine Wells in Sumpter. Wells' home that she shares with her 51-year-old son, Geoffrey, and Brian Vodnik, 47,caught fi re aboutnoon and was saved by volunteer firefighters. And the frail 81-year-old, who was sitting inside the house as the fire gained momentum, was carried to safety by an Oregon State Police officer as smoke billowed around her. "All that stuff is happening so fast — hearing that someone's in there, it's such an intense situation," said OSP Sr. Trooper Brad Duncan Tuesday as he deflected any recognition as a D unc a n hero.'We're all one big team and everybody pitches in with what needs to be done." Duncan turned any recognition for heroism back to the firefighters.

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Issue138,32 pages

O regon State Police trooper saved a Sumpter woman from a fire Sunday afternoon.

Business... ...........1BBB Comics.... ...................4B Dear Abby.... ...........10B News of Record........3A Senior Menus ...........2A Carendar....................2A C o m m u nity News....3A Hor o scope........7B & SB O b i t uaries........2A & 3A Spo r t s ........................7A Classified............. 5BBB Cr o s sword........7B & SB L e t t ers........................4A Op i n i on......................4A We a t her...................10B

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2A — BAKER CITY HERALD

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 2015

BAKER COUNTY CALENDAR THURSDAY, APRIL 2 • Never Miss A Chance to Dance:The Powder River Dance Club meets, 6:30 to 8 p.m.,Veterans of Foreign Wars Club, 2005Valley Ave.; more information is available by calling 541-524-9306. • Medical Springs Rural Fire Protection District Board: 7 p.m. at the Pondosa Station. FRIDAY, APRIL 3 • KeithTaylor:Plays piano every Friday, 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., Veterans Center,1901 Main St.; free admission. • First Friday art shows:Baker City art galleries are open late to showcase the month's new artwork; opening times varybetween 5:30p.m .and 6 p.m.atCrossroads Carnegie Art Center, Peterson's Gallery and the ShortTerm Gallery. SATURDAY, APRIL 4 • Easter Egg Hunt:This annual community Easter Egg Hunt is for ages 3-11.Geiser-Pollman Park will be divided into areas for certain ages. Lineup is at 9:45 a.m.; hunt begins at 10 a.m. Prizes include filled plastic eggs, toys and candy. Some eggs have prize-winning slips so open eggs before leaving. Organized by the Baker City Herald. • Shriners Kids Rodeo:Stickhorse races, roping, mutton busting and more. Signup starts at 10 a.m. and the event at 11 a.m.; Baker Fairgrounds show barn, 2600 East St.

TURNING HACK THE PAGES 50 YEARS AGO from the Democrat-Herald April 1, 1965 Snow densities are very high on the Baker County snow courses even for this time of year, the Soil Conservation Service announced today after completing the April 1 snow readings. Paul Calverley, work unit conservationist for the Burnt River Soil and Conservation District, saidAnthony Lakes, at 7,100 feet, showed a record since 1936 in both average snow depth and moisture content for this time of year. 25 YEARS AGO from the Democrat-Herald April 2, 1990 The Baker School Board hasscheduled a meeting at7 p.m. Wednesday with people willing to help with a campaign effort for a new tax base. A tax base increase of $763,548 will be placed before school district voters May 15. 10 YEARS AGO from the Baker City Herald April 1, 2005 Idaho is pilfering thousands of fish from Baker County's Phillips Reservoir. Oregon fish biologist Nadine Craft not only condones the massive theft, she practically begs the thieves to slink back across the border with their loot. The situation sounds puzzling, but there's a legitimate and logical purpose to the fish filching that's going on at Phillips. Call it yellow perch piracy. ONE YEAR AGO from the Baker City Herald April 2, 2014 A key component to a filter used to prevent sand from flowing into the pool at the Sam-0-Swim Center failed earlier this week, prompting Baker City Councilor Roger Coles to ask for an explanation why yet another mechanism at the facility was not working. Coles sent an e-mail to City Manager Mike Kee asking for a full report to the City Council on the issue. .. I am requesting a full report from "you" at the next council meeting on the "Sand Filter" at the Sam-0 that started leaking sand into the pool again this weekend after it (sicj was supposedly fixed..." Coles wrote in his email to Kee. " .

OREGON LOTTERY MEGABUCKS, March 30

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WIN FOR LIFE, March 30 24-3942-74

SENIOR MENUS • THURSDAY:Hot turkey sandwich, stuffing with gravy, broccoli-blend vegetable, macaroni salad, tapioca pudding • FRIDAY:Baked cod, cup of clam chowder, baby carrots, coleslaw, brownie Pub/ic luncheon atthe Senior Center,2810 Cedar St., 11:30 a.m.to 12:30 p.m.; $3.50 donation (60 and older), $5.75 for thoseunder 60.

CONTACT THE HERALD 1915 First St. Open Monday through Friday 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Telephone: 541-523-3673 Fax: 541-523-6426 Kari Borgen, publisher kborgen@bakercityherald.com Jayson Jacoby, editor jjacoby@bakercityherald.com Advertising email ads@bakercityherald.com

Classified email classified@bakercityherald.com Circulation email circ@bakercityherald.com

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®ukl.t Cffg%eralb ISS N-8756-6419 Serving Baker County since 1870 PublishedMondays,Wednesdays and FndaysexceptChnstmas Day by the Baker Publishing Co., a part of Western communica0ons Inc., at 1915 First st. (PO. Box 807k Baker City, OR 97814. Subscnpson rates per month are: by carner $775; by rural route $8.75; by mail $12.50. stopped account balances less than $1 will be refunded on request. Postmaster: Send address changes to the Bakercity Herald, po. Box802 Baker City, OR 97814. Rriodicals Postage Paid at Baker City, Oregon 97814

OBITUARIES John Burgess Baker City, 1928-2015

John Childs Burgess, 86, of Baker City, died peacefully at St. Alphonsus Medical Center at Baker City on the morning of March 29, 2015, after a long battle with cancer. His memorial service will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at the First Presbyterian Church, 1995 John Fourth St. Burgess John was born on Dec. 31, 1928, at Bend to R. C."Bud" and Dorothea Burgess. His fatherwas a forestranger, and John spent his young yearsatranger stations in La Pine, Crescent, and Cascadia. He and his older brother, Bob, spent their childhood swimming in the Santiam River,riding horses and camping in the woods with their dad. John moved to Baker in 1941 at age 13 when his fatherwas transferred to the Baker Ranger District. He was a 1946 Baker High School graduate and graduated from the Oregon State School of Pharmacy in 1951. He then returned to Baker to work for Henry Levinger at the Levinger Rexall Drug Store as a pharmacist. He was to spend the rest ofhis long life in Baker, the town he loved. John's mother, Dorothea, was a teacher at the Baker Junior High School. She introduced John to a fellow teacher, Frances Ellen Schodde, a recent graduate

of the University of Idaho. They were married in April of 1952. John and his partner Jay McKee bought the Rexall Drug store from Henry Levinger in 1968 and the two were in business together until John's retirement in 1983. During his many years at Levinger Drug he made the acquaintance of virtually everyone in Baker and was on a first name basis with most of his customers. John became very active in local business and service organizations. He was in the Chamber of Commerce, the Community Chest, and was the last charter member of the Baker Rotary Club — as well as a longtime member of the Baker Elks Lodge. In later years, he helped establish the Safeway Pharmacy, where he worked for many years. He often volunteeredatthe Baker Heritage Museum. John was an elder in the Presbyterian Church and the church's longest surviving member. John had a lifelong interest in aviation. He learned to fly at the Baker airport while still in high school, and owned several airplanes. He was a devoted husband and loving father to his three children: Jim, Amy and Rob. John gave his family many treasured memories of flights to Washington, D.C., Disneyland, Florida, and many other places with John and his son, Jim, at the controls of his private plane. The family also enjoyed boating at the Snake River, Wallowa Lake and skiing at Anthony Lakes. John was preceded in

death by his parents, Bud and Dorothea Burgess; his brother, Bob Burgess; his son, Robert M. Burgess CPA; and his brother-in-law, Dean Mahoney MD. Survivors include Frances, his wife of 63 years; his son, Jim; his daughter, Amy Clarke, her husband, Nelson Clarke, and their children, Peter and Anna Clarke; his daughter-i n-law,TaraWarren iwidow of Robert) and their three children, Cole, Erin, and Jack Burgess; two sisters-in-law, Della Jean Burgess, Colleen Mahoney, and her four children. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made to the St. Alphonsus Billie Ruth Bootsma Clinic, the Baker County Library District or the Friends of the Baker Heritage Museum through

daughters, Gwen Brown and Sheila Feldmeier of Baker City and Rose Graham of Vancouver, Washington; two sons, William and Richard Miano, both of Reno, Nevada; eight grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by a daughter, Jessica French; and her husband, Alvin Miano. Memorial contributions may be made to Heart 'n' Home Hospice through Gray's West & Co. Pioneer Chapel, 1500 Dewey Ave., Baker City, OR. 97814.

Louise Stewart Former Baker City resident, 1928-2015

Louise M. Stewart, 86, of McCall, Idaho, a former Baker City resident died March 25, 2015, at her home. A Memorial Mass will be Gray's West & Co., 1500 celebrated at 11 Dewey Ave., Baker City, OR a.m. Saturday, 97814. April 11, at Our Lady of the Louise Lak e Catholic Edna Miano Stewart Ch u rch in McBaker City, 1924-2015 Edna Grace Miano, 91, of Call. The rosary Baker City died March 20, will be said at 7 p.m. Friday, 2015, at Meadowbrook Place. April 10. She was born on Feb. 20, Louise was born December 1924, at Deer Park, Washing- 10, 1928, to Harvey and Irma ton, to Ira Johnson and Addie Blair in Baker City. She was Fuller Johnson. one of 12 children in the famEdna married Alvin C. ily. She attended St. Francis Miano on Dec. 9, 1939, at Academy at Baker City. Deer Park, Washington. On April 27, 1947, Louise During this marriage, they married Joe Stewart and raised six children through they began their life together. times when things were not They lived in many places, always easy. including Baker City, OntarAlong with being a house- io, John Day, Prairie City and wife, Edna was also a school finally settling at McCall, cook. She liked to collect owls Idaho. In that time they were and other figurines. blessed with five children, Survivors include her three seven grandchildren, and 11 great-grandchildren. Louise had a passion for cooking, be it for family gettogethers, friends or church A well-loved longtime resident of Baker City passed events like the Winter CarniI val Spaghetti Feed. But she peacefully away on March 2, 2015, at home with her family. reallyloved cooking for her Lela was born in Lead, South Dakota on May 12, 1936, to kids, and her "school" kids. Earl 8r Thelma Reinecke. Her mother was a grade school She was known as the teacher while her father worked as a metallurgist for the Lunch Lady at the McCallHomestake Mining Company. Lela graduated in 1954 from Lead High where DonnellyJr.High forma ny she was active in many high school activities, sports, and became a swimming years, but she served far life guard. D u ring the summer of 1954, while working as a tourist guide for more than just a lunch made Homestake Mining Company, she was noticed by one of the workers as being with love, family members said. She served support, the most outspoken and friendliest of all the guides. This guy was eventually to praise, love, hugs, hope and become her husband, Mel. smiles to everyone who went Lela and Mel met at a dance in Spearfish and both enjoyed each other so much through her cafeteria. She that the romance began. Their marriage took place December 26, 1954; 60 years was "Mom" to so many. together was celebrated in 2014. The marriage survived many challenges including Louise enjoyed being college, work, moving and eventually settling in Baker City to create new friends, outdoors, whether it be campjobs, and a home. During the marriage two children were born, David of Baker ing, tending her flower beds City and Lori of Medical Springs. Each provided Lela and Mel with joyful grandor just sitting on her back porch, enjoying acup ofcoffee children and great grand-children. Lela was a great wife, mother, grandmother, and watching the hummingand great grandmother who couldn't do enough for her grand-children. birds. She was a beautiful Lela worked for Dr. Whitnah as a receptionist, bookkeeper, and office manager seamstressand she loved to for over 20 years. She often said she enjoyed every day at work and met many crotchet and embroidery. new friends and clients. She and her husband often thought how fortunate they Many a precious baby were, to be living in such a friendly community and both enjoyed their jobs until wore her embroidery retirement. Lela was active in clubs, sororities, Jaycettes, cards, bowling, dinner trimmed onesiesor slept parties, and Me 8r You dances. Camping fishing, boating, and picnicking with peacefully wrapped in one of close friends were all a large part ofher life. She enjoyed having pets, both cats and her famous crocheted baby blankets made with love. dogs, and spoiled them all. While living at Pine Creek Lela had a pet deer named She was a Cub Scout Spook. Spook raised twin fawns for five years and kept the flowers trimmed back... leader, a Girl Scout leader, also the garden. a 4-H leader and a 26-year Lela, however, was not blessed with good health, having struggled with Crohn's breast cancer survivor. disease from age of 23 and endured multiple operations for that as well as other Louise's greatest joy was ailments. Many did not know this as she carried on such an active lifestyle. The her family. She raised her last ten years she struggled with Alzheimer's and gently lost the battle March 2, children with unconditional 2015. love and showed them that with hard work, grace, Lela is survived by her loving husband Mel; daughter Lori Wirth 8r husband strength and integrity, all Jim, their children granddaughter Angie Hays 8r husband David with great things are possible. grandchildren James and Austin, granddaughter Kim Jonas 8r husband Corey Her grandkids were a very with great grandchildren Logan and Clara; son David Sorensen, his children important part ofher life. granddaughter Lanae Sorensen, grandson Josh Sorensen 8r wife Sharon with great She made sure that each one grandchildren Violet and Payton. Lela is also survived by life-long friends Penny felt loved and appreciated Webster of Seattle and Mary 8r Rolland Johnson of Rapid City, South Dakota. and she had a special bond Proceeded in death by her parents, sister Janet Stearns, and grandson Brian with each one of them. Her biggest blessing may Sorensen, who died of cancer at the young age of 19. have been her great-grandThe family wishes to thank Dr. Alanko 8r Staff, Heart 8r Home, and our very kids. Their unconditional love special care givers: Tammy Zimmer, Tami Randall and Hannah Dalgliesh. for her brought an incredible Please join the family for a Celebration of Life at Quail Ridge Golf Course deep joy to her heart. She in Baker City on April 11th at 11 a.m. for lunch. In lieu of flowers, memorial cherished each and every mocontributions in Lela's honor can be made to one of the following or a charity of ment spent with her family. your choice through Coles Funeral Home. SeeObituaries/Page 8A

Lela E. Sorensen

Ronald McDonald House, Boise, ID Keating Elementary School PTO, 41964 Miles Bridge Road, Baker City, OR 97814 Billy Payton Fund

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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 2015

Continued from Page1A Unlike Snotels, which measure the snow depth and water content hourly, sites such as Little Alps are surveyed once a month, usually within a week of the month's first day. In Baker County volunteersvisited three siteson March 27 — Little Alps, Anthony Lakes and Little Antone. Surveyors checked three other sites in the southern part of the county — Dooley Mountain, Barney Creek and Eldorado Pass — on Monday. Turns out they needn't have bothered with that trio. All were snow-fiee. That's not so rare at Eldorado Pass, which is one of the lowest measuring sites in the area,atjust4,600 feet. But Dooley Mountain has lacked snow at the start of April in just two other years since it was set up as a measuring course in 1940. The other years are 1992 and 1963. On average, Dooley Mountain has 8 inches of water content when April begins. The good news is that southern Baker County's primary irrigation reservoir, Unity, is full. But with the various forks of the Burnt River that feed the reservoir flowing at levels well below average forearly spring,thereservoir won't stay full for long, said Jerry Franke, recently retired manager of the Burnt River Irrigation District, who stayed on to work as the dam tender at Unity Dam. "It's likely to be a short iwaterl season again this year," Franke said this morning. But the farmers and ranchers downstream from the reservoir are prepared for that, he said. 'This isn't their first rodeo," Franke said.'They've been through this before." Including the past two years. The Burnt River country is fortunate in one sense,

BAKER CITY HERALD —3A

N.i. SrelonSnowpackReport Measuring Site

Elevation

Aneroid Lake Anthony Lakes* Barney Creek* Beaver Reservoir Bourne County Line DooleyMountain* Eilertson Meadow Eldorado Pass* Gold Center

Snow WaterE uivalent inches Now

7,300 7,125 5,850 5,150 5,800 4,530 5,340 5,400 4,600 5,340 High Ridge 4,980 Little Alps* 6,200 Little Antone* 4,600 Moss Springs 5,850 Mount Howard 7,910 Schneider Meadow 5,400 Taylor Green 5,740 Tipton 5,150 Wolf Creek 5,630 AVERAGE

Snow Average % of avg. lastyear Depth

14.6 18.1 0

24.2 24.4

60 74

N/A

8.8 14.7 0.5 8.0 6.8 0 4.4 21.0 13.6 6.8 25.1 15.1 26.6 19.5 11.5 16.7

N/A N/A

0.7 0 0 0 0 0 7.3 4.4 0 13.3 12.1 12.9 2.9 2.4 5.0

0 0 0 0 0 35 32 0 53 78 48 15 21 30 27

26.5 26.5 3.8 9.9 12.1

N/A 2.1 4.4 0 4.2 20.3 12.0 4.0 30.4 23.3 22.5 18.6 9.8 14.7

37 45 0

N/A 0 0 0 0 0 15 14 0 30 26 28

Source: U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service

'Denotes site measured monthly by snow surveyors. The others are Snotels — automated sites where data are measured hourly and relayed via radio signal. Snotel data are available online at: http://www.or.nrcs.usda.gov/snow/maps/oregon sitemap.html

2nd-warmest March at BakerAirport This was the second-warmest March on record at the Baker CityAirport, based on the average daily high temperature of 58.3 degrees. The warmest March was 1992, when the average high temperature was 60.1 degrees. The overall average high temperature for March at the airport, where records date to1944, is 49.7 degrees. The coldest March was 1955, when the average high was 39.7 degrees. Factor in all hourly temperatures — not just the daily highs — and the average temperature for March wasn't quite as noteworthy. At 42.1 degrees, this March ranked as the seventh-warmest on record at the airport — although it was the warmest March since1992 (43.7). The March record was set in 1986, with a monthly average of 45.1 degrees.

Franke said. Unity Reservoir water irrigates mainly pasture and hay ground, which requires less water than higher-value row crops such as potatoes.

The situation is quite different in, for instance, the Ontario area, where row crops predominate. But the water source for those farms — Owyhee Reservoir

— is just 27 percent full after three straight drought years. Farmers in that area are likely to get about one-third of the water they receive were Owyhee Reservoir full or nearly so. "Compared to some areas we're one ofthe betterbad ones," Franke said. Another key Baker County reservoir is Phillips, along the Powder River about 17 miles southwest of Baker City. Phillips Reservoir, which irrigates more than 30,000 acres in Baker and Bowen valleys, is 41 percent full and is not likely to fill this spring considering the scanty snowpack. Conditions aren't quite as direatthe highestelevations. The water content at Anthony Lake, for instance, is 74 percent of average.

NEWS OF RECORD FUNERALS PENDING Rhonda Hack: Memorial service/celebration of Rhonda's life, 11 a.m., at the Baker City Christian Church, 675 Highway 7. Friends are invited to join the family for a potluck reception at the church after the service. Memorial contributions may be made to the Pendleton Round-Up Happy Canyon Hall of Fame orto Meadowood Springs Speech and Hearing Camp throughTami's Pine Valley

Funeral Home Bt Cremation Services,PO. Box 543, Halfway, OR 97834.Online condolences may be shared at www.tamispine valleyfuneralhome. H. Clifford "Cliff" Colvin: 87, of Baker City, died March 29, 2015, at his home. Vigil services will be at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 7, at St. Francis de Sales Cathedral, First and Church streets; Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11 a.m.,wednesday, April 8, at St. Francis de

Sales Cathedral. Interment will be later at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia. Coles Tribute Center is in charge of arrangements. Lela E. Sorensen: Celebration of Life, 11 a.m., Saturday, April 11, at Quail Ridge Golf Course; friends are invited to join the family for lunch; memorial contributions may be made to theRonald McDonald House, the Keating Elementary School Parent-Teacher Organization or

the Billy Payton Fund through Coles Tribute Center, 1950 Place St. Baker City, OR 97814.

POLICE LOG Baker City Police Arrests, citations PAROLE VIOLATION (Oregon Parole Board warrant): Joseph William Dial, 23, of Lakeview, 2:10 a.m. Tuesday, in the 1200 block of Resort Street; jailed.

LOCAL BRIEFING Soil/water districts plan April meetings Baker County's four Soil and Water Conservation Districts have scheduled their April meetings. The public is welcome to attend all meetings and meals will be available to those who RSVP by calling Tara at 541-523-7121, extension 100. • Burnt River — Thursday, April 2, 6 p.m. at the USDA Service Center, 3990 Midway Drive in Baker City. • Baker Valley — Thursday, April 9, noon at the USDA Service Center. • Eagle Valley — Monday, April 20, noon at the Richland Grange Hall. • Keating — Tuesday, April 21, noon at the USDA Service Center.

Seed Labyrinth at Baker Methodist Pastor Elke Sharma of Baker Methodist Church announcesa Seed Labyrinth offered during Holy Week through April 4. The Tuesday After School Class helped create these. Everyone is welcome to participate in the Labyrinth on M aundy Thursday and Good Friday.Fourteen Stations of the Cross will be included at the church, 1919 Second St.

Holy Week services at First Lutheran First Lutheran Church will observe Holy Week with special services Thursday and Friday. A Maundy Thursday service with Holy Communion will begin at 7 p.m. April 2 at the church at 1734 Third St. The Good Friday service also will begin at 7 p.m. April 3 at the church. And Easter will be celebrated with Holy Communion at 11 a.m. April 5.

Spring clean up at Mount Hope Cemetery Baker City's maintenance contractor, Grass Master, will begin spring cleanup at Mount Hope Cemetery on April 6. The cleanup will continue through April 24. As part of the work, Grass Master will remove deteriorated decorations, flowers and floral designs. Thatching, edging, fertilizing and weed spraying also will be done as the weather permits. Familiesare asked to remove any decorativeitems, flowersorothermateri alsbeforeApril6.Decorativeitems that are not removed from graves and headstones by that date will be collected by the contractor. Collected items, other than perishable or deteriorated items, will be stored until claimed or until Nov. 1, 2015. Items conforming to the cemetery rules may be placed on or returned to the graves beginning April 25. More information is available by calling the City of Baker City at 541-524-2046 or 541-524-2063. — Compiled from staff reports and press releases

OBITUARIES Continued from Page 2A

Louise Stewart Former Baker City resident, 1928-2015

"Mom touched the lives of so many people, and in return, so many people enriched her life. She will live on in our hearts through the many wonderful memories we all have," family members said. cWe are her legacy. We will be collecting and sharing m emories ather celebration oflifeafter servicesand encourage others to jot down a memory to share. cWe will leave you all with one of Mom's most powerful words of advice. When in need or at a loss, say three Hail Marys and all will turn out right.'We love you mom." Survivors include her children, Tom i Janiel, Rainey Jensen, Richard, Shirley i Justinl Florence, and Tracey iToddl Schaefer; two sisters, Loretta Cook and Jeannette Beck; and one brother, Al Delepierre; her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband; her parents; her son-in-law, Lee Jensen; and brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews. Heikkila Funeral Chapel is in charge of arrangements.

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BAKER CITY

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 2015 Baker City, Oregon

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Serving Baker County since 1870

EDITORIAL

Write a letter news@bakercityherald.com

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Now that the Baker City Council has stepped ontothe shaky legalground ofbanning commercial marijuana sales in the city, we hope councilors will avoid walking into the potentially expensive morass of a lawsuit. We expect that, were the matter to go to city voters, a majority would support the Council's move to ban marijuana shops. But we're skeptical that the majority would continue to back their elected oKcials in a legal challenge that could siphon money from important city services. Yet that's the risk the Council has taken in banning all commercial sales of marijuana, whether for medicinal or recreational purposes. The Council's aggressive approach likely will move Baker City into the forefront of Oregon's political debate over how much authority cities and counties have to regulate marijuana sales. That's not an enviable position. Marijuana proponents almost certainly will be looking for chances to sue cities and counties that seek to weaken or thwart both the state's medical marijuana law or the pending legalization of pot for recreational use, which takes e6'ect July 1. Local residents who support medical marijuana dispensaries have said asmuch. There are two compelling reasons for the Council to rescind its recent approval of Ordinance 3336. First, the city's one-year moratorium on medical marijuana dispensaries — which does have the legal backing of the state — continues until May 1. A Baker City couple said this week that they intend to apply for a state permit for a medical marijuana store here, but they would be the first to do so. As for recreational pot shops, the state won't even start taking applications for those until January, and state oKcials said they don't expect any stores to open until the fall of 2016. Which brings up the second reason for Baker City to wait. The Oregon Legislature is considering a billSenate Bill 542 — that would give cities the legal authority to ban recreational marijuana stores. The city has no such authority now, despite its passage of

Ordinance 3336. But even if that bill doesn't become law, the measure that Oregon voters approved last November to legalize recreational marijuana use, also allows cities, by a vote of residents, to ban commercial pot sales. Cities can't schedule such a vote before the ¹ vember 2016 election, but as we noted, it's unlikely that any recreational pot shop would have a state license to open before then anyway. The issue of banning medical marijuana stores

also is in a legal limbo. A Josephine County judge ruled last fall in favor of the city of Cave Junction, whose city council banned medical marijuana sales. But the state has appealed that ruling. Ultimately, the Baker City Council's approval of Ordinance 3336, based on current state law, seems to us more likely to lead to a lawsuit than to prevent a marijuana store &om opening.

946EROVS TNNS"

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It'stime orusa to s ow mer By Orlando R. Barone I was walking alone along Sansom Street in Philly when a man approached me and asked for a dollar because he "needed something to eat." My response in these situations is wildly inconsistent. I often wave the person otf and we go about our business. This time I opened my wallet, fished around, found a ten spot and handed it to the man who called me a"blessing." My faith tells me that this act of mercy should have been done in secret, so I just blew that out of the water. I begin to realize as well that such acts, the giving of alms, donations to the poor, a tenner to a beggar, are acts available mainly to the more powerful. I had money; he, presum-

ably, didn't. Mercy is what the powerful get to show the powerless. As is cruelty. Some time ago, a person familiar with the history of our country's once-thriving slave tradeexplained a crucialaspectofthat institution The planter might be kind to his slaves. He might also be unrelentingly cruel. The problem is, he has the option." The evil of slavery, in other words, is the evil of one human's power over others, the power to capture them, move them to the forced labor camps known as "plantati ons,"andtreatthesepersons any way you wish, with or without mercy — with or without cruelty. The only justice is God's own. Pope Francis has just announced a one-year jubilee,"The Holy Year of Mer-

cy." Certainly, he is calling on all of us to extend the hand of mercy. I also sense that, in keeping with his papacy's theme, he is calling out the powerful, those with an extra ten spot in their pockets, and issuing a special challenge to us. The year starts Dec. 8, the much misunderstood feast of the Immaculate Conception. This is Francis at his most ironic. His call is for us to understand mercy as the act of sinners. We show mercy precisely because we need mercy. We forgive precisely because we require forgiveness. We are sinners. The Immaculate Conception refers to the Virgin Mary, the one human being, apart &om Jesus himself who was conceived without sin. In other words, folks, if you are worthy to bear the son of God in your womb, you are exempt &om showing mercy. Any takers? We can't help recalling gospel exhortations like, "Be merciful as your heavenly Father is merciful," or Jesus' required prayer,"Forgive us our debts as we forgiveour debtors."We are called upon to use our privileged position, our power, to emulate the most powerful. We are told to let our mercy and forgiveness bottom out as soon as God's does. Much has been written about just what the pope is changing in the Catholic Church. Well, here it is. We Catholics tend to be kind, pretty friendly, and reasonably generous. We do have a habit, however, of shaking our fingers at wrongdoers. We have a lot to say to sinners about their sordid little sins.

We listen to the Prodigal Son story and relate better to the son who never dissedhisdad and gotupsetthatthe fattedcalfwent tothereprobate.We listen to the story of the woman caught in adultery and focus on the fact that Jesus said,"Go and sin no more," rather than the story's point: Only the sinless get to throw stones, and, since the Virgin Mary isn't one for stone-throwing, then none of us is qualified. Drop the rocks! Francis has redefined "evangelizing." We spread the gospel, not so much by converting unbelievers but by showing them divine mercy and love, using our talents, our power, and our money to heal, to feed, to clothe, to lift up. What they believe atter that is in God's hands. In other words, we talk a lot to sinners. Francis is recommending, instead, that during the Holy Year of Mercy, we stop talking to sinners and start talking as sinners. Then maybe we will start using the power we have to forgive and to show mercy. We will realize that no matter how often we do forgive, no matter how often we show mercy, we need it more. Try this. The next time you are tempted to render judgment on the sin of another, whisper this prayer: "Oh God, be merciful to me, a sinner."Then see what comes out of your mouth. Full disclosure: That little recommendation came fiom Jesus, not me. Orlando R. Barone isa writer in Doylestor Un, Pennsyl vania. He

wrote this for the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Your views Travel management is cooking in every FS project

manyroads have been closed during this so-called pause?) Nothing has changed since it was shot down two years ago. Press Release — USFS scheduled for reality check'! Insinuating this is a new development, For usdealing with theForestService once again, rightly confirms the lack of for the past 15 years, on a nearly daily ba- confidence we have in the Forest Service sis, this action is well past due. It becomes beingcapableofspeaking forthright. more apparent every day since the Travel Press release fiom Mr. Pena, March Management Plan was withdrawn two 19, 2015,"Itis my expectation that all three forests iincluding the Umatillal will years ago. Nearly asdisappointing — thepress. continue to address natural resource conIn Eastern Oregon, I find it hard to cernsand publicaccessneed asa partof believe anyone on the staffof the newsongoingprojectleveldecisionsandforest papers can print these misleading Forest restoration projects."What we know fiom Service press releases as breaking news. this statement, road closures will occur in Intentionally misleading the people in theseprojectsproviding aback doorfor regardtoroad closuresisblatantpropadosures. Bartering ofroads to escape litigation ganda coming fiom the USFS at this time. Itis notnews the TMP is on hold. iHow is common at the table of collaboration.

Travel Management is not on the burner but is cooking under the guise of every single project in the Blue Mountain forests. The Forest Service has a problem and it's time to own up. This agency was forced to withdraw a TMP, then was confionted last fall with the problem of11 counties withdrawing support for the agencies proposed Blue Mountain Forest Plan. Still, yes still they continue down a road ofignoring public sentiment. Intentionally disregarding the message and presenting the illusion of public engagement. A question plagues me,"why are the forests in such miserable condition?" Wanda Ballard Baker City

CONTACT YOUR PUBLIC OFFICIALS President Barack Obama: The White House, 1600 PennsylvaniaAve.,Washington, D.C. 20500; 202-456-1414; fax 202456-2461; to send comments, go to www.whitehouse.gov/contact. U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley: D.C. office: 313 Hart Senate Office Building,U.S. Senate,Washington, D.C.,20510; 202-224-3753; fax 202-228-3997. Portland office: One WorldTrade Center, 121 S.W. Salmon St. Suite 1250, Portland, OR 97204; 503-326-3386; fax 503-326-2900. Pendleton office: 310 S.E. Second St. Suite 105, Pendleton 97801; 541-278-1129; merkley.senate.gov. U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden: D.C. office: 221 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C., 20510; 202-224-5244; fax 202-228-2717 La Grande office: 105 Fir St., No. 210, La Grande, OR 97850; 541962-7691; fax, 541-963-0885; wyden.senate.gov. U.S. Rep. Greg Walden (2nd District): D.C. office: 2182 Rayburn Office Building, Washington, D.C., 20515, 202-225-6730; fax 202-225-5774. La Grande office: 1211 Washington Ave., La Grande, OR 97850;541-624-2400, fax, 541-624-2402; walden.house g OV.

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Oregon Gov. Kate Brown: 254 State Capitol, Salem, OR 97310; 503-378-3111; www.governor.oregon.gov. Oregon State Treasurer Ted Wheeler: 350Winter St. N.E., Suite 100,Salem, OR 97301-3896; 503-378-4329. Oregon Attorney General Ellen F. Rosenblum: Justice Building,Salem, OR 97301-4096; 503-378-4400. Oregon Legislature: Legislative documents and information are available online at www.leg.state.or.us. State Rep. Cliff Bentz (R-Ontario): Salem office: 900 Court St. N.E., H-475, Salem, OR 97301; 503-986-1460. District office: RO. Box 1027, Ontario, OR 97914; 541-889-8866. State Sen. Ted Ferrioli (R-John Day): Salem office: 900 Court St. N.E., S-323, Salem, OR 97301; 503-986-1950. District office: 111 Skyline Drive, John Day, OR 97845; 541-490-6528. Baker City Hall: 1655 First Street, PO. Box 650, Baker City, OR 97814; 541-523-6541; fax 541-524-2049. City Council meets the second and fourthTUesdays at 7 p.m. in Council Chambers. R. MackAugenfeld, Mike Downing, JamesThomas, Benjamin

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Merrill, Rosemary Abell, Richard Langrell, Kim Mosier. Baker City administration: 541-523-6541. Mike Kee, city manager;Wyn Lohner, police chief; Mark John, fire chief; Michelle Owen, public works director; Luke Yeaton, HR manager and city recorder. Baker County Commission: Baker County Courthouse 1995 3rd St., Baker City, OR 97814; 541-523-8200. Meets the first and third Wednesdays at 9 a.m.; Bill Harvey (chair), Mark Bennett, Tim Kerns. Baker County departments:541-523-8200. Mitch Southwick, sheriff; Jeff Smith, roadmaster; Matt Shirtcliff, district attorney; Alice Durflinger, county treasurer; Cindy Carpenter, county clerk; Kerry Savage, county assessor. Baker School District: 20904th Street, Baker City, OR 97814; 541-524-2260; fax 541-524-2564. Superintendent: Walt Wegener. Board meets the thirdTuesday of the month at 6 p.m., Baker School District 5J office boardroom; Andrew Bryan, Kevin Cassidy, Chris Hawkins, Kyle Knight, Rich McKim.

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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 2015

BAKER CITY HERALD — 5A

en eISwi Csu ariSSueS Baker woman accused of

• Oficials have killed two of the big cats in the past two months in Central Ore. city By Dylan J. Darling

sitting near a trail on Pilot was about three-quarters of a mile up the trail when he Butte. BEND — The cougar They gave the same reason spottedthe cougar sitting killed Saturday on Pilot for killing both cougarsdown about 15 yards north of the trail, according to DeButte was the first big cat publicsafety. confirmedtobe on the Bend The Bend Police Departschutes County 911 records. landmark in more than a ment has tranquilizer guns, He reported the cougar at 6:44 p.m. decade. But it was the second but thedartsaredesigned to Within five minutes, a to be killed in a part of Bend bring down a dog, not a cousurrounded by development gar, said Lt. Clint Burleigh, a Bend Police officer arrived in the past two months. at Pilot Butte, parked at the spokesman. The drug delivOregon Department of ered by the dart could take gate and started walking up Fish and Wildlife officials 15 minutes to take effect. the mile-long road leading "If it takes that long to killed a cougar found Jan. to the top of the cinder cone, tranquilize the cougar, then it which rises about 500 feet 30 resting in a tree near SE Polaris Court and Roosevelt can create a more dangerous above the surrounding land. Avenue, about a block west Accordingto therecords,the situation in an uncontained of Kiwanis Park, and a Bend area," he said. office rreported seeing the Police officer shot and killed The man who called 911 cougar at 6:54 p.m. about three-quarters of the way up the cougar Saturday seen about the cougar sighting WesCom News Service

Pilot Butte, above the water towers. Police made sure the top of thebuttewas clearofpeople, accordingto therecords.At 7:25 p.m., 41 minutes after the reported sighting, an officerreported to dispatch that the cougar had been killed. Several agencies can respondtoa cougar sighting, but when necessary, they will let police handle the call. A911 dispatcherchecked and foundan Oregon State Police fish and wildlife trooperwas not available, according to the records.

harassing police By Chris Collins

SeeCougarlPage 6A

Skiareasseekmoreliahilityprotection By Jonathan J. Cooper

man-made equipment fails. Her son, Myles Bagley, was SALEM — Ski areas are 18 when he fell on a jump asking the Oregon Legislaand was paralyzed. Mount ture for enhanced protection Bachelor has not been found from lawsuits after the state at fault, but the Supreme Supreme Court invalidated Court decision in November the broad liability waivers gave Bagley the chance to often printed on the back of argueincourtthattheresort lift tickets. was negligent. Ski facility executives told Lauren Bagley acknowlthe Senate Judiciary Comedgedthatsome factorsin mittee Monday that they ski injuries are beyond the m ay have toraisetheirprices control ofskioperators,but if they aren't shielded from said they shouldn't be able to shirk liability for man-made lawsuits. They warned of potentially dire consequences equipment or enhancements fortheruralbusinesses to the slope. "Humans make mistakes," that rely on skiers in winter months. she told the legislative comBut Lauren Bagley, whose mittee."They cannot deny the son was injured as a teenager factthat possibly a m istake at Mount Bachelor in 2006, was made. Not everything saidskicompanies should be is an accident. Some things held accountable when their are preventable. They just Associated Press

shifttheblame to the skier, constantly to the skier." A 1979 Oregon law declares that skiing is an inherently risky activity and shields ski area operators from liability in some instances. Until last year's Supreme Court case, it was routinely used to block lawsuits by injured skiers and snowboarders. The bill proposed this year would nullify the decision for future cases, making broad liability waivers enforceable in court. It would prevent lawsuits alleging the ski area w as negli gent orcreated unreasonable conditions. Ski resorts would only be liable for intentional acts by their stafForfor"gross negligence," a higherlegalstandard. Without the liability

waiver, ski areas would be forcedto litigate each case brought by an injured skier or snowboarder, even ifit ultimately proved it was not negligent, said Andy Ballyeat, a Bend attorney who represents Mount Bachelor and other ski businesses. 'The impact of not updating the skier statue will eventually cost jobs, limit access to public lands, and threaten the economic stability of theseareasand thestate of Oregon as a whole," said Matthew Drake, chairman and chief executive of Mt. Hood Meadows. Floyd Prozanski, a Eugene Democrat who chairs the Judiciary Committee, asked both sides to work together and seeifthere'sroom for agreement.

on a charge of tampering with a witness, Shirtcliff A Baker City woman said. She is at the Baker has been charged with a County Jail. The contempt of court Class C felony for hurling a feminine hygiene product charge accuses Johnston with bodily fluids on it at of violating a restraining Police Chief Wyn Lohner order, Shirtcliff said. The during her arrest Monday tamperingcharge isrelated afternoon on a contempt of to accusations that she tampered with awitness court charge. Marlene Frances Johnin a Department of Human Services dependency case. ston,45, of880 Elm St., A grand jury also will be was arraigned on charges of contempt of court and reviewing allegations that the aggravated harassment Johnston failed to provide — thelatterisa Class C suffi cientmedical carefor a felony — Tuesday in Baker dependent minor, Shirtcliff County Circuit Court, said sald. District Attorney Matt Lohner was assisting ShirtcliK Lt. Kirk McCormick in A person commits aggra- contacting Johnston at her home at 880 Campbell St. vated harassment under Oregon law ifhe or she Monday afternoon on the "knowingly propels saliva, contempt of court charge. He said he stopped Johnblood, urine, semen, feces or other dangerous substance" ston outside her home waiting for McCormick, who at a public safety officer acting in an official capachad been looking for her ity. elsewhere on the property, Johnston also is schedwhen Johnston threw a uledtobe arraigned today used tampon at him. ccollins©bakercityherald.com

STATE BRIEFING Bill would define, ban racial profiling SALEM iAPl — Oregon House lawmakers are considering legislation that defines and bans racial profiling by law enforcement agencies. The measure was introduced in the wake of widespread protests touched offby the shooting death of an unarmed black teenager by a white police officer in Missouri. A state House panel heard testimony on the measure Monday. It would also establish a system for people to file profiling-based complaints.

Milton-Freewater'shyphennohelpincomlIiningdowntowns ByAntonia Sierra East Oregonian

MILTON-FREEWATER, — No city in Oregon has been aff ected more by a piece of punctuation than MiltonFreewater. While a hyphen joined the towns of Milton and Freew aterin 1950,consolidating the cities' downtown areas remains a challenge. Highway 11 becomes South Main Street, historically Milton's downtown area, as drivers enter town from the south. It then splits offand heads forW alla Walla, bypassing Freewater's former downtown which is clustered around North Main Street to the northwest. This awkward marriage of downtown areas creates an exceptionally long Main Street, with the whole north-

ern part untouched by the city's main thoroughfare. This development, along with other factors including the city's proximity to the more prosperous Walla Walla, has contributed to large swaths of vacant and underutilized storefronts on Milton-Freewater's Main Street. The most recent effort to revitalize the city's sagging downtown area is the MiltonFreewater Downtown Alliance, a nonprofit established in 2012. Alliance Director Randy Grant said a plan to improve Main Street has been proposed every decade but never materializes. "It never goes anywhere because it never pushes through the grassroots," he sald.

The alliance hired SERA Architecture of Portland and have had a series of public meetings to gather community input. The latest meeting was held at a packed Milton-Freewater Community Building March 16, with officials from the Milton-Freewater City Council, the Milton-Freewater Unified School District, Umatilla County and Blue Mountain Community College in attendance. Instead of a traditional m eeting, attendees satat tables featuring a map of Milton-Freewater in the center. Audience members were asked to not only mark where they live and their favorite spots in town, but potential sites for downtown improvements.

Popularproposals included a parkway that runs alongside the Little Walla Walla River, the planting of trees along Main Street to unite the disparate downtown areas and a rail line that could transport passengers through town or into surrounding vineyards. With the recent incorporation of The Rocks District viticultural area, expanding Milton-Freewater's wine industry was a frequent topic of discussion. Although not discussed at the meeting, boosting involvement from MiltonFreewater's Hispanic community has also been a continual talking point. Despite comprising more than 40 percentofthepopulation,

Latino involvement in city government and civic life is virtually nil. Unhappy with the lack of Latino presence at the first community meeting, the alliance held a meeting specifically for Hispanic community leaders to provide input. Grant said Latino leaders' concerns were in lockstep with many of their Anglo counterparts, with an overall emphasis on expanding the local economy. "There's more ownership from our Hispanics than we givethem creditfor,"he said. Using the ideas generated by the community members that attended the meetings, SERA will return to MiltonFreewater May 11 with a basic plan for Main Street

improvements. Grantsaidcreating a comprehensive plan is key to the city's revitalization, as community members will use it to leverage private investm ent from developers for the needed improvements. To kick off community efforts, the alliance organized a leadershipgroup to create a projectthatcan be built between July 15 and July 19. The completedproject would be used as an example to Milton-Freewater residentsofw hat a revitalization project could do. Proposals for the kickoff project include creating a community meeting place in a vacant lot by McLoughlin High School where a Dalry Queen used to stand.

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6A — BAKER CITY HERALD

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 2015

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attractjonsother thanwaterfajjs

• Park oficials expect iconic Yosemite Falls will go dry two months earlier than usual By Louis Sahagun Los Angeles Times

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK — Yosemite National Park is bracing foritsdriest year on record, with visitor bureaus downplaying the allure of the park's most famous waterfall and instead touting the park as a destination for hiking, bicycling and photography. Yosemite Falls will probably go dry in June — two months earlier than usual, park officials say. The Merced River, which powers the spectacular Nevada and Vernalfallsbefore meandering across the Yosemite Valley floor, will probably slow to a shallow stream about the same time. And with the drought enabling western pine bark beetles to kill large areas of forest, the park ispreparing for a bad fire season. 'Visitors bureaus are saying they're not going to promote Yosemite Falls as much this year," said Scott Gediman, assistant superintendent for public and legislative affairs at the park. "My response: No problem. W e have to berealistic." March this year felt more like June to visitors. The snowpack that supplies the Merced River is less than 12 percent of normal, an unprecedented low that has promptedoffi cialsto close Badger Pass Ski Resort months ahead of schedule and adviseprospective summer backpackers to plan trips near large lakes instead of dwindling streams. The fourth consecutive year of drought is shaping up to be the worst of them all in the region of John Muir and Ansel Adams. Things started drying up as early as January. Average annual rainfall in Yosemite Valley is 37 inches through July 31. So far, the area has received about 12 inches, and the rainy season is almost over. Jeff Holmquist, a re-

Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times

Snowpacks of 14 percent of normal affect the flow of waterways like the Merced River on March 19 near El Portal, California. Average annual rainfall in Yosemite Valley is 37 inches during the period ending July 31. So far, the area has received about11 inches, and the rainy season is almost over.

search scientist at the Institute of Environment and Sustainability at the University of California, Los Angeles, said the change will be stark for longtime park visitors. awith the exception of September, it used to be that there was almost no place you could throw a sleeping bag down in Yosemite that was beyond the reach of water sounds: dripping, gurgling, roaring," he said. The last time it was this dry was more than 1,000 yearsago,say scientistsat the 747,000-acre park, which draws about 4 million visitors a year. Now, the nervous chatter in Yosemite and nearby communities is: Have you noticedallthe treesthatare

dead or dying? Throughout the Sierra Nevada,projections are for more frequent, larger and more intense wildfires fed in partby disease and infestations ofbark beetles, which flourish during times of drought. Federal authorities saythatforestmo rtality rose 300 percentfrom 2013 to

I've told Mom the samething three times ...but she seems to keep forgetting.

jf g

2014 largely because ofthe two scourges, leaving dead timber ripe for fire. The bark beetle is endemic in California mountains. But years of fire suppression, coupled with increasingly dense growth and consecutive warm winters, have triggeredbeetle population explosions earlier in the year. Healthy pine trees deal with bark beetles by drowning the invaders in sap produced with water. But in the drought-stricken mountains, hungry beetles land on stressedtreesand emit an odor that attracts new swarms. The beetles bore into the bark and feast on the moist inner core, where trees store and transport nutrients from roots to needles. The beetles carve egg galleries, where larvae hatch, mature and emerge to infectother trees. "Allthese treesarecompeting for water," park scien-

tist Joe Meyer said recently as helooked ata stand of ponderosa pines."But away from the rivers, and up on the slopes, the water is just not there. So, only the strongest will survive." The good news is that a warmer winter allowed firefighters to begin setting small, tightly controlled burns in some areas of the park to reduce the threat of catastrophic wildfires and benefit wildlife by creating open areas in thick brush. Park entrepreneurs are hoping that lower gasoline costs will help attract spring and summer visitors to Yosemite — with or without waterfalls. Lisa Cesaro, spokeswoman for Yosemite concessionaire Delaware North, said, awe're reaching out to our main markets with this message Ifyouwant toenjoy our majesti cwaterfalls,com e now.' "

LAWSUIT

be doing more inspections. awe are going to inform

ithrough the medial as m any people as possible to inspect every occupancy so that business owners at in the city," John said. least know that this is com- "Should someone refuse ing soitdoesn'tcome as a ian inspection), we have huge surprise," John said. the ability to secure a warawe intend to do as many rant. At that point, it would inspections this year as we probably move out of our hands and into the Deputy possibly can." The goals of the inspecState Fire Marshal's." tionsare to educate the John said that most business owners about businesses that experipotential fire risk and to re- ence a fire don't re-open, so inspections that could duce those when possible. John said firefighters prevent a fire are valuable will be looking for contents to the business owner as well as to firefighters. of a structure that might "It's upwards of 90 perpose aparticularhazard to firemen as well as concent that don't re-open or struction features that may fail within the first couple pose a danger during a fire. of years after re-opening" "Having firsthand he said."It's really quite knowledge of those ocdevastating to the economy. Given the historic significupancies is really very important to what we do," cance of downtown Baker he said. City, I felt it was important Blocked exits/entrances that we remedy that ithe consistency of inspections) at buildings are of particular concern. Firefighters and address any issues as m ust be able to getin if quickly as we possible can." they need to and people John anticipates that it m ust have clear exitsto may take up to two years flee afire. for all of the commercial John said any notable structures in the city to be conditions at buildings inspected. inspected will be shared Another important part among all personnel at the oftheinspection process is fire station. gettingafterhours contact Any issues that can information from business be remediedatthetim e and building owners on of the inspection will be file. This is important in communicated to business the case of non fire or other owners so they can come callsthatrequire accessto into compliance without a structures by fire personfuture visit. Two weeks to nel. 30 days will be given for Currently, the departissues that require more ment is putting together a extensive action to come plan and a schedule for fire into compliance. personnelto startcontact"It depends on the sever- ing business owners. John ity of the violation," John said he anticipates inspecsaid."Some things may tions to begin midway take longer. We'll work through the month. with them and we'll be in John said business owncontact with the Oregon erscan contact the departState Fire Marshal's office m ent at 541-523-3711 to for any major issues that schedule an inspection at we may need assistance their convenience or they with. Itisnotin anyway can wait to be contacted by intended to be punitive the department.

coming up very soon." The Langrells contend the city illegally charged them double water and sewer rates for their motel, the Always Welcome Inn, after the couple signed a contractin 2005annexingtheirpropertyinto thecity. That annexation contract makes no mention of the couple paying double waterand sewer ratesfortheirm otel. The city contends that other records, includinga coverletter thataccompaniedthecontract,m ade itclearthat the Langrells agreed to pay the higher utility rates in exchange for the city not charging them property taxes for 10 years after the annexation.

Continued ~om Page1A Both Richard Langrell and his attorney, Rebecca J. Knapp of Enterprise, said that they believe Judge Ronald J. Pahl's ruling in effect negates the need for a trial. City Manager Mike Kee said Tuesday that he and the city's contract attorney, Brent Smith, are negotiating a settlement agreement with Knapp based on parameters that the City Council gave Kee. awe should have an agreement soon," he said.awe'll have to since the trial is

A business can't refuse an inspection. awe have the legal right

The Langrells have not paid city property taxes for the motel property. But Knapp argued — and Pahl agreed — that the legal precept known as the"paroleevidence rule"prohibits the city from introducing that evidence shouldthe case gototrial. The basic idea is that in contracts, such as the annexation agreement the Langrell' ssigned,thecontractitself is the deciding document. Moreover, neither party to that contract can introduce evidence that might indicate that the intended terms of the contract are different from what's in the contract as signed.

COUGAR

I t i} ;

these emergency situations when ODFW is not available," Dennehy wrote. Oregon State Parks also defers to other agencies when it comes to wildlife and public safetyin a park such as Pilot Butte State Scenic Viewpoint, which covers 100 acres, said Chris Havel, spokesman for the agency in Salem. He said the parks department will contact ODFW or the

Continued ~om Page 5A The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife was contacted, but agency staff was notin the area, Michelle Dennehy, ODFW spokeswoman, wrote in an email. The cougar was a young male, she wrote, weighing 120 pounds. "Police will regularly act in

U.S. Department of Agriculture to respond to a cougar or bear sighting. "Sometimes that means trapping and sometimes, unfortunately, it means killmg ithe ammall if we have a territorial problem," he said. Critics argued the agency couldhave relocated the animal, which was a 110-pound, 2-year-old male. The decision by Bend Police to kill the cou-

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gar found Saturday on Pilot Butte also drew objections from wildlife advocates. 'This is just as bad ..." said Brooks Fahy, executive director for Predator Defense, a Eugene-based nonprofit. He said the animal was not displaying any threatening behavior. "All they needed to do is put signs up ito warn people to stayout ofthe area)."

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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 2015

BAKER CITY HERALD —7A

Blaiers clinchplayolderth, closeinon firstoutriihtdivisiontitle since1992 ByAnne M. Peterson

all of their starters in the fourth quarter after building PORTLAND — A playofF a 92-65 lead. Portland led by as many as 31 points. spot secured, next up for the Portland Trail Blazers is the The Suns have lost four Northwest Division title. straight, and while they are The Trail Blazers haven't mathematically still in the won the division since 2008playofF picture, the chances 09, when they shared it with are dwindling. Phoenix the Denver Nuggets. Portplays six of its last eight land's last outright title came games on the road. in the 1991-92 season. Gerald Green and T.J. "I'm not even sure the last Warren came ofF the bench time we even won a division to score13 points.EricBledtitle,"All-Star guard Damian soe added 12 in the Suns' Lillard said."I'm sure it's seventh loss by 20 or more been tough having OKC points this season. around. If any year there was "We played hard but they'rea good team," Bleda greatopportunity,it'sthis year. We just need to keep soe said. "At the end of the playing, focus on ourselves, day, that's why they're in the and everything will work out position they're in, trying to like it's supposed to." fight for a high seed." The Blazers clinched a The Blazers also clinched playofFberth on Monday the seasonseriesagainst night with a 109-86 victory the Suns for the first time since the 2010-11 season, over the Phoenix Suns. The victory cut the Blazers' magic winning 3-1. number for winning the diviPhoenix was without sion to two. guard Brandon Knight, who Lillard scored 19 points tweaked his sprained left and LaMarcus Aldridge ankle in a 109-97 loss at home to Oklahoma City on added 17 points and seven rebounds. The Blazers rested Sunday night. Knight had AP Sports Wnter

just returned after missing eight games because of the injury. The Suns were further hurt in the second half when center Alex Len left the game after a collision with Portland center Chris Kaman. The Suns said afterward that X-rays showed Len had a broken nose. Portland was coming ofF a 120-114victory athome over Denver on Saturday. The Suns jumped in front 15-8 early in the game, but Nicolas Batum's long jumper and 3-pointer pulled Portland ahead 21-17 and the Blazersled 31-22 after the first quarter. Robin Lopez's tip put the Blazers ahead 53-37, but Green punctuated the first half with a dunk for the Suns to close within 55-49. Batum hit a 3-pointer that capped a 17-4 run to open the second half and pushed Portland's lead to 72-53. The Blazers outscored the Suns 37-16 in the third quarter. ''We came out lackadaisi-

cal," Suns coach JefF Hornacek said. "No intensity, no real emotion. That's your chance. You come out in that third quarter and make it a little tough on them, then maybe the tide turns." Batum finished with 16 points, including four 3-pointers. Following the game, the reaction in Portland's locker room was muted. Lillard said Aldridge commented, "I'm happy I'm going to the playofFs with y'all," but that was about it. "I mean, it wasn't like it was earth-shattering," coach Terry Stotts said. "Honestly, our goal is beyond just to make the playofFs.... It's nice to clinch a spot, but we've still got afew games togo that are important to us." It is Portland's 31st playofFappearance in franchise history. The Blazers i48-25l moved within a half-game

of the Clippers i49-25l for the fourth-best record in the Western Conference and home-court advantage in the first round.

BRIEFLY Baseball average salary tops $4 million NEW YORK iAPl — Even before the first pitch of the 2015 seasonisthrown, an eye-popping baseballrecord will be set. The average salary when opening-day rosters are finalized Sunday will break the $4 million benchmark forthe firsttim e,according to a study ofallm ajorleague contracts by The Associated Press. Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw tops players at $31 million and Los Angeles projects to open the season with a payrollatabout$270 million, easily a record. Fueled by the largest two-year growth in more than a decade,the average salary projectsto be about $4.25 million, according to the AP study, with the final figure depending on how many players are put on the disabled list before the first pitch is thrown. That is up from $3.95 million on the first day oflast season and $3.65 million when 2013 began. Baseball's average was approximately $50,000 in 1976, the last year before free agency. Back then, many players took offseason jobs to pay their bills.

Tiger plays practice round at Augusta AUGUSTA, Ga. iAPl — Tiger Woods played a practice round Tuesday at Augusta National, a strong indication that the four-time champion could make his return at the Masters. Mark Steinberg, his agent at Excel Sports Management, confirmed in an email to The Associated Press that Woods played 18 holes. Still to be determined is whether he returns for the Masters next week. Woods has not played since he withdrew at Torrey Pines on Feb. 5 after 11 holes because of tightness in his back during a chilly, fog-delayed opening round. A week later, he said he would return to competition when he had thegame forit.

SCOREBOARD COLLEGE BASKETBALL NCAATournament Glance AIITimes PDT FINAL FOUR At Lucas Oil Stadium Indianapolis National Semifinals Saturday, April 4 Michigan State (27-11) vs. Duke (33-4), 3:09 p.m. Kentucky (38-0) vs. wisconsin (35-3), 5:49 p.m. National Championship Monday, April 6 semifinaI winners

NBA EASTERN CONFERENCE East Division W L Pct. GB y -Toronto Brooklyn

44 33

30 40

.595 .452

Boston 33 41 .446 philadelphia 18 57 .240 NewYork 14 60 .189 Southeast Division W L Pct z-Atlanta 56 19 .747 x washington 41 33 .554 M iami 34 40 .459 charlotte 31 42 .425 Orlando 22 52 .297 Central Division W L Pct x-cleveland 48 27 .640 x-chicago 4 5 29 .608 Milwaukee 3 6 38 .486 Indiana 32 42 .432 Detroit 29 45 .392

11 2P/~ 30

GB 14'/~ 21'/p

24 33'/~

WESTERN CONFERENCE Southwest Division W L Pct GB x Memphis 5 1 x-Houston 5 0 san Antonio 48

24 24 26

.680 .676 .649

Dallas 45 New orleans 39

29 34

.608 .534

51/2

Northwest Dwision

W L Pct x -portland 4 8 25 .658 oklahomaoty42 32 .568 Utah 33 41 .446 Denver 28 46 .378 Minnesota 1 6 58 .216 Pacific Division W L Pct z-Golden state61 13 .824 x-LA. chppers49 26 .653 Phoenix 38 37 .507 s acramento 26 47 .356 L.A. Lakers 2 0 53 .274

Tuesday's Games Detroit 105, Atlanta 95 Brooklyn 111,1ndiana 106

sanAntonioss, Miami 81 Golden State 110, L.A. Clippers 106

12'/p

23'/~ 341/2 401/2

x-clinched playoff spot y-chnched dwision z-clinched conference Monday's Games L.A. Lakers 113, Philadelphia 111, OT

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Boston 116, Charlotte 104 Atlanta 101, Milwaukee 88 Toronto 99, Houston 96 Memphis 97, sacramento 83 Utah 104, Minnesota 84 portland 109, phoenix 86

Today's Games AIITimes PDT Philadelphia atWashington, 4 p.m. sanAntonio at orlando,4 p.m. Detroit at Charlotte, 4 p.m. Indiana at Boston, 4:30 p.m. Brooklyn at NewYork, 4:30 p.m. Dallas at oklahoma city, 5 p.m. sacramento at Houston, 5 p.m. chicago at Milwaukee, 5 p.m.

Toronto at Minnesota, 5 p.m. Denver at Utah, 6 p.m. LA. Clippers at Portland, 7 p.m. New Orleans at LA. Lakers, 7:30 p.m.

Toronto at Buffalo, 4:30 p.m. philadelphia at pittsburgh, 5 p.m. Edmonton atAnaheim,7 p.m.

Thursday's Games Miami at cleveland, 5 p.m. Houston at Dallas, 5:30 p.m. Phoenix at Golden State, 7:30 p.m.

Thursday's Games N.Y. Islanders at Columbus 4 p.m. Washington at Montreal, 4:30 p.m. Tam pa Bay at Ottawa, 4:30 p.m. Boston at Detroit, 4:30 p.m. Carolina at Flonda, 4:30 p.m. N.Y. Rangers at Minnesota, 5 p.m.

NHL Tuesday's Games ottawa 2, Detroit1, so vancouver 5, Nashville 4, so Boston 3, Flonda 2

calgary at st. Louis, 5 p.m. vancouver at chicago, 5:30 p.m. Edmonton atLosAngeles, 7:30 p.m.

Washington 4, Carolina 2 Columbus 3, New Jersey 2, OT Toronto 3,Tampa Bay 1 N.Y. Rangers 3,Winnipeg 2

Riday's Games Chicago at Buffalo, 4 p.m. Montreal at New Jersey, 4 p.m. st. Louis at Dallas, 5:30 p.m. Colorado atAnaheim, 7 p.m. Anzona at san Jose, 7 p.m.

Today's Games Alllimes PDT

Celebrating

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Wednesday, April 1, 2015 The Observer & Baker City Herald

HAPPENINGS

LHS BAND DIRECTOR HUMBLED, GRATEFUL TO BE NAMED

Eastern Oregon Audiology to host ribbon cutting April 16 Eastern Oregon Audiology Hearing Innovations will hold a Community Appreciation Event and Ribbon Cutting &om 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 16. The Union County Chamber of Commerce ambassadors will have the ribbon cutting at 12:30 p.m. at the business's new location at 1807 Cove Ave., La Grande. There will be &ee screenings, free hearing aidbatteriesdoorprizesand refreshments. For more information, call 541-663-4415.

W orkshops focus is contracting with federal land agencies Several &ee workshops will be held to introduceparticipants to the federalpublic land agenciestooffer advice and toolsfor growing their business by selling to the government and give the opportunity to network with representatives &om differentstate and federalagencies. The presentations will include who the agencies are and what they do, make sure thatwork be setaside for small businesses, why contractors are important for completion of requirements, sources of assistance to small businesses, the acquisition process, networking opportunities, what is required to do business with the federal government, marketing to agencies and so on. One-on-one counseling is also available but must include registration forms. The 30-minute sessions with a procurement counselor would follow the training and follow-up to schedule a specific time. Workshops will be &om 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the following locations: Pendleton on April 13 at 2411 Northwest Carden Ave.; Baker City on April 14 at 1550 Dewey Ave.; Ontario on April 15 at 650 College Boulevard; Burns/Hines area on April 16 at 265 Highway 20 S., Hines, Ore.; John Day on April 17 at 431 Patterson Bridge Road. To registe rfortheworkshop,go to www.ptassist .com/services/ptac register. php?id=BFAOC44745. For more information, contact Sue LaCroixat 541-786-7344 or slacroix@gcap.org.

By Cherise Kaechele The Observer

Chris Leavitt said his five years of teaching experience at La Grande High School doesn't compare to those teachers who have a longer tenure than him. Nevertheless, the Union County Chamber of Commerce named the 28-year-old Educator of the Year. Leavitt said when he graduated &om high school, he really wasn't sure what he was going to do. He jokingly said he considered working at Safeway for the rest ofhis life. However,Leavittdecided to become a teacherbecause ofthe positiveexperiences he had with teachers. eWe have fantastic teachers in the valley," Leavitt said. Leavitt went to Eastern Oregon University where the school had added music performance as a major. It had previously been offered only as a minor. He wanted to work at a high school because he felt he was "best suited for high school." "I'm better equipped to work with the high school students," he said. Leavitt now splits up his time between La Grande Middle School and La Grande High School, where he teaches a number of music classes including band and jazz band, he said. He envisions himself working at the collegiatelevelsome day but feelsgood about where he's at. His program has been growing steadily. He took over for Jim Howell, who was one of Leavitt's mentors when he was in school. Howell built a strong program and when Leavitt took over, there wasn't a lot that

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Chris Leavitt was named the Union County Chamber of Commerce's Educator of the Year. Leavitt, 28, is one of the band teachers at LMS and LHS. needed to change. Two years ago, Leavitt had 160 students in the program. Now, he has nearly 200. 'The way Jim did things meant a lot to me when I was a student," Leavitt said."I wanted to continue that. When you teach, you do what works. You don't have to reinvent the wheel. I experienced the program myself and it works." Leavitt said one of the reasons students drop out ofband is because they don't understand the instrument. ''We want to make it so music theory isn't so scary," he said.'We want them to have a proficiencyin music. We want them to be independent musicians, to see sheet music

Highergayisn't

ECONOMY

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About thiscolumn

y previous two columns have focused on how good employees are being

Carolyn Cole/LosAngelesTimes

Kennedy Diner is one of the few restaurants that remains open in Windsor, N.Y., a town that is going through hard times. Although fracking for natural gas has caused an economic boom just over the border in Pennsylvania, the ban on fracking in NewYork is of great concern for residents ofWindsor.

New Yorkstate hacking banfuels secession talk drilling method known as hydraulic &acturing, or &acking, has spurred WINDSOR, N.Y.— From this vil- an economic boom. lage of dairy farms and friendly dinIt is a different story here on the ers, Carolyn Price can see across the New York side, where Gov. Andrew border into Pennsylvania, and it is a Cuomo in December declared a bittersweet view. The rolling hills a statewide ban on fracking — one of few miles away are as green as the only two in the country — saying he ones here, and the Susquehanna was not convinced it is safe. River is icy and beautiful on both The national debate over fracksidesofthe stateline asitm eanders ing, which critics say can pollute toward the Atlantic. groundwater and endanger public Price sees something else, though: health, heated up last week when towns brimming with money the Obama administration anextracted &om the gas-rich Marcelnounced the first-ever federal regulus Shale, where the high-pressure SeeFracking / Page 2B By Tina Susman

Small Business Happenings covers Northeast Oregon's small-business community. The column carries news about business events, staitupsand owners and employees who earn awards and recognition or make significant gains in their careers. There is no charge for inclusion in the column, which is editorial in nature and is not ad space or a marketing tool. Products and services will be discussed only in general terms. Email items to biz@lagrandeobserver.com or call them in to 541-963-3161. Baker County residents can submit items to news@bakercityherald.com or call them in to 541-523-3673.

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are not only disengaged, they have become discouraged. These employees feel they are not poached BRAIN heard;they away &om their current make sugFOOD employer folgestions and ICEN ICELLER theideas are lowed by the dismissed; or the owner is why, how and where to find greatcontributors to succeed so dominating the employee feels fiightened to even make those who have departed. This column addresses a suggestion. Often, there is a lack of how to mitigate the fact that you have good employees on opportunity for growth and a the payroll that you wish to lack of communication &om retain, but you can't compete leadership about the future against companies offering of the company. a larger compensation packEmployees, like everyone age. It's acceptable to admit else on the planet, listen to radio station WII-FM, which you simply cannot afford to is "what's in it for me?" increase payroll. Each person has their own Studies have suggested channel on WII-FM, similar that while pay is important, personaland professional to what Pandora.com allows. I'll once again counsel growth opportunities rate higher when employees are owners to be careful what askedwhere job satisfaction you wish for when it comes comes &om. to askingfor peopletostep Are you offering your up, do the work and then employees the opportunity to not have you follow through learn, grow, contribute and be on the recommendations offered. partofan organization that is moving forward? There is no quicker way to I think every employer cause an employee to become wants their employees to do totally disengaged and walk more, to be more efficient and out the door to work someeffective. Sadly, I have known where else than disrespecting the effort and work they some owners who only pay this idea lip service when it have done at your request. The saying that people comes toproviding eitherthe may not always remember opportunity or the tools. Many employeestoday SeeKeller / Page 3B

MainStreetseeks funding for downtown flower baskets La Grande Main Street Downtown is tryingto raise $5,000 to gotoward purchasing and maintaining flower baskets. The flowers are purchased locally, and the organization hires college students and community members to water and plant the flowers. This program is in its sixth year. This year is especially important since Adams Avenue will be undergoing major construction beginning soon. La Grande Main Street Downtown has a fundraising website to which people may donate. For more information about the lower basket program and to donate,go f to wwwindiegogo.com/projects/downtownflower-basket-program.

and understand it. Band isn't for everyone, but music is." Leavitt said just because someone doesn't do well in band doesn't mean they should quit entirely. He said some students have moved into choir and had better success. Another thing Leavitt wants to make sure his students learn is that their extracurricular activities don't have to compete with music. ''We don't want them to have to make a choice, "Leavittsaid.Ifthestudents are given a schedule of their games, they're expected to let Leavitt know so they can be excused &om any kind of competition that may conflict. SeeEducator / Page 3B

HOURS: Weekdays9am- 7pm Saturday 9am-2pm

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