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Serving Baker County since 1870 • bakercityherald.com
June 10, 2015
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WisdomHouse, Builtln1818, UndergoingRenovation
Good Day Wish To A Subscriber A special good day to Herald subscriber Mike Chase of Baker City.
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Region, 5A DENVER —The Southwest and Northwest could face potentially catastrophic wildfires this summer, despite an unusually wet May over much of the nation, the Obama administration has warned.
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By Joshua Dillen ldillen©bakercityherald.com
The creation of a Sam0 Swim Center advisory committee, hiring a new law firm to represent the city, the sale of city-owned property at Salmon Creek and more discussion about the city's use ofherbicides in its parks were the main items ofbusiness at Tuesday's Baker City Council meeting. After nearly 45 minutes ofdiscussion,councilorsapproved the first and second readings of an ordinance that creates a Sam-0 Swim Centeradvisory committee. Itspurpose isto advocate for the center, work with city stafFto prioritize maintenance projects and make recommendations to the Council as to the expenditure of funds for facility improvements and equipment for the continued maintenance and operation of the facility. See Council IPage5A
BRIEFING
Father-daughter dance for CASA set 3une 13 Baker County CASA's annual father-daughter dance happens Saturday, June 13, from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Sunridge. Admission is $15 per couple. The evening includes door prizes, silent auctions, a raffle and more. All proceeds support the CASA program. For more information, call 541-403-0405.
More actors needed for children's play Young actors are still needed to fill the cast for "Aladdin," which is brought to Baker City by the Missoula Children's Theatre. Parts to fill include one for the youngest age group (entering first grade to 7),10 for ages 8-12 and eight for ages 13-18. Auditions will be held at 10 a.m. Monday, June 15, at Baker High School's auditorium. Rehearsals are from June 15-20, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. depending on the part. Cost is $30 per child. "Our goal is to have everyone signed up before we have auditions," said Ginger Savage, executive director of Crossroads, which brings MCT to Baker City. There will be two public performances: 6 p.m. June19 and 3 p.m. June 20. Admission is $5, which helps bring MCT back next summer. A donation jar will also be set up at the performances. Savage said it costs $2,900 for MCT's week-long program. This summer includes a second visit from MCT in August for Red Riding Hood. For information, or to sign up, call 541-5235369 or stop by Crossroads at 2020 Auburn Ave.
WEATHER
Today
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Music Review Preview
Kathy Orr/ Baker City Herald
Veronica Johnson has filled theWisdom House with local artwork and furniture, including this dining table made by Mike Harris. She said the works are for sale, giving her a way to decorate the vacation rental while also supplying a venue for local artisans to display and sell their work.
By Lisa Britton For the Baker City Herald
he worn stone steps of the Wisdom House — trod on by more than 100 years worth offootsteps — willonce again welcome
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guests. Veronica Johnson of Baker City bought the historichome at2035 Second St.for$140,000 in late March, and she hopes to have it open by the end of June as a vacation rental. "I've loved it for 20 years," Johnson said."Finally itjust came together." The Wisdom House was built in 1878 by John W. Wisdom, who arrived in Baker Valley in 1862 with a wagon train on the Oregon Trail. The house's style is a mixture of Gothic and Italianate, patterned after Wisdom's grandparents' home in Kentucky. "It is the oldest stick-built house in Baker," Johnson said. It was also the first home in town with an indoor toilet. Loy Winter Wisdom, who died in 1979, published several books about her father, the house, and her recollec tions ofBaker. In her "Memories" book, she is pictured inside the diningroom infrontofdrapes thatstilldecorate the windows today. Johnson is only the third person to own the home. She bought it from William and Frances Lovelace, who purchased the house from the Wisdom family in 1978. fterbuying the house,work began immediatelyto getitready for guests.
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Bicyclist recounts
sinkhole encounter By Jayson Jacoby llacoby©bakercityherald.com
S. John Collins / Baker City Herald
Sidewalks, patios and steps will accent the landscaping around the Wisdom House, which was built in 1878 by John Wisdom.The home is setto open as a vacation rentalby late June.
It hasn't been used as a home for many years, and needed major work in the kitchen and bathrooms. Johnson and her friend Brandi Harris have spent almost every weekend working on the house or shopping for furniture and decorations. Much of the artwork on the walls is by local artists and also for sale. See Wisdom/Fbge 8A
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Gene Yates didn't know the source of the harsh bump, but he knew he was in trouble. When you're rolling downhill at 35 mph on a pair of tires not much wider than a pencil eraser, any bump is
apt to be bad. Yates, 56, of Baker City, was riding his bicycle on the Anthony Lakes Highway just before noon Sunday. He was rounding a corner where the highway crosses Antone Creek, about two miles from Baker Valley, when he hit what"felt like a really bad pothole." See Sinkhole IPage 2A
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By Chris Collins ccollins©bakercityherald.com
A 5-year-old Baker City girl was seriously injured in a three-vehicle crash on 10th Street Monday evening. Megan George was riding in the back seat of a 2015 Honda Accord driven by her mother, Rachelle George, 31, of Baker City when the crash happened about 5 p.m. at 10th Street and Hughes Lane, an Oregon State Police press release stated. See CrashIPage 5A
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Joshua Dillen/BakerCity Herald
A 2003 Dodge Dakota pickup truck driven byTyler Hufford, 16, of North Powder, ended up overturned following a crash Monday evening at the intersection of10th Street and Hughes LaneiPocahontas Road. A5-year-old girl who was in another vehicle suffered serious injuries in the crash.
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Issue 14, 32 pages
Mostly sunny
Business..............1B3B Comics.... ...................4B Dear Abby.... ...........12B News of Record........2A Senior Menus ...........2A Calendar....................2A C o m m u nity News ....3A Hor o scope........7B & SB O b i t uaries..................2A Sp o r ts ........................7A Classified............ 5B-11B C r o ssword........7B & SB L e t t ers........................ 4A O p i n ion......................4A We a t her ................... 12B
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