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) Serving Baker County since 1870 • bakercityherald.com
August 7, 2015
iN m is aonioN: Lo cal • Health@Fitness • Outdoors • TV $ QUICIC HITS
See Page 8A for scenes from Baker County Fair
CREWS BLOCICBLAZE THAT THREATENED HUNTINGTON
BaKerCountyFair Continues
Good Day Wish To A Subscriber
<
AT THE FAIR:
A special good day to Herald subscriber Bruce Nichols of Baker City.
BRIEFING
Senior volunteer dinner Aug. 20 Reservations will be accepted until Friday, Aug. 14, for seniors who plan to attend the annual Volunteer Appreciation Dinner at the Powder River Correctional Facility. The event will be at 5 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 20, at the prison. Volunteers who have contributed to Community Connection in the past year are invited. Names are required this year, not just a number of those attending, as in the past, an announcement from Community Connection stated. The "Marian Kolb Volunteer of the Year" award will be presented. The honor goes to the person who receives the best nomination from the senior center's customers. The senior center listed do's and don'ts for those attending the dinner: • No blue jeans • No purses • No cellphones • Bring photo ID CommunityConnection will provide bus service to and from the prison. More information is available by calling 541-523-6591.
Delays at Hells Canyon Dam next week OXBOW — Visitors planning to drive over HellsCanyon Dam next week should plan ahead to avoid long waits while crews perform maintenance work. The road overthe dam will be closed during the times listed below. Windows of 30 minutes have been created to allow traffic to cross during the day. Closure dates and times (MDTj: • Tuesday, Aug. 11: 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. • Wednesday, Aug. 12: 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m., 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. • Thursday, Aug. 13: 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. The road will be open Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 14-1 6.
WEATHER
Today
84/44 Mostly sunny
Saturday
85/49
• Contest includes an unexpectorated variety of techniques
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h BLM photo
An aerial view of the Lime Hill fire taken Wednesday afternoon.
By Jayson Jacoby and Chris Collins Baker City Herald
A range fire that threatened Huntington on Wednesday evening couldn't break through control lines Thursday, and fire crews hoped to have the 12,000-acre blaze nearly contained by dusk Friday. "They held the line yesterday," BLM spokesman Larry Moore said Friday morning. The Lime Hill fire, reported around noon Wedneday along Interstate 84 about 45 miles southeast of Baker City, was 50 percent contained Friday morning. See Fire/Page 8A S. John Collins/ Baker City Herald
Orrin Cobb, 8, puffs up for a great spit during Thursday's watermelon seed contest.
By La'akea Kaufman kkaufman©bakercityherald.com
Thursday's watermelon seedspitting contestw as a chance for Baker County Fairgoers to take a break from oglingfattened steers and cooingatprecisely groomed rabbits, and showcase their own talents. A sheet of paper about 12 feet long by three feet wide serve as the playing field. Two large buckets stocked with watermelon slices sit on afoldingtableatone end,the participants line up on the other.
MOSQUITOES
Drougdtaids in oHort to control dugs By Jayson Jacoby llacoby©bakercityherald.com
Baker County remains offtcially free of West Nile virus, and the chief mosquito-killer says the drought might have contributed to the disease's absence. The lack of standing water isbad forculex tarsalis,the mosquito species most likely to carry West Nile virus, said Matt Hutchinson, manager of the Baker Valley Vector Control District. Culex tarsalis are "permanent water" mosquitoes, Hutchinson said — they need year-round water sources such as ponds or swamps. See Bugs/Page 8A
Two officials in black shirts, armed with Sharpie markers, are stationed on eitherside ofthem idsection of the course. The players hold steadily to their slices of fruit. Some of them are down to the rind by the time they're in line, their cheeks bulged, their tongues visibly restless inside their mouths trying to congregate the small black seeds and situate them under their tongues. Each athlete has his or her own strategy. Some stand with one foot
in front of the other for balance, shifbng their chests back to start, then thrusting forwardand dislodging their seeds simultaneously. Others cock their head and neck back, whipping forward in a similar fashion to try and push theseed a littlefarther than their opponents. Some forego the body movements altogether, rolling their tongues in a U-shape around the seed, shooting it off with a forceful breath like a bomb from a cannon.
Bentz updates ssioners By Joshua Dillen ldillen©bakercityherald.com
"There's some modest good news..." On Wednesday, that's how Oregon Rep. Cliff Bentz iR-Ontariol started a presentation to Baker County Commissioners about this year's legislative session. It was an uphill climb, Bentz said, in a Legislature dominated by Democrats. Bentz noted that there are 25 Republicans and 35 Democrats in the House, and 12 GOP and 18 Democraticstatesenators.
See Spitting/Page 8A
See Bentz/Page GA
FREESTYLE MOTORCYCLISTS PERFORM SATURDAY
in
ontwow ees By Lisa Britton For the Baker City Herald
As a child, Robert Haslam loved to climb trees and jump. At 4, he started riding a dirt bike. N ow 27, he fl iesacrossa gap of75 feet,40feetin the air,as he does tricks on a motorcycle. That's freestyle motocross, which he took up seven years ago. Haslamli ves in the Seattle area and travelsaround toperform atrodeos,festivals,county fairsand more. This Saturday, he and fellow motocross rider Les Parsons from Valencia, Calif., will be wowing the crowd at the Demolition Derby put on by the Haines Stampede Rodeo Association. See Flying/Page 2A Submitted photo
Les Parsonsshows one of his many stunts.
Mostly sunny
Sunday
BB/48
TO D A T a„a,
Issue 39, 22 pages
Calendar....................2A C o m m u nity News ....3A He a lth ...............5C & 6C O b i t uaries..................2A Sp o r ts ........................7A Classified............. 1B-BB C r o ssword........2B & 4B Ja y son Jacoby..........4A Op i n i on......................4A T e l e vision .........3C & 4C Comics... ....................7B DearAbby.................SB News of Record... .....2A Outdoors..........1C & 2C Weather.....................SB
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