Mtn. View RV ParkBaker City, Oregon USA

By Jayson Jacoby jjacoby@bakercityherald.com After almost three years, quasi-public ownership of Anthony Lakes ski area no longer seems like an experiment to Alice Trindle. Trindle, a longtime skier, ski instructor and one of five members of the board of directors for the nonprofit Baker County Development Corporation, which owns the ski area 35 miles northwest of Baker City, believes the switch to public ownership has proved its merit.

Baker City Herald, Baker County, OR News, Sports, & Weather

By Terri Harber tharber@bakercityherald.com Baker County commissioners on Wednesday approved a contract for help with documentation required before building a hydroelectric power plant at Mason Dam. EcoWest Consulting Inc., based in Baker City, already has done some work for the county related to the project. The county intends to build a 3.4-megawatt system at the dam, which blocks the Powder River to form Phillips Reservoir, about 15 miles southwest of Baker City. The energy produced would be sold to Idaho Power, which has a 138-kilovolt transmission line that runs close to the project site, said Jason Yencopal, community development director and the county staff member overseeing this project.

Baker City Herald, Baker County, OR News, Sports, & Weather

By Lisa Britton For the Baker City Herald In just about an hour, the classroom of fifth-graders was overrun with monsters. Well, being made of clay, these monsters didn’t run — but they were on every desk, molded into any shape the students could create. Some had one eye, some had four — nearly all had a mouthful of pointy teeth, horns, ears and claws. Across the hall, in another fifth-grade classroom, a less terrifying art project — printmaking — was under way. This week the students at South Baker Intermediate School were visited by two Portland artists — James DeRosso and Sheryl Murray.

Baker City Herald, Baker County, OR News, Sports, & Weather

Baker’s baseball and softball seasons have ended with both teams failing to qualify for a Class 4A play-in game. The Oregon School Activities Association has posted the eight baseball and softball play-in games on its website, www.osaa.org. Those games are scheduled for today and Friday. In softball, La Grande will play host to LaSalle Prep at 3:30 today. Mac-Hi has a first-round bye. In baseball, La Grande will play host to South Umpqua Friday at 5 p.m. Ontario has a first-round bye.

Baker City Herald, Baker County, OR News, Sports, & Weather

By Gerry Steele gsteele@bakercityherald.com Baker finished second at the Class 4A boys state golf tournament Tuesday at Creswell. The Bulldogs shot a two-day score of 715, trailiing only La Salle Prep’s 652. Brandon Ellwanger tied for sixth place with a two-day score of 166 to lead the Bulldogs. Baker’s other scores were Charlie Clarke 180 (tie for 28th), Riley Carter 183 (tie for 31st), Micah Grammon 186 (tie for 40th) and Evan Simonski-Davis 187 (tie for 43rd).

Baker City Herald, Baker County, OR News, Sports, & Weather

By Chris Collins ccollins@bakercityherald.com The Baker School District hopes to know soon whether it will have any additional money to plug into salary increases or program improvements for the coming year. Doug Dalton, the district’s chief financial officer, explained to members of the district’s budget board that more school funding might be available once the governor signs Senate Bill 822.

Baker City Herald, Baker County, OR News, Sports, & Weather

By Terri Harber tharber@bakercityherald.com You can smoke ’em if you’ve got ’em — at least for a while longer — in city parks. Baker City Councilors on Tuesday decided they want to hear more residents’ opinions before taking any action to curtail smoking, and possibly use of all tobacco products, in city parks and recreation areas. A few people spoke about the topic during Tuesday’s meeting. Virtually all of them support the proposed ban.

Baker City Herald, Baker County, OR News, Sports, & Weather

By Terri Harber tharber@bakercityherald.com There’s only about a week left to participate in the May 21 election, which includes two seats on the Baker 5J School Board. As of this morning, 12.5 percent of the ballots had been returned, said Baker County Clerk Tami Green. That figure didn’t include ballots that had been returned over the weekend. The clerk’s office mailed ballots to the 8,436 voters in the school district, which includes Baker City as well as much of Baker Valley, Keating and the Sumpter area. Kevin Cassidy and Mike Ogan are campaigning for Position 3; Rosemary Abell, Richard McKim, Karen Spencer and Rick Stout are competing for Position 4.

Baker City Herald, Baker County, OR News, Sports, & Weather

The fifth-annual Mayce Day DRINK PINK!, in honor of the late Mayce Collard, is set for Friday, May 17 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Bulldog Blender volunteers at Baker High School’s Learning Center will deliver blended drinks to businesses and organizations. All proceeds will be donated to the J. Mayce Memorial Scholarship Fund. The scholarship is awarded annually to people who personify many of Mayce’s best qualities: a positive attitude, volunteer experience, and acceptance of others. Mayce died in a car accident in February 2007 at the age of 16. The menu includes peach and strawberry green tea fruit smoothies, mocha, vanilla latte and sugar free mocha ice rages, for $ 4 with or without whipped cream. Orders should be placed by Thursday if possible. Orders can be emailed to Amy Powell at apowell@baker.k12.or.us. More information is available by calling 541-524-2639.

Baker City Herald, Baker County, OR News, Sports, & Weather

Margee Sagers Halfway, 1924-2013 Margee J. Lee Curtis Sagers, 88, died May 11, 2013, at her home in Halfway. Her graveside service will be at 11 a.m. Friday at Pine Haven Cemetery in Halfway. Friends are invited to join the family for a reception afterward at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Hall in Halfway.

Baker City Herald, Baker County, OR News, Sports, & Weather