Submitted photo—Baker City veteran Chet Smith, age 102, visits the memorial built to honor veterans of World War II. He was one of 47 veterans from Oregon who took part in the Honor Flight trip May 15-18.

By Lisa Britton

For the Baker City Herald

Chet Smith figured he would be the eldest veteran on his Honor Flight trip.

Nope.

The veteran from Texas had him beat at 107.

“I thought I had it,” he says. “I thought 102 was the oldest.”

By Jayson Jacoby

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The future of a veterans’ organization that’s been active in Baker City for more than half a century is in jeopardy.

The American Legion Post 41, which owns a club at 2129 Second St., is struggling financially.

Garry McLin, a Vietnam-era veteran who joined the Legion in 1981, said he thought last Friday might be the club’s final day.

By Jayson Jacoby

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When Rachel Looney left Baker City a few weeks ago for a new job in Oklahoma City, she knew she was moving into Tornado Alley.

But she didn’t expect to be greeted by an EF-5 twister.

Looney was at work Monday afternoon when the massive tornado touched down in Moore, Okla., a suburb of Oklahoma City.

By Lisa Britton

For the Baker City Herald

Dog owners in Baker City are in the planning stages of developing a park for dogs near Sam-O Swim Center, on property owned by Baker City.

“There are approximately 1.3 acres there that we can utilize,” said Tricia Wood, who is leading the project.

While still in the planning stage, Baker City has been entered into a contest to win $100,000 for a dog park.

By Chris Collins

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Kevin D. Cassidy, a resident of the Rock Creek area near Haines, and Richard McKim of Baker City have been elected to four-year terms on the Baker School Board, according to unofficial results from the Baker County Clerk’s Office.

Cassidy received 1,770 votes to defeat challenger Mike Ogan for Position 3. Ogan received 1,324 votes in Tuesday’s election.

McKim, one of four candidates for Position 4, received 1,275 votes. Rosemary Abell finished second with 934 votes.

Rick Stout received 555 votes and Karen Spencer was the fourth-place finisher with 343 votes.

Cassidy and McKim will begin their terms in July. Cassidy replaces Jim Longwell, who will complete his two-year term June 30. Longwell chose not to seek re-election.

By Terri Harber

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Deciding whether — or how — to cut $150,000 from Baker City’s personnel expenses will be the task tonight of the 14-member budget board.

The meeting begins at 6 o’clock at Baker City Hall, 1655 First St.

 “If something doesn’t give a little bit, I’m not sure what this committee will deal with next year,” said Randy Daugherty, the board’s chairman.

He said the city has reached a financial “breakpoint.”

The board members have devoted much of the past two evenings to hearing about department budgets and overall spending concerns.

US Forest Service Photo Riding four-wheelers is a popular activity on the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest.

By Jayson Jacoby

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The Wallowa-Whitman National Forest has released the most detailed document yet examining the public’s reaction to last year’s hastily withdrawn proposal to ban motor vehicles on more than 3,000 miles of forest roads.

The “Content Analysis Report,” which the Wallowa-Whitman posted Monday on its website (www.fs.usda.gov/wallowa-whitman/), analyzes the more than 3,300 letters the forest received during a three-month period in the spring of 2012.

Forest Supervisor Monica Schwalbach pulled the Travel Management Plan (TMP) on April 17, 2012, a month after it was released to the public.

Forest Road 39, also known as the Wallowa Mountain Loop and part of the Hells Canyon National Scenic Byway, is open.

The paved, two-lane road, which connects Highway 86 east of Halfway with Wallowa County, usually is blocked by snow until late May or early June.

Maintenance crews are removing rocks and debris, which could cause delays of five to 15 minutes.

Due to an unseasonably warm and dry spring, many forest roads are open earlier than usual this year. Forest Service officials encourage drivers to be careful and watch for rocks and other debris. 

For more information on the WWNF and the Hells Canyon Scenic Byway, please visit http://www.fs.usda.gov/wallowa-whitman/. You can also follow the forest on twitter at:  @WallowaWhitman.

By Jayson Jacoby

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Baker County has been adding jobs over the past year, and the average pay per job has risen as well.

Average pay in 2012 was $31,242 — an increase of 3.2 percent from 2011, according to the Oregon Employment Department’s Eastern Oregon “Labor Trends” newsletter.

That’s a bigger jump than for Oregon overall, where the average pay went up by 2.8 percent in 2012.

By Terri Harber

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The Baker City Budget Board meets this week to complete the spending plan for the upcoming fiscal year.

At 6 o’clock tonight they begin the first work session at Baker City Hall, 1655 First St.

The total proposed budget for the fiscal year starting July 1, 2013, is $15.864 million.