A larger-than-usual prescribed fire produced a larger-than-usual smoke plume on Thursday south of Baker City.

Forest Service crews burned about 1,200 acres, shooting incendiary devices from a helicopter to ignite the blaze, said Steve Hawkins of the Burnt-Powder Fire Zone.

The prescribed fire was in the Mill Creek and Glasgow Gulch areas on the south side of Dooley Mountain, near Highway 245.

Although fire crews have been lighting prescribed blazes on other parts of the Wallowa-Whitman recently, most of those fires were much smaller, at 200 to 400 acres, Hawkins said.

He said Thursday's fire accomplished the Forest Service's objectives, which include preventing logs, limbs and other combustible stuff from piling up, which increases the risk of summer wildfires.

The area targeted Thursday was last burned, also with prescribed fire, about 15 years ago, Hawkins said.

S. John Collins / Baker City Herald Combine vinegar and baking soda in a test tube and life gets bubbly at Baking Soda Reactions by Baker Middle School students Calli Ward and Kailyn McQuisten. Second-grade students discovering reactions are, from left, Trey Ashby, James Arteaga, Penelope Linnemeyer and Jorie Ornelas. Candy was a reward from some of the 26 stations.

By Chris Collins

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Brooklyn first- and second-graders watched in awe as a chemical reaction between baking soda and vinegar launched corks toward the ceiling of the Baker Middle School gymnasium Wednesday.

The Brooklyn students — 125 first-graders and 125 second-graders — traveled to 26 different stations in the gym to learn about topics ranging from condensation and evaporation to static electricity and a comparison of the Amazon rainforest and the desert of the Sinai Peninsula.

The static electricity station brought stories of how an older brother had used it to mess up his younger sister’s hairdo and other hair-raising experiences, said seventh-grader Kate Jesenko.

Submitted photo Justin Ball, left foreground and Tyler Schlipf film and direct actors Lizzie Calder, left, and Alex McKim for “FAC Weekly,” a weekly update on activities of the BHS Film Arts Club.

By Lisa Britton

For the Baker City Herald

The Film Arts Club at Baker High School is in its fourth year, which has been the most productive so far.

And the highest quality, thanks to a high-definition camera the club purchased after submitting a proposal for funds to the student council.

Eight films will be showcased at the club’s film festival, set for 6 p.m. Thursday, May 2, at Eltrym Theater, 1809 First St.

Admission is $5 per person, or $3 for BHS students and staff. Tickets are on sale at the Eltrym.

All proceeds support the FAC.

By Terri Harber

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Mark Bennett said Thursday that he would resign from county employment if appointed to the Baker County Board of Commissioners.

He is one of nine people vying for the open seat on the Baker County Board of Commissioners. 

The other hopefuls are Roger Coles, Chris Dunn, Dick Fleming, Bill Harvey, Jeff Nelson, Jeff Petry, Terry Schumacher and Tom Van Diepen.

Carl Stiff resigned from the commission because of health problems.

Bennett is the county’s director of emergency management operations and its planning department.

Report from the Baker City Public Works Department—

Washington Street will be closed at Resort Street on Friday, April 26, from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. for utility trenching through the intersection.

Valley Avenue will remain closed.  

Court and Broadway streets will be open but with limited traffic allowed.

These streets will remain open: Auburn, Madison and Campbell.

S. John Collins / Baker City Herald A sprinkler sprays a budding crop along Pocahontas Road west of Baker City. An abnormally dry start to 2013 has prompted farmers to start irrigating earlier than usual.

By Jayson Jacoby

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This year the gravel road might be the most useful tool for measuring the weather.

Better than the rain gauge, anyway.

That instrument has had about as much work as a fisherman in the desert.

To get a sense for how dry 2013 has been in Baker County, drive a few miles on an unpaved road.

Rather than hearing the hollow thud of mud smacking into your wheelwells, a faithful sound of spring, you’ll see in your rear view mirror the gritty contrail more typical of summer.

As of today, the total precipitation for the year at the Baker City Airport is 1.93 inches.

That’s barely more than half of average for the January-through-April period, which is 3.29 inches.

By Terri Harber

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Benjamin Foster, a student at Eastern Oregon University and an intern at City Hall, addressed the City Council Tuesday to promote his proposal to ban the use of tobacco products in city parks and recreation areas.

Foster, who lives in Baker City and is minoring in government at EOU, drafted proposed ordinance 3322.

The ordinance would exclude the city-owned Quail Ridge Golf Course from the tobacco ban.

Foster spoke at a council meeting earlier this year and asked for the ban then. He returned Tuesday night to promote the idea again.

Nine people have qualified as possible candidates to replace Carl Stiff on the Baker County Board of Commissioners.

Stiff, a Republican, resigned earlier this month due to health reasons.

In accordance with Oregon election law, the Baker County Republican Central Committee will meet May 1 to choose nominees, from among the nine candidates, to forward to the two remaining commissioners, Fred Warner Jr. and Tim L. Kerns.

Warner and Kerns will choose the person to replace Stiff and serve the remainder of his term, which continues through the end of 2014.

To be eligible, candidates must be registered Republicans.

The nine candidates are: Mark Bennett, Roger Coles, Chris Dunn, Dick Fleming, Bill Harvey, Jeff Nelson, Jeff Petry, Terry Schumacher and Tom Van Diepen. 

State law allows the GOP committee to nominate three, four or five candidates.

Suzan Ellis Jones, chair of the Baker County committee, said officials from the state Republican Party recommend the county committee nominate three people. 

S. John Collins / Baker City Herald Student Matt Hoecker works with one of the two milk-carton replicas of the present-day memorials. In background is student Tori Hawkins.

By Chris Collins

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Voting begins today in the “Made By Milk” contest featuring a project created by students in Gere Richardson’s culinary class at Eagle Cap innovative high school.

Nine students entered the contest, which offers a chance to win up to $5,000 for school and community projects.

By Terri Harber

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Baker City Councilors have been asked to prohibit use of tobacco in parks and other outdoor areas owned or controlled by the city.

They will discuss the subject during their meeting on Tuesday at City Hall, 1655 First St. The session begins at 7 p.m. but the matter is scheduled near the end of the meeting.

The councilors aren’t being asked to approve the proposed ordinance, No. 3322, during this meeting. They could decide whether it merits action, however.

A resident asked the councilors to consider a smoking ban during a recent council meeting.