50YEARS AGO

from the Democrat-Herald

January 4, 1969

Washington’s Birthday, Feb. 22, has been chosen as the date for the Baker Kiwanis club’s annual fund raising auction of appliances, furniture, tools and sundries.

25YEARS AGO

from the Baker City Herald

January 4, 1994

On weekdays Art Reiff is known as Baker City Manager. Evenings and weekends, just call him WD8FJR/7.

That’s Reiff’s call sign. Baker City manager since 1984, he’s also a longtime amateur radio enthusiast, or “ham” radio operator.

10YEARS AGO

from the Baker City Herald

January 5, 2009

Blowing, drifting snow closed highways throughout Northeastern Oregon overnight and extended the Christmas break for students in the Baker, Burnt River and North Powder school districts today.

Don Ulrey, Baker School District superintendent, gave students in his district their first snow day of his eight-year career today after about 6 inches of snow fell overnight.

ONEYEAR AGO

from the Baker City Herald

January 3, 2018

One year ago Baker County’s deer herds were in trouble.

Deadly trouble.

Snow lay deep, in places more than two feet, even at lower elevations where the animals gather during winter.

Temperatures had stayed below freezing for more than three weeks in a row, and on more than 10 days plummeted below zero across most of the county.

To describe the current winter as different is accurate, but it doesn’t completely capture the discrepancy, Brian Ratliff believes.

Ratliff is the district wildlife biologist at the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Baker City office.

The term he uses to compare this winter with last is “completely opposite.”

The result, Ratliff said, is that deer, instead of being on the brink of starvation, generally are thriving.