50 YEARS AGO

from the Democrat-Herald

June 3, 1971

The budget board reviewed the proposed city budget last night, which called for total budget requirements of $1,994,131 compared to $2,051,339 last year. This smaller budget reflects a $57,208 decrease in expected revenue.

25 YEARS AGO

from the Baker City Herald

June 3, 1996

Baker High School graduated 121 young men and women in the Class of 1996 Saturday under warm, sunny skies in Bulldog Memorial Stadium.

Bobb McKittrick, a 1954 BHS graduate and current offensive line coach for the San Francisco 49ers, delivered the commencement address. He asked the graduates to reflect on some of the changes that have taken place in Baker City since he was in school.

10 YEARS AGO

from the Baker City Herald

June 3, 2011

Don’t expect to see the message “flood warning” for the Powder River in Baker City scrolling across the bottom of your TV screen or appearing on your computer monitor as often as you’ve been accustomed to this spring.

The National Weather Service has raised the threshold for when it issues flood watches or warnings for the river.

The reason is that the previous benchmark didn’t accurately reflect actual conditions along the river through town, said Jay Breidenbach, warning coordination meteorologist at the Weather Service’s Boise office.

ONE YEAR AGO

from the Baker City Herald

June 4, 2020

Carol Kitch stands outside Memory Lane Homes, peering into the window of the residential care facility to speak with her mother, Mary Lou Lake.

Kitch, 64, visits Memory Lane in Baker City almost every day to see her 92-year-old mother, who has Alzheimer’s disease.

“I just figure even if it’s outside the window, if she can see me every day or almost every day, it just keeps the connection,” Kitch said.

In common with people across the state and nation, Kitch has had to adjust to restrictions on visits to care facilities during the coronavirus pandemic.

The mandate is intended to protect residents in those facilities, several of which have been the location of outbreaks.

Kitch said it is difficult not being able to hug or touch her mom. Touching, she said, is an integral part of family and love.

“And so to not be able to touch or hug is hard. Really hard,” Kitch said.

Despite the difficulties, Kitch said she rests easy knowing Nicole Howerton, administrator at Memory Lane Homes, and her staff are caring for her mother.

“They really do an excellent job,” Kitch said.

Mary Lou Lake has lived at Memory Lane since 2019, having moving here from Seattle.

Kitch said she wasn’t satisfied with the level of care at a facility in Seattle where her mom had been living.

“We needed to find a place that had a different attitude and so we came here and I found this place and we are just so thrilled,” Kitch said.

“They have done such a good job with her. They feed them well, they take care of them, they sit and they talk to them, they are really good here. I just can’t say enough about them.”