50 YEARS AGO

from the Democrat-Herald

June 5, 1971

SALEM (UPI) — Oregon Friday became the 32nd state to ratify a constitutional amendment to extend voting rights to 18-year-olds in all elections.

It was only by a two-vote margin as the Senate voted 16-14 to pass HJR 47, which had already passed the House.

25 YEARS AGO

from the Baker City Herald

June 5, 1996

Snow still glistens high in the Elkhorn Mountains, and throughout Northeastern Oregon streams tumble, spreading moisture across the forests.

In some places logging slash is so damp that U.S. Forest Service workers must wait to burn it. The idea of a wildfire seems silly this early June, just two weeks after several inches of snow fell at Anthony Lakes and late spring rain dampened the valleys.

10 YEARS AGO

from the Baker City Herald

June 6, 2011

Three mustangs from Baker City will make their way to Germany this month.

Horses, not cars.

Tim and Carol Delsman, Baker City residents since the 1990s, train mustangs adopted through the Bureau of Land Management’s wild horse program.

Only U.S. citizens are eligible to adopt wild horses through the BLM, which periodically captures horses from several states, including Oregon, to prevent the animals from overpopulations rangelands.

ONE YEAR AGO

from the Baker City Herald

June 6, 2020

Baker County began the second phase of the state’s reopening plan today, with more people allowed to attend both indoor and outdoor events, including church services.

Phase 2 guidelines also authorize some types of the businesses that had been closed during phase 1 to reopen, including theaters, bowling alleys and swimming pools.

Restaurants and bars, which had been required to close at 10 p.m. during phase 1, which started May 15, can now stay open until midnight.

In all cases the state continues to require people, or groups who are together, to stay 6 feet apart.

That guideline defines how many customers are allowed in restaurants, bars and other businesses, and how many people can attend church services and other events, both indoor and outdoor.

Although restaurants and bars are still required to space tables at least 6 feet apart, phase 2 does allow some flexibility depending on the types of booths.

Businesses, instead of the 6-foot spacing, can install a plexiglass or other “nonpermeable physical barrier that is easily cleaned if the barrier is at least 1 foot higher than head level for customers seated and at least 3 feet wide or at least the width of the booth if wider than 3 feet.”

But phase 2 continues to prohibit patrons from sitting at counters or bars “unless the counter faces a window or wall and at least 6 feet of distance is maintained between parties and/or staff behind the bar.”

Baker County Commissioner Mark Bennett said one of the major changes between phase 1 and 2 is that the latter increases the number of people attending events. During phase 1 the limit was 25 people.

Phase 2 increases that to 50 people for indoor gatherings and 100 people for outdoor gatherings.