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About The Baker County press. (Baker City, Ore.) 2014-current | View Entire Issue (May 6, 2016)
FRIDAY, MAY 6, 2016 THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS — 9 Local & Entertainment OTEC’s annual meeting packed It was a packed house as members from across four Eastern Oregon counties traveled to attend Oregon Trail Electric Cooperative’s 28th Annual Membership Meeting at the Baker County Event Center in Baker City, OR. “This business meeting, and the election of three of our Board of Directors, is a great example of local, democratic control,” said OTEC’s General Manager Werner Buehler. “Having our membership gather together, vote for their board members, listen to presentations on the health of their electric coopera- tive and get to know their fellow cooperative owners is important. Non-profi t cooperatives are powered by their membership and they have a valuable voice in the direction OTEC takes.” Board President George Galloway highlighted the clean audit OTEC received in 2015 as well as the steps the OTEC Board and Management have taken to ensure the excellent fi nan- cial health of the electric cooperative. OTEC’s resilient safety record was also discussed. “When August barreled down and delivered two of the largest wildfi res our service territory has ever seen, our dedicated line crews and support personnel worked tire- lessly around the clock to safely maintain our lines and restore power in record time,” said Buehler. “With the combined loss of over 215,000 acres, the Cornet-Windy Ridge and the Canyon Creek Com- plex wildfi res burned 160 OTEC poles, 60,000 ft. of wire and when the smoke had cleared, OTEC had sustained approximately $1.5 million in damages.” “Moreover, even though hundreds of additional overtime hours were worked, in harrowing conditions as of the result The of these historic blazes, OTEC crews - once again – powered through the year with a clean safety record and no lost time accidents.” Buehler also noted the challenges and opportuni- ties OTEC will face in the future from the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), increased distrib- uted generation, and new technologies while work- ing to keep electric rates low. Along with the report outs on the cooperative, the OTEC Board Election re- sults were also announced. Greg Howard (position 7) of Union County was re- elected with 3,149 votes. David Baum (position 8) of Union County was re- elected with 3,082 votes. Charlene Chase (position 9) of Baker County was re- elected with 3,030 votes. Crossroads Carnegie Art Center Executive Director Ginger Savage was also honored and presented with the $25,000 Peggi Timm Civic Leadership Award. The honor is cur- rently awarded annually to a woman residing in OTEC’s service territory who most exemplifi es the cooperative founder’s ceaseless spirit of volun- teerism to improve life in their communities. “Ginger, like Peggi, is a top-notch community connector,” noted her co- nominator, Mary Tomlin- son. “She always ‘knows somebody who knows somebody’ to fi nd resourc- es for volunteer efforts and community problem- solving. Ginger has gained those trusted connections through her own diligent volunteer work and model- ing her ‘do unto others’ approach over the years.” “Whether for Baker Literacy, the Ford Fam- ily Foundation, the Baker Heritage Museum, the YMCA, schools or other organizations, Ginger pro- actively sends notices for Submitted Photo. Ginger Savage and George Galloway. resources, classes or other funding to non-profi t direc- tors in the community so they can also be success- ful,” added Tomlinson. “People genuinely enjoy Ginger and know they can count on her to get things done.” Savage thanked her family and refl ected on her mentor, Peggi Timm, say- ing, “Peggi lived by one basic principle, ‘do what is right for Baker’ - always, in everything she did. It is impossible to walk in Peggi Timm’s shoes, but I like to think I stepped right to the side of Peggi’s foot- prints and I will continue walking forward.” Savage selected the Crossroads Carnegie Art Center a non-profi t 501(c)3 to receive the $25,000 award, made available through earnings on unclaimed capital credits. “Crossroads will indeed put this to very good use,” said Savage smiling. Barbara Prowell of Baker City was the raffl e win- ner of the 50” fl at screen TV “OTEC Attendance Award” and Krystal Doucette, also of Baker City, was drawn to win the mail-in ballot drawing for the $500 OTEC energy credit. For additional informa- tion about OTEC, the Peg- gi Timm Civic Leadership Award, board candidates and the Annual Meeting visit: www.otecc.com. Baker County Press Subscribe Today! Name: Address: City, State, Zip: Email address: Phone: E-Only $29.95/yr. Bebe’s word search Print (Delivery) $39.95/yr. Print (Mail) $49.95/yr. 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Mail the check with this completed form to: PO Box 567, Baker City, Ore. 97814 To pay by credit card, please visit www.Th eBakerCountyPress.com The Littles’ crossword puzzle Across 1- Exxon, once; 5- Harrison of “My Fair Lady”; 8- Largest digit; 12- Linebacker Junior; 13- Brazilian ballroom dance; 15- Draft picks; 16- Camp sight; 17- Indonesian island; 18- Zeno of ___; 19- Hypersensitive reac- tion; 22- One of the Four For- est Cantons; 23- Ref’s counterpart; 24- Former name of Thailand; 26- Entirely; 29- Submit; 31- Hydrocarbon suffi x; 32- Vision; 34- Where Columbus was born; 36- Not many; 38- Wedge; 40- Smart talk; 41- Shaft shot from a bow; 43- Pitchers; 45- Golf ball prop; 46- Worships; 48- Soviet leader Brezhnev; 50- Think nothing ___; 51- Master of the maca- bre; 52- Stitch up; 54- Magic; 61- Over again; 63- “Peer Gynt” play- wright; 64- Betting setting; 65- Auditioner’s goal; 66- Adhere closely; 67- Gen. Bradley; 68- Part of an archi- pelago; 69- Mer contents; 70- TV’s “Nick at ___”; Down 1- Como ___ usted?; 2- Perceived; 3- Yemen’s capital; 4- Yield; 5- Banister; 6- Madame Bovary; 7- Microsoft game sys- tem; 8- Burnsian refusal; 9- Persons who claim superior enlightenment; 10- Opposite of alway; 11- Actor Morales; 13- Astringent; 14- Come up; 20- Med. care providers; 21- Do a number; 25- Summer coolers; 26- Prefi x with red; 27- Good-for-nothing; 28- Leers at; 29- Madame de ___; 30- Snooped (around); 31- Motorists’ org.; 33- Hack; 35- Peer Gynt’s mother; 37- Pound sound; 39- Sea cucumber; 42- Habeas corpus, for one; 44- Smoke deposit; 47- Set of principles; 49- Nerve cell; 52- Rani’s garb; 53- Baseballer Slaugh- ter; 55- ___-bodied; 56- Voice of America org.; 57- Course list; 58- Do followers; 59- No-see-um; 60- Time past; 62- Minuscule;