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About The Observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1968-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 11, 2021)
Thursday, February 11, 2021 GO! magazine — A&E in Northeast Oregon 2 A Night at Old Auburn (COVID style!) ■ Annual fundraiser switches to a poker run and a drive-thru dinner on Feb. 27 By Lisa Britton For the EO Media Group BAKER CITY — This month will feature a fundraiser for the Baker Heritage Museum, but not the traditional casino-style event. The Night at Old Auburn is affected, as are so many events, by the coronavirus pandemic. But that didn’t stop the Friends of the Baker Heritage Museum from designing a fundraiser to fi t the current health guidelines. “We’re doing it different — it’s the Night at Old Auburn, COVID style,” said Liz Miller, president of the Friends of Baker Heritage Museum. The annual fundraiser has become a February staple in Baker City. Funds raised are used to en- hance existing exhibits, create new exhibits and clean artifacts. The Friends of Baker Heritage Museum also uses the funds to support the museum’s operations when needed. “Whatever the museum needs, we back them up,” she said. The group continues their sup- port of the museum — although the Feb. 27 benefi t will defi nitely look different. POKER RUN The fundraiser begins with a poker run from 2-5 p.m. Entry is $20. Only 52 tickets are available to participate, and they must be purchased in advance. The poker run begins at the mu- seum, 2480 Grove St., and includes seven historic buildings in Baker City. “At each stop, you choose a card,” Miller said. After visiting all the sites, card- holders turn in their best fi ve-card poker hand at the museum. The grand prize is a $300 Visa card. Two smaller prizes will be awarded for the next best hands. A NIGHT AT OLD AUBURN 2021 WHY: Fundraiser for the Baker Heritage Museum WHEN: Saturday, Feb. 27 WHAT: Poker Run from 2-5 p.m. ($20 to enter) and a drive- thru dinner from 5-7 p.m. ($35) TICKETS: Must be purchased in advance by calling Liz Miller at 541-300-5416 — or click on “Events/News” at: wwwfriendsofbakerheritage museum.com DRIVE-THRU DINNER The second part of the fundraiser is a drive-thru dinner served from 5-7 p.m. at North Baker School, 2725 Seventh St., Baker City. The meal, which will be catered by BTI Culinary Arts, features a hot prime rib sandwich plus sides and dessert. Cost is $35. There are 150 dinner tickets available, which also must be purchased in advance. Those driving up for dinner are asked to follow the signs placed at the school to direct traffi c. TICKETS To purchase tickets, call Miller at 541-300-5416. She said she will meet people at the museum or deliver tickets. “We’ll do whatever we need to get their tickets to them,” she said. Tickets can also be purchased online. Go to www.friendsofbaker- heritagemuseum.com (no hyphens) and click on “Events/News.” WEEKEND OUTLOOK Photo courtesy of Travel Baker County The Night at Old Auburn fundraiser helps support museum exhibits, such as the current display that honors the “Extraordinary Women in Baker County,” which can be viewed when the museum reopens in mid-March. OPERATING DURING A PANDEMIC ABOUT THE BAKER HERITAGE MUSEUM Last year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Baker Heritage Museum operated on a reduced schedule of four hours per day, seven days a week. “We managed to get by. We did better than we thought we would,” Miller said. The plan this year is to open in mid-March with regular hours — although Miller said that depends on the state guidelines at the time. For updates on the history museum’s plans for reopening, look for posts on the museum’s website, www.bakerheritagemuseum.com., and Facebook page. Baker Heritage Museum is at 480 Grove St., in Baker City. The building was originally built as the Baker Municipal Natatorium (swimming pool). The museum is a two-story col- lection of Baker County’s history, especially from the 1860s to 1960s. Two rooms are dedicated to an extensive rock collection. Specializing in HOMETOWN Real Estate Keisha Anderson Real Estate Agent 541.910.8827 www.johnjhoward.com Mobile App FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY High 23 Low 10 High 30 Low 20 High 33 Low 23 A little snow Snow possible Cold