FROM PAGE ONE A6 — THE OBSERVER TUESDAY, APRIL 26, 2022 STAMPEDE Continued from Page A1 Davis Carbaugh/The Observer Members of the Elgin High School band practice at Elgin High School on Thursday, April 21, 2022. The band, which includes students from grades seven through 12, earned its fi rst-ever automatic qualifi er to the OSAA state competition in Corvallis. BAND Continued from Page A1 take more time to get the rhythms down and stuff like that, making sure they sound good.” Giff ord also noted that the band members try to stay as composed as pos- sible on the day of an important performance like the district competition. As a senior with the most experience in the band, she makes it a point of emphasis that the band members not over stress themselves before going on stage. At the 1A level, Elgin will be competing against eight teams from across Oregon at the state com- petition. Junior trumpet player Andrew Buckley stated that being around other bands with diff erent skill sets will be a good learning experience for the Elgin band. “I’m defi nitely ner- vous, but it’s going to be really fun,” he said. “Hope- fully we can bring home a trophy.” While each individual band member must have their instrument ready and notes memorized, the band is very much a team. “Everybody works together really well,” Buckley said. “It’s nice being able to play with a band that is good at lis- tening to each other, which helps the sound of the whole band.” “It’s defi nitely very important,” Giff ord said. “We’re kind of like a small family. We have to get along and we all lean on each other when it comes to playing our instruments well.” In 2019, Elgin scored high enough to qualify for state but the band’s season ended after a mix-up made it ineligible for state qualifi - cation. Giff ord is one of two seniors who were a part of that band, which has been a big motivation during the group’s strong showing this year. “We lost out on going to state a couple years ago and then COVID happened, so this was really exciting since it’s my senior year,” always tell it was him by his laugh.” The fi rst Xtreme Bronc Riding event will be held during this year’s Elgin Stampede, which is set to run from Wednesday, July 6, to Saturday, July, 9. The bronc riding event, scheduled for July 7, is formally titled the Elgin Stampede Bucking in the Blues Ty Hallgarth Memo- rial Xtreme Bronc Riding. Xtreme Bronc Riding is sanctioned by the Profes- sional Rodeo Cowboys Association but it will be separate from the Stam- pede’s regular PRCA rodeo on July 8-9. Burgess said Hallgarth liked everything about rodeo and particularly enjoyed watching bucking horses, but helping people and being with them is what he liked most. “He had a love for people and was genuinely a great guy,” Moore said. “He was a genuine friend.” Moore also recalled Hallgarth’s humility, saying he never sought recognition for his contributions to the Elgin Stampede. “He did not want fame or glory. He just did it because he loved it,” Moore said. A statement on the Elgin Stampeders website fol- lowing his death painted a picture of the void Hall- garth, who grew up in Elgin, left behind. “We lost our organiza- tion’s president, but more importantly, we lost a Stampede family member and an incredible friend,” the statement reads. “A big smile. A contagious laugh. A work ethic and talent that put all of us to shame. A love for rodeo and for our community. Our world is diff erent without him, and his absence will be felt for years to come.” Elgin Stampeders/Contributed Photo Elgin Stampede president Ty Hallgarth, 53, rides in the Elgin Stampede Grand Parade on Saturday, July 10, 2021. TREATMENT Continued from Page A1 addiction and at or near the bottom in access to treat- ment in nationwide surveys by the federal government and mental health groups. “We need to just fi nd the beds,” Marshall told the group, referring to residen- tial treatment facilities. One mother, who asked to remain anonymous to protect the identity of her 29-year-old son, told the Capital Chronicle that her son is living on the streets of Portland. He’s been on a waiting list for residen- tial treatment twice — one was a two-month wait and the other for more than six months — but he never entered treatment because he lost the desire. On the platform, Mar- shall stood in between two signs with cellphone num- bers: one of an unnamed Oregon Health Authority offi cial with responsibility for addiction services and a top health adviser to Gov. Kate Brown. He told the crowd to text those individ- uals — “be nice,” he said — to ask for immediate action. Almost immediately, people whipped out their cellphones, punched in the numbers and fi red off messages. Another speaker, Tony Vezina, executive director of 4th Dimension Recovery, a Portland-based recovery group, said the government doesn’t need to create more advisory groups. They are not eff ective in managing Lynne Terry/Oregon Capital Chronicle Moms, dads and recovery advocates rally in front of the Oregon Health Authority building in northeast Portland on Saturday, April 23, 2022. OREGON RECOVERS 12-STEP PLAN • Create a coordinated response • Make one person accountable • Stop poisonings • Warn public • Rapidly build workforce • Release funds • Create immediate access to detox the crisis, he said. Oregon Recovers invited a number of public offi - cials to the rally, but none showed up. Attorney Gen- eral Ellen Rosenblum emailed Marshall, saying she was sorry she could not be there, according to an email that was read out loud. Rosenblum referred to Oregon’s $97 million share • Create seven-day respite centers • Create immediate access to treatment • Create immediate access to recovery housing • Aggressively promote recovery • Invest in prevention tributed reasonably quickly through the various mech- anisms that have been set up for the diff erent alloca- tions. Throughout this set- tlement process, we have been guided by the urgency of this moment. There is no time to waste in saving lives,” Rosenblum wrote. Oregon Recovers has crafted a 12-step plan for tackling addiction in Oregon. It includes putting one person in charge and providing immediate access to detox, treatment and housing. It also calls on the state to invest in prevention. Marshall said the state needs to create an online resource that’s similar to the one on the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commis- sion’s website that allows users to locate the nearest liquor store that sells a cer- tain product. “We need that for treat- ment,” Marshall said. of a national settlement with Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family in the email sent to Marshall that was read and the Capital Chronicle later obtained: “I do hope — anticipate — that we will start to see the beginning of the fl ow of opioid settlement funds to Oregon in the very near future. It is also my hope that these funds can be dis- Reelect David Baum Oregon Trail Electric Board, Position 8 2022 I Northeast Oregon PHOTO CONTEST Visit lagrandeobserver.com and enter today! STATEMENT TO VOTERS: The electric utility industry is seeing significant changes due to increased demand, new technologies, government mandates, high prices of natural gas and oil, and weather renewables (solar and wind). Weather renewables work only when the Sun is shining and the Wind is blowing. Currently OTEC purchases 100% of its electrical power from Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) and some of the lowest electrical rates in the country. But BPA is being challenged with increasing costs, reduced revenue, and threat of the removal of the four lower Snake River dams. As the board member involved with the Wildfire Mitigation Plan, we have aggressively pushed forward with the drafting and finalization of a Wildfire Plan. As we negotiate a new contract with Bonneville (BPA), my legal experience is a valuable evaluation tool. My focus will be to continue to work diligently in areas of Power Supply, Transmission and Distribution. I will strive to keep your electrical rates low. Our CEO, Les Penning and staff with board support will not be raising your electrical rates for 2022. It’s been a pleasure and a privilege to serve as your representative on the board of Directors. I have grained a signifi- cant knowledge and experience about cooperatives during this time. I will continue to work hard at keeping electric rates low while providing safe and reliable electricity to our members along with excellent customer service. I have knowledge, experience, energy and time to serve. I ask for YOUR VOTE and look forward to our future challenges. Paid For By David Baum / The Committee to Reelect David Baum