THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS — 13
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2015
Local & Entertainment
Halfway’s Snowmobile
Poker Run awards cash, prizes
Bebe’s word search
Carmelita Holland / The Baker County Press
Gordon Crook receives his $1,600 prize from Whitey Bloom.
By Carmelita Holland
News@TheBakerCountyPress.com
"It's a success!" ex-
claimed Whitey Bloom,
President of the Pan-
handle Snowmobile Club,
referring to the Fifteenth
Annual Poker Run, which
remains one of the Pan-
handle's most interesting
and popular activities.
Bloom spoke to a crowd
gathered at the Halfway
Lion's Club Hall following
the Poker Run on Sunday,
February 15th at 6 p.m.
The crowd came to see
who won $4,000 in cash
prizes and nearly $2,000
more in donated gifts dis-
tributed in a drawing.
"A lot of people were
spooked about the shortage
of snow this winter and
called to be sure we were
going to have the Poker
Run," said Bloom. "But it’s
a different world up there,"
he said, motioning toward
the mountain. "We have
plenty of snow up there."
First prize was $1,600
won by Gordon Crook
of Pine Valley. Second
prize of $1,000 was won
by Delmer Hanson of La
Grande.
Third prize was $800
won by Al Iverson; fourth
prize was $400 won by
Bill Waldron and fi fth prize
was $200 awarded to Brit-
tany Gulick. The last three
winners were residents of
Pine Valley.
Bloom and his wife,
Katy went to the Lion's
Hall before 7 a.m. to join
The
Mike and Mary Herold, Jo
Ellen Stile and Merrilyn
Seal to set up Station One
at the hall while trucks
and trailers, loaded with
snomobiles, lined up for
blocks. Blooms estimated
there were approximately
250 participants who asked
for over 500 "hands."
Contestants registered,
then Whitey Bloom spun
the wheel, and punched
hands (cards), which
owners received to take to
the Clear Creek Sno Park
which was Station Two.
Snowmobiles were un-
loaded here and cards were
punched by Tina Thomas
and Don West, then con-
testants sped off to Station
Three, at the Beecher
Creek Turn Off, where
Tom and Denny Curtis
waited to punch cards.
Station Four was at the
East Pine Junction where
station attendants, Marty
Harriman, Jason and Bai-
ley waited.
The route chosen for
the Poker Run generally
follows Forest Road 66,
which leads to Fish Lake.
Station Five at The Burn
was manned by Eagle
Valley's Mike and Rusti
Lattin, and Angie Tucker.
Station Six was at the
Rail Pile, the waiting place
of Jan and Denny Oliver.
Station Seven was the last,
upper most station, located
at the Short Cut near Fish
Lake, manned by Ron Stile
and Warren Whitnah who
punched cards for the last
time.
There were no acci-
dents on the Poker Run.
Had there been any, they
would have been treated
by Emergency Medical
Technicians, some of them
participating in the Poker
Run. There was even one
dentist —Dr. Whitnah.
Bloom and other
Snowmobile club mem-
bers worked hard to make
the Poker Run a success.
Two days before the event
someone reported a rough
spot in the snow near
the Sno Park. The snow
groomer had it smooth
shortly.
The program was so
pleasing most of those par-
ticipating announced they
intend to come back for a
Poker Run in 2016.
A partial list of winners
in the drawing were: Laura
Nolan, an oyster dinner
value $50 donated by the
Shorthorn in Richland;
Denny Oliver, a $200
gift certifi cate donated by
Oregon Trail Sports; Jason
Harriman a $350 trip for
four adults with Hells Can-
yon Adventures; Joe Denig
won two crab feed meals,
valued $80 donated by
the Halfway Lion's Club;
Joe Spelman won one of
two large baskets donated
by Snake River PCS of
Richland.
There were twenty two
winners in the drawing,
counting four prizes won
by Blaine Schwendiman of
Pine Valley.
Baker County Press
Subscribe Today!
Name:
Address:
City, State, Zip:
Email address:
Phone:
E-Only
$29.95/yr.
Print
(Delivery)
$39.95/yr.
Inside Baker City
City Limits Only
Print
(Mail)
$49.95/yr.
Outside Baker City
City Limits Only
1. Make check payable to: Black Lyon Publishing, LLC
2. 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
This week’s crossword puzzle
Across
1- Bridge feats;
6- Mouth bones;
10- Pond organism;
14- Synagogue scroll;
15- Immensely;
16- Blackbird;
17- Bahamanian island;
18- Fermented grape
juice;
19- Switch ending;
20- Delayed;
22- Fame;
24- Sudden assault;
25- Restrictive;
26- Wyoming range;
29- Silage storage
tower;
30- Lots and lots;
31- Surmise;
37- Adapted to a dry
environment;
39- Animal park;
40- Can’t stand;
41- Having the same
color throughout;
44- Tirade;
45- Isn’t wrong?;
46- Gibson of tennis;
48- Dwelling place for
bees;
52- “East of Eden” direc-
tor Kazan;
53- Secret stuff;
54- A lawyer;
58- Smoke deposit;
59- Succulent;
61- Eye drops;
62- Wight, for one;
63- Charge per unit;
64- Put off, as an
agenda item;
65- Propagative part of
a plant;
66- 365 days;
67- Goose genus;
Down
1- The closest one to us
is the sun;
2- Ear part;
3- I smell ___!;
4- Composed of a mix-
ture of languages;
5- System of aircraft
navigation;
6- Having jaws;
7- Put ___ on it!;
8- Took the gold;
9- Aseptic;
10- Change for the bet-
ter;
11- Vive ___!;
12- Adult;
13- As a companion;
21- Round object, often
used to store computer
data;
23- Tennyson’s “___
Arden”;
25- A jewel;
26- Cab;
27- French summers;
28- Mower brand;
29- Snob;
32- Form of oxygen;
33- Infernal;
34- Mormon state of
western USA;
35- Actress Russo;
36- It is in Spain;
38- Series of metal
rings;
42- Competition;
43- Preservative;
47- Ray of “GoodFellas”;
48- Foundation;
49- Uneven;
50- French school;
51- Despised;
52- Early anesthetic;
54- “The Thin Man” dog;
55- Apprehends;
56- Author ___ Stanley
Gardner;
57- River of Flanders;
60- Abu Dhabi’s fed.;