FRIDAY, MARCH 6, 2015
THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS — 9
Local
Chamber director recruiting Mock trial
new Board members
By Todd Arriola
Todd@TheBakerCountyPress.com
The Baker County
Chamber of Commerce
held its annual Board
of Directors meeting on
Thursday, February 26,
2015, from 3-4 p.m., in
the Chamber Conference
Room at 490 Campbell
Street.
Executive Director Debi
Bainter was present, along
with Board members Jerry
Peacock, Jeff Nelson, and
Cheryl Martin. LeAnne
Woolf, City of Sumpter
Councilor and liaison was
also present, as was Teresa
Schwab, Chamber volun-
teer.
Bainter called the meet-
ing to order, and asked if
there were any visitor com-
ments, as the first order of
business.
Woolf said Sumpter’s
Poker Run (held on Sat-
urday, February 14) had
some very nice participa-
tion, despite the fact that
it was on 4x4s instead of
snowmobiles. She men-
tioned there were four
entries for the Outhouse
Race, and the winner was
the family team of John
and Katie Czernik and Emi
Takalo, with their Rasta
Rocket, adorned with the
Jamaican flag (they’re
Rastafarians, according to
Woolf).
Visitors and the Board
discussed the success of
the Chamber’s Annual
Awards Banquet, held on
Saturday, January 17, with
comments about the timing
and length of the event, as
well as the presentation of
awards to community vol-
unteers, and the entertain-
ment provided.
Bainter asked for ap-
proval of the minutes
from the Board meeting
on Thursday, December
18, 2014, and Peacock so
moved, with a second from
Nelson, and the motion
carried.
The Board discussed the
Baker Technical Institute
(BTI) tour, a brown bag
lunch event, to be held on
Wednesday, March 11,
2015, from 11:30 a.m. to
1 p.m., at the Baker High
School. Bainter said Pea-
cock will give a presenta-
tion during lunch, and then
the tour will begin.
Bainter asked for ap-
proval of the financials for
December, January and
February, and Peacock so
moved, with a second from
Martin, and the motion car-
ried. The consent agenda
also was approved, with a
motion from Nelson, and a
second from Martin.
Bainter reviewed for
those present the major ac-
complishments of 2014 for
the Chamber. This includ-
ed the monthly Business
After Hours and Business
Roundtable meetings. She
said that Schwab played
a key role in helping to
organize the Business After
Hours meetings again,
and the idea that it may
be a quarterly event in the
future, held in the Cham-
ber Conference Room, was
discussed earlier.
In 2014, the Chamber
provided 8,209,686 to its
members, according to
Bainter. New siding was
installed on the south and
east sides of the Cham-
ber building in 2014. She
said that one of the goals
for 2015 is to update and
upgrade the information
and advertisement kiosk
located near the Chamber
building, including new
plexiglass installation.
Bainter mentioned the
Chamber’s involvement
with Small Business Satur-
day, and business ribbon-
cutting and grand open-
ing ceremonies, and she
also mentioned a weekly
radio segment airing on
Thursdays on KCMB, and
the Chamber’s quarterly
printed newsletters. Bainter
is the President of the
Oregon Employer Council,
and she talked about the
Board’s involvement with
that organization.
Bainter said that within
the next two months, her
goal is to recruit more
Board members, with a to-
tal of at least seven, and up
to twelve, with active roles
in Chamber and commu-
nity events, and the list is
currently being compiled.
She said potential Board
members, including Woolf
and Schwab, will be invit-
ed to a reception, planned
for Tuesday, March 17,
2015, from 5 to 6 p.m.
Legislative Hotline, held
at the Baker County Events
Center, 2600 East Street,
from 7 to 8 a.m. on the
first Wednesday of each
month, was discussed.
This is an opportunity, via
live feed, to speak with
Representative Cliff Bentz
and Senator Ted Ferrioli
about important legislative
issues.
The Board discussed the
Chamber’s involvement
with and management of
Cycle Oregon, a week-long
bicycling event held from
September 12 through
September 19, with Baker
City as the location for
both the Start and Finish.
Bainter said potentially,
the Chamber could bring
in $5,000 during the event
through sales, and the
Board discussed ways of
increasing local business
involvement, including a
free Travel Oregon pro-
gram called Bike Friendly
Business. Oregon is the
first state to create this, a
recognition and training
program, the goal of which
is to help businesses un-
derstand the importance of
the growing bike tourism
industry, to provide tips
and tools on being bike
friendly, and to highlight
the businesses who commit
to enhancing the Oregon
biking experience for visi-
tors and Oregonians.
The Board discussed
different ways businesses
could benefit during Cycle
Oregon, especially with
Start and Finish events,
and emphasized the in-
crease in appreciation and
recognition the community
can receive from visitors,
though it was noted that
Baker City and Baker
County already have a very
good reputation from as-
sociation with it. As a side
note, Bella Main Street
Market’s Bike Shrine,
located on the sidewalk
in front of the store, was
mentioned.
The next Board meeting
is scheduled for Wednes-
day, April 1, 2015, at 8:30
a.m.
Submitted by Rachel Burk.
Morgan Sillacci does the opening statement for the
plaintiff in the Vale courtroom.
Submitted by Rachel Burk.
Kaylee Burk is sworn in as a witness by a member
of an opposing team.
Bill would honor fallen local
soldier Mabry Anders
SALEM—Representa-
tive Cliff Bentz (R-On-
tario) recently introduced
House Bill 2981, which
honors the late Army
Specialist Mabry Anders,
a Baker City native, by
dedicating to him and his
family an Oregon Highway
Fallen Hero memorial.
Army Specialist Mabry
James Anders was born on
July 22, 1991, in Yuma,
Arizona, and grew up in
Baker City, Oregon where
he attended Baker High
School.
He joined the U.S. Army
in 2010 and was assigned
to the 4th Special Troops
Battalion, 4th Brigade
Combat Team, and 4th
Infantry Division out of
Fort Carson, Colorado.
After becoming an Army
Specialist he was deployed
on tour of duty to Afghani-
stan in March, 2010.
Specialist Anders was
Killed In Action on August
27, 2012, by enemy fire in
Kalagush, Afghanistan. He
was just 21 years old.
His awards and decora-
tions included: the Bronze
Star, the Purple Heart, the
Army Achievement Medal,
the Army Good Con-
duct Medal, the National
Defense Service Medal,
the Afghanistan Campaign
Medal w/ Bronze Service
Star, the Global War on
Terrorism Service Medal,
the Army Service Rib-
bon, the Overseas Service
Ribbon, the NATO Medal,
the Combat Action Badge,
Submitted by Rachel Burk.
Tobin Brown portrays plaintiff Avery Leon on the
stand.
Continued from Page 1
Submitted Photo.
Army Specialist Anders was highly awarded and decorated. He was killed by
enemy fire at age 21
and the Driver/Mechanic
Badge.
Rep. Bentz said, “I was
approached by Specialist
Anders’ mother, Genevieve
Woydziak, who asked if I
would help in creating a
memorial for her son, and I
promised to bring legisla-
tion in 2015 to do so. Ob-
viously, this is something
we should do for Specialist
Anders, who died serving
Oregon and the United
States of America.”
HB 2981 would allow
the placement of a Fallen
Hero sign on Oregon
Route 7 near milepost 36
in Baker County, designat-
ing that section of highway
as the “Mabry Anders
Memorial Highway.”
This is an area where
Mabry used to spend time
and his mother thinks that
he would appreciate the
selection of this spot for
his remembrance.
House Bill 2981 has
been scheduled for a public
hearing on Wednesday,
March 4th at 3:00 p.m.
(PST) in Hearing Room E.
A Facebook page,
Prayers for Mabry can be
found by searching for that
title.
Mock Trial competitions are part of the statewide
Classroom Law Project, which involves intense pretrial
preparations and the study of legal knowledge including
trial roles and case law not otherwise presented in most
high school curriculums.
Students were required to audition for the role they
wished to play during the trial. While the case itself was
fictional, authored from scratch by real lawyers from
Stoel Rives, LLC—a well-known Portland area law firm,
the courtroom experience was as real as possible.
“I thought our whole team did great,” said Kailyn
McQuisten who played the role of Clerk. “We all learned
quite a bit.”
The full roster from BHS included: Opening statement
for the plaintiff, Megan Burk; Plaintiff, Tobin Brown;
two witnesses for the plaintiff, Kara Bennett and Gracie
Hardy; closing statement for plaintiff, Zach Tomac and
Kate Averett; defense’s opening statment, Morgan Sil-
lacci; defendant, Kaylee Burk; two defense witnesses,
Isabella Evans and Kaiza Rea; closing statement for
defense, Koby Hansen; lawyers Koby Hansen, Zech
Compos, Kate Averett, Zach Tomac, Hollis Robb, Tanya
O’Neal, Katya Brown, Bailey Hill, and Rebecca Compos;
bailiff Evan Bigler; clerk Kailyn McQuisten; manager
Zach Tomac; and understudy/assistant manager, Lizzie
Calder.
Nine of this year’s team members will graduate this
year, leaving an opportunity for new members to join the
team next year.
More information is available at www.classroomlaw.
org.