FRIDAY, MAY 8, 2015
THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS — 9
Local
Rachel Center holds annual Oregon Sniper
Baby Bottle fundraiser Challenge
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
BY MEGHAN ANDERSCH
Meghan@TheBakerCountyPress.com
Mother’s Day, May
10th, marks the start of the
Rachel Crisis Pregnancy
Center’s annual Baby
Bottle fundraiser. Baby
bottles will be distributed
to interested persons at
local churches this Sunday.
Participants are asked to
fill the bottles with coins,
currency, or a check and
return them on Father’s
Day, June 21st.
Alberta Darlington,
Director of the Rachel
Crisis Pregnancy Cen-
ter, said crisis pregnancy
centers across the country
run similar fundraisers
and reach members of the
churches that way. Dar-
lington said the Center
also has purchased some
larger bottles and is going
to ask various local stores
for permission to place the
bottles.
She said they certainly
don’t want to take away
from the money someone
has brought to spend at the
business, but that if anyone
has change they want to
give, it all helps.
Susie Busch, volun-
teer coordinator for the
fundraiser, said Baker City
is a pretty small town to
have this kind of facility.
She said it is usually larger
towns that can support this
type of facility and that all
the support people have
given the center is much
appreciated.
Darlington said she is
retired, but has no wish
to stay at home. She
leads classes for women
who have had abortions,
provides counseling, and
oversees operations. She
also has provided services
outside of working hours,
including transportation to
doctor’s appointments for
mothers and babies with no
other means of transporta-
tion.
Darlington said she has
also driven women who
had no one else to support
them to the hospital to give
birth, and has provided
whatever support they
Meghan Andersch / The Baker County Press
Alberta Darlington shows one of the large bottles to be placed at a local busi-
ness while Lola Langley, who manages the front office, works on flyers to go in
the baby bottles.
requested, including being
present at a birthing. She
said she is more than glad
to be able to help.
The Rachel Center does
not charge for any of its
services, including clothing
for babies and children
(sizes stocked for up to
about age 12), parent-
ing classes, counseling,
Bible studies, and diapers.
Darlington makes sure that
items that go on shelves
are in good condition.
She said, “If I wouldn’t
put it on my grandchild or
child, I wouldn’t expect
anyone else to use it.”
Darlington explained
that they are happy to
provide services to anyone
walking through the door
and that there are no
required income verifica-
tions. “If they’re coming
in, we’re assuming there’s
a legitimate need.”
Services are available
for families, teens, foster
parents, or anyone else
that has questions about
parenting or relationships.
Pregnancy tests are also
offered at no cost. Dar-
lington said they provide
verification of a positive
test and that doctors and
social service agencies in
the area recognize and ac-
cept their verifications.
Darlington said the
Center hopes to be able to
soon offer cooking classes
on how to prepare quick
meals for children. They
would also like to be able
to offer sewing classes
to teach basic skills such
as mending, sewing on
buttons, or making some
clothing, such as “jam-
mies.”
Darlington said the
community has been quite
generous to offer support
in fixing up their facil-
ity. Recent improvements
include a new kitchen in
which the cooking classes
could take place.
Darlington expressed
her great appreciation for
community donations, say-
ing, “It’s how we survive.”
Donations include baby
and children’s clothing,
wipes, baby blankets, and
various “baby parapher-
nalia.”
Ongoing, Darlington
said the center is always in
need of laundry detergent
and cleaning supplies,
baby wipes, and baby
hygiene items.
Anyone who wishes to
give a donation to the work
of the Rachel Center and
does not have the oppor-
tunity to do so by other
means can mail it in.
The Rachel Center also
welcomes volunteers.
Darlington explained there
is always work to do. She
said if someone brings in
clothes and says they were
just washed, “that’s an
extra blessing.”
Otherwise, everything is
washed or cleaned, includ-
ing clothes, playpens, high
chairs, etc. Some items are
mended or repaired to be
ready for use. There are
also times donations need
to be picked up or deliv-
ered to those who cannot
make it into the Center
office.
The Rachel Center is
located at 2192 Court Av-
enue. Hours are Wednes-
day to Friday 9-5 (closed
between 12 and 1) and the
phone number is 541-523-
5357.
Darlington said it’s
always nice to have people
come in to see what’s go-
ing on and what the Center
can offer the community.
Huntington Chamber completes
annual May Auction, lunch
BY EILEEN DRIVER
Eileen@TheBakerCountyPress.com
• EVENT KICKS OFF
SPRING/SUMMER
SEASON
The Annual Huntington
Chamber of Commerce
May Auction and Cinco de
Mayo Lunch was held on
Saturday, May 2 in Lion’s
Park in Huntington.
This event kicks off the
spring/summer season and
is always much antici-
pated.
The event’s emcees and
auctioneers this year were
Conway Lewis, and Cham-
ber Secretary and Mayor
Travis Young.
A delicious lunch of
beef enchiladas, chicken
quesadillas, Spanish rice,
refried beans and green
salad was served starting
at 11:00 a.m. and included
lemonade, ice tea or coffee
for only $6 a plate—and
no one went away hungry.
After eating their fill
members of the crowd
gathered for the auction to
begin at 1:00 p.m. There
were many and varied
new and used items to be
auctioned off.
Conway started the after-
noon off with, “The Cham-
ber appreciates everyone
coming here today and we
hope you remembered to
bring your checkbooks.
Now what am I bid for this
Bellefleur Queen Comfort-
er set donated by Baker
Bed & Bath?”
The rest of the afternoon
went fast and furious with
items being sold quickly
and with fierce competition
on some items.
Two of the most heatedly
bid-on items were a home-
made peanut butter pie and
homemade blackberry pie.
Other items available
were a small organ donated
by Candy’s Corner Market
in Huntington, one queen-
size Memory Foam pillow
donated by Eldridge Fur-
niture in Ontario, a Shock
fishing pole and reel do-
nated by Huntington Bait
& Tackle, a Movie Night
basket from Albertsons in
Baker City, a filled flower
basket from Safeway in
Baker City, T-shirt and
cap from Les Schwab in
Baker City, Car Cleaning
kit rom O’Reilly Auto
Parts in Baker City, a green
and peach hand-crocheted
afghan donated by Bob
Witter, a birdhouse from
Oregon Trail Landscape,
first aid kit from Baker
City Pharmacy, Craftsman
bit driver set from Sears,
three gallons of white ex-
terior paint and paint brush
set from Sherwin Williams
in Ontario, one bird feeder
from Andrew Seed in
Ontario, a wireless hitch
camera from Rocking R in
Ontario, six-piece wrench
set from Napa in Ontario,
52-piece emergency kit
from Les Schwab On-
tario, 25 piece screwdriver
set from Ace Hardware
in Baker City, $20 gift
certificate for Betty’s
Books in Baker City, two
wine stoppers & two wine
glasses from Kenney &
Keele Ontario, five, $10
gift certificates from Napa
in Ontario, two $10 gift
certificates for Winger’s
Ontario, $30 gift certificate
for Red Apple Ontario, a
$60 & $40 gift certificates
from the Tire Factory
in Ontario, two $50 gift
certificates from Steve’s
Hometown Dealership in
Ontario, and a spittoon,
platter and bowl donated
by Windfall Antiques.
The consensus was
that the even had a great
turnout and very few of the
used items were left unsold
and none of the new items
were left.
The Huntington Cham-
ber of Commerce wishes to
thank all the donators and
the buyers for making this
years event a big success.
All proceeds will be
used for Pioneer Days
music. Pioneer Days is
scheduled this year from
August 7th through 9th in
Huntington.
The event, which began in 2009, has indeed bloomed
into an international law enforcement/military sharp-
shooting demonstration. Competitors are hand-selected
and invited from a pool of submitted letters of interest.
Competitors then pay an entry fee of $250, but entries
closed April 1 when the 50 slots filled.
According to Huisman, “We like mixing it up.” He
said this year, some competitors who work in specs ops
and counter-terrorism will attend, as well as representa-
tives from the FBI and possibly Secret Service. “We have
competitors this year from Ireland, Italy, Canada and all
across the U.S.,” he added. Huisman himself has been in
law enforcement for nearing two decades and lists im-
pressive accomplishments such as SWAT sniper instruc-
tor and armorer in his credentials.
In addition to the 1,000-yard shooting range, Huisman’s
attention was drawn to the Baker City area due to fam-
ily ties. “My whole family on my mother’s side is from
Baker City,” he said.
Major rules for the challenge are: .308 caliber rifles
only, factory ammunition only (no reloads), muzzle
velocity not to exceed 2750 fps (no exceptions)—am-
munition with be chronographed, international shooters
must obey all ITAR when selecting items off of the prize
table, and international shooters must provide their own
translator if needed.
McCoy said members of the Baker Rural Fire Depart-
ment, with Chief Dan Weitz, will be present along with a
wildland fire truck just in case a fire is somehow ignited.
The winners of two separate raffles, each for a POF
415 rifle, will be announced at the event. The first raffle’s
proceeds go to the Warrior Dog Foundation—the second
raffle’s proceeds to the Green Berets. Tickets can be pur-
chased and more information about the overall event can
be found at www.coldboreops.com.
The Oregon Sniper Challenge is June 12-14 this year.
Friday the 12th will be a day for vendors and sponsors.
(The prize table usually holds over $100K in donated
prizes.) The public is encouraged to come take a peek at
the event from about 10 a.m until 2 p.m. that Friday. “We
would love to have the public come out,” invited Huis-
man.
Competitions will be held the following two days
through Saturday and Sunday.
Members of the press and public will not be allowed,
for obvious safety reasons and to preserve the privacy of
the competitors, during the actual training and competi-
tion.
Though currently held every other year, Huisman said
it’s not outside the realm of possibility to turn the compe-
tition into an annual event.
Payton awarded
scholarship
Saint Alphonsus
Auxiliary- Baker City
Scholarship Committee met
recently to review scholar-
ship applications. Commit-
tee members are Marilyn
Bloom, Betty Rouse and
Peggy Payton. They are
awarding $1500 to a Baker
County resident who is
enrolled in the health care
field such as RN, LPN,
Radiology, Medical Lab
Technician, Physical, Re-
Submitted Photo.
spiratory or Occupational
Therapy or similar areas.
Nathan Payton.
The student must have at
least a college sophomore
status by September 2015.
This year the scholarship is being awarded to Nathan
Payton a 2012 graduate from Baker High School. He is
going to Biola University to become a Physician's As-
sistant.