8 — THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2016
Local
VFW holds annual Patriots Tasty Bake
Pen, Voice of Democracy
contests in Baker County
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3
BY SAMANTHA
O’CONNER
Samantha@TheBakerCountyPress.com
Veterans of Foreign Wars
(VFW) had their annual
nation-wide Patriots Pen
and Voice of Democracy
contests for scholarship
awards and announced the
six winners of the contests.
The contests are spon-
sored by the VFW every
year and each city that
has a VFW post is able to
participate in the contests.
Nationally, both contests
have been held since 1947
and Baker has participated
in them for over 20 years.
The Patriots Pen is a
single-page essay, with
a character limit, that is
typically written by sixth
to eighth graders. In a
pamphlet from the VFW
National Committee out
of Washington D.C., it
explains; “A Patriots Pen
is conducted nationwide.
It’s a VFW sponsored es-
say competition that gives
students an opportunity
to write essays expressing
their views on an annual
patriotic theme.
This year’s theme was
entitled, ‘The America I
Believe In.’ The national
winners will receive at
least $500 toward scholar-
ships.
The first place national
award is currently $5,000,
plus an all-expense paid
trip to Washington D.C for
the winner and a parent or
guardian.”
“They pick a topic for
the Patriot’s Pen,” ex-
plained Robert Henshaw,
Post Commander of VFW
Post 3048. “And, just
based off the title, they let
the kids write whatever it
is that means to them and
then it goes up to a board
of judges here locally,
they pick three winners
to send to districts, and
from districts to regionals,
and then from regionals to
nationals.”
The Voice of De-
mocracy is a two to five
minute speech turned in
to the VFW on a CD. The
speech is typically given
by freshman to senior high
school students. Each year
almost 40,000 high school
students compete for more
than $2 million in scholar-
ships and incentives.
This year’s theme was
entitles “My Responsibility
to America.”
Students from The
Baker High School and
Harvest Christian Acad-
emy submitted their Voice
of Democracy speeches.
“For us based off the
Patriots Pen, we also
donate money towards
their scholarship,” said
Henshaw. “So the Patriots
Pen first place was $100,
second place was $75,
and third place $50. The
Voice of Democracy first
place was $200, second
place $150, and third place
$100. We do our own little
scholarship incentive to the
kids as well.
The three winners for
the Patriots Pen are all
from the Baker Middle
School. In first place is
Sydney Keller, second
place is Jocelynn Hellberg,
and third place is Phoebe
Wise.
The three winners for
the Voice of Democ-
racy are all from Harvest
Christian Academy. In first
place is Savannah Potter,
in second place is Autumn
Ingalls, and in third place
is Elijah Banister.
For the process of
selecting the winners of
the contest, Henshaw
explained, “It’s set off a
basic guideline of rules.
We bring a panel of three
judges, most of them are
high school teachers and
I submit everything to
them without the names.
I number them all and the
judges only get to read and
they make sure it meets the
general criteria first as far
as using enough characters
or too many.
They make sure it’s of
the right length and the
right topic and they just
base it off of grammar and
the general understanding
of the topic.
The judges that we pick,
they’re patriotic in their
own sense, so they pick
which one means the most
to them personally to send
on to districts and then dis-
tricts does the same thing.”
Henshaw has not yet
heard from Districts who
of the winners will be go-
ing to Regionals.
Savannah Potter’s speech
is below:
Submitted Photo.
Savannah Potter of Harvest Christian academy
placed first in the Voice of Democracy competition.
My Responsibility
to America
By Savannah Potter
In May of 1787 thirteen
states met to form a federal
government for our fledg-
ling country.
As they wrote the United
States Constitution that
summer, our forefathers
knew they were formu-
lating the foundation for
every freedom that all
Americans would enjoy
and profit from in the cen-
turies to come.
They also knew that
great freedom carries great
responsibility; they expect-
ed all American citizens to
take responsibility for their
country no matter their
age, race, sex, or political
point of view.
Of all our responsi-
bilities none is greater than
who we elect to represent
us.
President Garfield sum-
marized this accurately
and powerfully when he
said,“Now more than ever
before, the people are re-
sponsible for the character
of their Congress. If that
body be ignorant, reckless
and corrupt, it is because
the people tolerate igno-
rance, recklessness and
corruption. If it be intel-
ligent, brave and pure, it is
because the people demand
these high qualities to rep-
resent them in the national
legislature.”
These words are no less
true today than they were
in 1877.
Our country is only as
great as the character of
the people who lead it, and
we the people are the ones
who are responsible for
choosing these leaders.
It is our responsibility
as citizens of the United
States to discern between
ignorance and intelligence,
recklessness and bravery,
corruption and honor.
Consequently, it is also
our responsibility to be
people who are capable
of making that judgment
because we ourselves hold
Submitted Photo.
Autumn Ingalls and her father at the awards
ceremony at the VFW.
to high standards of moral-
ity and embrace what is
honorable.
If we are to be satisfied
with the people that we
elect, we must individually
be people of integrity.
I am underage and in-
eligible to vote; therefore,
my greatest responsibility
to America is to become
a person of principle and
high moral character.
Integrity is formed by
being certain of what I
believe and developing
myself to consistently live
out those beliefs in my life
choices.
My family plays a major
role in developing my
character; their influence,
beliefs, and support have
shaped who I am today and
will continue to do so.
Right now, a big part of
my life is school, where
I challenge myself to
achieve high goals, make
good grades, and be a criti-
cal thinker.
Home and school are
the training grounds that
prepare me to be a well-
informed adult who will
stand confidently for what
I believe.
Another extremely
important responsibility I
have is to know my coun-
try’s history. As a nation,
our collective understand-
ing of history shapes our
present.
If we are ignorant of
history than we become
susceptible to biased opin-
ions instead of documented
Submitted Photo.
Savannah Potter
accepts her award.
facts.
The outcome of igno-
rance is that our country’s
freedoms and rights are
jeopardized because if we
do not know and under-
stand them, we will easily
lose them.
My responsibility to
America is to be a person
of character and integrity.
If I, joined by others, stay
true to this and hold high
expectations for the people
that we elect to represent
us, than the same quali-
ties will be evident in our
government.
Being people who are
intelligent, brave, and pure
will ensure that America
remains a free and good
country.
DiFonzo said that Taylor informed him that electrical
power to the building had been shut off for about a month
prior to Taylor’s resignation, and Taylor said that the loss
of power to the freezers and to the coolers would cause
substantial loss of the product stored within both.
According to DiFonzo, Taylor had also informed him
that most vendors of Tasty Bake were not paid by either
Cereal Holding Company, or Tasty Bake, and this includ-
ed any insurance premium for the property, and DiFonzo
said that he has had no indication that the property was
insured at the time.
In Peter’s Declaration, he said he had also spoken with
Taylor, and Taylor had informed him of the condition of
the property, and of other details. “Based upon informa-
tion provided to me by Mr. Taylor and other parties fa-
miliar with the situation, it is my understanding that Tasty
Bake is no longer operating in the business in which it
was formerly engaged ... I have received phone calls from
a number of vendors of Tasty Bake, seeking informa-
tion regarding the operations of the business, as they are
not being paid for their services, and are receiving no
response (or) communication from ... Defendant Tasty
Bake, Inc., or Defendant Cereal Holding Company ...”
Peter said in his Declaration that, because of the dif-
ficulties which arose shortly after the sale of his stock in
Tasty Bake, to Cereal Holding Company, he had con-
ducted extensive research into Cereal Holding Company
President Alicia Campos, and Samarah, who was also
listed as Cereal Holding Company Vice President.
Peter discovered several negative items, among them, a
National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD) fine
of $50,000, against Samarah and Company, and Samarah,
in March 1991, and expulsion of Samarah and Company,
from membership in the NASD, for failing to main-
tain minimum set capital, and for inaccurate books and
records. The NASD, said Peter, found that Samarah and
Company, and Samarah effected securities transactions
with customers at prices that were unfair, and unreason-
able.
Peter also discovered that Samarah and Campos, as
principals of Oxy Dry Food Blends, and CPC Laborato-
ries, were sued in Cook County Circuit Court (Illinois),
by B&D Industrial Chemicals, for failing to pay for prod-
ucts delivered by B&D.
In 2003 or 2004, Peter said, Samarah and Samarah
Holding Company were sued by Phoenix Container, Inc.,
for claims that Samarah, as former CEO/President of
Samarah Holding Company, and former CEO of Phoenix,
drew on Phoenix’s master bank account, in order to fund
his own interests, in the amount of $437,250. The jury
found Samarah liable, and Phoenix was awarded that sum
in compensatory damages, and $450,000 in punitive dam-
ages. After its related bankruptcy claim was dismissed,
Peter said that Samarah Holding Company was also
found liable for damages relating to an unjust enrichment
claim.
BLM revises
drilling filing
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) took a signifi-
cant step today in its multi-year effort to improve the ef-
ficiency and transparency of the permitting process for oil
and gas drilling. With the final revision to Onshore Order
1, the agency is making online filing the default method
of filing Applications for Permit to Drill (APDs) and No-
tices of Staking, moving away from paper applications.
Since the BLM began developing the new online
permitting system, almost 500 operators representing 70
different companies have provided valuable feedback and
taken part in training. To date, about 200 permits have
been reviewed and approved in the system, and another
1,300 are currently being processed.
"Today's rule concludes another key element of our
oil and gas modernization program by moving BLM
away from the hardcopy application process," said BLM
Director Neil Kornze. "This Administration has updated a
number of business processes in the oil and gas program
that will result in a better and more efficient experience
for both industry and the BLM."
The shift toward e-filing is part of an ongoing effort by
the BLM to increase efficiency and transparency of the
drilling permit review and approval process. This regula-
tory effort complements the BLM's recent upgrades to its
permit processing system. That new system automates
aspects of the process, allows operators to receive real-
time feedback on their permits, makes the process more
transparent, and enhances the BLM's ability to manage
workflows. This new system, which was rolled out earlier
this year is expected to reduce APD processing times by
as much as 50 percent.
The current average processing time for permits is
220 days; the BLM estimates that with the new rule, 90
percent of permits will be processed within 115 days.
In addition, the new system increases transparency by
allowing operators to see where their application is in the
approval process. By making e-filing the default means
of submittal, as opposed to hard copy submittals, the
new rule maximizes the opportunities presented by the
new permit processing system. Recognizing that e-filing
may not always be possible, the rule allows operators to
request a waiver from the e-filing requirement in certain
circumstances.
This new e-filing system is part of the BLM's upgraded
Automated Fluid Mineral's Support System (AFMSS II).
Ultimately that system will track and organize informa-
tion regarding oil and gas operations on federal lands.
When completely built out, AFMSS II will contain all of
the relevant documents about a well.