8 — THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS
FRIDAY, APRIL 7, 2017
Local
‘Souper Spring Swing Fling’ ‘Carry the
Fallen’ march
held at Crossroads
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
BY SAMANTHA
O’CONNER
Samantha@TheBakerCountyPress.com
Saturday, April 1st,
Crossroads Carnegie Art
Center held its fourth
soup feed fundraiser, the
“Souper Spring Swing
Fling.”
The first Feed the Arts
event was held in 2012
and all proceeds go to the
Crossroads Hand to Heart
Scholarship Fund. This
year, they made $4,170
from the feed for the schol-
arship.
The evening included the
Blue Yesterdays, a band
of individuals from the
Northeast Oregon area,
performing the greatest in
Big Band Classics.
Guests were invited to
select a bowl donated by
local pottery artists to keep
and had the choice of soup
or a baked potato for din-
ner. They were also able to
participate in the Extreme
Easter Basket Silent Auc-
tion.
“It’s a very common
fundraiser to do in the arts
community,” said Ginger
Savage, the Executive Di-
rector of Crossroads Carn-
egie Art Center. “Whether
it be bowls, whether it
be plates, whether it be
whatever. Potters have this
amazing talent to make
dishware and so many of
these potters have given
to Shelter From the Storm
Samantha O’Conner / The Baker County Press
On display, a wide range of bowls from which to choose.
in La Grande, they have
a soup dinner where you
come in and fill a bowl.
It’s just a very big thing in
the potter’s world that they
do. So, we also do this for
our scholarship fund. It’s
something warm, fills your
heart, it’s soup it makes
you feel good.
“And the scholarship
fund is something that
makes you feel good too,
so they’re a perfect match,
and that was kind of where
the inspiration came from.
And then it just gives us a
small fundraiser dedicated
just to the scholarship
fund.”
Savage explained that
next year they will be look-
ing into doing plates and
a salad event and that will
challenge the potters as
plates are harder to make.
The potters who donat-
ed their bowls for the event
ranged from intermediate
to professional and artists
from Boise brought their
bowls as well.
This year’s feed was the
first they had baskets and
they collected 20 for the
auction.
Some baskets were do-
nated by organizations, and
some were combinations
of organizations donating
some items and the staff
at Crossroads supplied the
rest.
Lone Pine Café do-
nated all of the food for
the evening and Sorbenots
provided the coffee served.
Rancher testifies
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PAGE 3
It was updated as re-
cently as 2007. This plan
is to identify significant
points of diversion. That
technical plan identi-
fied 2,385 diversions of
significance, of which only
1,005 have been equipped
with measuring devices.
Continuing this strate-
gic plan would identify
and install measurement
protocols that would mean
better management of this
resource.
“Another problematic
point of this idea is that it
segregates and regulates
only out-of-stream uses,
as opposed to in-stream
rights. In the spirit of
equality under the law, it
should absolutely require
the same treatment to the
in-stream water right, as
to the beneficial, out-of-
stream economic use. In
short, it is discriminatory,
and that definitely is not
right. Now, on to address
House Bill 2706.
“In reality, this classi-
fies as a tax, not merely a
fee, reasoning that a fee
can be appropriated only
when a service is being
rendered. In its current
language, there are no
additional services being
delivered to the user of
the resource. Therefore,
House Bill 2706, being
a tax, should enjoin the
exempted uses, mainly,
domestic and municipal
water users, into participat-
ing in financing the effort,
and not discriminating
against the out-of-stream
agricultural uses.
“Also, this fact is
financially hostile to
many individual, legally
adjudicated water rights
holders. Multiple genera-
tional ranching operations
possess numerous points of
diversion to distribute their
water, and the imposition
of this monetary burden
would severely impact
their financial viability,
from continuing on to the
next generation of agricul-
turalists. These are but a
few of the real errors these
two bills contain.
“In closing my remarks,
and on a more concilia-
tory, solution-oriented
tone, I sincerely want to
express my personal desire
for us to leave the posi-
tions of conflict behind
us, and move toward a
collaborative, coordinated,
outcome-based discussion
of improved management
of this most vital resource.
Very honestly, I person-
ally would like to engage
with you as legislators and
policy makers, in coming
to eastern Oregon, and in
conjunction with our local
and regional water masters,
examine and learn the in-
tricate methods employed
in allocating the multiple,
beneficial uses of water,
because it is complex.
“In exploring the many
needs around water, it does
not have to be a zero-sum
game, in which to benefit
one entity, we have to take
away from another. A
current example, but at an-
other forum, I would like
to elaborate on how we, in
the Powder/Brownlee wa-
tershed, are engaging with
the Oregon Department of
Fish and Wildlife, along
with other state and federal
agencies, in addressing
in-stream, aquatic habitat
needs, and water for rural
communities’ economics.
“We can come together,
because what we all want
is a vibrant Oregon, with
rural and urban under-
standing, and respecting
each other’s culture, heri-
tage, and values. Again,
thanks for your time, and
attention.”
O’Keefe testified
next,followed by Camp-
bell, both also in opposi-
tion of House Bills 2705
and 2706. Helm thanked
the group for traveling a
significant distance and
testifying, and O’Keefe
for providing attorney and
OCA Political Advocate
Rocky Dallum to the com-
mittee’s work group.
OTEC’s annual meeting ahead
Oregon Trail Electric
Cooperative announces
that ballots for its Board
of Directors elections were
mailed Friday, March 31,
2017.
Three positions on the
OTEC Board are up for
election at the 29th Annual
Membership Meeting set
to take place on Saturday,
April 29, 2017.
Candidates on the ballot
this year are:
• Union County can-
didate for position #1 is
incumbent George Gal-
loway
• Baker County candi-
dates running for positon
#2 are Aletha Bonebrake
and James Grove
• Harney County can-
didate for position #3 is
incumbent Robert Cargill
All candidates are run-
ning to serve a three-year
term. OTEC’s Annual
Membership Meeting will
be celebrated in La Grande
at the Blue Mountain
Conference Center (404
12th Street, La Grande,
OR). The election results
will be announced during
that time.
OTEC voting members
will be able to cast their
ballots by mail or may
hand deliver their ballot
to the Annual Member-
ship Meeting. To vote by
mail, the signed and sealed
ballots must be received
by Friday, April 28th or
delivered in-person to the
Annual Meeting on Satur-
day, April 29th in order to
be counted.
Included with the bal-
lot is a voter’s guide and
biographies of each of the
candidates. Members vot-
ing by mail may also enter
a contest to win a $500 en-
ergy credit to be awarded
at the Annual Membership
Meeting (members need
not be present to win).
Registration for the 2017
Annual Membership
Meeting begins at 10 a.m.
on Saturday, April 29th
followed by a business
meeting at 11 a.m.
A catered lunch will be
served at 12:30 p.m. and
live entertainment will be
provided by Frank Carlson.
There will be raffles and
prize drawings throughout
the event and all members
are invited to attend.
To register to vote in
OTEC elections or to find
out if you are an OTEC
registered voter, contact
your local OTEC office.
For additional informa-
tion about OTEC, the
candidates and the Annual
Meeting visit: www.otecc.
com under the “About”
tab.
More than 20 veterans a day commit suicide in the U.S.
Active Heroes, a 501(c)3 organization whose goal is to
raise awareness and funding to help end veteran suicide
are the creators of the Carry the Fallen events. Their goal
is “Aiming for Zero,” in the belief that even one veteran
suicide is too many. They are committed to providing
support for veterans and their families, from building
retreats where the vets and their families can spend time
getting help and healing to local support and assistance.
In August 2016, the U.S. Department of Veterans Af-
fairs released a new report, which was the nation’s largest
analysis of veteran suicide. The report reviewed more
than 55 million veterans’ records from 1979 to 2014 from
every state in the nation.
Broken down, the statistics are below:
Suicide rate by year since discharge by deployment
status of Veterans (Rate calculated per 100,000 person
years at risk):
Within three years since discharge, 33.1 suicide rate by
non-deployed
Veterans, 29.7 suicide rate by deployed Veterans.
Within six years since discharge, 27.3 suicide rate by
non-deployed
Veterans, 24.7 suicide rate by deployed Veterans.
Within nine years since discharge, 25.6 suicide rate by
non-deployed
Veterans, 26.1 suicide rate by deployed Veterans.
The rate of suicide was greatest within 3 years after leav-
ing service.
According to Andy Springer, a veteran who served with
Kyle Colnot and now helps organize the Carry the Fallen
events, “Returned veterans can face up to six months wait
before obtaining an appointment at a Veteran’s Adminis-
tration hospital. Some give up hope during this time.”
River Colnot is excited about his project, and the fact
that “a whole bunch of veterans are supporting this
march, it’s a real honor to work with them to make this
happen.”
Colnot has been working closely with Springer, and
Springer will fly out west to attend the event.
Colnot said, “As a Senior Project this has been a great
learning experience. I have gained so much in so many
areas, from getting help from Active Heroes to actually
finding out how to set all this up. So many local people
have been helpful, from donating supplies, helping get the
flyers printed, advice—it’s been great.”
He goes on to explain, “I have talked to so many
people, people who have lost service members both in
action and to suicide. It’s made me even more sure that
this is the right project. My goal is to raise the money
and the awareness to help prevent any vet or their family
from having to go through this, and to leave a memory for
everyone who participates in Kyle’s March.”
Colnot has enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps, and will
enter service in November.
Veterans Crisis Line Website can be reached at 1-800-
273-8255, or text to 838255 for a Confidential Veterans
Chat.
The Veterans Crisis Line connects Veterans in crisis and
their families and friends with qualified, caring Depart-
ment of Veterans Affairs responders. Veterans and their
loved ones can call, chat online, or send a text message to
receive confidential support 24 hours a day, seven days a
week, 365 days a year. Support for deaf and hard of hear-
ing individuals is available.
BCPD helps
in Enterprise
drug bust
On Thursday, March 30, 201,7 at about 4:17 p.m.,
Enterprise Police Officers, Wallowa County Deputies
and Probation and Parole Officer, and Baker City Police
Sergeant Chastain and his canine partner “Capa” executed
a drug search warrant at 600 W. Greenwood Street, Lot 2,
in Enterprise.
Baker City Canine “Capa” was deployed and alerted on
multiple locations in the home. Officers seized approxi-
mately 9.8 grams of methamphetamine, scales, packaging
materials, drug records, and $347.
Officers also found and seized a butane honey oil lab
and components, honey oil product and ten adult mari-
juana plants.
Steven Dale Strong, age 46, was subsequently charged
with Unlawful Manufacture of Marijuana, Unlawful Man-
ufacture of a Cannabinoid Extract, Unlawful Possession
of Methamphetamine, Unlawful Delivery of Methamphet-
amine, and Commercial Drug Offense Methamphetamine.
Strong is being held in the Wallowa County Detention
Center pending arraignment.
Library to hold free
children’s event
Baker County Public Library will host a special event
for children and families on Thursday, April 20 at 4:00
p.m. Storyteller and musician Rick Huddle will perform
“Don’t Let Pigeon Take Over the Library,” a comedic
presentation of silly stories, songs, and skits inspired by
Mo Willems’ books. The event is free and open to all
ages.