FRIDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2017
THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS — 5
Local
Second K9 fundraiser a hit OTEC’s capital
credits to be
returned soon
Photographs courtesy of Wyn Lohner
Top: City Manager Fred Warner, Jr. serves as auctioneer. Bottom left: A youth-sized ATV, valued at about
$3,200 was generously donated by Cliffs Saws and Cycles. Bottom right: The Vanderwieles, owners of
Triple C Redi-Mix, were among the event’s “gold” sponsors this year and have supported the K9 program
since before these fundraiser banquets began.
BY KERRY McQUISTEN
News@TheBakerCountyPress.com
The Baker City Police
Department’s second an-
nual fundraiser banquet
to raise funds for their
K9 program was held last
Saturday afternoon and
evening at the Event Cen-
ter off East Street in Baker
City.
The money raised during
the event broke down this
way:
Sponsorships and tickets:
$5,860; live auction,
$19,800; silent auction,
$4,734; raffles, $4,091;
and donations, $460.
That puts total gross pro-
ceeds at $34,945.
Chief Wyn Lohner, who
emceed the event again
this year, said he thinks
expenses, when totalled,
will run just over $5,000,
meaning the event will net
about $30,000 toward the
next year’s care, feeding,
and maintaining training
for drug dog Capa and
training and travel ex-
penses for his handler Sgt.
Wayne Chastain.
Chastain showed the
audience a demonstration
of Capa’s skills, much like
last year, and guests ate
dinner, bought raffle tickets
and bid on auction items.
The event is organized by
volunteers within the com-
munity and office staff.
“It was a tremendous
success,” concluded
Lohner on Sunday.
Bench installed in memory of
young Dylan Thomas
BY SAMANTHA
O’CONNER
Samantha@TheBakerCountyPress.com
On Saturday, November
25th, a bench honoring
Dylan Thomas was placed
outside the Elks Lodge.
Thomas passed away after
a tragic accident in the
Miners Jubilee parade.
According to Creg
Talbott, an Elks Lodge
member, Thomas’s mother,
Megan, had asked him if
something more permanent
could be put outside of the
lodge.
The bench is located
where the community-
made memorial marker of
flowers and stuffed animals
was located.
“Our entire family
greatly appreciates the
community’s continual
support in this incredibly
difficult time. Dylan was a
very special boy who could
make everyone smile,”
said Megan Thomas. “A
special thanks to all the
Samantha O’Conner / The Baker County Press
This bench sits outside the Elks Lodge in memory of Dylan Thomas.
Elks Club and donors for
this beautiful bench.”
There is also a photo
hung on the side of the
lodge behind the bench and
they will leave the picture
where it is.
The bench cost $2,241
and the money was do-
nated by the community.
Talbott had the amount
raised in four to five days,
and there were many
people who wanted to
donate money to help.
He explained that it was
very much appreciated that
more people wanted to
donate but he had already
raised the amount needed.
Memorial Monuments
Retail in La Grande made
the bench out of Georgia
Granite and Thomas’s
mother provided the photo
that is etched into the back
of the bench.
Drunk driver sentenced after accident
On December 7, 2017
in Baker County Circuit
Court, Jacob Grammon
(dob 10-22-1995) of 440
Foothill Drive, Baker City,
Oregon was sentenced to
27 months with the Oregon
Department of Corrections.
He pled guilty to one count
of Assault in the Third De-
gree a class C felony and
Driving Under the Influ-
ence of Intoxicants a class
A misdemeanor. Three
other misdemeanor counts
were dismissed as part of
a plea agreement with the
District Attorney’s Office.
On November 3, 2017,
Grammon was driving a
vehicle on Griffin Gulch
Road, while under the
influence of alcohol and
crashed the vehicle.
Alisha Gagnon was a
passenger in the vehicle
and received serious physi-
cal injuries as a result of
the crash. She had three
broken ribs, a punctured
lung, and a dislocated
knee, in addition to other
abrasions.
Grammon was sentenced
on the felony assault
charge, which alleged
that he recklessly caused
serious physical injury to
his passenger by operating
a vehicle while under the
influence of intoxicants.
Grammon was sentenced
pursuant to the Oregon
Sentencing guidelines. As
part of his sentence, Gram-
mon’s drivers license was
suspended for five years
and he will be on post-
prison supervision for three
years following his release
from prison. Grammon
will receive drug and alco-
hol treatment in prison if it
is available and treatment
is also a requirement of his
post prison supervision.
At its November 16 board meeting, Oregon Trail Elec-
tric Cooperative’s Board of Directors approved the return
of $2.95 million to the cooperative’s member-owners in
December.
The money is being returned to members in the form of
capital credits, also known as members’ equity or mar-
gins. Because OTEC is a nonprofit utility, margins earned
during the year are invested in capital projects that keep
the cooperative’s infrastructure in good working order so
power is available when it is needed. On an annual basis,
part of the margins earned from past years is returned to
members served by the cooperative.
This December capital credits will be distributed to
members by a credit on their electric bill or a check.
Capital credits less than $15 will be applied as a billing
credit to the member’s account. Members with capi-
tal credit balances $15 or greater will receive a check
through the mail.
“Capital credits are an important part of being a co-
operative, said OTEC General Manager and CEO Les
Penning. Because we are a nonprofit cooperative, OTEC
is returning excess revenues generated during the harsh
winter season last year in addition to capital credits al-
ready scheduled for retirement.”
Since 1995, OTEC has returned $33 million in capital
credits to members. This year’s distribution is the largest
return of capital credits in the history of the cooperative.
Anyone with questions about their capital credit account
should call their local OTEC office.
Oregon Trail Electric Cooperative is a member-owned
electric utility serving 25,000 member-owners in Baker,
Union, Grant and Harney counties. For more information
visit us on the web at www.otecc.com or follow us on
Facebook.
Grant deadline
is today
The Baker County Cultural Coalition is welcoming
grant applications for the current round of Cultural Partic-
ipation Grants with funding made possible by the Oregon
Cultural Trust. The deadline to submit grant applications
is December 15, 2017.
The Baker County Cultural Coalition is a nine-member
planning committee appointed by the Baker County
Commission to serve the goals of the Oregon Cultural
Trust. A primary purpose of the coalition is to re-grant
funds it receives from the Cultural Trust to local arts,
humanities and heritage projects, which is done twice an-
nually in mid-December and May. Applicants may only
receive grant awards once during the year. New grant
applications will not be considered if grant reports from
prior awards have not been received. All recipients must
submit a grant report indicating how funds were used by
October 30.
The Oregon Cultural Trust designates approximately
one third of the funds it distributes annually as Cultural
Participation Grants to cultural coalitions in Oregon's
36 counties and nine federally recognized tribes. These
funds are to be used for cultural activities and priori-
ties, and local programs that increase access to cultural
resources and opportunities.
To obtain a grant application, visit the Baker County
Cultural Coalition website at:
http://www.bakercounty.org/cultural_plan/grants.html.
Forms must be completed, hand delivered to a Coali-
tion Board Member or e-mailed (preferred) to bccc@
bakercounty.org by December 15th. More information is
available at the website.
To learn more about how you can benefit by helping
to support cultural programs like this, visit the Oregon
Cultural Trust website: www.culturaltrust.org.
Opera returns
to Baker City
The young musical troupe, Opera Elect, with emerging
opera singers from southwest Idaho is returning to Baker
City to entertain the community.
This Tuesday, December 19, they’ll be belting out
holiday tunes under the stained glass ceiling at the Geiser
Grand Hotel.
From Ave Maria to Winter Wonderland, the soaring
voices are quite moving.
“The acoustic qualities of the Palm Court are amaz-
ing, and allow these singer to work their magic without
microphones or any amplification,” said Barbara Sidway,
music fan and Geiser Grand owner. “We’re grateful for
the opportunity to share this special experience with our
friends, neighbors and guests in Baker City Downtown.”
Reservations are a must—call 541.523.1889.
Flu sweeps through 5J
On Monday, South Baker reported just over 17% ill-
ness-related student absences; Brooklyn Primary absence
rates were just under 11%. Staff absences were noted in
both buildings as well. Building secretaries confirmed
absences were due to flu-like symptoms. Other schools,
including Haines and Keating, appears to be normal for
this time of year.