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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 12,2015
Because You Care
Valentine Sweetheart
By Emily Braswell
By Phyllis Badgley
Excitement accelerated in grade school in the 1930s, as Valentine’s Day approached. After
finishing assignment in the Weekly Reader, we were allowed to make Valentines. Teacher supplied
red and white construction paper, lacy doilies and solid white paste. We discovered a pleasant
taste when using our tongue to remove paste from our fingers.
Commercial valentines during Great Depression days were considered special. If we were
fortunate enough to have fifteen cents, we could buy Valentine’s Day cards at F.W.Woolworth
store on Main Street. Priced at two for a penny, we could buy a Valentine for each of our thirty
classmates. Teacher would receive our special hand made creation.
By the time we reached Jr. High (now called Middle school;)
entering teen years, we dreamed of being noticed by a young
classmate of our same age. We secretly hoped for a Valentine
from him, although he didn’t seem to recognize our existence,
as we passed in the hallway.
Valentine’s Day in High School was accented by group
gatherings at Harrison’s Confectionery on Main Street. Many
affectionate glances were exchanged there over servings of
soft drinks, and special chocolate candy that was created
right there on the premises.
Adult years rolled by. Cupid shot darts at me when I
met, through friends, a shy gentleman from Huntington,
Ore. When Valentine’s Day approached, we had been
friends for two months. I thought a Valentine’s Card only
would be forthcoming, however, Mr. B. surprised me
with a gift of a lovely pink jewel necklace! Our courtship
continued and two months later, Valentine excitement
still prevailing, we became engaged. Additionally, after
another two months ensued, we were happily married.
I received Valentines from my husband for forty two
years, until his passing. The Valentine necklace of 1951
remains in my treasure chest, to be worn each Feb. 14.
LEADER
SHIP
B lack D istributing
2150 Broadway, Baker City, OR 97814
541-523-4575
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INSURANCE CENTER, INC.
I nsuring E astern O regon for O ver 30 Y ears
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G unsmithing and F irearms S ales
Serving all of Baker County and beyond
E. FRAZER GUNWORKS, LLC
Edward Frazer ~ Owner
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541-663-8000 ♦ gunworks@frontier.com
The Goal has been reached!
THE PAVILION WILL BE
BUILT THIS SUMMER!
LAST CHANCE
To Order Your Commemorative Brick To Be
Installed As Your Personal Legacy Into The
Bandstand Pavilion at Geiser-Pollman Park.
Once building of the Pavilion begins,
no more inscriptions will be possible.
Cut off date to order bricks
is March 31,2015
Order forms available at
www.bakercitvbandstahd.orq or in
brochure stands at local businesses.
4”x8” brick $60
8”x8” brick $300
8” x 8” Veterans' brick $150
For information about bricks,
or to have order blank
emailed to you,
call 541-519-5653
Continued from page 1
The BMS leadership class part­
ners with Kiwanis International,
which has helped by purchasing t-
shirts and partial fundraising. Out­
side of Kiwanis, BMS leadership
kids - about 120 seventh and
eighth graders - are responsible
for their own fundraising. They
develop their own ideas for com­
munity service projects and ways
to raise money, vote on which to
focus on, and organize.
different every y.ep,rr ” s^ys
Sullivan of the class’s projects.
“And it has to be the students.”
During its yearly carnival
fundraiser last year (now coming
up in March), Sullivan says the
group raised about $12,000.
“Our money goes right back
into student programs,” says Sul­
livan.
Leadership recently purchased
18 Apple Chromebook laptop
computers for the BMS Language
Arts department, and hopes to be
able to fund more; it helped the Art
department bring in a notable artist
to paint murals inside the school;
it puts on dances and recognizes
its staff; it regularly helps kids at­
tend sporting events when in need
of funds, and provides scholar­
ships for those in need of supplies.
The class is also helping to refur­
bish a property purchased by Prin­
cipal Mindy Vaughan which will
then ideally be sold to help fund a
new wood shop.
Sullivan and her students aver­
age 75 service projects per year.
Once a week, the kids help at the
Baker City Salvation Army, vacu­
uming and washing windows; they
help the local Baker City Baptist
Church with its free meal each
Wednesday by decorating, clean­
ing, and setting-up; and they re­
cently donated $1,000 to the
nearby Presbyterian Church which
supplies breakfast to students
every morning. Other projects in­
clude sending food to U.S. troops,
supply boxes to African orphans,
water purification straws to the
Phillipines, and still more.
As Sullivan puts it, “We do it
all.”
Each minute of service is docu­
mented by students and must be
signed-off by a staff member.
Those who reach 1,000 impaid
minutes of service are invited to
attend a special event the class has
been organizing for awhile, in­
spired by BHS graduate Michelle
Freese.
These students travel to Portland
to assist the homeless. But not
“Over a period of 25 years I
spent 13 of them on lock
down. But I noticed something
different when I got sent to
Powder River Correctional Fa­
cility, that the staff and volun­
teers cared deeply,” testified
Ted Woodruff. After an emo­
tional pause as he stood,
holding back tears, he pro­
fessed, “Cliff Cole saved my
i
life.”
“I’m 31 years old. I started
my life of crime at age 11...
started doing drugs at age
14.. .and I have been to prison
10 times,” Lucas Evans confessed. “I wanted help, so I robbed
a store and waited there for the police to come and get me... ,
and I requested to go to the Powder River Correctional Facility
because they have the best AIP (Alternative Incarceration Ad- <
diction Program) in the world.”
Woodruff and Evans are former inmates who made Powder
River the final resting place of their old lives. Woodruff was re­
leased in 2007 and Evans was released just four months ago.
The main attribute these two men have in common is how they
were able to be freed from their pasts with the selfless and pa­
tient help of Cole and the other members of the Prison Ministry
team. Their stories are only two out of the hundreds of individ­
uals who have received help from the Northeast Oregon Com­
passion Center (NEOCC).
The men told their stories in front of almost 200 people last
Saturday evening during the Celebrate Compassion Banquet,
a yearly fundraiser for the NEOCC. Their moving testimonies
were preceded by a revealing dialogue from former Baker City
Church of the Nazarene pastor, Allan Franks. It was under his
administration in 1999 that the NEOCC was founded.
Franks created the center after his own spiritual, emotional
and physical breakdown, which eventually became his 'break­
open.'
“It was the worst and best thing that had ever happened to
me,” he explained. Because of the brokenness he experi­
enced, Franks developed an overwhelming compassion for
‘broken’ people, which, in turn led him in developing the
NEOCC.
Over the past 15 years the NEOCC has served Baker
County, giving counselling, guidance and support, and also
through their 15 free public programs; each one offered with
love and respect. These programs are: Baker County Jail Vis­
itations, Celebrate Recovery, Christian Care Giving, Clothing
Boutique, Communication Skills Classes, Domestic Violence
Intervention Group, Financial Peace University, Firewood Min-.
istry, Food Bank, Home Service Projects, Learning to Change,
Parenting Classes, Prison Ministry in the Powder River and
Snake River Facilities, Restoration Ministries Classes and, the
most recently created Safe Zone, a support group for veter­
ans.
The programs are coordinated by the four NEOCC staff
members and the many community volunteers who freely give
their assistance because they believe in the center's mission:
“We exist to open doors so Christ can change lives. Our desire
is to serve the people in our community who have a need, re­
gardless of their race, religion or ability to pay.”
NEOCC operates strictly on grants and donations, making
their fundraising activities an essential requirement. Last year’s
banquet request was met, and then some. They needed a
pickup truck for use with their firewood program. They received
one pickup truck, one larger truck, plus cash to operate the
program. Those generous donations helped the program’s vol­
unteers to chop, stack and deliver 240 cord of firewood to meet
this winter’s heating needs.
The goal for this year’s fundraiser is $15,000 in 90 days to
fulfill three requests. They would like to acquire a frontend
loader or tractor for the firewood program, accumulate funding
for temporary emergency housing and gain a place, or funding,
for a permanent facility for long-term emergency, or transitional
housing.
NEOCC accepts food, clothing, volunteer time and financial
donations. To donate to this faith-based organization, call their
office at 541-523-9845, visit their website at neoregoncompas-
sioncenter.org, or mail to PO Box 665, Baker City, OR 97814.
Your support is truly appreciated.
only do they offer Portland home­
less food and socks, they also be­
come immersed in what it is like to
be homeless. The students are only
allowed an old red sweater, PE
uniform, sleeping bags, and basic
food - no backpacks allowed. Kids
are arranged to sleep in a safe, but
cement-floored coffee shop in
sleeping bags. Some use their
sweaters as pillows.
The experience, says Sullivan, is
not only incredibly educational,
but also emotional. It is an experi­
ment in the difference between
sympathy and empathy. The class
is equipped with brooms also,
which they use to help sweep the
areas where homeless sleep. They
VALENTINE’S DAW
Special Dinner!
Starts at 3 p.m.
2715 10th Street, Baker City
Jj^»54 1-523-9041
are escorted for safety by Adsideo,;
a service group of individuals who
used to be homeless themselves.;
Not only do they understand the;
safer areas of the city, but Adsideo;
also shares stories with students.;
Kids learn important lessons about'
drugs, family, and education. It is
a powerful experience.
The BMS leadership class’s of­
ficers are as follows: Dylan Mas-
trude, President; Zach Schwin,
Vice President; and Reno Ham­
mond, Treasurer/Secretary. Sulli­
van credits these students with
doing an outstanding job of pre­
senting to students and staff as
well as overseeing each service
project.
In a similar program modeled
after the BMS Leadership Class,
by strong supporter, Baker City
Kiwanis, Kate Wilde and Jacob
Sergeant are proud winners of Ki­
wanis’s “K Kids” Service Award.
Both fifth graders completed
1,000 minutes of documented un­
paid service to their communities.
Congratulations to the students
and staff involved in such out­
standing leadership at Baker Mid­
dle School.