i Record-Courier THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26,2015 FAMILY continued from page 1 Bob and Krischele Whitnah of Richland, Ore., welcomed the birth of their twin' boys, Wyatt Warren and Marshall Thorny on Feb. 10,2015. Marshall was born at 1:02 p.m., weighed 7 lbs 9 oz, ^nd was 21 and 1/4 inches long. Wyatt was born at 1:03 p.m., weighed 6 lbs 12 oz, and was 20 inches long. Grandparents are Thorny and Dorothy Hampton, Warren Whitnah and Diane Carlisle. Baker City Council Flexes its Muscles Photo by Emily Braswell This quilt block was lovingly stitched by Betty Austin in memory of her son, Brett Austin. By Hayden Perkins Baker City Mayor Kim Mosier is on the offensive against the sale of recreational marijuana in Baker City. With the passage of Measure 91 last fall, Oregon adults will, according to the statute, be able to possess up to eight ounces of recreational marijuana or four home-grown plants per household. These regulations are set to take place later this summer. Although these Oregonians would still be able to legally possess this recreational marijuana (with medical marijuana remaining unaffected), Mosier and other city employ­ ees and community members are seeking to prevent Baker City businesses from selling it - meaning marijuana users would need to purchase elsewhere. Tuesday before last, City Manager Kee proposed to the council an ordinance which would require all Baker City businesses to apply for and hold a business license. The license would state the business complies with all local, state, and federal laws, a move which might circumvent Measure 91 by pointing toward the fact that marijuana is still considered a Schedule I con­ trolled substance by the federal government. Measure 91 somewhat addresses Kee’s issue, although it does not specifically mention local-level governments. Section 11 of Measure 91 ’s text states that, “Neither the Oregon Liquor Control Commission, the State Department of Agriculture, nor the Oregon Health Authority may refuse to perform any duty under sections 3 to 70 of this Act on the basis that man­ ufacturing, distributing, dispensing, possessing, or using marijuana is prohibited by federal law.” The OLCC, SDA, and OHA are intended as the measure’s monitoring agencies. Section 58 states, “Marijuaria laws supersede and repeal inconsistent charters and ordinances. Sections 3 to 70 of this Act, designed to operate uniformly throughout the state, shall be paramount and superior to and shall fully replace and supersede any and all municipal charter enactments or local ordinances inconsistent with it. Such charters and ordinances hereby are repealed.” A full copy of Measure 91 may be found online at http://www.oregon.gov/olcc/mari- juana/Documents/Measure91 .pdf. As with much of law, these passages could be inter­ preted a variety of ways. A current case involving the city of Cave Junction may very well result in case law which could set the standard for whether municipali­ ties can ban recreational marijuana dispensaries. Baker City attorney Brent Smith gave an opinion that in general, state law typically trumps municipal law. Councilman Langrell felt similarly regarding Measure 91, saying, “The way the state law is written I don’t think we have any choice.” He also added that, “The city just spent $850,000 on a lawsuit with the Forest Service; I don’t think we need to spend any more taxpayers’ money on that.” Fear of a lawsuit is a big driver here. Should it be determined that local governments are not allowed to ban recreational marijuana dispensaries, there could be risk of legal action. County Commissioner Chair­ man Bill Harvey advised, “I wouldn’t venture to even try it, myself.” He continued, “There are a lot of cities that are gonna’ get sued.” Harvey indicated, however, that the county was planning to take a firm stance itself against recreational mayjjuana.. ujut see COUNCIL on page 6 he Binghams and members of other local families partic­ ipated In an event held last Wednesday at the Baker City DMV office as an organization called Donate Life North­ west was present on their tour around the state to honor DMV employees for helping organ donors register for the past 40 years. The beautiful 'Threads of Life' quilt was also on display. Education Coordinator for Donate Life, Aimee Adelmann who; is a double kidney transplant recipient, was among those who also addressed BHS high school students during an assembly that day. “When teens go in to get their ID or license from the DMV, it’s: important for them to understand beforehand what it means when the worker behind the counter asks them if they want to be listed : as an organ and tissue donor,” said Adelmann. She also talked about the importance of families taking the time to be educated about this topic and to know exactly what each person’s wishes are in the event of a death. Other local families shared their stories about how organ dona-. tion has impacted their lives. Wes Nash is a DMV employee who • received his sight back through the gift of a cornea donation. He J had almost lost his sight completely because of a thinning disor­ der of the cornea which causes visual distortion known as kera- toconus. The exact cause of this condition is unknown, but it is believed that genetics, the environment, and the endocrine sys- ■ tern all play a role in this. While Nash has completed his transplant journey, Shannon McKone’s trial against the same disorder is only just beginning.’ Although she has experienced symptoms of the debilitating con­ dition for years, she only found out the specific diagno^, sixll1 years ago. She had symptoms in one eye, and two years ago. started developing symptoms in her other eye. As her vision con­ tinually worsens she, too, will need to receive a cornea transplant.- Sara Lein, Customer Service Manager of the Baker City DMVr- shared her touching story of how one of her employees lost hen son in a car accident a few years ago. She shared how much it- meant to the woman to know her son’s eyes were giving sight to another person who also lived happened to live very close by in La Grande. Brett Austin who died before he could receive a transplant, was memorialized in block three of Quilt 16, which was lovingly cre­ ated by his mother, Betty Austin. Diagnosed with end-stage liver disease, he passed away after five years while waiting for a liver- transplant, but after his death, became a cornea donor. Each story is different, but they are all powerful. Become an- organ donor or learn more about donation programs by visiting donatelifenw.org or calling 1-800-452-1369. T Thomas Angus Production Sale March 3 Thomas Angus Ranch will be offering 225 Bulls and 50 too end bred heifers. You can join them live at www.suoeriorclicktobid.com oronUveAuctions.TV. If you have net received a catalog visit their website at http://www.thomasangusranch.com/home/ Or Business Financial Goals! 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