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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
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Thursday, February 26,2015
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