I Record-Courier 7 THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4,2016 Mark Luker and LeAnne Woolf sumptervolunteers@gmail.com or 541-894-2303, leannemywo@gmail.com Sumpter was visited over the weekend by riders from Halfway’s snowmobile club. Halfway has its Poker Run the day after Sumpter’s Poker Run, making February 13 and 14 a heck of a weekend for snow-lov­ ing folks to visit Baker County. In our continuing saga of snowfall, we offer you the photo below of needing to figure out where to put all the extra snow. The postmaster is not yet letting us ship it. Calendar (as of Jan. 31) training) Thursday, Feb. 18 - Bag Ladies, Schoolhouse Community Cen­ ter, noon-? Thursday, Feb. 18 - Sumpter Val­ ley Community Volunteers Meeting, Schoolhouse Commu­ nity Center, 6:30 pm Friday, Feb. 19 - Bingo, School­ house Community Center, 7 p.m. More Winter Tips No one really wants to think about getting sick or injured while shoveling snow, or about a house fire caused by trying to stay warm this winter, but the local fire departments urge you to plan ahead just in case. For ambulance and fire trucks, access points heed to be twenty feet wide. If you use a wood stove, make sure it’s on a fire-resistant base and. that you don’t stack flammable materials Thursday, Feb. 4 - Planning Commission, City Hall, 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 6 - Sumpter Valley Blue Mountain Snowmobile Club, Schoolhouse Community Center, 6:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 8 - Powder River Rural board meeting, Mosquito Flats, 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 9 -r City Council, City Hall, 7 p.m.; meet County Commissioner candidate Kody Justus (tentative) Friday, Feb. 12 - Sumpter Valley Blue Mountain Snowmobile Club Poker Run registration be­ gins at Schoolhouse Commu­ nity Center Saturday, Feb. 13 - SVBMSC Poker Run registration contin­ ues and card-gathering begins; Outhouse Races after cards turned in Saturday, Feb. 13 - Sumpter Val­ ley Railroad Board Meeting, Baker City, 10 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 16 - Sumpter Vol­ unteer Fire Department, City Hall Tuesday, Feb. 16 - Powder River Rural Fire Department, Mos­ quito Flats station, 6:30 pm (fire Snowbanks Surrounding US Post nearby. A common cause of chim­ ney fires is burning trash in a stove or fireplace. ANNOUNCEMENTS Churches The LDS Family History Cen­ ter, 2625 Hughes Lane is open Sunday morning services are held at St. Brigid’s in the Pines at Auburn and Bonanza in Sumpter on the first and third Sundays of the month at 11 a.m. followed by a coffee ‘hour.’ Weekly services at McEwen Bible Fellowship in­ clude Sunday School at 9:45 a.m., Morning Worship at 11 a.m., and Wednesday evening prayer at 6:45 p.m. Deadline News and calendar items re­ ceived by Sunday evening will be included in the Sumpter column the following week. Send in news and/or photos with captions of guests, births, group meetings, any special occasion. PUBLIC MEETINGS The Baker Rural Fire District meets the 3rd Tuesday of every month at 7 p.m. at the Pocahontas Fire Station, with the exception of May and June when they hold their budget meeting at 6 p.m. with the regular meeting following at 7 p.m. Tuesday 1-4 p.m.; Wednesday 10-1 p.m. and 5:30- 8:30 p.m.; Thursday 10-1 p.m.; Friday 1-4 p.m. and by appointment. (Phone 541-523-2397 during regular hours or 541-524-9691 any time) Consultants help everyone use Ancestry.com; Find My Past; Heritage Quest Online and other family history websites free of charge. The North Powder Rural Fire Protection District meets the second Wednesday of the month at 7 p.m. at the Rural Fire Building, 340 "E" Street, North Powder. Burnt River Irrigation District meets the second Tuesday of every month at 1 p.m. at the office of Silven, Schmeits & Vaughan. 1950 Third Street in Baker City. HELP WANTED BAKER SCHOOL DISTRICT 5J is currently accepting applications for a Special Education teacher at South Baker Intermediate. For a complete description of the position go to www.baker.k12.or.us or contact the employment division. You may also call 541-524-2261. LIVESTOCK Celebrate Recovery: Hurts, Habits, and Hangups; Tuesdays at 6:15 p.m. in the Family Life Center, 1250 Hughes Lane, Baker City. Angus Bulls - EPD Records available, yearlings, two year olds, replacement heifers and bred cows. Bill Clonts, Bar A Angus, 541 -519-8579 bclonts@thegeo.net (tfn) Veterans Safe Zone: Veterans Support Group; 1 st and 3rd Monday of every month at 6 p.m. in the left wing of the Nazarene Church, 1250 Hughes Lane, Baker Office 97877 / Submitted photo PUBLIC MEETINGS The Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services, Division of Financial Regu­ lation announced Jan. 28,2016 (three days be­ fore the deadline to enroll in a health plan) that it has issued an order of supervision to Moda Health Plan, Inc., because of concerns over its financial condition. At the same time, the department will begin working with Moda to transfer its individual market plans to* another carrier. Eastern Oregon CCO, which serves Oregon Medicaid members and is owned by Moda, serves 48,000 Medicaid members. No one on Medicaid is losing coverage. School district em­ ployees statewide are covered by Moda, with Doug Dalton, Chief Financial Officer of Baker School District, stating it's too soon to know the implications until the matter plays out a little more. The Oregon Health Authority is also working with the Public Employees' Benefit Board and Oregon Educators Benefit Board partners to minimize any potential impacts to their mem­ bers. There are 1,100 PEBB members and 42,000 OEBB members enrolled in Moda health plans. An order of supervision allows the department to have a representative on site and in control of all financial decisions to ensure that con­ sumers are protected. The order prohibits Moda from issuing new policies or renewing current policies in the individual market, and from adding new groups. The order also requires the company to obtain sufficient capital and present a business plan to DCBS that clearly demon­ strates that it can operate in sound financial con­ dition going forward. The supervision order is available at http://www.cbs.state.or.us/ external/ins/ admin_actions/actions_2016/in- surer_2016/financial_2016/other_2016/16-13- 001.pdf. The department took this action because of Moda's excessive operating losses and inade­ quate capital and surplus. Capital and surplus is the amount a company's assets exceed its liabilities. The required minimum increases as the company assumes more insurance risk. "Our primary goal is to ensure consumers are protected," said Patrick Allen, director of the Department of Consumer and Business Services. "We will continue to work closely with the company to find a sustainable path going forward while minimizing risk to consumers."^ The order became effective late in the day on Jan. 27; however, Moda's insurance policies may still have appeared on HealthCare.gov through the end of open enrollment, which ended Sunday, Jan. 31. DCBS advised con­ sumers who were shopping for plans to choose a carrier other than Moda. In the event that Ore­ gonians already enrolled with Moda need to switch plans, there will be a special enrollment period. In the meantime, Moda policyholders can continue to access medical services and get their claims paid. DCBS, which also runs the Oregon Health Insurance Marketplace, will keep Moda customers apprised of new developments and actions they may need to take. As of Sept. 30, 2015, Moda enrolled a total of about 244,000 Oregonians in the commercial market, including 95,000 in the individual market, 16,000 in the small group market, and 129,000 in the large group market. Moda also has members in the associations and trusts market. Consumers with questions should call the DCBS Division of Financial Regulation's con­ sumer advocates at 1-888-877-4894 (toll-free). Staff will be available to answer calls until 8 p.m. More information can be found on the division's website at http://www.oregon.gov/DCBS/lnsur- ance/insurers/regulation/Pages/moda- faqs.aspx. The Division of Financial Regulation is part of the Department of Consumer and Business Services, Oregon's largest business regulatory and consumer protection agency. Visit www.dcbs.oregon.gov and www.insurance. oregon.gov. Postal Particulars with Krista Dennis Can you imagine living in a town with a “Main Street” that 33 miles long? Well there is such a town, Island Park, Idaho which is known as the longest Main Street in America. I was able to correspond with the Postmaster there, Joyce Farrar. She was kind enough to give me a little history and information about her famous “Main Street”. Farrar said, “The most interest­ ing thing about our Main Street is how it came to be. Island Park has many separate little towns that are known by their own names. Starting in the south of what is officially Island Park and heading north, the most important of these are: Last Chance, Ponds, Elk Creek, Macks Inn, The Village Crossroads, Henry’s Lake Sta­ tion, and Wild Rose. They all, of course, had their own bars. This is how it was explained to me when I first moved here: When they decided to make Island Park a town, you had to be in the city limits to have a liquor license. So, when they were drawing up the city limits, they made sure to include all the bars that existed at the time. And that, my fellow postmaster, is why our Main Street is so long.” The city was incorporated in 1947, is only 500 feet in most locations and 33 miles long. Her office delivers to all of the addresses on “Main Street” and even goes over the pass into West Yellowstone. How lucky to drive in such beautiful surroundings. And talk about service, because of the mileage some people have to travel to receive their mail, that Post Office calls many of their customers who have large pack­ age deliveries or deliveries need­ ing signatures to meet the carrier along “Main Street”. It doesn’t matter if you live in Baker County or Island Park, ID.... Our Priority is: YOU! AAUW to Host Speaker from CASA AAUW will be holding a meeting on Saturday, Feb. 6 at the Raffety residence, 1198 D Street, in Baker City. Coffee will be served at 9 a.m. The program, which begins at 9:30 a.m., will feature Mary Collard, the ex­ ecutive director of CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates). CASA offers opportunities and permanent housing to abused and neg­ lected children in the United States. Safe Haven: Alzheimer/ Dementia Caregivers Support Group. Second Friday of every month at 11:45 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall (right wing of Nazarene Church). Lunch will be provided. 1250 Hughes Lane, Baker City. The Haines Fire Protection District will meet on the first MON­ DAY each month at 6 p.m. through the winter months. Meetings are held at the Public Library in Haines. MILES BREEDING SERVICE A.I., Semen Sales, Heat Synchronization Myron Miles, 898-2140 (tm) MODA Health Plan Placed Under Supervision by State The North Powder Cemetery Maintenance District meets the fourth Tuesday of the month at 5 p.m. at the Grange in North Powder. The Medical Springs Rural Fire Department meeting is the 1st Thursday of every month, 7 p.m. at Pondosa Station. Powder Valley Water Control District meets the 2nd Monday of the month at 7 p.m. at 690 E. Street, North Powder, OR 97867. HELP WANTED The Farm Service Agency in Baker City, OR has immediate opening for a temporary office Program Technician position. Duties include general office activities supporting FSA programs administered at the field office level. Applicant must be reliable, have professional attitude, and enjoy working with the public. Individuals interested in applying need to contact Trent Luschen (office manager) at 541-523-7121 xl06, or trent.luschen@or.usda.gov,, or 3990 Midway Drive, Baker City, OR 97814. The deadline to apply is close of business February 8, 2016. FSA is an Equal Opportunity Employer. s 'Wore Than Justs Shed* Top Quality Custom Storage Buildings Greenhouses **** (800) 682-0589 (541)663-0246 10102 S. McAlister Rd., Island City www. CountrysideSheds. com Gunsmithing and Firearm Sales ¥ Edward Frazer . Owner A ¥ E. FRAZER GUNWORKS, LLC 2616 Bearco Loop, La Grande, Oregon 97850 See the Record-Courier online: www.therconline.com 541-663-8000 « gunworks@frontier.com Certified & Professional Trained Techs Repair: Cell Phones, Tablets, Gaming Consoles, iPhones, & more! Buying & Selling: Used Cell Phones & Tablets 10505 W. 1st St, Island City, OR 97850 www.thecellfix.com Residential & Commercial Electrical Ross Bond, Owner 3782 10th Street, Baker City 541-523-2135 CCB# 108407 541-7S6-96SS Free Estimates I see JR at ASE C ertified Auto, Truck and Motor Home AUTOGLASS REPLACED AND REPAIRED Free Mobile Service 541-523-3200 225 H Street Baker City, OR 97814 Grumpy's Repair. Inc. I I Window Tinting for Curs, Home and Office | 2975 10th Street, Baker City, OR TF4 I ,a G rande Off ice 541-963-01132 541-523-5839 Auto * Truck • Motor Home ■ in Baker County and the good work of the Baker County CattleWomen and Baker Livestock Association 2s