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About The Record-courier. (Haines, Baker County, Oregon) 1932-2016 | View Entire Issue (May 26, 2016)
i Record-Courier THURSDAY, MAY 26,2016 Merkley Prioritizes Rural Economic Opportunities in Agriculture Spending Bill EAGLE VALLEY Collision Rebuilders Inc. Mike Fiala 541-523-1057 Celi 541 -403-1138 • Fax 541 -523-1059 2155 Windmill Road Baker City, Oregon 97814 Email: evcr@uci.net © ll-CM US TFN erm Residential & Commercial Electrical Ross Bond, Owner 3782 10th Street, Baker City 541-523-2135 CCB# 108407 Free Estimates AUTOGLASS REPLACED AND REPAIRED Free Mobile Service Window Tinting for Cars, Home and Office 2975 10th Street. Baker Citv. OR 541-523-5839 La Grande Office 541-963-Q832 . ; 26 ASE C ertified ’sRepa^. Xuto, Truck and Motor Home 541-523-3200 225 H Street Baker City, OR 97814 Grumpy’s Repair, Inc. Auto • Truck • Motor Home TFN Gunsmithing and Firearm Sales Owner E. FRAZER v GUNWORKS, LLC 2616 Bearco Loop, La Grande, Oregon 97850 541-663-8000 52 gunworks@frontier.com American Legion Auxiliary Poppy Program Bill will promote affordable housing, forest health, and energy effi ciency and includes funding increases for food banks Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley, the top Democrat on the Senate Ap propriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, announced today that in cluded in the Senate Agriculture Appropriations bill are key American Legion Auxiliary Baker City Unit #41 distributed 2,500 provisions to boost rural affordable housing, energy efficiency, and poppies last year. The ladies will sit, stand and walk for hours forest health, among other economic priorities for rural America. Merkley also announced a large funding increase for food banks for throughout Baker City. The Baker City Unit has been a part of this community since 1934 and has served as ambassadors of the second year in a row. “Rural communities across the nation are struggling to create middle the Poppy Program for 82 years! . class jobs and keep their economies afloat,” said Merkley. “This bill Today the ladies range in age from 52 to 86 years young and delivers key wins for rural communities by helping create jobs, keep can be found outside different stores throughout May. They also ing people in their homes, and investing in agriculture.” attend events in the summer, bringing awareness that veterans Key elements of the legislation that passed the Senate Appropriations and their families are in need year-round. They also sell Window Committee today include: Poppy Cards to business' that support our nations veterans. Rural Energy Savings Program: $8 million for the Rural Energy Sav We would like to take this opportunity to thank the gentleman ings Program, a program that Merkley created to allow rural home owners and business owners to obtain low-cost loans for energy for his generous $100.00 donation last year for a single poppy. efficiency renovations. This funding will support approximately $60 Thank you so much everyone, young and older, no matter how much the donation, for your continued support of our Armed million in loans to complete renovations that will help conserve en ergy, lower emissions, and save consumers money on their energy Forces who gave their last full measure by sacrificing their lives bills. for us at home. Rural Affordable Housing: The bill includes several provisions to The red poppy has become a nationally-recognized symbol of address properties across the country that are in danger of leaving the sacrifice worn by Americans since post-WWI to honor those who low-income housing program, depriving rural communities of afford served and died for our country in all wars, reminding Americans able housing. The bill allows nonprofits who take over management of the sacrifices made by our veterans to protect our freedom. of these properties to recover management expenses and earn a small 100% of the donations collected directly support the needs of vet return on their investment the same way the current for-profit owners do. It also includes an $116 million finding increase to support re erans, current military and their families. habilitating low-income housing and facilitate transfers of ownership to keep housing in the program, and a new $1 million technical assis tance pilot program to help nonprofits and housing authorities facili tate transfers. The bill also directs the Department to engage affordable housing advocates, project owners, tenants, arid others to find acceptable and effective long term solutions that will retain proj ects in the affordable rural housing program. Forest Health: In an effort to provide additional tools and resources to help manage our forests, reduce the threat of wildfires, and restore healthy forest ecosystems, the bill directs the USDA to study and re port back on the feasibility of new financing mechanisms that could leverage private dollars for forest health restoration projects. Food Banks: An additional $5 million for the Emergency Food As sistance Program designed to help food banks with storage and dis tribution. Combined with last year’s increase, the program has seen a 20% increase in funding under Senator Merkley’s leadership. Sustainable Agriculture: The bill increases funding by $2.3 million, to $27 million, for the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Educa Submitted photo tion (SARE) program. SARE is the only USDA research program fo The Mayor giving the Poppy Proclamation to American Legion cused solely on sustainable agriculture practices and farmer-driven Auxiliary and the VFW Auxiliary. research. The program has helped develop innovative farm practices ranging from no-till farming to pest and weed management to sup porting pollinators. Oregon’s large organic agriculture sector benefits significantly from the program. Quick Facts: Agricultural Research: The bill increases funding for the overall ♦ The red poppy came to symbolize the blood shed protecting Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) by $25 million (to America’s freedom following publication of the wartime poem, "In $375 million). AFRI is thé nation’s largest peer-reviewed competitive Flanders Fields," written by Lt. Col. John McCrae, MD while serv grant program for agricultural sciences and funds agriculture research ing on the front in World War I to honor soldiers killed battle. on topics including plant health and agriculture production practices, ♦ The popularity of the red poppy as a memorial flower to those food safety, and agriculture economics. Minority and Veteran Farmers: Maintains $10 million in mandatory who sacrificed their livesjn war began in November of 1918 when Moina (pronounced 1 mow-E-na) ' “ Michael ftihditiganda3dsj$3 million in discretionary funding fofotitreacfrand h Miss * -l 1 was so moved by Col. McCrae's poem that she bought a bouquet of poppies on im assistance for minority and veteran farmers and ranchers. The bill also directs an additional $5 million in new funding to veterans outreach pulse - all that New York City's Wanamaker's Department Store activities in the Office of the Secretary for Veterans Affairs, as well had - and handed them to businessmen meeting at the New York as funding for the Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas YMCA where she worked. She asked them to wear the poppy as (ATTRA) Armed to Farm program. a tribute to the fallen. World War I was over, but America's sons The bill was voted out of committee today on a bipartisan vote. The would rest forever ‘in Flanders' Fields.’ Later, she would spear next steps would be for the bill to be sent to the Senate floor for a full Senate vote, and eventually to be merged with a counterpart bill from head a campaign that would result in the adoption of the poppy the U.S. House of Representatives in order to be passed by both as the national symbol of sacrifice. In 1923, the poppy became the official flower of The American Legion Family in memory of houses and signed into law. the soldiers who fought on the battlefields during WWI. ♦ Over 2,500 veterans hand-craft the flowers with assistance from unpaid volunteers. The veterans not only earn a small wage, which helps to supplement their incomes and makes them feel You are invited to have breakfast with the Speaker of the Oregon more self-sufficient, but the physical and mental activity provides House, Rep. Tina Kotek, and her host, Rep. Cliff Bentz, at the many therapeutic benefits for the veteran. Srinridge Inn, Baker City, in the Sunridge Room, on Friday, June 3, ♦ Poppies are not sold by volunteers - they are "distributed", from 7-8:30 a.m. (PDT). with requests that a person receiving the poppy make a donation This is an informal opportunity to discuss local and statewide issues to the Poppy fund to support the Auxiliary’s veteran outreach pro with one of the four most influential people in the Oregon legislature. grams. Rep. Bentz will moderate. Breakfast With The Speaker I sheds M "M ok Than Just a Shed” Top Quality Custom Storage Buildings Greenhouses (800) 682-0589 (541)663-0246 10102 S. McAlister Rd., Island City www. CountrysideSheds. 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 \ (J This is a no-host breakfast meeting. Please RSVP if you will want breakfast and arrangements will be made to have it available for you. The estimated cost of the breakfast is $15 each. If you are not having breakfast, the meeting is free. Rep. Cliff Bentz is specifically inviting people who are involved in government, in one way or another, but anyone who wants to attend is welcome. It is not often that we have the opportunity to share our thinking with the leaders of the Oregon Legislature. Speaker Kotek, at Rep. Cliff Bentz’s invitation, is taking two and one-half days to tour this area. Let’s do our best to show our appreciation for her interest in our part of Oregon. Mental Health and Dev Disability Committee Cell Fix The Baker County Mental Health and Developmental Disability Advisory Committee/Local Alcohol and Drug Planning Committee will be meeting on May 31, 2016 starting at 12:00 p.m. at the Community Connection meeting room located at 2810 Cedar St. in Baker City. The committee will be discussing the Total Health Program. w# waft B ■ You Wfeak rt.We fix it. Governor to Speak at Eastern Oregon University Commencement ^ÿSJraïl See3s Alfalfa • Grasses • Grains 100 "D" Street North Powder, OR 97867 541.898.7333 42 Black Distributing Inc. Gas * Diesel Oregon Governor Kate Brown will attend and speak at EOU's Com mencement Ceremony Saturday, June 11. The outdoor event begins at 10 a.m. at Community Stadium at 6th St. and “G” Ave. “We’re thrilled that Governor Brown has accepted our invitation to speak at Commencement,” said Tim Seydel, vice president for Uni versity Advancement. “This is a great opportunity for her to visit east ern Oregon and connect with our students, faculty and staff.” No tickets are necessary and seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Free parking is available for the day in all campus lots, excluding reserved spaces. Guests should arrive early and bring sunscreen, water and a hat or umbrella. The event will be streamed live at livestream.com/eou. Additional details and schedules are available at www.eou.edu/commencement. 9 Tractor and Hydraulics Parts - Sales - Repair Ag - Industrial Construction - Logging Non-Ethanol • Heating Fuel Your one stop source for hydraulics 2150 Broadway Baker City, OR 97814 Pumps - Valves - Cylinders Seals - Adapters Hose assemblies while you wait 541-523-4575 (cell 541-519-5717) 176% Lubricants 41438 Hwy 30 - Baker City 541-523-9537 Baker County Museum Commission to Meet The next Baker County Museum Commission meet ing will be on June 9,2016 at 1 p.m. at 2480 Grove Street in Baker City. 2016 Poppy Raevyn (pronounced Raven) Whiting and Poppy Chairman Trudy Ingraham (also Grandma). Below, the poppy wreath that Trudy made for last year's event, Hundreds of poppies used. Our Poppy Girl with the Baker I City Mayor Kim Mosier.