BAKER CITY HERALD — 3A
SATURDAY, MAY 8, 2021
Rachel Center’s baby bottle drive set
The Rachel Pregnancy
Center’s annual fundraiser,
also known as its baby bottle
drive, will begin on Mother’s
Day, Sunday, May 9.
The campaign will conclude
on Father’s Day, Sunday, June
20.
Last year, the fundraiser
was shifted to a June start
and a July fi nish because of
the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 2021 event returns to its
original time frame this year,
said Vera Grove, the nonprofi t
organization’s director and
only paid employee.
As the fundraiser gets
underway, baskets of baby
bottles, in which donations of
cash and change can be col-
lected, will be available at local
churches. Donations also may
be made at the Rachel Center
offi ce at 2192 Court Ave. dur-
ing regular hours — Tuesday,
Wednesday and Thursday
from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The
offi ce is closed from noon to 1
p.m. for lunch.
Those who would prefer to
write a check to the Center
during the fundraiser can
pick up an envelope instead
of a baby bottle and mail the
donation to Rachel Pregnancy
Center, P.O. Box 1086, Baker
City, OR 97814.
The Rachel Center hopes to
collect most of the bottles (and
other monetary donations)
by Father’s Day, but contribu-
tions are accepted at any time,
Grove said.
The Rachel Pregnancy Cen-
ter offers help to both men and
women who are dealing with
fi nancial or emotional prob-
lems related to an unplanned
pregnancy. The annual baby
bottle drive is the Rachel Cen-
ter’s main fundraiser for the
year. The organization does not
receive government funding
and relies solely on community
support.
Among services provided at
Jayson Jacoby/Baker City Herald, File Photo
Patsy Hoelscher, left, a member of the board of directors for the Rachel Pregnancy
Center in Baker City, looks over some of the baby and child clothing available at the
nonprofi t with Matt Reidy, center, and Hal Huntington, right in March 2020.
the Center are the voluntary
Earn While You Learn classes,
in which clients have the op-
portunity to participate in ses-
sions ranging from prenatal
to parenting instruction about
infants, toddlers and older
children, along with relation-
ship classes, money manage-
ment and more.
“Baby Bucks” earned
through Earn While You
Learn can be redeemed for
baby furniture and items
from the center’s Baby Bucks
store, including gift cards for
gas, groceries and to obtain
car seats from the Baker City
Police Department.
Along with in-person
classes at the Center, online
classes have been added dur-
ing the pandemic. The online
sessions are available through
livestreaming via the Zoom
computer app or online by text
message to cellphones and
email, Grove said.
A post-abortion recovery
Bible study class titled “Sur-
rendering the Secret” also has
been added to the curriculum
months to 3T, and maternity
clothes, Grove said. Diapers
and wipes, formula and baby
food, and baby furniture also
are a need.
Grove shared this client
comment from a young teen
Pregnancy help
who took prenatal and infant
• Pregnancy tests/verifi ca- care classes: “I love how nice,
tion
understanding people are.
• Referral for free ultra-
They always offer help or
sound
advice. There is no judgment
• Pregnancy options coun- and they all just want to help
seling
out. Being a fi rst time mom
• Maternity clothes
is scary enough but this place
helps with pretty much all the
Parenting Help
preparing and makes things
• Encouragement and
less scary.”
counseling
The Rachel Pregnancy Cen-
• Baby clothes up to size 3 ter is led by a board of direc-
• Baby furniture and items tors, which includes Patricia
• Diapers and formula
Hoelscher, Cathy Blankinship,
• Referrals to other help
Jesse Whitford, Allyson How-
Volunteer positions avail-
arth and Grove.
able at the Center include: of-
More information is avail-
fi ce assistant, client advocate/ able by visiting the offi ce or
peer counselor, clothing as-
calling 541-523-5357 during
sistant, teacher, church liaison business hours. Grove also
and fundraiser. In addition
may be reached by email at
to fi nancial gifts, the Rachel
rpc.director1@gmail.com or
Center is always in need of
visit the center’s Facebook
baby clothes, especially size 18 page.
for clients seeking emo-
tional and spiritual healing.
A Rachel Center brochure
lists these free, confi dential
services that it provides in the
community:
Search planned for
woman missing
since early January
The (La Grande) Observer
MEACHAM — Umatilla County Search and Rescue
and Oregon State Police are coordinating a multi-
agency search Saturday, May 8, and Sunday, May 9,
near Meacham for Deborah Hendrichs, the 56-year-old
woman from Star, Idaho, who went missing in the area
on Jan. 11.
The search will
concentrate on areas
on the eastbound side
of Interstate 84 near
milepost 238, where
her abandoned vehicle
was found after she
was reported missing,
Contributed Photos
according to a press
Two photos of Deborah
release from the Uma-
Hendrichs, an Idaho
tilla County Sheriff’s
woman who went missing
Offi ce. Search areas
Jan. 11 near Meacham.
include portions along
I-84, Hancock Road, the
railroad and bridge and area creeks, bodies of water and
wooded land.
“This will be a robust search response with multiple
agencies involved,” the release stated. “Approximately 90
personnel have committed to assist in the search, includ-
ing possibly 10 K-9 teams, four drones and about 35
ground searchers. The actual number will not be known
until participants check in on (May 8).”
The sheriff’s offi ce also is asking the general public to
remain out of the area unless they are residents and re-
questing that hunters with spring turkey or bear tags be
aware there are searchers in the area and to choose an
alternate hunt location during those days. And locals liv-
ing in the area, especially near Meacham Lake, should
be aware the search will use four drones.
“The drones will not be concentrating on occupied ar-
eas or invading privacy of homes,” according to the press
release. “They will be concentrating on areas away from
occupied buildings and bodies of water. Searchers on the
ground will also be staying away from occupied homes,
however if a home appears to have been vacant through-
out the winter or looks broken into, they will notify the
land owner in an attempt to eliminate any possibility
that she entered an unoccupied residence.”
Personnel with the Oregon Department of Transpor-
tation and Union Pacifi c Railroad have provided a liai-
son to ensure safety of the search personnel because the
area includes the interstate and railroad lines. ODOT
also provided the location for an incident command post.
Union Pacifi c Railroad, Cunningham Sheep Company
and Hancock Timber Resource Group have been con-
tacted and are cooperating with searchers because these
businesses own a large portion of the search area.
Sheriff’s Lt. Sterrin Ward said the project includes the
development of a website on this mission at sterrinward.
wixsite.com/website. The website also is where the mis-
sion will provide updates.
Bentz joins criticism of Idaho legislator’s dam breach plan
on lawsuits, ending costly
litigation over the dams’
SPOKANE, Wash. — Some environmental impact. That
Republican members of
provision prompted more
Congress from the North-
than a dozen Northwest
west are accusing a GOP
environmental groups to
Idaho lawmaker of conduct- oppose the plan. Democratic
ing secret negotiations with
lawmakers have also been
the Democratic governor of
lukewarm to the proposal.
Oregon over a controversial
On Wednesday, May 5,
proposal to breach four dams Reps. Dan Newhouse, R-
on the Snake River to save
Washington, Cathy McMor-
endangered salmon runs.
ris Rodgers,
But Rep. Mike Simpson,
R-Washington,
R-Idaho, replied that he has and Cliff Bentz,
for several years been telling R-Oregon, is-
“everyone who would listen” sued a strongly
about his proposal for a com- worded state-
Bentz
prehensive solution to save
ment upon
salmon.
learning of a
“How is that secret?”
Freedom of Information Act
Simpson asked this week.
release detailing coordina-
“My staff has had discussions tion between the offi ces of
with nearly every governor,
Simpson and Oregon Gov.
member of Congress, and
Kate Brown regarding the
U.S. senator in the Columbia proposal to breach the four
Basin on this proposal.”
dams.
Simpson’s plan to remove
“For months, Rep. Simpson
the Ice Harbor, Little Goose, has been speaking with us
Lower Granite, and Lower
about his sweeping dam-
Monumental dams also in-
breaching proposal, touting
cludes a 35-year moratorium transparency and an open
By Nicholas K. Geranios
Associated Press
process while telling us it
was simply a ‘legislative
concept’ for the Northwest
delegation to consider,” the
lawmakers, who oppose
breaching the dams, said.
“What he didn’t tell us was
that he has been coordinat-
ing for months with Oregon
Governor Kate Brown’s staff
behind the scenes to shep-
herd his proposal through
Congress with little to no sup-
port from Pacifi c Northwest
representatives – Republican
or Democrat,” the lawmakers
said.
“It’s clear this proposal is
not just a starting point, but
rather a radical and fully-
baked plan he is actively
seeking to put into law,” they
said.
The three Republicans also
suggest Simpson’s discussions
with Brown could hurt an
agreement signed last year by
the governors of Washington,
Idaho, Oregon and Montana
to work together on solving
an issue that has bedeviled
the Northwest for decades.
The documents were re-
leased in response to a public
information request by the
Center for Biological Diversi-
ty, a conservation group that
opposes Simpson’s plan.
“We rarely agree with
Rep. Newhouse, but when it
comes to removing the Snake
River dams, we too insist that
there must be a transparent,
open process that involves
all stakeholders,” said Brett
Hartl, government affairs
director at the Center for
Biological Diversity. “A deal
made behind closed doors
with just the good ol’ boys
will be worse for salmon,
worse for the river and worse
for the region.”
The center opposes
Simpson’s proposal, which
would suspend key federal
environmental regulations
and exempt 80 other dams
in the Columbia River basin
from accountability for clean
water and harmful impacts
on salmon and other species.
In his statement, Simp-
son called the Center for
Biological Diversity “one of
the extreme environmental
groups that is opposed to my
concept because it would end
their business model of keep-
ing the stakeholders in the
region in perennial litigation
over the four Lower Snake
River dams.”
Simpson’s “Columbia
Basin Initiative,” proposes re-
moving the earthen portions
of the four dams, while mak-
ing all the regional stake-
holders whole. Most of the
proposed $33.5 billion cost of
the plan would replace the
power the dams generate, the
barging capacity they provide
between the Tri-Cities region
of Washington and Lewiston,
Idaho, plus irrigation and
other benefi ts.
Brown’s offi ce did not
respond to a request for com-
ment.
But Simpson on Wednes-
day issued a statement de-
fending the proposal he has
worked on for three years,
involving some 300 meetings.
“I expected pushback when
this all started,” he said.
“What I did not expect was
colleagues with whom I have
worked for a number of years
on a number of issues to
question my integrity, to in-
sinuate I have lied about my
motivation and in fact have
nefarious intentions — to —
what? Sabotage the economy
of my own state?”
New At The Library
Patrons can reserve materials in advance
online or by calling 541-523-6419. Drive-
in hours at 2400 Resort St. are Monday
through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and
Saturday and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m.
See everything new this week to Baker
County Library District at wowbrary.org,
FICTION
• “Hour of the Witch,” Chris Bohjalian
• “Robert B. Parker’s Payback,” Mike
Lupica
• “The Forest of Stolen Girls,” June Hur
• “The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba,” Cha-
nel Cleeton
• “The Prison Healer,” Lynette Noni
NONFICTION
• “What Happened To You?,” Bruce D.
Perry, Oprah Winfrey
• “Cook This Book,” Molly Baz
• “Mom Genes,” Abigail Tucker
• “The Righteous Mind : Why Good
People Are Divided By Politics and Religion,”
Jonathan Haidt
• “The Women of the Bible Speak,” Shan-
non Bream
DVDS
• “All My Life” (drama)
• “Another Round” (comedy)
• “Shadow in the Cloud” (horror)
• “Soul” (family)
• “You Never Had It: An Evening with
Bukowski” (documentary)