A8 THE BULLETIN • SUNDAY, JUNE 20, 2021
Fathers
Continued from A1
Ryan Brennecke/The Bulletin
Fodé Ismael Sylla performs Saturday during a welcoming ceremony for
the Juneteenth celebration at Ponderosa Park in Bend.
Juneteenth
Continued from A1
“I think it helps open a con-
versation for people who have
not been involved in this stuff
before,” she said.
Part of the festivities Satur-
day was a drum circle led by
Foda Sylla, a 33-year-old musi-
cian and dancer who was born
in Guinea, West Africa.
Sylla, who was dressed head-
to-toe in traditional African
clothing, could not stop smil-
ing as he led a drum circle. He
moved to Bend last year and
said he’s excited to offer his ex-
pertise in his new town.
“I think in a community we
need color and we need cul-
ture,” Sylla said.
Each year, Sylla sees June-
teenth as an outlet to honor his
heritage.
“As an African man in this
country, Juneteenth is a cele-
bration day,” Sylla said. “As a
musician, I do my part to offer
a drum circle and have a per-
formance.”
Several people at the park
Saturday came directly from
the second-annual Take Back
the Butte March at Bend’s Pilot
Butte State Scenic Viewpoint.
The march, hosted by Central
Oregon Black Leaders Assem-
bly, was a way for people to
honor Juneteenth. It was also
meant to rewrite Bend’s racist
past, when the Ku Klux Klan
would march a century ago up
to the Pilot Butte summit to
hold meetings. Participants in
the march wanted to reclaim
the butte in the name of equal-
“This is the first event that
I felt completely welcomed
to come in and do my thing.
None of my antics are going
to be too much here, and
that’s really awesome.”
— Taylor Harden, 26,
who teaches archery and
horsemanship through her
business Darkhorse Warriors
ity and peace, according to or-
ganizers.
Those who made their way
to the celebration in the park
were able to visit with nearly
two dozen vendors, in addi-
tion to enjoying the live music,
speakers and food.
One of the vendors was
26-year-old Taylor Harden,
who teaches archery and
horsemanship through her
business Darkhorse Warriors.
Harden, who is half Black
and part Native American, had
a booth set up with hand-made
arrows, spears and leather cuff
bracelets.
When she’s teaching lessons,
Harden said she tries to create
an atmosphere where people
can be themselves and not be
afraid. And that’s how she felt
at the Juneteenth celebration.
“This is the first event that
I felt completely welcomed
to come in and do my thing,”
Harden said. “None of my an-
tics are going to be too much
here, and that’s really awesome.”
Reporter: 541-617-7820,
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The group has grown to
about 30 members and is
led by a board of directors.
For the past year, the group
worked mostly behind the
scenes with the city of Bend
and the local school district.
But on Saturday at Pon-
derosa Park, The Father’s
Group hosted its first large
public gathering to celebrate
Juneteenth, which commem-
orates the end of slavery in
the United States. President
Joe Biden signed legislation
Thursday that made it a new
federal holiday.
“Because of the day and
what it represents, I think this
will be our biggest event so
far,” said David Merritt, presi-
dent of The Father’s Group.
At the Juneteenth event, Fa-
ther’s Group members shared
their plans for the future. The
group is working to establish a
youth scholarship program for
underserved children and cre-
ate an after -school program.
Merritt, a 44-year-old mu-
sician and music producer,
said the after -school program
could be a way to teach chil-
dren about Black history, but
also life skills, such as manag-
ing money and applying for
jobs. Specific plans for the af-
terschool program are still in
the works, he said.
“We want to teach them
all the things that may not be
getting taught,” Merritt said.
“I know that I didn’t have the
Ryan Brennecke/The Bulletin
Visitors mingle around tents and displays Saturday during a June-
teenth celebration at Ponderosa Park in Bend.
advantage of learning certain
things. It makes a difference
in what you can do when you
Ask a
Legal
Professional
ESTATE PLANNING
Answer: With home prices rising as
they are here in Central Oregon, many
folks may be facing paying a “capital
gains tax” when they sell their home.
Will Dennis
For example, say you purchased your
Attorney at Law
home 30 years ago for $150,000. It is
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are married, you receive a $500,000 exemption (you can
also add monies spent on improvements) making $100,000
subject to capital gains tax. Using a capital gains tax rate
of 20%, your capital gains tax would be $20,000.00. For
a single person, the exemption is reduced to $250,000
making the profi t $600,000 and the tax $120,000. If the
single person owned the property with a spouse who died
the property value gets a 50% “step up in basis” which
can reduce or eliminate the capital gains tax. The capital
gains on home sales is fast becoming an issue due to rising
home prices. If you are considering selling your home,
you should address the capital gains tax issue. In estate
planning and long-term care planning the capital gains
should be addressed. I provide a no-charge consultation
for estate planning and long-term care matters.
REAL ESTATE
Question: What is an easement?
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Answer: An easement is a limited right
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a specifi c purpose, for an unlimited
period of time unless agreed otherwise.
Craig Edwards Because an easement is an interest
in land, it must be created in writing.
Attorney at Law
Once created it should be recorded
in the county’s real estate records, and then it will “run”
with the land, binding future owners of the properties that
are burdened or benefi ted by the easement. The written
easement agreement should describe the location of
the easement, the use intended, obligations to maintain
and repair the easement area, and any limits on its use.
Questions about creating, using, enforcing, protecting
and terminating easements should be referred to an
experienced real estate attorney.
Reporter: 541-617-7820,
kspurr@bendbulletin.com
Send your questions to:
Ask a Legal Professional · Leanna Williams
By email: lwilliams@bendbulletin.com
Or mail: P.O. Box 6020, Bend, OR 97708
ESTATE PLANNING
Question: Am I liable for “Capital Gains
Tax” if I sell my home?
WILL DENNIS
Attorney at Law LLC
438 NE Irving Avenue, Bend, OR 97701
541-388-3877 • wd@willdennislaw.com
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get older.”
Marcus LeGrand, a board
member with The Father’s
Group and member of the
Bend-La Pine School Board,
said the group offers children
a variety of mentors to learn
from. The board includes a
teacher, a retired police officer,
a chef and other experienced
adults, LeGrand said.
“A lot of us are professionals,
so we said ‘let’s come together
and utilize all of our skills to be
able to create an organization
that supports students, family
and the community at large,’”
LeGrand said. “There are so
many things we can teach
them from our professional
background. It’s going to be
phenomenal for them to learn
from what we are trying to do.”
As a school board member,
LeGrand sees The Father’s
Group as a valuable asset for
local schools. Teachers could
reach out to members and
discuss lived experiences as
a Black person, which could
benefit a curriculum,
LeGrand said.
“We are going to help by
being able to say we are a re-
source that you can use to
come and work on the things
you need,” LeGrand said.
While the group is led by
Black fathers, LeGrand said it
is open to anyone interested
in supporting the goals of pro-
moting diversity and support-
ing students and minority-
owned businesses.
“We embrace everyone who
wants to become a part of
this,” LeGrand said.
Question: I understand that Oregon has
an inheritance tax that will apply to my
estate after my death. Will the value
of my vacation home in California be
subject to the tax?
Answer: If you own real or personal
property in Oregon and at your death
your gross estate is in excess of
$1 million, then it is likely your estate may owe Oregon
estate tax after your death. Oregon has a peculiar way to
calculate its estate tax. The tax is calculated on the entire
gross estate of the decedent, the value of which includes
all of the decedent’s assets whether located in Oregon or
elsewhere, then a percentage is applied to determine the
tax payable to Oregon. The percentage used to determine
the tax is the percent of the assets that are “located” in
Oregon compared to the percent of the assets “located”
outside Oregon. Since your California property is located
outside of Oregon, the value of that property will reduce the
estate tax owing in Oregon, but its value is still used in the
calculation of the tax. *Assets left to a spouse or a charity
receive a deduction against the tax, so you can avoid the
tax by leaving your assets to your spouse or a charity.
John D. Sorlie
Attorney at Law
BRYANT, LOVLIEN & JARVIS, P.C.
Attorneys at Law
591 SW Mill View Way, Bend
541-382-4331
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To find out more,
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lwilliams@bendbulletin.com