Irene Chambers Davis died on May 31 at Rio Rancho, N.M., in an assisted living facility.

A memorial service will be held on June 28 at the Faith Baptist Church in Hines at 4 p.m.

Davis was preceded in death by her husband, Oscar Davis.

The annual Country Music Jamboree will be held at the Harney County Fairgrounds June 11-13. For  more information, call Janet Braymen at 573-1323.

The Meat Hook Steak House and the Kiwanis of Burns and Hines are teaming up for a fundraiser on Wednesday, June 11. The Meat Hook has agreed to donate 15 percent of the proceeds from dinners sold on June 11 to the Kiwanis Fourth of July fireworks display.

The Harney County Farm Bureau meets at the Country Companies Insurance meeting room, 531 North Broadway, the second Wednesday of each month at 6 p.m.

The Harney County Cancer Support Group meets the second Wednesday of each month at Glory Days Pizza, on Highway 20 in Burns, at 4 p.m. For more information, call Tonny Calloway, evenings, at 573-7867.

Harney County Fair Board meets the second Wednesday of each month in the Hibbard Building at the Harney County Fairgrounds at 7 p.m.

Burns City Council meets the second and fourth Wednesday of each month at Burns City Hall, 242 South Broadway, at 6 p.m.

Burns Sportsman Club will present Twilight Trap Practice every Wednesday night,  from 5-7 p.m. at the shooting facility on Radar Hill. Members and non-members are welcome to participate.

Storytime for preschoolers is held Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m. at the Harney County Library.

Burns Fire Dept. meets each Wednesday at the Burns Fire Hall at 7 p.m.

Burns Elks Lodge, 118 North Broadway, meets each Wednesday at 7 p.m.

Alcoholics Anonymous meets each Wednesday at the Foursquare Church at 7 p.m.

The annual Country Music Jamboree will be held at the Harney County Fairgrounds June 11-13. For  more information, call Janet Braymen at 573-1323.

Harney County Merchants Customer Appreciation Open House will be held downtown from 5 to 8 p.m.

A Parkinson’s Disease Support Group meets the second Thursday of each month at the Harney County Senior Center, at 10:30 a.m. For more information, call Mike at 573-6914.

The local chapter of the Oregon Veterans Motorcycle Association (OVMA) meets at Egans, on Highway 20 in Hines, the second Thursday of each month at 7 p.m. The OVMA was established to promote Veterans, Veterans issues and motorcycling. The public is welcome to attend. As weather permits they will be conducting weekend motorcycle runs throughout the local area.

A book club for kindergarten through fourth grade students is held each Thursday at the Harney County Library, from 10:30-11:15 a.m.

Tai Chi  is held every Thursday at the Harney County Senior and Community Services Center, from 9:30-10:30 a.m. All ages are  welcome to participate.

Kiwanis Club of Burns-Hines meets for a no-host luncheon each Thursday at Glory Days Pizza, 690 Oregon Ave., at noon.

Take Off Pounds Sensibly meets each Thursday at Hines City Hall, 101 East Barnes, at noon. Call 573-2896.

The Boys & Girls Club holds karaoke each Thursday. Members of all ages are welcome to join Hanna in the education room for a program that promotes the art of singing, as well as a fun way to practice reading skills.

Teen Night is held at the Boys & Girls Club each Thursday, from 6-7 p.m. for all teenagers.

Alcoholics Anonymous meets each Thursday at the Foursquare Church, at 7 p.m.

The annual Country Music Jamboree will be held at the Harney County Fairgrounds June 11-13. For  more information, call Janet Braymen at 573-1323.

Obsidian Days rock and gem show will be held in the Hines Park June 13-15. For more information call Hines City Hall at 573-2251.

The Boys & Girls Club presents People in Uniform the 2nd and 4th Friday of the month, from 1-2:30 p.m. Professionals from around Harney County come give kids a peek into their profession.

Hines Middle School Reading Club meets each Friday from 10:30-11:30 a.m. at the Harney County Library.

The Boys & Girls Club has the Club Bucks Store open each Friday. This is an incentive program in which members earn “club bucks” by doing good deeds and helping out around the club.

Oregon Old Time Fiddlers, District 9, meets the first, third and fourth Friday of each month. Call Julia at 573-2770, for time and place.

Alcoholics Anonymous meets every Friday at Foursquare Church at 7 p.m.

The annual Harney County Pioneer Day will be held on Saturday, June 14, at the Harney County Senior and Community Services Center in Burns. Registration begins at 10 a.m., followed by a potluck lunch and pioneer program.

The Great Basin Highland Games and Scottish Gathering will be held on June 4, at the Harney County Fairgrounds. The games will begin at 9 a.m., a roast beef dinner will be served at 6:15 p.m, and entertainment will begin at 7 p.m. For more information call Lois Taylor at 573-2152.

Obsidian Days rock and gem show will be held in the Hines Park on June 13-15. For more information call Hines City Hall at 573-2251.

Harney County Relative Collectors Genealogy Group meets on the second Saturday of the month, at the Harney County Library from 9:30-11:30 a.m. There is no cost to join the fun. For more information, call 573-3258, and leave a message for Richard.

The annual Drewsey Flea Market, Barbecue and Street Dance is scheduled for the second weekend in June.

Alanon holds an open meeting each Saturday at Foursquare Church at 5:30 p.m.

Obsidian Days rock and gem show will be held in the Hines Park on June 13-15. For more information call Hines City Hall at 573-2251.

Alcoholics Anonymous meets every Sunday at Foursquare Church for 12X12 study, at 7 p.m.

Masonic Lodge meets the first and third Monday of each month at the Burns Masonic Lodge, 1210 West Taylor, at 7 p.m.

The Torch Club, a teen leadership and service group at the Boys & Girls Club, meets each Monday from 4:30-5:30 p.m.

ImageMakers, a photography program is offered to members of the Boys & Girls Club each Monday from 4-5 p.m. All ages are encouraged to learn and practice black and white, color and digital photography skills as well as image editing.

PRIDE meets each Monday in the Courthouse basement meeting room, 450 North Buena Vista, at 7:30 a.m. to network for community betterment.

The Burns Lions Club meets each Monday at noon at the Burns Elks Lodge, 118 N. Broadway, for lunch. Those interested in serving the community are welcome.

Narcotics Anonymous holds an open meeting each Monday at 7 p.m. at Foursquare Church.

HDH Sports & Physical Therapy will offer a free athletic injury clinic at that facility, 559 West Washington, every Monday from 5-6 p.m. A physical therapist will assess and treat athletic injuries and provide education for athletes and parents on self management of injuries. For more information call 573-1543.

Harney County Watershed Council meeting for June will be moved from June 17 to June 27.

Harney County Library Foundation meets the third Tuesday of each month at 5:30 p.m.

Sylvia Rebekah Lodge meets the first and third Tuesday of each month at the I.O.O.F. Hall, 348 North Broadway, at 6:30 p.m.

The American Legion Harney County Post #63 meets at the National Guard Armory, the third Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m.

Harney County Library Foundation board of directors meets the third Tuesday of each month at the library, 80 West D St., at 5:30 p.m.

The Chamber Orchestra meets the first and third Tuesday of each month in the Burns High School band room, 1100 Oregon Avenue, from 7-8:30 p.m. with Ken Peckham directing.

Tai Chi is held every Tuesday at the Harney County Senior and Community Services Center, from 9:30-10:30 a.m. All ages are welcome to participate.

Alcoholics Anonymous holds an open meeting each Tuesday at Foursquare Church, at 7 p.m.

By Lauren Brown
Burns Times-Herald

Rachel Robinson had been thinking about starting an organizing business since she quit teaching and decided to stay home with her kids, but little did she know her idea would net $1,000 in a local business plan contest.

The contest, offered through the Harney County Office of Economic Development, began on April 28 and ended on May 27. Business/Economic Development Coordinator Mark Maliwauki said there were six participants who took part in a two-day training and then had three weeks to complete their business plans before presenting them to a panel of judges who decided the winners. Prizes consisted of $1,000 for first-place; $750 for second and $500 for third.

The contest provided Robinson, who won first place, with the necessary motivation to put her “Organize It!” idea into motion. “This is just what I needed to stop talking about it and take some action,” she said. She hopes to combine her two passions, teaching and organizing to help people organize their homes.

Maliwauki said that the Lane MicroBusiness program provided the two-day business plan training for the participants, three of whom already had businesses but had not written plans. “The experience was really meant to introduce people to the process,” Maliwauki said. “If you’re really serious about creating a business, you’re going to need a plan, especially if you need to borrow money.”

Robinson said that it took a lot of courage just to put her idea out there for others to scrutinize. She and her husband, Geoffrey, moved to Harney County from California, where she taught for five years. However, now that she is a stay-at-home mom, starting her own business seemed like a viable option. “My background is teaching, so to venture into the business world was really scary,” she said. “I needed a lot of questions answered.” The training provided by Lane MicroBusiness gave her some of the answers she required and the confidence to go forward.

Selene Dobson won second place in the contest for her business, Eastern Oregon Stitch and Print, a screen printing business (formally 4-Brats Stitch and Print), which she has had for four years. She entered the contest hoping to build a plan for her business’ future. “My main reason for doing this class is that we’ve gotten to the point where we want to expand,” she said.

Dobson appreciated how well-organized the contest was, especially during the training session. “Everyone had a laptop,” she said. The instructors took participants step-by-step through the process of creating a business plan. “They had it completely outlined,” she said. “It was definitely worth the time.”
Judges for the contest included Harney County Judge Steve Grasty, Richard Wood of Bank of Eastern Oregon, Patty McNeil of Sterling Bank and Jan Oswald of Gourmet and Gadgets. Maliwauki said the judges evaluated the participants on different elements of their business plans such as the general company description, marketing plan, operational plan and financial plan. Contestants were also scored on clarity of message, understandability as well as performance and delivery.

Maliwauki noted that the judges took the time to go through their critiques with each participant. “That was one of the most invaluable aspects of this contest,” he said.

Robinson said that everyone involved with the contest was extremely supportive of her business idea. “The judges were really nice,” she said. “Going through the whole process gave me an idea of how feasible it was.”

Maliwauki hopes to make the contest an annual event. “This gives people a little bit more exposure,” he said.

In fact, he hopes the participants in the Harney County contest will go on to enter the business contest put on by the Small Business Development Center at Eastern Oregon University in La Grande. The nine-county contest, which will take place this fall, expects to see more than 70 entrants  vying for substantially larger prize purses.

Maliwauki hopes all the  Harney County participants use their plans to ultimately make their businesses grow. “It’s a living document,” he said. “Every six months to a year, it should be revised. It will change as their business changes.”

Sponsors for the contest included Lane Microbusiness, the Harney County Chamber of Commerce, the Economic Development Office, the Training and Employment Consortium Office, Sterling Bank and the Burns Times-Herald.

By Lauren Brown
Burns Times-Herald

The Harney Basin Rural Fire Protection District is officially no more.

After seven months of meetings, phone surveys and soliciting signatures for the petition, the formation committee filed a request to withdraw the petition for the formation of the district during what was supposed to a hearing before the Harney County Court on Monday, June 2.

Committee Chairman Phil Kessinger started out by saying that the committee recently found out that the City of Hines clarified its position on serving the outer reaches of the fire district and that would make it impossible to go forward with putting the fire district on the November ballot.

Hines Mayor Ruth Schultz and Hines Fire Chief Bob Spence were both at the meeting. “You’ve got to draw the line somewhere,” Spence said. He noted that he felt the fire department simply wouldn’t be able to save any structures that were farther than 7.2 miles out of town. He also said that his primary duty was to the City of Hines, not the out reaches of the county.

“We just felt we couldn’t give the fire district a guarantee,” Schultz said.

Burns Fire Chief Bill Guindon agreed to a certain extent with Hines’ position. “Anything beyond six miles is pretty limited in what we can do in response,” he said. However, he said that as the fire district grew, certain things, such as satellite stations could be phased in.

Kessinger seemed a bit angry that Hines was only stating this position now and said they never formally told him about their decision. He said he happened to hear about it at the post office just last week.

In light of the recent development, he stated that the committee would be forced to withdraw the petition to create the fire district because there would be townships within the fire district boundary that would be impossible to service, and that, Kessinger said, violates Oregon statutes. He noted that the committee could try to redraw the boundary, but then there wouldn’t be enough of a tax base to support the district with the tax rate that had already been established.

“We’ve done everything we possibly could,” Kessinger said. He then read the committee’s official request to withdraw the petition.

The county court moved to accept the committee’s decision to withdraw, and the motion passed unanimously. “I would have liked to have seen this move a step further and seen the people make the decision,” County Judge Steve Grasty said.

“This is unfortunate,” Commissioner Dan Nichols agreed. “It took a tremendous amount of effort. It’s a tough situation. I can wholly understand where the cities are coming from, too.”

The idea to create the rural fire district came about last year in October when the Burns City Council stated that it would not longer respond to fires outside the Burns city limits. The council extended rural fire coverage (as resources and staffing allow) to June 30 only because rural residents made impassioned pleas for more time. After June 30, the City of Burns has stated that it will not respond to fires outside the city limits, unless the council takes further action between now and then. Council members didn’t feel city taxpayers should have to foot the bill for county residents.

Since that decision, Burns City Fire Chief Guindon has said the city will respond to fires within a radius of six miles from the city limits.