Medicare D and Health Plan assistance is available on the first Tuesday of each month, from 1-3 p.m., at the Harney County Senior Center. For an appointment, call 573-6024.

Harney Basin Writers meets the first Tuesday of each month at the Harney County Library, from 2-4 p.m.; and the third Tuesday of each month at the St. Andrews Episcopal Church Hall at the corner of Diamond and “A” Streets, from 7-9 p.m.

Silvies River Spinners meets the first Tuesday of each month at Native Circle, 90 W. Adams in Burns, at 5:30 p.m.

Harney Hospital Foundation meets the first Tuesday of each month in the Hospital Conference Room at 7 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 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.

Harney County Democratic Party meets the first Tuesday of each month at the Harney County Courthouse, 450 North Buena Vista, at 7 p.m.

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.

All 0- to 3-year-olds and their parents are welcome to attend play group at the Early Childhood Center at 655 W. Fillmore, weekly on Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m.

Patient Assist, Needy Med Program trained volunteers will be at the Harney County Senior Center each Tuesday, from 1-4 p.m. For appointments call the Senior Center at 573-6024.

Boy Scout Troop 440, sponsored by the Burns Lion’s Club, meets each Tuesday from 7-8:30 p.m. at the LDS Church in Hines. Boys ages 11-18 are welcome to join.

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

Partnership made possible by donation from electrical workers

The Crane Union High School, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW Local 48) and Columbia Energy Partners (CEP) celebrated the first step in a program to create a wind power curriculum at one of Oregon’s most remote — and windiest — schools. The effort was launched last week with a $10,000 donation from IBEW Local 48 to the Crane school board.

The program is intended to provide Crane students a hands-on understanding of how wind power projects are developed as well as an opportunity to work in the fast-growing industry.

“We are very pleased to accept this donation from the IBEW and our friends at Columbia Energy Partners,” said Pat Sharp, administrator of the Crane school. “We are very excited about the prospects for being part of the renewable energy economy here in Harney County.”

“The men and women of IBEW Local 48 are on the front lines when it comes to building wind power and renewable energy projects,” said Clif Davis, business manager for Portland-based IBEW Local 48. “We salute the Crane School and Columbia Energy Partners for working with us to help create the kind of jobs and job-training Oregon will need to build a better, greener future for our children and our environment.” Dave Johnston, IBEW Local 48 business representative presented the $10,000 donation to the Crane School in recognition of assistance Columbia Energy Partners provided to Local 48 in arranging financing for a photo-voltaic solar energy project on Local 48’s headquarters building in Portland, Oregon.

“From our perspective, this is a great chance to build a better understanding of what renewable energy can do for the local community and the environment,” said Chris Crowley, president of Columbia Energy Partners (CEP). CEP plans several hundred megawatts of projects in the area, with a first 100 MW already permitted and in an EIS process for a transmission line to reach the grid. “Once our projects are up and running, we’d love to have local people helping to build and maintain our projects,” he added.

CEP plans to work with others in the industry to help the Crane school obtain equipment to test the wind resource in the area around the school, teach students how to collect and interpret data, conduct avian and other necessary site studies and — if the site is sufficiently windy — explore erecting wind turbines to help power the Crane school.

Daniel Robertson will start in January

A new superintendent has been selected for the Eastern Oregon Youth Correctional Facility in Burns.

Daniel Robertson will take over the position on Jan. 4.

According to Joan Palmateer, Oregon Youth Authority Assistant Director of Facilities, “We had good candidates for the superintendent position in Burns, and the process of selection was a difficult one.”

Robertson is currently the Assistant Deputy Director of the juvenile justice system in Washington State. He has a long history in juvenile corrections in Washington and was an associate superintendent.

Said Palmateer, “He brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to Burns and this agency. He is well respected in Washington by his peers and supervisor. We are fortunate to have him coming on board.”

During the interim, Sid Thompson will continue to be at the Burns facility.

Dinsmore, Fenton named to All-Tournament second team

By Randy Parks
Burns Times-Herald

The Burns volleyball team ended its season with a fifth-place finish at the OSAA 3A State Volleyball Tournament held Nov. 13-14, at Lane Community College in Eugene.

The Hilanders started the tournament off with a three game sweep of Portland Adventist, winning 25-15, 25-21 and 25-23.

After winning the first game in relatively easy fashion, the Hilanders found themselves down 4-0 early in the second game. Following a sideout however, Kaci Nonnenmacher served six straight points to give Burns a lead they wouldn’t relinquish on their way to the win.

Portland Adventist stayed close in the third game, never trailing by more than five points, but Burns was able to finish them off and advance to the tournament semi-finals.

The Hilanders finished with 40 kills in the win, led by Abbey Fenton with 19.

Kaci Nonnenmacher was the team leader in assists with 22, and Maddye Dinsmore added 13.

Defensively, Burns came up with seven blocks, led by Taylor Lee, Chelsea Siegner and Dinsmore with two apiece, and Fenton and Jamie Higle came up with 17 and 15 digs, respectively.

•••

The Hilanders were matched up against the No. 1 ranked Santiam Christian Eagles in the semi-finals, and ended up losing in four games, 25-27, 18-25, 25-23 and 25-15.

Trailing 18-12 in the first game, the Hilanders put together an 8-0 run behind the serving of Maddye Dinsmore to grab a 20-18 lead. The two teams then traded several points, and Burns was close to picking up the win with a 24-22 lead.

After Santiam Christian scored the next three points to take a 25-24 lead, the Hilanders tied it at 25-25, only to have the Eagles score the final two points to get the win.

Burns fell behind 16-12 in the second game and could get no closer than three the rest of the way as Santiam Christian took a two games-to-none lead in the match.

The third game saw the Hilanders build a 20-14 lead, and then hold off a late charge by the Eagles to win 25-23.
In the fourth game, Santiam Christian went on a 9-0 run to take a 15-5 lead, and eventually the win.

Fenton again played solid for Burns, recording 13 kills, 14 digs and three blocks. Dinsmore added nine kills, 18 assists, two blocks and seven digs. Siegner finished with six kills and four blocks; Teri McConnell three kills, and 14 digs; Nonnenmacher 14 assists and three digs; Samantha Hooker four kills; and Higle 20 digs.

•••

Burns played Valley Catholic in their final match of the tournament, and the season, to decide who would take home the third-place trophy and who would receive the fifth-place hardware.

The Hilanders never got untracked in the match and ended up losing in three games, 18-25, 13-25 and 19-25.

“We just had too many unforced errors,” Burns coach Paula Toney said. “But we did have a very successful season.”
The Hilanders could only muster 18 kills in the match led by Hooker with five.

Hooker also had four of the Hilanders’ 10 blocks.

Dinsmore led the team with nine assists and Nonnenmacher added six, and McConnell finished with nine digs to lead Burns in that category.

The Hilanders’ Dinsmore and Fenton were both named to the All-Tournament second team.
Santiam Christian went on to win the 3A state title, defeating Cascade Christian in three games.
Valley Catholic was awarded the sportsmanship trophy.

•••

The Eastern Oregon League released their 2009 All League teams on Monday, Nov. 16, and the league champion Hilanders were well represented.

The All League selections are as follows:

Co-Player of the Year:
Maddye Dinsmore, So., Setter, Burns
Kaci Nonnenmacher, Jr., Setter, Burns

Other 1st Team All League:
Abbey Fenton, So., OH, Burns
Jamie Higle, Sr., L, Burns
Shelby Mooney, Sr. OH, Vale
Kayla Nelson, Sr., OH, Riverside
Shannon  Croghan, Jr. Setter, Grant Union
Aspen Riggs, Sr., M, Grant Union

2nd Team All League:
Brooke Hawkins, Jr., Setter, Vale
Amy DeLong, So., M, Vale
Whitley Reece, Jr. OH, Riverside
Samantha Hooker, Sr., M, Burns
Teri McConnell, Jr., OH, Burns
Mackinsey Nash, Jr., Setter, Grant Union

Honorable Mention:
Taylor Lee, Sr., M, Burns
Chelsea Siegner, Jr., M, Burns
Bre Wilson, Sr., L, Grant Union
Angela  Mitchell, Sr., M, Nyssa
Melissa Rodriguez, Jr., S, Nyssa
Cindy McLaughlin, Jr., M, Riverside
Jordan Connell, OH, Jr., Riverside
Amanda Schylse, Sr., DS, Vale
Nicole Rutten, So., L, Vale
Katelyn Cranston Schafer, Sr. Umatilla

Coach of the Year: Paula Toney, Burns

Mustangs receive tourney’s Sportsmanship Award

By Debbie Raney
Burns Times-Herald

The Crane Mustang volleyball team finished the 2009 season at the OSAA US Bank, Les Schwab 1A state championship tournament last weekend, and when the last ball had been served, the Mustangs had claimed the fifth-place trophy, the sportsmanship trophy and three all-tournament selections.

Crane started the tournament with a match against the Southwest Christian Wildcats, coming away with a three-game win. The first  match victory put the Mustangs into the semi-finals against the Imbler Panthers, with Crane taking a loss. The Panthers would go on to defeat Griswold for the state championship. The Mustangs played for third and fifth place against Hosanna Christian, losing a hard-fought, five-game match.

At the end of the state tournament, the Mustangs were honored with the tournament sportsmanship trophy. In addition, Natalie Bentz and September O’Crowley were named to the tournament first-team all-stars, and Brooke Nyman was selected to the second-team all-stars.

•••

In their first match the Mustangs defeated Southwest Christian 25-16, 25-18, 25-15. Tied through a score of 9-9 in the first game, Crane moved into the lead with O’Crowley in servers’ position. Nyman and Emilee O’Toole teamed up for set-kill combinations, and Crane took the momentum to the win.

In game two against Southwest Christian, errors on the Mustangs side of the net led to a 7-10 deficit for Crane. The Mustangs began to ease back, and tied it up at 14. Bentz hit two kills off of Nyman sets, and Crane went on a six point run to take the lead to the win.

O’Crowley served nine straight points mid-way through the third game, sealing the game and the match for the Mustangs.

O’Crowley ended the match with 19 points, with Bentz scoring 16. Nyman and Cassidy Corrigan served for 12 points, O’Toole made 10 and Hannah Buermann scored six.

•••

Facing the Imbler Panthers in the semi-finals, the Mustangs took a harsh 5-25 loss in the first game. Crane’s blocks were going off court, and Imbler’s serves and kills were finding the holes in the Mustang defense.

The second game had Crane running even with the Panthers through a score of 10 with Buermann and O’Crowley digging the balls in the back row for the Mustangs. Imbler gained a five-point lead, but Crane came back to tie it again at 21 with Nyman setting for Bentz. At a score of 23-24, Imbler hit the winning point on a kill to the middle.

The third game of the match had the Panthers taking an early lead. In spite of ace serves by Buermann and Nyman, Imbler got the 14-25 win.

Buermann was high-point server with 10, followed by Corrigan with nine and Nyman with eight. Bentz served for seven points, O’Crowley had six and O’Toole made four.

•••

The match for third and fifth placings was an even run with Crane and the Hosanna Christian Lady Lions exchanging wins, and going into a fifth and deciding game to 15 points.

After being tied all the way through 17, the Lady Lions hit a streak and jumped up three points, taking the first game, 22-25.

Crane came back to dominate the second game, with Bentz serving 11 straight. During the run, she hit two aces, and O’Crowley and Buermann downed a kill apiece. After the Lady Lions got a side-out point, Crane’s Corrigan stepped in to serve and put up eight more in a row, including four straight aces. The Mustangs went on to win 25-8.

Hosanna Christian went ahead early in the third game, and kept their advantage to a 16-25 win over Crane.

Again, the Mustangs bounced back and got an early lead in the fourth game. Crane was up by one point, 16-15, and an O’Toole kill gave the Mustangs the momentum to spread their lead. At a score of 24-19, O’Crowley blocked a Lady Lion hit for the winning point.

The fifth and final game had the score tied at 8, 9, 10 and 11. A Mustang hit out of bounds gave Hosanna the serve and the lead. The Lady Lions racked up four straight points to take the game, the match and third place.

Bentz served for 22 points in the match, with Corrigan making 21. Buermann had 18, O’Toole made 16 points, O’Crowley served for 10 and Nyman made nine.

Frederick Elsworth DeLange died at his home in Hines on Oct. 17 from congestive heart failure.

He was born on Oct. 20, 1917, in Beaver Dam, Wisc., to Peiter and Johanna DeLange.

He married Florence Robbins on March 20, 1937.

DeLange served his country as a member of the Navy in both World War II and the Korean War. He and his wife moved their family from Wisconsin to Southern California.

After leaving the Navy, DeLange began a career in law enforcement, first as a foot patrol officer for the Las Vegas Police Department, and then as a motorcycle police officer for the Los Angeles Police Department. He spent the next 16 years as a sergeant and then a detective for the Burbank Police Department, retiring on a disability retirement.

DeLange then spent time teaching criminal law at Pasadena College and working as a private investigator for the private sector. In 1965, he moved to Burns, where he served as the Chief of Police until his final retirement in 1970.

DeLange and his wife spent the next 25 years traveling in their motor home between Oregon and California. In 1995, they finally settled down in Hines, where he lived until his death.

He was very active in the Elks Lodge, holding many positions in the state of California. He was active in the Veterans of Foreign War, Disabled American Veterans, Mason and Shriners. He was a volunteer at the Veterans Hospital in Loma Linda, Calif.

DeLange is survived by his sons, Fred DeLange and wife Barbara of Burbank, Calif., Frank DeLange and wife Shirley of Sacramento, Calif., and Butch DeLange and wife, Angela of Burns; daughters, Faye Katzman and husband Sonny of Cherry Valley, Calif., and Frannie DeLange of Hines; 17 grandchildren; and numerous great- and great-great-grandchildren.

A celebration of life for DeLange was held on Oct. 31 at the Valley Golf Club in Hines. A moment of silence was held in front of the American flag he had donated to the golf club in honor of the veterans of past and current wars.

E. Dale Thornburg died on Oct. 29 at his daughter’s home in Hillsboro.

He was born on June 29, 1933, in Burns, to Arthur and Lucille Thornburg.

He was married to Joan Byers.

Thornburg worked for Tektronix as a ceramic plant manager and had been living in Prineville.

Thornburg is survived by his sons, Jeff and Rodney Thornburg; daughter, Dona Lynn Thornburg; brother, Gene Thornburg; and his sister, Muriel Finley.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Joan.

A memorial service was held on Nov. 14, at the Valley Community Presbyterian Church in Portland. Rose City Cemetery & Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

A memorial service will be held on Nov. 21 at 2 p.m. at the Harney County Church of the Nazarene for Ernest M. Dent.

Dent died on Oct. 19.

Harney Partners for Kids and Families meets on the third Wednesday of each month at noon, at Glory Days Pizza. Lunch is provided, RSVP to Michelle Bradach, president.

Babe Ruth meets the third Wednesday of each month in the courthouse basement meeting room, 450 North Buena Vista, at 7 p.m.

Oregon Hunters Association is for all hunters, whether rifle, bow, shotgun, muzzle loader or other. The local chapter meets at Linda’s Thai Room, the third Wednesday of each month at 6 p.m and is followed by a board meeting.

Storytime for preschoolers is scheduled at the Harney County Library, 80 West D St., each Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. Contact the Harney County Library for more information 573-6670.

Gospel services are held each Wednesday at 7 p.m. at the home of Betty Ashlock, 112 NE Circle Drive in Hines. Quiet, one hour service. No collections are taken. All are welcome.

Bring the babies to Lapsit Storytime at Harney County Library, each Wednesday at 10 a.m. Enjoy music, stories, rhymes and fingerplays especially for babies and toddlers.

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.

Teen Late Night will be held at Harney County Library on Nov. 19, from 7-9 p.m. (note new hours). The evening includes music, snacks, games and crafts, and is open to students in grades 6-12.

Burns Planning Commission meets the third Thursday of each month at Burns City Hall, 242 South Broadway, at 7 p.m.

Harney County Historical Society meets the third Thursday of each month at the Elks Lodge, 118 North Broadway, at 11:45 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 Avenue, at noon.

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

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

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.

Friday Morning Book Club with Lisa, a new program for kids ages 7-10, will be held at the Harney County Library from 9-10 a.m. The program will include stories and crafts.

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