The 41st annual Harney County Demolition Derby and the third annual ATV Rodeo will be held on Aug. 28 at the Harney County Fairgrounds. The ATV rodeo begins at 1 p.m. and the derby starts at 7 p.m. Pre-sale tickets are available at the Harney County Chamber of Commerce office or Baxter Auto Parts.

Farmers Market is held in Hines Park each Saturday, from 7:30 a.m. to 1  p.m. For more information, call 541-573-2251.

ALANON meets each Saturday at 7 p.m. at Four Square Church, 74 S. Alvord, Burns.

The Harney County Ministerial Association holds services every fifth Sunday. The community is invited to join in a time of music, fellowship and praise. For information contact Pastor Jean Hurst, 541-573-4141.

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

Registration for Awana Club will be held on Monday, Aug. 30, at Faith Baptist Church, from 7 to 8 p.m. Awana is a Bible-based club open to all children 3 years old through the sixth grade. The club meets most Monday nights from Sept. 13 through April, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. For more information, call Sally King at 541-573-4215, or the church office at 541-573-7777.

Harney County Library Advisory Board meets the last Monday of each month (except for those dates that fall on national holidays) in the library, 80 West D St., at 6 p.m. The public is welcome to attend. Use the back door to the left. For more information, call 541-573-7339.

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

The Hines Volunteer Fire Department meets at the Hines Fire Hall each Monday at 7 p.m. (except the last Monday of the month). Prospective members may contact Fire Chief Bob Spence at 541-573-7477 or 541-573-2251.

Narcotics Anonymous meets each Monday at 7 p.m. at Foursquare Church, 74 S. Alvord, Burns.

A Women’s AA meeting is held every Monday at noon at the Harney Behavioral Health Building.

The Burns Lions Club meets each Monday at noon at Figaro’s Pizza, for lunch. Those interested in serving the community are welcome.

Tai Chi: Moving for Better Balance is held every Tuesday at the Harney County Senior Center. The beginner class is held from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. The intermediate class is held from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. All ages are welcome.

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.

Senior Health Insurance Benefits Assistance Program (SHIBA) trained volunteers will be at the Harney County Senior Center each Tuesday, from 1-3 p.m. For more information, call the Senior Center at 541-573-6024.

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 meets each Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Foursquare Church, 74 S. Alvord, Burns.

Town hall offered residents chance to ask questions

By Randy Parks
Burns Times-Herald

With our country enduring a rising national debt, high unemployment and an overhauled health care system, U.S. Congressman Greg Walden (R-Ore.) made a stop in Burns to visit with local citizens about the issues facing Americans today.

About 50 people attended the town hall meeting on Aug. 12 to hear Walden’s views and ask questions.

Using charts to illustrate his points, Walden explained that the country’s national debt, already at a record high, could triple in 10 years if it remains unchecked. He added that this is the first year that the U.S. House of Representatives did not approve a budget.

Walden then produced a chart illustrating the new national health care system and talked about what he perceived as flaws in the system. Walden stated that the new health care requires everyone to purchase insurance and if they don’t, they can be fined. But a person can pay the fine and then be covered under the system for less than what it would cost for insurance.

Having Congress require citizens to purchase insurance is also unprecedented. “Congress has never dictated how individuals have to spend their money. States have, such as auto insurance, but not Congress,” Walden said. He cautioned that it could open the door to other requirements.

With the November election expected to shake up Congress somewhat, Walden said he is against holding a “lame-duck” session in the months preceding the election winners taking office.

Regarding the national debt, Walden was asked if the country was beyond the point of no return?

“To fix it, we need to sit down and work it out together. It can be done,” Walden answered. “We need to get a handle on reckless spending, and eliminate waste, fraud and abuse of public funds.”

To improve the economy, Walden said the government needs to control spending, ease regulations on private business and prevent the large tax increases on the horizon. “I’d change forest laws, as well,” Walden said. “Get people back in the woods, creating jobs and providing healthy forest management.”

Walden also fielded questions on China purchasing U.S. debt, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, unemployment and the increase of capital investments in foreign counties.

While answering questions, Walden stated the country’s troubles can’t be attributed to one particular party.

“Both parties have strayed,” he said. “We can’t assign blame to just one party. But this plan (pointing to the national debt chart) is one we have to get a new GPS for. The theories aren’t working in reality.

“Our goal should be to get this country back on track, and that means less spending. Sometimes you’ve just got to say, ‘No.’ ”

$117 million allocated for Oregon

By Dylan Thompson
Burns Times-Herald

The Harney County District No. 3 School Board meeting opened on Tuesday, Aug.  10, with big news concerning the education jobs bill, which passed in the House of Representatives, 247-161.

The bill, part of an emergency stimulus package aimed toward job creation, will provide schools in the state of Oregon with $117 million that would be used to recall or rehire former school staff members,  increase salaries and hire new staff members.

A special session of the legislature will be called in September to address the bill and funds could be on the way to Oregon schools no later than October.

Katie Baltzor, principal of the recently renamed Silvies River Charter School (SRCS), reported that she met with Morgan Smith of the Oregon School Board Association (OSBA), and Phyllis Guile of the Oregon Department of Education (ODE), to revise the charter school’s contract. She stated that the ODE has signed off on the action plan. The board will perform a complete review of the contract after the completed document is achieved in the next two weeks.

Bond Project Manager Bill Renwick came to the meeting with both good and bad news. Though he reported that the windows at the high school cafeteria were still not finished, he was pleased to inform the board that he had received the go-ahead from the State Historical Preservation Office to replace the windows at the Lincoln District Office Building.

The State Historical Preservation Office also expressed a desire to design a website that would keep the histories of all the school buildings and other notable buildings within the district. Renwick added that the project would benefit from student involvement.

The overall plan would assume certain costs and particular performance criteria would be involved, being that the preservation office doesn’t want to lose the integrity of the building’s look. The table decided to hold off a vote to approve the action until next month.

In other news:

• Nancy Walker reported that the play structure being built at Slater Elementary School is now up and secure. The landscaping of the surface below the structure will need to be completed before the structure is cleared to be played on. Everything will be done before school;

• Hines Middle School Principal Gail Buermann announced that registration would be held on Aug. 24;

• Student Services Director Geoff Robinson stated that the bottom corner of Lincoln will be used to house kids from the Eastern Oregon Academy. They will be enrolled in the same program as the alternative school, but will not be mixed in with those alternative education students;

• Business Manager Petrina White reported that she has updated the projected budget, but that not much will happen with the budget until next month.

The next meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 14, at the Lincoln building.

All students who plan to participate in fall sports at Burns High School (BHS) and Hines Middle School will need to have the following forms completed and placed on file in the office of their school:

1) Physical Examination Form (a physical is required every two years). If a student’s physical is current, they will need to complete a medical history form.

2) Insurance and Athletic Participation Consent Form. This form is consent for participation, authorization for medical treatment and verification of insurance.

3) Student-Athlete Drug Testing Consent Form.

4) Extra-Curricular Participation Policy agreement.

Forms may be picked up at the school offices.

The first day of practice for high school athletics will be Monday, Aug. 23. The following times have been set for the Aug. 23 practices for each sport:

Football — First morning practice 6 a.m. at the high school practice field. Evening practice 6 p.m.
Head coach: Dally Swindlehurst

Volleyball — Morning practice 7 a.m. and evening practice 4:30 p.m. in the high school gym.
Head coach: Paula Toney

Cross Country — Morning practice 7 a.m. and evening practice 4 p.m. Meet at the high school baseball field.
Head coach: Erron Mertz

Soccer — Morning practice 6:30 a.m. and evening practice 5 p.m. at Slater School field.
Head coach: Jodi McLean

Cheerleading — Morning practice 5 a.m. and evening practice 7 p.m. at the high school.
Coach: Julie Burri

These are the times for the first practices on Monday, Aug. 23. Coaches will inform the athletes of changes in practice times for the remainder of the week if changes are necessary.

Hines Middle School athletes should be prepared to start practice on the first day of school Monday, Aug. 30.

If you have any questions, contact Paula Toney, BHS Athletic/Activities Director 541-573-2044 ext. 224.

Carlos C. Vinson, 70, died on Aug. 10.

He was born on March 31, 1940, in Hoxie, Ark., to Clifford and Viva Vinson.

When Vinson was 2 years old his father was killed in an auto-train accident. His family then moved to Washington and then later to California.

Vinson served in the National Guard from 1961-1966. He then became a licensed pest exterminator in San Diego, Calif. The remainder of his working life was spent in the timber industry.

Vinson worked for Edward Hines Lumber Company and Snow Mt. Pine in Hines until their closures, then at Crown Pacific in Prineville for 12 years, as a certified lumber grader. When he retired in 2002, Vinson moved back to Burns to be near family and friends.

Vinson loved being with his family  and friends and fishing with his sons. He also enjoyed coin collecting, playing cards, playing his guitar, reading Louis L’Amour westerns and taking long rides on his bicycle. He was a member of the Seventh Day Adventist Church and loved reading the Bible.

Vinson is survived by his wife, Janet; children, Lisa Freudiger, Mark Vinson, Suzanne Wiley, Christine Miller, Tony Young, Keith Vinson and Lucas Vinson; brothers, Earl and Cliff Vinson; sisters, Lurea Williams, Betsy Morrison and Donna Root; and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents; an infant son, Terrance Curtis; brothers, Harold, Ernie and Butch Vinson; and sister, Fran Jones.

A funeral service will be held on Thursday, Aug. 19, at 11 a.m. at LaFollette’s Chapel. Graveside service will immediately follow. A potluck will follow at the Power House Restaurant.

Contributions in Vinson’s memory may be made to the Seventh Day Adventist Church.

LaFollette’s Chapel is in charge of arrangements.

William (Bill) C. Guthridge died on Aug. 14 in Canby.

He was born in Spivey, Kan., on Nov. 18, 1917, to Earl Caddie and Ida Mae Clark Guthridge.

Guthridge moved to Hines with his family in 1945 and began his employment with Edward Hines Lumber Company as a dry kiln operator. He enjoyed his work, hunting, fishing and he loved to raise a large vegetable garden every year.

After retiring from Edward Hines Lumber Company in 1980, Guthridge and his wife, Leona, moved to a small farm in rural Malheur County for 25 years before returning to Burns.

He was baptized in 1945 at the Burns Christian Church. Guthridge was an active member of the Burns Christian Church for all of the years he lived in Harney County and the Ontario Christian Church while in Malheur County.

Guthridge is survived by his son, Bill Guthridge and wife Selma of rural Burns; daughter,  Judy Keeney and husband Bob of Canby; four grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; one great-great grandson; and numerous nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his wife of 72 years, Leana L. Guthridge, his parents, two brothers and three sisters.

A celebration of life service will be held for both William C. and Leona L. Guthridge at the Burns Christian Church at a later date. Contributions in his memory may be made to the Burns Christian Church at 125 S. Buena Vista, Burns, OR 97720.

Arrangements are under the direction of Crown Memorial in Tualatin.

Glenn E. Marshall died  of cancer on Aug. 10 at Harney District Hospital.

He was born on Nov. 3, 1940, in Rochester, N.H., to George Marshall and Mary Hunt.

His family moved to Fresno, Calif., when Marshall was 5 years old. He graduated from Roosevelt High School in 1958.

Marshall left Fresno and went into the Navy in 1959,  and he was honorably discharged in 1963. He then attended Fresno City College in Fresno, Delta College in Stockton, Calif., and Modesto Junior College in Modesto, Calif.

Marshall married Linda Wright on April 9, 1983, in RailRoad Flat, Calif.

He received his Paramedic Certification in 1986.   He worked as an Auto Mechanic for 23 years, an EMT/paramedic for six years and an EKG technician and instructor for 13 years in the Fresno area.

Marshall and his wife moved from Fresno to Burns in the spring of this year.

He was a past Governor of Manteca Moose Lodge, and he loved to travel, golf and fish. During the last few years, Marshall and his wife loved traveling in their R.V.

Marshall is survived by his wife, Linda Marshall of Hines; daughters, Dawn Strys and husband Victor of Irrigon, Jodie Riess and husband David of Hines and Nicole Harris and husband Jason of Hines;  brothers, George Marshall of Las Vegas and Gary Marshall of Indianapolis, Ind.; 17  grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.

A memorial service with military honors will be held for Marshall on Saturday, Aug. 21,  at the Burns Christian Church in Burns at 3 p.m.

Contributions in  Marshall’s memory may be made to the Burns Christian Church in care of LaFollette’s Chapel, P.O. Box 488, Burns, OR 97720.  LaFollette’s Chapel is in charge of arrangements.