As a member of a 25-person team, R.N. Melanie Thomas treated earthquake victims who were in desperate need of medical care

By Randy Parks
Burns Times-Herald

On Jan, 12th, a 7.0 magnitude earthquake jolted southern Haiti, and one of the hardest hit areas was the capital city of Port-au-Prince. Buildings were reduced to rubble, leaving millions injured, homeless, and struggling to survive. The expected death toll was estimated at more than 200,000.

Medical Teams International (MTI), formerly known as Northwest Medical Teams, immediately began sending disaster response medical teams of doctors, nurses and other health professionals to help those injured in the disaster. The first team arrived in Port-au-Prince on Jan. 15.

On Jan 20, Melanie Thomas of Burns, a registered nurse and a volunteer on the Disaster Response Team, received the call to go join the Disaster Team for three weeks in Port-au-Prince, and 24 hours later she was on a flight to Florida.

Because of the damage to the Port-au-Prince airport, only military and private aircraft were allowed to fly in and out of Haiti.  Thomas and four other medical volunteers flew to Fort Lauderdale, where they then flew to Port-au-Prince on Howard Hedinger’s private Leer jet.

Hedinger is the Chief Executive Officer of American Industries and donated his jet to fly medical teams back and forth for a week to Port-au-Prince, and his employees donated the money to pay for the fuel.

Thomas was on a medical team of about 25 people working in various locations throughout Port-au-Prince, giving medical aid to thousand of Haitians.

King’s Hospital was a hospital created after the earthquake, as it was one of the few buildings structurally safe. The medical team of orthopedic surgeons, physicians, anesthesiologists, and nurses hit the ground running, giving medical care and operating on Haitians injured in the earthquake. “When the destruction is that overwhelming, the priority for us as a team was to help every person we could medically,” Thomas said. “There was rubble everywhere. Nothing was straight. All the buildings were leaning or fallen over. It was like driving through Universal Studios or a movie set, except it was real.”

Medical teams would also go out in mobile teams of four to five people to areas outside of Port-au-Prince that had not yet received medical care, including Carrefour, the epicenter of the earthquake.

A refugee camp of 17,000 people on five acres, all living under sheet tents with no running water, electricity, or bathroom facilities is where Thomas and others camped for days and nights giving medical care to anywhere between 300 and 500 patients a day. All of those people in the camp lost their homes, belongings, and even family members in the earthquake. “Sleep was overrated, and so often we were very busy, that as a team, we were constantly reminding each other to drink water, and eat something,” Thomas said.

The injured
Thomas stated that as word spread that medical help was available, the injured began to arrive in droves. Most injuries the team saw were broken and crushed bones, and open wounds, but also included pneumonia, scabies, respiratory problems, malaria and typhoid fever.

Thomas said one boy came in and pulled off his shoe, and half of his foot was gone. A woman limped in with a fractured femur. “Eight days she had had that fracture. That’s how long it took her to get to medical care,” Thomas said.

Another patient who arrived was a 12-year-old girl who had run out of her home when the quake hit, ran back in to pick up something she forgot, and as she ran back out, was struck by a car. The girl got stuck under the car and suffered third degree burns on her face from the muffler. Because the medical team had limited resources, the girl was flown to Miami for better care.

With every aftershock, the Haitian people would run from whatever building they were in to an open area. “People are still sleeping in the streets out of fear of another building coming down on them,” Thomas said.

The relief effort
There were several other organizations in Haiti to help with the disaster. They included World Relief, U.S. Army and Marines and Red Cross. This was the biggest medical team Thomas had been on, and even with the elite medical personnel she had the privilege to work with, there were no ego or control issues. “It was great teamwork,” she stated. “We decided we were going to do whatever it takes, and the cohesiveness among all of us could not be outdone. We were sweaty, dirty, hungry, exhausted and yet every team member had an encouraging smile, a heart full of compassion and the desire to help.”

Three weeks and thousands of patients later, Thomas arrived back in Harney County. “There were so many people who needed help,” Thomas said. “And everybody had a story.”

This was Thomas’ fifth trip to Haiti, and she plans to return again for 10 days with a medical team on June 17.

Often asked why she goes on these short term medical trips Thomas said, “I’m a firm believer in pay it forward, and if I can help just one person with the kindness I’ve been shown in my life, then the whole experience is worth it.”

Crane places third in 2A/1A tourney

By Randy Parks
Burns Times-Herald

Sports fans sometimes marvel when a team completes a “three-peat,” so it’s hard to comprehend what those same fans are thinking when they look at the Burns wrestlers’ “three-peat” squared.

With Dallas Root winning the 125-pound weight division and George Swartzlender man-handling his opponents at 285 pounds, the Hilanders totaled 210.5 points to win their ninth consecutive 3A team title at the OSAA State Wrestling Championships Feb. 26-27 at Memorial Coliseum in Portland.

Reedsport placed second in the team standings with 172.5 points, followed by Gold Beach with 103, Colton 93, Glide 88, Myrtle Point 86, Nyssa 82.5, Willamina 71, Riverside 60 and Rogue River 55 in the top 10.

The Hilanders sent 15 wrestlers on to the state tournament from the district tournament, and 12 of the 15 ended up placing in the top six of their weight classes.

Along with Root and Swartzlender winning gold medals, Chance Peasley and Raymond Wright both placed second, Brendan Palmer and Jake Swindlehurst took third, AJ Swartzlender and Landon Hanner fourth, Brennan Bailey, Cody Bennett and Jay Masterson fifth and Kenny Withee sixth.

Jay Cate, Jake White and Tyler Foster also competed for Burns, but did not place.

Burns head coach Mark Hofman was named 3A Coach of the Year and was recognized along with his assistant coaches Ray Cate, Dally Swindlehurst, Mike Ribeiro and Ben Cate.

No school in Oregon had won eight consecutive state titles in any sport before the Hilanders achieved that feat in wrestling last year. Now the record is nine.

•••

The Crane Mustangs racked up 81 points and brought home the third-place trophy from the 2A/1A state wrestling tournament held Feb. 26-27 at Memorial Coliseum in Portland.

Culver took the top spot in the 2A/1A tournament with 139.5 points, followed by Lowell with 95, Crane, Scio 80.5, Nestucca and Siletz Valley 48, Pine Eagle 45, Riddle 40.5, Irrigon 38 and North Lake 37 in the top 10.

Top finishers for the Mustangs were 103-pounder Wyatt Clark and Lewis Whiting at 130 pounds who both finished second.
Josh Williams earned a third-place finish, and Mitch Wilson, Zach Cody and Greg Thompson placed fourth.

Also competing for Crane were Thomas O’Toole, Lizzy Davis, Gus Titus, Tanner Titus and Kenny Haworth.

Crane coach David Doman was honored as 2A/1A Coach of the Year, along with assistant coaches Jeremy Clark and Jerry Holloway.

Round-by-round match results for Burns and Crane wrestlers are as follows:

103 — Wyatt Clark (C) won by fall 3:25; won by fall 5:38; lost by fall 3:12.
Thomas O’Toole (C) lost by fall 3:05; won by fall :42; lost by fall 2:40.

112 — Jay Cate (B) bye; lost by fall 3:53; won by decision 7-2; lost by fall 1:33.
Mitch Wilson (C) bye; lost by fall 1:12; won by fall 3:21; lost by decision 11-7.
Lizzy Davis (C) lost by fall 1:57; won by fall :50; lost by fall 3:21.

119 — Brennan Bailey (B) lost by technical fall 5:56; won by decision 9-4; won by major decision 12-4; lost by decision 10-6; won by major decision 12-1.

125 — Dallas Root (B) won by fall 4:53; won by fall 5:01; won by decision 6-4 OT; won by decision 1-0.
Gus Titus (C) lost by decision 10-8; won by fall 3:36; lost by major decision 18-7.

130 — Cody Bennett (B) won by fall 3:43; lost by decision 3-2; won by major decision 13-3; won by fall 1:11; lost by decision 6-6; won by fall 3:10.
Lewis Whiting (C) won by fall 3:16; won by decision 10-7; lost by fall 3:54.

135 — Chance Peasley (B) won by fall 3:10; won by fall 2:41; won by injury forfeit; lost by fall :58.
Zach Cody (C) lost by decision 6-3; won by decision 3-2 OT; won by decision 4-3; lost by decision 7-2.

140 — Jay Masterson (B) lost by decision 9-4; won by fall 2:17; won by fall 2:07; lost by decision 5-2; won by fall 2:45.
Brendan Palmer (B) won by technical fall 2:59; won by fall :54; lost by decision 7-4; won by decision 5-2; won by technical fall 4:26.
Greg Thompson (C) won by fall 3:37; lost by decision 2-1; won by decision 9-4; lost by decision 6-3.
Tanner Titus (C) lost by fall 5:02; lost by major decision17-3.

145 — Josh Williams (C) won by major decision 12-1; lost by major decision 11-1; won by fall 4:02; won by decision 8-7.

152 — Jake White (B) lost by decision 11-5; lost by decision 4-2 OT.
Kenny Haworth (C) won by fall 3:09; lost by decision 12-10; lost by fall :53.

160 — AJ Swartzlender (B) won by fall 2:41; won by fall 1:59; lost by decision 2-1; won by fall 2:15; lost by decision 6-4.
Raymond Wright (B) won by fall 3:00; won by decision 6-0; won by decision 8-4; lost by fall 4:33.
Tyler Foster (B) lost by fall 1:53; lost by decision 6-1.

171 — Jake Swindlehurst (B) won by decision 8-2; won by decision 9-4; lost by fall 2:33; won by decision 5-2; won by technical fall 4:22.

189 — Kenny Withee (B) lost by decision 7-1; won by fall 2:16; won by forfeit; lost by decision 5-1; lost by major decision 12-3.

215 — Landon Hanner (B) won by decision 5-1; won by fall 2:43; lost by decision 5-4; won by decision 8-6; lost by major decision 11-2.

285 — George Swartzlender (B) bye; won by fall 5:48; won by decision 9-2; won by decision 5-2.

New Burns Paiute Tribe program focuses on bridging gap between youth and elders and fostering community leadership 

By Lauren Brown
Burns Times-Herald

The Burns Paiute Tribe has implemented a new program that encourages interaction between youths, elders and others in the community as well as creating ties between tribal and non-tribal leaders.

It’s called “Spanning Generations: Tribal Leaders Program.” It started about one month ago as program coordinators Elise Adams and Myra Peck began working on various activities with community members each Friday at the Gathering Center to take advantage of the four-day school week.

Activities on a recent Friday included an Elder Breakfast sponsored by the social service program on the reservation (the first week of the month), a Forest Service Job Fair coordinated by a tribal member who works for the Forest Service, beading with Adams and Peck and Bingo put on by the All-American Boxing Club. The Spanning Generations program taps into many different groups.
Adams and Peck recently took a group of about 20 on a field trip to the Four Rivers Cultural Center in Ontario. More trips will be scheduled in the future to places such as Castle Rock. These field trips focus on Paiute cultural exhibits and places that have significant historical meaning to the tribe.

The program’s purpose as described in the original proposal that was submitted to the tribal council is “to utilize every available local resource to honor our aging leaders, sustain and support our current leaders and support the growth and development of our future leaders.”

Friday activities will revolve around seven facets of cultural preservation and survival:
1. Story and oral history telling;
2. Academic tutors for students and adults seeking a GED;
3. Paiute life-skills learning, preservation and recording of specific skill sets;
4. Paiute language;
5. Natural resources;
6. Green living, restoration and research
7. Prevention and public safety.

Learning the Paiute language will eventually be a key part of the program but both Peck and Adams said that aspect of the program has yet to be set up. It will take coordination with the elders and the Tribal Council. “It’s just in the beginning stages,” Peck said. “There’s interest there.”

The ultimate goal is to bring members of the community together while retaining Paiute cultural traditions. “We want to make it fun to learn and come together as a community,” Adams said.

She added that if there are people within the community who would be willing to teach art, cooking or other classes, the program is always looking for instructors. Those who are interested in volunteering their talents and time can call Burns Paiute Tribe General Manager Beth Coahran at 541-573-2088 ext. 258 or e-mail coahranee@burnspaiute-nsn.gov.

Local leaders Steve Grasty, Ruth Schultz and Len Vohs address issues of importance at Feb. 16 event held at the Harney County Community Center

 By Harney County Judge Steve Grasty

While the economy of this county is fragile and very worrisome, Harney County government services and obligations remain in solid financial condition today. General fund is where your property taxes go. Many of the programs and services delivered to this community by the county are financially operated from the general fund. Law enforcement viewed as a program area (jail, sheriff’s office, justice court, the county paid portion of district attorney costs and juvenile services) make up the largest share of expenses in this fund. Generally, these services do not generate any revenue and are expected to be a cost center. Justice Court is an exception and the Harney County Sheriff has been quite successful in partnering with federal agencies by contracting for deputies time to cover federal ground. His success offsets the cost of more than one full time staff person.

The county library is an important service paid by the general fund as well. Under our Library Director Cheryl Hancock, the library has “weeded” its collection of older un-circulated books, improved the organization of the entire facility and has seen a dramatic increase in both public use and number of books checked out. Hancock also secured a grant to update the single pane windows in the library to insulated glass. This was from economic stimulus funds and the project should be completed by June 30. All efforts will be made to use a local contractor and local building supply for materials. Last year, the general fund was required to pick up a much larger share of the cost of operation at the library due to the poor returns for the Library Foundation’s investments. Those returns are significantly improved in the last several quarters, and it is hoped they will be able to assist in the future.

Many departments have seen a downturn as a result of the national recession. The number of recordings in the clerk’s office are down from the previous year, and this is a pretty good barometer of home/property and ranch sales. At the same time the planning department’s applications for new homes and manufactured home placements are off.

Perhaps a bright note here; our county has not seen the dramatic downturn in home and land prices that occurred in the rest of the state, i.e. Bend. I believe mostly because we did not see the over inflated values that occurred elsewhere. An interesting statistic is that our county at one point actually had more new homes under construction last summer than Deschutes County.

The public health and home health departments are also financially operated from the general fund. In some years these programs have been funded in large part by the general fund, this year is appearing to be one in which revenue from the state and federal government will nearly cover the expenses. If this continues to be true, these programs will not require significant local dollars to operate this fiscal year. Both of these program’s services touch the lives of many in our community through, immunizations, home care, access to family planning and hospice services. I cannot say enough about county nurses and staff in these two programs as they continue to provide incredible efforts to care for many families, friends and neighbors. If you include hospice, I hear more compliments about these county programs than any other.

Economic development: The court has repeatedly said that we believe economic development is and should be a community-wide effort. At the same time we are pressed hard to take the lead and provide the dollars for economic development. The county economic development efforts are funded by the general fund. Mark Maliwauki, Harney County Economic Development Coordinator, has covered these efforts, and I want to add that we desperately need the involvement of the community to be successful. Interestingly, it is local connections that have started interest in our community on several fronts, i.e., former Monaco Coach employees job hunting and finding a company wanting to expand; a childhood connection to a principal in that company by one of our commissioners; a new interest only two weeks ago that has a close friend and brother-in-law who lives here. It may be that one of you knows someone who knows someone who is a decision-maker at some business considering expansion. We will pursue those leads if we know about them, and we will need your help.

Mental health and drug addiction programs operate in a stand alone fund. The programs offered at Harney Behavioral Health also help many in the community. This program is entirely funded by state revenue and local fees. This is a financially stable program today.

The one fund that we will really need to worry about is the road fund. That fund today is in solid shape, and we can already see that the next year the road fund will have adequate revenue to cover expenditures. But following that year we have likely finally hit a wall on having enough revenue each year to cover expenses.

How are we doing as a community? I propose that question needs to be answered three ways. First, we have the best folks anywhere and that should always give us pride. Second, we have the best part of the state in our county and probably the nation.

But on a much more challenging note we are confronting an incredible number of obstacles to our economy and yet at the same time there are strengths and opportunity in this community. I think we can categorize the obstacles in two or three areas. The first is special interest groups such as Oregon Natural Desert Association (ONDA) with no representation or participation in our community who litigate on nearly everything we attempt economically. The second is excessive government regulation. This can be extremely limiting and/or time consuming to many good projects. And finally, I believe the tax increases from Measures 66 and 67 will challenge us to attract and retain businesses.

So how do we change these challenges into opportunities or strengths for this community?

I believe a huge strength we have is the High Desert Partnership (HDP) and their effort to try to find common ground amongst many diverse interests. Their efforts speak highly of how we are doing as a community. One example of this is the collaborative group trying to find a way to provide a predictable supply of products from the Malheur National Forest (God forbid we say logs and/or bio-mass). The county court and HDP have both tried on numerous occasions to invite ONDA and others to seek some solutions we can all live with and we should keep trying.

Government regulation has slowly crept up on us over the last several decades, and now is so invasive that it restricts both existing and emerging businesses. I think we will have a slow time of removing them, but again think we need to try. The county court has requested Business Oregon to work with us to see if some waiver of regulation, particularly the paperwork, could be put into place in this county to see if this might enable attraction of new businesses or to allow existing businesses to grow. If any business owner has an example of how reducing some specific regulation on their business would allow them to grow or be more prosperous, we would like to hear it.

Measures 66 and 67: Well there was no doubt how the voters of this county felt on these two tax measures. We are attempting to get an idea of the actual impact to individuals and businesses in the community to tell the story in Salem. We are also looking for an actual tax comparison state to state of our surrounding states. This would allow us to show a comparison as we talk with any interested business. So here again if you are willing to share a specific story related to these tax measures we would like to hear it.

This is the best community anywhere. The people here are the best, and we can make ourselves some opportunity. We just need to keep after it.

City of Hines

By City of Hines Mayor Ruth Schultz

The City of Hines tries to remain positive in these financially tough times, and we strive to provide the basic services in the most cost effective way.

As with every yearly budget, the decisions made at the state level impact the revenue to the city. New development is at a standstill, but property taxes have remained stable.

On a positive note, we have been fortunate to have received several grants for improvement to our city.

1. Last spring we received a Small City grant, which allowed us to install new curbing on the west side of our main park.

2. The county provided $100,000 to use for street repair and maintenance, and we are very appreciative of their generosity.

3. We will be receiving $292,000 from the T-HUD federal stimulus money, also to be used for street repair and maintenance.

4. Partnering with ODOT, on a 50/50 cost share, new pedestrian flashing lights have been installed on Highway 20 and Barnes.

5. In January, the fire department received a grant from FEMA in the amount of $77,510 to update and purchase new equipment.

6. The police department is functioning very well under the guidance of Chief Cook. Drug Awareness material has been printed and dispensed to 24 various schools, businesses, etc. If you haven’t seen one of these booklets, I urge that you do so as they are very enlightening regarding the drugs our young people are being exposed to. We were also able to purchase a new vehicle for the chief.

7. The city maintenance crew does a remarkable job keeping our sewers repaired, our wells in working order, our streets plowed and our parks watered. Many hours are spent outside the normal work day, and we really appreciate Earl Hofman, Pedro Zabala and Roger Glerup — they keep the city together.

8. The city staff — Pam Mather, Ramona Hofman and Maxine Seadschlag — do the mundane day-to-day tasks that keep the city going. The council and planning commission members are all dedicated individuals and are a great asset to the community. I appreciate all their hard work and the many hours that they contribute to the smooth running of Hines.

This budget year (2009-2010), all employees graciously accepted a wage freeze. I know that hard choices will have to be made again in the 2010-2011 budget, and I am hopeful that they do not have to be too drastic.

It has been a pleasure to be the Mayor of Hines, and as I enter my eighth year in this position I am hopeful that the economy will improve and that the residents of Hines will enjoy the services that they have come to expect.

City of Burns

By City of Burns Mayor Len Vohs

The City of Burns, in cooperation and collaboration with our partners, Harney County, the City of Hines and the Sovereign Nation of the Paiutes, have made significant strides together with our sights on strategic planning and a 20-year vision for the future of our community as a whole.

It is exciting to be a part of what I have called  “hands across the table.” With this combined effort, we will accomplish what is so vitally important to all of us in Harney County, and that is economic revitalization and growth. As we work together we will see that with a combined plan we will not only move forward, but we will finally see that obstacles that have stopped our progress as individual entities are much smaller or nonexistent.

Thanks to this effort we have finally solved one major obstacle — that being the lack of an industrial area that is not in the flood zone. We are in the final stages with the State of Oregon to certify 40 acres owned by Harney County that is within the Burns city limits as industrial/energy development. There are other lands in that same area that we may eventually be able to add to that designation at a later date.

In conjunction with that effort, we have received the “green light” from the Oregon Department of Transportation to add the improvements to the Monroe Street intersection to accommodate the traffic corridor to this new zone. This again shows that with cooperation of the Sovereign Nation of the Paiutes and Teague Motor Co., and with the help of the Oregon Department of Transportation, the governor’s economic response team led by Scott Fairly, with special recognition to  Mark Radabaugh and Rick Minster, and the Harney County Planning Department, we were able to overcome the obstacles that have prevented this from becoming reality for many years. The Oregon Department of Transportation will include this project in the Highway 20 project scheduled for bid in September of this year, with construction beginning in the spring of 2011.

The City of Burns is well into the process of strategic planning in all departments. The Burns Cemetery Committee, together with the Mayor’s Executive Committee for the cemetery is in the final stages of completing their strategic plan, and we have begun the foundation of that plan with the engineering firm of Furgeson Engineering and Surveying. A very special “thank you” goes out to councilors Dan Hoke and Craig LaFollette, and the dedicated members of that committee, as well as Dick Day,  Jean Cain and Jan Cupernall of the Mayor’s Executive Committee. Together they have worked through this very tedious task with an eye on the 20-year vision.

Under the management and direction of Don Munkers, our Burns City Manager, and with the help of his management team, we have begun and are well into the restructuring and revitalization of the Burns Municipal Airport. We will upon completion of this process, with the help of the Airport Committee and the Mayor’s Executive Committee, put together the strategic plan and 20-year vision, with an eye on infrastructure and economic development that is so vital to this community as a whole.

Special thanks go out to the city manager and his management team of the Burns Public Works Department, Bryan Hutchinson, City Clerk Dauna Wensenk, and Utility Clerk Dawn Crafts for all of their help during this difficult task.

Further to this effort, City Manager Munkers has been successful in applying for and has been granted affirmative status to receive equipment from the G.S.A. equipment surplus program. Under this program the city has acquired trailer-mounted generators, a 35-ton rough terrain crane and another snow plow for the airport. As part of the ongoing agreement with the FAA, and with special thanks to  Fred LeLacheur of the engineering firm of Morrison Maierle, the Burns Airport Committee and the diligence of our city manager, the resurfacing of runway 12-30 in concrete rather than asphalt will begin this spring. This will be accomplished though an FAA grant.

City management has also applied for infrastructure funding through Connect Oregon III, and through Federal Appropriation for Airport improvements. The total of these funding streams, including the runway resurface, is approximately $5.25 million. These improvements, as well as management structure, checks and balances, strategic planning and a 20-year vision will ensure our participation in economic revitalization here in Harney County.

Again, this planning is vital so that we are ready and able to accommodate growth at the Burns Municipal Airport. I would be remiss if I did not mention the help we have received from the BLM. Not only were they instrumental in solving the problems with the BLM helitac facility at the airport, but they recently donated a 10,000 gallon water tank to help us with solving the fire suppression issue at the airport. A special thank you also goes out to the airport users and tenants during this restructuring period.

I have highlighted here the cemetery and the airport. We are also in the process of building a strategic plan for our parks system. Thanks to the contributions from Harney County and the diligence of the parks committee, chaired by Councilor Darwin Johnson, we will soon be ready for parks improvements.

We have many pressing issues yet to solve. The serious problem of street repair and paving is high on our priority list, and we are leaving no stone unturned in solving this problem.

We are working on much more, but in the interest of time I have highlighted here the major projects that we have on the front burner. I would like to recognize those who have been an integral part of his process, including all of the city employees and departments. I would also like to recognize the citizen groups and especially the downtown merchants for their unfaltering drive to improve our city. Without the cooperation and input of all the citizens of Burns, we would never have come as far as we have.

We look forward to working with all of our partners in solving the issues that are so critical to the growth and economic revitalization in our community.

Early Sunday edition features inaccurate information

Hoyt Wilson, owner of Mann Lake Ranch, found himself on the front page of The Sunday Oregonian this week. So did the wind energy projects planned for his ranch and other nearby private lands.

But there was an interesting story behind the story, too.

Early editions of The Sunday Oregonian, printed Saturday, had a picture of the  high Steens, viewed from the east, with a huge headline that read: “Picture a hundred turbines here.” But no turbines would be visible in the picture or anywhere nearby.

“I got hold of a paper as early as I could on Saturday, and when I saw that, I immediately called The Oregonian,” said Chris Crowley, President of Columbia Energy Partners, the company developing the wind projects. “The headline and picture were completely false. Not one turbine would be visible in the picture they showed. As soon as I said that to the editor, you could hear her thinking, ‘Uh-oh,’ ” Crowley said.

By 3:30 p.m. Saturday The Oregonian agreed to change the picture and headline. The new version shows a much larger version of a photo of Hoyt Wilson with a headline that reads, “For Harney County, turbines on Steens is simple math.” The sub-headline reads: “Officials see a smart, green investment during the recession, but environmentalists want to keep the mountain pristine.”
Unfortunately, the early version of The Oregonian was put on trucks for delivery to Harney County, so anyone who has the paper delivered here saw the old version.

Harney County Judge Grasty was not happy. “To me this is just a bald-face lie. They took a picture of the high Steens and imposed a headline over it. This is wilderness, we couldn’t do it, and wouldn’t do it. That is nothing there’s ever been a conversation about. If there was, I’d vote against it. I’m aghast that The Oregonian would stoop this low.”

To see what the story looked like in the Portland area, go to:
www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2010/02/oregons_steens_mountain_could.html
To see simulations of what the projects will look like from places the public is likely to go, see:
http://columbiaenergypartners.com/blog/

By Debbie Raney
Burns Times-Herald

It was an evening of laughter, tears, surprises and honor as the Harney County Chamber of Commerce hosted the 60th annual Awards Banquet.

Joyce Moser and Bill Wilber acted as the banquet emcees, entertaining the 200-plus crowd and keeping the program moving smoothly.

The evening began with a “spoof” of the White House State Dinner party crashing event of November 2009, with Don Munkers and Bobbi Jo Heany harassing Wilber during his opening speech.

Columbia Energy Partners contributed to the success of the evening as a corporate sponsor, with Safeway floral department donating the rose corsages pinned on award recipients by Marge McRae.

Dinner was prepared by Francis Estep and friends, and served by members of the Hines Middle School and Burns High School bands. Blessing of the meal was performed by Leroy Cowart.

The table decorating awards were donated by Bella Java Bistro and Balloon Express. Winning the best overall table was Harney Arts and Education Foundation, with Payroll Services winning the best business representation table.

Music for the evening was provided by Nathan Ritches of Hilander Sound and Light.

Prior to the award presentation, outgoing chamber president Patty McNeil turned the gavel over to the 2010 president, Lyle Stratton.

All chamber board directors were also sworn into office.

To complete the evening, Moser led the group in singing “God Bless America.”

Below is a complete list of winners:

Grassman of the Year

Alfred and Carol Dunten,
Miler Ranch, Drewsey
Nominated by: Marty Suter
Award presented by: Fred Otley
Nomination: It is an honor to submit Miler Ranch, LLC for consideration of Harney County Chamber of Commerce Grassman of the Year award. Alfred Dunten and Carol Miler Dunten have demonstrated outstanding skill and knowledge in practicing sound management and care of rangeland, riparian and wildlife resources on their Drewsey ranch.

The Duntens are charged with managing grass on thousands of both public and deeded acres in the Malheur River watershed, along Stinkingwater Creek and the Malheur River. Historic events and uses have led to incision (down cutting) of many creeks in this region and the west in general, reducing the extent of flood plain and associated riparian vegetation. Extirpation of beaver began as early as the 1820s with occupation by the Hudson Bay Company in this region. The elimination of beaver altered hydrologic, nutrient and vegetation processes (Elmore and Kauffman 1994).

Settlement and often improper grazing or farming practices followed further contribution to riparian area degradation. Stream channels were often mechanically modified beginning around the 1930s for flood control, irrigation and increasing farmland. These modifications often straightened the channel, increasing erosive energy and further removed or eliminated stabilizing vegetation. The cumulative effect of these historical events and uses has led to incision and/or widening, resulting in loss of productivity, loss of water storage capacity, loss of habitat and impaired water quality in many steams.

However, Miler Ranch has implemented rotation grazing systems, off-stream water development, noxious weed treatment, fencing and additional grass seeding, which is rapidly reversing the practices of the past.

Despite the temptation to postpone conservation efforts due to the time and financial demands of a working ranch, the Duntens have shown exemplary stewardship and dedication to the health of the land they own and lease. This ability to look past the immediate gain and cooperate with neighbors and local government agencies demonstrates their dedication to sound resource management and good stewardship.

Miler Ranch truly exemplifies a legacy of proper grass management as noted by National Riparian Service team biologist Wayne Elmore and range ecologist Steve Leonard. “The Duntens are doing almost too good of a job managing their forage and leaving far too much grass in several areas of their operation.”

Man of the Year

Dr. John (Jack) L. Bauer,
Burns Dental Group
Nominated by: Burns Dental Group Staff
Award presented by: Fred Flippence
Nomination: Dr. John (Jack) Bauer came to Burns in August of 1977 after graduating from Oregon Health Sciences  University Dental School to help Dr. John Graham with emergency dental patients. Dr. Bauer was one of four dentists in Burns at that time. After deciding to make Harney County his home, he built a dental office on West Adams Street, south of the hospital. At present Dr. Jack Bauer, and his son, Dr. Matt Bauer are owners of Burns Dental Group.

Dr. Bauer had been the only dentist in Harney and Grant counties who would see the Oregon Health Plan patients. There have been 1,000 patients at any given time assigned to Dr. Bauer. Even though the reimbursement is low, he feels committed to helping this population since many dentists around the state will not see these patients.

He has also participated in the statewide Donated Dental Service program for patients who need help but do not qualify for the Oregon Health Plan.

Burns Dental Group was approved in 2001 to be a National Health Service Corp site for dentists to receive student loan repayment in exchange for service in the health professional shortage area.

Dr. Bauer has worked closely with Early Childhood Center to screen all their students for dental needs. He has also worked closely with the Public Health Office, doing WIC screenings and dental education.

During economic hard times, Dr. Bauer has been committed to his staff, making sure that everyone shares the hours and there are no layoffs. Dr. Bauer values his staff and provides good benefits, family wage jobs and positive working environment.

Dr. Bauer supports a high school work study program giving students an opportunity to explore dental careers.

OHSU School of Dental Hygiene used the office to pilot a dental hygiene student rotation in rural communities for several years. He was instrumental in getting dental students from OHSU dental school to rotate through rural and frontier dental offices. Burns Dental Group served as a mentor for a pilot program and now these rotations are part of the curriculum at the Dental School.

Dr. Bauer served on the State of Oregon Public Health Advisory Board and several subcommittees that focused on access to dental care. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for Advantage Dental Community.

Over the years he has served on the Burns Planning Commission, the BLM Advisory Board, Kiwanis, Ducks Unlimited, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and Oregon Hunters Association.

He operates a 900-acre alfalfa hay farm and has been active in the Harney County Hay Growers. He worked with the local Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife to open his land to a special youth deer hunt. He and his wife, Carolyn were honored as the Grassman of the Year in 2003.

Dr. Bauer has served his dental patients and operated two businesses in Harney County for over 32 years. He has worked hard to recruit other providers to the area. He has given much time and energy to the people of Harney County and to the State of Oregon. He believes in providing the citizens of Harney County with the best and most up-to-date dental equipment and services possible. He is committed to serving disabled and less fortunate dental patients and providing for his large staff.

Woman of the Year

Joyce Moser,
Operations Manager
Bank of Eastern Oregon
Nominated by: Sally Lovins
Award presented by: Nellie Franklin
Nomination: This lady was born in San Diego, Calif. On April 16, 1949, to Doris and Jim Gibson. She graduated in 1967 from Chula Vista High in Chula Vista, Calif. She later married Stan Moser in 1969 in Chula Vista.

On Sept. 27, 1970, the Southern California wildfires swept through their valley, burning everything. Before they evacuated, she made coffee for firefighters who were working very hard to save their home, but it perished.

On Feb. 3, 1973, their son, Chuck, was born and in 1974, they all moved to New Mexico. Shortly thereafter on May 3, 1975, they had a beautiful daughter, Amy.

They decided to move to Oregon in 1976, first living in Burns. In 1977, they moved to Tumalo, where Stan worked in logging and she raising the children.

In 1988, she and the children moved back to Burns to accept the job of operations manager with the First Interstate Bank of Oregon. In 1992, she became the Branch Manager of the bank, and then there were a few bank mergers — in 1996 Wells Fargo, then in 1997 Klamath First, and in 2003 Bank of Eastern Oregon.

This outstanding lady is very talented in art, where she has painted windows all over Burns. She is involved in the Four Square Church in Worship Team, singing and playing music, she also is secretary treasurer of the church board. She has been involved in the chamber of commerce for several years, including president and the annual banquet emcee. She has sung at the annual Hospice Memorial Service several years. She is a member of Kiwanis, serving as treasurer; is a on the Harney Partners for Kids and Families board; has emceed the annual Harney County Fair Parade for several years; volunteered for Friday’s Club; and is on the Harney County Health Advisory Board.

This lady is all of these things but most of all, she is witty, kind-hearted, always has a listening ear, and willing to help and never asks for a thing.

Senior Man of the Year

Bill Wilber
Nominated by: Senior Man committee
Award presented by: Fred Flippence
Introduction: This year’s recipient has given a lot of his time and energy to serve the interests of Harney County, by serving on many boards of organizations. In the past, he has been a vice president of the Harney County Chamber, president of the Valley Golf Club and board member of the Harney County budget board.

But, wait a minute, you are probably wondering “what has he done for us lately?”

He is currently a board member of the Southeast Regional Alliance, a member of Harney District Hospital physicians recruitment and retention team, member of the NW Farm Credit Advisory Board Ontario branch, wildlife committee chair for Oregon Cattlemen’s Association, president of Water for Life, member of the Harney County Stockgrowers, District One vice president of the Oregon Cattlemen’s Association and president of the Harney County Opportunity Team.

I would like to present to you this year’s Senior Man of the Year, my friend Bill Wilber.

Senior Woman of the Year

Helen McCart
Nominated by: Ann Vloedman, Irene Schulz
Award presented by: Ann Vloedman
Nomination: This woman is from one of the oldest families in our community, born in Harney Count in 1920. Her grandparents came to Harney County in 1887, moving from Blackfoot, Idaho. Her grandfather, Ray Smith, was a carpenter and built the Summit Hotel (now Whittier Apartments) and the Cottage Hotel (now site of Hilander Restaurant). He also built the Sage Country Inn.

Her parents, Beulah and Glenn Clemens started ranching in Harney County and this senior woman attended a country school by riding horseback.

In 1937, she was fair princess. She married Paul in 1941, and they had two sons Patrick and Michael. Her husband was in the civil service during World War II, and they moved to Portland, where he worked at Ross Island, repairing and re-equipping Russian ships that then sailed back to Russia with war goods. Paul worked at the radar base in Klamath Falls, then returned to Harney County to work on the radar base here.

After retiring from civil service, the couple took over her parent’s ranch, eventually retiring from there.

She served on the election board for 30 years, was a member of the Senior Center Board when the new facility was built, and as chairwoman she helped landscape the senior center site.

With her love and talent for restoring antiques, this woman went into business restoring for others.

She is a member of the Harney County Historical Society, helping clean the facility two times a year and also helps with the annual book sale to benefit the Historical Society. She can be found as a guide and consultant there during the tour months.

She prepared and served meals while Cycle Oregon was here in 2000, continues to help with cleaning the many pioneer cemeteries in Harney County, helps at the Elks preparing food baskets, works on the Tree of Joy, serves meals at the senior center, visits many shut-ins and transports people to the hospital and doctor for medical care.

She received the Presbyterian Women Honorary Membership Award for her support of the missions of the church. For her many contributions to the people of our community, for her willingness to always step in and help others, and for her cheerfulness and positive attitude in making our county a better place, we nominate Helen McCart as Senior Women of the Year.

Boss of the Year

Pamela Mather,
Hines City Administrator and Recorder
Nominated by: City of Hines Employees
Award presented by: Joyce Moser
Nomination: We would like to nominate our boss, Hines City Administrator Pamela Mather for Boss of the Year. We cannot express how special she is. She has been with the city for 29 years and is a very devoted employee.

She is always sensitive to her employees needs, realizing that we all spend more time at work than at home, so we have a very workable, family-type environment. It is important to her that everyone gets along and works well with each other as a team.

With all the years of knowledge in budgeting, Pam knows what it takes to make the city operate. At budget time she always meets with the department heads and makes sure she tries to get all their necessities in the budget.

Pam maintains a friendly, open-door policy. We always feel free to talk to her about anything; she never judges or belittles us. She is very devoted to the community and is at every youth and sporting event she can attend and encourages her employees to do so also.

A lot of thought goes into everything she does, and she spends many sleepless nights when she needs to counsel an employee or friend.
She has a calm spirit about her and knows what matters most in life, and has quite a sense of humor. Pam is always generous and loving to her family, and is a great friend to many. She is a very humble person and is truly a great asset to our community.

Although Pam is a very special friend to all of us here at Hines City Hall, we have the utmost respect for her as a boss.

Business Person of the Year

Mary Jo Davies,
Owner Anderson Valley Supply and rancher
Nominated by: Harney County Cattlewomen
Award presented by: Pat and Dale Martin
Nomination: Mary Jo Davies is not only a wife, mother, sister and daughter, but also a successful business woman. She has been a long-time Harney County resident, while giving countless hours to her community.

Mary Jo and her husband, Lou, run cattle on a ranch in Princeton. During the week, she also runs their feed and tack store, Anderson Valley Supply. She also has six children — three boys and three girls — and four grandchildren.

Mary Jo and Lou started their business small. First, they began selling a few supplies from their home. Eventually they bought a shop in Crane and increased their merchandise. They started from scratch and now have a flourishing business.

Initially Mary Jo focused on feed, fencing, panels and cattle supplies. Now, she sells tack, Montana Silversmith jewelry, purses, belts and much more. For those living out in the rural areas, it is convenient so they don’t have to travel to Burns.

Mary Jo is also involved in the ranch, riding, moving cows and haying when needed.

Besides her business, Mary Jo is also active in the community. She has always supported youth activities. She is involved with the Harney County Cattlewomen, for which she served as president. She is also part of the Oregon Beef Ambassador committee and District Vice President of the Oregon Cattlewomen.

For several years she served as a 4-H leader of the Crane Swine Club. This year, she is on the Crane FFA advisor board. Mary Jo has spent countless hours volunteering at the St. Thomas Catholic Church.

While Mary Jo is very involved in her business, the ranch and community service, she is also dedicated to her family. Family has always been a big part of her life. She enjoys spending time with them whenever possible, especially her grandchildren.

Distinguished Service of the Year

Jan Cupernall, “Volunteer Extraordinaire”
Nominated by: Carla Burnside
Award presented by: Fred Flippence
Nomination: Jan is an amazing woman and an incredible asset to our community. She is the driving force behind the day-to-day operations at the Harney County Historical Society, a community volunteer extraordinaire and an avid gardener.

Jan is on the Board of Directors for the Historical Society, but her biggest contribution to the society is her volunteer oversight of all the things that keep the museum open to the public. She devotes an incredible number of hours each week coordinating with other volunteers, organizing fund-raising events, recruiting new volunteers, answering community questions about the museum, acting as a docent and providing tours when local classes visit the museum, answering correspondence and looking for funding sources for the museum.

She recently wrote and received a grant that funded an audit of the museum by a museum professional. This audit has provided the museum with a new direction for preservation of artifacts and how the archives are organized. Jan also works closely with the other museum volunteers to make sure that they have everything they need to have a quality volunteer experience at the museum.

Jan also created a walking tour brochure of the historic buildings in the downtown area of Burns. This brochure is used during the bird festival to introduce visitors to the history of the area and is available year round through the chamber.

Jan serves in many other volunteer capacities within the community. She is a member of the Burns Cemetery Committee and has been on the Mayor’s Executive Cemetery Committee. She is also a board representative for Communities in Action, the Community Action Agency for both Harney and Malheur Counties. On this board Jan provides input on grants that are being written to provide funding assistance to both county senior centers, energy assistance programs and other funding opportunities for both counties.

She is on the board of directors for the Malheur Wildlife Associates — the Friends group for Malheur Refuge. In her position on this board Jan has been working with the refuge and local community to increase local participation in the group while working with members who live outside the local community.

Jan also volunteers at the chamber of commerce and has served in this capacity for a number of years. She answers phones and staffs the front desk when staff have commitments elsewhere. She assists with many of the activities associated with bird festival preparation, and she jumps in whenever asked to assist the chamber staff with other projects. All of these volunteer activities require an immense amount of personal time and commitment on Jan’s part and reflect Jan’s personal commitment to our community.

In her spare time, Jan is also a member of the local gardening clubs. She is always willing to work on gardening beautification projects within the community.

Educator of the Year

Barbara Maher, Crane Union High School
Nominated by: Pat Sharp, CUHS Superintendent and CUHS staff
Award presented by: Pat Sharp
Nomination: Barbara Maher teaches English language arts, yearbook and journalism at Crane Union High School. Barbara is our only English teacher, so she sees all of our students, and she teaches yearbook and journalism as elective classes. Barbara is a master teacher who approaches all aspects of her professional responsibilities with energy, commitment and compassion.

Joining the staff at Crane Union High School in 1994 after spending five years teaching in Jordan Valley, Barb has been a teacher leader in Harney County for the past 15 years. Students at Crane Union High School know that each year English will be one of their most challenging classes. Instruction in all of Barb’s classes meets the benchmark for high standards. While the expectation of high performance comes the extra work of motivation and helping students reach their potential.

When students need a little extra assistance to meet her high expectations, she is there to provide them support whether before school or evenings in study hall. Barb is often at school 12 hours a day to make sure she is meeting the needs of all of her students. And because writing is such an important part of  Barb’s curriculum, much of her weekend time is spent proofreading and evaluating student work.

Mrs. Maher is know throughout the state for her work as a yearbook and journalism teacher/advisor. Beginning in 1998 and each successive year, the Crane High School Mustang Yearbook and The Whirlwind student newspaper publication have received distinguishing rankings. These awards range from “honorable mention” to “silver crown” and “gold medal awards” and are issued by the National Scholastic Press Association. More importantly, yearbook and journalism classes teach students life skills such as meeting deadlines, soliciting advertising, narrative and informational writing, photography and working cooperatively to meet deadlines and publish a quality product for your community.

Barb can be found alongside her students at all extra-curricular sporting and special events taking pictures, collecting stats and generally “covering” the story so that it will be recorded and photographed and shared with all.

One of the most telling indicators of teacher success is what students say after they have left high school and are reflecting on their experiences from a different point of view. Each year since coming to Crane, I have heard directly or received phone calls from former students, especially those who are in college, wanting me to know how successful they are because of what they learned in their high school English classes. Most recently, last year’s valedictorian contacted Barb directly to say that he was able to skip basic freshman English class at Virginia Tech and go directly to an upper level writing class.

Barbara Maher is a top-notch professional educator. She models life-long learning and is passionate in her commitment to her students at Crane Union High School.

Young Farmer/Rancher of the Year

Shane Otley, Crane
Nominated by: Young Farmer Committee
Award presented by: Zach Sword
Introduction: This Harney County resident has been living and working on cattle ranches his entire life. From the age of 7 he operated equipment, fed cows in the winter, hayed extensively in the summers, roped and branded calves in the spring, moved and worked cattle and repaired fence.

He learned how to shoe horses and horsemanship skills from his grandfather. He rode and monitored the cattle on the summer range. All his hard work and dedication prepared him for cattle ownership and someday, owning a ranch of his own.

He graduated from Crane Union High School in 1994. He then attended and graduated from Oregon State University with a bachelor of science in general agriculture. He also minored in agricultural management.

He then moved to Baker City, where he worked for Mackenzie Ranches. There he met his future wife, Crystal. In 2003, they were married and moved to Crane, where he took the position of ranch manager for Coleman Creek Ranch. In 2005, they welcomed their daughter, Sierra, and in 2008 their daughter, Jacee.

Within the last few years he has started his own business. As the owner of Otley Land and Cattle, he has created extra value for his cattle by participating in age and source marketing options, creating herd health protocols that are practical and functional. He continues to invest in genetics that continue to improve his cattle pay-weights and productive base of his cow herd. Meanwhile, he has partnered with a neighbor to do custom haying. Also, doing custom farming on the side.

While working long hours he has found the time to be actively involved with his community. He is currently the chairperson of several committees of the Oregon Farm Bureau. He is also the chairperson of the High Desert Partnership and is the president of the County Weed Board. For the last eight years he has coached the Crane Junior High wrestling team with great success.

On behalf of myself, the Harney County Chamber of Commerce and a committee of past recipients of this award, I am proud to announce this year’s winner of Outstanding Young Farmer/Rancher of the Year for 2009, dedicated husband, father, rancher and farmer, and my good friend of over 20 years, Shane Otley.

Students of the Year

Crane Union High
School Student of the Year:
September O’Crowley

Presented by: Barbara Maher

Burns High School
Student of the Year:
Phillip Kness

Presented by: Ron Wassom

Criteria: Scholarship — opting for a high level challenging course of study. Service — willingness to render service to school and community. Leadership — responsible and dependable in both school and other organizations. Character — honest, friendly, neat, moral and ethical.

The newly remodeled Burns-Hines VA Clinic located in the Racine Building opened on Jan. 19; staff members are ready to see patients

By Lauren Brown
Burns Times-Herald

About two years after a public meeting in which Harney County veterans made certain that their outcry for a clinic of their own in Burns was heard, that clinic has blossomed into fruition.

The Burns-Hines Veterans Administration (VA) Clinic officially opened in the newly remodeled Racine Building on Tuesday, Jan. 19.
Clinic Manager and social worker Steve Bull said that though they are still in the process of moving in, the clinic is operational.

The new clinic consists of three exam rooms, a blood draw room, mental health office and a group meeting room. A minor procedure room has the equipment to perform EKG scans as well as bladder scans.

The Racine Building also houses the hospital’s sleep clinic and in the future, will contain the Home-based Primary Care program in which medical personnel will travel to rural parts of the county to care for patients.

Burns-Hines VA Clinic hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Dr. Tom Fitzpatrick and LPN Diane Brinkley see patients each Monday and Tuesday.

Registered Nurse Steve Hagan sees patients Monday through Friday, which Bull said extends the clinic’s ability to handle medical questions when Dr. Fitzpatrick is not there.

Bull said that most of the clinic’s lab tests are sent to Boise for processing, though if there is an urgent problem with a patient, those labs can be sent to Harney District Hospital for a quicker turn around.

In the same vein, patients requiring X-rays or other services are referred to the Boise VA Clinic, unless there is an urgent need. In those cases, tests can be done at Harney District Hospital with approval from the Boise VA.

In addition to offering medical and mental health services, the clinic also offers health education programs to help veterans lose weight, stop smoking and learn about diabetes.

In October 2007, representatives from the VA visited Burns to see how much interest there was in starting a clinic here. Burns was one of several sites under consideration. The representatives expected a turnout of six to 10 veterans and were surprised when more than 200 showed up to voice support for  a local clinic.

As a result, the Burns clinic was created and started seeing patients in September 2008 at the High Desert Medical Center.
Now, with the Racine Building remodeled to fit the specifications of the VA clinic model, Harney County veterans have a clinic of their very own. “A lot of veterans have been waiting for this clinic to exist,” Bull said. “There are a lot of things that the local doctors can handle.”

Having local care available eliminates some of those long trips to Bend or Boise, which is convenient especially in the winter time.
“This is a big thing in the community in terms of taking care of people and honoring veterans,” Bull said.

The Burns-Hines VA clinic is located in the Racine Building at 271 N. Egan in Burns. For more information, veterans can call the clinic at 541-573-3339.

Native American speakers use life experiences to illustrate how to overco me obstacles

By Lauren Brown
Burns Times-Herald

“When you share your greatness, you’ll be embraced,” said motivational speaker Chance Rush during a community workshop at the Burns Paiute Tribe’s Gathering Center on Jan. 22.

The tribe hosted both Rush and Emcee One (aka Marcus Anthony Guinn) as part of a day of goal setting and role modeling activities. Later that night, the pair also hosted a talent show, which included music by Emcee One.

Both Rush and Emcee One are from Oklahoma. They used their experiences growing up as young Native American men to provide examples for Paiute youth and adults as to how to go about living a productive life that they can share with others.

Rush talked about how being involved in track and field as a youth eventually led to a college scholarship. Despite coming from a single parent home and despite the fact that he was illiterate up until the eighth grade when he taught himself to read, he was able to mine his talents to better his life. He also drew on his faith in God.

Emcee One said his mother had him when she was 14 and later died of AIDS. He said that all his life, people told him he would amount to nothing, but he knew better. His goal was to be a part of the music industry, and he made that happen. He currently has an album available through iTunes.

Both Rush and Emcee One encouraged youths to lead alcohol and drug-free lives. Emcee One noted that while the music industry makes $14 billion each year, with its marketing strategists, the alcoholic beverage companies make $18 billion each year on underage sales alone. Such companies are experienced at marketing their products to hook people at a young age. He noted how in many convenience stores, alcoholic beverages are placed right next to pop drinks or ice cream. He told youths they need to be aware of these marketing tactics.

He also spoke about the the acronym V.P.D.R., which stands for Vision, Passion, Discipline and Risk. In order to achieve a goal, he told kids, you have to see it in your mind. “Passion happens after you’ve seen it,” he said. Once the passion is there, the discipline to take the necessary steps to achieve your goals comes more easily. When discipline falters, it is usually because the vision needs to be recast, he said.

Once those three things are in place, it is time to take the risk to see the goal through. “Success won’t come without risks,” he said. The group then talked about healthy risks such as those involved with sports, education, employment, hobbies, tradition and culture.
Both Rush and Emcee One talked about how vital  parents are in the lives of their children. “Parents are the No. 1 influence in their children’s lives,” Rush said.

For those who find it hard to draw positive examples from their own family life, Emcee One stressed the importance of making the right choices. “You might not have the example,” he said. “You will have to be the example.”

Both speakers talked about connecting with other people in the community and stepping out of their comfort zones.

“There are a lot of wonderful things going on in this community,” Rush said. “We survived colonization. We survived massacres. There’s a reason we are still here. We have this opportunity to be on a playing field.”

Rush noted that while sometimes it seems as if there are two worlds, one Native American and one white, that is not the case. “We have two ways of living, but we live in one world. You share your ways with other people.”

Julia Olson took over on Dec. 15

By Randy Parks
Burns Times-Herald

About two weeks before the start of the new year, Julia Olson began her new endeavor as Executive Director at the Harney County Chamber  of Commerce.

Olson started her new job on Dec. 15 after working the previous nine months as the office coordinator for the chamber. Olson said that by working as the office coordinator, she had the opportunity to meet a lot of business owners as well as learn about the chamber, so it was a fairly easy transition to take over when the previous director Jessica Boone left.

Olson said her parents had purchased property near Andrews about five years ago, and she began visiting the area at that time. “I absolutely fell in love with the country around here,” Olson said. She moved from Amity to her parents’ property in September 2008, but realizing there were no jobs in the south end of the county, she moved to Burns.

Olson said she started putting her resume out around town to find a job and eventually was hired as an assistant track coach at Burns High School. In March 2009, she began her office coordinator position at the chamber.

Olson has been kept busy with the chamber awards banquet coming up on Saturday, Jan. 30, and preparing for the 2010 John Scharff Migratory Bird Festival.

Olson noted that one of her goals as chamber director is to increase membership. “I’d like to get the word out that we’re here to help businesses,” she said. “Another goal would be to bring the chamber more exposure and let the community know what we’re doing for them.”

Although she hasn’t lived in Harney County all that long, her enthusiasm is evident. “The people here have really preserved the history, and that’s what makes this place so special: the country and the people,” she said.

Slater P.E. teacher Alice Herauf has built the mother of all obstacle courses for students to navigate

By Randy Parks
Burns Times-Herald
While many grade school children may dread the thought of returning to the classroom after Christmas break, such is not the case at Slater Elementary School.

That’s because Slater students know that when they return, physical education  (P.E.) instructor Alice Herauf will have the Temple of Doom waiting for them in the gymnasium.

The Temple of Doom is an elaborate obstacle course made up of mats, pads, tunnels and other P.E. equipment that takes up the entire gym floor. Herauf, now in her 23rd year of teaching, said she has been building the course for the kids for at least 15 years.

Herauf said she got the idea after seeing a flyer about a small course that someone had built elsewhere. “There were about four little things for the kids to do,” she said. “So I decided to make a bigger obstacle course. Then the ‘Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom’ movie came out, so that’s what I started calling it.”

Her first year of building the course, Herauf was teaching at Hines Elementary School, and the layout went upstairs into what is now the band room, across the stage and covered the gym floor.

After moving to Slater, Herauf has kept up the tradition and said she tries to add at least two new components to the course every year. “It keeps getting bigger and bigger,” she laughed.

This year’s temple
This year’s course begins with students using stepping stones to cross “hot lava.” Once across, they enter a maze that stretches the length of the gym. Upon departing the maze, students then walk the plank across “shark-infested waters,” high-step it through “TNT dynamite sticks,” shimmy under the “electric fence,” bounce across the backs of “sea turtles,” step across a set of wooden boxes, crawl through the land of “sleeping cobras,” slip through the “python pit,” dodge the swinging ball, work their way through the “sleeping snakes” and the “bone zone,” sidestep “land mines,” cross the “quicksand pit,” leap the double ramps, wriggle through a tunnel, navigate a mini-maze, hop through a field of tires, and exit through another tunnel and a set of “bombshells.”

If a student falls from an obstacle, knocks a “bone” loose or touches a “snake,” they are required to start over in that particular part of the course.

Once they have completed the course, students can go through it again as many times as their P.E. period allows.
“They start out fast, but as time goes by, they slow down quite a bit,” Herauf said.

Rewards and rules
Herauf explained that just before the school lets out for the winter break, her P.E. classes have their dance unit. Students are required to learn a number of dances and perform them in class.

“If they learn every dance, they earn tickets to enter the Temple of Doom,” she said. “They each earn tickets individually and as a class. It really works to have the Temple of Doom as an incentive.”

Before anyone enters the course, Herauf makes sure they know the rules: no running in the mazes, no pushing on the mats and if they knock an obstacle over, it must be reset. The children are also cautioned to not move any walls within the mazes.

The participants
While the older students at Slater are veterans of moving through the course, they are still reminded of the rules and then set free to race through the obstacles.

When the kindergarten children enter the gym, they look as if they just entered an alien world. Herauf gets them to stand in a line on the stage, and then narrates the route as an older student shows them how to go through.

As the first-timers begin, Herauf is there to encourage and direct them. The first trip is cautious, but by the time they’re ready to enter the Temple of Doom for the second time, confidence is high.

To keep things interesting, Herauf will occasionally move walls inside the mazes to keep the kids guessing.

To illustrate the fun, Herauf said, “The other day I heard this little voice calling, ‘Miss Herauf … Miss Herauf.’ I looked around and couldn’t see anyone and I wondered who was calling me. Then I heard the voice again, ‘Miss Herauf, I’m lost in the maze.’ We rescued her.”

It took Herauf and 12 helpers almost two hours to get this year’s course set up and ready to go, but the reaction of the students makes it all worthwhile. “The kids all look forward to it, and when I hear them say, ‘This is fun,’ it means a lot,” Herauf said. “I like doing it, and it’s a reward for the kids.”

Herauf added there is just one drawback to the whole idea. “At the end of the period, I can’t get them out. They don’t want to leave and go back to class,” she laughed.

While this year’s students conquered the hot lava, snakes, sea turtles and the bone zone, who knows what next year’s Temple of Doom will bring?