✷✝ ➋✞✟✠ ❖✡☛✠ ❱✠
✪■▲❨
▲✪◆◆❊❘
❚❯❳❩❬
❭♦❪❫❴ ❵❛ ❝r❵❪❫❴❞ ❢❫❴ ❣❤❞ ✐❥❦
❣❧❤✐❥ ❪❫❴ ♦♥ ♣❤❣qs❭❥❦r❦ ❫r❦
♣❧t ❪❫❴❛ ✉❦♥✐ ❵✈ ✐❥❦ ❴❦❫rs
❚❯❳❩❬✇① ②③④②⑤③④②❚
⑥✈ ❢❫❴ ❣❤❞ ❣qq⑦❞ ⑧❦✉❛♦✈
❢❫✈❪❦✉❫ ✐♦♦⑨ ✐❥❦ ♦❫✐❥ ♦♥ ♦♥⑩❶❦
❵✈ ❷r❦✐♦r❵❫ ✐♦ ❸❦❶♦❹❦ ❺♦❻✐❥
❼♥r❵❶❫❽❛ ⑩r❛✐ ❸✉❫❶⑨ ❾r❦❛❵❪❦✈✐s
⑤❯❚❚❿➀❬
➁➂➃➄➅➆➇➈➉➊ ➌➍➎➏ ➐➑➒➒➑➓➔
♣♣→❧t→⑦❤→⑦❣→⑦t→⑦➣
➁➂➃➄ ➁↔↕↕↔➙➛➉➊ ➌➏➜➝ ➐➑➒➒➑➓➔
❧→➣→❧⑦→t⑦→➣❧→❣q→➞❧
➟➙➠➂➡➅➄↕↕➊ ➌➏➢➝ ➐➑➒➒➑➓➔
❣→⑦t→t❧→➣⑦→➣➣→❷➤ ❧→➞❧
➥↔➛ ➦➙➡ ➧↔➦➂➊ ➨➩➫ ➭
❣→❣t→❣➯→➲➲
➟↔➇➈ ➳➊ ➨➩➫ ➜
➵ ➸ ➺➻➼➻➽ ➾➚➪➚➶➚➪
➵ ➹ ➺➻➼➻➽ ➘➚➴➚➾➚➶
➵ ➘ ➺➻➼➻➽ ➷➚➘➚➪➚➬
➵ ➸➴ ➺➻➼➻➽ ➶➚➮➚➬➚➬
➟↔➇➈ ➳➊ ➨➩➫ ➭
➵ ➸ ➺➻➼➻➽ ➘➚➸➚➬➚➮
➵ ➹ ➺➻➼➻➽ ➬➚➸➚➬➚➪
➵ ➘ ➺➻➼➻➽ ➴➚➬➚➮➚➷
➵ ➸➴ ➺➻➼➻➽ ➬➚➴➚➴➚➴
➀❯❩❳ ➀❿➱❯➀❚
✃❐➼❒❮❰Ï ÐÑ ÒÓÔÔ➽
➵ ÕÖÏ×Ø❮ Ù❰❮ÚÑÖ➽ ➾➴➴➚➬➘➘➚➪➷➪➾➻
➵Ù❐ÐÏ×Ø❮ Ù❰❮ÚÑÖ➽➶➴➷➚➶➾➾➚➮➬➹➸➻
Û❿Ü①➱❩➱❿➀ ⑤❩❚❿Ý
Þßàá➫ àââ➓áã ➑ä ➐➩åà ã➓ åà➒➑ßàá
➫➓æá çèäàáßàá ➑➔ ➩ ã➑➐à➒➫ ➐➩➔é
➔àá➎ çêê➩ä➑➓➔➩➒➒➫ ê➓➔å➑ã➑➓➔ä àë➑äã
ãì➩ã ➐➩íà åà➒➑ßàá➫ ➐➓áà å➑âîêæ➒ã➎
ï➦ ð➙➆ ➄➡➂ ➛➙ñ ➙➛ ➄ ò➙ñ➙➡
➡➙➆ñ➂ó åà➒➑ßàá➫ äì➓æ➒å èà èàâ➓áà
➶➽➷➴➺➻➼➻ Õô õÑ❐ ØÑ ÖÑÐ ❰❮Ò❮×ö❮ õÑ❐❰
÷➩÷àá÷➒à➩äà ê➩➒➒ ➝ø➍é➜ù➢é➢➍ù➍➎
úû❯❚❿ ❯ü❚②❿ ❳❩❬
ýþ❥❦✈ ❴♦❻r ❹♦✐❥❦r ❫❛⑨❛❞ ÿ ➇ ♦
❴♦❻ ② ❫✈✐ ❫ ❾❵❦❶❦ ♦♥ ❫❪ ❛ ❵❶❦ ❽ ❵✐
❵❛ ❫ ❹❦r❦ ♥♦r❹❫✉❵✐❴s ✳ ✐ ❪♦❦❛✈❽✐
❹❫✐✐❦r ❵♥ ❴♦❻ ❫✈❛ ② ❦r ❴❦❛ ♦r ✈♦s
✁✂✄☎✆✝ ✞✂✟✠✞ ✡✂ ✞✝✡ ✟✡ ☛✠☞✌☛☞✍✎
➋ ✏✑✒✓ ✔✕✒✖✗✘❦✙ ❆✒✗✑✚✘✓✛
❤✜✒✕✑✚✢✣ ✤✥✾✦✧✲✥✾✾★✩
❋ ✁✂❆❨✱ ✄❆❨ ☎✵✱ ✆✵☎✾
LOCAL
Travel Oregon Road Rally comes through NE Oregon
❝❞ ❡❢❞❣✐❥ ❡❢❧✐♠❞
♥♦♣qrs t♦✇♣ ✉♦✈①③④♦
Jan Copeman gazes
through a picture window at
the Oregon Trail Interpre-
✷✿✫✬ ⑤✬✴✷✬✯P ✷✹✬ ❀✯✬✬✴ ✸✬▼✵✽
of Baker Valley backed by
the brilliant white peaks of
the Elkhorns, and she can,
with a certain creative li-
cense, imagine her home of
Queensland, Australia.
The verdant valley is
familiar enough.
So is the unblemished
✻▼✶✬ ✽❏✭ ✱✴ ✷✹✿✽ ✸✴✬ ✬❇✯▼✭
●❇✭ ✺✱✯✴✿✴❀❈
But the jarring intrusion
on this otherwise recogniz-
able scene is the one that
many people might choose
as the most beautiful.
It’s that white mantle
draped over the Elkhorns.
“In Queensland we don’t
have snow,” said Copeman,
a freelance travel writer and
editor who works for Travel
Associates, a large travel
agency based in Brisbane,
Queensland’s capital.
But they do have moun-
tains.
Known as the Great Di-
viding Range, the moun-
tains that span most of
Eastern Australia, includ-
ing parts of Queensland at
the continent’s northeast
corner, are not dramatically
✵✿❑✬✯✬✴✷ ✼✯✱✺ ✽✱✺✬ ✱✼ ✷✹✬
ranges Copeman has seen
✷✹✿✽ ✮✬✬❏ ✵✶✯✿✴❀ ✹✬✯ ✸✯✽✷
visit to Oregon.
Nor is topography the
only similarity, Copeman
said.
Just as the vast major-
ity of Australia’s popula-
✷✿✱✴ ✿✽ ✰✱✴✸✴✬✵ ✷✱ ✽✬✫✬✯❇▼
cities along its eastern and
southeastern coasts — Syd-
✴✬✭P ●✬▼✻✱✶✯✴✬P ❯✯✿✽✻❇✴✬
and Adelaide among them
have about 55 percent of
the country’s inhabitants —
so is Oregon’s population
density vastly greater in the
Willamette Valley than else-
where.
But travelers don’t ven-
ture halfway around the
world just to see places that
remind them of home.
And one reason Cope-
✺❇✴P ❇▼✱✴❀ ✮✿✷✹ ❇✻✱✶✷ ❄❅
other journalists and travel
business operators from
many countries, took in that
stirring vista from the In-
terpretive Center Thursday
morning was so they could
try to entice their readers,
and customers, to follow
in their footsteps across
Oregon.
This several-day “Road
Rally” is an annual event co-
ordinated by Travel Oregon.
The purpose is to introduce,
or in some cases re-acquaint,
international writers and
✷✱✶✯✿✽✺ ✱⑥✰✿❇▼✽ ✮✿✷✹ ❇▼▼
❬✯✬❀✱✴ ✹❇✽ ✷✱ ✱❑✬✯ ✫✿✽✿✷✱✯✽❈
⑦⑧⑨
payroll tax money to expand its ser-
vices. This will include boosting the
Continued from Page 1A
✴✶✺✻✬✯ ✱✼ ✻✶✽✬✽ ✯✶✴✴✿✴❀ ✱✴ ✿✷✽ ✸❁✬✵
“This is so exciting,” said Angie Pe-
ters, Northeast Oregon Public Tran-
sit’s Union County manager.
NEOPT will be able to provide free
fares because of additional fund-
ing from a new Oregon payroll tax.
It is set to receive at least $725,000
over a 2-1/2 year period through
the tax, which takes .001% of a
person’s earnings.
Almost all of this is additional
money people in Union County will
have paid under the new payroll tax.
The state is required to send pay-
roll tax back to the counties it came
from, Peters said.
NEOPT decided to eliminate
fares based on input it received dur-
ing a series of community meetings
throughout Union County in 2018
and responses to an online survey.
The community meetings and sur-
route in La Grande and Island City
from one to two and expanding the
number of stops.
Presently one bus runs on the
✫✬✭ ✮✬✯✬ ✰✱✴✵✶✰✷✬✵ ✷✱ ✸✴✵ ✱✶✷ ✹✱✮
the public wanted NEOPT to spend
the new tax money.
NEOPT will also be using the
The ultimate goal, natu-
rally, is to encourage people
to visit.
“It’s an exciting opportu-
nity,” said Timothy Bishop,
Baker County’s contract
tourism director, who ac-
companied the group to the
Interpretive Center.
The visitors, who started
in Portland and traveled
across the Cascades to Bend
and then through Central
Oregon to Grant and Baker
counties, spent Wednesday
night in Baker City. They
strolled downtown streets
and sampled restaurants
and shops.
Copeman, who writes
articles for her company’s
quarterly travel brochures,
among other publications,
said she is “quite blown
away by Oregon.”
She believes Travel
Associates will be able to
sell Oregon, including Bak-
and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sat-
urdays. The bus stops approximately
Peters said the $1 fare charge is de-
ceptively impactful.
“One dollar seems low until you
have to pay it every time you go
somewhere,” she said.
She noted that many people using
public transit actually have to spend
$2 since it costs $1 to travel each way.
NEOPT will also be making im-
provements at its pickup sites with
the payroll tax funding. The up-
✱✴✰✬ ❇✴ ✹✱✶✯ ✷✱ ❋✿✰❏ ✶❋ ❇✴✵ ✵✯✱❋ ✱❑
❋❇✽✽✬✴❀✬✯✽ ❇✷ ✽✿✷✬✽ ✿✴✰▼✶✵✿✴❀ ❍✱✶✯✷✹
❀✯❇✵✬✽ ✮✿▼▼ ✿✴✰▼✶✵✬❃
❲ ✿✴✽✷❇▼▼✿✴❀ ✽✱▼❇✯❖❋✱✮✬✯✬✵ ▼✿❀✹✷✽
Street and Adams Avenue, Safeway,
Eastern Oregon University, the Inte-
grated Services Building, the Riveria
Activity Center and Walmart.
Beginning July 1, two buses will be
running on the route.
“This means buses will be stop-
at all NEOPT stops, which will help
people using the stops especially
during the late afternoon in the late
fall and winter
✸❁✬✵ ✯✱✶✷✬ ✼✯✱✺ ❂❃❄❅ ❇❈✺❈ ✷✱
❉❃❄❅ ❋❈✺❈ ●✱✴✵❇✭ ✷✹✯✱✶❀✹ ❍✯✿✵❇✭
❋✿✴❀ ❇✷ ❋✿✰❏✶❋ ❇✴✵ ✵✯✱❋❖✱❑ ✽✿✷✬✽
✬✫✬✯✭ ❄❅ ✺✿✴✶✷✬✽P◗ ❙✬✷✬✯✽ ✽❇✿✵❈
The bus route will also include
new stops such as Grande Ronde
❚✱✽❋✿✷❇▼P ❯✿❖●❇✯✷ ❇✴✵ ❯✬❇✯✰✱ ❱✱✱❋❈
Current bus fares are $1 except for
military veterans and Eastern Or-
egon University students, who ride
for free.
❲ ❇✵✵✿✴❀ ✴✬✮ ✽✹✬▼✷✬✯✽ ❇✷ ✷✹✯✬✬
pickup sites — one will be at Safeway
and the sites of the other two are now
being determined.
❲ ✰✶✷✷✿✴❀ ✷✹✬ ✰✶✯✻ ❇✷ ✷✹✬ ❳❩❬❙❭❪✽
Rivieria Activity Center pickup site,
which will help people with mobility
issues.
The payroll tax funding will also
be used by NEOPT to allow people
to ride for free via its CAT (Connect-
ing All Towns) Link service, which
er County, as a destination
— particularly clients who
already intend to visit Cali-
fornia.
Copeman shares a chuck-
le with Greg Eckhart, direc-
tor of global sales for Travel
Oregon and one of the Road
Rally guides.
“Oregon is above Califor-
nia,” Copeman says, mean-
ing in a geographic sense.
“Above in every way,”
Eckhart completes a joke
that has been repeated
during the group’s journey
across the state this week.
Copeman said Oregon
“ticks quite a lot of boxes”
that her company’s clients
are interested in when plan-
ning a travel destination.
“There is a lot of history,
culture and obviously a lot
of scenic beauty here,” she
said, gesturing toward the
sylvan scene outside the
Interpretive Center.
will begin running July 1. CAT Link
will provide rides to all communi-
ties in Union County. Its drivers will
travel directly to and from the homes
of people who need transportation in
Union County for almost any reason,
including going to the grocery store,
getting to a medical appointment,
visiting a food bank or going to visit
a friend.
Peters said CAT Link, which will
be available to everyone, is being
started due to input received during
community meetings.
“Problems like senior isolation
were brought up,” she said.
Peters said CAT Link is needed be-
cause people are not always able to
get the many resources available in
Union County.
She said that being able to pro-
vide new transportation services in
Union County is gratifying.
“It’s awesome,” she said. “This is a
wonderful time to be in public tran-
sit.”
❍✱✯ ✿✴✼✱✯✺❇✷✿✱✴ ✱✴ ❳✱✯✷✹✬❇✽✷
❬✯✬❀✱✴ ❙✶✻▼✿✰ ❭✯❇✴✽✿✷ ✰❇▼▼ ❉❫❴❖❵❜❄❖
2877.
❲✖❡✗✖ ✔ ✢✛✣ ✢✤✘✖ ✥✛✦✙ ❲✖ ✔✗✖ ✧✔✗✜✖✗★✩ ✗✔✕✚✪✖✗★✩ ❜✔✘✖✗★✩ ✫✔✗✬✖✕✖✗★✩ ✫✗✔✕✬✭✔✗✖✕✣★✩ ✮✯✩ ✰✰✲✩
★✛✧✣❜✔✢✢✩ ✔✕✬ ❜✔★✖❜✔✢✢ ✭✔✗✖✕✣★✙ ❲✖ ✔✗✖ ★✣✖✳✔✗✬★ ✛✧ ✛✦✗ ✢✛✚✔✢ ✚✛✜✜✦✕✤✣✤✖★✩ ✪✖✢✭✤✕✫ ✣✛
✜✔✘✖ ✣✪✖✜ ❜✖✣✣✖✗ ✭✢✔✚✖★ ✣✛ ✳✛✗✘ ✔✕✬ ✢✤♠✖✙ ❲✖ ✔✗✖ ✤✕♠✛✢♠✖✬ ✤✕ ✢✛✚✔✢ ✛✗✫✔✕✤✴✔✣✤✛✕★✩ ❜✛✣✪
✤✕✬✤♠✤✬✦✔✢✢✥ ✔✕✬ ✔★ ✔ ❜✔✕✘✙
❲✖❡✗✖ ✭✗✛✦✬ ✣✛ ✚✔✢✢ ✣✪✤★ ✭✢✔✚✖ ✛✦✗ ✪✛✜✖✩ ✔✕✬ ✔✗✖ ✪✖✗✖ ✣✛ ★✖✗♠✖ ✥✛✦✙
▲✶✸✹✺ ✻✼✶✽✸✶ ✸✿❀✿✼✼✿❁❂ ✸✿❃✶✸❄✶✼❅
❍✔ ■✗✔✕✬✖
❏✮❉❑❊◆◗❑❘❙❏❙
P✗✛✦✬✢✥ ★✖✗♠✤✕✫ ❇✔★✣✖✗✕ ❈✗✖✫✛✕ ★✤✕✚✖ ❉❊✮●
❜✔✕✕✖✗❜✔✕✘✙✚✛✜
▼☞✌✍☞✎ ✏✑✒✓