Weekend of March 28-29, 2020
The Weekend Edition | A publication of Hood River News & The Dalles Chronicle
HoodRiverNews.com
3
Oregon restrictions should not stop family outings
Hughes
■ By For Dick
the Capital Bureau
Gov. Kate Brown said the
far-reaching executive order
she issued this week should
not stop immediate families
from motoring for relaxation
or driving to a trailhead, as
long as they maintain proper
social distancing while
hiking.
“The goal here is to limit
your social circles. The goal
is to stay away from crowds.
The goal is to maintain social
distancing,” Brown said of
Oregon’s efforts to stem the
spread of COVID-19.
“Oregonians are very
innovative and creative, and
I encourage them to comply
with the spirit and the letter
of the executive order.”
Oregon State Police
Superintendent Travis
Hampton noted that
most campgrounds and
boat ramps are closed, so
Oregonians and visitors
should research their plans
before heading out.
In a letter sent to all police
agencies in Oregon, he em-
phasized that Brown’s order
was not close to martial law.
People don’t need documen-
tation showing they are trav-
eling legally to or from work
or other permitted activities.
“There are no curfews
and a person’s movements
are not restricted under the
Governor’s Executive Order,”
Hampton wrote. “While de-
tails are offered in the order
relating to social distancing,
specific business closures
and non-essential social
gatherings, (Oregonians’)
movements are generally
unrestricted.”
Motorists should not be
pulled over under suspicion
of violating the executive
order. “If, however, you are
committing a traffic viola-
tion or crime that would be
enforced independent of the
order, you may be stopped,
like any other day,” he wrote.
As Hampton noted, the
challenge may be finding a
place to recreate.
In her executive order,
Brown said the need for a
strong “Stay Home, Save
Lives” directive was rein-
forced by seeing that crowds
had gathered last weekend
at the Oregon Coast, Smith
A blackbird displays in all its glory along Company Hollow Road southeast of The Dalles. Gov. Kate Brown said the far-reaching executive order she issued this week should
not stop immediate families from motoring for relaxation or driving to an open trailhead, as long as they maintain proper social distancing while hiking. Gary Elkinton photo
Rock State Park, Columbia
River Gorge and other places
in defiance of social distanc-
ing guidelines.
State parks, public and pri-
vate campgrounds, and many
other recreation sites now are
closed, either under the gov-
ernor’s order or voluntarily.
Oregonians are allowed to go
outside for recreation so long
as they maintain appropriate
social distancing — at least
for six feet, except for family
members living in the same
residence.
Oregon’s beloved ocean
beaches are not closed but
getting there — legally —
could be problematic.
“The state parks closure
doesn’t impact the ocean
shore, but it does close all
state park-managed parking
lots and beach accesses,” said
Liz Merah of the Governor’s
Office. “The Oregon Parks
and Recreation Department
has the authority to close the
beach temporarily for health
reasons.”
And that department said
in the FAQs posted online, “If
people don’t get the message
that clumping up and over-
whelming local areas is a bad
idea, we’ll have to revisit the
decision to leave all beaches
open.”
Some coastal cities and
counties also have closed
beach access, as well as lodg-
ing, in part to keep visitors
from spreading coronavirus
and overwhelming local
health facilities.
In the Columbia Gorge,
local officials also urged visi-
tors to stay away — for now.
Hood River County Chair
Mike Oates, Hood River
Mayor Kate McBride and
Cascade Locks Mayor Tom
Cramblett issued a statement
saying, “An influx of visitors
creates an undue burden
on our efforts to maintain
social distancing and strains
our supply channels, public
safety resources and health
care system.
“We look forward to host-
ing you again when things
are back to normal.”
Friends of the Columbia
Land Trust also has closed
the Mosier Plateau in Oregon
and the Lyle Cherry Orchards
in Washington. Both are
popular for hiking.
But the rules for some
activities remain unclear.
At Brown’s Wednesday
teleconference with report-
ers, the governor was asked
whether her stay-home order
applied to couples in long-
term relationships who don’t
live together but frequently
stay over at one another’s
residence.
“Every family is in a
different situation,” Brown
responded. “The spirit of the
executive order is to severe-
ly limit your social circles.
So that’s all I will say about
sleeping together at this
point.”
Portland community
gets new energy efficient
affordable housing options
Residents of Oak Leaf Manufactured
Home Park celebrate the
community’s re-opening.
YOU WORK HARD ENOUGH.
MAKE YOUR PLACE WORK
HARDER FOR YOU.
You’ve been chipping away at the to-do list and the place is looking great. But what
about the things you can’t see—like energy being wasted?
No worries. Whether you’re a homeowner or making energy decisions at work,
Energy Trust of Oregon has you covered with low-cost and DIY solutions to save
energy and money.
+
Get more from your energy.
Call us at 1.866.368.7878
or visit www.energytrust.org/DIY.
Serving customers of Portland General
Electric, Pacific Power, NW Natural,
Cascade Natural Gas and Avista.
More Oregon families on low and
fixed incomes are living in new, more
energy-efficient manufactured homes
thanks to a statewide pilot program
that makes significant investments in
communities whose residents have
fixed incomes.
The Manufactured Home Re-
placement Pilot from Energy Trust of
Oregon replaces older, inefficient man-
ufactured homes with newer models,
reducing energy costs and stabilizing
frequently neglected neighborhoods.
The pilot benefits from a collaborative
partnership between Energy Trust and
St. Vincent de Paul Society of Lane
County, Oregon Housing and Com-
munity Services, CASA of Oregon,
NeighborWorks Umpqua and regional
Community Action Agencies.
More than 100,000 families in Ore-
gon live in manufactured homes built
before energy efficiency standards
were set. Those older homes typically
have less insulation, higher air leak-
age and inefficient windows and heat-
ing systems leaving residents paying
roughly 70% more on energy than
people living in site-built homes.
That included 21 families at Oak
Leaf Manufactured Home Park in
NE Portland’s Cully neighborhood.
After years of work from residents
and community groups, St. Vincent
de Paul Society of Lane County
partnered with the Portland Hous-
ing Bureau, Oregon Housing and
Community Services, Multnomah
County, Network for Oregon Af-
fordable Housing, Verde, Living
Cully and Energy Trust to purchase
and rebuild the property.
During the rebuild, St. Vincent
de Paul replaced older manufac-
tured homes using $220,000 in in-
centives from Energy Trust. Fund-
ing for solar panels on Oak Leaf’s
new community center was also
provided through Energy Trust
incentives and by Pacific Power
customers through its Blue SkySM
program.
To help more Oregonians,
Energy Trust’s Manufactured
Home Replacement Pilot is un-
derway in other parts of the state.
Organizations can receive incen-
tives to replace older manufactured
homes, helping both urban and ru-
ral communities maintain afford-
able housing and keep energy costs
lower.
The work at Oak Leaf is an exam-
ple of how energy efficiency and re-
newable energy can help transform
communities across the state. Visit
energytrust.org/this-is-oregon to
see more ways Energy Trust and its
partners are creating a better future
for Oregonians.