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FAMILY
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, July 22, 2020
Public use restrictions implemented on part of Malheur National Forest
Blue Mountain Eagle
The southern zone of the
Malheur National Forest
has implemented public use
restrictions, limiting campfires
and chainsaw use.
On Friday, the southern
Emigrant Creek Ranger Dis-
trict listed fire danger as high
and moved to an Industrial
Fire Precaution Level of II,
according to a press release.
The north zone, Blue Moun-
tain and Prairie City ranger
districts, listed fire danger as
moderate.
High fire danger means
fires can start easily from most
causes and small fuels will
ignite readily.
Under IFPL II, power saws
(except at loading sites), cable
yarding and welding or cut-
ting of metal are only allowed
between 8 p.m. and 1 p.m. It
does not regulate any recre-
ational or firewood cutting
activities.
On Saturday, the south
zone will implement Phase
B of public use restrictions,
prohibiting:
1. Building, maintain-
ing, attending or using a fire,
campfire, charcoal briquette
or stove fire, except within
a developed recreation site,
listed on the Malheur National
Forest website.
2. Smoking, except within
an enclosed vehicle or build-
ing, a developed recreation
site or while stopped in an area
at least three feet in diameter
that is barren or cleared of all
flammable material.
3. Operating a chainsaw
between the hours of 1 p.m.
to 8 p.m. Saw operators are
required to have a shovel (8
inches wide, 26 inches in
length), and fire extinguisher
(minimum ABC 8 oz.) in their
possession. A one-hour fire
watch is required after saw
operations cease. Generators
are allowed when located in
a location cleared of flamma-
ble material in an area at least
10 feet in diameter and with an
approved spark arrestor.
4. Operating or using any
internal or external combustion
engine without a spark arrest-
ing device properly installed,
forest, wood cutting is still per-
mitted all day with a one-hour
fire watch after cutting.
For more information, call
541-575-3000.
Oregon Department of
Forestry
Contributed photo/Todd McKinley
Lightning the evening of June 12 caused four fires on the Mal-
heur National Forest. The forest has implemented public use re-
strictions.
maintained and in effective
working order.
5. Possessing or using a
vehicle off National Forest
System roads, except when
parking in an area devoid of
vegetation within 10 feet of the
roadway.
On the north zone of the
forest, the IFPL is I. Moderate
fire danger means fires can start
from most accidental causes,
but the number of fire starts is
usually pretty low.
Campfires are allowed
only in fire pits surrounded by
dirt, rock or commercial rings
and in areas not conducive to
rapid fire spread, at a minimum
clear of all flammable material
within a radius of 3 feet from
the edge of the pit and free of
overhanging material. Use
existing pits wherever possible.
Campfires must be attended
at all times, and completely
extinguished prior to leaving.
Persons with campfires are
required to have a tool that can
serve as a shovel and one gal-
lon of water in their possession.
On the north zone of the
Residents urged to enroll in statewide COVID-19 study
Participants in
OHSU-led study will
help protect their
communities
Blue Mountain Eagle
About 10 Grant County
residents have signed up to
report their temperature and
other COVID-19 symptoms
for up to one year to pro-
vide state and local officials
information that will help
them make decisions about
how to keep Oregon open
and safe.
Since it was announced in
May, the Oregon Health &
Science University-led Key to
Oregon study has been mea-
suring COVID-19 prevalence
throughout the state, accord-
ing to a press release. So far,
nearly 9,000 Oregonians have
enrolled statewide.
The study aims to enroll up
to 100,000 randomly selected
Oregonians, who will spend
less than 10 minutes a day to
report their temperature and
other symptoms on a secure
website. Up to 10,000 of those
needs — including reopening
or closing local businesses
and schools — while also
protecting human health
and lives.
“We are deeply grateful
to those willing to volunteer
their time to this important
work,” said the study’s lead
researcher, Jackie Shannon,
Ph.D. “Each person who
spends less than 10 minutes
a day on this study will help
us better understand how
the virus is affecting Orego-
nians. If you were randomly
selected, please consider
taking part to help your
community stay open.”
A total of 500 Grant
County households have
been invited to participate
in the study, and should
Contributed photo/Kristyna Wentz-Graff have received mail notices
Kevin Ystad collects addressed Key to Oregon research study in May. Those mailings
cards and packages them for mailing, at Stevens Integrated Solu- included instructions about
tions in Portland, May 11.
how to enroll online. If
you lost your invite but are
enrolled will also be selected helping protect their fami- interested in enrolling, send
for asymptomatic testing, or lies and communities. OHSU an email to keystudy@
testing those who do not have will share study findings with ohsu.edu.
symptoms, to better measure state and local decision mak-
Those interested in fol-
an often-invisible source of ers, who can use the data to lowing the study’s progress
make decisions to meet the can learn more at ohsu.edu/
COVID-19’s spread.
Those who take part are state’s economic and social key-to-oregon.
Down payment assistance available for first-time homebuyers
Blue Mountain Eagle
Oregon Housing and Com-
munity Services has awarded
Community Connection of
Northeast Oregon’s Housing
Resource Center a $300,000
grant to provide down pay-
ment assistance for first-time
homebuyers.
Applicants can receive up
to $15,000 in down payment
and closing costs toward
the purchase of their home,
according to a press release.
Eligible applicants must
have gross annual income
less than the area median
income, be first-time home-
buyers, have net worth lim-
itations and be lender-ready
within one year. See www.
ccno.org for details.
Grant County’s median
income is $60,800.
Community Connection
provides pre-purchase coun-
seling to persons interested
in purchasing a home. A
HUD-certified housing coun-
selor helps position folks for
lender approval by address-
ing budget, credit and debt,
and educates prospective
homeowners of available
loan products. Community
Connection also offers indi-
vidual development accounts
for first-time homebuyers,
allowing prospective buyers
to save up to $12,000 toward
a down payment.
Community Connection’s
certified foreclosure inter-
vention and default counselor
counsels homeowners at risk
of losing their homes to fore-
closure by reviewing options
and strategies to retain own-
ership of their homes. This
includes available pro-
grams for loan reinstate-
ment and loan modification.
Also included is financial
capability counseling, which
involves budgeting and cre-
ating a sustainable projected
budget.
In 2019, Community Con-
nection’s efforts in foreclo-
sure avoidance counseling
saved homeowners a total
of $791,216 and saved 36
homes from foreclosure.
This year on Oregon
Department of Forestry’s Cen-
tral Oregon District, 43 fire
have burned 67 acres — 31 of
those fires caused by humans.
Regulated-use closure for
lands protected by the Cen-
tral Oregon District went into
effect July 1, according to a
press release.
These restrictions are
intended to limit activities that
have an increased potential of
starting fires. Current fuel con-
ditions in the district are likely
to result in a rapidly spreading
fire from activities such as a
spark from a lawnmower blade
on rock.
All open burning, includ-
ing campfires, is prohibited
on ODF protected lands in the
Central Oregon District, as
well as use of tracer ammuni-
tion and exploding targets. The
full proclamation describing
the restrictions is available at
odfcentraloregon.com.
Those traveling in forested
areas need to have a fire extin-
guisher and shovel in case they
come upon a fire, and they
should report all fires to 911
or a local dispatch center even
if they believe they have con-
tained the fire.
While traveling and recreat-
ing in the woods, do not leave
gravel roadways and never
park in grassy areas where hot
vehicle parts can come in con-
tact with vegetation.
Prevention measures can
vary among agencies, but it is
the responsibility of the user to
know the rules and restrictions.
ODF’s Central Oregon
District continues to serve
landowners and the pub-
lic as an essential service for
Oregonians. Call or email to
talk with staff or schedule an
appointment. For additional
information on ODF’s Cen-
tral Oregon District, including
contact information and unit
offices, visit odfcentraloregon.
com.
Eagle office will close at
4:30 p.m. starting next week
Blue Mountain Eagle
The Blue Mountain Eagle
office will be closing at
4:30 p.m. starting July 27.
Business hours will be from
8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Mondays
through Fridays. All deadlines
will remain the same.
For more information, con-
tact the Eagle at 541-575-0710
or office@bmeagle.com.
Alcoholics Anonymous meetings
Blue Mountain Eagle
Alcoholics Anonymous
groups are currently meeting
in compliance with social dis-
tancing rules.
At 7:30 p.m. Mondays,
the Outlaw Group meets at
Presbyterian Church in Mt.
Vernon.
At 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays,
the Let Go Group meets at
St. Elizabeth Catholic Parish
Hall in John Day.
At noon Fridays, the John
Day Miracles Group meets at
the Church of the Nazarene.
Attendees should use the ramp
on the side of the church.
Attendees need not be alco-
holics to attend.
For more information about
addiction or recovery, join a
group or call 509-551-8402.
Eddy graduates from OIT in Klamath Falls
Blue Mountain Eagle
Kevin Michael Eddy, son of
Greg and Debbie Eddy of Can-
yon City, recently graduated
from Oregon Institute of Tech-
nology in Klamath Falls. He
earned a Bachelor of Science,
summa cum laude, in respira-
tory therapy.
OBITUARIES
Ruth (Stussi) Rodarme
Nov. 27, 1943 — July 20, 2020
Ruth (Stussi) Rodarme, 76, died July 20, 2020, in Texas.
Ruth was born Nov. 27, 1943, in Long Creek, Oregon. Her par-
ents were John and Reta Stussi.
Ruth died sitting outside her R.V. with two Bibles in her hand
and a wonderful hand-written message by her chair. The EMT that
came to help Ruth was so touched by her message that he said his
life will forever be changed for the good.
Ruth loved to travel. So 18 years ago God put Dan Rodarme
in her life who also loves to travel and loves the Lord as much as
Ruth did. They R.V., across the U.S.A. Ruth was the happiest she
had ever been.
Ruth had two children, Monica and Darrin; three grandchil-
dren, Austin, Elliot and McKenna; and one great-grandson, Reed.
She was preceded in death by her parents and her two sisters,
Lola Chapman and Donna Amos.
Services will be in La Grande at a later date.
No Matter
how big or small your trophy was
or if you just want to share a hunting adventure,
send or drop off your best
hunting photos or stories
to
195 N Canyon Blvd., John Day, OR 97845 • kim@bmeagle.com
Your photos could be published in this year’s EAGLE HUNTING JOURNAL
Please have them to the Eagle by August 8.
Last Week’s Temps
John Day ...........................................................HI/LO
Tuesday ........................................................... 85/46
Wednesday ..................................................... 89/49
Thursday .......................................................... 93/55
Friday ............................................................... 87/59
Saturday .......................................................... 89/50
Sunday ............................................................. 91/54
Monday............................................................ 94/59
24/7 F ORECAST
A UTOMATED : 541-575-1122
R OAD CONDITIONS : 511; TRIPCHECK . COM
NOAA W EATHER R ADIO FOR J OHN D AY
162.500 MHz
S195775-1
W EATHER F ORECAST FOR THE WEEK OF J ULY 22 - 28
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