A2
FAMILY
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, March 3, 2021
Grant County sports contests start this week
Some fans can attend
volleyball, football
games
SPORTS SCHEDULE
March 3
Grant Union volleyball vs.
Crane, 5 p.m.
By Rudy Diaz
Blue Mountain Eagle
High School sports sched-
ules are out along with guide-
lines for spectators.
Each school district is incor-
porating the guidance from
the Oregon School Activities
Association, Oregon Depart-
ment of Education and the Ore-
gon Health Department regard-
ing spectators in their district.
For spectators at Grant
Union High School, there is
a maximum capacity of up to
200 people for indoor contests.
There is a maximum capacity
of up to 300 people for outdoor
contests. A mask is required for
everyone attending.
The guidance on specta-
tors released from Grant Union
states, if an individual refuses
to wear a mask, they will be
asked to leave the facility.
For home volleyball games
at Grant Union, there will be 90
March 5
Grant Union football vs.
Heppner, 5 p.m.
Prairie City football vs.
South Wasco County,
1 p.m.
Dayville/Monument foot-
ball vs. Wheeler County in
Monument, 2 p.m.
Dayville/Monument volley-
ball vs. Wheeler County in
Monument, 4 p.m.
EOMG file photo
passes for home fans to attend
the contest. The varsity vol-
leyball team will receive four
passes per game to distribute,
while the junior varsity team
will have three. Passes need to
be presented upon entering the
venue.
For home football games
at Grant Union, there will be
OTEC to resume normal
collection activity March 17
Blue Mountain Eagle
Oregon Trail Electric
Cooperative will resume
normal collection activity,
including disconnections and
late fees for unpaid utilities,
on March 17.
OTEC temporarily sus-
pended disconnections and
late fees on March 17, 2020,
due to financial hardships
placed on members due to
COVID-19.
“We feel that it’s time
to begin normal collection
activities in order to be good
stewards of our members’
financial resources and keep
the cooperative operationally
and financially resilient,” said
Eric Wirfs, OTEC’s director
of member services. “It was
a difficult decision for us, but
we continue to see the num-
ber of unpaid accounts climb.
The amount owed from these
accounts would be enough
to possibly necessitate a rate
increase if we do not shift
measures to help members
bring their accounts up to
date.
“Our responsibility is
to our entire membership
because we are member
owned. That is why we are
March 6
Grant Union Prospector Kenna Combs (3) tips the ball over the net just past Enterprise Outlaw Zari
Bathke.
resuming normal collection
activities, to avoid any poten-
tial negative monetary impact
on all our members.”
Over the last year,
OTEC’s member service
representatives have contin-
ued to contact members to
help them stay current with
their bills by offering guidance
for financial assistance, local
resources and flexible pay-
ment options. In the lead-up
to the resumption of normal
collection activity, OTEC has
contacted or has attempted to
contact every member with a
delinquent account via phone,
email and mail.
There is still time to make
arrangements, set up a pay-
ment plan or seek financial
assistance to help with an
account.
“We know many of our
members are still impacted
by the pandemic,” said
Wirfs. “We urge those who
are struggling to pay their
bills to call us and we will
work with you on many dif-
ferent payment plan options
to avoid disconnecting
power.”
For more information, call
541-523-3616 or visit otec.
coop.
140 passes for home fans to
attend. Each football player
will receive five passes to
distribute.
Admissions will be col-
lected: $5 for adults, $5 for stu-
dents and free admission for
senior-citizens.
All home contests will be
live streamed on the NFHS
Grant Union volleyball @
Stanfield, 12 p.m.
March 10
Network for people not able to
attend. For more information
on streaming, visit nfhsnet-
work.com/pixellott and search
for Grant Union High School
in the “Find Your School” bar
located at the top of the page.
For Dayville/Monument
School spectators, masks are
required for everyone over kin-
Prairie City volleyball vs.
Crane, 5 p.m.
dergarten age as each family
unit is asked to maintain 6 feet
of distance from each other.
The guidance on spectators
from Dayville/Monument said
all spectators are welcome to
attend the football games while
following the guidelines for
distance and masks, accord-
ing to a release from Dayville
School District.
Only two spectators per
Dayville/Monument athlete
will be allowed at the volley-
ball games with no visiting
spectators. Tickets will be pro-
vided to athletes on the week of
the game.
Prairie City School Super-
intendent Casey Hallgarth
said masks and distancing are
required.
Hallgarth said that capac-
ity for their volleyball games
will be 50% maximum capac-
ity. OSAA guidlines also states
that there is a maximum gather-
ing limit of 300 people for out-
door activities such as football.
Hallgarth said Pixel-
lott cameras have been set
up at Prairie City School and
home sports game will be live
streamed through the NFHS
Network. He said information
will be sent to parents to guide
them through the subscrip-
tion process and how to view
games.
Paycheck Protection Program loans open up
for businesses with fewer than 20 employees
Blue Mountain Eagle
From Feb. 22 to March 10, busi-
nesses with fewer than 20 employees
can apply for the Paycheck Protection
Program loans before larger firms.
According to the Small Busi-
ness Administration, the change in
rules is to ensure that smaller busi-
nesses get the lion’s share of this
round of funding, which is open until
March 31.
“The SBA is a frontline agency
working to create an inclusive economy,
focused on reaching women-owned,
minority-owned, low- and moderate-in-
come, rural, and other underserved com-
munities in meaningful ways. While
reported data illustrates we have made
real strides in ensuring these funds are
reaching underserved communities,
we believe we can still do better,” said
SBA Senior Advisor Michael Roth in
a statement.
Borrowers can contact the SBA’s
website at sba.gov/article/2021/feb/22/
sba-prioritizes-smallest-small-busi-
nesses-paycheck-protection-program.
Or the state’s Small Business Develop-
ment Center at oregonsbdc.org, or can
get in touch with an SBA lender bank
at
sba.gov/funding-programs/loans/
lender-match.
Bob Quinton, a vice president at the
Bank of Eastern Oregon and a com-
mercial loan officer, said they are still
doing the PPP loans. However, he said,
the bank is not doing any other kind of
SBA loans at this time.
Mt. Vernon Scholarship
Fund accepting applications
Blue Mountain Eagle
The Mt. Vernon Schol-
arship Fund is accept-
ing applications from Mt.
Vernon area students who
will complete their high
school education in 2021
and will be attending an
accredited vocational/tech-
nical school, college or
university.
Applicants must pres-
ently live within the area
of the former Mt. Ver-
non School District 6.
The boundaries are com-
monly known as Laycock
Creek and Fields Creek
on the east and west; Mal-
heur National Forest on
the north; Harper Creek on
the southwest; and Ingall
Creek on the southeast.
The scholarship was
established in 2003 by
Mt. Vernon High School
Classes of 1955-1959.
Information and applica-
tion forms are available
from Grant Union High
School counselors or from
Rick Hehn, 7827 Moun-
tain Aire Lp SE, Olympia,
WA 98503. The application
deadline is May 1.
Staff Sgt. Neil Goodwin
Goodwin
moves from
Air Force to
Space Force
Blue Mountain Eagle
About Obituaries
News obituaries of 300 words or less are a free service of the Blue Mountain Eagle.
The paper accepts obituaries from the family or funeral home. Information submitted
is subject to editing. Obituaries submitted to the Eagle with incorrect information may
be corrected and republished as paid memorials. Obituaries longer than 300 words
may be published as paid memorials. Send obituaries by email, office@bmeagle.
com; fax, 541-575-1244; or mail, 195 N. Canyon Blvd., John Day, OR 97845. For more
information, or to inquire about a paid memorial, call 541-575-0710.
Local students named to EOU dean’s list
Blue Mountain Eagle
Eastern Oregon Univer-
sity named 564 students to
the dean’s list for the 2020
fall term.
Local students include
Heather Mosley of Can-
yon City, Payton Miller
of Ione, Fallon Weaver of
John Day, James Hercher of
Long Creek, Andrew Lusco
of Mt. Vernon and Brianna
Staff Sgt. Neil Goodwin,
son of Bud Goodwin of Mt.
Vernon and Dr. Karin and
Steve Pappadakis of Colo-
rado Springs, separated from
the U.S. Air Force after 17
years and signed with the
U.S. Space Force on Feb. 19
at Schreiver Air Force Base
in Colorado Springs, Colo-
rado. Sgt. Goodwin has been
a space systems analyst for
his Air Force career. He will
remain in Colorado Springs.
Zweygardt of Prairie City.
Qualifying
students
achieve and maintain a
grade point average of 3.5 or
higher on a 4.0 scale while
completing a minimum of
12 hours of graded EOU
coursework.
CORRECTION
 I would like to give a word
of thanks to the staff of Blue Mtn
Hospital, especially, Brandi, Morgan, Doris
and Nancy,  Blue Mtn Home Health, especially,
Meredith and Angie and Blue Mtn. Hospice,
especially Danielle, Jody, Dawna, Wes and Jason
and Troy and Amber at Driskill Mortuary, who all
went above and beyond for my Mom, my Dad, my
family and me during her final days. Especially
during COVID. Thank You.
-Sherry Craig-Miller & Erie Miller
& family
S233831-1
Last Week’s Temps
John Day ...........................................................HI/LO
Tuesday ........................................................... 41/30
Wednesday ..................................................... 39/22
Thursday .......................................................... 45/20
Friday ............................................................... 38/29
Saturday .......................................................... 38/23
Sunday ............................................................. 41/20
Monday............................................................ 50/28
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
S233225-1
In the Feb. 17 article
“County to amend planning
within John Day’s urban
growth boundary,” the Eagle
incorrectly reported each city
in the county has an urban
growth boundary outside their
city limits. Monument, Long
Creek and Dayville’s UGBs
are identical to their city lim-
its. Prairie City’s UGB is out-
side its city limits, but the
city has responsibility for its
land use decisions. The Eagle
regrets the error.
W EATHER F ORECAST FOR THE WEEK OF M ARCH 3 - 9
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Sunny
Mostly
sunny
Partly
sunny
Slight chance
of showers
Chance
of rain/snow
Chance
of snow
Cloudy
54
57
59
53
48
45
47
28
34
35
32
29
20
26