Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, April 8, 2020 -- FIVE
The Hatchet
(Editor’s Note: This sto-
ry was submitted by Jim
Doherty in remembrance
of his father who recently
passed away.)
By Jim Doherty
We had adjusted the
soaker line into the back of
the swamp cooler to run at
a level that caused the stern
wheeler style fan to blow a
fine mist into the hallway.
By closing all the doors to
the right, and the girls’ door
at the end of the hall, we
could force the air through
our room and bring the
July temperature upstairs
to a still less-than-bearable
existence. This is why, like
so many nights before, we
had opened the window,
stepped carefully onto the
overhang, and hoisted our-
selves onto the roof. It was
here we were sitting, doing
nothing of any consequence
when we heard the black
desk phone ring in the office
directly below.
Three of my older
brothers-Pat, John, Ray-
mond-and I listened intent-
ly. Normally we couldn’t
have given a damn if the
phone was ringing, and
little could be done to beat
one of our five sisters to the
handset; but it was eleven
o’clock and no one –and I
mean no one - ever called
that late. It had to be bad
news, it just had to be, and
nothing can spark the inter-
est of four bored-to-death
teenagers like the prospect
of bad news.
Well, I was almost a
teenager; I was 12 and a
half. My oldest two broth-
ers, though still in school,
were more men than boys
and could be counted on to
spend all of spring break at
Hog Hollow, Nelson Can-
yon, or one of our various
sheep camps. When you
are 14 or 15 and sent off to
spend two weeks tending a
flock, you tend to grow up
fast. This job allowed the
herder, generally someone
of alien locale, his two-
week vacation. Vacations
that rarely meant a trip
much farther than Pendle-
ton’s local “watering hole.”
There they would spend
one week blowing through
the money earned from the
year. Their following week
was spent with their heads
in a bucket, retching and
shaking in the bunkhouse.
“Hello!”
We heard our father
lilt into the receiver, in his
softer than usual sleep in-
duced Irish brogue. In short
order, we discerned he was
talking to our uncle Johnny,
the camp tender. The camp
tender was the person who
was the herder’s link to the
outside world the remaining
50 weeks of the year. He re-
laid supplies, moved camp,
and once a week checked
in on the six sheep camps
tucked quietly into the hills
of Eastern Oregon.
“All his supplies from
last week are still setting
on the table?” We heard
Dad ask. He continued,
“Any sign of his sheep,
horse…nothing? I’ll bring
the boys; we’ll be there first
thing in the morning.”
He was always far too
chipper in the morning,
generally rousing us in the
pre-dawn darkness with
some God-forsaken Irish
ditty from his youth. This
morning he was somber
as he entered and found us
quiet, dressed and standing
in the center of the room.
He looked at us. He knew
that we understood what
lay ahead on this day in the
centennial summer.
He spoke in a hushed
tone, so as not to wake the
girls, “John, why don’t you
catch Shaw-nee.” Shaw-
nee, a paint horse, and John
were veritable equals in
their colorfulness and hard-
ness. Continuing, he looked
at my eldest brother. “If we
find Cookie, you can ride
him.” Cookie was the con-
summate sheep camp horse:
half draft, half dead, and
half dangerous. He went on
to explain what we already
knew. Jesus Garciano, his
horse Cookie, two border
collies, and 1250 Colum-
bia and Rambouillet sheep
were missing. Not out in
the back pasture, but in the
deep drainage of the North
fork of the John Day River
country.
In a slow procession,
we descended the stairwell.
At the bottom of the stairs,
under the picture of the Sa-
cred Heart Jesus, there was
a small pewter font filled
with holy water. Blessed by
Father O’Brian, it was used
by us God-fearing Cath-
olics to repel evil. As we
passed, five hands silently
dipped. Five arms folded a
quick sign of the cross and
we slipped into the day.
The single cab Inter-
national pickup swayed to
a stop at the lonely conflu-
ence of the John Day River
and a cooler Camas Creek.
The jostling of the pick-up
caused by the worn-out
springs and by the nervous
paint horse rousted me from
sleep. It was just breaking
light and already hot as
hell. With five of us in the
cab, the air was heavy with
a gathering musk and the
irritating dampness of soon-
to-run sweat. It was stifling.
Pulling over, Dad sug-
gested, “Why don’t a cou-
ple of you crawl up in the
hay rack?” The hay rack
was the forward portion of
the rusting green side racks
affixed to the stake pockets
of the ranch pickup. It was
here that the paint Shaw-
nee faunched, fretful and
impatient, in the narrow
quarters between the wheel
wells. Dad sent us up there,
ostensible, too, as he put it
“Keep a sharp eye out.” I
suspected it was to allow
some breathing room in the
cab, as we were still miles
from the sheep range. Nev-
ertheless, I exploded out,
lest one of my brothers beat
me to this perch.
I had not yet grown
weary of looking when my
“sharp eye,” caught the
slightest movement. Well
across the river, and a short
stretch up the hill, was a
horse. It took a fraction
of a second to register. No,
it was Cookie! I pointed
across the way. My brother
sitting next to me, holding
on for dear life, was all ac-
tion. He leaned over and be-
gan pounding on the top of
the cab. It must have sound-
ed like cannons exploding
in the hollow interior of
that old pickup, which had
long since lost any shred of
overhead insulation.
Excitement rained
down to a more solemn
Dad, who, after a bit of
study remarked, “That
horse would not have lasted
much longer.” It was then
that I noticed the well-worn
ground around the man
sized tree to which Cookie
was tethered. My brother
Raymond in response to
“One of you wait here”
crouched down next to the
road, “Indian style.” The
rest of us bounced into the
truck to rattle on into camp.
Here, we would gather the
rest of the searchers, return
and begin.
It was not far to camp;
perhaps a mile or two. We
ALL NEWS AND ADVERTISEMENT DEADLINE:
MONDAYS AT 5:00 P.M.
Business Editorials
Economic relief now
available
By Daniel Van Schoiack, CPA
In response to the economic impact of the COVID-19
threat, recent action by congress provides relief to busi-
ness and nonprofit organizations (including churches)
through the “Emergency EIDL Grant” and the Paycheck
Protection Program (PPP). The proceeds from these
programs are not subject to repayment if properly used
and accounted for. Also, many business and nonprofit
organizations can apply for both if they have less than
500 employees.
The EIDL Grant can be applied for directly from
the Small Business Administration website for up to
$10,000, an amount that is to be directly deposited into a
bank account. The proceeds can be used for a number of
purposes which include retaining employees, mortgage
payments and rent. The time period for using the grant
runs through December 31, 2020.
The application for proceeds from the PPP is more
complicated as it must be done through a qualified SBA
lender. The proceed amount is based on 250 percent of
the average monthly payroll cost for the prior one-year
period. For example if the one-year payroll cost were
$120,000; the average monthly cost would be $10,000
and the proceeds would be 250 percent of that amount
which is $25,000.
The proceeds from the PPP are generally restricted to
the following purposes: payroll cost (which may include
compensation to a sole proprietor business owner), rent,
utilities and interest on mortgages or other debt obliga-
tions incurred before the application date. The proceeds
from the program must be used by June 30, 2020.
While the PPP is structured as a loan, it is forgiven
as long as the business or nonprofit recipient is able to
document that the proceeds were used for the prescribed
purposes. The amount of loan forgiveness depends on
maintaining an average number of full-time employees
and a percentage of the total wages from a previous pay-
roll reporting quarter.
As mentioned, an entity can apply for both the
Emergency EIDL Grant and Paycheck Protection Pro-
gram. While some of the allowed expenses under the
two programs overlap, others are unique. For example,
proceeds from PPP can be used to pay for draws by a
business owner, while that is not allowed with proceeds
from the EIDL Grant. On the other hand, funds from the
EIDL Grant can be used to make mortgage payments
which is not allowed with proceeds from the Paycheck
Protection Program.
Any business or nonprofit organizations (including
churches) seeking relief under either or both of these
programs should apply as soon as possible. There is
limited funding available. Proceeds from the programs
should be kept in separate bank accounts to ensure proper
accounting and use of the funds.
Daniel Van Schoiack, CPA is a member of the Amer-
ican and Oregon Society of CPA’s.
were not there long. Dad,
having left us in the truck,
spoke quickly to the others
and bid them to follow. We
rounded the first bend in the
river road on our return and
came immediately upon
Raymond. He had a hollow,
distant look about him as
we pulled up.
“Where is he?” Dad
asked, somehow knowing.
“He’s in the river,” the
dry, husky, voice of my
brother responded.
When we got down
over the berm, as Raymond
had, we could see a rather
large, rather naked Basque
washing to and fro in the
middle of the river.
The sheriff was called
in from John Day. It was
hours before he and the
coroner arrived. Most of
the assembled group had
gone-joining in the far bet-
ter pursuit of scouring the
hills in hopes that they
would find Jesus’ sheep. I
waited with Dad along the
river bank until the author-
ities arrived.
Here, I will spare you
the gruesome details. How
they waded the river to pull
him out.
Once they had Jesus
rolled into a body bag,
things became much more
civil. My brother and I,
though I don’t remember
which one, were called
upon to help load Jesus
(body), into the back of the
sheriff’s pick-up.
There was not much by
way of possessions. There
was a watch-a watch with
cathedral hands. The watch
is with my brother John,
He and it, are still “making
time.” The only other thing
Jesus had of any conse-
quence was a perfect, and I
mean perfect, ancient, stone
hatchet that he had found.
He had found it east of
Stony Creek, in the Buck-
aroo Flats directly across
from Bone Point. It sits on
my mantle, and I sometimes
take it down.
After a quick autop-
sy, which consisted of the
coroner looking out over
the river and remarking,
“Looks like heat stroke,”
he and the sheriff prepared
to leave.
“Pat, shall we have him
cremated?”
To which my father
replied, “Lord no, he was a
Catholic!”
Economic stimulus
information for small
business owners
By Greg Smith, EOU SBDC Director
All small business own-
ers to some degree (many se-
verely) are being negatively
affected by the overnight
economic shutdown due to
the COVID-19 virus. Fortu-
nately, there are programs to
assist small business owners
and their employees.
Information regarding
these programs has been
changing frequently. The
two main stimulus programs
Greg Smith
are the Economic Injury Di-
saster Loan (EIDL) and the
Paycheck Protection Program which is part of the recently
passed two trillion-dollar CARES Act. The following in-
formation came from the Small Business Administration.
Economic Injury Disaster Loan Information:
-The EIDL now offers up to a $10,000 grant (loan
advance) which does not need to be repaid if the money
is spent on paid leave, maintaining payroll, increased
costs due to supply chain disruption, mortgage or lease
payments or repaying obligations that cannot be met
due to revenue losses. The website to directly apply is:
covid19relief.sba.gov/#/
-Important: The grant is a new aspect of the EIDL
loan, so if you applied prior to the grant being offered,
you must reapply to request consideration for the grant
at the website listed above.
-Funds for the loan advance will be made within
three days of a successful application and will not have
to be repaid.
-The interest rate for the remainder of the loan award-
ed is 3.75 percent.
-Businesses can get both an EIDL loan and Paycheck
Protection Program loan as long as they don’t pay the
same expenses. Be sure to check with your financial
advisor or lender before taking both loans if you are not
sure of the specifics.
Paycheck Protection Program
-How does the program work?
Currently, the SBA guarantees small business loans
that are given out by a network of more than 800 lenders
across the U.S. The Paycheck Protection Program creates
a type of emergency loan that can be forgiven when used
to maintain payroll through June and expands the network
beyond SBA so that more banks, credit unions and lenders
can issue those loans. The basic purpose is to incentivize
small businesses to not lay off workers and to rehire laid-
off workers that lost jobs due to COVID-19 disruptions.
-What types of businesses are eligible?
The Paycheck Protection Program offers loans for
small businesses with fewer than 500 employees, select
types of businesses with fewer than 1,500 employees,
501(c)(3) non-profits with fewer than 500 workers and
some 501(c)(19) veteran organizations. Additionally, the
self-employed, sole proprietors, and freelance and gig
economy workers are also eligible to apply. Businesses,
even without a personal guarantee or collateral, can get
a loan as long as they were operational on February 15,
2020.
-How big of a loan can I get and what are the terms?
The maximum loan amount under the Paycheck Pro-
tection Act is $10 million, with an interest rate no higher
than 4 percent. No personal guarantee or collateral is
required for the loan. The lenders are expected to defer
fees, principal and interest for no less than six months
and no more than one year.
-Can these loans be forgiven?
Yes, small businesses that take out these loans can get
some or all of their loans forgiven. Generally speaking, as
long as employers continue paying employees at normal
levels during the eight weeks following the origination
of the loan, then the amount they spent on payroll costs
(excluding costs for any compensation above $100,000
annually), mortgage interest, rent payments and utility
payments can be combined and that portion of the loan
will be forgiven.
Small business owners can apply right now for the
EIDL loan, but as of this date, the CARES Act is still being
enacted and isn’t available right now—but will be soon.
One-time $500 grant for restaurant workers:
-This grant application opens April 2 and funds will be
administered on a first come, first served basis. To apply
and for more information visit: https://rerf.us/
Please reach out to us if we can assist you in any way.
As mentioned above, the CARES Act is still being enacted
and both programs are evolving but we will do our best to
keep business owners informed of the latest information.
We are actively working with our partners at Business
Oregon, the SBA, lenders, Chambers of Commerce, and
other business organizations.