Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, August 21, 2024 -- THREE
Heat Pump Rebate
program offers energy
efficiency solutions to
rural Oregon counties
The Greater Eastern
Oregon Development Cor-
poration (GEODC) has
partnered with the Ore-
gon Department of Ener-
gy (ODOE) to launch a
heat pump rebate program
aimed at providing res-
idents in select Eastern
Oregon counties with more
efficient heating and cool-
ing options. The program,
known as the R3 Communi-
ty Heat Pump Deployment
Program (CHPDP), offers
eligible residents up to
$7,000 in rebates for the
installation of heat pump
technologies. This initia-
tive is designed to enhance
energy efficiency in homes
and contribute to a greener,
more sustainable future.
Let’s take a closer look at
this exciting program and
how residents can benefit
from it.
The R3 Community
Heat Pump Deployment
Program is available to
residents residing within
the Greater Eastern Oregon
Economic Development
District, specifically in the
following counties: Gil-
liam, Grant, Harney, Mal-
heur, Morrow, Umatilla,
and Wheeler. These coun-
ties have been identified as
areas with residents in need
of more efficient heating
and cooling systems.
Through this pro-
gram, eligible residents
can receive rebates of up to
$7,000 towards the installa-
tion of heat pump technol-
ogies in their homes. Heat
pumps are energy-efficient
alternatives to traditional
heating and cooling sys-
tems, offering cost savings
and reduced environmental
impact. The program en-
courages residents to up-
grade their HVAC systems,
electrical components, and
structural repairs to ensure
optimal performance and
efficiency.
The application process
for the R3 Community Heat
Pump Deployment Program
is quite straightforward.
Firstly, applicants need to
obtain a cost estimate for
the complete installation,
including HVAC system,
electrical upgrades, and
any necessary repairs. Once
the estimate is prepared,
applicants can submit their
completed application to
energy@geodc.net, along
with proof of legal owner-
ship, such as a copy of the
property deed.
After submission, ap-
plications will undergo a
review process to determine
eligibility for the program.
The R3 Board, in monthly
board meetings, will review
and approve applications,
potentially with modifica-
tions, ensuring that deserv-
ing residents receive the
benefits. Applicants will
be promptly notified of the
award decision, after which
the installation process can
commence.
The R3 Community
Heat Pump Deployment
Program will begin in Au-
gust 2024 and run until
December 30th, 2025 or
until funding is exhausted.
Therefore, residents are
encouraged to act prompt-
ly and take advantage of
this opportunity before it
expires.
To learn more or apply
for the program, interested
individuals can contact
GEODC at energy@geodc.
net.
Hunting and fire danger
in Oregon
Oregon Department
of Fish & Wildlife- Clo-
sures and access: ODFW
does not close hunting sea-
sons due to fire danger. But
hunters may face access re-
strictions as areas close due
to active fires, firefighting
activity or fire danger. Visit
myodfw.com for an active
fire map.
F i re re s t r i c t i o n s :
Hunters, anglers and others
are responsible for knowing
and following fire restric-
tions when outdoors. Here
are the most common ones:
Campfires prohibited on
many public lands. That
includes within designated
campgrounds. Only liq-
uid-fueled camp stoves
may be used. No charcoal
briquettes or other flamma-
ble solid materials are al-
lowed. No smoking except
inside an enclosed vehicle.
Off-road driving is also
prohibited in most areas,
which includes motorcycles
and all-terrain vehicles.
Driving on vegetation could
spark a fire. Vehicles must
have either a gallon of wa-
ter or a fully charged and
operational 2½-pound fire
extinguisher and shovel
(except when travelling on
state highways or county
roads). ATVs must have
a charged and operational
2½ pound fire extinguisher.
Additional restrictions as
set by landowner.
Tag refund, prefer-
ence point reinstatement
policies: Because fire re-
lated access restrictions can
change during the course of
a hunt, decisions regarding
tag refunds and reference
point reinstatement typ-
ically do not occur until
after the particular hunt has
closed.
Again, ODFW will not
close hunting seasons as
a result of elevated fire
danger, access or use re-
strictions (e.g. road/vehicle,
open fires, camping clo-
sures, etc.), or for ongoing
fire control actions. How-
ever, the department will
evaluate the impacts of such
actions to hunting seasons
on an individual species/
season/hunt area basis in-
cluding the timing, extent
and duration of fire-related
restrictions.
Only seasons where
reasonable public access
to the hunt area is sub-
stantially restricted for the
entire hunt period will be
considered a complete loss
of a hunter’s opportunity,
except as determined by
the director. When this
complete loss of a hunter’s
opportunity occurs, ODFW
will reinstate points +1
and refund tags. ODFW
will contact hunters via
email, so hunters need to
have a valid address in the
licensing system to get in-
formation.
Please note that vol-
untarily deciding to not go
hunting is not a reason for
preference point reinstate-
ment unless ODFW has
offered that as an option
for your hunt. Nor are re-
strictions against campfires,
camping or vehicle/road
restrictions. Inability to
scout before a season is also
not necessarily considered a
loss of hunting opportunity.
Hunters who exchange
controlled tags for general
seasons tags before their
controlled hunt begins may
be ineligible for any pref-
erence point reinstatement
if no decision has been
made yet on options. Visit
myodfw.com for more in-
formation.
~ Letters to the Editor ~
Special fair awards
-Continued from PAGE ONE Growers – Sponsored by
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following criteria met: letters submitted to the newspaper will need to
have the name of the sender along with a legible signature. We are also
requesting that you provide your address and a phone number where you
can be reached. The address and phone number will only be used for
verification and will not be printed in the newspaper. Letters may not
be libelous. The GT reserves the right to edit. The GT is not responsible
for accuracy of statements made in letters. Any letters expressing thanks
will be placed in the classifieds under “Card of Thanks” at a cost of $15
Email to editor@rapidserve.net or upload to Heppner.net.
Trump tyranny
I just read a post from
a woman who was brave-
ly telling us how horrific
things will be if Trump
wins. How could I have
been so blind as to not see
this. I guess I’ve been too
distracted by things like
high gas prices and terror-
ist threats. So just to help
us all prepare for a tyranni-
cal Trump Administration,
here’s a list of changes I’m
sure we will see. So scary.
1. Vegans will be ar-
rested, cows will run ram-
pant, and cow farts will fill
the atmosphere.
2. Climate will con-
tinue to change with the
four seasons, in spite of
Greta.
3. College students
will be forced to pay their
own tuition, and each
write 100 times “I will not
deface public property and
break things that are not
mine”.
4. Contraception will
be illegal and monitored
by the JD Vance Bedroom
Gestapo.
5. The unborn will
be forced to live….against
their will.
6. Genders will be
assigned by God and all
females will be required to
wear pink dresses. Males
will wear camo.
7. Illegal aliens will
be rounded up and cata-
pulted over the wall.
8. Sex traffickers and
pedophiles will be used for
target practice.
9. Harris, Walz, Pelo-
si, and AOC will be stuffed
in EV’s and shipped to
China.
10. Biden will be
placed in charge of the
Democratic Party.
11. Nobody will be
special because of their
skin color. DEI will stand
for “Don’t employ idiots”.
12. Our Military will
have even more guns and
be way too dangerous.
13. Mean tweets will
be sent to our enemies, and
they will hate us for it.
14. Billy Graham will
be on every channel and
The Ten Commandments
will be on every building.
15. Christians
will
be allowed to spew their
hate speech about the love
of Jesus anywhere they
please.
16. Democrats will be
placed in camps and forced
to wear MAGA hats while
listening to Ingrid Andress
sing The National An-
them….repeatedly.
Now it’s obvious
that Trump will deny this
plan, but it must be true
because it was leaked to
CNN, MSNBC, and ABC.
And I’m sure he’ll point
to the four years he was
running the country and
how gas prices were bet-
ter, food prices were lower,
the military was stronger,
our borders were secure,
our enemies feared us,
and the world was a safer
place. But this is nothing
compared to all the won-
derful things Kamala has
done over the last four
years. Hmm...OK…noth-
ing there, but don’t forget
all the great things she
promises to do if elected.
Everything will be free!
Sounds like she’s been
talking to Klaus Schwab
(“we will own nothing…
and be happy”). We won’t
even need to think because
she will do the thinking
for us. How comforting is
that!? FOOTNOTE: All
things considered (I just
re-read the plan and #7 is
a little harsh), I’m still vot-
ing for Trump. Vote wisely.
“When the righteous
thrive, the people rejoice;
when the wicked rule, the
people groan.” Proverbs
29:2. By Susie Crosby,
Prineville, Or.
WCR health advisory
-Continued from PAGE ONE
filters. Contact campground
management or the local
health department with
questions about water avail-
able at nearby campgrounds
or day use areas. Not all
private treatment systems
are effective at removing
cyanotoxins. People who
do not use a well or public
water system and draw in-
home water directly from
an affected area are advised
to use an alternative water
source.
Children and pets
Children and pets are at
increased risk for exposure
because of their size and
level of activity. Dogs can
get extremely ill and even
die within minutes to hours
of exposure to cyanotoxins
by drinking the water, lick-
ing their fur or eating the
toxins from floating mats or
dried crust along the shore.
This is regardless of a recre-
ational use health advisory
in place. Dogs can become
ill and die from water in-
toxication after drinking
excessive amounts of water
while swimming or fetch-
ing objects for long periods
of time. Intoxication is a
potentially fatal disturbance
in brain function resulting
from an imbalance of elec-
trolytes in the body. Water
intoxication and heat stroke
can cause similar symptoms
as exposure to cyanotoxins.
Symptoms
Exposure to cyano-
toxins can be serious and
cause a range of symp-
toms. Symptoms may be
similar to food poisoning
such as stomach cramp-
ing, diarrhea, nausea and
vomiting. Symptoms may
also be more serious, such
as numbness, tingling, diz-
ziness and shortness of
breath. These symptoms
may require medical atten-
tion. Dogs can experience
weakness, difficulty walk-
ing, seizures, lethargy, loss
of appetite and more. If a
dog exhibits symptoms,
veterinary treatment should
be sought as quickly as
possible.
Fishing
Fish caught from ar-
eas where cyanobacteria
blooms are present may
pose unknown health risks,
so OHA recommends not
eating fish from those areas.
Those who decide to eat the
fish should remove fat, skin
and organs before cooking
or freezing. Toxins are more
likely to collect in these
tissues. Fillets should also
be rinsed with clean water.
For health information
or to report an illness, con-
tact OHA at 971-673-0482,
or visit OHA’s Cyanobacte-
ria (Harmful Algae) Blooms
website.
Fruit and Vegetables
Judge’s Award Adult –
Nina Bair
Judge’s Award Youth –
Charlie Nelson
Photography
Judge’s award – adult –
Hallie Palmer
Judge’s award – youth
– Mikalie Duncan
Harvest Photo – Madi-
son Rea sponsored by Mor-
row County Wheat League
Food
Morrow Co. Wheat
Growers – sponsored by
Snow-McElligott Muffins
youth 3 rd place - $10 – Lu-
cas Worden
Morrow Co. Wheat
Growers – Sponsored by
Snow-McElligott Muffins
youth 2 nd – Madelyn Camp-
bell
Morrow Co. Wheat
Snow-McElligott. Youth
1 st . – Lauralee Jepsen
Morrow Co. Wheat
Growers – Cake sponsored
by Snow-McElligott. Adult
2 nd place Jannie Allen
Morrow Co. Wheat
Growers – Cake sponsored
by Snow-McElligott –
Adult 1 st – Jodi Segraves
Overall Ribbons won
sponsored by Jake Lindsay
- $25
Cupcake Wars – Spon-
sored by Cross Hill Con-
fections. – Max Gustafson
Writing Award
Judge’s Choice – adult
– Jodi Segraves
Judge’s Choice – youth
– Mikalie Duncan
S u p e r i n t e n d e n t ’s
Award – Sponsored by
Sykes Brothers Printing –
Laurelee Jepsen.
Free youth pheasant hunts
statewide in September
SALEM, Ore.—Youth
hunters (age 17 and under)
who will have completed
hunter education by the
time of the event can sign
up now for ODFW’s free
pheasant hunts happening
around the state starting in
September, https://myodfw.
com/articles/youth-pheas-
ant-hunts
ODFW and partners
stock pheasants at these spe-
cial hunts that give youth a
head start on regular pheas-
ant seasons. Volunteers
bring their trained hunting
dogs to some events. Some
events also host a shooting
skills session before the
hunt.
ODFW recommends
youth register in advance
for most events, but walk-
ins are also welcome if
space allows, see the youth
pheasant hunts page for
more details. Register by
logging in to the youth’s
account at MyODFW’s
Licensing page. Then go
to Purchase from the Cat-
alog and look under the
Category/ Class/Workshop
/ Outdoor Skills. Final de-
tails about the event will
be emailed to the address
within the account.
The hunts are free,
though participants need a
valid hunting license ($10
for youth 12 and older,
free for age 11 and under)
to hunt. Youth hunters age
12-17 also need an up-
land game bird validation
($4). Purchase before the
event, online or at a license
sales agent. Licenses and
validations will not be sold
at the events.
Some areas will host
the event both Saturday
and Sunday. Youth who
register for one day are
welcome to hunt stand by
on the other day. See page
26-27 of the Oregon Game
Bird Regulations for more
information, or see https://
m y o d f w. c o m / a r t i c l e s /
youth-pheasant-hunts for
the local contact and more
details about each hunt.
Sept. 21 Irrigon, Irri-
gon Wildlife Area. Hunt
1: 7:30 check-in, 8 am
– 12 pm hunt. Hunt 2:
12:30 check-in, 1 pm - 5
pm hunt. 15 per hunt (541)
276-2344
Lunch
& Dinner
Menu
Specials 8/22 8/28
Thursday - French Dip with Swiss cheese and
a side of cottage cheese
Friday - Hawaiian chicken burger with fries
Saturday - Velveeta grilled cheese and bacon
sandwich with a side of chili
Monday - Nacho tots
Tuesday - French toast and fruit
Tuesday night 6-9pm $2 hard shell tacos
Wednesday - Turkey melt with tomato and a
side salad
177 N. Main
P.O. Box 337
Heppner, OR 97836
Chris@sykesrealestate.net
Broker
Chris Sykes
541-215-2274
Sold!
$145,000
350 S Gilmore St, Heppner
For Sale: Charming bungalow with 2 bedrooms
and 1 bathroom, nestled in a tranquil neighborhood.
Spacious backyard ideal for memorable family
gatherings. Recent renovations include upgraded
floors, kitchen improvements, fresh paint. Home
has a mini split for efficient heating and cooling.
Conveniently situated near Hagar Park, just a short
stroll away from downtown, the hospital, and the
elementary school. Don't miss out on this amazing
opportunity. MLS#: 24241555