Bingo games resume at Union VFW this week

UNION — Bingo games at the Union VFW will resume Sept. 4 at 518 N. Main St. The doors will open every Wednesday at 5 p.m. Early-bird games begin at 6 p.m., and the regular session is at 7 p.m. During the last game of the night, blackout can pay up to $500 if won within the first 50 numbers. All are welcome.

New grief support group series begins soon

LA GRANDE — Grande Ronde Hospital Home Care Services is hosting a new session of the Growing Through Grief support group beginning Sept. 11. The group will meet at 6 p.m. for six consecutive weeks in the first-floor conference room of the GRH Pavilion, 909 Adams Ave., La Grande. Advance registration is requested. For more information or to register, contact the group’s facilitator, Ann Schaefer, LCSW, at 541-963-2273.

WC Farmers Market hosts dinner and auction

LOSTINE — The Wallowa County Farmers Market Harvest Dinner and Auction is set for Sept. 14 at the historic Lostine Tavern. The fall feast features locally grown, seasonal vegetables paired with Wallowa County beef and Columbia River salmon, prepared by Chef Alexis Plank. The meal will be served family-style by the Farmers Market Board of Directors and volunteers, and signature cocktails, beer and wine will be available at the bar.

The event celebrates local food while raising money for the market’s operating costs through a silent auction and a live pie auction. The bar and silent auction opens at 5 p.m. Dinner is served at 6 p.m., followed by the pie auction. Tickets are $45 and available at The Bookloft in Enterprise, Joseph Hardware and the Wallowa County Farmers Market booth in Joseph on Saturdays.

For more information, go to www.wallowacountyfarmersmarket.com, visit the market’s Facebook page or call 541-838-0795.

Learn about the IDA savings-match program

ENTERPRISE, LA GRANDE — People with low-to-moderate incomes in Northeast Oregon who seek funds for a business enterprise, vocational training, continuing education or a vehicle are encouraged to investigate the Northeast Oregon Economic Development District’s Individual Development Account program. IDAs provide a three-to-one savings match. A participant who saves $3,000 and completes the program will receive an additional $9,000, up to $12,000 total.

“The IDA program is not a grant. It’s an earned incentive coupled with goal-setting, education and practical experience saving over a period of six to 36 months,” says NEOEDD’s executive director, Lisa Dawson. “It’s essentially a financial-responsibility program.”

Orientation sessions are planned for 6 p.m. Sept. 10 at the Enterprise Public Library, 101 NE First St.; noon Sept. 11 at IGNITE, 104 Depot St., La Grande; and 6 p.m. Sept. 11 at LaunchPad Baker, 2019 Main St.

Interested parties are encouraged to read the information at www.neoedd.org/ida/ and then attend one of the one-hour orientation to learn more about the requirements of enrolling in the IDA program. Questions are encouraged.

LG Parks & Rec commissions meet next week

LA GRANDE — The City of La Grande Community Landscape & Forestry Commission will meet Sept. 10, the La Grande Arts Commission will meet Sept. 11, and the Parks & Recreation Advisory Commission will meet Sept. 12. Each meeting begins at 5:30 p.m. at the City of La Grande Parks & Recreation Office, inside Pioneer Park near the basketball courts.

New members are needed for the Community Landscape & Forestry Commission and the La Grande Arts Commission. For more information about serving on a commission or on any of the above meetings, contact Stu Spence, Parks & Recreation director, at sspence@cityoflagrande.org or call 541-962-1348.