Mountain Air Massage opens

JOSEPH — Massage therapist Eme Henderson opened her new business in Joseph early last month in the Arrowhead Building.

Henderson named the clinic Mountain Air Massage in tribute to a restaurant that existed in the Arrowhead Building about a decade ago.

“These past several months have been difficult and stressful for many,” Henderson said Wednesday, July 29. “I hope to serve the residents of Wallowa County by showing them the benefits of focusing on relaxation and wellness. Self-care is especially important during these challenging times.”

A massage therapist for five years, she has lived in the area intermittently for several years and moved back in May. Starting a business amid the COVID-19 pandemic is not the easiest venture, Henderson agreed. For now, she is open Wednesdays and Thursdays, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

“I am following the reopening guidelines from the Oregon Board of Massage Therapy and I sanitize the clinic before and after every client,” she said. “I am required to wear a mask. Clients also have the same guidelines.”

Though the pandemic can make up-close-and-personal treatment challenging, Henderson said she is confident she is doing everything in her power to keep her clients safe. For more information, call Henderson at 541-786-5600 or email MountainAirMassage@gmail.com.

Coronavirus relief available for area small businesses, microenterprises

LA GRANDE — Small businesses and microenterprises in Baker, Union and Wallowa counties can apply for grants from the Northeast Oregon Economic Development District to provide some relief from the negative effects of the pandemic.

According to the information on the district’s website, the Small Businesses and Microenterprise Grant Program for COVID-19 Impacts is available for businesses that have been operating for at least one year and that are owned by or employ people with low to moderate incomes. Businesses need to provide information on how they are responding to the pandemic and how they plan to remain in business for the foreseeable future. Grants are for a minimum of $2,500 and up to $10,000 for a microenterprise/self-employed individual. For businesses employing low- to moderate-income individuals, the maximum grant amount will be $2,500 per qualifying employee.

Grants also are available for businesses that did not access federal relief programs. The development district will distribute grants of at least $2,500 to business owners and qualified nonprofit organizations on a rolling basis until approximately Aug. 28.

And NEOEDD and its partner organization, Northeast Oregon Business Development, have “gap” loans available at any time for people who have found bank funding but it is insufficient for a project or purchase. Until May 2021, the development district is offering loans of up to $250,000 to finance businesses that will help the economy recover from the pandemic.

For more information on these programs, visit www.neoedd.org and click on the link for COVID-19 resources.

Local businesses may participate in #MaskUp4SmallBiz

LA GRANDE — Business Oregon’s #MaskUp4SmallBiz campaign aims to support small businesses by encouraging mask-wearing across Oregon. According to the Union County Chamber of Commerce, the OBA has reached out for submissions from more Eastern Oregon businesses. The campaign showcases small businesses using a picture of the owner wearing a mask with their branding in the background plus a short quote (fewer than 25 words) about why wearing a mask is important to keeping their business running.

Local businesses that are willing to participate are asked to contact the Chamber, which will come to your business, take the photo and the quote and send the information to Business Oregon. Email director@VisitUnionCounty.org or call the chamber at 541-963-8588.

La Grande Bealls is selling fixtures, equipment

LA GRANDE — The Bealls department store at 2212 Island Ave., La Grande, which is closing, is offering retail fixtures, furniture and equipment for sale. For more information, the Union County Chamber of Commerce says to contact Ric Ronci at rronci@navigategbrp.com or 703-725-6800.

Circulate those coins

SALEM — The Oregon Bankers Association is encouraging consumers to empty out their piggy banks to help small businesses facing coin shortages resulting from pandemic-related shutdowns.

When retail establishments closed due to COVID-19 restrictions, the rate of coin recirculation slowed significantly. Consumers migrated to online shopping and the use of debit and credit cards to avoid physical contact associated with using cash. Coins that would have been returned in change were no longer being circulated back into the system. Recirculated coin represents more than 80% of the total supply. The rest of the supply is met by new coin production.

As businesses have reopened, demand for coins has increased, and a large portion remain with consumers.

“In a normal period of time, more than 4 billion coins are deposited — or recirculated — each month,” OBA President and CEO Linda Navarro said in a press release. “Beginning in April, less than 2 billion are being recirculated.”

Oregonians can help by depositing their spare change at their local bank or a coin-cashing machine, and by using exact amounts when making purchases.

State ag department proposes new rules for chlorpyrifos

SALEM — The Oregon Department of Agriculture is proposing new rules to reduce the risk and exposure to the insecticide chlorpyrifos. The agency is asking for the public’s comments on proposals.

The Oregon Department of Agriculture in a press release announced the new rules are to reduce the risk and exposure to the chlorpyrifos. The proposal is the result of months of work and deliberations from a stakeholder workgroup that included environmental advocates, agricultural leaders and farmworker health and safety organizations.

“These regulatory changes to the use and sale of chlorpyrifos reduce the risk of exposure and increase safety to applicators, farmworkers, bystanders, consumers, and the environment,” the department reported.

Chlorpyrifos controls insect pests on various crops such as Christmas trees, alfalfa and nursery crops. The main elements of the rules proposal include the following:

• Effective Nov. 1, all products containing chlorpyrifos will be restricted-use, except cattle ear tags; prohibits the use of chlorpyrifos for vector control, golf course turfgrass and in certain types of enclosed structures; and establishes a four-day restricted entry interval after use for all crops.

• Other changes go into effect Jan. 1, 2021, including allowing the use on Christmas trees only between April 1 and June 15 and requiring all applicators to pass a pesticide certification exam and obtain a license.

This and other rule proposals are online at https://oda.direct/Rulemaking. The open comment period began Monday, Aug. 3 and closes at 5 p.m. Sept. 1.

The department also is holding virtual public hearings Aug. 19 and 27. Details of those meeting will be available at ODA’s Pesticides Program Rulemaking webpage https://oda.direct/Rulemaking soon.