Jesse Cimon, who runs the music and art venue HQ with Christopher Jennings, poses for a portrait in the studio space in downtown La Grande on Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2021.

UNION COUNTY — Dozens of Union County businesses have been using federal COVID-19 relief to cover the bottom line and improve operations.

David Arnold with the Eagle Cap Excursion Train said the grants filled crucial funding gaps.

“It’s not a whole lot of money, it’s not a huge grant, but for people to have enough to get by and not worry so much is really important,” he said.

The excursion train was one of 94 Union County businesses that received a total of $735,409 in federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security funding for COVID-19. The funds came from the state to Union County in December. County Commissioner Donna Beverage at the time explained the state asked counties to focus on using the CARES funding to help small businesses.

The grant program divided the funding into two tiers.

Tier I applicants received a total of $504,586.50. These were businesses that lost revenue in the two freezes Gov. Kate Brown put into effect in 2020 to prevent the spread of COVD-19. Six fitness clubs and health businesses received funding, along with 34 food service operations and 11 venues or events qualified for Tier 1 grants. The majority — 40 — received $11,103.25, including the Eagle Cap Excursion Train. The other 11 received less. The Elgin Museum and Historical Society received the lowest grant, $750.

Tier 2 applicants received the remaining $230,822.50. These 43 businesses were hurt by one of the freezes or demonstrated their revenue was down 25% or more for at least one month between March 1 and Nov. 30 compared to 2019 due to COVID-19. The funds went to retail shops, personal and professional services, medical and health care operations and lodging businesses. All but two of the grants were for $5,556.65. The exceptions were the Cove-Union-Powder Medical Association, Union, which received $500, and Howell’s Nursery, La Grande, which received $2,500.

Arnold said the grant helped the excursion train cover the cost of track work and train maintenance. And it provided a financial cushion.

“We’ve lost a lot of revenue, because we’re not running the passenger train, so this helps cover the loss of revenue, primarily, that’s one of the big effects so it was very much appreciated,” Arnold said.

Ten Depot Street in La Grande was among the restaurants to receive a grant. Owner Sandy Sorrels said the county did a fine job distributing the money in a timely manner.

“Although we have had a fairly successful takeout business, which continues to grow, the money we take in does not cover all of our expenses, considering that we have an empty restaurant,” she said.

Ten Depot’s Paycheck Protection Program funds ran out in November, Sorrels said, and the CARES grant enabled the establishment to keep paying staff and provided money for utilities, insurance and inventory.

“It would have been a lot harder to survive without it,” she added.

Tim Osterloh owns and operates Clank-Tronix in La Grande. The business received a Tier 2 grant.

“It helped out dramatically,” he said. “Without the funding it would have been difficult — I’ve been able to not just stay in business, but it helped me to expand a little bit.”

Osterloh has been remodeling a back-section of the businesses at 315 Fir St. to add more space for customers and what he called an “education room.”

“I had noticed a huge boom in home schooling, people calling for home schooling books and just home schooling in general,” he said. “It’s just amazing how much I’ve been able to accomplish. I’ve already got this room fully remodeled, and I’ve already put in most of the shelves and got (the books) already on the shelves, and now I’m working on just trying to make things more COVID friendly, I guess you would say.”

The Eastern Oregon Film Festival and the performance arts venue HQ, both in La Grande, each received Tier 1 grants — $7,500 to the festival and $11,103.25 to HQ.

Chris Jennings, who helped found each and helps operate them, said the grant to the film festival was “a great help to fill in the gaps.” The festival’s member program “is just nonexistent,” he said, and the sponsor program is likely to net 50% of what it usually does. Jennings said that is pushing EOFF to change its fundraising model dramatically.

“That $7,500 bucks from the county is just a huge saving grace in terms of keeping general operations moving while we try to figure out how to re-leverage donation support or approach different foundations, things like that, and kind of pivot,” he said.

The grant has helped the festival “keep paying the bills,” he said, “pushing out ad campaigns and promoting the fact that we’re still gonna be trying in October.”

HQ’s grant also is helping it keep the lights on.

“As far as I can tell that’s kinda the goal of the grant, too,” Jennings said. “Keeping baseline — keeping businesses intact and keeping them functioning and staying. If we shuttered our doors we won’t be coming back, that’s for sure. We’d unplug everything and turn off the lights, and call it a day — it’s not like that business or ourselves would be coming back when it’s time.”