Oregon Air Conditioning Contractors Association

Flag Day
2025-06-14
On June 14, 1777, the Continental Congress replaced the British symbols of the Grand Union flag with a new design featuring 13 white stars on a field of blue and 13 red and white stripes—one for each state. Although the Philadelphia seamstress Betsy Ross is popularly attributed with designing this early version of the flag, historians generally point to Francis Hopkinson as the creator. Hopkinson was a delegate from New Jersey and one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.
The number of stars increased as the new states entered the Union, but the number of stripes stopped at 15 and was later returned to 13.
In June 1886 Bernard Cigrand made his first public proposal for the annual observance of the birth of the flag when he wrote an article titled “The Fourteenth of June” in the old Chicago Argus newspaper. Cigrand’s effort to ensure national observance of Flag Day finally came when President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation calling for a nationwide observance of the event on June 14, 1916. However, Flag Day did not become official until August 1949, when President Harry Truman signed the legislation and proclaimed June 14 as Flag Day. In 1966, Congress also requested that the President issue annually a proclamation designating the week in which June 14 occurs as National Flag Week.
The President is requested to issue each year a proclamation to: call on government officials in the USA to display the flag of the United States on all government buildings on Flag Day; and to urge US residents to observe Flag Day as the anniversary of the adoption on June 14, 1777, by the Continental Congress of the Stars and Stripes as the official flag of the United States.
People across the United States celebrate Flag Day on June 14 each year to honor the United States flag and to commemorate the flag’s adoption. On the same day, the United States Army celebrates its birthday.

Brazing Test June 13, 2025
2025-06-13 08:00 - 13:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | PCC Swan Island, 6400 N. Cutter Circle , Portland, OR, 97217, United States
Portland Community College – Swan Island – 6400 N. Cutter Circle Portland, OR 97217
Following are changes to the ORACCA Brazing Test on June 13th, 2025 at PCC Swan Island.
If you have registered for the June 13th ORACCA Test or a retest, you must use the revised study guide and video presentation that will be applicable for this test. A sample for the booklet shown. The test has been totally rewritten and previous study guides will not apply.
If your study guide is not the new version please contact the ORACCA office to receive the updated version.
Morning session starts at 8:00 AM and concludes when all are finished. We shall no longer have a class lecture on the subject matter contained in the text before the test. Instead, we will send each participant a logon and password to access an on demand video of the material to be studied. Each participant will be responsible for using the study material and the video to prepare for the test.
On-Line Training is available via our On Demand video site. Once registered you will receive log on information to access the E-Learning site to view the video training. Training Program consists of On-Line Video Training with special emphasis on Brazing and the written test. The program will mark where you stop, so you can review the material at your leisure.
Testing is scheduled with an approximate one-hour period for the written portion of the test. If you also need the Practical test, see below. Do this before the June 13th, 2025 test date.
Circumstances have made handling the practical another way. To get credit for the Practical, we are asking all participants, needing this portion of the test, to perform the Practical portion on your own and bring the finished brazement to the written test for grading. Make sure to tag it with your name! You will be asked to sign an affidavit at that time, stating that you did the brazing Practical test.
The link for the course study guide for the written portion of the Brazing Certification test will be sent, upon registration. The written test is comprised of a 40-question, multiple-choice test. The answers to the test are contained in the study material, so if you don’t study, you may not pass. Please spend time going over the study material. Do not expect to walk in and pass the test. The odds are against it. We send this information so that you can prepare for the material involved with the actual test.
1. First you must contact ORACCA office 360-834-3805, email dan@oracca.org with your intention to take the test on Friday, June 13th. First come first served.
2. You will be assigned a testing time, since class size will be limited. Test time will be limit to one hour for the written test.
3. If you also need the Practical test. We’ll handle the practical another way. To get credit for the Practical, we are asking all participants, needing this portion of the test, perform the Practical portion on your own and bring the finished brazement to the written test for grading. You will be asked to sign an affidavit at that time, stating that you did the brazing Practical test.
Click here for June 13th, 2025 PDF Registration Form

Click on icon to download a PDF and mail in your payment.

Brazing Test registration and make payment on-line, click on the icon.

D Day
2025-06-06
Normandy will forever be marked by the D-Day Landings and the Battle of Normandy that led to the liberation of France and Europe. 2024 will mark the 80th Anniversary of this historic event, and with it, a momentous occasion to celebrate peace, liberty and reconciliation. A rich and unprecedented programme of events will be put together to bring the memory of this tragic period of world history to life, all while emphasizing the spirit of hope.
https://en.normandie-tourisme.fr/highlight/80th-anniversary-of-d-day/

Member's Meeting
2025-06-05 11:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | NW College of Construction, 78111 NE Holman St, Portland, OR, 97218, United States
Free Business Training Class Sponsored by BDR & ORACCA!
Get Noticed Online: 5 Ways to Build Your Brand on the Web
This month’s meeting will be hosted by Justin Ebright, BDR Senior Marketing Coach, CHIIRP Specialist & Trainer, BxB Media (A BDR Company).
Justin has been in the marketing and advertising profession for 36 years, and has helped over a thousand small and large businesses increase their brand, online presence, and revenue. He created multiple micro agencies in Michigan teaching clients about marketing. In 2021 he joined BxB Media, which was purchased by BDR in the summer of 2024, and is now their Senior Coach.

This promises to be a most enlightening session and a preview as to how we market our businesses in our ever changing business climate.
Join us at the NW College of Construction 8111 NE Holman St, Portland, OR 97218
Please join us for lunch or, dial in via Zoom link below!
Can’t Attended? Join us Via ZOOM – https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85292220386

Memorial Day
2025-05-26
Memorial Day is observed on the last Monday of May. It was formerly known as Decoration Day and commemorates all men and women who have died in military service for the United States. Many people visit cemeteries and memorials on Memorial Day and it is traditionally seen as the start of the summer season.

Armed Forces Day
2025-05-17
Many Americans celebrate Armed Forces Day annually on the third Saturday of May. It is a day to pay tribute to men and women who serve the United States’ armed forces. Armed Forces Day is also part of Armed Forces Week, which begins on the second Saturday of May.

Mother's Day
2025-05-11
Mother’s Day in the United States is annually held on the second Sunday of May. It celebrates motherhood and it is a time to appreciate mothers and mother figures. Many people give gifts, cards, flowers, candy, a meal in a restaurant or other treats to their mother and mother figures, including grandmothers, great-grandmothers, stepmothers, and foster mothers.

Cinco de Mayo
2025-05-05
Cinco de Mayo is seen as a day to celebrate the culture, achievements and experiences of people with a Mexican background, who live in the United States. There is a large commercial element to the day, with businesses promoting Mexican services and goods, particularly food, drinks and music.

Member Meeting
2025-05-01 11:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | NW College of Construction, 78111 NE Holman St, Portland, OR, 97218, United States
Hybrid Meeting – Energy Trust Update
8111 NE Holman Street Portland, OR 97218
11:30am – 1:00pm

This month’s meeting will be led by Eric Falk, ORACCA Board Member and Field Manager for ETO’s Residential Retrofit Programs.

John Koeger, Account Manager for the ETO Residential Retrofit Program, will present an overview of the current initiatives and emphasize recent updates to the incentive offerings.

In addition, Eli Caudill, Program Manager for Research and Innovation within the ETO Residential Retrofit Program, will talk about the Bluetooth vacuum gauge and introduce the idea of low-load efficient heat pumps.

Todd Ashley, Training Manager of ETO’s Residential Retrofit Program, will cover training strategies, subject areas, and quality assurance practices.
Lastly, Gabriela Murillo, Trade Ally Coordinator for the ETO Existing Building Program, will address topics related to multifamily and commercial HVAC systems.

Join us for lunch, courtesy of Federated Insurance!

Join us on ZOOM

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/9793647363?omn=82876312985
Meeting ID: 979 364 7363

National Day of Prayer
2025-05-01
Through the efforts of the National Day of Prayer Task Force, more than 35,000 prayer gatherings will be conducted by about 40,000 volunteers across the United States. Several million people are expected to participate in this call to prayer.

Administrative Professionals Day
2025-04-23
Administrative Professionals Day and Administrative Professionals Week are widely observed in many workplaces in the United States and other countries around the world. Many employers and supervisors arrange events to show their appreciation of the work carried out by administrative professionals, to highlight their importance to the organization and to enhance their work-related skills.

Easter
2025-04-20
What is Easter? Without a doubt one of the most important celebrations in the Christian calendar, Easter is a holiday that celebrates the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. After his crucifixion, death, and burial, three days later, He rose from the grave. By this, He conquered death and redeemed us from sin.

Good Friday
2025-04-18
Good Friday is observed on the Friday before Easter Sunday. On this day Christians commemorate the passion, or suffering, and death on the cross of Jesus Christ. Many Christians spend Good Friday in fasting, prayer, repentance, and meditation on the agony and suffering of Christ.

Palm Sunday
2025-04-13
Many Christians in the United States remember Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, which marks the beginning of Holy Week. This day is also on the Sunday before Easter Sunday.

Jefferson's Birthday
2025-04-13
Thomas Jefferson, (born April 2 [April 13, New Style], 1743, Shadwell, Virginia [U.S.]—died July 4, 1826, Monticello, Virginia, U.S.), draftsman of the Declaration of Independence of the United States and the nation’s first secretary of state (1789–94) and second vice president (1797–1801) and, as the third president (1801–09), the statesman responsible for the Louisiana Purchase.

Annual ORACCA Shootout
2025-04-12 08:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Canby Rod & Gun Club, 25011 S. Molalla Forest Rd, Canby, OR, 97013, United States
Shoot Out – Canby Rod & Gun Club
Register HERE

Contractor Roundtable
2025-04-03 11:30 - 13:30 UTC | NW College of Construction, 78111 NE Holman St, Portland, OR, 97218, United States
NW College of Construction 78111 NE Holman St Portland, OR 97218
Do You Have a Retirement plan or a viable succession strategy?

Join us for an insightful session hosted by John Karasaki of PGE, where we will explore advanced planning strategies for transitioning your business to the next generation, whether that be your children or your employees.

We’ll cover critical aspects, including when to start your retirement plan, how to prepare effectively, and the execution of that plan, featuring insights from Loren Watts of Watts Heating.

Additionally, we will discuss a recent sale involving another HVAC contractor, outlining the steps taken and the future commitments associated with the transition, presented by Mark DeFrancisco from Heat Relief.

To conclude, we’ll share a report on a company that has successfully passed into the third generation. We’ll delve into how this remarkable transition occurred, the challenges faced, and the acceptance from employees, with insights from Keith Burton of Ben’s Heating.

Spring Begins
2025-03-20
First Day Of Spring
This date marks the “spring equinox” in the Northern Hemisphere. What IS the spring equinox and is it always on the 20th? Before you try to balance that egg, read on to learn more—The first day of spring (March equinox or vernal equinox) is when the sun shines directly on the celestial equator passing from south to north and the length of day and night are almost the same. This is referred to as astronomical spring or the March equinox or vernal equinox.

St. Patricks Day
2025-03-17
St. Patrick’s Day also called Feast of St. Patrick, and St. Patty’s day is observed on March 17 and marks the death date of Saint Patrick who is the patron saint of Ireland.
In the early 17th century, it was made an official Christian feast day observed by the Church of Ireland, the Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, and Lutheran Church.
The day celebrates the arrival of Christianity in Ireland as well as the culture of Ireland, and commemorates the death of Saint Patrick.

March 14 Brazing Test
2025-03-14 08:00 - 13:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Mar-Hy Facility, 3850 SE International Way, Milwaukie, OR, 97222, United States
Mar-Hy Distributors 3850 SE International Way
Milwaukie, OR 97222
Following are important changes to the ORACCA Brazing Test.
If you have registered for the March 14th ORACCA Test or a retest, you must use the revised study guide and video presentation that will be applicable for this test. A sample for the booklet shown. The test has been totally rewritten and previous study guides will not apply.
If your study guide is not the new version please contact the ORACCA office to receive the updated version.
Morning session starts at 8:00 AM and concludes when all are finished. We shall no longer have a class lecture on the subject matter contained in the text before the test. Instead, we will send each participant a logon and password to access an on demand video of the material to be studied. Each participant will be responsible for using the study material and the video to prepare for the test.
On-Line Training is available via our On Demand video site. Once registered you will receive log on information to access the E-Learning site to view the video training. Training Program consists of On-Line Video Training with special emphasis on Brazing and the written test. The program will mark where you stop, so you can review the material at your leisure.
Testing is scheduled with an approximate one-hour period for the written portion of the test. If you also need the Practical test, see below. Do this before the March 14th test date.
Circumstances have made handling the practical another way. To get credit for the Practical, we are asking all participants, needing this portion of the test, to perform the Practical portion on your own and bring the finished brazement to the written test for grading.
Make sure to tag it with your name! You will be asked to sign an affidavit at that time, stating that you did the brazing Practical test.
The link for the course study guide for the written portion of the Brazing Certification test will be sent, upon registration. The written test is comprised of a 40-question, multiple-choice test. The answers to the test are contained in the study material, so if you don’t study, you may not pass. Please spend time going over the study material. Do not expect to walk in and pass the test. The odds are against it. We send this information so that you can prepare for the material involved with the actual test.
1. First you must contact ORACCA office 360-834-3805, email dan@oracca.org with your intention to take the test on Friday, March 14th. First come first served.
2. You will be assigned a testing time, since class size will be limited. Test time will be limit to one hour for the written test.
3. If you also need the Practical test. We’ll handle the practical another way. To get credit for the Practical, we are asking all participants, needing this portion of the test, perform the Practical portion on your own and bring the finished brazement to the written test for grading. You will be asked to sign an affidavit at that time, stating that you did the brazing Practical test.
Click here for March 14th, 2025 PDF Registration Form

Click on icon to download a PDF and mail in your payment.

Brazing Test registration and make payment on-line, click on the icon.

Daylight Savings Time Begins
2025-03-09

March Member's Meeting
2025-03-06 11:30 - 13:30 (America/Vancouver) | Mar-Hy Facility, 3850 SE International Way, Milwaukie, OR, 97222, United States
Hybrid Meeting – Codes Officials and Contractors
Meeting will be held at:
Mar-Hy Distributing 3850 SE International Way, Milwaukie, OR. 97222

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/9793647363?omn=82876312985
Meeting ID: 979 364 7363
Janell Piercy, the Lead Inspector from the City of Portland, will also be participating and providing insights on their virtual inspection program. She will share her recommendations for managing sound level concerns and discuss her retirement from the city.

Ash Wednesday
2025-03-05
Ash Wednesday 2025 begins the Lenten season. Lent is the time before Easter when Catholics prepare to commemorate Jesus’s Resurrection through prayer, penance, and fasting.

Mardi Gras
2025-03-04
The festival season varies from city to city; Mardis Gras often refers to the last day of Shrovetide (or Fastelavn or Carnival), thus being synonymous with Shrove Tuesday. Some traditions, such as the one in New Orleans, Louisiana, consider Mardi Gras to stretch the entire period from Twelfth Night (the last night of Christmas which begins Epiphany) to Ash Wednesday. Others treat the final three-day period before Ash Wednesday as the Mardi Gras.

Washington's Birthday/Presidents Day
2025-02-17
George Washington (born February 22 [February 11, Old Style], 1732, Westmoreland county, Virginia [U.S.]—died December 14, 1799, Mount Vernon, Virginia, U.S.) American general and commander in chief of the colonial armies in the American Revolution (1775–83) and subsequently first president of the United States (1789–97).
President’s Day was established as a federal holiday in 1885 to celebrate George Washington’s birthday on 22nd February. Although it was originally a day to celebrate George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, it is now meant to honor all US Presidents, past and present.
In 2024 the powers that be decided to mess things up a bit more and have Washington’s birthday on the 3rd Monday of February and combine it with President’s Day.

Valentine's Day
2025-02-14
Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Lincoln's Birthday
2025-02-12
Abraham Lincoln February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American statesman and lawyer who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation through the American Civil War, the country’s greatest moral, constitutional, and political crisis. He succeeded in preserving the Union, abolishing slavery, bolstering the federal government, and modernizing the U.S. economy.
Lincoln was born into poverty in a log cabin and was raised on the frontier primarily in Indiana. He was self-educated and became a lawyer, Whig Party leader, Illinois state legislator, and U.S. Congressman from Illinois. In 1849, he returned to his law practice but became vexed by the opening of additional lands to slavery as a result of the Kansas–Nebraska Act. He reentered politics in 1854, becoming a leader in the new Republican Party, and he reached a national audience in the 1858 debates against Stephen Douglas. Lincoln ran for President in 1860, sweeping the North in victory. Pro-slavery elements in the South equated his success with the North’s rejection of their right to practice slavery, and southern states began seceding from the union.

To secure its independence, the new Confederate States fired on Fort Sumter, a U.S. fort in the South, and Lincoln called up forces to suppress the rebellion and restore the Union.
As the leader of moderate Republicans, Lincoln had to navigate a contentious array of factions with friends and opponents on both sides. War Democrats rallied a large faction of former opponents into his moderate camp, but they were countered by Radical Republicans, who demanded harsh treatment of the Southern traitors. Anti-war Democrats (called “Copperheads”) despised him, and irreconcilable pro-Confederate elements plotted his assassination. Lincoln managed the factions by exploiting their mutual enmity, by carefully distributing political patronage, and by appealing to the U.S. people. His Gettysburg Address became a historic clarion call for nationalism, republicanism, equal rights, liberty, and democracy. Lincoln scrutinized the strategy and tactics in the war effort, including the selection of generals and the naval blockade of the South’s trade. He suspended habeas corpus, and he averted British intervention by defusing the Trent Affair. He engineered the end to slavery with his Emancipation Proclamation and his order that the Army protect and recruit former slaves. He also encouraged border states to outlaw slavery, and promoted the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which outlawed slavery across the country.

February Member's Meeting
2025-02-06 11:30 - 13:30 UTC | NW College of Construction, 78111 NE Holman St, Portland, OR, 97218, United States
Hybrid Meeting – Members Meeting 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM
NW College of Construction 8111 NE Holman St. Portland, OR. 97218
Legislative Issues HARDI – NW College of Construction
Policy & Regulation Questions?
We have not had a voice in Salem for many years; times are changing. Be sure to join us in February to learn how!

Todd Titus is the Director of State and Public Affairs for HARDI. His job is to monitor day-to-day legislative and regulatory changes across all 50 states to inform and educate HARDI’s membership. Along with informing the membership of key issues, he also spearheads grassroots initiatives, advocates before elected officials, and networks in person with relevant stakeholders to ensure the success of HARDI’s policy engagement approach.
Alex Ayers, vice president of government affairs, stated, “As the federal government increasingly delegates significant policy matters to state governments, and with state legislators eager to act more swiftly than their federal counterparts, HARDI has identified a necessity for a dedicated role in state government affairs. Todd has demonstrated considerable promise through his background in local and state government and his eagerness to engage with HVACR policy. I believe Todd will be an excellent asset to our team, particularly as we prepare to capitalize on the forthcoming distribution of IRA (Inflation Reduction Act) funds to the states.”
Do you have questions or concerns about local or national policies or regulations? This is your opportunity to express them, as we now have a voice in Salem and Olympia championing the interests of the HVAC industry. Please don’t miss this chance to help guide the regulations and future of the HVAC industry.
Join us via ZOOM
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/9793647363?omn=82876312985
Meeting ID: 979 364 7363
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Groundhog Day
2025-02-02
Groundhog Day is a tradition observed regionally in the United States and Canada on February 2 of every year. It derives from the Pennsylvania Dutch superstition that if a groundhog emerges from its burrow on this day and sees its shadow, it will retreat to its den and winter will go on for six more weeks; if it does not see its shadow, spring will arrive early. In 2024, an early spring was predicted.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day
2025-01-20
Born in 1929, Martin Luther King Jr.‘s actual birthday is January 15 (which in 1929 fell on a Tuesday). The earliest Monday for this holiday is January 15 and the latest is January 21. The Monday observance is similar for those federal holidays which fall under the Uniform Monday Holiday Act.
The campaign for a federal holiday in King’s honor began soon after his assassination in 1968. President Ronald Reagan signed the holiday into law in 1983, and it was first observed three years later on January 20, 1986. At first, some states resisted observing the holiday as such, giving it alternative names or combining it with other holidays. Official observance in each state’s law as well as federal law occurred in 2000.
