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About The Redmond spokesman. (Redmond, Crook County, Or.) 1910-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 24, 2021)
The SpokeSman • WedneSday, november 24, 2021 P5 EDCO Continued from P1 Redmond Mayor George Endicott said Lee will be missed as a steadfast sup- porter for Central Oregon’s traded sectors, areas of busi- ness that sell their output in competition with businesses in other states. “I think all of Central Ore- gon’s communities have seen the success of EDCO under (Lee’s) leadership,” Endicott said in an email. “Whether it be a new industry, new flights at Redmond Airport or im- proved communication among the communities, he will be missed.” Lee, who has helped bro- ker many deals that brought economic expansion to the re- gion, was named the 2021 Or- Lee Stark egon Economic Development Leader of the Year by the Or- egon Economic Development Association. As someone who looks at the economy of Central Ore- gon every day, Damon Run- berg, Oregon Employment Department regional econo- mist, said Lee has played a role in the community for many years. “He has been a strong leader who helped drive positive change and lead our region out of disaster that was the Great Recession,” Runberg said in an email. “We are a stronger and more prosperous community due to (Lee’s) service, dedica- tion and vision.” Runberg said that in the in- terim, Stark’s experience and enthusiasm will keep the com- munity growing economically. “I can’t think of anyone bet- ter suited to fill the big shoes that (Lee) leaves behind,” said Runberg. EDCO is in its 40th year. It is a nonprofit corporation that works to create middle-class jobs in Central Oregon by re- cruiting employers to move to the region. The nonprofit also helps entrepreneurs start new, scalable businesses and works with businesses to grow their operations. e Reporter: 541-633-2117, sroig@bendbulletin.com Wells promoted to police captain From a press release The Redmond Police Department an- nounced Lt. Aaron Wells as the next police captain. Wells has been a member of the department since 2007, and for the past two years has served as the department’s investigations lieutenant. Wells will become captain Jan. 1, 2022, following the promotion of cur- rent Captain Devin Lewis to chief of police. “We are very pleased to promote Lt. Wells Wells to captain,” said Devin Lewis, incoming chief of police. “For the past nine years, he has served in a broad range of supervisory capacities within the department, providing consistent and measured leadership along the way. Aaron embodies our core values of Teamwork, Excellence, and Professionalism and the commitment required of the position.” During his tenure with the department, Wells served as a Certified Drug Recognition Expert from 2009-2017, a member of the Cen- tral Oregon Emergency Response Team from 2012-2019, and the Officer Training Program Coordinator/Advisor from 2016- 2021. He also received several accolades including the 2009 RPD Life Saving Award, and Chief’s Commendation Awards in 2012 and 2019. A proud Oregon State University graduate, for- mer OSU Football Captain and male student athlete of the year, Aaron con- tinues to share his love for sports and leadership off the field as a volunteer coach for several local youth programs. “It is an honor to continue to serve the citi- zens of Redmond and the dedicated men and women of the department,” said Wells in a press release. “I look forward to having an in- tegral role in the development of creative, rela- tionship-based solutions to the challenges fac- ing policing in our growing community.” Airport Continued from P1 “We can ramp up the number of phases that we can complete at once,” said Bass. “So it’s pretty exciting. We would rather take five years of con- struction instead of 15.” Construction could cost $160 mil- lion to $200 million, said Bass. The terminal expansion would in- clude new departure gates on a sec- ond floor, reached via an escalator. A total of eight jet bridges would ex- tend from the terminal to reach larger planes. Smaller planes would still be accessed from the tarmac as they are today. Architectural renderings of the ter- minal expansion will be available for public viewing before the end of the year, said Bass. The airport is also planning to ex- tend its runways to accommodate heavier planes with enough fuel to reach further destinations, including Hawaii and the East Coast. The run- way project is expected to commence only after the completion of the ter- minal expansion, said Bass. “We have to have infrastructure to support those larger jets, and then the second phase is we need to expand the runway so those jets can go any- where they need to go,” said Bass. “Be- tween those two projects, we are going to be in a different class of airport.” Redmond was recently upgraded to ryan brennecke/bulletin file photo An Aha! jet departs from Redmond Airport to Reno-Tahoe International Airport on Nov. 5. The connection is the most recent added to the airport’s lineup. a “small hub” category, up from a “pri- mary non-hub” category. Reaching the level of “medium hub” depends on passenger traffic, said Bass. Examples of medium hubs include Anchorage, Alaska, Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Austin, Texas. The category upgrade comes as pas- senger traffic rebounded this year fol- lowing a dismal 2020 when passenger numbers plummeted due to the pan- demic. The number of travelers using the airport has reached pre-pandemic levels, with around 2,400 to 3,000 in- coming and outgoing passengers go- ing through the terminal a day. Redmond Mayor George Endicott said he is looking forward to the addi- tion of the jetways to make the travel experience easier for passengers, as it will keep them out of the hot weather in summer and cold in winter. “To me, that’s a big deal,” said En- dicott. A terminal expansion will also give the local economy a jolt, said Jon Stark, director of Redmond Economic Development Inc., evidenced by pre- vious expansions that boosted tour- ism and business. “When we have added capacity at the airport we have consistently filled it. You build it and they will come, so to speak,” said Stark. He highlighted the increasing number of flights that have been added in recent years, with recent destinations that include Reno, Nevada; Burbank, California; Las Ve- gas; and Phoenix. “Additional flights allow our busi- nesses to be more competitive, to ac- cess new markets and existing markets and allows from a tourism standpoint to expand visitor base,” said Stark. “The airport is a big catalyst to our economy here, so it’s a win-win.” Bass said that while plans for ex- pansion have been laid, work still needs to be done to access funding. Some projects will be competitive, and Redmond needs to put its best foot forward, said Bass. “With the passing of (the infra- structure bill), it made us very excited that we could speed up construction,” said Bass. “We can do more phases, and offer our customers a better prod- uct, quicker.” e Reporter: 541-617-7818, mkohn@bendbulletin.com
