Page 8A
BUSINESS
East Oregonian
Saturday, June 6, 2015
First retail pot
Marina installs boater fuel dock
shop approved
in Walla Walla
ARLINGTON
Only fuel stop on
Columbia between
The Dalles, Umatilla
By GEORGE PLAVEN
East Oregonian
A new fuel pump is open
for business at the Port of
Arlington Marina, providing
the only service for boaters
and anglers in 100 miles on
the Mid-Columbia River.
About 40 people attended
a ribbon cutting Thursday
to celebrate several recent
upgrades at the marina,
including a new gangway
and 18 new boats slips at the
“B” and “C” docks. But the
project’s crown jewel is the
on-water fuel dock, which
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Umatilla and The Dalles.
Port Manager Peter
Mitchell said a fuel dock
has been on the board’s wish
list since 1978. In 2011, the
port conducted a survey
of boaters that showed 93
percent of visitors from out
of town were in need of fuel.
The entire project cost
nearly
$550,000,
most
of which was paid for by
grants through the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service
and Oregon State Marine
Board. Construction began in
December 2014 and passed
inspection in April.
“It took a lot of work and a
lot of help to make this come
about,” Mitchell said. “It’s
been a really big project, and
we’re really appreciative of all
the support we’ve received.”
The dock now serves
both diesel and non-ethanol
gasoline. It was installed by
Anderson
Environmental
Contractors of Kelso, Wash-
ington.
Janine Belleque, boating
facilities manager for the
State Marine Board in Salem,
said Arlington’s central loca-
tion between Umatilla and
The Dalles made it an ideal
Staff photo by George Plaven
Glen Cathers fuels up his boat Thursday at the Port of Arlington Marina’s new fuel
dock, which now provides the only service for boaters on the Columbia River be-
tween The Dalles and Umatilla.
“Boaters came into the
area without enough fuel
to get to Umatilla. ... You
had this beautiful stretch of
river that couldn’t be used,”
Shaffer said. “It was a huge
concern.”
Mitchell said visitors who
would stop at the marina
were already spending, on
average, $45-$50 in town.
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will only increase.
“It just makes it more
convenient for them to utilize
Staff photo by George Plaven
the services,” he said.
The Port of Arlington paid $515,000 in mostly grant
One local boater, Glen
money on recent upgrades at its marina, including a Cathers
of Goldendale,
new fuel station for boaters and a gangway.
Washington, said he is
location to add a fuel station, Belleque said, as boaters stop pleased to see a station avail-
whereas previously boaters not only for gas but to visit able closer to home.
“Hopefully here, this is
might choose to avoid the the city and shop at local
going
to solve our fueling
area or risk being stranded.
stores and restaurants.
problems,”
Cathers said.
“Without fuel, it really
Gilliam County Judge
limits their capacity to go Steve Shaffer said the idea “This is really convenient.”
———
anywhere,” Belleque said.
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Contact George Plaven
Adding another destina- to him 13 years ago, and he
tion on the river should also is thrilled to see the project at gplaven@eastoregonian.
com or 541-564-4547.
help Arlington’s economy, come to fruition.
Wal-Mart keeps it all in
the family chair passed
to son-in-law Penner
By ANNE D’INNOCENZIO
and CANDICE CHOI
AP Retail Writers
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark.
— Wal-Mart is passing the
chairmanship of the world’s
largest retailer from the
eldest son of late founder
Sam Walton to a third gener-
ation.
The company said that
board Chairman Rob Walton
will step down and be
succeeded by Vice Chairman
Greg Penner, who is his
son-in-law.
The change took effect
at the end of the company’s
annual shareholders’ meeting
Friday and came despite
pressures from labor-backed
worker groups to name an
independent chairman. The
calls for independent lead-
ership mounted in the wake
of allegations of bribery in
Mexico and other countries
Wal-Mart operates in that
came to surface in spring
2012.
Walton, son of Wal-Mart
founder Sam Walton, has
been chairman since 1992.
The company says the
70-year-old will continue
to serve as a director. Jim
Walton, another son of the
late founder, also remains on
the board.
Penner, whose back-
ground is in technology and
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ny’s third chairman in the
company’s 53-year history.
Rob Walton took over as chair
upon the death of his father
in 1992. The announcement
comes as Wal-Mart is facing
challenges on all fronts, from
how it runs its operations to
how it treats its workers.
Penner,
45,
joined
Wal-Mart as a management
trainee and held a number
of positions including senior
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strategy for Walmart.com
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for the Japan unit. He had
been a general partner of
Madrone Capital Partners,
an investment management
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Wal-Mart’s board in 2008.
Rob Walton noted on stage
at the meeting that Penner is
health or safety” or “create
nuisance condition” to
A hearing examiner has neighboring properties.
Kerr’s decision was made
ruled in favor of allowing
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hearing, which was held in
marijuana store.
The proposed pot shop a packed city hall meeting at
at 927 W. Main St. expects ZKLFKSHRSOHWHVWL¿HG
Opponents of the pot
to open this summer and go
by the name Walla Walla store slightly outnumbered
supporters in comments
Cannabis Co.
“I am shooting for end during the hearing, with
of August,” owner Amber most stating the business
Cole said in an email. “I am should not be allowed in
very excited and proud to a neighborhood that is
build this business in a way mixture of residences and
that will improve Walla retail shops.
In addition to the
Walla in a meaningful and
comments, a total of two
positive way.”
Cole said what remains petitions and 25 letters —
is a build-out and remodel, including one by actress
IROORZHGE\¿QDOLQVSHFWLRQ Susan Sarandon — were
and licensure by the Wash- reviewed by Kerr in making
ington State Liquor Control his decision.
“Over the years, I have
Board, to be renamed
Washington State Liquor come to know that respon-
and Cannabis Board effec- sible and safe cannabis use
as an adult is something
tive in July.
2Q:HGQHVGD\FLW\RI¿- that has elevated my own
cials sent notices of Hearing well-being, health and
Sarandon
Examiner Leland B. Kerr’s awareness,”
wrote in her May 14 letter
May 29 decision.
In his decision, Kerr of support.
The results of the hearing
said Cole’s Tangletown
Holdings LLC met all can be appealed with the
conditional requirements Walla Walla County Supe-
required by local authorities rior Court. Individuals have
and that the business would 21 days or until June 19 to
“not endanger the public make their appeal.
Walla Walla Union-Bulletin
AP Photo/Danny Johnston
New Wal-Mart chairman
Greg Penner speaks to
the Wal-Mart shareholder
meeting in Fayetteville,
Ark. on Friday.
married to his daughter.
Penner had been the
chairman of the company’s
technology and e-commerce
committee since it was
formed in 2011 and has been
instrumental in guiding the
company on the technology
front.
“You’ve been a great
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your shoes,” said Penner,
referring to Walton. Penner
joined Walton on stage as
well as Doug McMillon,
the company’s CEO, and
former CEO David Glass
who served at the helm from
1988 to 2000.
Walton said that Penner
“brings an ideal blend of
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international
business
expertise — as well as a
deep knowledge and love of
Wal-Mart — to this role.”
The
announcement
was not a surprise after
Walton
named
Penner
as vice chairman at last
year’s annual shareholders’
meeting. The Walton family
controls about 50 percent of
the company’s shares.
Keeping with Wal-Mart’s
practice of showcasing
celebrities at the annual
event, the meeting was being
hosted by actress Reese
Witherspoon. Singers Brian
McKnight, Rod Stewart and
Ricky Martin also performed
on stage. Entertainer Carol
Burnett was on stage, too,
and did her trademark Tarzan
call.
U.S. hiring jumps in May
as businesses get bullish
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S.
employers added a robust 280,000
jobs in May, showing that the
economy has regained momentum
after starting 2015 in a deep slump.
The unemployment rate ticked up to
5.5 percent from 5.4 percent in April,
the government said Friday. But that
occurred for a good reason: Hundreds
of thousands more people began
seeking jobs in May. Not all of them
found work and so were counted as
unemployed.
Last month’s strong job growth
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employers, a sign that they foresee a
broader rebound for the U.S. economy
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months of the year. The government
also revised up its estimate of job
growth during March and April by a
combined net 32,000.
The steady hiring should help drive
the economy through the rest of the
year, overcoming the drags caused by
a stronger dollar hurting exports and
cheaper oil slashing into revenues for
the energy industry.
Ordnance Brewing opens
Boardman tap room
BOARDMAN — New beer-maker Ordnance Brewing
will open its Boardman tap room to the public on
weekends.
The business at 405 N. Olson Road in the Port of
Morrow will be open Saturdays from 2-10 p.m. and
Sundays from 2-6 p.m.
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hopes to add more hours this summer.
Ordnance Brewing was founded in 2014 by Hermiston
neighbors Craig Coleman and the late Mark McLeod.
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have refused, citing privacy concerns.
The Mountain View, California-
based company says the cars have
driven about 1 million miles in
autonomous mode since 2009, and
Google’s drivers have been in control
for 800,000 additional miles.
AP file photo
A row of Google self-driving Lexus
cars in Mountain View, Calif.
Google will make reports
on self-driving cars
NEW YORK (AP) — Google
will release monthly reports on the
performance of its self-driving cars,
and it disclosed summaries of the 12
accidents that involved the vehicles.
Google described all of the accidents
as minor, saying no injuries were
reported. The company said Friday, as it
has in the past, that its cars were not to
blame for any of the accidents.
The advocacy group Consumer
Watchdog has pushed Google to
release the accident reports, and The
Associated Press has asked Google
and the California Department of
Motor Vehicles for the reports. Both
Safety agency admits Àaws
starts reforms after GM
DETROIT (AP) — The U.S.
government’s auto safety agency
acknowledged Friday that staffers’
failure to understand technology and
lack of skepticism prevented them
from rooting out a deadly problem
with General Motors ignition switches
for more than a decade.
The mea culpa came Friday
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Safety Administration outlined
actions designed to make itself more
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safety problems among the 240 million
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time the agency has admitted fault in
failing to discover the switch problem
and link it to a series of fatal accidents,
although regulators still blame the
automaker for hiding the defect.
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