REGION
Thursday, December 23, 2021
East Oregonian
A3
Feds pass on I-84 grant request again
By ANTONIO SIERRA
East Oregonian
PENDLETON — The city
of Pendleton’s fourth attempt
at securing a massive federal
grant to realign the Interstate
84 Exit 209 interchange fell
short, but the city already
is planning to make a fifth
attempt.
In a Tuesday, Dec. 21
interview, Pendleton Public
Works Director Bob Patter-
son said the U.S. Department
of Transportation passed on
Pendleton’s $24.4 million
grant application through the
federal RAISE program.
The city fi rst applied for
the grant in 2018, when it
was known as the BUILD
grant. While the exact scope
of the ask has changed over
the years, the goal has been
the same: realign the inter-
change at Exit 209 on I-84,
near Southgate/Highway 395,
to alleviate congestion and
safety concerns.
The price tag of doing such
a project is beyond Pendleton’s
budget, so for the past several
years, city officials applied
for the federal grant with the
support of the Oregon Depart-
ment of Transportation.
Patterson said the city
won’t get feedback from
the federal DOT until Janu-
ary or February on how to
improve its application, but
the city is planning on seek-
ing the grant for a fi fth time
in 2022. Patterson said the
city intends to keep apply-
ing for the grant until it can
secure the funding for the
project, but it’s beginning
to explore other options. He
added that city staff publicly
will discuss its options at a
January city council meet-
ing.
The issues at Exit 209
have been on the city and the
Oregon Department of Trans-
portation’s radar for more than
decade as the agencies have
taken steps to improve traffi c
safety in the area. The latest
version of their plan calls for
the four-way intersection of
Southwest Emigrant Avenue
and Southwest 20th Street to
be moved west, where some
homes and High Desert
Cannabis are now. Instituting
such a change would require
realigning 20th Street and
building a new road to access
the Exit 209 entrance and exit,
among other adjustments.
Past eff orts from the city
to lock down the grant have
included Mayor John Turner
personally traveling in 2018
to Washington, D.C., to lobby
lawmakers and federal offi -
cials.
Kathy Aney/East Oregonian, File
The city of Pendleton tried and failed for a fourth time to se-
cure $24.4 million through a U.S. Department of Transpor-
tation grant for a realignment of the Interstate 84 Exit 209
interchange.
Bailey enters Oregon Bankers Hall of Fame Hauling appliances
By ERICK PETERSON
East Oregonian
HEPPNER — The presi-
dent and CEO of the Bank of
Eastern Oregon in Heppner
now is a Hall of Famer.
T he Oregon Ban k-
ers Association on Dec. 6
inducted Jeff Bailey into the
Oregon Bankers Hall of Fame
during the Oregon Bank
Leadership Symposium.
Bailey in a phone inter-
view said his induction puts
his name on a list of other
excellent bankers. Three
other bankers in his bank’s
history have achieved this
recognition, he said, and he
reported feeling good about
the association.
He said the honor is
humbling. Fellow induct-
ees include people who have
devoted themselves to their
communities and have done
well by their customers, he
said. He stated he strives for
the same excellence.
OBA President and
CEO Linda Navarro during
Bailey’s induction shared
comments she received from
his colleagues about his
contributions and service,
according to a press release
Thursday, Dec. 16, from the
association about the cere-
mony.
Gabrielle Homer, a
member of the bank’s board
of directors, said she appre-
ciated Bailey’s open door
— both as a customer of
many years and when join-
ing the board last year — and
described him as helpful,
friendly, incredibly knowl-
edgeable and dedicated and
loyal. Other peers credited
Bailey with having a “strong
moral compass,” the press
release stated, for being a
strong leader who cares about
employees and customers and
for having “a holistic view of
situations and is committed
to making the greater good
succeed.”
ABOUT THE
OREGON BANKERS
HALL OF FAME
The Oregon Bankers Hall
of Fame was founded in
1987, has 81 inductees and
is the “the highest honor
bestowed peer-to-peer
within the Oregon bank-
ing industry,” according
to the Oregon Bankers
Association, recognizing
“outstanding contributions
inductees have made to the
Oregon banking indus-
try, to the OBA and to the
communities in which they
live and work.”
Oregon Bankers Association/Contributed Photo
Jeff Bailey of Heppner holds his award for being inducted in
the Oregon Bankers Hall of Fame on Dec. 6, 2021.
save for a rainy day to provide
for yourself and your family,”
he said, adding he carried that
ethic into adulthood.
Bailey earned a degree
in agriculture business from
Eastern Oregon Univer-
sity and began his career
as a grain buyer in Port-
land, according to the press
release, and 25 years ago he
began his career with the
Bank of Eastern Oregon as
a commercial loan offi cer in
Gilliam County. He served as
the bank’s chief credit offi cer
2003-09, then moved up pres-
ident and CEO.
His service is not just
inside the bank, though,
as Bailey has worked as
a past chair of the OBA
and has recently started a
two-year term as the chair
of the Community Banks
of Oregon, a sister entity of
the Oregon Bankers Associ-
ation “that serves as a unique
voice dedicated to banks
headquartered in Oregon,”
according to the press
release. Bailey also is active
in the Willow Creek Valley
Economic Development
Group, the Heppner Cham-
ber of Commerce and other
civic and nonprofi t groups.
in a Honda leads to
arrest of three men
East Oregonian
PENDLETON — Pend-
leton police arrested three
local men for stealing
appliances from a home
that’s for sale.
Pendleton police on Dec.
14 at 5:48 p.m. received a
report of the burglary at
the home on the 1400 block
of Southwest 41st Street,
according to a press release
from Pendleton police
Chief Chuck Byram. But
the big clue to help crack
the case came that morning.
An offi cer on patrol at
4:50 a.m. spotted a blue
Honda Civic in the area of
Southwest 37th Street and
Southwest Jay Avenue.
“The vehicle drew the
officer’s attention due to
the fact that there were two
occupants riding in the
open truck while holding
onto the handles of a dolly,
towing the dolly behind the
car,” according to Byram.
“The dolly had a new wash-
ing machine strapped to it.”
The driver and the two
occupants in the trunk
told the offi cer they were
mov i ng t he wa sh i ng
machine to their friend’s
house, and they did not
have a truck to transport
the washer.
“While suspicious, the
officer did not have any
evidence at that time that
led him to believe that a
crime was being commit-
ted,” Byram stated. “The
officer admonished the
three individuals for violat-
ing motor vehicle laws.”
When the offi cer learned
of the reported burglary,
however, it was apparent to
him the three individuals
could be suspects.
Pend leton police
followed up and found
the washer and dryer in a
Pendleton home, and on
Dec. 17 arrested Eldon M.
Browning, 41, and James
L. Waligorski, 30. Police
on Dec. 20 arrested a third
suspect, Cody N. Pearson,
36. Police arrested the trio
on suspicion of fi rst-degree
burglary, fi rst-degree theft
and criminal conspiracy.
Good saver early on
Looking back, Bailey said
his history in banking goes
back to his early childhood.
Born in Enterprise, he had
family members who were
bankers. Also, he started his
fi rst bank account when he
was very young, after selling
night crawlers and mowing
lawns to earn money. Even in
his youth, he said, he was a
good saver.
“It was instilled in us at
an early age that you have to
Merry
Christmas &
Happy New
Year
“Proudly Serving And Investing In
The Future Of Our Communities.”
80527 Hwy 395 N., Hermiston
541-567-5572
S274635-1