NEWS
Plane maker ready for takeoff
A8
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, May 4, 2022
By TIM TRAINOR
Redmond Spokesman
REDMOND — Commer-
cial airlines have had a diffi -
cult few years. Travel restric-
tions, mask mandates and
soaring fuel prices all reduced
demand for their services.
But over that same stretch,
a group of aeronautics engi-
neers in Redmond had a pro-
ductive time testing and tin-
kering on a jet of their own
design.
This
summer,
Red-
mond-based Stratos Aircraft
plans to go public with its fi n-
ished product: the 716X. The
single-engine, six-passenger
plane will be marketed as a
less expensive, more effi cient
private aircraft.
Carsten Sundin, the chief
technology offi cer for Stra-
tos, said the pandemic restric-
tions were not much of a prob-
lem for the company. It had
its funding in place before
the fi rst economic rattles hit
— and employees weren’t yet
ready to go out to pound the
pavement and entice buyers.
Cliff Ng/Submitted Photo
Redmond-based Stratos Aircraft plans to start sales to the public of its 716X, pictured here.
“We’ve been hunkered
down,” said Sundin. “We
have continued to do what we
needed to do on the develop-
ment side. It would have been
far harder if we were at the
stage when we needed to have
customers traveling to the area
to make sales.”
That time, however, is soon
approaching. The company
expects to start selling its jets
in July or August, according
to Sundin, who said the fi nal
product would be roughly “95
percent engineered and built
in Central Oregon.”
Stratos operates out of a
facility on Franklin Street in
southeast Redmond. It cur-
rently has 18 employees, most
of whom are longtime veter-
ans of Central Oregon aero-
nautics companies, includ-
ing Lancair and Epic Aircraft.
Stratos’ Redmond operation
includes both a composite
shop and metal shop.
There were issues in the
supply chain, of course.
Machine parts — especially
carbon fi ber — became more
diffi cult to fi nd. Raw materi-
als became more diffi cult to
locate and were more expen-
sive. The company started to
order specialized parts months
in advance to be sure each
would arrive on time.
“The price change on
some of the materials has
been incredible,” said Sundin.
“Aluminum has just about tri-
pled in the last year.”
And then there’s the trans-
portation industry, which was
ravaged by COVID-19 lock-
downs. Commercial fl ights
ground to a halt as people can-
celed trips. Business travel
took a major hit as more peo-
ple worked from home and
business conventions were
canceled. And recently, a big
jump in fuel prices has led to
a big increase in tickets prices.
Sundin thinks the disrup-
tions to air travel from 2020
to 2022 will ultimately bene-
fi t the company.
“I don’t see any issue with
it,” said Sundin. “I think more
people, if they can aff ord it,
are going to want to fl y pri-
vately (rather) than commer-
cial. There’s just so many
hassles ... security, rules and
stipulations.”
If sales go well, Sundin
said the company is going
to have to expand — and
quickly. He did not want
to speculate on how many
employees would have to be
added, but Stratos is likely
to do significant hiring in
its manufacturing divi-
sion. Others will have to be
added in sales and human
resources, and more space
could be needed to meet the
demand.
“(The number of employ-
ees) depends on number of
orders,” he said. “I expect that
by early fall we will see what
the response is and evaluate.”
John Day reboots city manager search
By JUSTIN DAVIS Blue
Mountain Eagle
JOHN DAY — John Day’s
search for a successor to out-
going City Manager Nick
Green will have to start anew
after the city rejected two can-
didates who had applied to be
his replacement.
Green announced in Janu-
ary that he plans to step down
by the end of June.
The John Day City Coun-
cil held a brief meeting on
April 26 to plan the next
steps in the process after
deciding not to hire either of
Green
Lundbom
the two candidates for the job.
The city now turns to Wash-
ington-based consulting fi rm
CMP Consultants to search
for qualifi ed candidates for
the position. The search will
cost the city between $15,000
and $25,000, but councilors at
the April 26 meeting stressed
Put Mom in the driver’s
seat for Mother’s Day
the fi rm guarantees qualifi ed
candidates.
John Day Mayor Ron
Lundbom said he can’t say
much about the applications of
individual candidates but that
they weren’t the fi t the city
was looking for.
“They just didn’t meet our
expectations. They weren’t
what we were looking for.
We just decided to open it up
again for people to apply.”
As it did with the ini-
tial candidates, the city has
decided to go with a confi -
dential hiring process for its
renewed city manager search.
The names of the applicants
will not be disclosed until
the city announces who it has
hired for the job.
According to Lundbom,
state law allows government
bodies to discuss hiring deci-
sions in executive session,
outside the normal public
meeting process.
“I don’t have that executive
session number off the top of
my head, but this is all spelled
out in how we’re doing it,” the
mayor said. “Some of those
things you just can’t talk about
in public.”
The failure to fi nd a quali-
fi ed candidate in the fi rst crop
of applicants for the city man-
ager position raises questions
as to what the city is going
to do in the interim between
Green leaving in June and
hiring a new manager to
replace him. Lundbom says
the solution could be a num-
ber of things, from Green
working on a contract basis
to Community Development
Director Corum Ketchum fi ll-
ing the void until a new hire
is made.
When asked about that
contingency, Lundbom said
the city is “working on that
now.”
“We started working on an
agreement to help us fi nish the
projects that Green started,”
the mayor said. “This may be
in addition to that or not.”
Lundbom said the City
Council didn’t know which
direction it was going to go
until the April 26 meeting,
when it decided to look for
more candidates through CMP
Consultants.
“That opened up another
set of discussions about what
we’re going to do. If the search
takes four months and Nick is
only going to be here for two,
what’s going to happen?”
Lundbom said Ketchum
can handle some of the city
manager work, but city coun-
cilors don’t want to “shove
the responsibilities of city
manager onto our community
development guy.”
Long term, the failure to
hire a new city manager won’t
aff ect the projects the city is
already working on, accord-
ing to Lundbom. Short term,
the city will have to fi nd
somebody to run City Coun-
cil meetings and come up with
an agenda for those meetings
after Green’s time as city man-
ager expires.
“The big projects and the
stuff that is in the works —
the planning, the permitting,
the contracts — all that is
going to be taken care of by
(Green). We may have to fi g-
ure something out for day-to-
day things.”
Green’s role with the city
after transitioning out of the
city manager position is still
up in the air. Green has started
his own consulting fi rm and is
in talks with the city to take
on a consultant role when he
leaves his post in June.
“Nick has presented a pro-
posal; I haven’t seen it yet, but
that’s what he’s working on,”
Lundbom said. “Then we will
sit down and review that to
fi nd out if it is something we
can aff ord and something we
want. I think he wants to help
us fi nish the jobs — I think we
just have to agree on how that
is going to happen.”
It will take some time for
CMP Consultants to assemble,
vet and interview a new crop
of city manager candidates,
according to the discussion at
the April 26 meeting.
Lundbom said it will likely
be at least August, and pos-
sibly later, before a new city
manager can be hired.
MOTHER’S DAY SPECIAL
Home & Garden Center • Paint Center
821 W. Hwy 26, John Day, OR
johndaypolaris.com
Purses • Planters • Gifts
START
YOUR
DAY
RIGHT
HANGING
BASKETS
10” & 12”
Our
GARDEN
CENTER
is sure to have what
MOM DESIRES!
PONY
PACK
S
Careers that make a difference
Ny
d
am
’s
Work with people with disabilities!
The helpful place
www.ImpactOregon.careers
with us at MyEagleNews.com
BACKED BY A YEAR-ROUND
CLOG-FREE GUARANTEE
15 % & 10 %
2
1
R GU
RD
TH
GU
TE
’S
T
EXCLUSIVE LIMITED TIME OFFER!
NATIO
N
E
A
OFF
+
Promo Code: 285
1
Subject to credit approval. Call for details.
CALL US TODAY FOR
A FREE ESTIMATE
5 % OFF
7-Year Extended
Warranty*
$0 MONEY DOWN + LOW MONTHLY PAYMENT OPTIONS
WE INSTALL
YEAR-ROUND!
TO THE FIRST 50
CALLERS ONLY! **
LIFETIME
REQUEST A FREE QUOTE!
ACT NOW TO RECEIVE
1-855-536-8838
Blazing Fast
Internet!
ADD TO YOUR PACKAGE FOR ONLY
19 . 99
$
for 12 Mos.
CALL TODAY - For $100 Gift Card Promo Code: DISH100
1-866-373-9175
Offer ends 7/13/22.
All offers require credit qualification, 24-month commitment with early termination fee and eAutoPay. Prices include Hopper Duo for qualifying customers. Hopper, Hopper w/Sling or Hopper 3 $5/mo. more.
Upfront fees may apply based on credit qualification.
(877) 557-1912
*To qualify, consumers must request a quote, purchase, install and activate the
generator with a participating dealer. Call for a full list of terms and conditions.
One solution for oxygen at home, away, and for travel
FEEL THE SPEED,
EVEN AT PEAK TIMES.
Get strong, fast Wi-Fi to work and
play throughout your home. ^
No annual contract.
Based on wired connection to gateway.
Power multiple devices at once—
everyone can enjoy their own screen.
America’s Top 120 Package
Including
CALL NOW BEFORE THE NEXT POWER OUTAGE
*Off er value when purchased at retail.
Solar panels sold separately.
/mo.
69
REQUEST A FREE QUOTE
A $300 SPECIAL OFFER!*
(844) 989-2328
where available
99 190 CHANNELS
MO.
Local Channels!
A $695 Value!
Contact a Generac dealer for full terms and conditions
WARRANTY
For those who qualify. One coupon per household. No obligation estimate valid for 1 year. *Off er valid at time of estimate only 2The leading consumer reporting agency
conducted a 16 month outdoor test of gutter guards in 2010 and recognized LeafFilter as the “#1 rated professionally installed gutter guard system in America.” Manufac-
tured in Plainwell, Michigan and processed at LMT Mercer Group in Ohio. See Representative for full warranty details. CSLB# 1035795 DOPL #10783658-5501 License#
7656 License# 50145 License# 41354 License# 99338 License# 128344 License# 218294 WA UBI# 603 233 977 License# 2102212986 License# 2106212946 License#
2705132153A License# LEAFFNW822JZ License# WV056912 License# WC-29998-H17 Nassau HIC License# H01067000 Registration# 176447 Registration# HIC.0649905
Registration# C127229 Registration# C127230 Registration# 366920918 Registration# PC6475 Registration# IR731804 Registration# 13VH09953900 Registration#
PA069383 Suff olk HIC License# 52229-H License# 2705169445 License# 262000022 License# 262000403 License# 0086990 Registration# H-19114
$
FREE
WITH A HOME STANDBY GENERATOR
OFF
Mon-Thurs: 8am-11pm, Fri-Sat: 8am-5pm, Sun: 2pm-8pm EST
2-YEAR
TV PRICE
GUARANTEE
Prepare for power
outages today
SENIORS &
MILITARY!
YOUR ENTIRE
PURCHASE *
FINANCING THAT FITS YOUR BUDGET! 1
Prepare for
Power Outages
& Save Money
625 W. Main, John Day • 541-575-0549
Number of devices depends on screen size/resolution.
AT&T
INTERNET 100
††
45
$
/mo *
For 12 mos, plus taxes & equip.fee.$10/mo equip. fee applies.
Limited availability in selectareas. *Price after $5/mo
Autopay & Paperless bill discount (w/in 2 bills).
Limited availability in select areas. May not be available inyour area.
Call or goto att.com/internetto see if you qualify.
Introducing the INOGEN ONE – It’s oxygen therapy on your terms
No more tanks to refi ll. No more deliveries. No more hassles with travel. The INOGEN
ONE portable oxygen concentrator is designed to provide unparalleled freedom
for oxygen therapy users. It’s small, lightweight, clinically proven for stationary and
portable use, during the day and at night, and can go virtually anywhere — even
on most airlines. Inogen accepts Medicare and many private insurances!
Reclaim Your Freedom And
Independence NOW!
Over 99% reliability.
Excludes DSL. Based on network availability.
Contact your local DIRECTV dealer
IV Support Holdings
888-486-0359
INTERNET OFFER: Subj. to change and may be discontinued at any time. Price for Internet 100 for new residential customers & is after $5/mo. autopay & paperless bill discount. Pricing for first 12 months only. After 12 mos., then prevailing rate applies. Autopay & Paperless Bill
Discount: Discount off the monthly rate when account is active & enrolled in both. Pay full plan cost until discount starts w/in 2 bill cycles. Must maintain autopay/paperless bill and valid email address to continue discount. Additional Fees & Taxes: AT&T one-time transactional fees, $10/mo.
equipment fee, and monthly cost recovery surcharges which are not government-required may apply, as well as taxes. See www.att.com/fees for details. Installation: $99 installation for full tech install, plus tax where applicable. Credit restrictions apply. Pricing subject to change. Subj. to Internet
Terms of Service at att.com/internet-terms. ^AT&T Smart Wi-Fi requires installation of a BGW210, 5268AC, or NVG599 Wi-Fi Gateway. Standard with Internet plans (12M or higher). Whole home Wi-Fi connectivity may require AT&T Smart Wi-Fi Extender(s) sold separately. ††Internet speed claims
represent maximum network service capability speeds and based on wired connection to gateway. Actual customer speeds are not guaranteed and may vary based on several factors. For more information, go to www.att.com/speed101.
©2021 DIRECTV. DIRECTV and all other DIRECTV marks are trademarks of DIRECTV, LLC. AT&T and Globe logo are trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property.
Call Inogen Today To
Request Your FREE Info Kit
1-855-839-0752
© 2020 Inogen, Inc.
All rights reserved.
MKT-P0108