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About Hermiston herald. (Hermiston, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 2, 2015)
USINESS B Economic activity keeps grant Hermiston A4 WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2015 dollars À oZing to airport By JADE McDOWELL Staff Writer The Hermiston Munic- ipal Airport may look un- assuming, but there is more economic activity going on there than meets the eye. “There is a lot more cor- porate traf¿ c out there than people would assume,” as- sistant city manager Mark Morgan said. No one keeps track of every single touchdown and takeoff at the airport, but there are an estimated 30,000 “operations” at the airport each year. Summer months are busier than win- ter months thanks in part to traf¿ c from three agricul- tural operations that use the airport as a base. People tend to think of airports the size of Hermis- ton’s — with its 4,500 foot runway — as the domain of single-engine hobby planes, but Morgan said a signi¿ cant amount of the traf¿ c coming in and out of the airport is agricultural or corporate. Crop dusters come and go, and corporate planes deliver executives for companies like RDO Equipment and DuPont Pi- oneer. The airport also hosts a UPS freight plane 10 times a week, handles traf¿ c cre- ated by construction proj- ects and sees helicopter traf¿ c for things like ¿ re- ¿ ghting and medical trans- port. Hermiston Aviation, which is contracted to run the airport on behalf of the city, only has three employ- ees, but a 2014 report from the Oregon Department of Aviation stated the airport supported 80 local jobs and 26 elsewhere in the state, combining for a total of $2 million a year in wages. It also stated that aviation-de- pendent commercial activi- ty in the vicinity of the air- port generated $205 million in sales statewide. That type of economic impact is why the state and federal governments are willing to continue invest- ing grant money into the airport when there are larg- er airports with more infra- structure just a brief À ight away in Pendleton and the Tri-Cities. In September the city plans to begin a $3.3 mil- lion project, paid for almost Owner investing in Hermiston Plaza New landscaping planned before the holidays By SEAN HART Staff Writer 67$))3+272%<(-+$55,6 United Parcel Service employees load an AmeriÁ ight Metroliner cargo plane with overnight packages recently at the Hermiston Municipal Airport. entirely with grant money, to build a new taxiway at the airport. The current taxiway is out of compliance with Federal Aviation Admin- istration standards, which state that the center of the runway and the center of the parallel taxiway must be at least 240 feet apart. The project will also in- clude pavement upgrades, moving the fuel station and installing larger fuel tanks. It will cost the city about $42,000 out of its general fund. Morgan said the city usually puts about $40,000 a year toward the airport. The airport also gets rev- enue from the federal and state government, fuel sales and hangar leases. About 40 air- AIRPORT p l a n e s a r e housed at the airport, all indoors. Susie Rawe, manager of the Hermiston Municipal Airport, said aviation has changed quite a bit since Hermiston Aviation took over the airport manage- ment 31 years ago. Hermis- ton has grown much larger, but at the airport some of that growth has been bal- anced out by other devel- opments. Rising fuel and insurance costs have de- creased private plane use and technological advances mean corporate managers don’t have to À y out on lo- cation as often to sign doc- uments or examine a piece of property. Technology has changed the way pilots do business, too. Gone are the days when pilots used the airport lounge to spread out paper charts and plot their course. Navigation information, fuel prices at nearby air- ports, hotel and restaurant booking, weather condi- tions and other information is now at pilots’ ¿ ngertips. The Hermiston airport even has an Automated Weath- er Observing System that gives pilots up-to-the-min- ute information on crucial information like wind speed and direction via phone. “Pilots are so much more independent these days,” Rawe said. “Smartphones have changed everything.” As for the airport’s fu- ture, the taxi realignment project could help pave the way for an expansion some- time in the future. Morgan said there are a number of hurdles, however, to extend- ing the runway to 5,000 feet, starting with the fact that Ott Road would have to be moved to comply with FAA standards. “Even if the stars aligned perfectly it would be at least eight years out,” he said. One upgrade that has been on the city’s capital improvement list for years that will be started at the airport this year is an Air- port Geographic Informa- tion System mapping proj- ect, which will help pilots land in poor weather condi- tions. Morgan said the FAA offered the city discretion- ary grant funds to complete the system two years ahead of schedule, freeing up funds for some other airport upgrade in 2017. Dickerhoof Properties has been investing in Hermiston Plaza since it purchased the retail center last year. Darren Dickerhoof said the family-owned company bought the plaza anchored by Safeway in November 2014 and has already spent about $500,000 on maintenance projects with more improve- ments planned. The company primarily buys and remodels older properties with the in- tention of owning them for 20 to 30 years, he said. “It’s a good long-term in- vestment,” he said. “In our opinion, that’s the dominate retail center in the market.” The facility consists of about 150,000 square feet of retail space and features about 17 tenants. The prop- erty, however, was in need of repair, Dickerhoof said. Many of the roofs were old and leaking, so Dicker- hoof Properties began re- placing them with membrane roo¿ ng about ¿ ve months ago. He said the company also replaced about 15 heat- ing, ventilation and air condi- tioning units. “We’ve been systematical- ly going through and cleaning it up,” he said. “We’re prob- ably about two-thirds of the way through. A lot of the big stuff that you can’t see is done. The visual stuff we’re not very far along with.” In the next several months, Dickerhoof Properties plans to improve the center’s aes- thetic appeal. Parking lot and retaining wall enhancements are planned during the next six weeks, Dickerhoof said. Once complete, he said the entire property will then be landscaped before the holi- days. The company is also remodeling a portion of the property for a Club 24 expan- sion, he said. Hermiston Plaza was Dickerhoof Properties’ largest acquisition, but the compa- ny also acquired the property and constructed the building for Big 5 Sporting Goods in Hermiston in 2008. Dicker- hoof said the company spe- Walchli named Columbia Basin Realtor of the Year By JADE McDOWELL Staff Writer Eight years after she joined her mother in the real estate business, Nancy Walchli has been named the 2015 Realtor of the Year by the Columbia Basin Board of Realtors. Walchli, a Hermiston Re- altor with American West Properties, said she was a stay-at-home mother to four girls before her mother, Shir- ley Parsons, convinced her to get her real estate license and come work with her. The mother-daughter team works together, and if one isn’t available when a client stops by, the other will step in and take care of them. “It makes it kind of nice,” HERMISTONHERALD.COM Walchli said. This year she is serv- ing as the president of the Columbia Basin Board of Realtors, so she said she was “shocked” when the rest of the board told her they had agreed to give her the award despite her position. Walchli said the method of selling houses has stayed pretty much the same since she joined the industry, but the market has changed sub- stantially. “When a house is on the market and you like it you’d better jump on it, and it didn’t used to be that way,” she said. She said her favorite part of real estate is helping ¿ rst- time home buyers. “They’re so excited, and you get to help them with that,” she said. Walchli grew up in Hermiston, and married her high school sweetheart, Pat- rick, after graduation from Hermiston High School. Together they raised four children and now have two grandchildren. Walchli said she “cannot think of a better communi- ty” to help people ful¿ ll their dreams of homeownership. 67$))3+272%<6($1+$57 Ron Monkus, left, and Cameron Beers from Knerr Construction work on a handicap access Tuesday at Hermiston Plazay. Dickerhoof Properties, which purchased the center anchored by Safeway in November, plans to complete maintenance and landscaping on the property by the holidays. 67$))3+272%<6($1+$57 Dickerhoof Properties is in the process of renovating Hermiston Plaza. The company plans to complete new landscaping at the center by the holidays. cializes in smaller markets and also owns Melanie Square in Pendleton and Columbia Riv- er Center in The Dalles. For more information about Dickerhoof Proper- ties or Hermiston Plaza, visit dickerhoof.com. VOLUME 109 ɿ NUMBER 50 *$5</:(67 EDITOR gwest@hermistonherald.com 541-564-4532 7$00<0$/*(6,1, JADE McDOWELL 6$0%$5%(( 6($1+$57 KIM La3/$17 JEANNE JEWETT COMMUNITY EDITOR tmalgesini@eastoregonian.com 541-564-4539 SPORTS REPORTER sbarbee@hermistonherald.com 541-564-4542 MULTI-MEDIA CONSULTANT NODSODQW# hermistonherald.com 541-564-4530 REPORTER jmcdowell@eastoregonian.com 541-564-4536 REPORTER smhart@hermistonherald.com 541-564-4534 MULTI-MEDIA CONSULTANT jjewett@hermistonherald.com 541-564-4531 To contact the Hermiston Herald for news, advertising or subscription information: • call 541-567-6457 • e-mail info@hermistonherald.com • VWRSE\RXURI¿FHVDW(0DLQ6W • visit us online at: www.hermistonherald.com ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION RATES Delivered by carrier and mail Wednesdays Inside Umatilla/Morrow counties ......................................................................................... $42.65 Outside Umatilla/Morrow counties ...................................................................................... $53.90 7KH+HUPLVWRQ+HUDOG8636,661LVSXEOLVKHGZHHNO\DW+HUPLVWRQ +HUDOG(0DLQ6W+HUPLVWRQ25)$;3HULRGLFDO SRVWDJHSDLGDW+HUPLVWRQ253RVWPDVWHUVHQGDGGUHVVFKDQJHVWR+HUPLVWRQ+HUDOG 3ULQWHGRQ (0DLQ6W+HUPLVWRQ25 recycled A member of the EO Media Group Copyright ©2015 newsprint BREASTFEEDING CLASSES One class covers breastfeeding benefits, pumping and much more. Come to this FREE class taught by a certified lactation consultant, and learn techniques that make for a successful experience. Free, but please pre-register. September 2 12:00 pm - 1:30 pm GSMC Conference Center 3 & 4 HEALTHY FRIDAYS Free health screenings: blood pressure checks, weigh ins, body mass index, cholesterol and glucose. Second Friday of every month September 11 • 2:00 - 4:00 pm GS Conference Rooms 5 & 6 (by the cafeteria) BABYSITTING BASICS 101 Let ‘er Buck For babysitters ages 10-15. Learn childcare techniques, children's developmental ages and what to expect, basic first aid and infant and child CPR. Sept. 12 • 9:00 am - 3:00 pm GSMC Conference Room $30 - includes lunch & all class materials. Must pre-register & pre-pay. September 16-19, 2015 &2175,%87('%<-($1$%(&. Nancy Walchli was recently named the 2015 Columbia Basin Realtor of the Year. 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