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About Hermiston herald. (Hermiston, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (June 5, 2019)
OPINION / NEWS Wednesday, June 5, 2019 HeRMIsTOnHeRaLd.COM • A7 Umatilla celebrates new Wanapa Road, six years in the making LETTERS By JESSICA POLLARD STAFF WRITER Thank you groundskeepers On June 4, the city of Umatilla celebrated the opening of the new mile-long Wanapa Road with a ribbon cutting ceremony. The road was funded by a $3.5 million in lottery bond money in a legislative effort spearheaded by Rep. Greg Smith in 2013, and opens up access to 500 acres of industrial land to governmental entities. “If you look at the government to government appropriation, the number of parties involved, and the challenging geology we had here, this still happened in a timely fashion,” said Kim Puzey, general manager of the Port of Umatilla. “When I was first elected to Umatilla City Council sev- eral years ago, the city was hard pressed to maintain existing city streets,” Mayor Mary Dedrick told the crowd gathered at the entry of the road on Tuesday. Mayor Ded- rick thanked the landholding enti- ties for their collaboration. The city of Umatilla will own and maintain the road, which heads east from Beach Access Road and ends at a 120-acre industrial land site owned by the Confederated Tribes of the Uma- tilla Indian Reservation. The Port of Umatilla will now have access to 300 acres of land. The Department of Correc- tions provided the land to con- struct Wanapa Road, and will gain access to 150 acres of land just east of Two Rivers Correctional Institution. The industrial parcel could To the editor: Congratulations to the Hermis- ton High School groundskeep- ers! The campus looks abso- lutely beautiful. It makes me proud to see our community investment is so well cared for. Thanks for your efforts on our behalf. Mike Mehren Hermiston Thank you Washington To the editor: Instead of so much negative feelings about the “tax” law that we have been privileged to not have to pay in Washing- ton, we should be saying thank you for the many years we did not have to pay sales tax. Think of what we have saved. It has never been a law that said we did not have to pay it. We were privileged for many years to be exempt. Thank you Washington! Ore- gonians say thank you! Marilyn Spears Hermiston staff Photo by Jessica Pollard Umatilla Mayor Mary Dedrick receives assistance at the ribbon ceremony on Wanapa Road. land. “It’s all growing,” he said. Dyer says that one of the trick- iest parts of constructing the road was blasting the thick layer of basalt beneath the few inches of topsoil on the land. Holes were drilled every 18 inches along the road and explo- sives were used to excavate utility trenches for the project, according to DeGrofft. “It’s really stable ground that’s good for some industries, but it sure makes construction expensive and time-consuming,” DeGrofft said. be used for future growth of the prison, according to a recent press release. Two Rivers Correctional Institution is the largest employer in Umatilla, according to the city’s website. The land is eligible for enter- prise zone benefits — tax cred- its for capital investments — and other benefits as well, according to Ryan DeGrofft, economic plan- ner with the CTUIR. Duane Dyer worked on the water line along the road for the project and looks forward to the possibility of job growth in Uma- tilla thanks to the new industrial Many thanks were passed around during the ceremony, including to the CTUIR. “I especially want to thank our tribal partners for my education into who each of you are and what your values are,” Puzey said. For Umatilla City Manager Dave Stockdale, Wanapa Road is more than two lanes stretching a mile. “This road symbolizes the col- laboration of Tribal, State, Port and City governments work- ing together to enhance commu- nity and economic development,” Stockdale said in a press release. MORE WINNERS. MORE OFTEN. START YOUR SUMMER ADVENTURE WITH $10,000 CASH ercedes enz Drawing on Saturday, June 29, 10pm DIESEL MOTORHOME! 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