BUSINESS
A6 • HERMISTONHERALD.COM
WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2020
EOT expands, merges with Gorge Networks
By JADE MCDOWELL
NEWS EDITOR
Hermiston-based East-
ern Oregon Telecom has
expanded its reach through
a merger with Gorge Net-
works of Hood River.
Joe Franell, CEO of East-
ern Oregon Telecom, is
now president of the newly
formed Blue Mountain Net-
works. He said eventually
everything might use the
Blue Mountain Networks
name, but for now custom-
ers of both companies will
continue seeing the name
they are familiar with on
communications from their
internet provider.
He said EOT has been
talking with small internet
providers throughout East-
ern Oregon for years about
combining forces to create
more economies of scale,
and Gorge Networks was a
“perfect” fi t. ZRF Partners,
a private investment fi rm,
assisted with the fi nancing.
“It’s all positive, all excit-
ing news,” Franell said.
“We’re still local. We’re
not selling to some big
corporation.”
HH fi le photo
Eastern Oregon Telecom of Hermiston has merged with Gorge Networks of Hood River.
Eastern Oregon Tele-
com covers Umatilla and
Morrow counties in Oregon
and Benton County, Wash-
ington, while Gorge Net-
works covers communities
in Hood River, Wasco and
Sherman counties in Oregon
and Klickitat and Skamania
counties in Washington.
EOT recently extended
fi ber internet to Athena,
Weston and Adams and is
working on Fossil, Spray
and Mitchell.
Vietnamese cuisine coming
to Hermiston this summer
Bringing a reliable inter-
net connection to tiny
rural towns is a passion for
Franell, who chairs Ore-
gon’s Broadband Advi-
sory Committee, and he
said he hopes to solve “dig-
ital inequities” in the Blue
Mountain Networks cover-
age area within fi ve years.
That includes not only serv-
ing small towns for the fi rst
time, but also expanding
fi ber to more neighborhoods
in cities, such as Hermiston
and The Dalles.
He said in the past the
Broadband Advisory Com-
mittee has struggled with
some “passive” attitudes
from the Oregon Legisla-
ture about the importance
of equity in internet access
across the state, but COVID-
19 has demonstrated exactly
why it is something that
should be a funding priority.
“I think that argument is
over with,” he said.
Franell said members of
the committee are reporting
growth in industries, such as
telemedicine, online educa-
tion and telecommuting, for
work that had been expected
to take decades. The demand
has kept internet providers
busy.
“Everyone wants inter-
net, and they want it yester-
day,” he said.
WORSHIP
COMMUNITY
By JADE MCDOWELL
NEWS EDITOR
It will come a little later
than expected, but Herm-
iston will get a new Viet-
namese restaurant this
summer.
Pho Quan, located in the
old Walker’s Farm Kitchen
building at 920 SE Fourth
St., plans to open in mid-
June. Co-owner Micheal
Dang said the original plan
was to open for Easter
Sunday, but complications
from the pandemic delayed
everything. It was harder
to get the needed permits,
supplies and services from
contractors with so many
offices shut down.
“We met a few obsta-
cles along the way and
had to handle everything
head-on,” he said. “Every-
thing is a learning experi-
ence and you just get bet-
ter going through it.”
The restaurant will
be a “little sister” to Pho
Mignon
of
Kirkland,
Washington, and Ox Pho
& Grill in Federal Way,
Washington, that were
started by Dang’s parents.
They emigrated from Viet-
nam in 1981, Dang said,
with the dream of open-
ing a restaurant, but it took
them a couple of decades
to feel comfortable enough
with the English language
and their business skills
to go into business for
themselves.
Dang said when Pho
Quan does open next
month, everything will
be done in accordance to
proper social distancing
guidelines to keep employ-
ees and customers safe.
LANDMARK BAPTIST CHURCH
125 E. Beech Ave. • 567-3232
Pastor David Dever
Sun. Bible Classes...................10:00am
Sun. Worship Service..............11:00am
Sun. Evening Worship..............6:00pm
Wed. Prayer & Bible Study......6:00pm
www.hermistonlmbc.com
Staff photo by Jade McDowell
A sign outside the future Pho Quan Vietnamese restaurant advertises its expected June
opening.
“WE MET A FEW OBSTACLES
ALONG THE WAY AND HAD TO
HANDLE EVERYTHING HEAD-ON”
— Micheal Dang, co-owner of Pho Quan
“We will most likely
have a limited menu upon
opening due to the after-
math of COVID-19, but
everyone can expect us to
carry our traditional bread
and butter items, such as
Pho and Banh Mi,” he said.
Pho is a Vietnamese
noodle soup, while Banh
Mi is a sandwich made
on a baguette. Dang said
Vietnamese food has “a
lot of French influence in
it, which makes it really
unique and healthy to try.”
“Especially in an area
like this with an untapped
market, we’re really inter-
ested to see how everyone
will respond to it,” he said.
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of Hermiston &
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Hermiston, Oregon
(541) 567-6474
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Our Lady of Angels
Catholic Church
565 W. HERMISTON AVE.
DAILY MASS: Monday-Friday
...............................English 7:00 am
Thursday...............Spanish 6:00 pm
SATURDAY:.........English 5:00 pm
...............................Spanish 7:00 pm
SUNDAY:..............English 9:00 am
..........................Bilingual 11:00 am
..............................Spanish 1:00 pm
Office..............................567-5812
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“Proclaiming the Message of
Hope, Living the Gospel of Love”
St. Johns
Episcopal Church
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On Our Journey
With Jesus.
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Family service 9am Sunday
N.E. Gladys Ave & 7th, Hermiston
t. PH: 567-6672
We are an all inclusive Church
who welcomes all.
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May 19th-24th
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567-3013
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700 West Orchard Avenue
P.O. Box 933
Hermiston, Oregon
775 W. Highland Ave., Hermiston
541-289-4774
541-567-0272
2150 N. First St., Hermiston
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Saturdays
Sabbath School........9:30 a.m.
Worship Service......11:00 a.m.
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567-8241
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