BUSINESS
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17, 2020
HERMISTONHERALD.COM • A7
IN THE WORKS
New Pepes Market in Hermiston
serves up traditional Mexican treats After a
slowdown,
more housing
on the way
By NADA SEWIDAN
STAFF WRITER
What started out as a small
snow cone cart in front of
the Muniz home has turned
into a full-scale convenience
store tucked in the middle of
Hermiston.
Three years ago, the Muniz
family started serving up Mexi-
can snow cones in front of their
home, where neighbors and
friends often stopped by for a
treat. Years later on May 19, the
idea grew from a small cart into
Pepes Market. Owner Rafael
Muniz, alongside his wife and
15-year-old son, said they still
serve many of those neighbors
and friends who came to their
cart, with the addition of new
faces from surrounding homes
near the market.
“A lot of people know us;
people that went to that stand are
now coming here,” Muniz said.
Tucked between West Herm-
iston Avenue and Ninth Street,
the market has the regular con-
venience favorites, like chips,
drinks and other snacks. What
makes Pepes unique, accord-
Staff photo by Nada Sewidan
The Muniz family, Rafael Muniz (left), Solidad Silva (middle) and Jose
Muniz (right), stand in front of Pepes Market at 905 W. Hermiston Ave.
ing to Muniz, is their dessert
bar chock-full of colorful treats
and desserts, dishing out tradi-
tional Mexican snacks, drinks
and dishes inspired by Muniz’s
hometown.
“We wanted to give the fl a-
vors of Mexico to the public,”
Muniz said.
Pepes Market is an ode to
the Muniz family’s hometown
of Colima, a small, sovereign
state in Mexico. Muniz said he
wanted to present a little piece
of Colima here in Hermiston
and recalled how on hot after-
noons in the city, the locals
fl ocked to these dessert-type
bars for Mexican snow cones,
Fruta Picada and Mangoneadas.
It’s these dishes, among others,
that inspired the family to start
their business.
Their desserts contain fruit
cut fresh daily and include tradi-
tional dishes, such as Paleta De
Hielo, a milk-based ice pop, and
Diablitos, a traditional dessert
that translates to “little devil”
and contains hot sauce, spicy
tamarind candy and chamoy.
The Muniz family moved
to Hermiston 19 years ago and
worked in the farming and agri-
culture industry before transi-
tioning to business ownership.
Pepes Market was originally
set to open in January, but due
to COVID-19 the grand open-
ing was delayed. This is the fi rst
store they’ve owned and Muniz
hopes that people in town will
stop by for some authentic Mex-
ican treats and get to know a lit-
tle bit of their food traditions in
the process.
Pepes Market is open from
9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and is located
on 905 W. Hermiston Ave.
Port of Morrow barge services receive federal support
HERMISTON HERALD
The U.S. Department of
Transportation awarded Tide-
water Barge Lines, Inc. with
a $3.2 million grant to expand
barge services between the Port
of Morrow in Boardman and
Vancouver, Washington.
The grant, which was
announced in both a joint news
release from Oregon’s Demo-
cratic Sens. Jeff Merkley and
Ron Wyden and a separate
release from Republican Rep.
Greg Walden, will include the
procurement of a new barge
capable of handling a combi-
nation of containers that will
reduce area traffi c by diverting
freight to the underused marine
corridor.
“This grant will directly sup-
port increased barge service
through the Port of Morrow,
helping grow the economy and
create family wage jobs here in
Eastern Oregon,” Ryan Neal,
executive director of the Port
of Morrow, said in a statement.
“As the Project Sponsor, the
Port was proud to support this
grant request, which hinged on
the strong public-private (rela-
tionship) between our com-
munity and Tidewater Barge
Lines.”
Todd Busch, president and
CEO of Tidewater Barge Lines,
said the effort will help reduce
carbon emissions and traffi c
congestion in the Pacifi c North-
west by transitioning more ship-
ping from truck to barge.
HH fi le photo
A Tidewater barge moves down the Columbia River in 2015 near the
Wallula Gap east of Umatilla.
M
ay was a slow month for new
housing in Hermiston, according
to the city’s records of building
permits issued during the month.
Only one building permit
for a new home was issued,
for a $402,000 home on
Alleluia Avenue. The build-
ing department also issued a
handful of permits for smaller
projects, such as a new car-
port or patio on a home. April
was similarly slow, with only Jade
McDowell
one single family dwelling
NEWS EDITOR
approved.
In May 2019, the city
issued permits for 14 single-family dwell-
ings and two manufactured homes. In April
2019, it issued permits for 10 single-fam-
ily homes, a manufactured home and eight
town homes with four to eight units apiece.
Developers have assured me that there is
still plenty of hope for Hermiston’s housing
market, however, in new subdivisions that
are still in the works for later this year.
The Hermiston Planning Commission
met June 10 to discuss a fi nal plat for The-
ater Park. The new subdivision is planned
by MonteVista Homes for West Theater
Lane near the movie theater, and will fea-
ture 53 single-family dwellings.
Hermiston School District has also sub-
mitted an application for a conditional use
permit from the planning commission.
The permit will allow the district to build
two new softball fi elds on the north side of
Hermiston High School on the former fair-
grounds, just west of the new parking lot
the high school added off Orchard Avenue.
The fi elds will replace the two that are
currently located at Rocky Heights Elemen-
tary School, allowing the school district
to keep the Rocky Heights building avail-
able for students to attend next school year
while working on building the new, larger
Rocky Heights building where the softball
fi elds currently stand.
That’s all for this week’s In the Works,
and remember, if you are planning a new
business or other venture in Hermiston, tips
for this column can be emailed to editor@
hermistonherald.com.
WE ARE
HERE FOR YOU
Don’t delay your need
for medical care. Let’s
get your health care
back on track!
We are making sure our
hospital and clinics are as
safe as possible when
you visit with safety
measures that include:
• Screenings at Entrances
• Limiting Visitors
Your Health &
Safety Are Our
Number One
Priority
• More Virtual Visits
• Social Distancing
in Waiting Areas
• Mask/Cloth Face
Covering Required
Call 541.667.3400 or
schedule an appointment
online at www.gshealth.org