BUSINESS
Wednesday, July 7, 2021
HeRMIsTOnHeRald.COM • A7
Watermelon crop weathering the heat Good Shepherd
welcomes foot &
ankle specialist
By JADE MCDOWELL
neWs edITOR
HERMISTON
—
Hermis-
ton’s watermelon crop is hanging
in there despite being pounded by a
record-breaking heat wave.
“Overall, they’re holding up pretty
well,” said Jack Bellinger of Bellinger
Farms, describing himself as “cau-
tiously optimistic.”
He said on Tuesday, June 29, that
he had just gotten done checking half
his watermelon fields, and he was
pleased with what he saw. They might
have to start picking their earliest
fields sooner than expected, he said,
but the heat and drought haven’t been
as detrimental to watermelons as it has
been to some crops.
“Luckily watermelons are desert
plants,” he said. “They originated in
the Middle East, so they do pretty well
in the heat.”
Scientists
believe
watermel-
ons originated in northern Africa,
specifically.
Hermiston’s soil composition, as
well as its hot days and cool nights,
helps create an ideal mix of conditions
for the sugary, juicy watermelons
Ben Lonergan/Hermiston Herald, File
Hermiston seedless watermelons sit in cartons outside of the Bellinger Farms
store on Highway 395 in Hermiston in 2019. Jack Bellinger said this year’s crop
seems to be holding up in the extreme heat.
Hermiston is famous for. While the
nights haven’t been as cool in the past
week, with a hotter-than-usual June,
Bellinger said he is looking forward to
testing the sugar content of this year’s
crop soon.
Bellinger Farms also grows a vari-
ety of other crops, including some
being harvested now, so Bellinger said
during the extreme heat workers have
been starting earlier, with most com-
ing in around 5 a.m.
“Some of my irrigators start at 3,”
he said.
New industrial park site breaks ground
HeRMIsTOn HeRald
The city of Hermiston
is about to extend paved
roads, water lines, sewer
pipes and upgraded elec-
trical power to the South
Hermiston Industrial Park.
The city in a press
release announced it
expects the $2.5 million
project to wrap up in four
months and create about
16 shovel-ready parcels of
light industrial property.
The city is holding a
groundbreaking ceremony
lems, endocrine problems
and neurological diseases
Good Shepherd Health that happen to all take place
Care System recently wel- in the foot,” he said. “Nearly
comed Dr. Kyle Duncan, a any foot and ankle problems
board certified podiatrist.
that arise can be treated by a
He joins orthopedic sur- podiatrist.”
geons Dr. Jeremy
He said for most
foot and ankle con-
Anderson and Dr.
ditions,
patients
James Whittum in
should seek care
Good
Shepherd
when they experi-
Medical
Group’s
ence pain. Also, he
Advanced Orthope-
dic & Sports Medi-
said skin conditions
Duncan
cine Institute on the
— such as lesions,
GSMC campus in
spots and changes
Hermiston. Duncan and his in nail color — are abnor-
team offer the full scope of mal changes that should be
podiatry care at the clinic checked out, too.
Some in-office proce-
and accept patients 6 months
dures Duncan performs
and older.
“I’m excited to offer foot include ingrown toenail and
removal/treatments,
and ankle services in this wart
community to give patients which are two of the most
the option of receiving qual- common conditions that can
ity podiatry care right here at be fixed on the same day.
home,” Duncan said.
For surgical procedures that
Growing up in Kenne- can’t be done in the office,
wick, Duncan said he is Duncan said Good Shepherd
happy to be back practic- has a great surgical facility
ing close to family. He com- and staff, located next to the
pleted his residency in Fort clinic.
“I believe in a patient-cen-
Worth, Texas, at a Level
1 trauma center that also tered approach to medicine.
was the county hospital for I enjoy taking the time to get
around two million people. to know my patients so that
Duncan said he completed we can come up with a treat-
nearly 1,500 surgery cases ment plan that fits their indi-
during his residency and has vidual lifestyle and needs,”
been practicing podiatry for Duncan said. “This leads to
faster recovery and better
the past four years.
“Podiatry specializes in outcomes.”
The clinic is open Mon-
one area of the body, the
foot and ankle, and I liked day through Thursday from
the fact that I get to prac- 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 620 N.W.
tice many different types of 11th St., Suite M-201. To
medicine, such as skin con- schedule an appointment,
ditions, bone and joint prob- call 541-289-7075.
HeRMIsTOn HeRald
Wednesday, July 7, at
12:15 p.m. To access the
South Hermiston Indus-
trial Park, take Kelli Bou-
levard southwest from
Highway 395 near the
former Hermiston Foods
plant and then take a right
on East Penney Avenue
for a quarter of a mile.
The construction proj-
ect includes:
• Paving and install-
ing water and sewer lines
to Southeast 10th Street
between U.S. Highway 395
and East Penney Avenue.
• Paving and install-
ing water and sewer lines
to a new road spur from
Southeast 10th into Port of
Umatilla property within
the industrial park.
• Completing paving on
Southeast Campbell Drive
to East Penney.
• Installing new under-
ground power through
Port of Umatilla prop-
erty to loop with exist-
ing power along Highway
395.
Funding for the utilities
projects come from a vari-
ety of sources: $1.46 mil-
lion in a U.S. Economic
Development Adminis-
tration grant; $1.16 mil-
lion from a local improve-
ment district representing
adjacent property owners;
$250,000 from the city of
Hermiston; and $50,000
from Umatilla County.
The city also reported
the Economic Devel-
opment
Administra-
tion estimated the activ-
ity will lead to 250 jobs
and $70 million in private
development.
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