Surveying of the Hood River InterstateBridge took place in early January toprovide contractor Christie Constructorswith specifications for the upcoming $7.5million bridge decking replacement.Patrons of the bridge most likely experi-enced a foreshadowing of expectedcrossing delays to resume February 9th.

Once the project begins, there will beon-going delays and night time closuresuntil the decking replacement is completein about 18 months. The Port advisesbridge users to allow extra time for eachtrip, and to regularly obtain updated information about delay and closureschedules.

Night closures are expected to begin inearly April, and will likely take placeSunday through Thursday nights, fromapproximately 9:30 pm to 5:00 am.

“It is imperative that we bite the bulletand get the bridge redecking done,”asserts Port Commission President DonHosford. “It is absolutely essential for thefuture safety of the people who use thebridge. A recent survey showedoverwhelming support to get the job donesoon, no matter what the inconvenience. We need to get on with it.”

The interstate bridge was lastcompletely redecked in 1952. The currentproject entails replacing the steel deck,

underlying stringers and guardrails,which will enhance safety and reducemaintenance costs. It will also extend theuseful life of the bridge 20 years or more.

The plates of bridge decking will beassembled in Vancouver, Washington,then transported and staged near the Portof Hood River Expo Center. Deckingpanels will be replaced during the nighttime closures.

Another positive outcome of the newsteel grid surface will be the discontinu-ation of ongoing maintenance thatcaused delays every spring and fall.

Reader boards will be placed on inter-secting highways and Interstate 84 toalert inbound traffic of the project. ThePort of Hood River is also making everyeffort to provide updated information tolocal patrons.

Forums will be held in mid-Februaryfor employers and emergency services togain input on accommodating specialneeds within the contractual obligationsof the project.

A public forum for interested frequentbridge users is tentatively scheduled formid-March. More information onmeeting time and location will be postedon the Port’s web site, and publicized inlocal media.

The Port of Hood River values the public’sfeedback regarding the bridge project.Please contact the Port office at 41-386-1645 or send an email toporthr@portofhoodriver.com to express any concernsor suggestions.

PORT OF HOOD RIVERPO Box 239Hood River, OR 97031

The Port of Hood River has takensteps to clarify the lawful effect of a Cityof Hood River citizen initiative to rezonea major portion of the Port-owned HoodRiver waterfront as a public park byseeking rulings from two legal bodies.

The Port asked the Oregon Land UseBoard of Appeals (LUBA) to rule on thevalidity of Ballot Measure 14-16,approved by City of Hood River voters inNovember. The majority of the PortDistrict’s residents live outside the citylimits, and therefore were unable to cast

Winter 2004

PRSRTUS POSTAGE

PAIDPermit No. 700Portland, OR

Port seekslegal rulingson waterfrontinitiative

Bridge users can subscribeto the Port of Hood River’s EMAIL NOTIFICATION LISTfor updates on bridge constructionand closure schedules.

Please log on to the Port’s web site at

portofhoodriver.comto subscribe.

A special telephone hotline will alsorelay up-to-date information.Call toll-free

877-BRIDGE-0(877-274-3430)or locally at 541-386-6832.

For further details, contact the Portof Hood River at 541-386-1645 oremail porthr@portofhoodriver.com.

The winter storm that hit Hood RiverCounty after the new year put the Port ofHood River’s maintenance department tothe winter test for the first time in years.From keeping critical roads and access toPort properties clear, and Port buildingsdamage-free, to making sure boats stayafloat at the marina, the department’sschedule was on overload.

“That week was like one long, never-ending day,” recalls maintenancemanager Joe Pounders.

Pounders says his crew was prepared,but probably not as well as usual becausethe area hasn’t been subjected to aserious winter storm in years. Only half ofthe six-man crew had experienceoperating the Port’s plows.

With the number of Port buildings,many aged, the damage was little. Awaterline at the cruise ship dock froze andblew, and has since been repaired. Also, abank of sinks in the men’s restroom at theHood River Expo Center froze and thawedwithout incident.

The Port’s Expo Center use was donatedto the local Red Cross chapter to provideshelter and nourishment to many truckersstranded in Hood River as a result ofhighway closures. ODOT contacted thePort to obtain permission for trucks topark at the waterfront property until theycould resume their travels.

Juggling ActThe maintenance department’s first

priority during a winter storm is to keepthe bridge approaches clear of snow andice. The Port cooperates with neighboringjurisdictions. ODOT and WSDOT are

responsible for the highways that lead tothe bridge approaches, however the Portwill generally assure the road is plowedand sanded on the Oregon side back to the intersection.

During severe winter weather, thebridge deck grating rises in esteem. “It hasnever been a problem during a winterstorm because the snow goes right throughit,” Pounders says. “It’s the best surface forsnowy, icy conditions, although peopledon’t like it on their chains.”

The Marina boat basin is the nextpriority. “We keep a close watch on boats,even though we aren’t technically respon-sible for them,” clarifies long-timemaintenance employee Ernie Enos.

“The real problem with boats sinkingis environmental,” Pounders adds. “If aboat goes down, there’s a fuel spill andthen it’s a severe problem.” The Port officeattempts to contact boat owners duringinclement weather.

In addition, the department clearsaccess to the Big 7 building and parkinglot, UTS Portsite, Homeshield, and theHood River Expo Center. “It’s a realjuggling contest because we try usually toget things opened up by 6 o’clock everymorning,” Pounders relates. “When snow is a foot or two deep and you gothrough with a plow, you’re a real hero.Then it gets hard and sets, and you gothrough with a plow, and you’re not ahero any more.”

Fortunately the City of Hood River oftenhelps with Portway. “And if we’re passingon city roads we’ll drop a plow blade justlike everyone else,” Enos says

The Port of Hood River’s main plow isa 3/4 ton truck, aided by an open cab John

Deere with a plow attachment, andanother truck with plow blade at theairport, so efforts are limited.

The Ken Jernstedt Airfield and thenJohn Weber Business Park receive finalattention. The airport runway is kept clearfor emergency landings. The Port takescare of the driveways and parking lots atJohn Weber Business Park; the countyplows the loop road.

Access to properties in Port MarinaPark, such as DMV, the Port office and theboat launch (in case of emergencies) isalso required.

With six full-time crew members, Portmaintenance splits up and tries to watcheverything closely. Some walk through thebuildings to make sure pipes aren’tfreezing or roofs leaking.

Seasonal shifts“Winter responsibilities require a shift

in our work,” Pounders explains. “Insummer, we’re occupied by tourism andground work. Beginning in September, wedo a lot of building maintenance andrepair.” For example, the crew was indis-pensible in the transformation of theformer Western Power plant into the sitefor new business Homeshield.

After about eight weeks preparing forHomeshield’s occupancy, the crew turneddirectly to UTS Portsite to ready space forRBS Batten Systems. Next the crew ispreparing for new tenant Servprobeginning in February.

The crew will soon focus on Big 7

modifications for Columbia GorgeCommunity College’s new Hood Rivercampus. That work schedule will takethem into late spring, in time for theseasonal shift back to grounds mainte-nance and summer recreationalists.

Pounders worked for the City of HoodRiver’s public works department for nineyears before coming to the Port in 1988,around the time of the last cannerybuilding demolition.

“I’ve plowed snow for 25 years. It’saction, it’s cool to be out in the middle of asnow storm,” Pounders expresses. “Thehardest part can be when people aren’tpatient. You are trying to do a job and getit done right and they are sour about it.”

“There are a lot of storms worse thanthis one,” reflects Enos, who has worked inPort Maintenance since 1980. “One yearwe lost the airport runway, we couldn’tfind it. Another year the marina frozecompletely.”

Regardless, the Port Maintenancecrew’s responsibilities are like one bigjuggling act. “One person’s small problemis just as big to them as another’s bigproblem,” explains Pounders. “We tryhard to make everyone happy.”

When another major storm hits, Portmaintenance should be prepared. Thecrew stocked up on everything fromwindshield de-icers to sidewalk salt. “We’reready for the next one,” Pounders says.

Bridge RedeckingProject Commences

CLIPFORREFERENCE

continued on page 2

Port Maintenance keepspace through winter

“That week was likeone long, never-endingday,” recalls maintenance managerJoe Pounders.

Port maintenance manager Joe Pounders(left) and long-time employee Ernie Enos

View of the Marina from the Port of Hood River office

Truck drivers took refuge on Portway Ave, and atthe Expo Center, awaiting the reopening of I-84

phone: 541-386-1645 • fax: 541-386-1395 • www.portofhoodriver.com Winter 2004

ColumbiaBuildingSold

The Big 7 is the only Port-owned building left in theDiamond Cannery Complex,after the sale of the Columbia

Building last fall. TheColumbia Building was

purchased by KeyDevelopment Corp., aninvestment firm fromBend which also owns theGRAF Building, another

Cannery Complex property. The Port of Hood River

purchased the Diamond Fruit CanneryComplex in 1984, including 14buildings on 21 acres of downtownHood River real estate for $800,000. Thecomplex renovation required a Portinvestment of $9.5 million, plus nearly$1.5 million in federal, state and localfunds. The Port’s debt was paid off inmid-2002.

Now the Diamond Complex is hometo over 20 businesses with over 900employees, generating nearly $20million in annual payroll. The entirecomplex has been back on the tax rollsfor over a decade now, with a totalassessed valuationexceeding $20 million.

New Tenantsat Waterfront

There are two new tenants at UTSPortsite. RBS Batten Systems (see storypage 2), is joined by Servpro, aresidential and commercial cleaningbusiness that specializes in catastrophicrestoration due to fire, smoke and waterdamage. Owners of the local franchiseserving Hood River, Wasco, and eastClackamas Counties are Joel andAnnette Olsen. Servpro moves to HoodRiver in February from the Port ofKlickitat, to accommodate anothertenant’s expansion needs.

Approximately 7700 sq. ft. of spaceremains at UTS Portsite, and 1900 morewill be added when CommunityCorrections moves its office to the HoodRiver County Courthouse.

Winter 2004Winter 2004

Bill Lyons

Don Hosford

Fred Duckwall

Sherry Bohn

Hoby Streich

PORT DIRECTORYCommissioners Staff

Dave Harlan ..........Executive DirectorTelephone ..................(541) 386-1645Fax .............................(541) 386-1395Email ...porthr@portofhoodriver.comwww.portofhoodriver.com

Newsletter Production .......Pageworks

Waterfront continued from page 1

A new tenant at UTS Portsite building is local sail battenmanufacturer, RBS Batten Systems. RBS was founded byRomeo Robichaud in 1985 in San Diego, Calif. Robichaudmoved the company to the Gorge in 1993, like many localentrepreneurs yearning for a new lifestyle, after years ofcoming to Hood River to network at the annualwindsurfing Pro-Ams.

In those days, windsurfing battens made up 95 percentof RBS’s product line. Today windsurfing battens comprisearound one percent of RBS’s products as a result of thecompany shifting its primary focus to the yachting industry.

RBS supplies battens for all types of sailboats—fromdinghies to racing boats—and everything in between.

The batten maker’s two largest accounts happen to bethe two largest sail makers in the world, North Sails andQuantum Sails.

“Our carbon battens are produced using an aircraftgrade T-700 series carbon fiber which gives us a higherstiffness to weight ratio for our performance battens,”according to Robichaud. “North and Quantum order themfor most of their race boats.” Smaller sail lofts place orders,too, keeping RBS orders shipping all over the world.

RBS Battens’ success is mainly a result of the company’sunique products. Robichaud explains, “Our pulform processuses a proprietary epoxy resin matrix instead of polyesterthat sets us aside from competitors.” With this process RBSmakes a stronger, flexible batten that will take more bend.

RBS Batten Systems was previously located at 1027Industrial from 1993-99. The company then licensedChinook Sailing Products to manufacture its battens for the

past few years, but strategically chose to bringproduction back in-house. “We are movingtoward a whole new process, a thermal plasticprocess that we will be using in the future,”Robichaud relates, “this will enable us to createour own stock, as well as new products.”

For the time being, the UTS Portsite buildingsuits the company fine. If the thermoplasticprocess takes to market, RBS will likely expandto accommodate an increase in production.

RBS Battens just might be the battens ofchoice in the 2004 Olympics in Athens. “Wesupply the majority of battens to Olympic Classboats like the Stars,” Robichaud claims. “The

trials are coming up, and my neighbor Steve Erickson iscrewing with Mark Reynolds, who’s been competitive in thelast four summer Olympics.”

As the future looks bright, RBS’s slogan, “Keeping thewind in your sails,” should continue to ring true for thenew Port tenant.

RBS Battens keeps wind in sails

votes on the ballot measure. This process is expected totake the better part of this year.

Another legal measure was pursued with the filingof an action in Circuit Court to interpret the effect ofBallot Measure 14-16.

Both actions are expected to shed light on the issueof how the initiative fits into the legal and land-useframework established by state law. LUBA action isexpected to settle procedural issues relating to thestatewide land-use system, while a Circuit Court reviewof the measure is expected to look at larger legal andConstitutional issues.

“It is the fiduciary responsibility of the Port toprotect its assets, and these actions should providelegal clarity to both the Port and City Council so wecan move forward with the waterfront rezoning,”explained Port Commissioner Bill Lyons.

p h o n e : 5 4 1 - 3 8 6 - 1 6 4 5 • f a x : 5 4 1 - 3 8 6 - 1 3 9 5 • w w w . p o r t o f h o o d r i v e r . c o m

Romeo

Robichaud

demonstrates

the flex

characteristics

of RBS Battens’

state of the art

materials

Busy Year Ahead for the Port

The Columbia Gorge CommunityCollege temporary Hood River site will bethe Port’s Big 7 building, as the city ofHood River approved its conditional use inthe light industrial-zone. The college hopesto find a permanent site in the next threeto five years.

CGCC will occupy up to 5,000 squarefeet at 616 Industrial St., on Big 7’s topfloor, next to new tenant Gorge Networks.Also occupying the former fruit storageplant are Electronics Assemblers, CenturyMoulding, Shred Alert, NorthwestGraphicworks, Carbsense Foods and EqualExchange Coffee.

Initial CGCC plans will be to offer astate-of-the-art technology center and abasic skills training center. Two classroomswill also provide space for the curriculum,as well as a convenient location forstudents seeking two-year associate degreesand/or the foundations to transfer to afour-year institution.

The Community College’s budgetconstraints have limited its ability togenerate a Hood River campus after votersof Hood River and Wasco Countiesapproved annexation of eastern and centralHood River County in 2001.

On the upside, community collegesnationwide have been tapped by PresidentBush as a solution for affordable jobtraining, key to the country’s futureprosperity.

“Educational access and economicdevelopment are the targets of the HoodRiver Tech Center. And the timing couldn'tbe better,” claims Dr. Frank Toda, CGCCPresident. “President Bush hopes to provide$250 million to the nation’s communitycolleges for training in technology-basedfields, and the kind of partnership we’recreating with the Port of Hood River isright on the mark with that initiative:leveraging resources and utilizing

technology to strengthen our community’sworkforce and our educational systems.”

The Port of Hood River has workedclosely with the college over the past year,and will discount the lease on the Big 7space, with gradual annual increases.

Also aiding in the campus developmentis the Port of Hood River’s acqui-sition of a $150,000 grant fromthe U.S. Department ofEducation to purchase andinstall the latest in computerequipment and software. Othergrants from the U.S. ForestService and the U.S. Department ofHousing and Urban Development will aidin campus enhancement.

Improvements to the building’s interiorare scheduled for this winter and spring, asare parking improvements to allow for 40spaces at the north side of the building.The opening of the college site is tenta-tively scheduled for summer term.

“The value of a CGCC campus in HoodRiver is unquestionable from the educationviewpoint,” illustrates Port CommissionerBill Lyons. “However, it is just as importantfrom an economic development viewpoint.The Hood River County EconomicDevelopment Policy is built on three legs: toretain and expand existing businesses, todiversify by attracting new businesses, and toprovide high quality education and training.A key action item in the policy is to ‘establisha community college satellite campus and atechnology center’ which is viewed as criticalsteps for ensuring the educational andeconomic future of the community.”

The program will also benefit localhigh school students seeking advancedcollege credits.

For more information or suggestions,please contact Mike Doke at the Port ofHood River office, 541-386-1645, or emailporthr@portofhoodriver.com.

Columbia Gorge CommunityCollege Coming to Big 7

2003 was an active year for the Port of Hood River, with major projectsmoving forward in areas of waterfront rezoning, bridge project planningand preparations, property sales and new tenant leases. This year promisesto be another productive one, with the continuation of important projectsand many new ones on the horizon.

It’s 1951. A cup of coffee costsyou less than a dime and agallon of gas less than aquarter. That big house on thehill above downtown HoodRiver seems overpriced at

$30,000. And crossing the Columbia to visit friends orrelatives on the Washington side costs a whopping 75cents. That’s a lot of money when the average weeklypaycheck is $60 or less.

It’s 2004. That cup of coffee costs a dollar or more,depending on terminology and additives. That gallon ofgas will cost you close to $2, and that house on the hillwill run you well over $200,000. But if you’re running toBingen or White Salmon, or perhaps coming the otherway for some grocery shopping, you’re still paying 75cents to cross the Columbia. And 75 cents is a whole lotless of most people’s weekly take home pay then it wasin 1951.

But you don’t have to pay. Those who want to avoidthe toll can by driving roughly 20 miles to the east tocross at The Dalles, and roughly the same distanceback. But doing so will cost a lot more in time andmoney than paying the 75 cents, and the savings intime alone is enough of an incentive for most people topay the toll.

That’s because an extended social and economiccommunity has built up around the bridge, acommunity that would not be there without it. Thebridge makes it possible for members of that extendedcommunity to live in Washington but shop and dobusiness in Oregon. And, without that link, the interrela-tionships and interconnections that tie Bingen, WhiteSalmon and surrounding communities to Hood Riversimply wouldn’t be there today.

The presence of a sales tax on the north side of theColumbia combined with the lack of one on the southside would still mean Washington residents livingnearby would be inclined to shop in Oregon. But thatshopping would likely occur in Portland or in TheDalles via the US Highway 197 Bridge. And while theywouldn’t be paying 75 cents to cross the river, theywould be paying higher costs in time and money to getto shopping, employment and entertainmentopportunities. And every time they filled their gas tankon the Oregon side they would also pay, as they do now,the gas taxes that are used to maintain the bridge atThe Dalles.

Since the Hood River Bridge isn’t part of the state orfederal highway system, it’s not eligible to receive gastax monies to pay the cost of maintenance. And sincethe bridge is now 80 years old, it needs to bemaintained. To do that, toll revenues will be needed aslong as the bridge is in use. The redecking project nowunder way is part of the Port’s ongoing efforts tomaintain the bridge into the foreseeable future. A newcrossing is being discussed, but is decades in the future.In the interim, the existing crossing will need tocontinue to serve, helping to maintain the social andeconomic links that its existence has created. Regular Port Commission meetings are held on the 1st and 3rd

Tuesday of each month in the Expo Center Conference Room. The Port welcomes your questions, comments and suggestions.

PORTMEETINGS

Message from the

Executive

Director

Columbia Buildingat 4th & Columbia

Dave Harlan