Vale airport dropped from funding matrix
Wednesday, June 28, 2006 3:27 PM PDT
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| LARRY MEYER | Argus Observer
The Vale Airport (seen here) has been dropped from further consideration for funding under the ConnectOregon program. City and airport officials have been trying to find funds to pave the runway and had sought $800,000 from the program.
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Larry Meyer Argus Observer
ONTARIO
The Vale airport runway paving project will not make it to the final decision round for ConnectOregon program funding, but three other projects in Malheur County are still in the running for money.
The Oregon Transportation Commission will decide which projects will be funded at a meeting July 19. Eleven other projects from the Oregon Department of Transportation's Region 5 - which consists of eight Eastern and Central Oregon counties - are under review for possible funding through the ConnectOregon program.
The Vale airport is one of three projects from Region 5 not recommended for funding by the ConnectOregon Consensus Committee, which made the final recommendations on project funding to the Oregon Transportation Commission. The committee reviewed the projects for about a month.
The Transportation Commission will hold a hearing Thursday in Boardman on the recommendations from every region during its regular monthly meeting. Harney County Judge Steve Grasty, chair of the Southeast Area Commission on Transportation, will represent the local area at the hearing. The hearing is expected to be packed, he said. Grasty reviewed the final recommendations during a meeting of the Southeast Area Commission on Transportation Monday in Ontario, representing Malheur, Grant and Harney counties.
Malheur County projects still on the list to be submitted are the Ontario Airport Runway extension, with a recommended funding level of $1.04 million; Treasure Valley Renewable Resources for construction of grain storage and loading and unloading rail and truck facility, with recommended funding of $1.5 million; and Oregon Eastern Railroad for construction of a mainline siding at the TVRR plant site, with recommended funding of $260,000.
Recommended funding levels for the Ontario airport extension and the rail project were what was originally requested.
TVRR officials had requested $4.5 million for its project. The City of Vale had requested $800,000 to pave the runway at its airport. A proposal to build a terminal at the Grant County Airport was also dropped off the list, as well as an airport project at Enterprise.
“I think we did very well,” Grasty, who represented Region 5 on the consensus committee along with Terry Tallman, chair of the Northeast Area Commission on Transportation, said. “We got a project in every county (that submitted one).” Harney County did not submit a project.
“It was clear the Oregon Department of Aviation was not going to support it,” Grasty said when asked about the Vale airport project.
“There was no support for it. It is too close to another airport,” he said.
Besides representatives from each area commission on transportation, the consensus committee included representatives of rail, public transit, aviation and freight.
ConnectOregon was established by the Oregon Legislature as an investment in transportation infrastructure, other than highways, with funds raised through the sale of bonds, backed by lottery dollars. About $100 million will be available for the program.
“We ended at about $20 million,” Grasty said, commenting on the total amount for Region 5. While it was announced that $15 million would be available for each region, Grasty said, according to the law, that was the minimum. Region 5, with a total of approximately $20.9 million in projects was second only to Region 1, the Portland Metro area, in recommended funding.
Although at first he did not think they would, Grasty said the area commissions on transportation did have a lot of influence on transportation issues.
“We have a chance to have positive influence,” he said.
On another transportation issue, Oregon Department of Transportation South Area Manager Rena Cusma told the area commission that with an estimated cost of $32 million it is unlikely a proposed realignment of the Rome Hill grade will be funded, given traffic numbers, even though it is a major freight route. It is being recommended that part of the money which was to be set aside for engineering work on the project be used instead to find an alternative which can be funded.
Cody W. Ables wrote on May 16, 2008 11:04 PM:
Here is something that we should all read. This is a letter from an angry woman in New Jersey regarding the War in Iraq and all of the war’s negative publicity. Pay attention.
'Are we fighting a war on terror or aren't we? Was it or was it not started by Islamic people who brought it to our shores on September 11, 2001?
Were people from all over the world, mostly Americans, not brutally murdered that day, in downtown Manhattan, across the Potomac from our nation's capitol and in a field in Pennsylvania?
Did nearly three-thousand men, women and children die a horrible, burning or crushing death that day, or didn't they?
And I'm supposed to care that a copy of the Koran was 'desecrated' when an overworked American soldier kicked it or got it wet?...Well, I don't. I don't care at all.
I'll start caring when Osama bin Laden turns himself in and repents for incinerating all those innocent people on 9/11.
I'll care about the Koran when the fanatics in the Middle East start caring about the Holy Bible, the mere possession of which is a crime in Saudi Arabia .
I'll care when these thugs tell the world they are sorry for hacking off Nick Berg's head while Berg screamed through his gurgling slashed throat.
I'll care when the cowardly so-called 'insurgents' in Iraq come out and fight like men instead of disrespecting their own religion by hiding in mosques.
I'll care when the mindless zealots who blow themselves up in search of nirvana care about the innocent children within range of their suicide bombs.
I'll care when the American media stops pretending that their First Amendment liberties are somehow derived from international law instead of the United States Constitution's Bill of Rights.
In the meantime, when I hear a story about a brave marine roughing up an Iraqi terrorist to obtain information, know this: I don't care.
When I see a fuzzy photo of a pile of naked Iraqi prisoners who have been humiliated in what amounts to a college-hazing incident, rest assured: I don't care.
When I see a wounded terrorist get shot in the head when he is told not to move because he might be booby-trapped, you can take it to the bank: I don't care.
When I hear that a prisoner, who was issued a Koran and a prayer mat, and fed 'special' food that is paid for by my tax dollars, is complaining that his holy book is being 'mishandled,' you can absolutely believe in your heart of hearts: I don't care.
Sooner or later, it'll get to the people responsible for this ridiculous behavior!
If you don't agree, then by all means quit reading. Should you choose to do so, then please don't complain when more atrocities committed by radical Muslims happen here in our great Country! And may I add:
'Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference in the world. But, the Marines don't have that problem' -- Ronald Reagan
I have another quote that I would like to add
'If we ever forget that we're One Nation Under God, then we will be a nation gone under.' Also by.. Ronald Reagan
One last thought for the day:
In case we find ourselves starting to believe all the Anti-American sentiment and negativity, we should remember England 's Prime Minister Tony Blair's words during a recent interview. When asked by one of his Parliament members why he believes so much in America , he said: 'A simple way to take measure of a country is to look at how many want in.. And how many want out.'
Only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you:
1. Jesus Christ
2. The American G. I.
Important for us all!!!!
One died for your soul, the other for your freedom.
MANY SEEM TO FORGET BOTH OF THEM. AMEN!’
I hope you take this woman’s viewpoint into consideration. It closely parallels my own. As I begin my journey in becoming a soldier of the greatest country in the world, hearing this woman’s words sets my heart at ease. It is warming to know that there are people in this great country who still care about those men and women who have no choice.
Cody W. Ables
U.S. Air Force Academy 2012
"