MCEDD Recent News Items

Huggins Family Farms Boosts Production of Monkey Brittle

February 3, 2023 – Monkey Brittle is a healthy snack made locally in Hood River from a combination of three simple ingredients: organic bananas, organic nuts, and raisins!  Monkey Brittle tastes just like banana nut bread, but it is dried to achieve the crispy crunch that snackers love. The simplicity of Monkey Brittle’s ingredients puts this snack into the gluten free, vegan, paleo, non-GMO, raw, and no added sugars dietary guidelines, so it can be enjoyed by everyone! It is sold in both a 2-ounce and 4-ounce bag and can be purchased online and locally with wholesale and retail pricing. The trademark Monkey Brittle was filed by Huggins Family Farms, LLC, in 2015. For a few years the family experimented with recipes, trademarked, made tiny batches, and sold just locally. By January of 2021 Huggins Family Farms officially launched into production, and you can now find Monkey Brittle at all New Seasons and Market of Choice locations across Oregon, as well as at quality independent grocers across the gorge and Portland areas. With funding assistance from MCEDD, the Farm has purchased a second dehydrator and upgraded the electrical wiring and connections to accommodate the new equipment.  The funding has also supplied working capital for the labor, inventory and marketing needed to increase Monkey Brittle sales and production.   [Continue Reading]

GOrge Regional Transit Strategy Update

February 3, 2023 – The purpose of the Gorge Regional Transit Strategy is to develop a roadmap for a regionally coordinated and integrated public transportation system in the rural 5-county, bi-state region adjacent to the large metropolitan areas of Portland/Vancouver. Phase I concluded in Winter 2021 and focused on strengthening partnerships, analyzing local transportation plans in the Columbia Gorge, and developing a collective regional vision and goals.  MCEDD’s Senior Mobility Manager, Kathy Fitzpatrick, is leading the current work on Phase II, developing the vision map and moving towards operationalizing the vision with the input that is being gathered from ongoing meetings with stakeholders. The process is highly complex and involved, with four different transportation agencies spread over five counties in the two-state area. The Strategy will be completed in July 2023 and will provide the region with a roadmap to a regional transit system that will give our residents the mobility to access work, school, recreation, and essential services.  For more complete information and the project timeline, visit the Gorge Translink website.   [Continue Reading]

Grass Valley Business Secures Grant for EV Charging

January 25, 2023 – Congratulations to the Grass Valley Country Market on their successful application to Pacific Power for an electric mobility grant! This grant will support the design and installation of a Level 2 electric vehicle charging station at the Market. The Grass Valley Country Market is located along Sherman County’s high-use corridor, Highway 97. This project brings opportunities for Sherman County‘s rural community to utilize the benefits of electric vehicles (EVs) both by supporting more widespread adoption of EVs locally and promoting Grass Valley‘s general economy by drawing travelers to local businesses and attractions while their EV charges up at the market. MCEDD staff worked with the owners of the Market, Roger and Bonne Whitley, to submit the application and will continue to support the project as it proceeds through design and construction.  Electric mobility grants cover costs associated with studying, planning, promoting, or deploying electric transportation technology and are intended to support projects that advance electric transportation in underserved communities, including areas without ample access to public charging. The project was made possible with support from Pacific Power and Oregon’s Clean Fuels Program.  Funding for the grant was provided by the Oregon Clean Fuels Program, which is administered by the state’s Department of Environmental Quality. The goal of the Clean Fuels Program is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from Oregon’s transportation fuels.  The addition of EV infrastructure also creates a valuable and growing economic opportunity for this rural community that was made possible by leveraging a creative public-private partnership that will encourage EV drivers to visit and support Sherman County.   [Continue Reading]

Gorges Brewing Adds Indoor/Outdoor Events Space in Cascade Locks

January 12, 2023 – Gorges Brewing, LLC is a 3.5-year-old brewery headquartered in Cascade Locks, with its original brewing facility and pub/restaurant located in SE Portland. The LLC is known locally in Cascade Locks as Gorges Beer Company. To purchase the commercial real estate and build its tasting room/brewing facility in Cascade Locks, Gorges Brewing, LLC obtained a loan from the Port of Cascade Locks in June 2018. They operated solely in their Portland location through 2020 and 2021 while the facility in Cascade Locks was being constructed. The Cascade Locks pub opened for business in December 2021 under COVID restrictions. In 2022, Gorges Beer entered its second full year of operations, employing up to 40 local residents on staff during the busy summer seasons. As the events portion of the business continues to grow into larger outdoor events such as concerts and weddings, the LLC has secured MCEDD and OIB funding to finance the construction of a permanent outdoor event center as well as refinancing the remaining portions of some outstanding loans. MCEDD and OIB also worked in partnership with Business Oregon on the refinancing to provide affordable options for the business. The event center is now offering site tours and booking for 2023 and beyond! Shown here, Gorges Beer Company owners from left to right:  Willis Boyer, Bryan Keilty and Travis Preece, in Gorges’ third-floor dining and bar space.     [Continue Reading]

January 13, 2023 is the Deadline for Broadband Public Verification!

January 9, 2023 – Your Input is Needed! If you can’t make it to our training session, your can verify your information on your own by visiting the link https://broadbandmap.fcc.gov/home   [Continue Reading]

Attainable Housing Funding Utilized in Building the Leeward Apartments

December 3, 2022 – 230 Clearwater, LLC is a small group of developers: Vladan Jovanovic (known as VJ) and The Bindery LLC, who have constructed and developed multiple multi-family housing and mixed-use projects in the Portland area for the last 10 years. In December 2016, they purchased .54 acre of land in west Hood River at 230 Clearwater Lane with plans to build a 28,500 square foot, multi-family 36-unit apartment building. The housing development was designed to be a mix of studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments with fully sprinkled three-story wood construction, driveways and parking. Because rent amounts for these units were planned to have a housing burden of 30% or less of 120% or less of the median family income for Hood River County, the project was able to qualify for funding from North Central Oregon’s Attainable Housing Fund. The Attainable Housing Fund fund was created in 2013 by the Oregon state legislature and is administered through MCEDD’s Loan Administration Board. One of the Housing Fund’s requirements is that it be supplemental to commercial financing, and this application came to MCEDD in October 2021 to finance the final stages of the apartments’ construction during the pandemic.   The Leeward Apartments are now complete and in the process of leasing! With their first Gorge project successfully completed, the group plans to build a second housing project in the area in the future.     [Continue Reading]

MCEDD Wins 2022 NADO Impact Award for our 2022 Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy Update

November 28, 2022 – Executive Director Jessica Metta traveled to Pittsburgh, PA in October for the annual NADO (National Association of Development Organizations) Conference, where she was presented with the Aliceann Wohlbruck Impact Award for MCEDD’s 2022 Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy Update, specifically the Strategy’s focus on equitable outcomes and resilience for the Mid Columbia Region.  Jessica is pictured here with NADO Executive Director Joe McKinney as he presented the award   [Continue Reading]

Gorge Regional Transit Strategy Seeks Public Input!

November 15, 2022 – This possible future map of a coordinated Regional Public Transit is now in the planning stages where public input is being sought.  Please take the 10 minute survey to help shape the future of transit in the Gorge.  Please let us know what you want and need from a regional transit system!  https://bit.ly/gorgetransit2022?   [Continue Reading]

Yo Treats Frozen Yogurt Shop Purchases Building from City of Estacada

November 9, 2022 – Timbertown Treats, LLC, dba Yo Treats, opened as a self-serve frozen yogurt shop in September of 2018 at 401 SE Main Street in Estacada, Oregon.  This previously unoccupied building was purchased by the city of Estacada’s Urban Renewal Agency with the intent to renovate it to meet the needs of two local businesses, lease for two years, then sell to the building’s tenant. The Agency’s purchase of the building included a significant down payment on the purchase price by Yo Treats with the first right to buy the building after the two-year lease period.   The business was forced to close just a few months before the two-year lease expired due to the impacts of COVID-19.  As the pandemic continued, owner Donnell Evans was able to adjust Yo Treats’ business model to accommodate online ordering with curbside pick-up to remain open. As guidelines continued to change, more drastic changes were needed.  After meeting with the local health inspector, Donnell remodeled the shop and completely changed her business model from a self-serve concept to a product that would be made by employees.  This was a huge change for customers who were used to adding their own toppings and customizing treats themselves.  Business was slow, but Yo Treats was able to stay open and serve the community.  Then in late summer 2021, Estacada was evacuated due to wildfire threat.  Yo Treats closed for two weeks during the evacuation and then experienced further delays in re-opening due to the nature of their product, which requires a week to thaw under refrigeration after delivery.   The City of Estacada worked with Donnell to extend her lease in the face of these challenges, but the original terms of the purchase deal were past due, and the City needed to move forward with selling the property. Donnell began to search for lending to purchase the building, but the business’ performance did not meet the financial requirements needed by conventional lenders. Donnell was referred to the Mount Hood Economic Alliance (MHEA), whose funding assistance has allowed her to successfully purchase the building from the City and fulfill the terms of both her business plan and her contract with the City.     [Continue Reading]

MCEDD Financing Supports B&B on the Washougal River

October 10, 2022 – Red Letters Enterprises, Inc. obtained a MCEDD loan in July, 2022 to refinance business credit card debt left over from construction during the pandemic, and to fund the next phase of landscaping and improvements for Angel’s Rest Bed and Breakfast and Lavender Farm on the Washougal River. Angels Rest is a post and beam lodge style home with 3 guest suites and an inn-keeper apartment on 1.66 acres with 300 feet of river frontage. Red Letters Enterprises, Inc. has employed Mike and Diana Richards since it was formed in 2007. Mike is a licensed general contractor in Washington and Red Letters Enterprises, Inc. does residential remodel projects in addition to the bed and breakfast venture. In addition to the debt refinance, MCEDD’s funds are providing working capital for vineyard and lavender plantings, an ADA accessibility ramp, and other improvements.   [Continue Reading]