North Morrow
Volume XXXI
Number 7
January 5, 2024
TIMES
FREE MONTHLY PUBLICATION
CAR RT. PERMIT 2 ECR-WSS BOARDMAN, OR
FREE
Got a problem? Call Mike Connell! Mike Connell, a local handy- own company took hold, and man with strong ties to the com- Mike began advertising his munity who looks forward to handyman skills. He studied problems. “When people have and passed the state test for a broken pipes, a water leak, a Contractor’s License, and bebathroom that needs remod- came licensed and bonded. eled, those are the sorts of prob- Since then, every day is different for Mike. Some days he is lems I like to solve,” he says. C o n n e l l moved to Boardman in 1977 with his parents, Don and B o n n i e Beckstead. Don had taken a job with Sabre Farms, located on Bombing Range Road. Bonnie, a hair dresser, went to work for Phyllis Mike Connell is easily spotted in his truck! Gilbertson, who owned the local hair styling sa- mowing lawns, others he is lon. Bonnie later purchased the crawling under a house to fix a salon from Gilbertson, and be- broken pipe, or knocking out a tween she and her daughter, wall to remodel a bathroom, or Brenda Connell, they ran the brush hogging a pasture full of salon until 2009, serving both weeds, or building a new deck, or painting the exterior of a men and women clients. Mike went to school at AC house or winterizing irrigation Houghton, and then the River- lines. “I love the diversity of this side Junior High School, before transferring to Hermiston High business,” he laughs. “I get to School when his family moved do all those jobs nobody else to Hermiston. After graduation, wants to do!” He calls on his he enlisted and served a hitch brother, Gabe, to work with him in the Navy at Concord Califor- when he needs another set of nia with duty on a weapon sup- hands. Other jobs they have ply ship. Missing the northwest, tackled include interior paintMike and family (he was mar- ing, replacement of sheetrock, ried with children by then) landscaping projects, replacing moved back and he worked for bathtubs with walkin showers Koppl Company, a specialist and big this time of year is snow pipe wrap company for 25 years, removal from driveways and ending up running their branch parking lots. “I’ve got to be one office in Sandy Utah. During of the few people around who that time, Mike sold and in- is praying for snow,” he laughs. Between Mike and his wife, stalled specialist pipe wrap to PGE Coal Fired Plant and the Toni, they share a real tribe: Port of Morrow, where he re- Mike’s kids include Jason, Jusnewed friendships from his tin, Jordan, Maxx and Logan, while Toni’s kids are Dakota school years. Mike moved back to and Jared. Just to make life inBoardman in 2008, worked a teresting, they are raising their short stint at Windwave, before five year old grandson, Jaxxon, becoming Cargill’s Maintenance since their kids are grown! Toni works at the City of Boardman Manager for seven years. In 2017, the itch to have his as Utility Clerk.
Mike volunteers as Commissioner on the City of Boardman Planning Commission, so he usually knows all the new construction jobs that are coming to town. “I love this town,” he says. “This is home!” You’ll see his Connell Company LLC pickup around town with his phone number: 801/708-3404. He says although he prefers to work locally, he has done jobs in Irrigon, Hermiston, Umatilla and Pendleton. He likes to solve problems!
City of Boardman releases building permit statistics for 2023