Talk:Ontario, Oregon

Section removed by an editor

The following section, taken from this version, was removed by 69.5.225.75 (talk · contribs). Although it mentions one source towards the end, it needs more sources before it is re-included (at least by me)...66.167.138.148 14:54, 29 March 2006 (UTC).

--I re-included this section as it is very informative and looks like it was written from someones personal knowledge than from any particular source.

Economy

The region's primary industry is the cultivation of russet potatoes, sugar beets, and onions. Ontario also has a growing retail-based economy which attracts shoppers from throughout the county and, perhaps more significantly, from Idaho's Payette County, particularly nearby Payette and Fruitland. Big box retailers Wal-Mart and Home Depot dominate, but the lack of a sales tax in the state attracts shoppers (and relocating retailers) from Idaho communities. It also attracts employees, who benefit from a minimum wage which as of 2005 is 40% higher than the one paid in Idaho.

The Four Rivers Cultural Center, named after the Snake, the Malheur, the Owyhee and Payette Rivers, has a museum which traces the history of settlement in the area by the Northern Paiutes, Basque, Japanese Americans, and Hispanic and European American immigrants. The center's theater and conference center contribute regional dollars to the local economy, as does the Treasure Valley Community College, located near the cultural center.

Ontario's role as a regional center of economic growth is challenged by the westward expansion of Boise, Idaho, about fifty miles east of the city. While Oregon's lack of a sales tax is an asset, the state's land use laws make it hard for the city to grow a property tax base and match the pace of development seen across the state line in Idaho. An article in the August 14, 2005 edition of The Oregonian noted that half of the staff of the Snake River Correctional Institute, Oregon's largest state prison and a large Ontario employer, live in Idaho, commuting daily across the state line. The article also noted that the land use laws that protect farmland across the state work to a farmer's disadvantage if farmers cannot find a way to compete profitably.

Street layout?

I'm not sure how encyclopedic such a detailed description of the street layout is. I'd like to see an example of an encyclopedia article that includes such info... Also, this looks like original research, are there any reliable sources for this? Katr67 06:07, 16 May 2007 (UTC)

all surrounding hospitals

eastern oregon and idaho's hospitals — Preceding Ginger₯ unsigned comment added by 76.121.129.195 (talk) 15:50, 5 July 2011 (UTC)