Portion of U.S. 395 will be "Don Kendall Memorial Highway"

On May 18, Oregon Governor Kate Brown signed into law Senate Bill 628, a bill sponsored by Senator Bill Hansell (R-Athena) and Representative Greg Barreto (R-Cove). SB 628 designates a portion of U.S. Highway 395, between Ukiah and Highway 74, as the Don Kendall Memorial Highway. Kendall, a native of eastern Oregon and an employee of ODOT for more than 30 years, was killed in the line of duty on July 22, 2014.

“Mr. Kendall was born in Nyssa and moved to Ukiah as a young boy. He later married and raised two daughters. When asked what section of Oregon he wanted to work in by Oregon’s Department of Transportation, he stated he would prefer to stay near his home in Eastern Oregon. He chose Highway 395,” said Hansell. “I am honored to have sponsored this bill honoring the life of Mr. Don Kendall.”

SB 628 received a unanimous vote in both the Oregon Senate and Oregon House of Representatives.

“SB 628 pays tribute to a man who dedicated himself to making the highways and byways of eastern Oregon safer for the traveling public,” Hansell said. “A man who would never back off until the job was done. There is no way of knowing how many people Mr. Kendall helped in his 30-plus years of service to ODOT, but Mr. Kendall served the state of Oregon and his community with great distinction. He served the state with high honor, with a strong sense of duty, and it is truly right and just to designate this stretch of Highway 395 as the Don Kendall Memorial Highway.”