On Saturday, June 5, 2021, a newly-constructed suspension bridge below the reservoir in Forest Park was officially named the “Tony Hess Bridge,” in honor of its long-standing champion. Back in 2003, Tony Hess headed up an ad-hoc group of volunteers to work with the City Council to transform 1800 acres of city-owned land into a hiking and biking trail destination. During his remarks, Tony reminded the audience that he has since worked with nine city councils on the park. Thanks to the vision of then-mayor Jim Lewis, the city formed a Citizens Advisory Committee that crafted a plan, eventually resulting in a land swap with the Motorcycle Riders Association. By swapping tracts of land with the MRA and effectively removing motorized vehicles from the park, the city was able to create hiking trails without conflicting uses. Had it not been for that plan, the Forest Park would not have been possible.
Kicking off the festivities, Mayor Donna Bowen welcomed the crowd gathered at the foot of the bridge under blue skies in perfect weather. The mayor thanked those involved including Public Works Director, Max Woody, who was unable to attend. “This bridge was a long time coming…people were crossing a dangerous area to get from the Rail Trail to the parking lot and restrooms,” she noted. The mayor also acknowledged and thanked Robert Raymond of the Raymond Family Foundation, who stepped up with a sizable donation to purchase needed materials. She thanked the volunteers and city staff who crafted the bridge plans—KAS & Associates who designed the engineering and donated time and effort, Medford Fabrication who donated the fabrication for the specialty materials, Edge Construction, city staffers, Eric Villarreal and Rick Shields, who excavated the foundation areas and poured the concrete, Forest Park Volunteers, Clayton Gillette, Gary Sprague, Tony Hess, Marcus Mayfield, for uncountable hours of work.
City Administrator Jeff Alvis spoke next, praising Tony Hess for his tenacity and ability to make projects like this happen. After he revealed the formal name of the bridge, Mayor Bowen cut the ribbon and officially opened the Tony Hess Bridge to the delight of the crowd.
Reflecting on the scope of the project, Tony Hess was most grateful for the support of the Forest Park volunteers, the Jacksonville Woodlands Association, city staff and most of all, the trail users who make the park a success. He noted that 25,000 hikers a year use the forty miles of trails and enjoy the area. Hess said the park would not have happened without the support of its team of volunteers along with funding from the Boosters Foundation, Jacksonville Woodlands Association, Cheney Foundation, Raymond Family Foundation, City of Jacksonville, Oregon Parks and Recreations Department, BLM and private donors.
In typical Jacksonville style, all speakers noted that the spirit of volunteerism is alive and well in Jacksonville and is the core of what makes dreams like the suspension bridge a reality!
Featured image: Tony Hess Bridge Dedication, June 5, 2021 – l-r: Gary Sprague, Clayton Gillette, Tony Hess, Jeff Alvis, Mayor Donna Bowen, Kandee McClain.