MISSION – The sun was still a long way from making an appearance when the doors opened and the first customers filed into the new Mission Market.

But it didn’t take long for Tracker Denny and Susie Calhoun to get their orders and settled into the comfortable inside seating area soon after the store opened at 6 this morning. They were the first official customers in the new store, although the 12-person staff had served a few special customers during the prior week.

“The board came in yesterday and gave them (the staff) a little practice – they served them lunch,” said Stephanie Seamans, Tribal Department of Economic and Community Development CPA and Economic Planner.

Seamans served as the project manager for the store construction, working closely with Don Nelson, Arrowhead Travel Plaza manager. The two strived to bring the community’s requests regarding the store to life.

When the old market was demolished in 1998 to comply with Environmental Protection Act underground storage tank guidelines, it left Mission without a market. Since then, residents have had to go seven miles to the west side of Pendleton to buy groceries.

No longer.

The new store features grocery items, meats by the pound or sliced, a deli counter and diabetic supplies. Submarine sandwiches and hand-dipped ice cream are on the menu, and donuts made fresh each morning.

Many of the items in the store, including fresh produce and meat products from the local Hill Meats Company, as well as Sailor Boy Pilot Bread, addressed specific requests from community members.

“People told us they wanted not just a convenience store they wanted fresh meat and produce too,” Seamans said.

The new market has been a top priority for the community since the old store was torn down. It was funded by the Tribes and grants from the Rural Housing and Economic Development and USDA Rural Development and Rural Business Enterprise.

It also included considerable community involvement. Tiles produced by approximately 150 tribal members, with the help of Dotty’s Ceramics of Pendleton, will be framed and displayed throughout the store.

“It’s been a really positive experience – the community has really been behind it,” Seamans said.

A suggestion box will help the market remain responsive to the community, she said.

A drive-through window adds to the overall convenience of the 4,500-square-foot store, which has amble inside seating.

The store has an ATM, and pay telephones both inside and outside. It also has been designated as a certified mail receiving station, so there are post office boxes available for rent.

Future plans include a Mission Market Web site featuring order forms that can be faxed into the Deli, allowing patrons to order what they want for lunch or grocers to pick later, Seamans said.