Our Town – Silverton, Mt. Angel & Scotts Mills

Don’t panic . . . You will have plenty of time…

June 2018 Posted in Columnists & Opinion | Comments Off

If you can honestly say that no one you know has ever been affected by cancer then consider yourself very, very lucky and skip over this part..... The rest of us can help fight this awful disease by walking a ...

Voice of an angel: Remembering my friend Beth Davisson

June 2018 Posted in Columnists & Opinion, Community | Comments Off

By Dixon Bledsoe This one hurts. Losing someone you adore is just plain painful. Beth Davisson had that affect on people. I liked her the first time we met in 1964 when she joined our 7th grade class at Mark Twain. She ...

Thanks, I guess? Happy birthday wishes, snail mail and data collection

May 2018 Posted in Columnists & Opinion | Comments Off

Every now and then, politicians pipe up about the U.S. Postal Service and how it doesn’t meet their standards. They are partially right. With all due respect to our anointed ones in Washington, D.C., there’s more to it than a member of ...

More smiles per gallon: Than your average hot rod

May 2018 Posted in Columnists & Opinion, Community | Comments Off

The Silverton Garden Club and Silverton Together invite you to the 4th annual Silverton Garden Tour. The June 9 tour will feature some of the area’s most inspired private gardens and afford you the opportunity to visit other people’s back ...

Off to med school: Former Foxes wrestler Izaak Tobin paces OSU squad in GPA

May 2018 Posted in Columnists & Opinion, School, Sports | Comments Off

Sometimes the statistics don’t really matter. Sometimes it’s what you do off the playing field that ultimately counts. And what you make of your opportunities. [caption id="attachment_8337" align="alignleft" width="150"] Izaak Tobin Karl Maasdam[/caption] The record shows that Izaak Tobin, a two-time runner-up ...

A scammer’s paradise: If it’s too good to be true… resist

May 2018 Posted in Columnists & Opinion | Comments Off

My wife has been redecorating our living room. We figured we would sell the old furniture on Craigslist. I took some photos and posted them on the website. Within a day, someone contacted my wife and said he would buy all ...

Think local, act global: Mayors, Myanmar… and macchiatos?

April 2018 Posted in Columnists & Opinion | Comments Off

I must hand it to Kyle Palmer, Silverton’s venerable mayor. He has the patience of Job and can hold his tongue with the best of them, even in the face of naiveté, ignorance, vitriol, and, on occasion, just plain stupidity. ...

Badlands: Manipulation abounds on the Internet

April 2018 Posted in Columnists & Opinion, Community | Comments Off

I’m not ready for a tinfoil hat just yet, but I’m getting there. According to special prosecutor Robert Mueller, the Russians have invaded U.S. social media and bought online ads that are messing with Americans’ minds. According to a federal indictment, Russians ...

Two out of three: Kennedy girls win another state 2A title, boys take 4th

March 2018 Posted in Columnists & Opinion, School, Sports | Comments Off

By Steve Ritchie and James Day Senior leadership. Veteran coaches. Rising stars. The Kennedy High girls basketball team had it all this season. The Trojans finished a storybook 29-1 season on March 3 with a 53-40 win against defending champion Monroe in ...

Just instinct: Biology student dives into heroism

March 2018 Posted in Columnists & Opinion, Community | Comments Off

Perhaps things just come naturally and easily for Krysta Catto. Graduating from Dallas High School in three years. Majoring in biology, studying to be a marine biologist. Saving the lives of little boys overtaken by giant waves in Kona. Huh? Or ...

Special hoops season: State next for Trojans, Foxes hope to follow

February 2018 Posted in Columnists & Opinion, Community, Sports | Comments Off

The next two weeks could be pretty special for area high school basketball fans. All four teams at Silverton and Kennedy are ranked in the top 10 in their class. Both Kennedy teams already have qualified for the Class 2A ...

Trivial pursuits: Useless knowledge comes in handy sometimes

February 2018 Posted in Columnists & Opinion | Comments Off

“I know that!” “Oh, wait. I thought I knew that.” “Come to think of it, maybe I didn’t know that at all.” “I must’ve been mistaken.” That cycle of thought goes through my head often these days, but never more than when I’m engaged ...

A click-bait world: You won’t believe what happens next

February 2018 Posted in Columnists & Opinion | Comments Off

These are different times. Depending upon whom we ask, social media is a God-send or the root of all evil. Good news and bad news, and even “fake news” can spread like wild-fire. My preference is “good news.” I can ...

Ode to YouTube…or should that be ‘owed’?

January 2018 Posted in Columnists & Opinion | Comments Off

Readers of this column will recall that I believe the internet will destroy civilization as we know it. It draws out the dark side of people and provides a voice for every wing nut in the universe, including those that ...

Move along: Nothing to see here

January 2018 Posted in Columnists & Opinion | Comments Off

Now that the City of Silverton has re-purchased the Pettit property south of town, you will soon have the opportunity to rent the house for your very own. Just be aware that the decor is a little “dated”.... Which will ...

In the village: Our prayers are answered

January 2018 Posted in Columnists & Opinion | Comments Off

There’s just something about Lucy. Maybe it’s the smile, or the pterodactyl laugh that comes deep from her cute little belly out of the blue. Maybe it’s the absolute joy on her little face whenever she hears the “Happy Birthday” ...

(Not) The End of the World: Finding the fantastic

January 2018 Posted in Columnists & Opinion | Comments Off

I know it’s popular to fret about stuff. Politics especially seem to get folks excited and upset. You’d think it was the end of the world. Again. I’ve been running loose on the planet now for more than six decades, and ...

Football flashback: Foxes, Trojans make playoff runs

December 2017 Posted in Columnists & Opinion, Community, School, Sports | Comments Off

Silverton High turned in a 7-4 football season under first-year coach Josh Craig and came within 57 seconds of advancing to the Class 5A semifinals. “We’re very proud of these guys,” Craig told Our Town. “We couldn’t ask for a better ...

Dear Parrot Heads: Concert etiquette and homework for old duffers

December 2017 Posted in Columnists & Opinion | Comments Off

Two events occurred nearly simultaneously this fall. They both got me to thinking. The first was when I went to a Jimmy Buffett concert. I know, what a cliche. An old duffer (me) going to listen to an older duffer (Jimmy). I ...

A gentleman’s art: Tales of a young man’s pipe dreams

November 2017 Posted in Columnists & Opinion | Comments Off

In my hometown of Bozeman, Mont., there was a pool hall that dabbled in fine English tobaccos. These came in neat little tins because they were cured under pressure allowing the juices of one type of tobacco to blend with ...

Time for playoffs: Teams angle for postseason slots

November 2017 Posted in Columnists & Opinion, Sports | Comments Off

Playoff season and district competition are approaching for area high schools. Here is a look at how the races and matchups are shaping up: Football: Silverton (5-3 overall, 3-3 in the Mid-Willamette Conference) has clinched a playoff spot heading into the ...

Make a bid: The perfect place for Amazon’s new headquarters

November 2017 Posted in Columnists & Opinion | Comments Off

I hear Amazon is looking for a place to build its new “second” headquarters. Seattle is a pain in the you-know-what to drive around, so chief Amazonian Jeff Bezos figures he’ll dangle the possibility of a new headquarters out and ...

Human kindness: Something special is in our genes

October 2017 Posted in Columnists & Opinion | Comments Off

It was 16 cents, but what it meant to me was worth a lot more. I was at the convenience store the other day, buying a pint – of 2 percent milk, that is. I buy milk almost every day to ...

All stars: A newspaper lovers’ guide to columnists

May 2017 Posted in Columnists & Opinion | Comments Off

God, I love newspapers. Not the faint whispers of journalism you see stumbling along these days, but real, robust newspapers packed full of insightful and important things that I need to know. I’m talking about The New York Times, The ...

Nurturing types: Stories about caring for the young and not-so-young

April 2017 Posted in Columnists & Opinion, Community | Comments Off

Miss Becky is leaving the building. Mic drop. After 12 years of hugging, loving, and teaching three and four year old little darlings, Becky Detherage is hanging up her pre-school hat. Becky started James Street Christian Preschool at the Assembly of God ...

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