Our Town – Silverton, Mt. Angel & Scotts Mills

Virus victim: Silverton Arts Association reaches out to community for help

July 2020 Posted in Arts, Culture & History, Community | Comments Off

By Steve Ritchie The COVID-19 pandemic has claimed over 110,000 American lives, ravaged the US economy and plunged budgets of governmental entities into the deep red, all in just over three months. It turns out that nonprofit organizations are not immune to ...

Empty skies: Mount Angel July 4th fireworks canceled

July 2020 Posted in Community, News | Comments Off

By Melissa Wagoner This year Mount Angel’s Fourth of July celebration was going to be different. Sarah Bauman, president of the Mt. Angel Chamber of Commerce, has known that since the pandemic began. “We pretty much wrote the parade off right ...

The decade ahead: Silverton officials discuss projects for city’s future

July 2020 Posted in Community, News | Comments Off

By Melissa Wagoner In February, Public Works Director Petra Schuetz, Community Development Director Jason Gottgetreu and Mayor Kyle Palmer were discussong the decade ahead for Silverton for an Our Town story. What none knew then, of course, was that in a ...

Peaceful protest: Silvertonians inspired to take action against racism

June 2020 Posted in Community, News | Comments Off

By Melissa Wagoner “I come to report — the kids are not alright,” Keith Amano gravely stated at the George Floyd Memorial Protest in Silverton on Friday, June 5. As the Activities Director for the Immanuel Lutheran Church, Amano has spent years ...

Spring into action: Silver Falls district snaps into gear to address needs

April 2020 Posted in Community, School | Comments Off

By Brenna Wiegand Help often comes from unexpected places, and there is plenty of evidence that this pandemic has brought the community together in novel ways. Last week, Silver Falls School District Superintendent Paul Peterson was part of a virtual meeting with ...

Feeding the workers: An idea turns into an inspiring movement

April 2020 Posted in Community | Comments Off

By Melissa Wagoner Sometimes all it takes is a single, great idea to start a movement – and on Friday, March 27 Andy Diacetis had a truly great idea. “I was scrolling through Twitter and I saw a post from Shake Shack ...

Adapting to closures: School superintendents discuss service strategies

April 2020 Posted in Community, News, School | Comments Off

By Brenna Wiegand Since Oregon closed its schools in mid-March due to the spread of the highly infectious coronavirus, local superintendents have been on a wild ride, chasing after ways to maintain their responsibility to the students. Buildings may be closed, ...

Policy change: Cities change access rules because of virus

April 2020 Posted in Community, News | Comments Off

By James Day Silverton and Mount Angel both have changed their policies on public access to municipal buildings in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak and the governor’s social-distancing orders. City Hall offices in Silverton and Mount Angel were closed to the ...

Surge protection: Legacy, Santiam hospitals prepare

April 2020 Posted in Community, News, Your Health | Comments Off

By Steve Ritchie As the number of COVID-19 cases quickly grows in Oregon and throughout the country, government leaders and public health authorities have focused their attention on the readiness of hospitals to deal with an influx of coronavirus patients. With 43 ...

Shockwaves: Silverton’s community aid suppliers plan for hard weeks

April 2020 Posted in Community, News | Comments Off

By Melissa Wagoner This time may very well be the calm before the storm for many community aid organizations, including both Sheltering Silverton and Silverton Area Community Aid (SACA), as more and more people lose their jobs or are laid off ...

Transformative experiences: Sr. Tisot on Fr. Bernard Youth Center

November 2019 Posted in Community | Comments Off

By Mary Owen Sister Jeanine Tisot has been a Sister of Mercy for about 40 years, having entered her community in 1980. “We are an apostolic, vs. monastic, community dedicated to the poor, sick and uneducated,” said Tisot, who was raised in ...

Dandelion dreams: New shop fulfills mother’s long-held wish

November 2019 Posted in Community, People | Comments Off

[caption id="attachment_9547" align="alignleft" width="238"] Sarah Sampson with husband, Derek, and daughters, Ginger and Piper. Courtesy of Annie Smith photography[/caption] By Nancy Jennings Sarah Sampson, owner of The Wild Dandelion in Silverton, welcomes customers with a sassy “Open” sign on her door saying: ...

Year-end bounty: Sourcing holiday meals at Silverton Winter Market

November 2019 Posted in Community, Food & Drink | Comments Off

By Melissa Wagoner Holiday meal planning can be a great time to experiment with locally sourced foods, according to Sarah Brown, owner of Diggin’ Roots Farm in Silverton. “Eating local around the holidays is a unique opportunity to raise awareness with family ...

Fix high school sound system

November 2019 Posted in Columnists & Opinion, Community | Comments Off

Fix high school sound system A year ago we attended our grandson’s graduation from Silverton High School. He was one of the valedictorian speakers, and of course, we were looking forward to hearing his speech. We knew we’d be seated in ...

November Briefs

November 2019 Posted in Community, News, Other, People | Comments Off

Jazzercise Thanksgiving benefit celebrates 30th year Silverton Jazzercise will hold its 30th Thanksgiving morning benefit class for Silverton Area Community Aid on Thursday, Nov. 28, at 9 a.m. at the Silverton Community Center, 421 S. Water St., Silverton. Admission is $5 ...

The perfect match: Historical piano meets historical house

November 2019 Posted in Community, People | Comments Off

[caption id="attachment_9512" align="alignright" width="300"] Tasha Huebner playing the piano from the 1890s that she moved into her home, also built in 1890. Melissa Wagoner[/caption] By Melissa Wagoner Historical objects really speak to Tasha Huebner. So, when she came across a listing for ...

Violence in America: Discussion centers on guns, but problem runs deeper

November 2019 Posted in Community, Your Health | Comments Off

By Melissa Wagoner In a small town in Pennsylvania in 2005, Trish Ambrose’s 18-year-old neighbor, and good friend to her son, fatally shot his parents at point-blank range. “I was interrupted while dressing that morning by a phone call from [the killer’s ...

We can make a difference

November 2019 Posted in Community | Comments Off

We are asking for your ideas at this upcoming Community Forum on how you already reduce plastics, recycle materials, purchase less toxic products, store foods, save on water, reduce individual use of fossil fuels, and more. Please attend this forum ...

District champs: Kennedy blasts Culver, moves to No. 1 in Class 2A

November 2019 Posted in Community, School, Sports, Travel, Your Health | Comments Off

On a cool autumn Senior Night the Kennedy High football team checked off the final box in an undefeated Special District 2 season. The defending state champion Trojans dismantled Culver 40-6 on Oct. 25 to improve to 5-0 in league play ...

Extra protection: Foundation donates disinfectant wipes to schools

November 2019 Posted in Community, School | Comments Off

[caption id="attachment_9510" align="alignleft" width="242"] Silver Falls Superintendent Paul Peterson examines the large shipment of antibacterial wipes to be distributed to every classroom in the district. The donation was made possible by a dedicated school nurse and Silverton Health Foundation.[/caption] By Brenna ...

Bridging the Opportunity Gap

October 2019 Posted in Community, People, School | Comments Off

At its best, America is a nation where every individual has opportunities to get an education, find work, support oneself and their family, and be a contributing member of this great democratic society. By many measures, Oregon’s economy is booming. The ...

Up another notch: Ratchet Brewery now open in Silverton

October 2019 Posted in Community, Food & Drink | Comments Off

By Melissa Wagoner Dan Miletta can’t wait to get back to doing what he loves, brewing beer, a pastime he has mostly put aside for the last six months while he and business partner William Mary refurbished the space that previously ...

Daunting details: Teachers’ union, district, continue discussions

October 2019 Posted in Community, People, School | Comments Off

By Brenna Wiegand Contract negotiations between Silver Falls School District and the Silver Falls Education Association resumed Sept. 24 after the union, frustrated, walked out of the Aug. 5 bargaining session. More than 100 educators and community members turned out in red ...

Being present: Silverton Grange hosts Nonviolent workshop

October 2019 Posted in Briefs, Community, People | Comments Off

By Brenna Wiegand A general stress pervades our society – something nobody talks about. People consider so many subjects “out of bounds” and the fear of conflict or stress or awkwardness is preventing them from sharing their opinions. Nonviolent Communication (NVC), an upcoming ...

Into the forest: Camp LEAD – an out of classroom learning experience

October 2019 Posted in Community, People, Your Health | Comments Off

[caption id="attachment_9478" align="alignleft" width="300"] A Camp LEAD group working at Silver Falls State Park. Amy Johnson[/caption] By Melissa Wagoner The importance of getting kids out of the classroom and involved in the natural world is something Special Education teacher Mike Johnson viewed ...

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