Our Town – Silverton, Mt. Angel & Scotts Mills

Land stewardship: Mount Angel native plants white oaks on farm

February 2021 Posted in Community, People | Comments Off

[caption id="attachment_9780" align="alignright" width="225"] Kurt Berning and Katie Doyle planting white oak seedlings on Bernging’s family farm in Mount Angel. Photo by Melissa Wagoner[/caption] By Melissa Wagoner Welcoming the new year looked a lot different for Kurt Berning and his fiancé Katie ...

Fun run for John: Mount Angel family raises funds for son’s kidney transplant

January 2021 Posted in People | Comments Off

[caption id="attachment_9763" align="alignright" width="400"] Patty, John and Mike Kloft on their farm, Lonely Lane Farms – courtesy of Evelyn Shoop.[/caption] By Melissa Wagoner When seven-year-old John Kloft told his parents he had pain in his side in May of 2020 they assumed ...

Living history: Silvertonians give first-hand accounts of Portland protests

August 2020 Posted in News, People | Comments Off

[caption id="attachment_9716" align="alignright" width="300"] A Black Lives Matter memorial on Tom McCall Waterfront Park near the protest blocks in Portland. Photo by Melissa Wagoner.[/caption] “You watch what’s going on for years and it leads to this underlying angst and agitation,”45-year-old Jay ...

Open Doors: Changing lives one cup, one project at a time

February 2020 Posted in People | Comments Off

By Dixon Bledsoe Imagine a young adult, just finishing high school and heading out into the world for college, work or travel. A challenging time for an 18-year-old, right? Both exciting and scary. Now imagine an 18-year-old with intellectual and developmental disabilities. ...

Opening rush: Dodgeball coordinators receive Distinguished Service Award

February 2020 Posted in People | Comments Off

[caption id="attachment_9624" align="alignright" width="300"] Mindy Duerst and Erica Rumca. Photo by Melissa Wagoner.[/caption] By Melissa Wagoner Raising funds for Silverton’s Project Graduation – a parent organization which puts on an all-night, drug and alcohol-free post-graduation celebration – is no small feat. With ...

Giving their time, giving their all: Bill and Sylvia Long receive Judy Schmidt Lifetime Achievement Award

February 2020 Posted in People | Comments Off

[caption id="attachment_9626" align="alignright" width="280"] Sylvia and Bill Long, recipients of the Judy Schmidt Lifetime Achievement Award. Photo by Nancy Jennings[/caption] By Brenna Wiegand Bill and Sylvia Long will be honored as recipients of the 2019 Judy Schmidt Lifetime Achievement Award at the ...

Future First Citizen: Zahra DeShaw contributes on many fronts

February 2020 Posted in People | Comments Off

[caption id="attachment_9628" align="alignright" width="219"] Silverton Future First Citizen Zahra DeShaw. Photo by Dixon Bledsoe.[/caption] By Dixon Bledsoe Awesome grades? No-brainer. Mad skills in everything from public speaking to leadership? Certainly. Lots of awards for speech and debate, academic excellence, and benevolent, community-centric ...

Personalized expertise: Silverton Pill Box named Business of the Year

February 2020 Posted in People | Comments Off

[caption id="attachment_9627" align="alignright" width="179"] Amber Grant of Silverton Pill Box Pharmacy, the 2019 Business of the Year. Photo by Jim Kinghorn[/caption] By Brenna Wiegand Silverton Pill Box Pharmacy will be celebrated as Silverton’s 2019 Business of the Year Feb. 8 at the ...

First Citizen: Becky Ludden honored for impressive contribution to community

February 2020 Posted in People | Comments Off

[caption id="attachment_9623" align="alignright" width="225"] Becky Ludden[/caption] By Melissa Wagoner A list of organizations in which Becky Ludden does not volunteer might very well be shorter than the list in which she does. She is a member of the Silverton Garden Club, Zenith ...

Looking back, looking forward: Five stories of goals and breakthroughs

January 2020 Posted in People | Comments Off

By Melissa Wagoner There is a reason why setting New Year’s resolutions is a popular activity. As a new calendar year begins, it can feel essential to lay the groundwork for the days ahead, filling the squares with trips to the ...

Handshakes, blockbusters and popcorn: Hollywood agent reflects on career aimed at bringing uplifting stories to the screen

December 2019 Posted in Arts, Culture & History, People | Comments Off

[caption id="attachment_9605" align="alignright" width="274"] Frank Wuliger with the writer/director of Harriet Kasi Lemmons; Deborah Martin Chase, producer; and Daniela Taplan Lundberg, producer in Washington D.C. Submitted Photo[/caption] By Dixon Bledsoe In many ways, Frank Wuliger’s career as a Hollywood agent is like ...

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: ...

Avery takes helm at Legacy Silverton

November 2019 Posted in News, People, Your Health | Comments Off

[caption id="attachment_9507" align="alignright" width="225"] Jonathan Avery, MHSA Submitted Photo[/caption] Jonathan Avery, MHSA, is now Legacy Health’s president for the Willamette Valley Region. His responsibilities include leadership of medical centers at Legacy Silverton and Legacy Meridian Park in Tualatin. Legacy’s announcement said the ...

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 hiker’s quest: Learning what’s important from the Pacific Crest Trail

November 2019 Posted in People, Travel, Your Health | Comments Off

[caption id="attachment_9506" align="alignleft" width="189"] Anna Koch on the marker at the end of her journey along the Pacific Crest Trail. Submitted Photos[/caption] By Melissa Wagoner “In a heartbeat,” is Anna Koch’s instant reply when asked if she would once again hike the Pacific ...

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 ...

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 ...

Jar of Awesome: An easy way to capture your family’s best memories

October 2019 Posted in Columnists & Opinion, Other, People | Comments Off

“Enjoy this time because it’ll be over before you know it,” is possibly the single most cruel sentence one can utter to a new parent, yet the compulsion to say it is hard to resist. I’ve said it – many times ...

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 ...

Small towns… Big hearts

October 2019 Posted in Columnists & Opinion, Community, People | Comments Off

I love small towns. I’ve lived in several – in Oregon, Minnesota and Alaska. Unless I was forced to, I’d never live in a big city. But I’ve been at a loss to explain to other people just why I like ...

Moral fiction: Silverton author explores her own worlds of wonder

September 2019 Posted in Arts, Culture & History, Community, People | Comments Off

[caption id="attachment_9429" align="alignleft" width="185"] Lisa Lowell[/caption] By Nancy Jennings Silverton is known for its majestic waterfalls and extensive artistic community. Among those artists is author Lisa Lowell. She was raised in a large family of creative, imaginative types. Her maternal grandmother wrote ...

Blue Star: Oregon Garden honors veterans with new memorial marker

September 2019 Posted in Community, Garden, People | Comments Off

By Brenna Wiegand The Oregon Garden is calling all veterans to the dedication of a Blue Star Memorial Marker being installed to honor the country’s veterans. The Garden is partnering with the Oregon State Federation of Garden Clubs to install the marker, ...

‘Long Time Gone’: Memories of Woodstock

September 2019 Posted in Arts, Culture & History, Community, People | Comments Off

[caption id="attachment_9395" align="alignright" width="300"] Poppy Shell[/caption] By Brenna Wiegand The nation recently celebrated the 50th anniversary of Woodstock and a Silverton resident with strong ties to that festival – who also appeared in the classic film of the concert – is now ...

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