Something for the Soul: A priceless gift – Listening with an open heart is an act of compassion

March 2011 Posted in Columnists & Opinion | Comments Off

By Winnie Bolton Like most adults, the older one becomes the more one looks back. Presently, it’s not so much where I’m heading but where I’ve been. When I reflect, I tend to see only the good stuff – the events that made ...

Hard choices: Silver Falls School District looks at changes, cuts for 2011-12

March 2011 Posted in News, School | Comments Off

By Kristine Thomas Finding a solution to the Silver Fall School District’s $2.1 million shortfall will require more than “yes” or “no” answers. Around 100 people were divided into small groups – each with a principal and school board member – ...

Saying good-bye: Sherry Hoefel praised for years of city council service

March 2011 Posted in News, People | Comments Off

By Brenna Wiegand Sherry Hoefel got a full dose on her final night on the Silverton City Council. The March 7 triple-header meeting went 5½ hours with the council assuming three different roles before the night was out: Silverton Tourism ...

A festival by any other name… Is still Homer Days

March 2011 Posted in Community, News | 3 Comments »

By Brenna Wiegand Community members came out en masse for a town hall meeting March 9 with a clear mission: retain Homer Davenport Days. Moderator Dixon Bledsoe has facilitated gatherings of big business leaders, but besides setting an open, casual and ...

Poetry fest: Many, varied, free events

March 2011 Posted in Arts, Culture & History | Comments Off

The Silverton Poetry Association will host the 11th annual Silverton Poetry Festival March 26-April 3, presenting poetry readings, performances and workshops over two weekends in settings around Silverton. Free presentations by published poets, an evening of poetry with jazz, open ...

Ready, go: Building project begins

March 2011 Posted in Community, News | Comments Off

By Don Murtha Oktoberfest visitors will be celebrating in a new building in a familiar location come September. The new Mount Angel Community Building and Center will be ready to use for Oktoberfest, Oktoberfest President John Gooley said. “Even if the building is ...

Space! Doctors excited about new clinic

March 2011 Posted in Community | Comments Off

By Rachel Bucci Mount Angel Family Medicine Opening ceremony, 250 W. Marquam Thursday, April 14, 3 - 7 p.m. Ribbon cutting 3:30 p.m. Tours, music, art show Mount Angel Family Medicine is bursting at the seams. With five healthcare providers and only three exam rooms, it doesn’t ...

Contemplating next move: Prentic Boyd thankful for friends

March 2011 Posted in People | Comments Off

By Jo Garcia-Cobb For more than 15 years, the Koffee Konnection in downtown Mount Angel was many things to many people. Then the early morning fire on Feb. 10 closed one of the city’s favorite gathering places with smoke and water ...

Duck’n'dive: Dodge ball tourney

March 2011 Posted in Sports | Comments Off

By Dixon Bledsoe Wes Kuenzi did not expect to have as much fun as he did. After all, he – along with many others – was competing in a game normally played at recess at school. Not did he only have fun ...

St. Paul’s: Straining at the seams

March 2011 Posted in Community | Comments Off

By Mary Owen Got Crab? Dinner Saturday, March 26, 5-10 p.m. St. Paul Catholic Church, 1410 Pine St. Fresh Dungeness crab dinner; silent and oral auctions Tickets, $35 each. 503-508-9900; 503-873-2044; 503-873-6081. Parishioners are getting a little “crabby” over their building program at St. Paul Catholic Church. The Silverton parish ...

Man About Town: If there were a hall of fame… They’d be on top of the list

March 2011 Posted in Columnists & Opinion | Comments Off

By Jim Kinghorn| Aylene Geringer’s Chocolate Box was recently featured as one of Gerry Frank’s Top Picks. Ger, as I like to call him, selects five special places in Oregon each week for his column in the Sunday Oregonian. The Frank ...

People Out Loud: Of irises and bluegrass

March 2011 Posted in Columnists & Opinion | Comments Off

By Dixon Bledsoe You can learn a lot about somebody on Facebook - it is like a portal into the person. Rick Ernst told it like it is. He was well-known for his letters to the editor espousing views you either thought ...

The Old Curmudgeon: New Building celebrates work of volunteers

March 2011 Posted in Arts, Culture & History | Comments Off

By Vern Holmquist I watched out my bedroom window as the old Oktoberfest Community Building was taken down, piece-by-piece. Nothing is left of the building, even the concrete slab has been broken into pieces to make way for the new building. For many ...

Breathless: Keeping up with Homer – Community rallies to retain Homer Days on its traditional first weekend in August

March 2011 Posted in Community, News | Comments Off

By Brenna Wiegand It is with hope – and caution – that all concerned attempt to join forces to keep Homer Davenport Days alive and well on its traditional weekend this year. Representatives for the Homer Davenport Days Board of Directors admit ...

Stop and visit: Exploration encouraged

March 2011 Posted in Community, News | 1 Comment »

By Brenna Wiegand The public had an opportunity to view and offer feedback on a proposed system of signs and city markers to replace Silverton’s current conglomeration at a Feb. 10 meeting. Silverton Community Development Director Steve Kay explained and illustrated the ...

Downtown plans: Public input so far favors plaza design

March 2011 Posted in Community, News | 1 Comment »

By Brenna Wiegand The future appearance and configuration of downtown Silverton, as well as the fate of its few remaining penny parking meters, was the continuing topic of discussion Feb. 17. The public was invited to review the results of participant votes ...

Tangible reward: Students motivated to get the work done

March 2011 Posted in School | Comments Off

By Kristine Thomas There is a sweeping sense of urgency amongst Silverton High School students. They can no longer procrastinate, forget or blame their dog for missing school assignments. If their classwork is not finished, students know they will be sent to ...

Indoor market: Entrepreneur opens venue for farmers, makers, collectors

March 2011 Posted in Business, Other | Comments Off

By Brenna Wiegand Silverton Tuesday Market Tuesdays, 4:30-7:30 p.m. year round Silverton Grange Hall, 201 Division St. NE (Water and Division streets), Silverton Contact: www.silvertonmarket.com; 503-877-3526; manager@silvertonmarket.com On any given Tuesday afternoon, a unique collection of people begins arriving at the old Silverton Grange Hall. Back and forth, from ...

Perpetuating species: Gardeners invited to swap seeds, stories

March 2011 Posted in People | Comments Off

By Brenna Wiegand Pam Milliren has an addiction. “I started seed saving because of my dad,” Milliren said. “It became a wonderful obsession. I now have at least 571 types.” Hundreds of jars, envelopes and various other containers attest to her mission of ...

Artful change: New artists join Lunaria Gallery

March 2011 Posted in Arts, Culture & History | Comments Off

By Brenna Wiegand With a fresh paint job, rearranged gallery space and six new artists, a fresh wind of inspiration is blowing through Lunaria Gallery. The March show demonstrates the diversity of Lunaria Gallery’s newly juried-in members. Jane Godfrey is 72; Tonya ...

Vet shares memories: Vince Gersch was a World War II pilot

March 2011 Posted in Arts, Culture & History, People | 2 Comments »

By Don Murtha Dec. 7, 1941 is as vague in the minds of most of those born after World War II as is Bunker Hill, Shiloh or Gettysburg. But there are a few who remember clearly the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. ...

Something for the Soul: What makes God smile? – You

March 2011 Posted in Columnists & Opinion | Comments Off

By Winnie Bolton There is something deeply sacred about every single person. If we become blind to this, we end up treating people as if they were disposable objects and turn this beautiful world of ours into a wasteland. The behavioral sciences tell ...

Art honors: Five win show awards

March 2011 Posted in Arts, Culture & History, School | Comments Off

By Tanner Rosenberry Mark Twain Middle School art teacher Shana Chandler couldn’t have been more pleased with how her students did in their first art show. “Five of our students received awards and three of our students had pieces selected for the ...

A Grin at the End: Spur of the moment stories

March 2011 Posted in Columnists & Opinion | Comments Off

By Carl Sampson Our kids are real road warriors. When they were younger, we took a lot of cross-country trips. We drove from Minnesota to Boston to Los Angeles and back — by way of Florida. They saw the Pacific Ocean, the ...

The Old Curmudgeon: Thank you for Wurstfest

March 2011 Posted in Columnists & Opinion | Comments Off

By Vern Holmquist I am writing this column the day after Wurstfest. As a Mount Angel resident, I see a special meaning to Wurstfest, primarily as a local celebration of the good life we have here. It is such a joy to ...