By Dixon Bledsoe
There’s a line from an old country song: “It’s my belief pride is the chief cause in the decline of husbands and wives.” I started to sing it in the shower though it has not entered my head in years. Why now? I had been thinking of the vitriolic twist Silverton politics has taken the last few years. It is time to move on. Let’s swallow our pride, leave the pitchforks and torches to history books about another Salem community from centuries ago, and work for the collective good of one of America’s Coolest Little Towns. Ugly isn’t cool. Good solutions are.
At Bill Duncan’s service there was standing room only and beautiful music from those I still think of as the Williams sisters, since we grew up together at St. Edwards. A member of the family spoke eloquently, and as the minister finished her reading, she invited people to speak about Bill. I folded like a cheap suit, waiting for someone else to go first. No one did because for most people, public speaking is akin to a root canal. The moment passed. What I would have said, should have said, was that Bill gave me a good job when I needed it most. Twice. He knew we played cards in the attic of his furniture store to pass the time between deliveries. I never saw him turn away a Girl Scout or Little Leaguer hawking cookies or candy. He treated them like they were the first people to ever ask him to help in their fundraisers, though that parade was never-ending. I should have spoken up about the time he called my parents, asking “Exactly what is this friendship ring your son gave my daughter today?” She and I were 10, but the friendship pact still remains strong today. Smart, quick-witted, funny, a fine father, a deep thinker, veteran, and social stalwart in the always-changing Silverton scene, Bill was one of the good guys. I wish I had spoken, but I think he knew how I felt because he was quick with a pat on the back, twinkle in his eye, and a put-down that always brought a laugh and never hurt. He was cool and one of my favorites.
Silverton High’s Izaak Tobin and Zach Gengler were mentioned recently as high school athletes to watch. Tobin and Gengler are noteworthy in their respective sports, wrestling and basketball. True, Tobin placed seventh in 2010’s 5A Oregon State Wrestling Tourney, but he also placed seventh and eighth nationally in Freestyle and Greco Roman, at age 14. His work ethic and wrestling smarts set him apart. Gengler is regarded as one of the best hoopsters in Oregon, regardless of classification. He’s 15. One only had to watch Gengler in the Jan. 7 double-overtime thriller between the young Foxes and veteran South Albany Rebels: 36 points, a 17-foot swisher with 1.5 seconds left for the win, with the near-poise of a Division-1 guard, he is the real deal. The best part of his game? Team first. Watch these two.
