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. As someone once said, “You can’t fix stupid.”
Palmer must routinely “suffer the slings and arrows” of outrageous comments, often made on Facebook. I love the argument made that the City has a goal of reaching 14,000 people quickly. Uh, that was a projection made some years ago for future planning, so no, Kyle and friends are not in Los Angeles giving out cash incentives to people who can pad our population.
Kyle is always so patient, pragmatic, and does his homework before opening his mouth and answering thoughtfully. He fields all questions thrown at him respectfully, articulately, with a little humor, and with facts. If he doesn’t know the answer, he won’t do like many people do and “wing it “or simply make up new “facts.” He tells them he will do some research and get back to them. And then, oddly enough, he gets back to them. He doesn’t always give them the answers they were hoping for. “No, we can’t build a wall around Silverton.”
But it is well-thought out, never condescending, and always polite. There are those who disagree with him and his other “handsomely paid” volunteers on the City Council and Planning Commission. Public discourse is great. He will be the first one to tell you that.
I will be the first to tell you, “If you don’t like the direction we are heading, change it.” Go to meetings. Write or talk to our elected and appointed leaders, ask City staff about what makes water and sewer rates or System Development Charges (SDCs) so high. Run for office. Challenge the status quo. Or simply ask Kyle. If he doesn’t have the answer, he will have it for you soon enough.
Silverton Rotary is at it again, never satisfied with resting on its significant laurels. They successfully pulled off a spectacular “Daddy-Daughter” dance (thank you, Brent Satern) that had over 800 attendees and raised thousands of dollars for scholarships and benevolent causes.
Now Rotary is ramping up for the June Strawberry Festival (which helps fund the Homer Davenport Community Festival). But wait, there’s more! Rotary International charges its clubs to tackle projects both domestic and international in nature.
Once again, Silverton Rotary is working with the Eastern Seaboard Rotary to deliver potable water filtration kits to what most people agree is the poorest, most isolated country on earth – Myanmar (Formerly known as Burma). 2016’s effort raised $6,000 and helped purchase 171 water kits.
Rotary, along with thousands of volunteers and the support and partnership with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, has virtually eliminated polio from the face of the earth. Now the target is potable water to those in Myanmar, poor, isolated, and experiencing civil war. The distribution system, which flows from Silverton to the Eastern seaboard, to Thailand, and then to Myanmar, is assured and not compromised.
For $35 per kit that lasts up to five years, can you help? Can you give up a few carmel hazelnut macchiatos each year to help a family drink safely, bathe, wash their clothes, and brush their teeth without fear of contracting cholera?
Please call 503-602-4320 to help.
Your donation will be made to Silverton Rotary Foundation, a legal 501(c)3 non-profit and you will receive a tax
donation receipt.
