Renewing that pioneer spirit: GeerCrest Farm takes steps to preserve past, ensure future
When offered the chance to become part of the 160-year-old GeerCrest Farm tradition, Hayden and Kya White had to pinch themselves.
Time to file: Who will throw a hat in to the political ring?
The Nov. 2 General Election seems far off, but filing deadlines are fast approaching for those wishing to run for city office in Mount Angel, Scotts Mills and Silverton.
Goat rescuer: A breed apart
Some would say she’s crazy. After all, how many people would donate their home and acreage to a non-profit organization? … Or pour as much as $200,000 of their salary into saving a ragtag bunch of sick goats? Dr. Sophie Dojacques would – and has.
In the blink of an eye: Heidi Schindler faces toughest challenge …
Heidi Schindler was having the time of her life – a stolen weekend snowboarding in amazing weather at Schweitzer Mountain Resort in Sandpoint, Idaho, one of the Northwest’s premier ski spots. Friday and Saturday morning had been incredible. After lunch she and friend Mitchell Fessler decided to get in a few more runs before calling it a day. Saturday, Jan. 23, was when Heidi’s life took a 360-degree turn.
Project Hope: The Stevens work to build bridges between people of faith and people of goodwill
Jerry Stevens says he was born into the life of faith.
Alternative solutions: Acupuncturist makes Silverton connections
Andrea Fisk recently began practicing at Eng Acupuncture and she loves it. She practices independently in Portland as Singing Bird Acupuncture, but was eager to fill a part-time position in a small town.
Wiegand, Brown wed
The wedding of my daughter, Valerie Wiegand of Silverton, whose dad is Wade Wiegand; to Justin Brown, son of Mike and Sally Brown of Pleasant Hill, Ore., on Nov. 21, 2009, was a prime example. The wedding took place at Emmanuel Bible Church in Pratum, our family church.
In ‘Earnest’: Wilde comedy takes satirical slant to serious social subjects
The Importance of Being Earnest, a play written in 1894 by Oscar Wilde, opens the last weekend in February. It is Silverton High School Theater Department’s second play in the new school auditorium, but the theater has already hosted several community events.
Mt. Angel Sausage Co.: Growth linked to filling customers’ needs
Mt. Angel’s 2009 Business of the Year is really several businesses rolled into one and stuffed in sausage casing. Mt. Angel Sausage Co., 105 S. Garfield St., makes sausage; sells sausage, sauces and nuts online and at its pub restaurant; and is a catering service as well as a concession provider at fairs, festivals and sporting events.
Religious education: Bible Released Program faces challenges
Silverton’s students can learn about the Bible and the Christian faith during school hours through Bible Released Time classes.
Police poaching: Retaining trained officers proves a challenge
One of the most troubling forms of theft Silverton Police Chief Rick Lewis says he has to contend with is from his department’s ranks. Officers, after about a year’s worth of paid training time, are stolen away by the big city departments and the lure of more excitement.
Get creative: Holiday, special event decorating goes from the outside in
With some creative thinking and a pair of clippers (or chainsaw if need be) you can gather the raw materials to beautify your holiday table, a community function – or a whole wedding!
Mark Dietrich: Getting a hold of a new career in a very old business
One could almost say Mark Dietrich would rather be kicked in the head by a horse than hold down a desk job – almost. Dietrich recently launched Foothills Farrier Service, shoeing horses all over the Willamette Valley.
Therapy Garden: Creation of many hands
By Brenna Wiegand When Polly Youngren began as the assistant director of nurses at Providence Benedictine Nursing Center six years ago, executive director Emily Dazey asked if she’d help create a therapy garden. “We started with a blank slate and worked with a Portland landscape architect,” said Youngren. “What you see here is five years of fund-raising and growing. It […]
Community ball: Fundraising event returns as masquerade
“Come as you are – or come as you aren’t,” Mayor Stu Rasmussen says of the upcoming charity ball. The event’s name has been changed from Mayor’s Ball to Silverton Community Charity Ball, but the function’s the same: get together for some great food and rockin’ music while raising funds to benefit local organizations and projects.
Court action: Pfeifer brothers challenge hazmat emergency clean-up
Was the city of Silverton too hasty in its handling of the stockpile of chemicals found on a property in town? Or did the chemicals themselves and the manner in which they were stored pose significant risk to surrounding properties – especially Silverton High School, a block away – to warrant the immediate closure and clean-up of the site?
Town treasure: Pratum Co-op
Grover Welty remembers when Pratum was quite the going concern. When he lived there in the 1930s and attended the two-room schoolhouse, the town had a post office, a grocery store – even a tennis court.
A good start: Pastor, community, pull together to help out-of-state couple
By Brenna Wiegand The story of Lisa Wertz and David Ehrlich isn’t one of “boy meets girl” so much as of two adults who find each other after decades of loneliness and pain. The Eureka, Calif., couple, she 38; he 52, were glad just to have found each other. Neither had been married previously. However, much more was in […]
Travel days: Silverton High athletes head ‘Down Under’ to play sports
On July 7, Luke Ferguson will travel to Australia to become part of a football team that will compete in an international tournament. KayLynne Kuenzi does likewise for volleyball about a week later.
Nostalgic Theatre: Memorable movies return to screen
The depth of Richard Jackson’s purpose for sharing his twin passions – Nostalgic Theatre and Golden Age Radio – reveals a third: helping others.
Answering the call: Silverton native steps into local veterinary practice
The bittersweet call came on Easter. Although he’d spoken before with 30-year Silverton veterinarian Phil Andrews about helping out at Abiqua Animal Clinic, Brian Dietrich was shocked to learn the older doctor was gravely ill. Andrews, 61, had suffered a sudden seizure, leading to tests that revealed he was in the advanced stages of cancer.
Visual-verbal exchanges: Poets, artists share talents at festival
Like a sort of joyous ode, Silverton Poetry Festival unfolds over two weekends in settings around Silverton and Mt. Angel. These include a winery, a bakery, two libraries, the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Gordon House and the little white church that was a massage school before its present designation as White Steeple Gallery.
Giving back: Corps member wears badge with honor
Gardening gives a person a lot of time to think. At least, that was what Emily Stieber, 22, was doing on a fair day in late February – thinking – and gardening. The recent college graduate from Wisconsin was enjoying the fresh air and physicality of trimming back hefty clumps of pampas grass at The Oregon Garden. She is part of the 10-member AmeriCorps team that recently spent five weeks working full time at The Garden and staying in the house that, up until recently, housed The Garden’s administration team.
Quikrete: Silverton council OKs concrete-bagging application – with stipulations
By Brenna Wiegand In his 10 years on Silverton’s Planning Commission, Eric Stroup has never seen an outpouring so large or so emotionally charged as that which arose in a matter of days in opposition to a land-use proposal by Quikrete Companies Inc. “When the public comes out en masse it’s our job to listen,” said Stroup. Yet responding to […]
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