Seeking to make a difference: Local veterinarian excited about his new assignment as a Congressional Fellow

January 2012 Posted in People | Comments Off

By Mary Owen Born and raised in a farming community, Richard Smilie grew up pulling weeds out of soybean fields and detasseling corn. Today, the Stayton veterinarian works as a Congressional Fellow in Healthcare Policy in the office of U.S. Sen. Ron ...

Not to be taken lightly: Stayton reviews downtown fixture options

January 2012 Posted in News | Comments Off

By Mary Owen To LED or not LED – that’s the decision Stayton city councilors are mulling over about downtown Stayton streetlights. “Two years ago, the council appropriated some funds to start to place decorative street lights on Third Avenue,” said Dan ...

Levy considered: Future of Stayton pool, parks, library may be on ballot

January 2012 Posted in News | Comments Off

By Mary Owen Stayton city officials are reviewing the need for a new four-year local option levy for the city’s pool, library and parks to be placed on the May 15 ballot. “A significant element of the proposed local option tax is ...

Pickles, pies and presidents: Bula Smith celebrates 100 years

January 2012 Posted in People | Comments Off

By Mary Owen Make sure to wish longtime Stayton resident Bula Smith a happy birthday on Jan. 14. Make that happy 100th birthday! Born Bula Weddle on Jan. 14, 1912, Bula had four sisters, Cleo, Marie, Gloria and Gladys, and one brother, ...

Madeline’s Adventures: Down Under moves to the top of the travel destination list

January 2012 Posted in Columnists & Opinion | Comments Off

By Madeline Lau Visiting Korea was like a strange homecoming, with everything I saw reminding me of time I spent in Seoul last summer attending university. I met my Korean language tutor, Manki, possibly the nicest person in the world, for a ...

Get fit: 24/7 expansion

January 2012 Posted in Business | Comments Off

By Mary Owen Stayton area fitness buffs will soon have a new option to work out night or day. Keith Halladay, general manager of Anytime Fitness, is excited to offer Fitness on Request. “With Fitness on Request, our members will be able to ...

A Grin at the End: Dangerous plastic

January 2012 Posted in Columnists & Opinion | Comments Off

By Carl Sampson I’m not one of those “Occupy” guys. All I want to occupy is my La-Z-Boy at the end of a hard day of tapping on a computer keyboard. Better yet, I’d rather occupy the La-Z-Boy while I was tapping ...