By Stephen Floyd The Silver Falls School District (SFSD) is applying for a $3.8 million bridge loan to avoid a $1.3 million cash shortfall in June and additional budget challenges forecast for the next school year. During a special meeting Thursday of the SFSD Board, officials voted unanimously to pursue a tax anticipation note (TAN), which borrows against property taxes […]
By Stephen Floyd Former Newberg Superintendent Joe Morelock has been hired as interim superintendent for the Silver Falls School District (SFSD), with the goal of “stabilizing” its finances and administration. During a special meeting April 1, the SFSD Board approved an intergovernmental agreement with Willamette Education Service District (WESD), where Morelock currently serves as superintendent. The agreement, effective through June […]
Silver Falls School District officials proposed a timeline for choosing an interim superintendent to begin July 1 after current Interim Superintendent Joe Morelock’s service concludes. During the SFSD Board April 8 meeting, dates for gathering public and staff feedback, and conducting interviews were presented. Board Chair Jennifer Traeger said the goal is to expend as little money on the process […]
By Stephen Floyd The Silver Falls School District (SFSD) has been advised to cut $1.2 million from its current budget by June and $8.8 million for the next school year to correct a looming deficit and patterns of overspending. During the April 8 meeting of the SFSD Board, officials received a financial presentation from Jackie Olsen, executive director of the […]
By Stephen Floyd Former Silverton High School Principal Sione Thompson has resigned from his position as of April 2 to take the helm of a struggling charter school in Nevada. The Silver Falls School District confirmed Thompson’s departure in a media release that day and said Assistant Principal Patrick Mulligan has stepped in as interim principal. Mulligan is expected to […]
By James Day The Silverton Senior Center is down but not out. The group’s building on Westfield Street is out of commission because of a plumbing disaster that occurred during the January ice storm. The center, however, has been able to keep most of its programs rolling along by using other sites: aerobics, line dancing and gentle yoga at Immanuel […]
By Stephen Floyd The City of Mount Angel is finalizing plans to chlorinate its municipal water supply as a preventative against unhealthy microbes, with public meetings on the matter set for April. In a timeline published on the city’s website, officials said chlorination is scheduled to begin May 15 to comply with an Oregon Health Authority (OHA) mandate from 2023. […]
By Sailor Hill The owners of the popular Silverton taphouse Silver Falls Brewery have opened a second location, the Barrel House in Eugene in the former Tap & Growler space. Eric Druliner co-owns Silver Falls Brewery with his business partner, Andrew Fox. The pair began brewing out of Druliner’s garage in 2015 and later expanded in 2019 to their current […]
By Stephen Floyd Keith and Pepper Teem started volunteering at the Mt. Angel Public Library in 1974 and since then have played central roles in both its day-to-day operations and major projects. Now the Mount Angel couple has retired after 50 years of service at the library and city leaders are marking this milestone with official proclamations and a celebration […]
By Melissa Wagoner At this point, most people have contracted COVID at least once during the past four years. For the majority, the experience was akin to getting the flu. They were sick for a few days, or even a week, but then the symptoms faded and they resumed their normal lives. That’s the story for most, but not all. […]
By James Day The Silver Falls Family YMCA has embarked upon a major fundraising campaign to pay for and construct a new building in which to operate its programs. Amid challenges to insuring an aging building, the YMCA left its long-time home in the Silverton Community Center in March. The building is currently being leased by the city from the […]
By Melissa Wagoner If the odds of giving birth on Leap Day are one in 1,461, the odds of two cousins sharing the same Leap Day birthday are, well, extremely low. “We did the math,” Laura Pemble said, recalling the day she discovered that not only was her daughter-in-law, Ivy Pemble, pregnant with her first child, but her daughter, Megan Peetz, was pregnant with […]
By Melissa Wagoner What would a celebration of the famous political cartoonist, Homer Davenport, be without a celebration of cartoons? “To that end, the International Cartoon Contest has returned,” organizer, Gus Frederick, wrote in a recent press release. “As in past years, the competition is for ‘political’ or ‘editorial’ cartoons on any topic as long as they are not libelous, […]
Local robot whizzes Zane Davis and Derek Schaefer Robotics team heads to Texas The two members of the Thunderbolt Robotics Club have been invited to an international competition and are currently raising money to pay their expenses. Middle-schoolers Zane Davis and Derek Schaefer received a design award at the Oregon state tournament, while also pulling down several awards at […]
The Silverton Food Co-op is holding an Earth Day event at GeerCrest Farm, with family-friendly educational activities and live entertainment. Scheduled for 1 to 5 p.m. on Saturday, April 20 at the farm, 12390 Sunnyview Road NE, Salem, this free event is offered in partnership with GeerCrest and Sustainable Silverton. A main focus will be the role of oak trees […]
By Melissa Wagoner When first grader Miriam Case attended the opening night of the Children’s Art Show hosted by the Silverton Art Association on April 5, she couldn’t believe her eyes. Her drawing of a mermaid had been awarded third place for her age division. “I just thought it would be in the gallery,” Case said. “But I won a […]
By Melissa Wagoner Right about the time Lexi Tucker was learning to talk, she was also learning to sing. Raised on a farm near Stayton, it didn’t take long before Tucker’s mom noticed her daughter’s talent and enrolled her in voice lessons. “I always took the chance to sing in talent shows,” Tucker said, recalling that, even when the family […]
By Melissa Wagoner Robby Morrissey’s AP Computer Science class at John F. Kennedy High School recently got the attention of an organization known as the College Board, which oversees advanced placement classes across the nation. The class enrollment is unusual in an industry composed mostly of white males. “Last year the majority of the class (we had about 20) were […]
By Melissa Wagoner During the spring conferences held on March 22, each family in the Mt. Angel School District was given a gift – a brand new copy of R.J. Palacio’s award-winning book, Wonder. “We saw a need, especially as we come out of COVID,” Middle School Principal Jeff Taylor said of the project, which he hopes will encourage a […]
By Melissa Wagoner It’s Best Fox Ever season at Silverton High School, a time when six members of the senior class go head-to-head in a competition to discover, not only who is the best fox but who can raise the most money for two important nonprofits, Silverton Area Community Aid and Medical Teams International – a nonprofit providing life-saving medical […]
Ronald (Ron) Edward Hunt of Salem, Oregon went to be with the Lord on April 2, 2024. He lived life to the fullest and died peacefully at Capital Manor in West Salem from heart related issues. Ron was born on May 22, 1933, in Portland, Oregon to William and Lucille (Bowman) Hunt. Ron had a life-long love of sports, especially […]
Ronald “Tad” Engle, Jr. passed away peacefully on March 11, 2024, at the age of 64. Tad is survived by his wife, Cookie Carroll; his parents, Ron and Connie Engle; his siblings, Eric (Cindy) Engle and Jacquie (Jon) Edgar; and his nieces and nephew, Jenny Jordan, Melissa Edgar, Keenan Engle, and Darian Engle. Tad grew-up in Silverton, Oregon. After high […]
Tricia Marie Mulder was born on Oct. 29, 1961, in Newport Beach, California. A graduate of CSU Long Beach, she was married to James Paul Mulder on Feb. 5, 1994 in the San Diego, California temple. Tricia found her greatest fulfillment in the embrace of her cherished family, the laughter of her grandchildren, and the warmth of devoted friends who […]
Dorothy Marie Fish, 92, beloved wife and mother, passed away peacefully at Salem Hospital on March 12, 2024, in Salem, Oregon. Dorothy was born on July 31, 1931 in Silverton, Oregon, to parents Emidio and Bertha DeSantis. She graduated from Mt. Angel Preparatory School (now JFK High School) and retired from the United States Postal Service after working many years […]
Michael Allen Bordelon, 72, of Silverton, Oregon, passed away peacefully at home on April 2, 2024, surrounded by family. Mike was one of five kids born to Patricia and Allen Bordelon of Sand Springs, Oklahoma. After graduating from high school in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, he completed his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in forestry at Oklahoma State University (BS) and the University […]
