Our Town – Silverton, Mt. Angel & Scotts Mills People Archives - Our Town

20 years on: Silverton group holds vigils for peace, advocates for justice

January 2023 Posted in Community, People | Comments Off

By James Day Silverton People for Peace, a group that formed amid the buildup to the 2003 start of the Iraq War, has turned 20. [caption id="attachment_12350" align="aligncenter" width="528"] Members of Silverton People for Peace gather last Januaryfor their annual MLK Day ...

Moving on – Benedictine Sisters to leave monastery site

January 2023 Posted in History & Culture, News, People | Comments Off

By Stephen Floyd After 134 years, the Benedictine Sisters of Mount Angel will be leaving the Queen of Angels Monastery, with plans to repurpose part of the facility as transitional housing for families in need. Membership within the monastic community has been ...

WiseMind – Educators team up to offer resilience education to kids, parents

December 2022 Posted in Business, Community, People | Comments Off

By Melissa Wagoner Jenifer Trivelli has always been interested in what makes people tick, especially kids. “That led me to neuroscience,” Trivelli said. “And then, pairing that together with childhood development led me to counseling.” Initially working as an elementary school counselor, Trivelli ...

20th MLK Observance – Joel Autry to give keynote

December 2022 Posted in Community, Food & Drink, People | Comments Off

[caption id="attachment_12256" align="alignright" width="171"] Joel Autry[/caption] When the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown his Silverton restaurant in 2020, rather than feel sorry for himself, Joel Autry saw the opportunity for community service, an ethic modeled by his parents. He opened his heart and pantry ...

Serious clowning – Rose City Clowns recognizes Giggle Britches’ hard work

December 2022 Posted in For Kids, People | Comments Off

By Melissa Wagoner Becoming a clown wasn’t actually Bonnie-Jean Brown’s idea. “My mommy made me do it,” she laughed, when asked how she – recognized by most as Giggle Britches the clown – got her start. She’s not exaggerating. From the very beginning ...

‘No victims here’ – A different kind of Christmas for Silverton family

December 2022 Posted in Community, People | Comments Off

By Dixon Bledsoe Imagine life is humming along like a finely tuned sports car. Wonderful spouse, four awesome sons, a huge extended family full of love, faith, support and laughter. A job you love, and you like to run. Running with ...

RIP Medical Debt – Duo sets out have over $1 million forgiven

December 2022 Posted in Community, People | Comments Off

By Melissa Wagoner When John Dallum discovered there was a nonprofit whose sole purpose is to relieve the medical debt of millions of Americans, he knew he had to help. “One interesting thing about Oregon is, the program has never been started here,” Dallum ...

Election 2022: Kelly congratulates fellow Scotts Mills candidates

December 2022 Posted in Business, People | Comments Off

In the Oct. 15 issue of Our Town, the article entitled “Incumbents re-elected to Scotts Mills” should have included the following statement from candidate Shawna Kelly, which was received after the article was submitted for publication. “First, I would like to ...

Kidnapping plea deal includes treatment

December 2022 Posted in Briefs, People | Comments Off

By Stephen Floyd A Silverton man has been admitted to substance abuse treatment after pleading guilty to kidnapping and assault, with the potential for nearly six years in prison if the program is not completed. Zachary Todd Lander, 40, pleaded guilty Nov. ...

Silverton FFA adviser earns top honor

December 2022 Posted in People, School | Comments Off

By James Day Longtime Silverton High FFA adviser Scott Towery received the group’s highest honor at the 95th national convention in October. Towery, who has taught agricultural science at Silverton since 2006, was awarded the Honorary American FFA Degree at the Indianapolis ...

Skater takes third in international event

December 2022 Posted in People, sports | Comments Off

By James Day Silverton skateboarder Lari-Ann Rupp captured the bronze medal in the giant slalom at last month’s World Skate Games in Argentina. Rupp, an economic development specialist for Marion County, completed the course in 33.712 and helped propel the American team ...

Election 2022: Silverton candidates participate in two-hour forum

November 2022 Posted in Business, Community, People | Comments Off

By James Day Silverton’s two mayoral candidates and six of the seven City Council hopefuls took part in a two-hour public forum on Oct. 18 at the Palace Theater. The event was hosted by the Silverton Discourse Project, with Our Town reporter ...

Bigger on the inside – Girl Scout posts Little Free Library in Scotts Mills

November 2022 Posted in Community, People | Comments Off

By Melissa Wagoner When 11-year-old Girl Scout Moira MacDonald learned that the Scotts Mills Grange was interested in the addition of a Little Free Library she felt called to action. “We went on a website and looked at starter kits,” Moira said, recalling ...

Mayor’s race: Jones, Freilinger vie to replace Palmer in Silverton

October 2022 Posted in Briefs, Community, People | Comments Off

By James Day Silverton will have a new mayor come January, but the town still will be led by a Silverton native. Outgoing mayor Kyle Palmer, who has served in the position since 2017, is a lifelong resident, as are the ...

Slew of candidates – Seven contend for City Council seats in Silverton

October 2022 Posted in Business, Community, People | Comments Off

By James Day There will be a distinct changing of the guard for the Silverton City Council come next term. That’s because there will be three and perhaps four new councilors when the session begins in January. Incumbent councilors Jim Sears, Dana ...

Firefighters climb for cystic fibrosis cure

October 2022 Posted in Community, People | Comments Off

A group of nine Silverton firefighters participated in the annual Portland Firefighter Stairclimb Challenge on Sunday, Sept. 25, at the US Bancorp Tower. Silverton had the largest participation among all competing agencies, said Joe Boyd, executive director of the event. The climb ...

Silverton nurse gifts grant to Bridgeway

October 2022 Posted in Community, People, Your Health | Comments Off

[caption id="attachment_11954" align="alignright" width="283"] Holly Perez[/caption] By Melissa Wagoner When Silverton-based nurse Holly Perez received a call from the Maps Community Foundation informing her she had just been chosen a Community Award recipient for 2022, she was caught off guard. “My daughter Sofia nominated ...

Coaching lifer – Don von Weller marks 50 years in football

October 2022 Posted in People, sports | Comments Off

Fifty years. That’s a long time to be out on torn up fields trying to teach kids about football. But that’s what Don von Weller (Silverton High Class of 1969) has been doing since 1973 when he was asked to ...

Council contenders – Three challengers, incumbents on Mount Angel ballot

September 2022 Posted in Business, Community, People | Comments Off

By Stephen Floyd Six candidates are vying for three seats on the Mount Angel City Council, with an even split between incumbents and newcomers. As of the Aug. 30 filing deadline, councilors Ray Eder, Tony Astorga and Matthew Donohue had filed for ...

And they’re off… Two newcomers challenge incumbents in Scotts Mills

September 2022 Posted in Business, Community, People | Comments Off

By Stephen Floyd Two political newcomers have joined races for mayor and City Council in Scotts Mills, leading to a contested election in a city that sometimes struggles to fill the ballot with candidates. Incumbent Mayor Paul Brakeman and councilors Robin Fournier, ...

Tromp l’oeil (Deceive the eye) – Elizabeth Schellberg learns to paint an illusionary vista in her back garden

September 2022 Posted in Arts, People | Comments Off

By Brenna Wiegand Sequestered on the outskirts of a town known for its murals is a hidden gem of magnificent proportion. Prior to moving to Silverton in 2013, Elizabeth Schellberg and husband Gary Watkins lived in Portland, she a CPA and he ...

New book features Silverton history

September 2022 Posted in Arts, Events & Holidays, People | Comments Off

By James Day Native Silvertonian Norm English has published a new novel about his hometown and will be on hand to discuss it at a pair of book signings. Fireflies to Butterflies is English’s third book, and he describes it as historic ...

Hoke Trust takes on Silverton Together programs

September 2022 Posted in Community, People | Comments Off

By James Day The Elizabeth Ashley Hoke Memorial Trust, which has been active in a wide variety of causes since its founding in 2017, has added the programs of Silverton Together to its portfolio. [caption id="attachment_11901" align="alignright" width="297"] Namesdake for the Memorial ...

Thanks, Dave – Oktoberfest honors retiring board member Dave Kohler

September 2022 Posted in News, People | Comments Off

By Stephen Floyd Longtime Oktoberfest board member Dave Kohler has retired from his post after 49 years with the event, though he is expected to remain a familiar face. Kohler spent 25 years on the board, in addition to 15 years volunteering ...

Mothers’ mentor – Lactation nurse’s legacy bridges generations

September 2022 Posted in People | Comments Off

By Melissa Wagoner When Brianna Hupp took a childbirth education class from a nurse, Janet Smith, shortly before the birth of her daughter in 2016, she had no way of knowing just how impactful that meeting would turn out to be. “Postpartum ...

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