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 up to local residents hurt financially by the economic slowdown or folks who had relied on Silverton’s weekly community dinner, also closed by the […]
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 her mother, Glendora DeSantis, has had a hand in what would eventually become her daughter’s life-long passion […]
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 your wife is fun and stress-reducing. Then, you notice the running is not as efficient. Small wounds take forever […]
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 – a former Oregon Senator and House Representative – said. In fact, upon contacting the organization – RIP […]
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 thank everyone that voted,” said Kelly. “Regardless of if I was the recipient of their vote or not. To […]
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. 14 to second-degree kidnapping and fourth-degree assault for a domestic violence incident Oct. 1 when he unlawfully transported […]
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 event. The degree is awarded to individuals who have created high-quality agricultural education programs which inspire and motivate […]
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 to a 1-2-3 finish. Teammates Lynn Kramer and Isa Ruiz won the gold and silver, respectively. Here is how […]
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 Stephen Floyd serving as the moderator. Approximately 100 residents attended, some munching popcorn from the Palace concession stand. […]
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 that, while she and her mother, Meredith, had initially looked into either building or repurposing a library […]
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 two individuals running to replace him, Morry Jones and Jason Freilinger. Jones is a corporate executive who has served […]
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 Smith and Crystal Neideigh all chose not to seek re-election to new four-year terms. In addition, Council President […]
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 began in 2009 but did not take place in 2020 and 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It […]
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 me,” Perez said. “I was not aware of this; therefore, it was quite a surprise.” It was a good one. As a winner, […]
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 coach fifth-graders. And von Weller, 71, a graduate of Western Oregon University (then-Oregon College of Education) who earned his master’s […]
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 new terms, while challengers Mary Franklin, Justin Roney and Joseph Pfau were vying for an open seat. The […]
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, Casey Dean and Monika Martin have filed for new terms and are joined by Jason Axness, seeking the […]
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 an Intel engineer. “I had an artist come and paint a mural on the back of our single […]
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 fiction. “The main character is fictional, but the story incorporates interactions with some real people in Silverton during […]
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. Activities that Silverton Together was engaged in include a school supplies program, coats for kids, a holiday program and a reading program. “When I read that […]
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 for Oktoberfest directly and another nine supporting the event through the Letterman Club at Kennedy High School. Oktoberfest […]
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 was nothing like I planned,” Hupp began. “I’m a nurse also and I thought I’d have a handle […]
Silverton High has filled in its final coaching and administrative gaps for the fall sports season. Andy Jones is the new athletic director/assistant vice principal, with Renee Cantrell taking over the girls soccer program and Reilly Rosecrans now running Foxes volleyball. Here is a look at the new staffers: Jones, who replaces James Rise, now at Cascade, has been in […]
By Melissa Wagoner Gus Frederick has always been interested in the art of cartooning. But in 1972, he’d never heard of the famous political cartoonist Homer Davenport, let alone seen any of his art. It wasn’t until a shift at the local cannery, where he met several other cartoon fanatics, that he learned a famous cartoonist once lived in the […]
By Stephen Floyd Mt. Angel Mayor Don Fleck is being remembered as an exemplary civil servant and a force within his community after his sudden passing June 26. Fleck, 68, died of natural causes at his home.He was laid to rest July 1 during a graveside service at Calvary Cemetery. At the memorial service held at the Mount Angel Festhalle, […]
