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

Free Fish Day returns to Silverton Reservoir

May 2023 Posted in Events & Holidays, Outdoor Life | Comments Off

On Saturday, June 3, 2023 the Silverton Lions will host Silverton Free Fish Day, co-sponsored are the Silverton Kiwanis, the City of Silverton and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. This will be the 27th yearly event. The day starts ...

Silver Falls birding, wildflower event set

May 2023 Posted in Events & Holidays, Outdoor Life | Comments Off

[caption id="attachment_13434" align="alignright" width="335"] A look at a display of wildflowers from a previous Silver Falls Birding & Wildflower Festival.Submitted Photo[/caption] By James Day The annual Mother’s Day Birding and Wildflower Festival is set for Saturday, May 13 and Sunday, May 14 ...

Silver Falls State Park seeks to add new ‘Friends’

March 2023 Posted in Briefs, Outdoor Life | Comments Off

If you’ve visited Silver Falls and stopped by the Nature Store or gotten some fun facts at a discovery table, you’ve seen the Friends of Silver Falls State Park volunteers and staff in action. Friends of Silver Falls State Park is ...

Birds, bees… and other pollinators – Sustainable Silverton partners with Oregon Garden for educational series

March 2023 Posted in Events & Holidays, Gardening, Outdoor Life | Comments Off

By Melissa Wagoner This spring Sustainable Silverton’s Urban Natural Resources Action Team is enlisting the help of local experts to hold an educational series about birds, bees and butterflies at The Oregon Garden. “It aligns with our mission statement and Action Team ...

Electrified – Oregon State Parks add charging option at Silver Falls, six other parks

March 2023 Posted in Outdoor Life, Travel | Comments Off

By Melissa Wagoner One of the many benefits to visiting one of Oregon’s 108 State Parks is that most are off the beaten track. But that can also make those visitors driving electric vehicles (EVs) a little bit nervous. “Older EVs, especially ...

Silver Falls Park camping visits up

March 2023 Posted in Outdoor Life | Comments Off

[caption id="attachment_13135" align="alignright" width="357"] North Falls along the Trail of Ten Falls in Silver Falls State Park. Park. James Day[/caption] By James Day Public use of state parks continues to rebound from the pandemic, a new state report shows, with camping visits ...

Mountain biking club gears up for new season

March 2023 Posted in Outdoor Life, sports | Comments Off

A Silverton-area mountain biking club is getting ready for a fourth season and is looking for new riders to become members. The Silver Falls MTB started in 2020 and focuses on riders in grades 6-12. The club started with 12 riders ...

Saving steelhead – Project places log jams in Abiqua Creek

December 2022 Posted in Business, Outdoor Life | Comments Off

[caption id="attachment_12270" align="alignright" width="390"] Kurt Berning of the Pudding River Watershed Council is shown at one of the engineered log jams on Abiqua Creek that has been placed to improve steelhead fish passage.[/caption] By James Day The Pudding River Watershed Council and ...

Take a hike – Jan. 1 offers free opportunity at Silver Falls

December 2022 Posted in Outdoor Life | Comments Off

The annual guided first day of the year hikes will be held at Silver Falls State Park and nearly 20 other parks Jan. 1. [caption id="attachment_12211" align="alignright" width="324"] Silver Falls State Park is one of the 20 state parks hosting free guided ...

Fire recovery – Marion County commission plans vote on $24 million park plan

December 2022 Posted in Business, News, Outdoor Life | Comments Off

By James Day The Marion County Parks Commission plans a January vote on a proposal to restore and update county parks damaged by the 2020 wildfires. County officials have been working with consultants Walker Macy and EcoNorthwest on the plan to address ...

Water witches – Who needs a broom when you can paddle your own canoe?

October 2022 Posted in Community, Events & Holidays, For Kids, Outdoor Life | Comments Off

By Melissa Wagoner Witches young and old met at dusk on Friday, Oct. 7 at the Silverton Reservoir and held the inaugural Silverton Witch Paddle. Taking to the water rather than the skies on all manner of crafts, from stand-up paddle ...

Bike friendly – Local riders talk about Oregon’s opportunities, adventures

July 2022 Posted in Outdoor Life | Comments Off

By Melissa Wagoner This spring the League of American Bicyclists ranked the state of Oregon as the second most bicycle friendly state in the nation – number one on the West Coast. But what do Willamette Valley cyclists think? A panel ...

New heights – Business offers tree climbing at Silver Falls State Park

June 2022 Posted in Business, Outdoor Life | Comments Off

By James Day At Silver Falls State Park you can spend a lot of time looking down. Down the trail, down the canyon, down the creek and definitely, down at the waterfall. But what happens if you look up and keep looking ...

Little Monarchs – Silverton author’s unusual book tour includes family

June 2022 Posted in Arts, Outdoor Life, People | Comments Off

By Melissa Wagoner When award-winning writer Jonathan Case was writing his latest graphic novel, Little Monarchs, he already knew its promotion would be different than just about any book he’d ever written. [caption id="attachment_11589" align="alignright" width="354"] Author and artist Jonathan Case on ...

Old-world goodies – Silverton Hills farm raises, preserves chestnut trees

June 2022 Posted in Gardening, Outdoor Life | Comments Off

By Brenna Wiegand Paul’la Allen used to accompany her husband Jack to the cemeteries where he conducted graveside services. [caption id="attachment_11581" align="alignright" width="335"] Paul’la Allen in her chestnut orchard atop the Silverton Hills. She and her husband, Jack, founded Shadow Mountain Ranch ...

Free Fish Day – Kids invited to drop a line in at reservoir

May 2022 Posted in Community, Outdoor Life | Comments Off

For the first time since 2019, kids are being invited out to Silverton Reservoir to take part in a free fishing day with a little assistance. [caption id="attachment_11486" align="alignright" width="237"] A young angler with his catch at the 2006 event.[/caption] The event, ...

New momentum – Runners club celebrates 40th anniversary

May 2022 Posted in Events & Holidays, Outdoor Life | Comments Off

By James Day The Silverton Runners Club is turning 40, and organizers are planning some new events to boost participation in the club, which works to support running programs in Silverton and Mount Angel. The club, which was organized in 1982 by ...

Carrying through – Pacific Crest Trail hiker’s story preserved in new anthology

April 2022 Posted in Outdoor Life, People | Comments Off

By Melissa Wagoner When Silvertonian Dorothy Brown-Kwaiser packed her bag for the 152-day hike from Mexico to Canada along the Pacific Crest Trail in 2012, she weighed everything – her sleeping bag, her pots and pans, even her toothbrush – parting with anything ...

Your Garden – Herbs

April 2022 Posted in Gardening, Outdoor Life | Comments Off

Need a flavor boost in your cooking without adding salt? Try growing favorite herbs in your garden, a porch container or in a sunny window. Many herbs, like rosemary and thyme, are perennials that will thrive in our “Mediterranean” climate. ...

OSU Gardener’s May Chores

April 2022 Posted in Gardening, Outdoor Life | Comments Off

Oregon State University Extension Service encourages sustainable gardening practices. Always identify and monitor problems before acting. First, consider cultural controls; then physical, biological and chemical controls (which include insecticidal soaps, horticultural oils, botanical insecticides, organic and synthetic pesticides). Always consider ...

All-abilities park plan moves forward

April 2022 Posted in Community, For Kids, Outdoor Life | Comments Off

By James Day A Silverton Rotary proposal to build an “all-abilities” playground in Old Mill Park near the Silverton Community Pool has won the approval of the City Council. Councilors at their April 4 meeting approved the site after hearing a report ...

Removing Lawns – The how and the why

April 2022 Posted in Gardening, Outdoor Life | Comments Off

By Melissa Wagoner A lush, green lawn looks beautiful, feels fabulous under foot and can serve a real purpose as the backdrop for picnics, sporting events or just lounging in the sun. But it can also have some real drawbacks. “An irrigated, ...

Geocaching – An inexpensive, family-friendly hobby for all ages

February 2022 Posted in Outdoor Life | Comments Off

[caption id="attachment_11129" align="alignright" width="370"] Denise and Carina Leland enjoy sharing geocaching adventures.[/caption] By Melissa Wagoner If you like puzzles, being outside and exploring places you’ve never been then the hobby of geocaching might just be for you. “I like to describe it as a world-wide ...

It takes a city: Skatepark expansion group wins first Service Club Award

February 2022 Posted in Community, Outdoor Life | Comments Off

By James Day If you want to get an update on the skatepark expansion in Silverton you get in touch with Sue Roessler. She maybe in Hawaii, but she always gets back to you. And when she was asked to comment on ...

Backyard burning – Restrictions are part of a ‘good neighbor’ policy

February 2022 Posted in Community, News, Outdoor Life | Comments Off

By Brenna Wiegand Being a good neighbor excludes backyard burn piles that pollute the air and/or threaten to burn down the house next door. “We’ve had to shut doors and windows because of the smell and smoke from a neighbor’s burn pile,” ...

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