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

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. The event, which was canceled by COVID in 2020 and 2021, will be celebrating its 25th year at Silverton Reservoir on Saturday, June 4. The 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. event is free for kid […]

New momentum – Runners club celebrates 40th anniversary

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 Silverton resident Amy Castle, is taking over management of the 5-kilometer and 10-kilometer runs associated with the Mount […]

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

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 she absolutely didn’t need. “You have to have what you have to have, but you also have to carry […]

Your Garden – Herbs

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. Annual herbs, like basil and dill, grow and bloom in one season then die, and are often cultivated indoors in […]

OSU Gardener’s May Chores

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 the least-toxic approach first. Recommendations in this calendar are applicable to Oregon’s Willamette Valley.  PLAN & PREPARE Prepare and prime […]

All-abilities park plan moves forward

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 from Rotary that featured renderings and charts on the concepts that they hope the park will include. The […]

Removing Lawns – The how and the why

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, one or two species, mowed green lawn, that mimics a golf course is an ecological disaster,” Horticulturist Eric […]

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

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 treasure hunt,” Carina Leland – a recent graduate of Silverton High School who started geocaching with her parents when she was only five – said. She was explaining the […]

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

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 the project winning the inaugural Service Group award for the annual Silveton Chamber of Commerce Community Awards? Well, […]

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

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,” a rural Silverton resident said. “We’ve seen burn piles that included plastic bins, a plastic table and rugs. […]

Scout’s honor

By Melissa Wagoner After more than a year of being apart, Silverton’s Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts – now simply known as “the Scouts” – were finally able to resume in-person meetings and group activities, and they were sure glad. “Over Zoom it was hard,” Scouts parent volunteer Rhett Randall said. He noted that during the shutdown the club, which […]

On the wing – Birding gets hobbysts out in all weather

By Melissa Wagoner When Richard Niemeyer bought his wife, Debbie, a pair of binoculars in 2011 he never could have imagined the impact the gift would have on both of their lives.  “It wasn’t a particularly expensive pair,” Debbie said of the gift. “But one of the first things I saw was an osprey.” Still one of the couple’s favorite […]

Datebook: December 2021

Frequent Addresses Mt. Angel Public Library, 290 Charles St. Silverton High, 1456 Pine St., Silverton. Silverton Senior Center, 115 Westfield, 503-873-3093. Age 50 and older. Silver Creek Fellowship, 822 NE Industrial Way, Silverton. Weekly Events Monday SACA Food Pantry, 9 a.m. – noon, SACA, 421 S Water St., Silverton. Repeats Thursdays. 503-873-3446, silvertonareacommunityaid.org Mt. Angel Community & Senior Center Store, […]

Giving thanks: Oregon Ag Prayer Breakfast takes root

By Melissa Wagoner  Say the word, “thanksgiving” and many images come to mind – turkey, football and pumpkin pie among them. But look the word up in the dictionary and you’ll find less about food, sports or history and more about the acknowledgement of goodness, “the act of giving thanks” and “a prayer expressing gratitude.” Those terms which could also […]

Renewal: Fire can mean a resurgence for natural landscape, wildlife

By Melissa Wagoner “The question – what happens after a fire? – is an important question,” retired US Forest Service Fire Ecologist Jane Kertis said when asked about 2020’s Beachie Creek Fire.  It, along with the Lionshead Fire, burned through the Santiam Canyon last Labor Day leaving many favorite parks still closed for recovery. Kertis thinks the question of how […]

Datebook: September 2021

Datebook Submission Information Get your events and fundraisers published in Our Town. Send your releases to [email protected]. Or drop them off at 401 Oak St., Silverton. ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Frequent Addresses Mount Angel Public Library, 290 Charles St., 503-845-6401 Silver Creek Fellowship Church, 822 NE Industrial Way, Silverton Silverton Senior Center, 115 Westfield, 503-873-3093. Age 50 and older. Weekly Events Monday SACA […]

Water woes – Silverton restricts residential use, adds enforcement

By James Day The City of Silverton has responded to this year’s drought by advancing its restrictions on residential water use, a decision that has inflamed social media and led the mayor to take to Facebook to respond to the criticism. The City Council at its Aug. 2 meeting took the city to Level 2 of its water curtailment policy, […]

Falls café reopens – Under new management

By Melissa Wagoner Char Hawkins has been managing snack bars for 23 years but her newest venture, the South Falls Café, located inside the South Falls Lodge at Silver Falls State Park, surpasses all the rest – especially when it comes to ambiance.  “It’s beautiful out here,” Hawkins confirmed. “The fresh air, trees and birds. I leave my stress behind […]

Datebook: August 2021

Datebook Submission Information Get your events and fundraisers published in Our Town. Send your releases to [email protected]. Or drop them off at 401 Oak St., Silverton. ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Weekly Events Monday SACA Food Pantry, 9 a.m. – noon, SACA, 421 S Water St., Silverton. Repeats Thursdays. 503-873-3446, silvertonareacommunityaid.org Mt. Angel Community & Senior Center Store, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m., 195 […]

Homer Days returns: Silverton festival charges ahead – like a couch

By Melissa Wagoner Affectionately known as “Homer Days,” the Homer Davenport Community Festival – held the first Friday through Sunday in August (the sixth through eighth this year) – is absolutely unique. An offshoot of the Silverton Arts Association’s, Family Festival of the Arts, held for the first timåe in 1980, the Homer Days festival is the only celebration in […]

City of Silverton: Skate Park improvements proposed

At the March 1, 2021 Council Meeting there was a presentation from a citizen’s group that wanted to complete improvements at the skate park. The group has raised around $60,000 and has partnered with a contractor that specializes in skate parks to design and construct the improvements in honor of the late Jason Franz. The proposal is to allow the […]

City of Silverton: Tips for fire and water safety this summer

By Ed Grambusch  Assistant Chief – Silverton Fire District As wildland fire season begins, there are many things that home owners can do to keep their home and property safe from fire: Tips for Keeping Fire Out of Your Home REMOVE leaves, pine needles, and other flammable material from the roof, gutters, and on and under the deck to help […]

Datebook: July 2021

Datebook Submission Information Get your events and fundraisers published in Our Town. If your ongoing event was cancelled because of COVID-19 and is starting up again, please send a new listing. If you are meeting by Zoom or virtually, send those, too! Send your releases to [email protected]. Or drop them off at 401 Oak St., Silverton. ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Weekly Events Monday: […]

Overnight additions: Lodging options increase at Silver Falls

By James Day The overnight facilities at what used to be called the Silver Falls Lodge and Conference Center have reopened under new management after a six-month closure. Silver Falls Hospitality will be operating the facility, which is now called Smith Creek Village, with the name noting the nearby stream. Silver Falls Hospitality is operating the concession under an agreement […]