By Nancy Jennings Connection. Action. Accountability. Love. Fun. Friendship. Service. Support. These words are the bywords of Silverton’s “Garden Chicks,” a group of women who meet weekly in downtown Silverton, “Oregon’s Garden City”. Some come to make friends, while others give brief presentations about their home businesses. Some do both. But all show up to have fun and support each […]
By Nancy Jennings “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” The eloquent quotation commonly attributed to Eleanor Roosevelt could have been written for Trish Ambrose. In 2010, Trish and her husband, Rob, found that a dream about waterfalls would start a chain of events leading them from Pennsylvania to Silverton. The couple, both 61, […]
By Nancy Jennings Karen Choules is a “homebody” who loves decorating, painting furniture, cooking and gardening. These qualities suit her well as the new owner/innkeeper at Silverton’s The McClaine House, which opened last year during Memorial Day weekend. The stately two-story historical landmark was originally built in 1878 by namesake Jake McClaine and his wife, Sophronia. Now, the refurbished cream-colored […]
By Nancy Jennings Buford was the first of his kind to set his hooves onto Green Acres Farm Sanctuary. The abandoned white goat arrived at the 28-acre Silverton sanctuary before it officially opened in June 2011. “His owners sold their house and moved away. The new owners came and didn’t bargain for a goat,” President/Co-Founder Tina Crow explained. “A lot […]
By Nancy Jennings February is looking to be a busy month for Kim Knox The owner of Whimsy Etc. since November 2017, the former instructional assistant in Special Education for the Molalla River School District, is excited for its “Grand Re-Opening” on Feb. 2. She is looking forward to greeting customers on Silverton’s February First Friday and having them check […]
By Nancy Jennings If you’re a bowler, you will want Bob Holowati on your team. His love for the sport began when he was a freshman in high school. The Silverton resident has bowled three perfect 300 games during his league nights – so far. The recipient of the 2017 “Judy Schmidt Lifetime Achievement” award from the Silverton Chamber of […]
By Nancy Jennings Marty Schrock loves to play with his food – in a sushi chef kind of way. Combining an admiration of Japanese food culture with a hearty French food influence, he and his wife, Mar’cia, tied on their aprons and opened “Samurai Madame” in November. Silverton’s first take-away sushi eatery is located across from City Hall. […]
By Nancy Jennings Calling all aspiring writers age 50+, mark your calendars! Thursday, Jan. 18, kicks off a fun and detailed Writer’s Workshop at Silverton’s Senior Center. Free to members and $2 per class to non-members, the workshop will be held from 3 to 4 p.m. each third Thursday of the month. Presenter L. Lee Shaw is the recent winner […]
By Nancy Jennings Dedicated. Considerate. Loving. Caring. Friendly. Energetic. Thoughtful. Forgiving. Amazing. Easygoing. Memorable. These are the words uttered from grateful friends to describe Scotts Mills’ Dave and Esther Fennimore. On Sunday, Jan. 14, from 1 to 4 p.m., the entire community will be honoring them at a party held at the Scotts Mills Grange Hall, 299 4th St. Everybody […]
By Nancy Jennings The Middle East conjures images of endless violence and bloodshed. Certain parts of this region are not safe, especially if you’re an American. But if you ask married Reverends Scott and Elmarie Parker – who live there – they see inspiration all around them. “Our Lord loves the people of the Middle East and is at work […]
By Nancy Jennings Christmas is all about togetherness. But not everybody is able to be with their family or relatives during the holidays. Silverton’s Senior Center and Harry and Karrie Douglas found a solution to introduce neighbors to each other: Team up and host a community Christmas Dinner. Donations from various sources are helping support this family-friendly event. “We’ve had […]
By Nancy Jennings A Silverton teen is on the brink of realizing her dream – becoming a classically trained ballet dancer. Jinjutha (“Jin”) Cheepluesak, 16, daughter of Thai Dish restaurant owners, Manus Jantarasri and Oratai Cheepluesak, can’t imagine living a day without dancing. In September, she bid farewell to Silverton and flew to the East Coast to study ballet at […]
By Nancy Jennings If you are picking up your mail or shipping a package at Silverton’s Postal Connections, there’s a good chance you will be greeted by Don Harteloo. Ask how he is doing on any given day and he will cheerfully reply, “Unbelievable, here.” Don, along with his wife, Sue, own and manage two Postal Connections stores. He runs […]
By Nancy Jennings Would you like biscuits and gravy to go with your morning latte? Just look for the giant red-and-white guitar perched up inside of a coffee cup on top of the small bright-red building in Mount Angel – and place your order. Opened in April, Rock’n Latte coffee drive-through has brought new energy and passion to the Berchtold […]
By Nancy Jennings Mount Angel can boast a unique accomplishment – one that would make any community, or parent, proud. The small city in Marion County is the only one, to date, to have three teens join its Certified Emergency Response Team (CERT). The trio — Melanie Lopez (15), Whitney Lopez (15) and Draiven Follis (16) – were recognized and […]
By Nancy Jennings A new 55+ community housing development is coming to Mount Angel. Under construction since August 2016, “Grandview in Mount Angel” plans to complete 56 single-story homes. Built on just under eight acres, the project is slated for completion in four years. Mount Angel landowner and Chief Executive Officer Alan Kraemer is excited to offer free-standing homes to […]
By Nancy Jennings Jim Kosel, 75, has been married to Martha for 50 years. Both veterans, the Mount Angel residents have three children, two grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Their son, Darren, served as a Navy Air Traffic Controller during the Operation Desert Storm era. “I served in the Air Force from 1963-67 in the missile systems communications in Moses Lake, […]
Rollin Sandwiches 291 Grandview Ave., Scotts Mills Hours: Wednesdays – Sundays, 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. Starting September: 12 – 6 p.m. 503-400-4827 By Nancy Jennings Scotts Mills may have a small population of only 355, but it’s home to Rollin Sandwiches, a family-run eatery with big flavor. Owner D.Anne Evans, along with her husband, Jim, have been serving up […]
By Nancy Jennings Bubbly, free spirit Ashley Schaecher always had an eye for art. The 23-year-old Beaverton resident is excited to be this year’s poster artist for Silverton’s Fine Arts Festival. Using traditional watercolor with modern digital painting, her piece couples iconic scenes of downtown Silverton with the upcoming solar eclipse. She calls her creation’s effect “surreal.” “I started painting […]
By Nancy Jennings “Be a voice, not an echo.” This quotation from Albert Einstein sums up what being a Court Appointed Special Advocate for Children (CASA) volunteer is all about. According to Shaney Starr, executive director of CASA of Marion County, there are 101 sworn-in CASA volunteers helping represent children in the foster care system. But with 557 Marion County […]
By Nancy Jennings For 40 years, Susannah Robinson has laid solid foundations of faith for more than 300 children through the Silver Crest School Bible Release Time Program. Inside of the quaint Chapel on the Hill Church in the Silverton hills, students from kindergarten through sixth grade have learned about the Bible through fun fellowship. Dropped off from a school […]
By Nancy Jennings Vern Holmquist loves to dance. Never mind that the voice of Our Town’s “The Ol’ Curmudgeon” column turned 96 years young in May. One recent column “Dancing…together” (May 1 edition), proved he could “cut a rug” like no other. How the Silverton resident secured his own newspaper column 13 years ago is quite a story. A very […]
By Nancy Jennings Never say never. Matt Barker, 38, never thought he would be mowing the same lawn he tended as a teenager. He laughs at the irony. “My first job when I was 14 was here mowing the lawns – and I’m still mowing the lawns.” Now Barker handles much more than just the lawns at Silverton’s Silver Spur […]
By Nancy Jennings Oprah Winfrey has one. So do most libraries. Now you can add Mount Angel’s Glockenspiel Restaurant to the list. Raise your glasses and toast “Wine & Words” – their new book club. Started in January, the free monthly literary group is open to the public. Already nearly 20 members strong, the women and men meet on the […]
By Nancy Jennings Timing was everything for Marizel Porcalla. After 33 years, the former Rotary Club foreign exchange student from the Philippines came back to Silverton in July to reunite with her host families. Marizel spent one school year (1984-1985) at the high school, which was then called Silverton Union High School, while living with three host families. Marizel first […]
