By James Day The iconic Palace Theatre (spelled “Theater” in recent years) in Silverton has shut down and its future is up in the air. Erik and Rachelle Gonterman, who have operated the theater since 2020, are engaged in an acrimonious dispute with the landlord, Marjorie Eng, and when their contractual obligation to show Avatar: The Way of Water ended […]
By Melissa Wagoner When Kristen Storer received a message from the Oregon Humane Society (OHS) informing her that the organization would no longer be accepting stray cats from Marion County after Nov. 15, 2022, she was alarmed. “I feel like no one knows about this and it will affect everybody,” Storer, a former veterinary technician and cat foster care volunteer […]
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 left that vocation when she became a mom. “I wanted to start my own thing,” she recalled. […]
By James Day The Pudding River Watershed Council and a plethora of partners have completed a $500,000 project aimed at improving the survival rate of endangered steelhead on Abiqua Creek. The key piece of the puzzle was placing 12 “engineered log jams” on the creek on land owned by Weyerhaeuser, which also contributed the logs and boulders for the effort. […]
By Stephen Floyd Mount Angel City Council candidate Joseph Pfau may have been first runner up during the Nov. 8 election, but he will join the council nonetheless after being appointed to the position left vacant by Mayor Pete Wall. Pfau was appointed during the council’s regular meeting Dec. 5 and is scheduled to be sworn in Jan. 3, 2023, […]
By Stephen Floyd The City of Mount Angel has begun the installation of radio-read water meters that could cut the work hours needed to take meter readings by a one full-time position. The city has allocated $300,000 from federal COVID-19 relief funds for the project, and anticipates having all meters within the city upgraded before the end of 2024. The […]
By James Day The City of Silverton has agreed to spend an additional $350,000 on “contract administration” costs for the civic center project. The Dec. 19 City Council session included a Zoom meeting with project/design consultants from Mackenzie and Compass Project Solutions. The consultants have spent just more than $250,000 in contract administration costs to date and recognized that they […]
By James Day Property owner Wes Holman used the public comment period of the Dec. 5 Silverton City Council meeting to raise concerns about trash and debris at a home near the Holman house on South Third Avenue. The complaint record apparently goes back to 2015, and although Holman said there have been some temporary improvements he remains ”not satisfied” […]
By Stephen Floyd Labor negotiations between the Silver Falls School District (SFSD) and Silver Falls Education Association (SFEA) have entered mediation. Critical issues related to class size, teacher pay and grievance procedures remain unresolved after nearly eight months of bargaining. During a meeting Dec. 1 between SFSD administrators and SFEA representatives, both parties agreed mediation would be the most effective […]
By James Day The dam on Butte Creek in Scotts Mills Park just won’t go away. Literally. While the presence of the dam on the creek has made the park popular with water enthusiasts, there is a gigantic breach in the barrier, and officials say the situation poses a safety issue and fish passage also is a concern. A grant […]
By Stephen Floyd Labor negotiations in the Silver Falls School District (SFSD) are entering their eighth month as union members stand firm on class size limits. A new bargaining session is scheduled for Dec. 1 at 4 p.m. at the Silverton High School Library, as educators continue to work under last year’s expired contract. Though such proceedings are typically closed, […]
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 fire damage and upgrade Packsaddle, Minto and Niagara along Highway 22 and North Fork, Bear Creek and Salmon […]
By James Day Silverton will have four new councilors beginning in January. Eric Hammond, April Newton and Marie Traeger were elected to four-year terms in a seven-candidate field on Nov. 8 to replace retiring councilors Jim Sears, Dana Smith and Crystal Neideigh. In addition, current council president Jason Freilinger was elected to a two-year term as mayor, and one of […]
By Stephen Floyd Incumbent Councilor Tony Astorga appears likely to win re-election to the Mount Angel City Council, according to election results published Nov. 18 by the Marion County Clerk’s Office. Fellow incumbents Matt Donohue and Ray Eder secured re-election Nov. 8, with initial results placing them far ahead in a field of six candidates vying for three seats. The […]
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 Melissa Wagoner The doors of the Silverton Senior Center’s ReVamp Thrift Boutique, located on High Street in downtown, closed on Oct. 3 so that the space could receive a much-needed health and safety overhaul. “We’re revamping the ReVamp,” Executive Director, Dodie Brockamp, confirmed. “It’s a pivoting time.” Opened in July 2013 as a place for downsizing seniors to donate goods that, when sold, would […]
By Melissa Wagoner Most people are familiar with the term, “Black Friday,” in reference to the day after Thanksgiving – traditionally the biggest shopping day of the year. But in 2010 a new phrase was coined, “Small Business Saturday,” as a way of encouraging consumers to shop locally during the holiday season. And this year, according to many business owners, […]
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 James Day The Silverton City Council has signed off on a plan that will put four pallet shelters and a warming facility at the city’s Public Works compound. Councilors voted unanimously at an Oct. 17 work session to approve a ten-year lease agreement with Sheltering Silverton. Using $250,000 in federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds that passed through […]
A second election forum for Silverton candidates will be held Tuesday, Oct. 18, at the Palace Theatre. Doors open at 5:30 p.m., with the audience-question driven forum organized by the Silverton Discourse Project getting underway at 6 p.m. Concessions will be for sale. On hand will be mayoral candidates Jason Freilinger and Morry Jones. Six of the seven City Council […]
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 […]
By Melissa Wagoner Nine grants totaling almost $44,000 were approved Oct. 3 when the Silverton City Council accepted the recommendations of the Silverton Tourism Promotion Committee. Awards ranged from familiar community events such as First Friday, the Sidewalk Shindig and Silverton Arts Festival, to brew-based entries like the Homer Invitational Brewfest and the Fox Foundation Fall Line Stout and Ale […]
By James Day Silverton has held four public outreach meetings on downtown parking issues. The problem is simple: new development in the downtown area has led to parking challenges, for both business customers and their employees. A possible fix lies just north of downtown where the city is building a new $19 million civic center on property that was once […]
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 When late Mount Angel Mayor Don Fleck died suddenly in June, City Councilor Pete Wall was prepared to temporarily take up the mantle. As president of the City Council, he became acting mayor, but told fellow officials he would not seek election if appointed to fill the remainder of Fleck’s term, and would instead return to his […]
