By Melissa Wagoner It’s been 32 years since Pete and Donna Paradis planted their first block of Pinot gris vines in what would eventually become the Paradis Vineyards. It is only now – with the opening of a newly built tasting room – that they realize they are truly in the business of wine. “It’s a leap. It’s a big leap,” Tim Paradis said. He and […]
By Melissa Wagoner Karolle Hughes has seen bookstores come and go during the 30 years she’s lived in Silverton. “Whenever one would come in, I’d say, ‘Dag nab it!’ because I wanted to do that,” she recalled. “But it just wasn’t the right time for me.” Then Chuck Tauer opened Books N Time in 2013 and Hughes knew right away […]
By Melissa Wagoner Megan Ireland’s love of baking has its roots in the very heart of her childhood. “My mom baked and I always liked licking the beater,” Ireland recalled. “And when she made pies, I used up the scraps.” Then, at Silverton High School, Ireland began taking Culinary Arts classes from Zelma Cannon and her love for making things […]
By James Day Silverton-area residents are being wooed by companies promising to upgrade the power of their internet. Ziply Fiber took the plunge first, announcing in early March that its high-speed fiber optic network was ready for service for Silverton-area residences and businesses. New and existing Ziply customers who wish to check their address for fiber availability, or who would […]
By James Day Silverton will break ground on its new civic center this spring, with opening tentatively set for summer 2023. The City Council selected Corp Inc. of Salem as the general contractor at its March 7 meeting. Corp Inc. turned in the winning bid of $14,750,000 to build the center, which will include a two-story civic center/police building as […]
By Melissa Wagoner When Lara Ghio Gaitan and her husband, Matt, traveled with their two children to Panama in 2017, it was their goal to immerse their children in a different culture and to encourage them to become more fluent in Spanish. But what they didn’t expect was that Gaitan would learn something as well – that teaching was her […]
By Melissa Wagoner Greg and Fran Guerra’s dream has long been to open an Italian restaurant. Which is why, in the winter of 2019, they purchased a building in the heart of downtown Silverton to make that dream a reality. “Things were going good,” Greg’s daughter, Dani, said. The family was elated when the papers were signed. “And then March […]
By Melissa Wagoner When 21-year-old Anna Koch set off to finish hiking the second half of the Pacific Crest Trail in 2020 – a journey that began the year before when she hiked 1,800 miles of the 2,650-mile trail stretching between the Canadian and Mexican borders – she expected to find adventure. What she didn’t expect to find was love […]
By Melissa Wagoner When Mersadee Lulay learned The Oregon Garden Visitors Center was looking for someone to take over the garden’s café space she jumped at the chance. “This was an answer to a prayer,” Lulay said. “God or the universe dropped something in my lap that I couldn’t say no to.” First introduced to the world of food service […]
Taking on the big boys can be tough, but when you take first place at a competition you have an advantage.
The prospect of cutting service south of Mount Angel by a short-haul, family-owned railway could negatively impact local businesses and the community, according to city officials.
Sitting in Creekside Grill’s lounge, relaxing at the end of a long day, Molly Ainsley is still making her pitch. Her product: SortaSausage, a vegetarian substitute for ground meat, made with soy and vegetables. It’s like a loose ground meat, with a Middle-Eastern flavor profile, she said, a little on the spicy side, with tomato and garlic.
While most of us are familiar with the catchphrase “shop local,” a new national campaign called the 3-50 Project, introduced to Silverton business owners in January, aims to put into sharper focus the benefits of keeping a healthy portion of your dollars in the local area.
Long-time local businesses have seen economic dips before. Their owners and managers are using past experience to deal with this recession. For some, tried and true business methods and a sturdy reputation keep them going. Others have taken a hard look at their operations and are adjusting to meet new challenges.
By Linda Whitmore Three women are defying cautionary warnings of negative economic conditions and jumping headlong into new endeavors in Mt. Angel and Silverton. Two of the entrepreneurs bring years of business experience and one is fulfilling a dream. The Green Store Michelle Fenney is one who not only has operated businesses before, but has taught others how to succeed. […]
The bittersweet call came on Easter. Although he’d spoken before with 30-year Silverton veterinarian Phil Andrews about helping out at Abiqua Animal Clinic, Brian Dietrich was shocked to learn the older doctor was gravely ill. Andrews, 61, had suffered a sudden seizure, leading to tests that revealed he was in the advanced stages of cancer.
Today, the award-winning company harvests timber on a variety of private lands, builds and maintains miles of logging roads, and provides jobs for more than 30 families in the Mid-Willamette Valley. The Schmitz were recently awarded the 2008 AOL Logger of the Year Award for their work in the woods and the major role they play in Associated Oregon Loggers.
The closure of Silver Falls Bank has resulted in three financial institutions opening in Silverton with a fourth pondering the move.
There’s a recession out there – some say it’s the worst since the Great Depression – but you’d never know it when talking to several business owners who recently either expanded or opened new enterprises in Silverton and the surrounding area.
By Dixon Bledsoe Silverton Coffee Station Christy Peters has made the career switch from bookkeeper to barista of Silverton Coffee Station, 206 S. Water St. Hours are Monday through Saturday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sundays 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Peters and her husband, Daryl, bought the coffee shop in July. Along with a wide array of […]
By Linda Whitmore
The opening of the Oregon Garden Resort this month is foreseen by many to be a positive addition to the Silverton area – an economic boon that will ripple through retail businesses and create jobs for local residents.
Moonstone Properties’ newest resort has 102 guest rooms and a luxury suite, and a restaurant with cocktail lounge, large and small banquet and conference facilities and a full-scale spa. The resort has marketing outreach to draw visitors from throughout the world as well as from the region.
By Kathy Cook Hunter Harold and Kristen Sweeney of Silverton are proud of their carpet-cleaning business and all it offers. That’s why they named it Magic Carpet Cleaning & More. In addition to the usual rug cleaning and removal of odors, pet stains, wax, oil and paint, his Water Claw device extracts water or urine from carpet as well as […]
By Linda Whitmore There’s a book of June Drake photographs published in the 1920s from which one can get an insight into how Silverton’s economy functioned in the past. There are pictures of several lumber mills, a flour mill, a bottling plant and thriving stores that sold everything residents of the town and the surrounding farms might need – food, […]
