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Mount Angel kicks off 2022 events

Mount Angel celebrates the wonders of the wurst from Feb. 25-27 at the Festhalle when the Chamber of Commerce hosts Volksfest. This will be the 13th rendition of the event, said chamber board president Sarah Bauman. Organizers for the event, which originally was called Wurstfest, say they plan on making this festival a full COVID-19 recovery from months of social […]

Beer and more – Silver Falls Brewery’s community spirit earns a toast

By James Day Andrew Fox was in the landscaping industry. Eric Druliner worked in law enforcement. They shared a love of beer – and of Silverton. The result: Silver Falls Brewery, which joined the local craft beer scene in 2015 in a converted pole barn in Druliner’s backyard and now occupies a gleaming structure in downtown Silverton. But it’s not […]

Three in a row: Silverton restaurateurs add bistro, receive service award

By Melissa Wagoner It’s only been two years since Josh Echo-Hawk and his wife Paige opened their first restaurant, Graystone Lounge in Silverton, but a lot has happened since then.  “We were doing the (purchase) closing and getting the keys, wondering if we were ever going to open,” Echo-Hawk said, recalling those initial weeks, in March 2020 when, with the […]

Public House – New sports bar now open in Mount Angel

By Melissa Wagoner “It’s a sports bar with great food,” Brandon Norbury, owner of the Mt. Angel Public House, said when asked to describe the eatery which, though it quietly opened its doors to patrons during Oktoberfest in September, finally held its official opening on Dec. 19. “And it was phenomenal,” Norbury said of the celebration, which included live music, […]

Room for all – Silverton Coffee Club finds new space

By Melissa Wagoner When the COVID-19 pandemic halted in-person meetings for Silverton’s numerous 12-step recovery programs, the Silverton Coffee Club – a nonprofit that has provided and maintained those programs’ meeting space for over 30 years – jumped at the opportunity to sell their current space, one in desperate need of costly repairs, in the hopes of finding a new […]

All hands on deck! – Taking holiday baking to the next level

By Melissa Wagoner Christmas candy has a long tradition in my family. Beginning with stories of my grandfather stealing maple fudge from a jar stored in the root cellar; to my own memories of running through the snow, festively wrapped candy plate in hand, while my mom waited, Christmas list in hand, in the car; to my own children, bedecked […]

Village food court – A trio of dining cart options in one outdoor space

By Melissa Wagoner Despite a stormy night, the atmosphere is festive beneath the glowing blue and white striped tent over LC’s Outdoor Market – the newly opened food cart pod in downtown Mount Angel.  “At this point we’re just creating the atmosphere,” Kirk Deignan who, along with his wife, Mary, owns From Russia with Love – a chain of five […]

Elves back in business – Holiday bazaars, festivals, make comeback

By Melissa Wagoner Holiday bazaars are not just providing holiday spirit this year, they’re also bringing a little bit of “normal” to a year that has been anything but. “In a way it is a little more special this year,” Kim White – Vendor Coordinator for Santa Mouse, Silverton’s longest running holiday bazaar – confirmed. “It is giving us something to look […]

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, […]

Trust hosts free community Thanksgiving

The Elizabeth Hoke Memorial Trust will provide a free community Thanksgiving dinner Nov. 25, 1 – 3 p.m. at Immanuel Lutheran Church, 303 N. Church St., Silverton. Due to COVID-19 precautions, it will be a drive through event. Elizabeth was born on Sept. 12, 1999 in Silverton and spent her entire life living on her family’s farm. She was a […]

The Noble Fox – Location mixes with vision to serve up a new dining experience

By Melissa Wagoner When Jeramie Mykisen and his step-father Jeffrey Tinkham learned that the Silverton Wine Bar was for sale they instantly jumped at the chance to make it their own. “It was just too good to pass up,” Mykisen said.  The previous beverage director for McMenamins and the author of the recipe book, Quintessential Cocktails, Mykisen knows a thing […]

Oktoberfest 2021: Planning a big festival during the age of COVID-19

By Melissa Wagoner There have been a lot of sleepless nights for Oktoberfest board members since the COVID numbers began climbing in mid-July because, by then, planning for Mount Angel’s annual festival was well underway and organizers – having spent hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars in planning – were loath to pull the plug.  “We thought long and […]

Kids Polka Party – Beloved O’fest entertainer adds new event for 2021

By Melissa Wagoner “The Mount Angel Oktoberfest has always been a family-friendly, multi-generational festival,” Tecie Zollner Astorga said.  And she should know, a member of the popular Oktoberfest band, Z Musikmakers, she has performed on stage alongside her family since she was a small child.  “I’ve been a part of Z Musikmakers since I could walk,” Astorga confirmed, “singing on […]

People Out Loud: Balancing act – Oktoberfest, school, life and COVID

It is so difficult being a writer, even one throwing out unsolicited opinions just once a month. There is a natural flow of subjects that occur annually, starting with New Year’s resolutions and ending with taking the tree down as Santa heads to the tropics for a well-earned rest. There is Valentine’s Day, Easter, Tax Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, […]

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 […]

A Slice of the Pie: Lunch packing tips – Make it fun, fast and resourceful

For many parents, it’s been a while since they packed a school lunch. With the majority of students attending school remotely or in half-day increments last year, more often than not, kids were eating at home.  But no more. With the first day of in-person school looming on the horizon, it’s time to dust off those lunch boxes, throw some […]

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 […]

A unique tune: Glen Damewood honored with First Citizen Award

By Melissa Wagoner Glen Damewood is a well-known, long-time restaurateur. The owner of Mac’s Place, which he opened with a partner in 1980, as well as two Wooden Nickel restaurants – one in Silverton and one in Sublimity – Damewood’s is a familiar face to many.  On top of that, there’s his band, the Syco Billy’s String Band. Damewood initially […]

Not just eating – it’s dining

By Melissa Wagoner Joel Autry can’t stand to see good food go to waste. And so, when his restaurant, the Silverton Wine Bar, began generating what could have been a heap of wasted food due to the operating restrictions handed down in the winter months of 2020 – he knew he had to come up with a plan.  “When I […]

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 […]

Fr. Bernard Youth Center welcomes supporters back

In celebration of the re-opening of its doors to guests and retreatants, the Fr. Bernard Youth Center is hosting a BBQ on Friday, Aug. 27 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. All are invited.  Gary and Mary BBQ will provide the catering.  Guests have an option to take their meal home or eat it on the FBYC campus.  The dinner will […]

Downtown fresh: New ‘Kitchen’ offers quick lunch options

By Melissa Wagoner When asked to describe the kind of cuisine offered by the newly opened The Curbside Kitchen – a restaurant offering “quick bites to go,” in downtown Silverton – owner Holly Bell uses the words “fresh” and “clean.” Located in one of the smallest storefronts in Silverton, there is little space available for freezers and pantries, which means […]

Summer kick off: Mount Angel hosts two-day Independence celebration

By Melissa Wagoner When the Mt. Angel Chamber of Commerce realized this year Independence Day fell on a Sunday, they saw it as a chance to shake up the usual traditions.  “[I]t seemed like a great opportunity to add an additional event on Saturday to bring people together and celebrate our town, community and independence,” Chamber of Commerce President Sarah […]

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: […]