By Melissa Wagoner Business owners in downtown Silverton will be welcoming fall with a Scarecrow Showcase – a fun competition the Silverton Area Chamber of Commerce hopes will promote business while creating a fun, family-friendly experience. “The scarecrows will be up for the month of October and the ‘favorites’ will be selected by a vote of the public and announced […]
By Melissa Wagoner Horticulturist Eric Hammond didn’t need to enroll in the Marion County Soil and Water Conservation District’s (MSWCD) “Little Habitat Project” to know the front garden of his Silverton home meets the organization’s criteria for a resilient ecosystem. But when Ron Garst, a fellow member of Sustainable Silverton – a group promoting planet friendly choices – suggested certifying would […]
By Stephen Floyd A former Silverton woman accused of stealing more than $50,000 from her elderly landlady claims she did so after allegedly being threatened by a local man. On Sept. 9, counsel for Joan Renee Anderson-Varner, 61, currently of Salem, filed a motion asking for the unsealing of the criminal records of a 52-year-old Silverton man. The motion claimed […]
By Stephen Floyd A Silverton woman who was found criminally responsible in May for a 2023 wreck that caused serious injuries to an elderly couple and two young children has been sued by the victims. On Sept. 11, a personal injury suit was filed in Marion County Circuit Court against Sierra Gemeni James, 28, for a wreck occurring May 25, […]
By James Day Former Silverton High student Trevor Johnson has graduated from the United States Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, New York. Johnson, who majored in engineering at Kings Point, has chosen to serve his required five years of post-academy duty in the Marine Corps. After graduating in a Merchant Marine Academy class of 214 on June 22, Johnson […]
I am an old man. Several times each week I cross West Main Street, near the corner of Welch, on my way to Safeway. I’ve done this for many years. Recently, a driver refused to yield to me – although it would have required little effort on his part. And he was nasty about it. Silverton drivers have traditionally been […]
By James Day State officials have ratcheted up their campaign against the emerald ash borer, which poses a grave threat to Oregon’s ash trees. Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD) is asking visitors to help slow the spread of the destructive pest by choosing certified heat-treated firewood or firewood harvested within ten miles of their destination to avoid bringing the […]
By Stephen Floyd Silverton native Don Pettit has become the oldest astronaut to join a long-term space mission after returning to the International Space Station (ISS) Sept. 11 for a six-month scientific assignment. Pettit, 69, has spent the last two-and-a-half years training for the mission, which will be his first since 2012 and fourth space flight overall. He is expected […]
By James Day The Silverton Police Department has organized a citizens academy to help educate the community about police work. The academy runs for five two-hour sessions on Thursdays, with classes set for Sept. 19, Sept. 26, Oct. 3, Oct. 10 and Oct. 17. Chief Todd Engstrom told Our Town that the sessions “will be on a wide range of […]
The Silverton Grange Hall is hosting an election forum on Sunday, Sept. 22 from 2 to 4 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. Candidates from the U.S. House race in District 5, the state Senate race for District 9 and the state House race for District 18 have been invited to attend. Organizers emphasized that all […]
By James Day After eight months of scrambling around town trying to keep programs alive the Silverton Senior Center is headed back home. Repairs have been completed from the weather-related plumbing issues that closed the center in January. Now the reopening is set for Sept. 23. Meals on Wheels and the center staff are planning to move back in Friday, […]
The Marion County 4-H ThinkRobots Club is gearing up for the new season. The club, which includes robot builders from ages nine to 18, is open to students in Silverton, Mount Angel, Scotts Mills and Molalla. It kicks off its season Sept. 9 but plans to continue adding members until Sept. 30. The club currently has approximately 20 slots open […]
By Stephen Floyd Phil Wiesner is the new chair of the Silver Falls School District (SFSD) Board. He says he sees opportunities to unify the district after a contentious bond measure and steep financial cuts. Wiesner, who was first elected to the board in 2023, was voted in as chair during the board’s July 8 meeting, succeeding former Chair Jennifer […]
By Stephen Floyd The Silver Falls School District (SFSD) has hired Tiffany Brownson, a former administrator with the Colton School District, as the new principal for Scotts Mills and Silver Crest schools. During the Aug. 12 meeting of the SFSD Board, Interim Superintendent Kim Kellison announced Brownson would be filling the position, left vacant by staffing changes this summer. “We’re […]
By Melissa Wagoner When it comes to learning to play an instrument, the quality of the instrument itself is of the utmost importance, according to Erik Nelson, the band teacher at Silverton Middle School and Silverton High School. “A good instrument in good repair,” Nelson explained. “It doesn’t have to be new, but it helps if you have someone who […]
Mount Angel man charged with kidnapping, assault A Mount Angel man is facing numerous changes including kidnapping and sexual assault after an alleged domestic violence incident in June. Robert Guadalupe Guerrero, 43, was arrested July 23 for an alleged attack occurring June 27. According to charging documents, Guerrero allegedly forced a woman off a bus under threat of physical harm […]
By James Day Silverton likely will move forward on a city ordinance on camping within the city limits. City officials, reacting to a series of court cases, including ones in Boise, Idaho, and the Oregon cities Grants Pass and Medford, began the camping regulation discussion at the Aug. 19 council meeting. Sheltering Silverton Executive Director Sarah White and the group’s […]
By Melissa Wagoner “They called him the Legend of Props.” That’s what prop master, Kelly Farrah’s wife of 41 years, Judy, said of her husband’s illustrious career. It’s also what Kelly’s assistant and best friend for 35 years, Jack Steblinski said when he recalled the 50-plus movies and television series they worked on together. And it’s how Kelly humbly referred to […]
The Mount Angel JBO program has turned out another state champion. Mount Angel’s Senior National squad of seventh-and eighth-graders went undefeated through the July 19-21 tournament in Portland, downing Colton 11-9 in a hard-fought championship game at McDaniel (formerly Madison) High. The victory marked the third year in a row that a JBO state title has been won by a […]
By James Day U.S. Senator Ron Wyden visited Silverton on Aug. 7, taking a tour of the Habitat for Humanity subdivision off of Pine Street and hosting his 1,095th Oregon town hall at Silverton High’s theater. About 60 or so residents were on hand for the town hall. The visit marked the 2024 Marion County stop on Wyden’s “perpetual tour.” […]
The Silver Falls Library is hosting its annual book sale on Friday, Aug. 16 and Saturday, Aug. 17 at 410 S. Water St. in Silverton. The event benefits the Friends of Silver Falls Library and runs 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday. Items for sale are generally from 50 cents to […]
Whoever said “change is good” should have taken into consideration the Oregon State University football program. The Beavers finished 8-5 a year ago after starting 8-2. In the offseason they lost coach Jonathan Smith, their top two quarterbacks, a slew of other players – and their conference. “I think it made everyone closer among those who stayed,” said Beavers defensive […]
By James Day Piper Jones, a champion weight lifter from Silverton, will be competing for the USA in the Pan American Youth Championships from Aug. 26 through Sept. 1 in Guayaquil, Ecuador. Jones qualified for the U-15 American squad by virtue of her performance and rankings in recent competitions. She will compete in both the snatch and the clean and […]
In June a group of nine women – Michele Finicle, Sarah Weitzman, Jaime Fuhrman, Joy Flowers, Ann Haviland, Karyssa Dow, Laura Beville, Bri Hupp and Vivienne Frankel – combined their talents in order to provide over 1,400 lunches to kids living in the Silver Falls School District during the two-week gap in the federally funded lunch program caused by the […]
Arrest for alleged domestic assaults A Silverton man is facing numerous charges after an alleged series of domestic assaults against a Salem woman earlier this year. Jarvis Jordan Perez, 32, was indicted July 1 in Marion County Circuit Court on charges including fourth-degree assault (seven counts), unlawful use of a weapon (two counts), second-degree criminal mischief (two counts), strangulation, menacing, […]
