By Melissa Wagoner If you live in Mount Angel, there is a good chance you are acquainted with Ross Ryan. Maybe you’ve seen him wearing his signature duster and fingerless gloves, riding his bicycle on the road to Silverton – where he grew up, and where many of his family members reside to this day. Or perhaps you’ve seen him […]
Silverton house forfeited in pot sting A Silverton-area house once used in by an interstate marijuana ring has been sold as part of federal forfeiture proceedings. The residence, at 17344 Powers Creek Loop NE, was among 14 property forfeitures announced April 1 in a press release by the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the District of Oregon. The other houses were […]
As a former board member who participated in hiring Scott Drue, I felt devasted listening to Jackie Olsen, OASBO executive director, explain to the current board about the overspending of this district, leading to a[n estimated] $9.9 million shortfall in the Silver Falls School District. After his second year in the school district, my concerns grew as I saw Scott […]
How can the Silver Falls School District reduce its 2024-25 budget by $8 million? All parties concerned (school board, district administration, staff and general public) may have to lower their expectations to some degree to make it happen. Bake sales and fundraisers certainly won’t. I am retired and have no connection with the district other than trying to be a […]
By Melissa Wagoner Fighting off invasive pests – those insects, weeds and animals that aren’t a part of a gardener’s original plan – can turn a beautiful garden into a war zone filled with toxic chemicals. But it doesn’t have to be that way. “As a head gardener it is my responsibility to focus on IPM, integrated pest management, which […]
By Melissa Wagoner Dylan Uselman was a self-described shy child, anxious about public speaking – then in high school he discovered theater, and everything changed. “[T]he fantastic teacher, [Doug] Ousterhout – who’s still teaching drama and putting on shows at the high school to this day – created such a welcoming and safe space for anyone that wanted to join,” […]
Andrew Dean Amaral died due to a drug overdose. Andrew attended high school in Woodburn. When he returned from out of the area, he stayed most of the time at his mother’s in Silverton. He was loved and will be missed by his friends and family. Andrew was survived by his mother, Roxanne Camacho-Madrigal of Silverton; his dad, Juan Diego Amaral […]
Robert ‘Bob’ Frances DeSantis, Jr., 72, of Silverton, Oregon, passed away on April 3, 2024. He was born on May 5, 1951 in Silverton. Bob, known to many as a loving son, brother, father, grandfather, uncle, and friend, leaves behind a legacy of love and strength. He is survived by his mother, Anne DeSantis; sisters, Susan Dallas and Diane Hoge; […]
Jeffrey Todd Benson, 52, of Silverton, passed away on April 18, 2024. Jeff was born on April 27, 1971 to parents, Gary Benson and Jane Jones in Salem, Oregon. Jeff loved to walk, listen to live music, go to the beach, volunteer, and read. He was also really proud of his free little library that was in his front yard. […]
Delma Sprauer was born Delma Emily Hackett on May 19, 1939 to David and Armella Hackett in Silverton, Oregon. She passed peacefully in Woodburn on April 7, 2024. She is survived by six children and their spouses, Carmen, Therese (Abel), Annie (Hassan), Kate (Kory), Gary (Katia), and Karl (Bernadine), and many grand and great grandchildren, to whom she was affectionately […]
By Melissa Wagoner The Oregon Crafters Market in downtown Silverton will open for the summer season on May 3, 6 to 9 p.m. with food, drinks, live music and a host of craftspersons. “My goal is to get local artists involved more and to promote it outside Silverton as well,” Dodie Brockamp, the new head of marketing, said. “I want […]
By Sailor Hill The owners of the popular Silverton taphouse Silver Falls Brewery have opened a second location, the Barrel House in Eugene in the former Tap & Growler space. Eric Druliner co-owns Silver Falls Brewery with his business partner, Andrew Fox. The pair began brewing out of Druliner’s garage in 2015 and later expanded in 2019 to their current […]
By Melissa Wagoner At this point, most people have contracted COVID at least once during the past four years. For the majority, the experience was akin to getting the flu. They were sick for a few days, or even a week, but then the symptoms faded and they resumed their normal lives. That’s the story for most, but not all. […]
By James Day The Silver Falls Family YMCA has embarked upon a major fundraising campaign to pay for and construct a new building in which to operate its programs. Amid challenges to insuring an aging building, the YMCA left its long-time home in the Silverton Community Center in March. The building is currently being leased by the city from the […]
The Silverton Food Co-op is holding an Earth Day event at GeerCrest Farm, with family-friendly educational activities and live entertainment. Scheduled for 1 to 5 p.m. on Saturday, April 20 at the farm, 12390 Sunnyview Road NE, Salem, this free event is offered in partnership with GeerCrest and Sustainable Silverton. A main focus will be the role of oak trees […]
By Melissa Wagoner Right about the time Lexi Tucker was learning to talk, she was also learning to sing. Raised on a farm near Stayton, it didn’t take long before Tucker’s mom noticed her daughter’s talent and enrolled her in voice lessons. “I always took the chance to sing in talent shows,” Tucker said, recalling that, even when the family […]
By Melissa Wagoner Learning to read is one of the most important skills a child can master, according to Mark Twain Elementary School principal Katie Beckett. “It’s the gateway to equity,” she said. But that doesn’t mean it’s always easy, especially for those students who spent their kindergarten year learning online during the COVID pandemic. For those students, lower than […]
The Kennedy High baseball team won its final 7 games in the 2022 season, ending up with a state Class 2A-1A title. Last year, a veteran team that started eight seniors went 31-0 and repeated as state champions. This season a young squad with just one returning starter, Brody Kleinschmit, won its first eight games. That’s 46 in a row […]
I grew up in a family, and community, which revered our small-town newspaper. We read it, we discussed it and we argued about it when we thought the viewpoint was flawed. We knew the writers. We saw them at gatherings, they were the friends of my parents and the parents of my classmates. In other words, they were people just […]
Submissions are open for the 10th annual Community Art Show at Oak St. Church and local artists are invited to share their talent, skill and creativity. The show is Saturday, May 4, 3 – 8 p.m. at 502 Oak St., Silverton. Art submissions are due April 24. To enter, artists can email [email protected] with a well-lit, in-focus photo of their […]
This is an open letter to the person and/or persons who came onto my property and stole the flag I had attached to a soffitt on my house. I can only assume that you removed the flag of Stu Rasmussen because you put him in a box of your prejudice. You didn’t ask why I have the flag. You didn’t […]
On the Silver Falls School District financial situation: Where was (Assistant Superintendent) Dan Busch during the last 12 months? … Where was the School Board? The School Board absence and neglect during the past 12 month is completely unacceptable. The “thank you note” delivered to Mr. Drue at the March 13 public meeting is totally incomprehensible. I invite you to visit […]
Fraud charges filed for hardware store scheme A Silverton man has been implicated in an alleged large-scale and sophisticated fraud scheme targeting hardware stores throughout Oregon, including new local charges. Elton Bud Ralston, 40, has been charged in four separate cases in Marion, Linn, Yamhill and Washington counties for alleged thefts involving tens of thousands of dollars in merchandise. According […]
By Bruce Kingwell Silverton First Baptist church is welcoming its new lead pastor, JD Winters. The congregation has gathered at its current location on Westfield Street, between Safeway and Robert Frost Elementary School, for more than 70 years. While in that time much has changed, a congregation of seven decades learns to recognize joyful change when it comes. Such was […]
By Stephen Floyd Community members walked away with more answers but no fewer questions about an $825,000 deficit after the Silver Falls School District Board meeting March 11. An estimated 120 people attended in person and more than 200 watched by Zoom. The large audience was prompted by the deficit projection announced to the board at its Feb. 26 meeting. […]
