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Willamette Valley Bank community engagement officer Daylee Howard, left, and branch manager Joshua Keck present Silver Fallsy Family YMCA board president Chuck White and board member Bryan White with a check for $2,500. Submitted photo

Building on success: Silver Falls Family YMCA fundraises for new facility

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 […]

City of Silverton

Land use: Council hears from experts as comprehensive plan project looms

By James Day Housing continues to be a major concern statewide, with the Legislature passing another major housing bill in its recently completed short session. The City of Silverton decided to bone up on housing and land use issues in a March 18 joint session involving city staff, the City Council and the Planning Commission. The special meeting heard from […]

City of Silverton

Silverton City Council – Community Center perplexity continues

By James Day Figuring out what is next for the Silverton Community Center is turning into a confusing game of musical chairs. The city holds the lease for the building, which is owned by the Oregon Military Department. That lease expires March 31, which means that tenants Jazzercise, Silverton Area Community Aid (SACA), WIC, the Silver Falls YMCA and the […]

When the city’s lease on the Silverton Community Center expires at the end of March it is likely that the Silver Falls Family YMCA will take on the lease and manage the property. James Day

Building transition – YMCA likely to take over Community Center lease

By James Day The lease on the Silverton Community Center likely will transfer to the Silver Falls YMCA when the Silverton City Council moves its meetings to the new Civic Center building next spring. The Oregon Military Department owns the Community Center building on South Water Street, with the city’s lease set to expire March 31, 2024. The council discussed […]

The Eureka property. James Day

Silverton council backs Eureka zone change

The Silverton City Council is heading toward a decision that will mean more housing than previously planned for a property on Eureka Avenue just east of The Oregon Garden. Developers already had received approval to build up to 42 units on the 5.15-acre property, which was zoned R-1 or single-family residential. During a public hearing at the council’s Dec. 4 […]

Santa Cares set for Dec. 9

Karen Garst had one goal when she came up with the idea for Santa Cares in 2018 – to make sure everyone has a gift to give on Christmas. “[A]fter working with Sheltering Silverton and SACA I knew there were many in need,” Garst said. Inspired, Garst developed the Santa Cares event during which community members can donate gently used items – toys, children’s books, sports […]

Distribution day set for coats contributed in drive

The Elizabeth Ashley Hoke Memorial Trust sponsored the  collection of new and gently used coats for kids and families during October. Coats were dropped off at Friends of Abiqua Heights, Willamette Valley Bank, Silver Creek Fellowship Church, Adventist Community Services, Immanuel Lutheran Church, Silverton Senior Center, Hi-School Pharmacy, Gear-Up, Sunflower Farms, First Christian Church, St. Paul’s, Les Schwab Tires, Robert […]

Silverton Community Center on South Water Street. James Day

Building dilemma – What happens to nonprofits at the community center?

By James Day The new Silverton Civic Center continues to take shape in the former Eugene Field School block. Less than half a mile away lies the Silverton Community Center, a multi-use, multi-tenanted facility owned by the Oregon Military Department with the city holding the lease. So what happens to the community center when the city moves north and its […]

Two free holiday events set for community

By Melissa Wagoner  When the community-building nonprofit known as Silverton Together dissolved earlier this year, the Elizabeth Hoke Trust – a foundation honoring the legacy of SHS alumnus, Elizabeth Hoke – decided to take over many of its programs, including the annual Silverton Community Christmas Fest. “This is a celebration of the Silverton Community and the amazing people that make […]