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Cleanup project advances Watershed group works on Silver Creek
By James Day
“It’s awesome to be able to see the creek again.”
That was the response of Silverton Councilor Marie Traeger to a report from the Pudding River Watershed Council at the July 16 City Council meeting at City Hall. Watershed Council crews have been hacking away at invasive blackberries, removing ivy, planting new trees and laying down barkdust in a project paid for by grant money and city funds. The presentation drew wows from the council and city officials.
Key achievements during the 2024-25 work cycle, PRWC executive director Kurt Berning told the council, were doubling the width of the Salamander Island trail on the west side of the creek and beginning work on a native plant discovery trail.
The PRWC work in the corridor began in 2023 when the city was fined for an ammonia release into Silver Creek and had to do mitigation work.
Dan Wilgus Owner
A Supplemental Environmental Program grant through the Department of Environmental Quality paid for that work. The PRWC also received a grant from the Marion Soil & Water Conservation District that paid for battery-powered brush cutters.
The four-person PRWC crews had been using “loppers and shovels, which we still use often,” Berning said. “But it’s really nice to have the battery-powered tools and we can do a lot more with them.”
In summers past the Salamander Trail would essentially disappear beyond a large rock that sits smack dab in the middle of the trail above Salamander Island. Moving forward at that point was like entering a proverbial “briar patch.”
This year, the trail goes well beyond the rock and there is a bit of a meadow that resulted from the berry removals.
More work on the berries in that area is set for the next PRWC work cycle, with Berning and his crews planning to do some serious tree plantings in the area.
To Volunteer
The Pudding River Watershed Council has openings for volunteers on its Silver Creek project. Email executive director Kurt Berning at kurt@puddingriver.org
“We want to restore the forest,” he said, although he noted that the 1.5-acre area is “somewhat steep and a difficult site to work on. We planted about 75 trees around Coolidge McClaine, and 150 shrubs/small plants at Town Square Park. This fall and winter will be a big planting season for us. For example, we’ll likely add another 200 to 300 trees at the end of the Salamander Island Trail.”
Berning and the PRWC also are planning more tree and shrub plantings on the East Bank Trail between the library and the Salamander Island Lookout, at Town Square Park, on the hillside above the park and on the stream bank from the bridge upstream. Also on the
Pudding River Watershed Council crews work on a section of the Salamander Trail on the west bank of Silver Creek in Coolidge McClaine Park. JAMES DAY
agenda is “exploring opportunities” for improvements at the creek bridges at James and C streets.
“With the new city contract that started in January,” Berning said, “we expanded our work to the pool/city side. Our eventual goal is for the entire area to be a role model for stream habitat and inspire local community members to do similar work on their properties along the creek.”
The watershed council also has been conducting fish surveys in Silver Creek and Abiqua Creek. The news is positive at Abiqua, where coho numbers have grown from 10,241 juveniles in 2014 to 39,070 in 2023. The Silver Creek coho numbers, meanwhile, have crashed, from 1,590 in 2014 to zero in 2023.
Berning told the councilors that the water temperature in the creek is too high, the creek bed needs more fish-friendly habitat and some species have trouble navigating the dam upstream at the reservoir.
“Fish need places to hide and cold water,” Berning said.
100-year-old bridge in Scotts Mills to be replaced
The 1925-era bridge over Butte Creek in Scotts Mill will be replaced in the coming years.
The steel Warren-style pony truss structure was constructed circa 1925 and moved to Scotts Mills in 1951, where it replaced a deteriorating wooden covered bridge. The truss is 90 feet long and 19.7 feet wide and constructed of riveted steel girders. Two roughly 25-foot approach spans were constructed during installation in 1951 and are primarily composed of reinforced, board-formed concrete.
“There will be no closures/detours,” said Erin Burt, a communications coordinator with Marion County. “During construction of the second half of the bridge, traffic will be one-way controlled across the bridge with portable signals at either end.”
Marion County officials, who will be working on the project in conjunction with the Oregon Department of Transportation, said the bridge’s center span truss is due for a replacement. The structure of the current bridge limits its load-bearing to 13 tons.
The $4.5 million project is largely being paid for by federal funds, with the county providing a ten percent match.
Construction is expected to begin in the spring of 2027. Since the bridge will need to be built in halves to maintain continuous access across the creek, the project will not be completed until the end of 2028.
The project will feature three basic steps: 1) Construct the west half of the new bridge and approaches while the existing bridge remains in place; 2) Route traffic to the west half of the new bridge, demolish the existing bridge, and construct the east half of the new bridge; and 3) Connect both halves, and complete final approach roadwork.
The next phase of the project, Burt said, will be for the county’s Public Works Department to “start right-of-way purchases this coming fall. That process can take up to a year.”
Earlier in the process Marion County and ODOT offered the bridge for sale or donation because of its historic value, but the Jan. 5, 2025 deadline passed without any one making an offer.
– James Day
Here is a look at the bridge over Butte Creek in Scotts Mills that Marion County and the Oregon Department of Transportation will be replacing. JAMES DAY
Underwear kings Silverton athletes start their own business
By James Day
Somewhere during the middle of last fall’s football season, three Silverton High players got together one day at practice to discuss a common gripe.
Uncomfortable underwear. It just didn’t fit right and kept riding up in the back. Wedgie issues.
They decided to do something about it. The original trio, Brody Kuenzi, Daniel Kuenzi and Eli Willis, hooked up with Foxes high jumper and technology whiz Jacob Meyer. And Sac ‘Em Underwear was born.
Here is how the concept is explained at https://www.sacemunderwear.shop/: “The inspiration behind this product stems from our ongoing struggle to find the right underwear that fits comfortably and prevents chafing. We often encountered issues with sizing, where the underwear would be too loose in some areas and too tight in others. Our goal is to offer custom-fit underwear designed for all body types, crafted with exceptional quality to ensure a perfect, comfortable fit.”
Brody came up with the name.
“It came to me all of a sudden in the shower,” he said, “and when I met with the rest of the guys they agreed it was perfect.”
Sac ‘Em, Brody said, “refers to kind of a double whammy. There’s sacking the quarterback and the other reference is kind of up to your judgment.”
The shorts come in three colors, midnight red, royal blue and black. Waist sizes range from 28 to 40 and you can choose five- or six-inch inseams. T-shirts also are available.
Once the group had the idea they needed a manufacturer. So they started emailing companies all over the world. Meyer led the way.
“He just knows how to make stuff,” Brody said.
The biggest stumbling block was that virtually all of the firms required an initial order size that was far larger than they could afford. But a company in China said yes, and in early November a package arrived at Brody’s house.
Now Offering Same Day CROWNS
That’s when his parents became aware of the plan. The group had been “kind of low-key,” Brody said. Meyer’s parents, in fact, didn’t find out that their son was in the underwear business until even later because the first batch was delivered to Brody.
Sac ‘Em went live with a website in February and immediately suffered some inventory/tracking issues. But Brody’s father, Paul, an engineer, helped out with a spread sheet that got things organized a bit better. The group has appeared twice at the Silverton Farmers’ Market, had a booth at the Homer Davenport Community Festival and made an appearance at the weekly greeters meeting of the Silverton Area Chamber of Commerce.
Stacy Palmer, executive director of the Chamber, said “one of our board members, Erica Rumpca, saw them at the Farmers Market and thought it would be a fun story to share. The boys were charming and made some great connections for training and professional development resources and even sold a few pairs of underwear off their website.”
Silverton High boasts a Future Business Leaders of America chapter, headed by teacher Matt Craig, who doubles as a defensive coach for the Foxes.
“While I was aware of what they were doing, I never actually helped them get things going,” Craig said. “That was all them. I would ask them questions about how things were going from time to time, but they did all of the work.”
Brody, who received a $3,500 scholarship from the Maps Credit Union to study fire science at Chemeketa Community College, still plans to attend college in the fall. Ditto for Meyer, who wants to get into a sports business of some kind after majoring in business administration at the University of Oregon.
And Sac ‘Em Underwear will remain a side gig. For now.
“Or we could just blow up on Instagram and get tons of orders,” Meyer said.
Sofia’s dream
Something sweet in downtown Silverton
By Melissa Wagoner
Giulia Burato and Pietro Sangiorgi – owners of The Curbside Italian Kitchen since their move to Silverton from Italy in 2023 – knew they wanted to open another business in their new hometown. The question was, what kind of business would it be?
“Then we visited Stayton in November and there was a candy shop,” Sangiorgi recalled.
“And we said, why not in Silverton?” Burato added.
“And when we saw this place was free, it was like, ‘Yes!’”
The place in question was the previous home of Mimi’s Vintage Clothing, but before that (unbeknownst to Sangiorgi and Burato) it was a candy store called Candy Babel, and before that a chocolate shop coined, The Chocolate Box.
“We didn’t know before that it was a candy store,” Sangiorgi said of the serendipitous choice.
But what they did know was the location – almost directly across Water Street from their restaurant – was just what they were looking for.
“It’s next to the theater and downtown,” Sangiorgi confirmed.
Named after their daughter, eight-yearold Sofia, Sofia’s Candy is overflowing with both packaged and bulk candies (hand-picked by Sofia), several flavors of
freshly made cotton candy, a slushie machine and her parents’ hand-made gelato, which they transferred from the restaurant.
“Many people last week came by to say, when are you opening,” Sangiorgi said when he met with Our Town after the grand opening celebration in April. “But it was hard to open because we make the gelato, and we needed a restaurant license.”
License finally obtained, the family opened the door to the space – now painted pink and blue, per Sofia’s choice – to crowds of customers, selling out of gelato in only a handful of hours.
“It was so great,” candy shop employee Hope Lieberwirth said. “I really enjoyed all the kids.”
Open Tuesday through Sunday 1 to 5 p.m., Sofia’s Candy is, in Burato’s eyes, more than just a place to purchase sweets.
“I think it’s good for the community,” she said. That is important to her because of the support she and Sangiorgi have received since opening Curbside Italian Kitchen two years ago.
“I remember many people came in to welcome us to town,” Sangiorgi said.
“The town is very friendly.”
“We’ve been very happy here,” Burato agreed.
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Giulia Burato and Pietro and Sofia Sangiorgi, owners of Sofia’s Candy in Silverton.
MELISSA WAGONER
Environmental champions Sixth graders learn valuable skills
By Melissa Wagoner
When students at the Community Roots School reach the sixth and highest grade at the school, they are provided an opportunity to engage with the community in a unique way, through a Sixth Grade Project.
“The sixth graders are the leaders of our school, and this is a way for them to use their passions to be leaders in the larger community,” Alyssa Burge, one of the classroom’s two lead guides, explained. “Each one of them found a project that they were excited about doing and spent a lot of time researching organizations to work with, causes they believed in, and ways they thought they could actually make a difference. It’s really important to our school that the children see themselves as active members of the world that can make meaningful change.”
Emerald Ash Borer
Wendell Voss chose his project after his parents, Sarah Brown and Conner Voss, received a letter in the mail notifying them that the Marion County Soil and Water Conservation District (MCSWC) would be holding an informational workshop preparing landowners for the possibility of an emerald ash borer infestation.
“My mom said, ‘Hey, have you decided on your Sixth Grade Project?’” Voss recalled. “So, I signed up for the class.”
Despite being the only student in attendance, he learned a lot.
“They’re interesting bugs,” he said. “The holes they put in trees are D-shaped and it takes them two to three years to kill a tree. It’s not exactly the bug that kills the tree. It’s the larvae.”
Monitoring as many areas of Oregon as possible in the hopes of keeping the bugs at bay, MCSWC provided Voss with a trap he could place on the family’s farm during the summer months.
“You monitor in June and July and if you don’t get one you replace your bait. It smells like apples,” Voss described. “You take it down in September.”
It’s a unique project, Voss said, because – owing to the destructive nature of the ash borer insect, which has already wipedout tens of millions of ash trees in North America, according to the Department of Agriculture – he is hoping his traps fail.
“I don’t want to fail in the sense that if there is an ash borer it misses them,” he said. “But it’s tough because you don’t want one.”
Fishing Education
Asher Stephens has been fishing with his dad since he was three years old. So, when it came time to pick the topic of his project, he knew just what he would choose.
“I did a fishing presentation at the library to teach people to fish,” he said. “I started off with regulations, the history of fishing… I showed different lines, what fish they’re for, poles and reels, baits, hooks and weights. I even had a video of me cleaning a fish.”
Attended by an estimated 20 people, the class was designed to not only teach people how to fish for fun but also for sustenance.
“People are too used to going to the grocery store,” Stephens pointed out. “And if the stores shut down everyone would die.”
Mason Bees
Before Keziah Skiffington began studying mason bees for her Sixth Grade Project, she knew almost nothing about them. But now, thanks to her research, she is a mason bee expert, able to list facts from the bees’ favorite flowers (lavender and poppies) to their unique color (a dark blue green). And thanks to the way she involved the rest of her class – enlisting them in crafting several mason bee houses to hang throughout campus – her classmates know a lot about the bees as well.
“They’re way better pollinators [than honeybees] because they’re way messier,” Voss pointed out.
“They play with their food,” Stephens said. “It’s very good for the environment,” Skiffington said, explaining that it was this usefulness combined with the bee’s low-profile that led her to choose them as a topic.
“Mason bees are just as important as honeybees,” she said. “But they’re smaller and native to Oregon… and usually they don’t sting.”
And, unlike honeybees – which live in a hive – mason bees nest in hollow stems, vacated beetle burrows, the holes in trees, or mason bee homes constructed by helpful individuals like Skiffington.
“We made [mason bee homes] out of black pipes we cut into sections and then filled with cut up bamboo,” Skiffington said. “The mason bees will lay their eggs in the tubes… I haven’t really checked on them lately, but hopefully we’ll see mason bees in there soon.”
Sea Turtle Conservation
When it came time to pick his project, Justin Meyerhofer knew he wanted to help sea turtles. So, he contacted Sea Turtles Forever, a nonprofit with the mission of both protecting and restoring healthy environments for marine life, especially turtles.
“I went down to the coast and cleaned the microplastics out of the sand… on May 14, 2025,” Meyerhofer said. “It went pretty great. The guy I met up with was really nice.”
But the best part of the project, for Meyerhofer, was simply being at the beach, learning about sea turtles.
“[I learned] that over half of endangered sea turtles die from consuming microplastics,” Meyerhofer said, “and microplastics are everywhere.”
Lessons like this one are one reason Burge implemented the Sixth Grade Project, but they are by no means the only reason she created the assignment.
“For some of them, this was their first time making a phone call to an organization, writing emails to someone they did not know, and needing to collaborate with groups like the library, the sea turtle conservation organization, the county watershed group, and the Audubon Society – groups that usually only field calls from adults,” Burge explained.
“Each one of the kids was able to see the impact of their efforts, which I hope has been really encouraging for them as they jump off into middle school.”
Asher Stephens teaching a fishing class at the Silver Falls Library as a part of his Sixth Grade Project for the Community Roots School.
Wendell Voss setting up a emerald ash borer trap on his family’s farm as part of the Sixth Grade Project. PHOTOS COURTESY ALYSSA BURGE
‘Monte’ Singer-songwriter releases first album
By Melissa Wagoner
When it came time to record an album, the singer-songwriter simply known as “Garreson” knew exactly who he wanted to pay tribute to, his late grandfather, Monte Garrison – a singer-songwriter in his own right – who acted as a mentor for his young grandson, gifting him his first guitar and teaching him to play.
“I would write songs on the guitar and play them for him and ask what he thought,” Garreson recalled. “I spent years only playing for him and a few close friends… He always used to call and ask, ‘Are you working on your music?’ and after he passed I got this overwhelming sense that I needed to honor him by playing my music, and his too, because he wouldn’t be calling me to remind me anymore.”
Kicking off his career as a performer with the most difficult concert he would ever play – his grandfather’s funeral in 2020 – Garreson decided to put his previous anxieties aside and begin sharing his
music, first at the Silverton Sidewalk Shindig, then at any music venue that would have him.
“[T]o be honest, I dove in before I knew what I was doing and have just continued to try to learn and evolve as I go,” Garreson said. “I go to open mics constantly… Local venues have been
excited to book me and… I deeply appreciate our area’s willingness to engage with music and artists. I honestly wouldn’t be where I am without the support of those around me.”
It was with this newfound confidence that Garreson decided it was finally time to record his first album, “Monte.”
“I knew very early on that I needed to pay tribute to him and a record felt like the best thing I could offer,” Garreson explained. “I hoped it would be something others could connect to also. I had never been in the studio before and the whole thing was a bit scary… My motto through this journey has been, ‘You can be scared, but do it anyway.’”
Scheduled for release on Friday, Aug. 29, the album will be celebrated locally with a launch party at Leaf and Vine Wine Lounge, 107 N. Water St., Silverton, 6 to 8 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 5. More info at garreson.com/.
“I wanted this record to feel like my grandpa, and the time we spent together. As if he was calling just to check in…” Garreson said.
“This album is unique because it’s not only my story, it’s [my grandfather’s] as well. It’s the story of every person who has had someone important to them recognize their potential and push them to chase it. He was always the first to advocate for those who were struggling, for the person who was seen as different or ‘less than.’ He believed in perseverance and the power of vulnerability, and he made a difference in countless lives around him.
Singer-songwriter Garreson. SUBMITTED PHOTO
“I tried to pass on the importance of those lessons in these songs.”
It was a difficult undertaking, one that was made more challenging by Garreson’s lack of studio experience, the discovery early on that he suffers from voice nodules and the amount of vulnerability the songs required.
“The recording process was very visceral for me,” Garreson said. “I joke that if you want to go through every emotion you have inside you, make a record… This album came from a very sensitive space inside myself that I had to sort of be in throughout the recording. I had to go through several of my grandfather’s voicemails to select the interlude sections and that was so difficult… but I feel like maybe I created what I was supposed to. An honest picture of myself at this time. An imperfect album for imperfect people learning how to navigate scary things as they move forward. For me it was overwhelming and inspiring, and I can already feel the seeds of another record beginning to grow.”
Library provides free English-Spanish books for early readers
Since launching at the Silver Falls Library in June 2019, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library Program has provided one free book each month to 333 children aged zero to five. And while that may sound like a lot of kids, library director Christy Davis estimates there are more than 1,000 children within the service area who are eligible to register.
“[W]e’re hoping more families learn about and register for the program,” she wrote in a press release about recent updates.
Davis is not alone in recognizing that updates – specifically regarding the provision of books printed in Spanish –needed to be made.
“Literacy is not confined to a single language – it is nurtured through the languages children speak at home, the stories they hear, and the books they read with their families,” Alyssa Chatterjee, Director of Oregon’s Department of Early Learning and Care is quoted in the press release announcing the rollout, in August, of
the Imagination Library’s first Bilingual English/Spanish book collection.
“By offering culturally responsive and bilingual books, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library Program honors the richness of every child’s linguistic and cultural identity,” Chatterjee said. “The addition of a Spanish language book option means more families will have access to stories in the language that connects generations. I’m thrilled knowing that for those who choose this option, bilingual books will soon arrive in their mailbox – opening doors to literacy, learning, and a life-long love of reading.”
In June registered families received instructions on how to switch to the new book collection. But for new registrants the choice is even easier, they simply choose the “Español” language tab at the top of the webpage at www.imaginationlibrary.com/oregon/.
“Every child should grow up with stories that reflect their language, culture, and identity,” State Representative Ben Bowman – the legislator responsible
for the Imagination Library Program’s statewide expansion in 2024 – said in the press release. “Multilingual kids have a superpower that we should nurture and celebrate. This new bilingual collection shows our state’s commitment to making sure every child has the tools to learn, grow, and thrive.”
The state’s continued commitment is backed the program by funding 50 percent of the program cost. The other 50 percent is provided by a community backer, in Silverton’s case, the Kiwanis Club of Silverton.
“Regardless of the language a child knows, the joy of reading should be available for every young learner,” Governor Tina Kotek said of the decision. “[The bilingual book collection] will help improve our literacy outcomes and make sure every Oregon student, regardless of where they live or where they come from, has the opportunity to develop a love of reading before they ever step into a classroom.”
– Melissa Wagoner
Free Community Picnic and Swim Aug. 15 at Coolidge-McClaine Park
Silverton’s 32nd annual Community Picnic is set for 5 to 9 p.m. Aug. 15 at Coolidge-McClaine Park, 300 Coolidge St. and the Silverton Community Pool. All food, games and activities are free.
This year community members will also have access to information about local clubs, groups and organizations which are looking for members or volunteers.
From 5 to 7 p.m. volunteers will be dishing up hot dogs and side dishes. There will also be face painting, family photos, resource tables, an ice cream social and music. Traditionally the Community Picnic serves 300-400 meals to all ages.
From 7 to 8 p.m. there will be Bingo. And 7 to 9 p.m. there will be open swim at the pool.
The event is a cooperative endeavor provided by the Silverton Kiwanis Club, the Silver Falls Family YMCA, Silverton United Methodist Church, Giggle Britches the Clown, Silver & Grace Photography and others.
Something to Think About
Funding chaos Cuts effect AmeriCorps,
By Melissa Wagoner
In 1993 President Bill Clinton signed the National and Community Service Trust Act, merging two established community service organizations into the Corporation for National Community Service (currently known as AmeriCorps), an organization with the lofty mission to improve lives, strengthen communities and foster engagement through service. In Oregon, an offshoot of that entity was created to specifically aid rural communities – the Resource Assistance for Rural Environments (RARE).
“We are a graduate level service-learning program housed on the University of Oregon campus,” program director Titus Tomlinson said. “We… send [members] out to rural Oregon to complete a year of service… 1,700 hours over the course of 11 months.”
Formed the same year as AmeriCorps, RARE accepts an average of 30 member applications and 30 sponsor applications each year, matching the two together in a way that provides both entities with a singular experience.
“We do work within three broad topic areas: community and economic development, food systems, and environmental and sustainable planning,” Tomlinson said. “So, you might be a community looking to develop a parks plan, a main street or a community food assessment. We’ve also been able to pivot on an annual basis to meet the most pressing needs of rural Oregon, like COVID and wildfires… we’ve done a good job of that for the past 30 years.”
But that ability came to a screeching halt on April 25 when, without warning, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) rescinded an estimated $400 million in funding to AmeriCorps as a whole and, by extension, RARE as well.
“On April 25 we received notice that the grant funding we receive had been terminated and we were to essentially start shutting down shop,” Tomlinson recalled. This news sent employees, members and sponsors of both AmeriCorps and RARE into a tailspin.
“For me it was general anxiety,” Charlie Johann – a RARE member working with the City of Silverton to update and implement the city’s comprehensive plan and manage the urban forest – recalled. “It just created uncertainty. There were two or three weeks where I woke up and thought, let’s see if I have a job.”
It was a valid question, especially considering, without federal grants RARE was only in the position to maintain member payout through May – two months shy of the program’s promised end date.
“Then later that week we received guidance – it was vague – that, yes, you have received a grant termination letter, but you are encouraged to keep members… and assume financial liability.”
That notice came on the heels of a lawsuit initiated by 23 states, including Oregon, and the District of Columbia, arguing that the termination was illegal and violated due process for the discontinuation of a federal grant.
RARE
“We were hoping… that would take a week,” Tomlinson said. “But it took four weeks.”
During that time, uncertain of the future, Tomlinson encouraged members – many of whom came to Oregon from across the country – to make whatever decisions were best for them.
“Because we were encouraging them to do what was right, by the end of May we had lost 75 to 80 percent of the cohort,” Tomlinson said. “I have eight that remain… out of 31.”
It’s a hit that Tomlinson believes will have a lasting effect. “As far as government efficiency, this is the exact opposite because when the grant was pulled the current cohort was at peak performance,” Tomlinson said. “We lost all of the momentum we had built up. It’s just gone. It’s one of many reasons it was heartbreaking.”
Although the backing for both AmeriCorps and RARE was technically reinstated on June 5 after a judge ordered the Trump administration to restore funding, the loss of momentum, the loss of staff and volunteers, as well as the overall instability and financial uncertainty remaining has meant neither organization is running at anywhere near full capacity.
In fact, while RARE was able to finish out the service year supporting the eight members remaining in the field – including Johann in Silverton and Justin Montrie working with the City of Detroit – the situation was looking so dire that Tomlinson made a choice he never imagined making.
“We decided to put the program on pause,” he said. “I went from having three other staff members to I’m the last person here with eight members to close out the season. And it’s pretty sad, to be honest.”
Because Tomlinson – a two-time RARE member who made his career, first as program coordinator then as director – never envisioned a day when a program like AmeriCorps would lose favor with the government that created it.
Charlie Johann, a member of the RARE branch of AmeriCorps sponsored to work with the City of Silverton during the 2024-25 season. MELISSA WAGONER
“For people like me who have preached national service… this has left a bad taste in my mouth…” he said, recounting the hundreds of civil projects RARE made possible. “My understanding is for every dollar invested there’s a $34 return… And that’s just a sliver of the impact our members are having… We let go of 53 host site applications and 103 member applications for next year.”
“It’s the field going fallow. It’s the salmon run that doesn’t happen…” Jay Shenai, who served in AmeriCorps in 2000, said, sharing the disbelief he felt upon learning the future of the organization was in question. “To see the agency I supported targeted… it hurt. I felt for the people involved.”
Especially those who will no longer have the opportunity to acquire the valuable on the job experience and leadership skills Shenai gained.
“It definitely matured me…” he said, recalling his experience, first planting thousands of trees, then working with the Clark County Utilities Department. “It gave me a sense of purpose that’s still with me today.”
And for 30 years it provided communities – like the ones Shenai, Charlie Johann and Justin Montrie served – with the ability to complete projects they otherwise could not have afforded or had the labor force to complete.
“Justin was a very important figure to getting us to the point where the city is at today…” Michele Tesdal, the Park Commissioner and City Councilor for Detroit working with Montrie, said. She described the assistance he provided city officials in putting together a plan to upgrade the city’s lone park and apply for a critical Oregon Parks and Recreation Department grant.
“The work was everything I had hoped for when I applied for and won the RARE AmeriCorps grant,” Tesdal said.
Initially concerned when she discovered the funding that allowed Montrie to stay in Detroit was uncertain, Tesdal was relieved to learn that he would be finishing out the year after all.
“We found out that he only needed to work 80 hours in that last month of July, so he worked the first two weeks,” Tesdal said. “His last day was Monday, July 14.” Similarly, officials at the City of Silverton – equally satisfied with Johann’s
assistance in developing a plan for the new Downtown Plaza Park – were so committed to keeping him on staff that they agreed to extend his tenure by one month by paying his salary outright.
“I keep thinking, I would typically have only two more weeks,” Johann said, describing the immense work, especially around community engagement, which has thus far gone into the project.
“I think that’s the thing I’m most proud of, leveling up community engagement,” he said. “Because the biggest thing I could offer was to be available and to hear what questions [the community] had.”
It’s an experience that – though Johann will leave Silverton to attend the graduate program at the University of Oregon this fall – has given him a connection to Silverton and Oregon that he wouldn’t otherwise have.
“I’ll be back…” he stated. “I care deeply about these projects.”
It’s that feeling of accomplishment that, according to Tomlinson, makes AmeriCorps and RARE a life-changing experience for participants.
“I can’t tell you how many people say this program helped make them become who they are today,” Tomlinson said, including himself in that statement. “We have members… that have entered into leadership across the United States.”
Now he is putting out a call to all those leaders, asking them to reach out to lawmakers in support of AmeriCorps and its subsidiaries, to share their experience of serving in RARE and AmeriCorps and to support both entities as they strive for a more stable future.
With support from The Ford Family Foundation and Roundhouse Foundation Tomlinson is working on developing a non-federally funded version of the program.
In a press release to former RARE members and sponsors on June 18 he said, “Moving RARE towards a more financially resilient funding model is a critical step we must take to ensure our continued success. Out of every challenge comes an opportunity and this is our chance to build upon the amazing foundation that we have developed over our 31 years of service to rural Oregon.”
For more information visit https://rare.uoregon.edu/.
Classic farmhouse in the woods. 40.74 acres. Pasture, timber. Borders BLM. 24x48 shop on slab. 24x36 Equipment Bldg. Seller financing available! 20739 Hazelnut Ridge Rd. NE, Scotts Mills. MLS#823491
$869,000
24.16 acres. 2 bd. 1 ba. 1228 sq ft. farmhouse. Shop/office. Livestock bldg. 7560 sq. ft. 2 commercial greenhouses. sm. pond. 38591 Gilkey Rd., Scio. MLS#827670
$298,000 2 acre panoramic view home site. Approved for standard septic. Electrical vault installed. Good water well. Sellers may consider a contract. 7685 Dovich Ln. SE, Salem. MLS#827459
Under Contract SIX LOTS at $600,000 TOTAL Rosemary Way lots: 601, 605 & 611 MLS#810425; 615, 619 & 623 MLS#810404. Builder, Developer! Located in Monitor Road Estates. These lots will require wetland remediation. Buyer must have a development plan.
$255,000 Creek frontage on 3.99 acres. Bareland. Ideal for recreational use. Swimming hole. Campsite. Seller will carry a contract. Off of Crooked Finger Rd., Scotts Mills. MLS#822303
Shirley W. Johnson March 19, 1928 –Aug. 6, 2025
Shirley W. Johnson passed peacefully of natural causes at the age of 97 in Seaside, Oregon. She was born in Tacoma, Washington to Mabel C. Hansen and Harry W. Hansen.
She was a stay-at-home mom who devoted her life to serving her family. She was very proud of her Norwegian heritage and loved to have family help her in making buckles and lefse at Christmas time. She would always defend the taste and texture of lutefisk proclaiming the fish wasn’t squishy and jellied but rather firm and flaky and very delicious.
Shirley was a real foodie. She could read a recipe and tell what was needed to improve it. She attended a small private Lutheran school in Tacoma. Shirley graduated in 1946. In 1950 she married Rodney Johnson, the love of her life. They built their modest house in Puyallup, Washington, and had four children, Chris, Karen, Keith and Clay. In 1974 they moved to Silverton, Oregon, and bought a seven-acre farm
with a mature cherry orchard off Steelhammer Road. They enjoyed the harvest season by inviting u-pickers to the farm. In 1996 they sold the farm and bought a two-acre plot on a lake in South Salem. Shirley moved back to Silverton to be near friends and family. In 2020 Shirley moved to assisted care in Seaside, Oregon to be near Karen, her daughter.
She is survived by daughter-in-law, Diane Johnson of Salem; daughter, Karen (Larry) Smith of Seaside; son, Keith Johnson of Salem; son, Clay (Brandi) Johnson of Bend; and ten grandchildren and six great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents, Mabel and Harry Hansen; brothers, Robert and Willard; son, Chris; grandson, Nathan Smith; and her husband, Rod. Shirley will be laid to rest next to her beloved Rod at Valley View Cemetery in Silverton. Arrangements were made by Unger Funeral Chapel, Silverton, Oregon.
James Edward Shull
James Edward Shull of Silverton, Oregon, died early in the morning of Aug. 3, 2025, at the age of 90. Jim, a.k.a. “Shull,” was an artist and painter born in Arcata, California on July 8, 1935. He moved to the Salem area with his parents and brother in middle school. A graduate of the University of Oregon with both a Bachelors and Masters of Fine Art, he taught art at Mt. Angel College until its closure in the early 1970s. In 1989 Shull and business partners incorporated Interpretive Exhibits, Inc. in Salem, Oregon, from which he retired over a 15 years later.
Shull is survived by his wife, Virginia Fennimore Shull; daughter, Genevieve Shull Forstag, and son-in-law, Michael
July 8, 1935 – Aug. 3, 2025
Forstag; and daughter, Megan Shull Baird and son-in-law, Shawn Baird. His five grandchildren are Sam, Indigo, Sophia, James and Celeste. Shull’s brother, Bill, his wife Paula and their daughter Erika and her partner Robin live near Silverton.
Shull had a long career in art, first as a professor and later as an exhibit designer and builder. He continued to paint Oregon’s landscapes until shortly before his death.
A graveside service is scheduled at Calvary Cemetery in Mount Angel on Friday, Aug. 22, at noon. Arrangements by Unger Funeral Chapel.
‘Passages’ Submissions Welcomed: Our Town appreciates the opportuity to share life’s Passages with our readers. If there is a birth, engagement, wedding, anniversary, college graduation or obituary of a local resident you’d like to share, please send it to ourtown.life@mtangelpub.com or mail it to Editor, Our Town, P.O. Box 927, Mount Angel, OR 97362, or drop it by our office at 401 Oak St., Silverton any weekday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
In Memory Of
Esther Lopez Moreno Jan. 10, 1964 — July 17, 2025
Stephen Meith Nov. 12, 1941 — July 19, 2025
Maureen Feller Sept. 4, 1953 — July 21, 2025
Toni Olds Sept. 10, 1948 — July 22, 2025
Robert Ingles Oct. 6, 1953 — July 24, 2025
Ronald Hanna June 23, 1930 — July 24, 2025
control costs. Make your wishes known and we will do our best to relieve family distress.
Stephen J. Meith
Stephen J. Meith, age 83, lived in Mount Angel, Oregon. He died on July 19, 2025, at Mt. Angel Health & Rehabilitation. At the time of death, he had a concurrent diagnosis of chronic lymphocytic leukemia, type 2 diabetes, Guillaume–Barre Syndrome, vascular parkinsonism, and stroke.
Nov. 12, 1941 – June 19, 2025
Steve was born in Los Angeles, California, to H. Clem and Lillian (Mazzini) Meith. Steve obtained an A.A. degree in Chemistry from Yuba College, Marysville, California and a B.A. degree in Chemistry from Chico State College, Chico, California. Between the two degrees, he served in the US Army in Korea for three years. During his career, Steve was certified as an Industrial Hygienist, Safety Professional, Marine Chemist.
He worked in hazardous materials emergency cleanup and disposal out of Portland, Oregon, and Seattle, Washington, which took him to West Coast and Midwest sites of railroad accidents, laboratory decommissioning projects, ship repair, fire and life safety. In later life, Steve
returned to school for Culinary Arts degrees at South Seattle Community College, which he applied at home as a fabulous chef.
He was married to Sherry (Bravinder) Meith for 49 years. They lived in Oregon, California, and Washington, as the job markets would allow. They had no children. Together, they enjoyed playing golf, and golf-centered vacations in Hawaii and Canada, as well as playing bridge or doing crossword and Sudoku puzzles. They were members of St. Mary Parish in Mount Angel.
Steve was preceded in death by his parents and his brother David. The doctors, nurses, CNAs and caregivers who tried to sort out Steve’s illnesses and keep him comfortable were appreciated.
A Funeral Mass was held at St. Mary Catholic Church, Mount Angel on Aug. 5 with Rosary. Arrangements were made by Unger Funeral Chapel. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests a donation to Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) Foundation, or the charity of your choice.
Carol Ann Raid Marcoe
Carol Ann Raid Marcoe, age 84, passed away peacefully on August 2, 2025, at her home along the Howell Prairie, between Salem and Silverton. She was surrounded and comforted by her immediate family.
She was born April 23,1941, the middle daughter of Charles and Corinne Raid, in Portland, Oregon. Charlie and Corinne were parents of four children: Gary, Charlene, Carol Ann, and Nancy. The family moved from Portland to a farm three miles east of Mount Angel in 1942.
Carol Ann attended elementary schools in the rural district known as Monitor and graduated from Silverton Union High School in 1959.
During her high school years, Carol Ann met and dated Herbert Arnold Marcoe (Arnie) of Silverton. The couple married on August 20, 1960, at the Trinity Lutheran Church near the Raid farm. Their first child, Jeffery, was born in May 1961. They moved into a modest house in northeast Salem. Carol Ann became a full-time homemaker, and, in May 1964, the couple welcomed daughter Kimberly into the family.
In 1971, Arnie and Carol Ann purchased a five-acre parcel in the rural Central Howell district west of Silverton. There they built their dream home. Carol Ann soon went to work at the State Farm regional office in Salem until her retirement at the age of 59.
Carol Ann was known for her sweet spirit and smile, her love of the outdoors (walks, salmon fishing, kayaking, and RV traveling), and dedication to her family. She especially loved dogs, line dancing, and reading.
Arnie and Carol Ann were faithful and active members of Redeemer Lutheran Church (4663 Lancaster Drive NE) in Salem for more than 60 years. A celebration of Carol Ann’s life will be held at Redeemer on Saturday, October 18, at 11:00 a.m.
Carol Ann was preceded in death by her parents and her beloved sister Charlene. She is survived by her husband Arnie, son Jeff, daughter Kim, brother Gary Raid, sister Nancy Ohren, and sister-in-law Jody Debacon, along with a multitude of Raid and Marcoe cousins, nieces, and nephews. The family expresses its appreciation to Serenity Hospice and Willamette Valley Caregivers for their loving support of Carol Ann during her final months. Arrangements by Unger Funeral Chapel.
Mitchell J. Teeney
Dec. 7, 1940 – July 15, 2025
Mitchell J. Teeney, age 84, passed away peacefully on July 15, 2025, at his home in Silverton, Oregon, surrounded by family. “Mitch” was born in 1940, in Portland, Oregon, to Edna and Ray Teeney. Mitch was a well-liked businessman and farmer. He valued family over all things and made everyone who met him feel accepted and loved. Mitch was a giving man, never one to ask for help, instead always looking out for others. “What can I do to help ya?” was a phrase he used often and genuinely meant.
At the age of 19, Mitch assumed responsibility and managed the family business, Teeneys Department Store, while also serving in the Oregon Army National Guard as an Air Traffic Controller. At the age of 30, he moved to Silverton and began farming. Along with his wife, Nancy Daebart Teeney, and their four children, Randy, Dana, Pam, and Steve, he raised sheep, hogs, wheat, berries, hay, and much more.
In 1983, Mitch and four other local farmers founded Rainsweet, a berry processing co-op in Salem. Mitch managed the production and sales of everything. Rainsweet grew to become one of the top berry processing companies on the West Coast. Having established himself as a respected farmer and businessman, in 1993 he pivoted yet again, launching a successful career in real estate sales, specializing in farm and commercial land sales, which he continued until retirement.
Mitch was also an avid hunter and angler. Archery elk hunting was his favorite outing, but he never missed any opportunity to be on a mountain or in a boat fishing. Along with his devotion to family and friends, his enthusiasm for hunting and fishing was at the core of who he was and how he lived.
In 1988, after 25 wonderful years of marriage, Mitch was predeceased by his beloved wife and mother of his children, Nancy. He is also predeceased by three children: Dana Harris (1991), Steve Teeney (2008), and Pam Grambush (2023).
Mitch leaves behind his son Randy Teeney, his wife, Kristie, and grandchildren, Jordan, Brandi, Jessica, and Taylor; son-in-law Doug Harris and grandchildren, Clarissa and Nick; daughter-in-law Jill Teeney Von Flue, husband Owen Van Flue, and grandchildren, Riley, Avery, Barrett, Sawyer, Lincoln, Spencer, Levi, Carly, and Emmett; son-in-law Norman Grambush, and grandchildren, Josh and Joel.
In 2000, Mitch married his cherished wife and best friend, Virginia Redding (Teeney). Virginia also survives his passing, along with her own children, Theresa Hill and her husband Tom Hill, and grandchildren, Heather, Amanda, Sean, and Justine; John Bob, his wife Kerilyn, and grandchildren, Kylie and Katelyn; Robert Bob; Beatrice Redding, and grandson Weston. Mitch also leaves behind many, many great grandchildren.
A man of great strength, faith in God, and unwavering love of family, he will be forever remembered as a man that accepted everyone and created relationships through his kindness, honesty, understanding, and warmth. He will be dearly missed.
Information regarding a celebration of Mitch’s life will be released at a later time.
‘Overlanding’ Getting off the beaten path
By Melissa Wagoner
Sheldon Traver first discovered overlanding – a mixture of camping and off-roading originating in Australia –during the COVID pandemic of 2020.
“I was looking for stuff to do and I had a 1997 Subaru. That’s how I got started,” he recalled. “I started with groups… and then… out on my own.”
Although he became confident with solo travel, Traver found he missed the camaraderie of a group trip. And so, in May of 2025 he started a Facebook group titled “Silverton Oregon Overlanders” in the hopes of discovering other like-minded Silvertonians.
“All this time I’ve been meeting people from all over and I thought, there’s got to be other people [here],” he said. And it turns out, Traver was right because, only two months in, the group already has a roster of 62 members, including Timothy Moran whose affection for overlanding grew out of a childhood spent both camping and off-roading.
“We generally like to go 100 miles out where we’ve got snow and boulders,” Moran said, describing the trips he now takes with his wife and five-year-old daughter. “There’s just something magical. Once we’re there, we find a place, set up camp, go exploring and do some fishing. Then we find the tallest mountain and the best view.”
It’s a method of unspecified wander that is common amongst the overlanders in Traver’s group, including Greg Wuelfing, who said. “I just go. I don’t have a destination. I have a start point and then it’s the journey. I have no problem spending three to four days on the road.”
A military veteran who also grew up camping, Wuelfing uses overlanding as stress relief and a way to reset.
“After a while you sleep better,” he pointed out. “The woods does that.”
But the hobby does take preparation, especially when it comes to the vehicle (commonly a model built for adventure) and the gear (typically paired down to only the essentials).
“No one is saying you can’t take a Toyota Camry,” Traver pointed out. “But you’ll test every bolt.”
It’s a delicate balance between comfort, utility and cost that Clinton Clark – who grew up mudding on his family’s midwestern farm – knows well. Which is why, when it comes to choosing overlanding transportation, he recommends starting with a Jeep.
“Or something [equally] inexpensive,” he said. “Because something will break.”
And, before making any purchase, don’t forget to research the cost of replacement tires.
“Because tires can be a lot,” Clark said. “And you’re going to puncture a tire.”
They’re just one of the many pieces of equipment overlanders never leave home without.
“You want to be prepared because if you’re traveling into the woods you won’t have reception and a tow bill will be very expensive,” fellow overlander Jon Castillo – who also lists a surplus of gasoline, extra cash, a screenshot of the roads he plans to travel and at least one buddy as just some of the other crucial items he always includes – said. Adding, “I never leave home without water either.”
“Water for you and water for washing,” Moran confirmed, additionally listing his own must-haves as a first aid kit, fire extinguisher and extra chain.
Because having no set destination can easily mean running into unexpected obstacles.
“It’s not always fun and games,” Traver said. “My Subaru lost its clutch in the middle of nowhere and it took me all day to get back to a main road.”
It’s why he never leaves home without a set of tools and the attitude that breakdowns are just a part of the overlanding lifestyle.
“If these things frustrate you, it’s probably not a good place for you…” Traver said. “But there are so many places you can just off-road, and the beauty is, you don’t need to wait six months to reserve a campground.”
Overlanding must-haves
• A vehicle appropriate for the conditions
• An All-terrain Vehicle Operating Permit from the State of Oregon
• A full tank of gas plus extra gas in a jerrycan
• Spare tires, tire patching kit and air compressor
• Cellphone and a GMRS radio or two-way radio
• Maps in various forms including online, screenshot and paper.
• Tool kit
• Sleeping bag
• Cash
• Tent, hammock or mattress
• Extra food and cooking utensils
• Water for drinking and washing up.
• Trash bags
• Pocket knife
• Chainsaw
• Fire extinguisher
• First aid kit
• Recovery gear including chains, rope, a winch and traction boards
Whether overlanders are traveling a few miles off the beaten track or spending days getting as far from civilization as they can, Traver suggests those interested simply try it.
“We have this incredible state to explore,” he said. “You can map out a route and go camping.”
Overlanding can be a group activity. SHELDON TRAVER
The best ever? 2021-22
I ran into Austin Ratliff and his father, Jerry, at the Subway shop the other day. Austin was a three-sport star at Silverton who is entering his senior year at Oregon State, where he is majoring in business.
Ratliff tried his hand at football with the Beavers and participated in seven games on special teams last fall before choosing not to move forward with football. He’s working for his dad in construction this summer.
As we chatted I noted the extreme difficulty of making it in college sports at the Division I level. Hell, I never played on a varsity team in high school. Athletes such as Ratliff are extremely special, no matter how things turn out at college. Thinking it over later I started adding up the pieces of Ratliff’s Foxes career and came to the conclusion that the 2021-22 school year, when Ratliff was a senior, was perhaps the most successful sports campaign in Foxes history.
In the fall the Foxes downed Thurston 26-21 in Hillsboro to claim the 5A state football title. In the winter Silverton came within four points of winning the 5A hoops title, falling 34-30 to perennial power Wilsonville in the title game at Gill Coliseum. And in the spring the Foxes won the team title at the 5A state track and field championships in Eugene.
Foxes athletes stand a cut above
That’s two state titles and a second.
Ratliff was on all three teams, starting as wide receiver and in the secondary in football, playing a spot starter/sixth-man role in hoops and sprinting his way to third in the 100 and 200 and anchoring the 4 x 100 relay to second at the track meet.
Jordan McCarty also participated on all three teams. He was the QB on the football team, the point guard in hoops and scored on the 4 x 400 relay in track. This fall, he will be playing quarterback at Western Oregon.
Ratliff and McCarty were the only Foxes who participated on all three teams, but they had tons of help. Orie Schaffers and Sam Willis were standout linemen in football and won events (Schaffers the shot put, Willis the discus) in track and field. Ryan Redman-Brown was the man in the middle in hoops and took third in the high jump. The 4 x 100 relay squad consisted entirely of football players with Riley Sinn, Steeley Mucken and Jackson Pfeifer getting the baton safely to Ratliff.
The list goes on. Ping Koonantha was a key reserve in hoops and took fourth
in the triple jump. Keegan Walter was a two-way football standout and seventh in the long jump. Joel Rush played on the football team and was second in the pole vault. David Russell and Grant Russell both contributed in football and basketball.
Was it the best collection of athletes in Silverton history? I think so. Would love to hear from readers with other nominees.
Marion Berries:
Kennedy baseball coach
Kevin Moffatt, who has won three OSAA Class 2A-1A titles, is working this summer as an assistant coach for the Marion Berries, a new entry in the West Coast League, a woodbat program that largely features collegeaged players. At presstime the Berries were 28-26 overall and in third place in the WCL’s South Division, behind the Portland Pickles and the Corvallis Knights.
career. Every kid loves baseball, and all of them have a desire to play as long as they can and hope to play pro ball.
“Some nights we run out a lineup with all Division 1 baseball players, and I have only coached one of those in my career (Ethan Kleinschmit of OSU) so that is a big change. The players have been great and really coachable, which has really made it fun. It is a full-time gig; we play basically a minor league baseball schedule with like 60 games this summer, so thankfully I have a supportive wife and daughter to let me do it.”
“Marion Berries has been a great experience,” Moffatt told Our Town “I am an assistant coach working mostly with hitters and coaching first base. The support from Salem has been great – huge crowds and great atmosphere. I haven’t worked with a ton of players like this and it has been one of the more enjoyable experiences I have had in my coaching
Homer Races: More than 130 runners and walkers participated in the Homer’s Classic Races on Saturday and Sunday in Silverton. New this year was the Homer Parade Mile, which preceded the Homer Davenport Community Festival parade and used the same route. Joshua Steffen, 26, of Silverton, won the race in 5:07.2. E. Normand, 12, of Stayton, took eighth in 6:13.9 and was the first female finisher. On Sunday, John Kintz, 19, of Silverton won the 8-kilometer covered bridge run in 27:36.8. Zoe Heino, 21, of Portland was fourth in 30:54.2 and was the top woman runner. J. Bielenberg, 12, of Silverton captured the 2-mile run-walk in 13:16.3. Finley Schaecher, 13, of Salem took third in 14:52.7 and was the third female to cross the line.
Got a news tip? Email me at james.d@mtangelpub.com. Follow me on X (Twitter) @jameshday and Our Town on Facebook.
Austin Ratliff. JAMES DAY
Kevin Moffatt. JAMES DAY
Our own rocket man A birthday gift that was out of this world
Gayle Goschie began her friendship with Don Pettit long before he became a NASA astronaut. Enrolled at Eugene Field Elementary School, then Mark Twain Middle School and finally Silverton High School, Goschie remembers Pettit as an intelligent, curious student who developed an interest in outer space photography – a hobby Pettit was able to indulge on his most recent mission to the International Space Station on Sept. 11, 2024 – when he was still in high school.
“His mind is always thinking, ‘How can I do things different?’” Goschie said, “He’s looking at the moon and different planets and trying to figure out how can he make the image sharper? Because the earth is turning, even though you think you’re standing still, the earth is turning...”
It’s a solution Pettit has been researching for the past 29 years, using his background in science and engineering combined with his innate curiosity to create photography methods that yield – according to Goschie – “tremendously
sharp images of stars and planets and outer space that are closer and clearer than anyone has been able to take…”
There is pride in Goschie’s voice when she lists Pettit’s accomplishments in outer space, but it is their mutual connection to Silverton that brings her the most pleasure.
“There is just something special about having a sense of place with a small amount of other students,” Goschie said of the feeling, which – although Pettit necessarily moved to Houston, Texas nearly 30 years ago – she feels they still share.
“Silverton is [our] hometown,” she said. Adding, “It seems, as years go by, those feelings can become stronger.”
Which is why, when she discovered Pettit would be spending his 70th birthday at the International Space Station, she decided to give him a piece of home.
“I gravitated to seeing how many classmates that graduated from high school with Don I could get to say happy birthday,” she said. “But we had very little time.”
In fact, the estimated two dozen classmates who participated only had a cumulative 60 seconds of video airtime.
“Communication can be sporadic from earth to space, so people couldn’t tell their life story,” Goschie explained. “But their voice made it into space.”
Thanks to the help of fellow classmate, Gus Frederick, who wove the clips together, the video was beamed to the International Space Station on April 19, arriving on Pettit’s birthday, just as he was preparing to fly home.
“It’s so unique, so incredible that he is doing what he’s doing and has been now for 20 some years,” Goschie said, acknowledging that, while she knows Pettit received his birthday greeting, the high pressure demands of his vocation have, since his return to earth, left them little time to talk.
It’s a situation Goschie – who witnessed just how hectic Pettit’s life can be when she attended his launch from Kazakhstan on Sept. 11, 2024 – understands.
“Every once in a while, he’ll send me a text or give me a call,” she laughed, recalling one special text she received a few years back. “It included an old photo of downtown Silverton and the Main Street bridge… instead of cement sidewalks, as it is now, it was railroad ties and there was a little bit of a distance, a crack between the ties.”
In the accompanying text, Pettit recalled how, as a young boy, when he would walk across those ties, he felt scared he might fall through.
“Just think… this young kid walking to Eugene Field across those railroad ties in discomfort… now his profession is one of the most dangerous in the world…” Goschie said.
And one that takes him the farthest from home.
GENERAL
RENT EVENT SPACE at Silverton Grange Hall, 201 Division St., Silverton. Affordable hourly, half day, full day rates. For gatherings, classes, dances, meetings, weddings and more!
Fully equipped kitchen. Hall seats up to 70. Plenty of parking. For rental info call Becky at 503516-5722. Grange info at http:// grange.org/silvertonor748/.
SILVERTON ELKS FLEA
MARKET
300 High St. Silverton.
9 a.m. - 3 p.m., Second Saturday of each month, Sept. – Nov. New vendors, contact Lori at 503-931-4517 thewhiteoakgallery@gmail.com
PASTOR CHUCK BALDWIN
Liberty Fellowship, Kalispell, Montana satellite group Sundays, 1:30 p.m. Call Kristen, 503-990-4584
GIGANTIC FABRIC SALE! Sept.
19 & 20, 9 am to 4 pm, 1400 Highland Drive, Stayton. CASH ONLY. Contact 503-910-0384.
SERVICES
TODAY IS YOUR LUCKY DAY
This is your lucky number! All Set Plumbing is standing by at 503-964-4965. Jason is ready to fix your plumbing.
YOUR RIGHT TO SELF DEFENSE
Saturdays Age 10-12 at 5:00, ages 13 and up. 6:15, Security and Correctional Officers. 7:30, private lessons available. International Certification Curriculum available upon request. Call Harold 503-391-7406
HANDYMAN & HOME REPAIR
SERVICE Installation and repair of fencing, decks,doors, gutter cleaning, moss removal, power washing, yard debris removal.
CCB# 206637 Call Ryan 503-881-3802
MAGIC CARPET CLEANING & MORE Since 1992. Carpet & upholstery cleaning at its best. Free estimates. Residential & commercial. Located in Silverton. Call Harold at 503-391-7406
SOUNDS GOOD STUDIO Bands, artists, personal karaoke CDs, books, restoring picture slides, and VHS to DVD. Old cassettes, records, reel-to-reel & 8-track cassettes restored to CD. Call Harold 503-391-7406.
GOT STUFF YOU WANT GONE? From yard debris to scrap metal. From garage sale left overs to rental clear outs. We repurpose, recycle, reuse, or donate what we can. Call and find out what we can do for you. $20 Minimum. Call Keith 503-502-3462
$609,000 Built in ‘95 home overlooks the HOA common area w/ pond An open floor plan w/ no step entry. Vaulted Great Rm. Large BR suite on main. Bonus Rm. could be office or 4th BR. Recent upgrades include: new carpet, LVP flooring, granite & quartz counter tops, sprinkler system, Hi-eff. HVAC, whole home surge protection, solar panels. 50yr. roof installed in ‘16. Lower level has paver patio. Located on the east side of Silverton on a quiet / low traffic street. Short distance to downtown. Call Michael at ext. 314 (WVMLS#830000)
#T2886 BLUEBERRY FARM
$1,200,000 20+ yr old, 34.08 acre
BlueJay variety Blueberry Farm. Soils are high value farm soils, primarily Woodburn silt loam w/approximately 1/3 being Amity silt loam. There are 35.2 acres of water rights covered by (1) irrigation well, being utilized by overhead sprinklers. Per Marion County, property is buildable for single family dwelling under proper conditions; buyer to do due diligence regarding buildability. Farmland in this area rarely comes up for sale to the public...don’t miss this opportunity! Call Whitney at ext. 320 or Mike at ext. 312 (WVMLS#829133)
#T2868 CREEKSIDE GETAWAY 2 BR, 2 BA 2029 sqft 1.48 Acres. Silverton. Call Michael at ext. 314 $1,390,000 (WVMLS#830250)
#T2877 BUILD YOUR OWN 3 BR, 1 BA 1080 sqft 9.47 Acres. Silverton. Call Michael at ext. 314 $400,000 (WVMLS#830242)
#T2894 SILVERTON ACREAGE ESTATE 4 BR, 3.5 BA 3804 sqft 3.02 Acres. Silverton. Call Michael at ext. 314 $895,000 (WVMLS#830085)
SOLD — #T2887 DREAM LOCATION 3 BR, 3 BA 3321 sqft 2.92 Acres, Salem. Call Meredith at ext. 324, Ryan at ext. 322 $975,000 (WVMLS#829336)
SOLD — #T2891 – ACREAGE PROPERTY 4 BR, 2.5 BA 2558 sqft 3.16 Acres, Silverton. Call Michael at ext. 314 $975,000 (WVMLS#829686)
#T2895 PRIVATE LOCATION 3 BR, 3.5 BA 2566 sqft 1.52 Acres Silverton. Call Meredith at ext. 324, Ryan at ext. 322 $928,700 (WVMLS#829660)
#T2876 COMM-RETAIL-CONDOS 9,500 sqft. Mt. Angel. Call Michael at ext. 314 $850,000 (WVMLS#829897)
#T2864 MULTI-USE BUILDING 3862 sqft. Silverton. Call Meredith at ext. 324, Ryan at ext. 322 or Michael at ext. 314 $650,000 (WVMLS#825970)
#T2895 PRIVATE LOCATION
$928,700 Private location at the end of a private lane, 3 bedroom, 3.5 bath traditional style home that was built in 2002, formal living room, plus kitchen open to the Family room with a rock fireplace and gas insert, large kitchen with lots of windows to enjoy the meticulously maintained landscaping. Home sits above the Abiqua Creek, fenced back yard and lots of areas for your outdoor entertaining. Garden area, plus a detached shop for your extra storage and hobbies. Call Meredith at ext. 324 or Ryan at ext. 322 (WVMLS# 829660)
SOLD — #T2893 HASSLER FARMS ESTATES 4 BR, 2 BA 1813 sqft. Sublimity. Call Meredith at ext. 324, Ryan at ext. 322 $569,700 (WVMLS#829967)
SOLD — #T2889 MCNARY HEIGHTS ESTATES 3 BR, 2.5 BA 3321 sqft Call Meredith at ext. 324, Ryan at ext. 322 $349,800 (WVMLS#829480)
#T2878 NATURE’S PARADISE 4 BR, 4 BA 3463 sqft. Salem. Call Chuck at ext. 325 $719,000 (WVMLS#828227)
#T2869 BUILDABLE LOT 1.35 Acres Silverton. Call Michael at ext. 314 $450,000 (WVMLS#826488)
#T2886 BLUEBERRY FARM 34.08 Acres Salem. Call Whitney at ext. 320 or Mike at ext. 312 $1,200,000 (WVMLS#829133)
#T2857 WELL MAINTAINED 55+
HOME $85,000 Huge Price Drop! Well maintained manufactured home with tons of yard space. Located in the desirable 55 and over community, Silverton Mobile Estates. Plenty of storage with built-ins and 3 sheds. 2 driveways with 2 separate car ports. Oversized yard! Large main suite with bathroom and walk-in closet. 2 full bathrooms with walk in showers. Newer roof. Mini-splits and forced air HVAC systems. Leaf guard gutter system and many other updates through-out. Priced to sell! Call Becky at ext. 313 (WVMLS# 823771)