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Above
In the line of duty
By James Day
The annual Law Enforcement Memorial Ceremony in Salem honored a former Silverton assistant chief this year.
Silverton Police Chief Todd Engstrom was on hand at the Oregon Public Safety Academy on May 6 to tell the story of Merle W. Bethscheider, who died on May 29, 1965.
Here are Engstrom’s remarks on the passing of Bethscheider:
“On May 29 1965, almost exactly 60 years ago, Merle and his son – Officer Clifford Bethscheider – responded to a theft in progress at the local farm store, where the Silverton Wilco sits today. It was just after 10:30 p.m. when they encountered the suspect stealing from the farm store and gave chase, speeding through the city and eventually into the countryside, ending just north of Sublimity. Together, father and son apprehended the suspect without injury or incident.
“It was solid police work.
“But just moments later, while seated in the back of their patrol car, Assistant Chief Bethscheider suffered a fatal heart attack. His son, and partner that night, did everything he could – racing him to Silverton Hospital – but Merle was pronounced dead shortly after his arrival.”
Engstrom, who is the son of a small-town police chief, noted “as a son myself, I can’t imagine that kind of moment. For Officer Cliff Bethscheider, to go from a successful arrest alongside his father to losing him in the backseat of their patrol car – it’s a heartbreak I think every cop in this crowd can feel in their chest. That moment didn’t just change the course of a shift; it changed the course of his life.”
Former assistant chief honored in state memorial
Silverton Police Chief Todd Engstrom speaks at the Oregon Public Safety Academy on May 6, where former Silverton Assistant Merle W. Bethscheider was honored.
DEPARTMENT OF
Merle Bethscheider was just 50 at the time of his death. Son Cliff, Engstrom said, carried on splendidly. In 1970, he became the chief of the Silverton Police Department, a role he held for 15 years.
“He honored his father not just in memory, but in service, continuing the work they both believed in,” Engstrom said. “Merle’s story is part of our story now. His sacrifice won’t be forgotten.
And his example – of quiet courage, of service, of love for family and community – will continue to inspire those of us who wear the badge.”
In addition to Bethscheider, two other names were added to the wall on May 6, Patrolman Andrew J. Laugeson of the Portland Police Bureau and Policeman George M. Lowe of the Ashland Police Department.
Laugeson died on May 12, 1917 after succumbing to injuries from a fall while boarding a streetcar on Mississippi Avenue. Lowe was on foot patrol in the early morning hours of March 3, 1919, and was struck and killed by a train after it switched tracks.
The ceremony was attended by Oregon Governor Tina Kotek, elected officials and public safety professionals from throughout the state. In addressing the audience, Kotek paid tribute to the state’s fallen officers, honoring their courage, selflessness, and enduring legacy, while offering her condolences and gratitude to the loved ones they left behind.
“Who we are as people in the face of adversity is an opportunity to be our very best selves,” Kotek said. “The officers memorialized today met the moment with dignity and heroism and made the ultimate sacrifice. There is no sacrifice more noble, no pledge to the public more honorable, and that extends to their families as well.”
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No more mowing the lawn, worrying about repairs, or dealing with upkeep. Instead, you will have more time to do what you love. Enjoy chef-prepared meals, unwind in our peaceful garden courtyards, or join one of our many social events with neighbors who quickly become friends.
At Country Meadows Village, we understand that retirement is a time to thrive, not slow down. That is why we offer a vibrant community with everything you need to stay active, engaged, and fulfilled. Whether you’re joining a fitness class, attending a creative workshop, or simply enjoying a leisurely afternoon, there’s always something exciting to look forward to.
By selling your current home now, you can unlock the financial freedom to live life on your terms with a bonus of great amenities. Our supportive team is here to help you every step of the way, making your transition to retirement living as smooth and stress-free as possible.
Country Meadows Village is more than just a place to live, it’s a place to belong. We invite you to come visit, take a tour, and see firsthand how our community offers the perfect balance of relaxation and excitement.
Tradition Pet Parade’s origins date back to evening activities for 1932 event
By Melissa Wagoner
The Silverton Pet Parade is a longstanding tradition that began in 1932 as a part of the annual Spring Opening and Motor Show – several days of festivities that included the unveiling of downtown merchant window displays, a car show featuring the latest models, music by the high school band, a community dance at the Armory, the burning of “Old Man Hard Times” and a Pet Parade held at 8 p.m.
“Whistles tooting and bells clanging at 7:15 on the evening of this day will herald the opening of these special attractions,” an article in The Silverton Appeal-Tribune on March 25, 1932 stated. “Everyone in Silverton and community is cordially invited downtown at that hour to participate in this community affair.”
Organized by the American Legion and Auxiliary, the festival brought an estimated 800 onlookers to downtown where they took part in a drawing for both cash and merchant prizes and an “open house and visiting” period during which the stores
would be open for business.
“It will be doubly hard for Mr. and Mrs. Public this year to stay away from the Spring Opening on account of the greater effort of the local merchants to show even wider trends than ever before…” the article stated.
But it was the Pet Parade – with Pal, the son of Bobbie the Wonder Dog marching as that year’s grand marshal – that stole the show.
“The enthusiasm with which the children entered the pet parade was particularly gratifying to those sponsoring the affair,” an article printed six days later stated. “There were 100 of them and they fairly bubbled over with excitement.”
A rousing success, the Pet Parade has continued throughout the Great Depression, both World War II and the Vietnam War, all the way up until the present day with very few changes.
“It was just part of growing up in Silverton,” Kris Thomas said. She not only attended the parade as a child but
Silverton Pet Parade
Saturday, May 17, 10 a.m.
No registration required to participate.
Staging area on Apple and Jerome streets at 9:30 a.m.
The parade route includes Coolidge Street, East Main Street and First Street to the Silverton Civic Center.
participated in it with her own children. “It was something you looked forward to. It was a community event.”
Staged on Apple and Jerome Streets near Coolidge McClaine Park, the parade now draws upwards of 1,000 participants, according to Kris’ husband, Randal, parade chairperson since 2009.
“The parade today is organized chaos,” he said. “Because, unlike the Homer Days Parade, which requires registration, we don’t require registration.”
Instead, the Kiwanis Club of Silverton, coordinators of the parade since taking it over from the American Legion in 1998, organize entrants by category – wheels,
kids in costume, small animals, unusual pets, birds, big pets and dogs.
“Dogs is the biggest category, so we divided it up into small and large dogs and dogs in costumes,” Randal said. “And we’ve also got groups marching.”
The Pet Parade isn’t only pets. It’s schools, organizations, teams and bands as well. And it’s not just for kids.
“[I]n our experience, there are a lot of folks over the age of 18 who really love their pets,” Randal said. “One year we had a woman who spent weeks getting a wagon ready to go with her rabbit and she dressed up to match.”
That’s just one of the many memorable entries Randal has seen during his 16-year tenure.
“Every year I say I’ve seen it all,” he laughed.
It’s all part of the fun and what makes the event unique.
“It’s the quintessential small-town parade,” Randal said. “It brings joy to everybody.”
And – scheduled for Saturday, May 17 at 10 a.m. – it’s still one of the first signs of spring in Silverton.
Wildfire readiness event set for May 3
Sustainable Silverton and other groups are hosting a wildfire readiness event from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, May 31 at the Silverton Grange, 201 Division St.
The event is free, and food and beverages will be available. Tables will be set up and participants can choose who to interact with.
The key driver of the event, said Kelley Morehouse of Sustainable Silverton, is “to be wildfire ready. The outer area of Silverton has been designated as a higher risk area for wildfire. The goal is to give information needed for the community in order to plan, be ready if necessary to evacuate, protect home and property and stay safe.”
Key presenters include:
• The Silverton Fire Department on emergency preparedness.
• Sustainable Silverton on emergency neighborhood support.
• Marion Soil and Water Conservation District will provide kits for Wildfire Preparedness.
• Portland General Electric officials will explain their role in shutting off power, share information for seniors regarding support in wildfire situations, and offer preventive measures to high-risk areas.
• The Silverton 50+ Center will discuss taking care of pets and planning options.
Sustainable Silverton also is organizing an emergency preparedness fair for Saturday, July 12 at Silverton City Hall.
– James Day
Silverton update Council passes budget, OKs developments
By James Day
Silverton has enacted a budget that calls for the city to spend $106 million in the 2025-2026 fiscal year. The City’s Budget Committee, which consists of Mayor Jason Freilinger, the six councilors and seven community members, unanimously approved the spending plan at its May 8 meeting at City Hall.
The committee had heard the budget message from City Manager Cory Misley and his department heads on May 6 and concluded the process on May 8. The budget represents a 33.5 percent increase over the previous year, mainly because the City is hoping to spend approximately $21 million on a new water treatment plant. City officials still are working on the financial package for the massive project, which does not yet have a timetable.
The budget also calls for an increase of slightly more than 3.5 full-time equivalent employees (FTEs), bringing the City to 64 FTE for 2025-26. The key additions are a communications manager, a transportation manager and a code compliance specialist.
Freilinger, the council and the same seven community members also serve as the budget committee for the City’s Urban Renewal Agency. That panel unanimously passed a $4.5 million budget plan on May 6, with most of the money earmarked for projects to redevelop Main Street and build a park at the south end of the new City Hall property.
Council Update: The City Council met May 7 and tentatively approved a pair of housing projects.
First, councilors on a 4-3 vote, OK’d a plan for 16 apartments and a 26-space parking lot on 0.88 acres at 211 Division Street near the Silverton Grange. Freilinger and councilors April Newton, Eric Hammond and Elvi Cuellar Sutton voted in favor of the project, while Kyle Palmer, Marie Traeger and Matt Gaitan voted no, with Palmer saying that the site “is not the place I would like to expand.”
The second project is on a triangular 1.52-acre lot just north of Mark Twain Elementary School. Developers are hoping to build approximately 20 apartments on the site, which also has to be rezoned from industrial to residential.
Councilors voted 6-1 on its first reading, with Gaitan voting no and the other six voting yes. Two members of the public spoke against the project at its public hearing, while another gave neutral testimony. Residents’ concerns included noise, traffic and the development’s impact on the adjacent oak grove.
Because the first-reading votes for both projects were not unanimous, a second reading on both proposals will be necessary on May 21.
Councilors voted unanimously to approve a contract with Willamette Valley Excavating. The city will spend more than $2 million on improvements to Davenport Lane near the Silverton 50+ Center. Davenport is being improved and extended to accommodate an affordable housing complex, pickleball courts and more parking. Four members of the public testified in favor of the pickleball addition during the meeting’s public comment period.
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$175,000 Commercial Zoned Lot in Aumsville. 0.25 Acre, corner of Main and 9th Street. Michael Kemry 503-851-2914 MLS#825946
The Silverton City Council and 11 employees of its Public Works Department are shown at the May 7 meeting at City Hall. Mayor Jason Freilinger read a proclamation at the meeting honoring Public Works Week. JAMES DAY
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Community
“We cannot meet our kids’ needs if we don’t work together,” Stucky explained.
It’s that kind of collaboration that brought Brenden to the MASD where, in her view, one of the most important lessons her students will learn is how to have a good relationship with their classmates, teachers and their families for the 13 years they are in school.
“How to empathize, have resilience and perseverance,” she listed. “We have to make sure it’s integrated because it’s not in the standards.”
It is, however, in the communal areas –most recently, in the form of cooperative games introduced to spur social interaction between students.
“We have Jenga and Spike Ball and the kids are starting to play,” she said.
She has also instituted a Lunch Buddy program, inviting community members
into the school during the lunch hour to meet and interact with students.
“They can see that our students are not lazy, stupid or apathetic,” she said, listing common stereotypes she has heard. “And our students can see our community is full of people who want to support them.”
It’s also a good way to demonstrate to people outside the school that, while education may look different than it did in decades past (with computer screens, a more tailored curriculum and a greater focus on social emotional learning) the goals (the promotion of intellectual, civic and personal growth) haven’t.
“You have to be willing to do things differently,” Stucky said. “But there’s some good things out there.”
This is part one of a three-part series devoted to looking at some of the ways the educational system has changed during the past 40 years.
SFSD parting ways with meal vendor
By Stephen Floyd
The Silver Falls School District will not be renewing its contract with food vendor Sodexo at the end of the school year in favor of creating an in-house meal program.
According to interim Superintendent Kim Kellison, the costs associated with delivering meals across the district’s wide geographical area have caused food services to operate in a deficit.
In an email to staff, Kellison said the district has been losing money to the program for nearly a decade. During the 2023-24 school year alone, SFSD spent $400,000 from the general fund to sustain meal services.
Kellison said, even though the district joined a federal free meal program this school year, the program does not reimburse at a high enough rate to offset all the costs.
Her email said in-house food services “will provide us with more control over the program and enable us to minimize losses,
contributing to a more balanced and sustainable budget.”
The new program would be run by an interim director of student wellness and achievement, who would also oversee other duties related to student outcomes, said Kellison. She said the new position will add minimal administrative costs because it would replace the food service administrator employed by Sodexo under the current contract.
Kellison said the plan for an in-house program was developed after SFSD spent nine months exploring solutions, with efforts led by Victor Point Principal Elyse Hansen. The district studied how other districts operate their meal programs and spoke with the Oregon Department of Education, industry professionals and vendors to explore cost-saving strategies.
Kellison said the first year of an in-house meal program could see an initial deficit but that having greater control over the program will minimize losses in the long run.
Pride • Integrity • Respect • Loyalty • Thrive
Since 1974, John's has aimed to embody five core values; pride, integrity, respect, loyalty, and the ability to thrive. This month we would like to highlight local Mount Angel High School Student Dominik Eyles Dominik is being recognized for exemplifying the value; loyalty.
e embodies this value by investing in the well-being and success of the school as a whole. He puts in his best effort for all of his courses, as well as encouraging and motivating his peers. He leads study groups, helps others with assignments and participates in school improvement initiatives.
Full circle
By Melissa Wagoner
Rachel Stucky retires as superintendent of Mt. Angel School District
Looking back, Rachel Stucky – superintendent of the Mt. Angel School District for the past four years – can see that her career has come full circle, which is surprising considering she initially wanted to be an architect when she grew up.
“I’m a very strong visual learner,” Stucky said. “And I love home design…”
But Stucky grew up in a family of teachers and, after spending a summer assisting at a migrant education summer school as a teenager, everything changed.
“That experience in the classroom opened some doors for me in who I am as a person needing a creative outlet and to work with children,” Stucky said, recalling the two-day training program, which ironically took place in Mount Angel. “It was a great opener for me, and I had strong mentorship.”
Surprised by her own change of heart, Stucky attended Chemeketa Community College for a year to ensure education was really the path for her, before transferring to Western Oregon University, where she became fluent in Spanish, participated in a study abroad in Mexico and earned her teaching degree. Then, in 1987, just out of college, she took a job teaching at a private school in Colombia, South America.
“What I didn’t know at the time was that Medellin was a very dangerous place,” Stucky said. “There were bombs and gunfire and no cellphones. You had to go to a store to make a call.”
And so, when the school year was up, Stucky left Colombia for Santa Ana, California, where she got a job teaching 34 first graders.
“There weren’t teaching jobs in Oregon…” Stucky said of the decision, which turned out to be one of the most influential she would ever make. “I loved the diversity of the classroom. That was my awakening to inclusivity and to serving the underserved. I began to ask, ‘How can I make a difference?’ It was a powerful question.”
Unfortunately, Stucky was only able to stay for one year. Health problems within her family called her back to
her Salem home where, because there was still a lack of full-time teaching jobs, she became a substitute teacher, learning the tricks of the trade from the teachers whose classrooms she oversaw.
“You get to pick great ideas up and put them in your toolkit,” she said.
Eventually hired by Richmond Elementary School in Salem to teach 18 second graders in a shared classroom, Stucky’s career finally gained some stability, allowing her to seek more certifications, first in reading recovery, then at Portland State University, where she earned her master’s in early childhood education.
“At that time developmentally appropriate practices were really big,” she said. “We were really looking at the physical, cognitive and educational needs of the kids.”
Degree in hand, Stucky ventured for the first time into administration as the Director of Head Start. From there she moved to districts in Salem-Keizer, Tigard-Tualatin and eventually Sweet Home, where she discovered she liked working in a smaller school district best.
“You see the change more quickly,” she explained. “As a leader of a small community I feel there’s more positive impact on what I contribute… In a large district sometimes you feel part of a machine.”
When Stucky came across an opening for the position of superintendent in the Mt. Angel School District in 2021, she knew she had to apply.
“It was really emotional when I saw the job description. It felt like it had to play out,” Stucky said. “Because it’s the completion of a circle. It’s very satisfying.”
And rewarding.
“We have the best principals and board in the state,” Stucky said. “I’ve never had that happen before, but all the stars aligned. We have the best of the best. The people genuinely care about the kids.”
Which is why the decision to retire after the 2024-2025 school year has been a challenging one.
“Superintendents have a difficult job and not everyone leaves on a high note,” Stucky pointed out. “So, I would rather go out with things moving in a positive direction.”
Eager to spend more time gardening, painting, reupholstering furniture and traveling with her husband, Stucky views retirement as a chance to reconnect with the person she was before starting her career.
“Retirement is refirement,” Stucky explained. “I need to refire me… And I’m looking forward to spending time with my husband… my grandchildren… and I have two stepdaughters… There were many times I sacrificed my family for my job.”
That doesn’t mean leaving will be easy.
“It was strange to tell people because… it was like, and now I’m done,” Stucky said. “But I’m so grateful to Mount Angel for all it’s given me. I’m so appreciative. I made a strong connection with the community, and I certainly feel like I got more than I gave. This is a great community.”
Rachel Stucky, superintendent of the Mt. Angel School District.
MELISSA WAGONER
Microbakery
Baking from home makes dream come true
By Melissa Wagoner
Annie Hoffman got her start making sourdough bread the same way thousands of people across the country did.
“It was 2020,” she began. “We had just moved to Silverton and were living in my husband’s parents’ basement.”
At first it was just an experiment.
“I tried sourdough a lot of times before I decided to stick to it,” Hoffman said. But once she did, she began to branch out from bread to bagels. “For four or five months I tried different flavors.”
And then last spring she decided to join the Wednesday Market held at the Silverton Grange.
“The first week I brought two loaves,” Hoffman laughed, recalling selling out in minutes. “So, the next week I brought 16 loaves.”
It was a successful venture, but when the market moved to the Silverton 50+ Center in September she decided not to follow.
“My husband built me a farmstand,” Hoffman said.
With that she launched The Simply Plentiful Microbakery on the food drop app Hotplate.
“People can order [on the app] and then pick up [at the farmstand],” Hoffman said. “Or I offer delivery in Silverton for five dollars.”
While the app has made Hoffman’s sale of sourdough bread, bagels and brown butter chocolate chip cookies easier, it did take some fine-tuning.
“The first week it was so stressful because it was like, my goodness people ordered all of these things,” Hoffman recalled. “But I got into a routine.”
She also switched from an every week baking cycle to every two weeks.
“It’s every other Wednesday,” she said. “But I’m always open to requests.”
So far that has meant selling baked goods at the Silverton Food Co-op’s fall Pop-up Market and making 35 sourdough bread bowls for a baby shower.
“It seems like people enjoy it and like it,” Hoffman said, naming her fresh baked bagels as the farmstand’s best seller.
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“The sourdough bagels do taste different, they’re really chewy, but they’re more than 50 percent of my orders.”
Made with organic flour, those bagels come in different varieties, as do her breads.
“And I also offer a few gluten-free options,” thanks to friend and fellow baker, Emily.
An entrepreneur at heart, Hoffman is excited about the advantages Oregon’s Cottage Food Laws and the Hotplate app have given her, but she does hope to one day open a brick-and-mortar bakeshop.
“My dream my whole life has been to own a bakery,” she said. “This is just a taste.”
Regular orders can be placed at www.hotplate.com/simplyplentifulhome/. For special requests call 503-602-7338 or email simplyplentifulhome@gmail.com
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Annie Hoffman boiling sourdough bagels in her cottage kitchen for her online bakery, Simply Plentiful. MELISSA WAGONER
Arts & Entertainment
Dances with Fire Looking back on ‘hotshot’ firefighting career
By Melissa Wagoner
When asked why she became a hotshot firefighter at the age of 18, Kate Hamberger doesn’t talk about fire, she talks about horses, running and rowing.
“I was a horse girl in Prineville and outside all the time,” she said, quoting a line in her recent book, Dances with Fire, which was released in August 2024. “I also ran cross country in the fall and track in the spring. I loved being outside.”
It was that farm girl work ethic and physical prowess that, upon her graduation from high school, led her to join the Oregon State University’s rowing team – a sport she previously knew nothing about.
“I got into it and loved it,” Hamberger said. “And the coach wanted to know if I would come back.”
The problem was money, because her scholarships only covered her first year. Thankfully, her coach had a solution, join a team of hotshot firefighters in her hometown of Prineville.
“I was one of five hired,” Hamberger said, recalling how little she knew at the time about the job that lay ahead. “I wasn’t thinking how hard it would be, I was thinking of the money. And if I hadn’t walked in in the best shape of my life, I never would have survived. It’s so demanding on the body.”
But she did survive a total of six summers, fighting fires all over the country.
Kate Hamberger, author of Dances with Fire. SUBMITTED PHOTO
“I loved all the travel and flying,” Hamberger remembered. “I loved being a part of the team. They were fun people to be around, they cared about the environment, and they cared about taking care of the nation’s wildlands.”
It was a difficult job with long hours in often brutal conditions.
“When you’ve been digging lines for hours and are dehydrated…” it helps to be young and have what she described as, “an invincible spirit.”
But eventually the hotshot lifestyle lost its luster and in 1990 Hamberger left the vocation, moving to California where she trained to become a massage therapist.
“For three years I decided to pursue massage therapy,” Hamberger said. “But I really struggled... I was not thriving, and I was in debt.”
Discouraged, Hamberger decided to move back to Oregon and rejoin the Prineville hotshot team – but they weren’t hiring.
“I was picked up by the Ochoco Engine Crew,” Hamberger said.
Four days later, the hotshots called and asked her to be an alternate. She said yes.
“I worked three fires, ironically in California,” Hamberger remembered. “And then my tour of duty was over, and I knew they were going to Colorado.”
Returning to Oregon, Hamberger said her goodbyes to the hotshot crew – who were headed to the South Canyon Fire near Glenwood Springs – for the last time. Because on July 6, 1994, nine members of that crew, as well as five smokejumpers, were killed in the line of duty.
“I didn’t think it would happen to a hotshot crew,” Hamberger said. “They were all operating at a caliber I trusted.”
But on that day an increase in wind, a lack of communication between agencies and steep terrain proved otherwise.
“The weatherman for the agencies saw the high winds coming and he knew there were crews on the side of the mountain,” Hamberger said. “He broadcast it and called the agencies and said you’ve got to get those guys off the mountain and for whatever reason that message wasn’t relayed.”
It was a day that changed scores of lives, including Hamberger’s.
“I lost all interest in firefighting,” she said. Instead, she threw herself into a new vocation – teaching. She got married and raised a family in Woodburn. Then eventually she retired, and she and her
husband moved to Silverton where she decided it was time to tell, not just her story, but the story of the nine crew members she lost.
“I purposely include a chapter of all of them,” Hamberger said. “I describe a little bit about each, so the readers see the humanity – lots of tears. I did it because, in the wildland world you see the motto, ‘We will not forget.’”
In the end, the book is part dedication, part memoir and a whole lot about the profession of wildland firefighting.
“It’s intended for a general audience because the best stories are adventure stories,” she said. “I wish a book like this was out there when I was in my twenties.”
Which is why she is working hard to ensure Dances with Fire is readily available for purchase online and on loan at the Mt. Angel Public Library, where it is being honored as the subject of this month’s Adult Book Discussion held on May 15 at 1 p.m.
“Everyone is welcome,” library director Jackie Mills said of the event, which will include a discussion of the book, a Q & A with Hamberger and information about the importance of creating defensible spaces in communities to slow the spread of wildfire – a topic Hamberger has become passionate about since leaving the field.
“If I had [the book] to do again I would say more about defensible space,” Hamberger said. “But I’m hoping... to spend a few minutes on that… and I will have handouts.”
Longtime creative friends combine works for shared public evening experience
Fifteen years ago, three friends, Michael Turner, David Gilbert and Bill Roberts, began combining their talents in film, poetry and music by hosting regular, “Real Light” gatherings in candlelit houses and backyards.
“It was a way to hold ourselves accountable, to make sure we were creating work, and a way to bring our little community together around a live experience,” Turner – now an award-winning documentary-maker and founder of Real Light Films – said.
That desire for collaboration has never really gone away. In fact, according to Turner, as the lives of the men have gotten more complicated – with work and families and bills to pay – the yearning to create in tandem has increased.
Which is how the idea to host an event coined, “How
to Properly Prune a Tree, an evening of music, film and poetry” came about.
“We wanted to be able to share with people what we’re working on,” Turner said, “but even more importantly, I believe local, in-person events are so important right now. A place to gather with community, to share something special that exists only in that moment.”
Inspired by a scene in one of the movies Turner will be screening at the event, How to Properly Prune a Tree refers to the way many people “prune” themselves throughout life.
“[A]s we become parents, partners, embark on careers [we cut] away parts of ourselves, patterns of behavior or thinking that are no longer necessary or helpful, in order to make room for growth,” Turner said.
Appropriate for audiences ages ten and older – due to the inclusion of some profanity – the event will be held on May 24 at 7 p.m. in the Mt. Angel Theater Studio. Tickets will be $15 at the door.
“It’s going to be a really special night,” Turner said. “I think the three of us as performers create a warm, welcoming space, and to be able to host something like this right here in our community at a beautiful theater is really exciting. Listening to poetry and being moved by it, listening to songs, watching personal films – these are the things that let you get inside another person’s heart and mind, and remember that we are all connected to each other.”
– Melissa Wagoner
Silverton football Foxes have had strong run of QB success
For the past 13 seasons, the Silverton High football program has essentially handed the controls of the offense to a sophomore quarterback. And then let him run with it for three years.
The results have been nothing short of sensational. In those 12 years under three coaches – John Mannion, Josh Craig and Dan Lever – the Foxes are 115-30. They have won or shared seven league titles. They won the 2021 Class 5A title, took second in 2014 and made it to the semifinals five other times. In every nonCOVID season since 2017 the team has advanced at least to the quarterfinals.
Cole Chandler started the run in 2012. He finished 34-4, with all four losses to the eventual state champion. Levi Nielsen then took over midway through 2015, his freshman year, finishing 2-2 that season and 22-10 overall, missing four games with a knee injury during his senior year. Twice he took the Foxes to the quarters.
Jordan McCarty took over in 2019, led the team to the semifinals in his sophomore year, went 3-2 in the spring
2021 COVID season with both losses to 6A teams and then led Silverton to the promised land in November of 2021, a state title victory against Thurston at Hillsboro Stadium. McCarty, who finished 25-5, was followed by Sawyer Teeney, who just completed a 28-7 run that included a pair of semifinal appearances. Teeney will be playing at the University of Idaho next season. I have covered the Foxes all 13 seasons. From that 2012 season when the Foxes beat West Albany twice and ultimately fell to Sherwood in the semifinals to last fall when a last-ditch Teeney drive in the semifinals against Wilsonville died at the 32. Teeney has
seen them all, too. A Silverton native who went to Evergreen and Robert Frost, he remembers watching Chandler play in the semis at Hillsboro Stadium.
In an interview on his career at Silverton, Teeney told me he thought his style was more in the mold of the mobile Chandler and McCarty, with the 6-4 Nielsen more of a pocket passer. I tend to agree, although it’s interesting to note that perhaps the most impressive individual play of Nielsen’s career was a fourth-and-27 scramble he converted to the 13 at Lebanon in 2017 in a game the Foxes rallied to win 31-30.
Teeney said that one of the things that helped him take over the controls as a soph was that the 2022 season also was the first for new coach Dan Lever, who came to Silveton from Tualatin.
“Because Lever had just got there everybody was learning the offense at the same time,” he said. “We were all learning together.”
Now Offering Same Day CROWNS
Teeney credited Lever and assistant coach Jim Barr with aiding his development as a QB.
“They showed me the best way to communicate with my teammates so we were all on the same page,” Teeney said. “And if something goes wrong, how we can bounce back.”
I have distinct memories of his first game at Dallas in 2022. One of the things you look for with a new quarterback is how clean a game he plays – how many false start penalties or bad exchanges or turnovers there are. Teeney was a ruthlessly efficient 11 for 15 passing and two TDs and rushed for an additional 42 yards. No turnovers. No sacks. He was ready.
And he just kept getting better. He became a terrific runner, knowing just when to tuck the ball in and run. Plus, he could flat run people over, the result of hours and hours in the weight room in which he battled with Foxes linemen to see who could lift the most.
Whomever takes Teeney’s place this fall will have big shoes to fill. Same as it was as Chandler, Nielsen and McCarty developed.
Where are they now? Chandler graduated from Pacific Lutheran with a business degree. He works as a financial analyst and often attends Silverton athletic events.
Nielsen is working in the timber industry and living in the Santiam Canyon. McCarty will be a redshirt junior in the fall at Western Oregon. Last season he rushed for 316 yards and passed for 663 for the 6-5 Wolves.
Girls Tennis: The Foxes went 8-1 in dual matches this season and were 13-4 in the regular season, led by the doubles team of Ashlyn and Maggie Davisson, who finished undefeated in league matches, and the singles play of Audrey Gardner
“Our season has gone very well,” coach Shawn Pool told Our Town. “We lost a few key players, but new sophomores KJ Pool and Charlee Mohr, freshman Kara Stucky and foreign exchange student Josy Eisenschmid really helped the team. We have a good shot at a district title,” where the Foxes are expected to battle perennial power Crescent Valley.
Track & Field: Top-flight high school track and field competition is coming to Silverton and Mount Angel in the near future. Silverton hosts the Class 5A MidWillamette Conference championships May 21–23 at McGinnis Field, while Kennedy hosts the Class 2A Special District 2 meet May 22-24.
Both schools have high-ranking athletes ready to make their marks, led by throws standout Tia Allen of Kennedy. Allen has a mark of 138-4 in the discus, which leads Class 2A by 23 feet and ranks third in the state among all competitors. Allen, who has been a consistent threat all season with four meets above 130, also is ranked seventh in Class 2A in the shot put and ninth in the javelin. Also looking to make her mark at districts is Isabel Berning, who is third in Class 2A in the javelin (121-5). Jaden Traeger is the top-ranked boys contender for Kennedy with a sixthbest Class 2A javelin throw of 150-6.
Silverton is led by Greyson Glivinski, who is ranked No. 1 in 5A in the javelin. Her mark of 154-1 is No. 2 in the state among all competitors. Like Allen of Kennedy she also has been consistent all season, with four other meets in which she exceeded 140 feet. The Foxes also have the No. 2 time in 5A in the 4x100 relay, a 49.46 school record turned in by Brooklyn Schurter, Lexi Enzenberger, Aspen Etzel and Marley Wertz. The top-ranked Foxes boys competitor is Caden Druliner, who is third in Class 5A in the high jump (6-6) and fourth in the long jump (22-3).
Sawyer Teeney JAMES DAY
Growing up in a small town in Northeast Oregon, we didn’t have lockdown drills or talk about gun violence. Rather, scanning the parking lot of my high school on any given day you were sure to find gun racks mounted in the back window of most pickup trucks. It never seemed strange or dangerous because those guns were for hunting and the notion they could be used to purposely harm another human was something I’d only seen on the news or in movies.
Then, in 1998, just before my graduation from high school a 15-year-old student took a semi-automatic weapon into the cafeteria of Thurston High School in Eugene and opened fire, killing two students and wounding 25. I remember that day because I knew kids who went to that school. I met them during the theater conferences I had attended over the last three years. And though they weren’t among those harmed, I couldn’t help but imagine what that day must have been like for them.
School shooter had.
I don’t know if my kids are aware of the gravity of what they are preparing for when that lockdown alarm sounds. I hope they are not – but I am.
Which is why, when I received a text from my oldest daughter on April 11 letting me know SHS had implemented a lockdown and only seconds later began seeing police cars and ambulances speeding by, I pictured the worst.
I replayed every news story I’ve ever heard describing a mass shooting. I blamed myself for not making her stay home that day when I knew she was fighting off a cold, fearing this would be the story I would tell strangers for the rest of my life.
I texted, “I love you,” and was so thankful that I could tell her.
I typed, “Are you okay?” and tried to picture where she was, but couldn’t.
And I’ve never stopped thinking about it. Every time there is another mass shooting, at a school, a mall, a movie theater, a concert, a place of worship, I think about everyone involved, the ones who made it out and the ones who didn’t.
When my own children started school, I had mixed feelings about the lockdown drills that became a part of their lives. On the one hand I want more than anything for them to be safe and if that means learning to barricade the door and stay silent, I am all for it. But a part of me always wonders, what must that feel like, to practice for an event you are powerless to stop.
Although I tell myself it’s like a fire drill. It’s not. A fire drill gets you out of the building safely, reunites you with your entire school in an open field far from danger. A lockdown drill is the opposite. It’s silence and hiding. It’s hoping you’re already inside the room when all the doors get locked. It’s knowing there’s nothing you can do if you are faced with a gun like the one the Thurston High
During the hours that followed I was grateful for the district administration and every officer who kept the terrified parents informed. And I was more than relieved to hear there had never been any danger and that each student and staff member was physically fine.
But after I finally got to hug my daughter and take her home, I was left with the knowledge that, while everything had turned out “okay,” in some fundamental way, I am forever changed.
Because, although I have always known that mass shootings are a reality in this country – hence the drills – somewhere inside me I have never genuinely believed it, not in my town. But on that day, when I thought my child might be the next victim, when I found myself picturing a world without her in it, I began to question what I am doing living in a country where an active shooter walking into my child’s classroom is not only a possibility but as expected as a fire.
Dan Wilgus Owner
Writing this I honestly don’t know the answer to that question or where I personally go from here. And so instead I am going to quote my daughter who ironically drafted a persuasive essay about gun violence only three weeks before. In my opinion, what she wrote pretty much says it all.
“The current state of gun violence in America is not acceptable or normal,” she wrote. “It should not be a fact that gun violence is so common that Americans have become desensitized to it. Everyone wants a world where children can go to school without being in danger, and people can walk down the street without fear. To accomplish this everyone must take action; to make a better America, and a better world.”
Parents waiting to pick up their high school students at Silverton Middle School following a “swatting” hoax on April 11.
MELISSA WAGONER
GENERAL
PASTOR CHUCK BALDWIN Liberty Fellowship, Kalispell, Montana satellite group Sundays, 1:30 p.m. Call Kristen, 503-990-4584
AVON CALLING! Bi-Monthly campaigns. Personal delivery. Makeup, Skin Care, Fashion. Mention this ad for 10% savings on 1st order Arlene Caballero 503.720.5416 youravon.com/ arlenecaballero
COMMUNITY GARAGE SALE Oak
Knoll Estates promises to offer the best garage and estate sale treasures in the Silverton area this June! Open from 8 am-4 pm Saturday and Sunday, June 21 and 22. Look for our signs at Oak Knoll’s entrance off Oak/ Hwy. 213 at Norway Street.
HELP WANTED
YARD WORK Clean branches and debris. Mowing. $20/hour 503-383-4398
HOUSE CLEANER NEEDED Call 503-383-4398
HOMES FOR SALE
$345,000 Pleasant home in Silverton. Soothing oval soaking tub and plenty of relaxing opportunities in pleasant home. Call Valerie Kofstad, Broker at Harcourts Silverton 503-871-1667
RENTALS
ROOM FOR RENT $550/month. 503-383-4398
SERVICES
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
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.
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.
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
PUBLIC NOTICES
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
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
WANTED
LOOKING for a Commercial Building in Silverton or Dallas Downtown. Two or three story building. I would also be interested in a warehouse. I will be in Oregon to look at potential properties this summer. Plan to move in the Fall. ONLY SERIOUS SELLERS. I AM A SERIOUS BUYER. Duke, 505-429-1523. email kd@dukerg.com
#T2871 ENJOY SILVER CREEK
$574,800 Enjoy your setting on Silver Creek with a deck overlooking the creek. Oversized lot with extra driveway parking, detached storage/garden shed. Living room and dining area open to the kitchen, plus a family room upstairs with gas fireplace in the family room and kitchenette, possible due living. Newer paint and carpet throughout the home. This home is a 4 bedroom, plus an office. Master on the main w/ access to the deck overlooking the creek, plus office. Upstairs is 3 bedrooms. 2 laundry facilities. Call Meredith at ext. 324 or Ryan at ext. 322 (WVMLS#826578)
#T2868 CREEK FRONTAGE
$1,449,000 WATCH ABIQUA CREEK RUN BY FROM INSIDE YOUR HOME!
This 1.48 acre property sits along the year round Abiqua Creek just 5 miles east of downtown Silverton. Quiet rural setting of upper-end homes with acreage. Rock wall and rock stairs access to nice swimming hole. Entire home, garage, and property remodeled in 2024 w/ custom everything. Balcony bedroom suite on 2nd level overlooking creek. A large walk-in closet, kitchenette, amazing bath with heated floors, and large steam shower. Request list of amenities. Call Michael at ext. 314 (WVMLS#826489)
COUNTRY/ACREAGE
SOLD! – #T2838 HOME ON THE HILL 3 BR, 2.5 BA 2112 sqft 7.12 Acres.
Silverton. Call Michael at ext. 314 $729,900 (WVMLS#819011)
#T2866 HOME, ACREAGE & OFFICE SPACE 3 BR, 3 BA 2252 sqft 6.68 Acres Call Chuck at ext. 325. Silverton. $799,000 (WVMLS#826058)
#T2868 CREEK FRONTAGE 2 BR, 2 BA 2029 sqft 1.48 Acres
Call Michael at ext. 314 $1,449,000 (WVMLS#826489)
#T2875 SPANISH REVIVAL HOME 3 BR, 2.5 BA 2252 sqft. Silverton. Call Meredith at ext. 324, Ryan at ext. 322 $934,900 (WVMLS#827505)
COMMERCIAL
#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)
#T2864 MULTI-USE BUILDING
$650,000 What a great opportunity to own a multi use building steps away from the downtown core. Completely remodeled commercial building, currently used as a Cross Fit Gym and a retail space. 3862 sqft that can be utilized for one tenant or potential for additional tenants. 5 Large bay doors, plus several access doors to this space. Open floor plan, plus separate office space in the retail area. 2 separate half bathrooms that can be used in both spaces. Every square inch of this building has been improved! Call Meredith at ext. 324, Ryan at ext. 322 or Michael at ext. 314 (WVMLS# 825970)
SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES
#T2856 CORNER LOT 3 BR, 2.5 BA 2034 sqft. Mt. Angel Call Meredith at ext. 324, Ryan at ext. 322 $494,000 (WVMLS#823593)
BARELAND/LOTS
#T2816 2 BUILDABLE LOTS .45 Acres. Silverton. Call Meredith at ext. 324, Ryan at ext. 322 $99,900 (WVMLS#814998)
#T2827 GREAT OPPORTUNITY 1.66 Acres. Salem. Call Whitney at ext. 320 or Mike at ext. 312 $194,000 (WVMLS#817231)
#T2869 BUILDABLE LOT 1.35 Acres Call Michael at ext. 314 $450,000 (WVMLS#826488)
#T2862 SILVER CLIFF ESTATES $344,000
Silver Cliff Estates, you own the land! Open floor plan with formal living and family room, vaulted ceilings, nice amenities. Lots of storage in this home, you will love this layout. Newer decks, partially fenced yard, attached carport with storage shed for extra storage. This home is ready for the new owner! Come view today! Call Meredith at ext. 324 or Ryan at ext. 322 (WVMLS#825158)
SILVERTON
503.873.3545
– #T2874 PALO PARK MANUFACTURED HOME 3 BR, 2 BA 1428 sqft Call Meredith at ext. 324, Ryan at ext. 322 $115,000 (WVMLS#827461)
