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Public art Group pitches Mayor Stu Rasmussen statue for Silverton City Hall
By James Day
Silverton for Stu, a group of advocates for a statue of former mayor Stu Rasmussen at City Hall, took their plan to the Silverton City Council on Wednesday, Aug. 20.
Three individuals, including Portland-based artist Mark Eichinger, outlined the proposal to the council, while six community members backed the idea during the public comment. Approximately a dozen more backers of the plan were in the council chambers but did not give testimony. Because the issue was raised for discussion only during a work session, no vote was taken.
pay the $150,000 cost of producing the statue, with the group asking the city to pay for maintenance and upkeep.
While none of the six councilors present, including Mayor Jason Freilinger, spoke against the plan, some councilors suggested that a public art process should be developed.
Others asked if the city should be considering other individuals besides Rasmussen, with astronaut Donald Pettit and community activist Judy Schmidt receiving mentions. A mural for Stu also was suggested.
“Stu and I had a complicated relationship,” Palmer said. “I’m mildly supportive of the idea. I knew all sides of Stu. He always had the best interests of the community at heart, but he wasn’t always open to other people’s ideas.”
Palmer backed Traeger’s suggestion of Schmidt as a strong public art candidate while also asking the question “how do you measure other candidates against Stu?”
Earlier iterations of the statue plan called for it to be placed outside the Palace Theatre, which Rasmussen ran for decades, but Oregon Department of Transportation regulations derailed that option because of right-of-way rules.
In other action at the Aug. 20 meeting:
• The council unanimously adopted a memorandum of understanding with the Silver Falls YMCA to work together on a new facility for the Y in Silverton. No site selection has been finalized.
• The council unanimously adopted its first urban forestry management plan, which likely will lead to the city contracting out urban forestry services for planning and on-call functions. The staff report on the proposal, delivered by Charlie Johann, the city’s assistant and community engagement coordinator, included the fact that Silverton’s tree canopy covers 16.5% of the city, down from 25% before the 2021 ice storm.
Rasmussen, a Silverton native who served as both mayor and a councilor, became the first openly transgender mayor in the United States when he was elected in November 2008. He died in 2021 at the age of 73.
The bronze statue would consist of Rasmussen sitting at a table, with an empty seat available for someone to join him. The advocates are hoping to place the statue near the entrance to City Hall, while also noting the possibility of it being placed in the new city park that will be developed south of the building.
The advocates plan private donations to
“We might need a policy and procedures about public art and city property,” said Councilor Matt Gaitan. “I think we need to take a couple of steps back to make sure we do this right.”
Freilinger and councilors Marie Traeger, Elvi Cuellar Sutton and April Newton agreed on the process piece, although Councilor Kyle Palmer noted that introducing “bureaucracy” might add six months to the effort.
Palmer had the most experience serving with Rasmussen and also ran against Stu for mayor in 2010. Rasmussen captured the seat in a three-person race that also included Schmidt.
When asked by Freilinger about timelines and other issues posed by the statue proposal, Silverton City Manager Cory Misley referenced a policy used in Sisters, Oregon. The policy includes (a) site selection and design; (b) maintenance requirements; (c) a completion calendar; (d) insurance requirements; (e) budget, including maintenance reserve; (f) expected life of the artwork, and how long the piece will be displayed; and (g) if a temporary work of art, the anticipated removal date.
Those testifying in favor of the Stu statue noted both his business and political accomplishments in town, while some noted that the fact that Silverton had elected a transgender mayor played a key role in their decisions to move into the community.
In land-use action from the Aug. 6 meeting:
• Councilors unanimously rejected a plan to rezone and annex property along Evans Valley Road for a senior housing project. The vote was 6-0, with Councilor Eric Hammond abstaining because he was absent for the public hearing.
• Councilors unanimously OK’d a proposal to rezone 0.67 acres of property in the 600 block of Pine Street for multiple family residential. Plans call for 22 studio apartments, 30 on-site parking spaces and residential amenities on the property.
• Councilors unanimously approved annexing 1.5 acres at 13672 Edison Heights Ln. NE and zoning it for one single-family residential unit.
Marion County Housing Authority pursues funding for Mt. Angel College property
The Marion County Housing Authority is preparing to pursue funding for a project to renovate the former dorms of Mt. Angel College into affordable housing.
MCHA Executive Director Jason Icenbice told Our Town he has met with property owner Catholic Community Services and they are working with a development consultant to explore financial feasibility.
The goal is to determine what funding sources are available to renovate two of the three existing dorm buildings, and potentially construct new housing on undeveloped portions of the property.
Icenbice said funding sources will ultimately determine the scope of the project, including how many housing units are constructed and the type of housing built. Funding will also determine the ultimate partnership between MCHA and CCS, including the role of each entity during project development and operation of the facility.
In an initial proposal to the MCHA Board in April, Icenbice, the agency and CCS could potentially form a limited partnership through which they would purchase the property. CCS listed the eight-acre property for sale in 2023. An attempted purchase by neighboring Father Bernard Youth Center fell through in early 2024.
The property was the location of Mt. Angel College (initially Mt. Angel Academy) from 1888 until 1973, and Colegio Cesar Chavez until 1983. The campus has three dorm buildings – Bernard Hall, Casa Adele and Marmion Hall – and three outbuildings.
In April Icenbice said they could potentially convert Marmion Hall into 40 units of senior housing and Bernard Hall into ten units of single-family housing. CCS has converted Casa Adele into single-family housing.
Icenbice told Our Town Aug. 22 that a capacity study confirmed Marmion Hall could be renovated into 39 units and Bernard Hall into ten units. Whether or not these will
be for families, seniors or others, and the final proportions of each unit, will be determined by financing, he said.
He added they will also reach out to local community members for feedback and coordinate with the City of Mount Angel before making final planning decisions.
Icenbice said the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program remains an option for funding, as well as different state grants and low-interest loans related to housing in underserved areas.
He said the next major step is to finalize a design concept and continue with due diligence such as geotechnical studies. They may also need to partition the property to accommodate potentially building the project in phases.
“Continued engagement with the City of Mount Angel and CCS will also be critical as the project moves into more detailed planning,” said Icenbice.
– Stephen Floyd
A scale model bust of former Silverton mayor and business leader Stu Rasmussen.
JAMES DAY
Stable Population study predicts enrollment for Silver Falls School District
By Stephen Floyd
The Silver Falls School District (SFSD) is likely to experience little change in enrollment over the next decade according to a recent population study, faring better than other districts in Oregon.
Research conducted by Portland-based FLO Analytics showed enrollment was likely to drop by 1 percent by the 2034-2035 school year if current trends continue.
The study was presented Aug. 11 to the SFSD Board as part of efforts by the district to address recent enrollment declines and identify possible solutions.
Enrollment in June was 3,683 students, 2.6 percent lower than in June of 2024, and 9.3 percent below June of 2020. An official enrollment count for the current school year will be available in October.
The study was presented to the board by Alex Brash, a population geographer with FLO.
Brash said local population trends were similar to those seen elsewhere in the state, such as declining birthrates and lower enrollment post-COVID. He also said SFSD has done better than other districts at keeping a larger number of students who live locally enrolled locally.
“You guys are seeing your enrollment stay more stable in our projections than other districts,” said Brash.
He said researchers looked at multiple factors including local birth rates, the number of school-age children moving into the district, and projected housing developments.
The study said, if recent trends continue, enrollment is expected to change little year-by-year. Some years were forecast to see as many as 22 additional students and others with 27 fewer students, resulting in an overall decline of 40 students over ten years.
If trends improve the report said enrollment could climb by as many as 332 students during the same timeframe. If trends decline enrollment could fall by as many as 388 students.
One key metric was the number of kindergarteners enrolled in a given year compared to the number of children born locally five years prior. Brash said this can indicate how many students currently live in but are not enrolled in the district such as those in private or home schooled.
According to local data, the number of students enrolling in kindergarten is slightly higher than the number of births five years prior, indicating some kindergarteners
Buchholz resigns from SFSD board
By Stephen Floyd
The Silver Falls School District (SFSD) Board is looking to fill a vacancy after longtime board member Tom Buchholz resigned effective Aug. 31.
In a resignation letter dated Aug. 8, Buchholz said he was stepping down because multiple business commitments were drawing his attention away.
Buchholz brought to the board, having first been elected in 2011. Wiesner said Buchholz gave an important reminder that the position requires more than just showing up to board meetings.
“You’ll be missed up here,” said Wiesner.
Buchholz, of Scotts Mills, owns and operates Buchholz-Schmitz Farm, in Scotts Mills, and Evergreen Christmas Tree Equipment, in Woodburn.
During the board’s Aug. 11 regular meeting, Buchholz said he has thought about resigning for about a year. He said, during that time, he had not gotten to know the district’s new administrators outside of board meetings and that this was a sign he could no longer give the position the attention it deserved.
“Now is a good time for me to step back and let someone else take this chair,” he said.
Board Chair Phil Wiesner said he has appreciated the 14 years of experience
Buchholz’ position will be filled through the normal appointment process. This will include the district soliciting applications from qualified residents, followed by interviews conducted by the board and an appointment.
The board has not set a specific timeframe for the process. Wiesner did say Aug. 11 they would seek applications from Zone 7, the area represented by Buchholz’ seat. Zone 7 covers a large geographical area east of Silver Creek and Evans Creek, and south of Abiqua Creek and Butte Creek including Scotts Mills.
An appointee would serve the remainder of Buchholz’ current term, which expires June 30, 2027.
Buchholz’ resignation marks complete turnover of board seats since 2023.
were not born locally. Brash said this makes it more difficult to tell how many students may be opting for private or home school alternatives, but is a positive sign that the district is drawing in families.
When asked whether or not enrollment has fallen because more families without school-aged children were moving into new homes, Brash said FLO studied that possibility. He said the number of students living in homes built since 2014 were typical of what they would expect based on the type of housing constructed and the geography of the local area.
When asked how enrollment was impacted by students transferring out of the district, Brash said this was difficult to know without studying the enrollment of other districts. Superintendent Kim Kellison said more students are transferring in than out.
Enrollment has become a focus of the district as SFSD recovers from a financial crisis. Fiscal reserves were depleted since 2020 after staffing was not reduced to match student declines during the COVID-19 pandemic, among other challenges. After heavy layoffs for the 202425 school year administrators hoped to restore some staffing the 2025-26 school year but were unable to due to declines in enrollment.
Barrie
Rudolf
Rudolf
Barrie
Local Brew
Move
Mitch
Tom Buchholz
Resilience improves New emergency prep hub set at Mark Twain
By James Day
The Oregon Legislature is spending $10 million to boost the state’s emergency preparedness, with Silverton in on the ground floor.
Amid a massive partnership of state, county and local officials, as well as strong support from the Silverton Lions Club, a resilience hub was unveiled Aug. 18 at Mark Twain Elementary School.
Three Conex boxes have been placed at the north end of the school near the oak grove, with a covered breezeway in between. The containers include water, shelving and pallets, with the Lions Club planning to add 150 buckets of essentials in the coming weeks.
The Silverton site, which cost roughly $215,000, is one of 27 such resilience hubs statewide, with the protocol being that the supplies stay put until an emergency. At that point the goods will be transported to the area of need.
“There is no such thing as too much preparation for emergencies,” state Rep.
Rick Lewis (Republican, District 18) told Our Town in an email exchange.
Quality Dental Care in a Friendly Environment
Lewis, who helped drive the grant program through the Legislature in 2023, was on hand at the Mark Twain site as well as up Church Street at a ceremony at Immanuel Lutheran Church to note the opening of the resilience hub.
Also participating were state and county emergency officials, all three Marion County commissioners, Silverton Mayor Jason Freilinger, Silverton Police Department and Silverton Fire District officials, Silver Falls School District
Superintendent Kim Kellison and board member Derrick Foxworth Jr., Santiam Hospital & Clinics officials as well as a strong cadre of Silverton Lions Club members.
Fariborz Pakseresht, director of the Oregon Department of Human Services, noted that the event was behind –held just a week or so before the fifth anniversary of the Labor Day wildfires that ravaged the Santiam Canyon as well as other spots statewide.
“We were caught flat-footed in 2020,” he said. “We were not ready and we didn’t have the resources.”
Ward Frederick, president of the Silverton Lions Club, told the audience that the project “is breaking the mold of top-down government. This is great because it puts the resources where the need is.”
Frederick also praised the participation of Kellison and the school district.
“Finding the right place to put it was really important,” he said.
Mayor Freilinger noted that the placing of the hub in Silverton “was a big honor and not just for Silverton. It’s a regional honor. I knew the project would be in good hands with the Lions Club involved.”
Marion County Commissioner Danielle Bethell, right, and Santiam Hospital & Clinics community development director Melissa Baurer receive a tour of one of the Conex emergency prep containers at Mark Twain Elementary School in Silverton on Aug. 18. JAMES DAY
Something to Do
Proud partnership
Oregon Garden free for Silvertonians Sept. 6
By James Day
The Oregon Garden is opening its gates to Silverton residents for its annual free admission day on Saturday, Sept. 6. All folks in the 97381 zip code (bring an ID or a utility bill to show proof of address) will be admitted free that day. Parking at the 127-acre facility also is free. The Garden will be open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Garden officials noted in a press release that the annual tradition honors the “unique and long-standing partnership between The Oregon Garden and the City of Silverton. The Garden’s history is deeply intertwined with the city, as a terraced wetland system was developed on the grounds to naturally cool the city’s treated wastewater before it returns to the watershed. This innovative and awardwinning system also provides all of the Garden’s irrigation needs.”
“We are very proud of our relationship with the City of Silverton,” said Mark Gummin, chairman of the Oregon Garden Foundation, the nonprofit group that operates the Garden. “The annual free day is a highlight for us. It’s an opportunity to thank our neighbors and celebrate the community that has supported the Garden for nearly 25 years. We look forward to welcoming everyone to explore the beauty of the gardens, from the Children’s Garden to the serene wetlands that are the foundation of this partnership.
“The free admission day is a way of giving back to the community that made the Garden possible.”
Guests are invited to spend the day exploring the more than 20 specialty gardens, including the stunning Conifer Garden, the Water Wall, and the Rain Curtain. Visitors can enjoy a leisurely stroll, pack a picnic to enjoy on the lawns and take in the vibrant displays of late summer blooms. There will be a raffle for free Garden memberships, ice cream snacks and other cool and tasty treats, as well as special gifts for members.
The Oregon Garden is located at 879 W. Main St.
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The A-mazing Water Garden at The Oregon Garden. JIM KINGHORN
Tram tour outside of the J. Frank Schmidt Jr. Pavilion at The Oregon Garden. JIM KINGHORN
60 celebrations!
By James Day Gemütlichkeit.
The word appears in large type on a series of historical display boards in the Mount Angel Oktoberfest board room at the Festhalle. It means loosely “a warm feeling of joy, comfort and community.”
That’s the vibe the Mount Angel Oktoberfest has been seeking and supplying for six decades now. The festival marks 60 celebrations and continues to entertain thousands of people each September with a high-value, family-friendly, four-day event featuring German food, drink, music, arts and crafts and more.
The proceeds from the festival’s all-volunteer “workforce” are poured back into community non-profits, with the total in the event’s 60 years approaching $4 million.
“I became involved back in 1999,” said Bill Bischoff, the Oktoberfest board’s current president. “I wanted to volunteer because I always enjoyed the festival as a child and younger man and I volunteered in other ways for booths and such, but wanted to be a part of the volunteer group that planned and put on this great festival. They put me right to work. It is a lot of work that has its challenges for sure, but it is all worth it when we are able to support so many of the nonprofit groups in the community and in our region.”
Mary Grant, a decades-long Mount Angel and Oktoberfest supporter, served on the board from 1977 to 1993 after appearing at the festival as a teenager singing songs from The Sound of Music as part of the Kennedy High choir.
“It’s affordable, high quality and children and families are welcome,” Grant said. “When you walk the festival everyone is smiling. German music helps. Oom-pah music makes you happy. Plus there is the smell of all of that good food.”
A favorite memory of Grant’s came in 1983 when the Weingarten opened. Grant brought in all of her children’s babysitters to serve as volunteers and sewed their dirndls.
“Starting the Weingarten was really important to me,” she said. “The Biergarten was only for adults and we needed a spot where kids could come in.”
Grant also was involved in beefing up the festival’s kids area,
Mount Angel Oktoberfest
Sept. 11 - 14. Opens daily at 11 a.m. See Datebook page 13 or oktoberfest.org
where rides, magicians and other attractions remain free.
Monica Bochsler, who leads the festival’s marketing efforts, has been involved since 2011. She joined the board in 2012. She noted that the all-volunteer board has included 120 directors over the years, each serving an average of nine years. Her marketing mantra is that “if we get them here, they will come back. And always make sure they have the dates.”
The festival remains a work in progress. New buildings have sprung up. The beer menu has expanded dramatically. A deep dive into those history boards shows that auto racing, helicopter flights and even the Oregon Marathon once was part of Oktoberfest, and scores of yodelers.
Bochsler says she still is mystified that pepperoni sticks did not take off. Bischoff’s least favorite year was 2020, when COVID-19 meant a virtual festival.
Scrambling and working together to make things happen is part of the drill, including the year a beer distributor could not fulfill an order and the festival rejiggered the Alpinegarten menu in the final moments before opening. And, yes, it has rained from time to time. But that hasn’t dampened the spirits of organizers or festival goers.
“Mount Angel Oktoberfest is really an awesome event and there aren’t many like it,” Bischoff said.
“Meaning, there are other festivals of its size, but not nonprofit and not run by all volunteers and who also work countless hours to put excess funds back into the community.”
We’ll close with words of wisdom from Kyle Beyer, the festival treasurer and a second-generation board member: “What makes Mount Angel Oktoberfest special? It’s not just the beer – it’s the generations of hands that built it, danced through it, and keep it alive.
“If you want to understand community, tradition, and joy, spend a day in Mount Angel during Oktoberfest.”
Sounds like Gemütlichkeit!
Oktoberfest patrons – of all ages – enjoy a variety of activities, such as the traditional Maypole dance and, of course, beer! JIM KINGHORN
Oregon Field to Fork
‘Food hub’ springs up for a variety of products
By Melissa Wagoner
For the past 10 years Tamara and Andrew Chrislar have dreamed of creating a website that would make it possible to buy locally produced food at the touch of a button.
“I always envisioned a platform that would showcase all of our beautiful products,” Tamara said, referring to the grass-fed beef and organic eggs and vegetables her family sold at a year-around farmer’s market before moving to a farm on the outskirts of Scotts Mills four years ago. “Because [at a farmer’s market] you’re all these lone rangers with your tents.”
A website, she speculated, would not only link vendors more closely, but provide one-stop-shopping for customers as well.
“It’s like a food hub,” Tamara said, using a term that – originating in the 1970s –refers to an organization that helps small farms with marketing and distribution. “There are only four of them in Oregon and nothing in the Willamette Valley.”
Until, that is, the Chrislars opened Oregon Field to Fork.
“We really want people to support local in Oregon, not just in the Willamette Valley and Silverton,” Tamara said, listing current vendors like Jacobson Salt Co. in Netarts, TMK Creamery in Canby and Uncle Larry’s Dog and Cat Treats in Lake Oswego, which the website lists alongside local purveyors like Diggin’ Roots Farm and Farmzilla.
“No one has said no to us. Instead, all of the vendors say, ‘We’ve always wanted to do that!’”
Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, Oregon Field to Fork’s website allows customers to shop on their own schedule. Then, each Sunday at 5 p.m. that week’s orders are finalized and packaged either for pick-up on Tuesday between 3 and 7 p.m. at the farm store located at 17879 Mt. Angel Scotts Mills Road or for home delivery – free to those who purchased at least $25 worth of goods and live within seven miles of the farm.
“And then once a month we’re going to do an event,” Tamara said.
Events start with a Farm Day barbecue scheduled for Sept. 13, which will
Oregon Field to Fork
An online marketplace of food grown or produced in Oregon
• Visit www.oregonfieldtofork.com
• Orders close on Sunday at 5 p.m.
• Pick-up takes place Tuesdays, 3 to 7 p.m. at the farm store,
17879 Mt. Angel Scotts Mills Road
• Delivery available for orders of $25 or more within a seven-mile radius of the farm
Farm Day Event Sept. 13
An on-the-farm open house and barbecue
17879 Mt. Angel Scotts Mills Road
• Sept. 13, 4 to 7 p.m.
• Free product samples
• Locally sourced BBQ, $10 a plate
• Live music by Dave Garcia
Reserve tickets by emailing oregonfieldtofork@gmail.com
highlight a variety of Oregon Field to Fork’s vendors including beef from Silver Springs Ranch and music by Dave Garcia.
“There will be tastings of everything,” Tamara said.
“We want to get the word out about our vendors… So many of these food products are people’s passions…and all these products tell a story.”
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Tamara and Andrew Chrislar in the Oregon Field to Fork farm store. MELISSA WAGONER
Focus on service Eyecare
By Melissa Wagoner
When Shon Reed began community college in his hometown of Spokane, Washington, he didn’t know what career path he would take. But then an optometrist suggested he needed eyeglasses and that changed everything.
“I hadn’t realized until then that I had been living with blurry vision,” Reed said, recalling how that experience – combined with a guidance counselor’s offhand advice that he check out the school’s vision technology program – put him on the path to becoming an optometrist himself.
“I was curious to see how the process worked, so I became a certified technician and began working with optometrists and specialists,” he said. “As a technician, I discovered how much I loved working one-on-one with patients and being a part of the team that helps solve their vision problems.”
Inspired, Reed decided to pursue a doctorate in Optometry, enrolling in Pacific University in Forest Grove in 2012.
“My wife, son and I fell in love with Oregon…” he said.
practice builds on a firm, familiar foundation
When an optometry position opened at Silver Falls Eyecare in June 2020, he took it.
“What I love most about being an optometrist is the combination of personal connection and problem solving,” he said. “I enjoy listening to patients, understanding their unique needs, and finding the best solutions for them. Plus, I get to continue learning as the technology and science is continually expanding.”
It is this passion for patient care that led Dr. Reed to purchase the practice in December 2024 from Dr. Terri Vasche, who founded the practice in 1980.
“My decision to buy the practice was really about wanting to build something lasting, not only for myself, but for my family who have formed connections and friends, as well as for my patients who have put their trust in me and my team,” Dr. Reed said.
“Silver Falls Eyecare already had an established base and firm foundation, so building upon it just made sense.”
Making a lot of changes to what was already working did not.
“From a patient’s perspective, the experience should feel very familiar,” Dr. Reed said. “That said, we have made some improvements already to
the technology we have in the office, including a new refraction system and retinal camera, and other updates will come as the practice grows.”
Continuing to conduct both routine eye examinations as well as urgent office visits, Dr. Reed and fellow optometrist, Dr. Matthew Lampa, are looking forward to continuing the tradition of excellence.
“One aspect of our practice that I am very proud of is our wonderful staff, many who have been with the practice for years,” Dr. Reed said. “I think it helps patients see familiar, trusted faces every visit. Our opticians alone have over 20 years of combined experience and do a fantastic job… match[ing] patients’ personal needs and style.”
“I feel very grateful to be a part of this community…” he said. “I’m excited to continue serving for years to come.”
For more information or to make an appointment visit www.silverfallseyecare. com or call 503-873-8619.
GENERAL
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
FOR SALE 5-Piece Dining Set. SOLID OAK table and chairs. Well built. $399, obo. Call: 503-510-2484.
WANTED Experienced Pinochle Players. Also, a buyer for daybed with trundle, $175 firm. 469-446-9542.
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.
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 503-516-5722. Grange info at http://grange.org/ silvertonor748/.
SERVICES
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
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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
Place your ad in Marketplace 503-845-9499
what we can do for you. $20 Minimum. Call Keith 503-502-3462
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
STATIONARY BIKE Reasonable. Call 503-873-4589 or leave message.
Dr. Shon Reed conducting a routine eye exam at Silver Falls Eyecare. MELISSA WAGONER
Sense of style
By Melissa Wagoner
It’s been over 10 years since the fateful night Allisa Jacobs called her younger brother, Seth Joyce – a builder in commercial construction – for advice on a remodeling project in her home.
“I couldn’t find minimal shelf brackets,” Allisa recalled. “He was like, ‘Don’t hire anybody. I can do this.’”
As it turns out, Alissa wasn’t surprised. That’s because, growing up, Seth – who followed their father into the construction trade – was known as “MacGyver.” His skills – namely making something out of nothing – were eerily similar to those exhibited by the character in the popular television series of the same name.
So, when Allisa made a request for custom-made metal brackets, despite having no formal metalwork training, Seth was willing to give it a try. Eventually he created something for his sister that was not only functional but beautiful as well. “People would come over and compliment it,” Allisa remembered. “A few months later I said, ‘I think you can sell these.’”
Experienced at building websites, Allisa created a site featuring a series of brackets in the farmhouse rustic style that was popular at the time under the business name, Cascade Iron Company.
“Right away we started getting orders,” Allisa said. “We had listings on Etsy and Instagram, and I connected with people in the design world. I think what set us apart
was our quality is unmatched. Our brackets are strong and well-made.”
But, at the time, Seth was still working his regular shifts in construction, then coming home to spend up to six hours working in his three-car garage outside Silverton.
“I had to make the decision to jump,” Seth said.
So, he quit his day job, going all-in with Allisa on their budding new business and building a new, larger shop.
“I never thought I would outgrow it,” Seth laughed. “But now I wish I had a bigger shop.”
In the 10 years since taking the leap, Cascade Iron Company has grown to include a host of products including hooks, shelves, towel bars and more.
“We still sell direct to homeowners, but we’ve expanded to designers as well,” Allisa said.
Cascade Iron Company is featured by some of the most recognizable building and remodeling companies today, according to its website. It also contributed to the recent remodel of the Portland Airport and the Oregon State Capitol.
“We had to work with the designer on color matching for portrait rails,” Seth said of the latest project, which the company secured partly because of their ability to be 100 percent customizable.
“For people building these high-end spaces, the details are going to make the space,” Allisa added.
But it’s not just the designers of large projects who purchase from Cascade Iron Company. Homeowners and designers working on smaller projects enjoy the customizability of their projects as well.
“We get a lot of people with sagging shelves, and we’re like, ‘We can fix that,’”
Single
Allisa said. “We try to meet people where they are. People can always ask us questions.”
And request finish samples to choose the perfect look for their home.
Homeowners can find inspiration at www. cascadeironco.com, which features a gallery of photos displaying their products.
“People love to share their projects,” Alissa said, listing the creative ways clients have utilized hooks, brackets and shelving to both enhance and add storage in bathrooms, kitchens, entryways and especially open-concept rooms.
“With our floating metal shelves, there are times when I think we’ve thought of every use,” Allisa laughed. “And then people come up with more.”
It’s an unexpected career that has become a lucrative creative outlet for the siblings.
“I love it,” Seth said. “I don’t think I’ve had a bad day… there’s always something challenging that makes it fun.”
Allisa Jacobs and Seth Joyce, owners of Cascade Iron Company in Silverton.
MELISSA WAGONER
Frequent Addresses
Mt. Angel Public Library, 290 E Charles St. Silver Creek Fellowship, 822 NE Industrial Way, Silverton. Silver Falls Library, 410 S Water St. Silverton Arts Association, 303 Coolidge St. SilvertonCouncil Chambers, 410 N Water St. Weekly Events
Monday
Silverton 50+ Center, 115 Westfield St. Seniors 50 and older. Daily, weekly, monthly events. 503-873-3093, silvertonseniors.org
Mt. Angel Community & Senior Center Store, 11 a.m. - 3 p.m., 195 E Charles St. Repeats Tuesday - Saturday. Volunteers needed. 503-845-6998
Meals on Wheels Lunch, 11:30 a.m., Silverton 50+ Center. $3 suggested donation. Make reservations three days in advance by calling 503-873-6906. Repeats Tuesday and Thursday.
Silverton Recovery AA, noon - 1 p.m., 302 N Water St. 7 days a week. Free Monday Dinner, 5:30 - 7 p.m., Oak Street Church, 502 Oak St., Silverton. Sit down or take to go. All welcome. Free. 503-873-5446, oakstchurch@gmail.com
Boy Scouts Troop 7485, 7 - 8:30 p.m., St. Edward’s Episcopal Church, 211 W Center St., Silverton. Scoutmaster Dave Tacker, 760-644-3147, dave.tacker@ gmail.com
Tuesday
Bible Study, 10 a.m. - noon, Silverton First Christian Church, 402 N First St. All welcome. 503-873-6620
APPY Hour, noon - 1 p.m., Mt. Angel Public Library. Drop in for technical assistance for electronic devices. All ages. Free. 971-370-5040
Silverton Mainstay, 1:30 - 4:30 p.m., Silverton United Methodist Church, 203 W Main St. Community space and activities for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Repeats Thursday. silvertonmainstay.org Yoga for All Levels, 6 p.m., Silverton 50+ Center. $10/members. $12/nonmembers. Post-class optional wine social $5/glass. All welcome. 503-8733093, silvertonseniors.org
Cub Scout Pack 485, 6:30 p.m., Silverton First Christian Church, 402 N First St. Boys and girls in grades K-5. Elisha Kirsch, 503-507-6087
Silverton Business Group, 8 a.m., Silver Falls Brewery, 207 Jersey St., Silverton. Networking of Silverton business community hosted by Silverton Chamber of Commerce. All welcome. silvertonchamber.org
Quilters Group, 9 a.m. - noon, Trinity Lutheran Church, 500 N Second Ave., Silverton. trinitysilverton@gmail.com
Family Storytime & Indoor Playtime, 10:30 a.m., Mt. Angel Public Library. Ages 2 - 5 w/adult. 9/3: Storytime at The Oregon Garden. 9/10: Library closed. 9/17: Storytime w/the chief. Free. 971-370-5040
Mission Benedict Food Pantry, 1 - 4 p.m., St. Joseph Shelter, 925 S Main St., Mt. Angel. Repeats Friday. 503-873-7645
Silver Chips Woodcarving Sessions, 1 - 4 p.m., Silverton Arts Association. All skill levels. 503-873-7645
Mission of Hope Food Pantry, 2 - 4 p.m., Silver Creek Fellowship. 503-873-7353
Thursday
Yoga for All Levels, 8:30 a.m., Silverton 50+ Center. $10/member. $12/nonmember. All welcome. 503-873-3093, silvertonseniors.org
Yoga, 9 a.m., Silver Creek Fellowship. Open to all. Sheila, 503-409-4498
Thursday Painters, 10 a.m. - noon, Silverton Arts Association. Join other artists for open studio time. All kinds of art forms welcome. Free. 503-873-2480
Explorer’s Lab, 4 p.m., Mt. Angel Public Library. Weekly meeting to read 1-3 books and enjoy a fun activity. Ages 5-12. 971-370-5040
TOPS (Take Pounds Off Sensibly), 6 p.m., United Methodist Church, 203 W Main St., Silverton. Weight loss with continued support. First meeting free. Monthly dues $4. All welcome. David, 503-501-9824
Mt. Angel Model Railroad, 9 a.m.3 p.m., The Depot, 90 W College St., Mt. Angel. Lionel (O-gauge), HO-gauge, N-gauge model layouts on display. All ages welcome. Free. Silvertones Community Singers, 10:30 a.m., Silverton United Methodist Church, 203 Main St., Silverton. Anyone who loves to sing is welcome. Tomi, 503-873-2033
Saturday
Silverton Farmer’s Market, 9 a.m.
– 1 p.m., Silverton United Methodist Church, 204 W Main St. Fresh produce, plants, flowers. 503-873-5615
Sunshine Fitness, 10 a.m., Mt. Angel Public Library. Light exercising with “Brazillian Dance Workout.”. Signed waiver required. Teens and adults. Free. No class 9/6 or 9/15. 971-370-5040
Saturday Serenity Al-Anon Family Group, 10 a.m., Zoom. For families and friends of alcoholics. Zoom link: Janet.h.salem23@gmail.com
Oregon Crafters Market, 11 a.m.6 p.m., 215 N Water St., Silverton. Local crafters & artists, live music, food & spirits. Repeats noon - 5 p.m. Saturday. Open 6 - 9 p.m. on “First Friday.” oregoncraftersmarket.com
Silverton Country Historical Society, 1 - 4 p.m., 428 S Water St. Museum open for viewing. Repeats Sunday. 503-873-7070
The Art of Mindfulness, 2 p.m. Silverton Arts Association. Connecting mind, heart, and body. Listen, meditate, contemplate, share thoughts. 971-218-6641
Creciendo Juntos/Growing Together Storytime, 3 p.m., Mt. Angel Public Library. Disfruta historios sobre las frutas todo el mes! / Discover stories about delicious fruits allmonth long! 971-370-5040
Monday, Sept. 1
Labor Day
Tuesday, Sept. 2
Mt. Angel American Legion 6:30 p.m., Legion Hall, 740 E College St., Mt. Angel. All veterans are welcome. Masks optional. Jim, 503-845-6119
Mt. Angel City Council
7 p.m., Mount Angel Public Library. Open to public. Agenda available. 503-845-9291, ci.mt-angel.or.us
Wednesday, Sept. 3
Home School Day
10 a.m. - 2 p.m., The Oregon Garden, 879 W Main St., Silverton. Home school students ages 5 to 12 can experience a day of outdoor learning. Hands-on, self-paced lstations throughout the Garden. No preregistration. Adults $14, $10 for students aged 1217, $7 for children aged 5 - 11. Jenna, 503-880-5411
Silverton City Council
6:30 p.m., Council Chambers. Work session followed by regular meeting. Open to public. Agenda available. 503-873-5321, silverton.or.us
Scotts Mills City Council
7 p.m., Scotts Mills City Hall, 265 Fourth St. Open to public. Agenda available. 503-873-5435, scottsmills.org
Thursday, Sept. 4
Silverton Kiwanis Club
Noon, Main St. Bistro, 201 E Main St., Silverton. New members welcome. Repeats Sept. 18. silvertonkiwanis.org
Friday, Sept. 5
LEGO Lab
Noon - 4 p.m., Mt. Angel Public Library. Build an original creation to display in the library. All ages. Also Sept. 19. 971-370-5040
Teen Cooking Lab
4:30 p.m., Mt. Angel Public Library. Learn to make caramel apples on a sheet pan. Ages 12-18. Free. 971-370-5040.
Teen Hangout
5 p.m., Mt. Angel Public Library. Use Goth Glue to outline a design then use watercolors to paint the picture. Ages 12-18. Free. 971-370-5040
Silverton First Friday
5 - 9 p.m., downtown Silverton. Car show, outdoor dining, Night Crafters Market, shopping, vendors, live music with Jake, Zach and Arlo 6 to 8 p.m. silvertonchamber.org, facebook.com/ silvertonfirstfriday
Sublimity Harvest Festival
5 p.m., Sublimity Harvest Festival Grounds, 11880 SE Sublimity Road. Truck, tractor, monster truck competition. Food booths, vendors, Kid-Zone, live music. Repeats Sept. 6-7. List of events, daily admission at sublimityharvestfestival.com
Lunaria Opening Reception
6 - 8 p.m., Lunaria Gallery, 113 N Water St., Silverton. Meet the artists. Main Floor Gallery is “Floral Reverie,” glass lamp works and wire flowers by Robert Fox with paintings and drawings by Diane Trevett. Loft Gallery is “Paintings” by Alex Meyer. 503873-7734, lunariagallery.com
Saturday, Sept. 6
Silver Creek Makers Market
10 a.m. - 3 p.m., Silverton Grange, 201 Division St. Food, crafts, collectibles from area artisans. Free admission. Randi, 971-267-9364, silverton748.org
Oktoberfest Kick-off Party
6:30 p.m., Festhalle, 500 NW Wilco Hwy., Mt. Angel. Gervais Knights of Columbus serve a full BBQ chicken dinner. Music provided by the Gordanairs. Oktoberfest Olympics begin at 8 p.m. Tickets $45, and include dinner, music, bottomless beverages. 21+ event. Tickets: oktoberfest.org, Schmidt’s 76, Bochsler Hardware, Mt. Angel Sausage Co. and Tiny’s Tavern.
Monday, Sept. 8
Daughters of American Revolution
10 a.m., Stayton United Methodist Church, 1450 Fern Ridge Road. DAR and America’s 250th year celebration. Open to all. 503-508-8246
Mt. Angel School District
6:30 p.m., St. Mary’s Public School, 590 E College St., Mt. Angel. Agenda available. Open to public. 503-845-2345, masd91.org
Silver Falls School District
7 p.m., Silverton High. Agenda available. Open to public. 503-873-5303, silverfallsschools.org
Tuesday, Sept. 9
Ancestry Detectives
10 a.m. - noon, Silver Falls Library. Join fellow family history explorers finding new cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents. All welcome. Free. ancestrydetectives.org Explorer’s Taste-Test Lab
4:30 p.m., Mt. Angel Public Library. Taste test various types of apples. Ages. 5-12. Free. 971-370-5040
Ukulele Play and Sing-Alongs
6 - 7:30 p.m., Silver Falls Library. First 30 minutes is beginner’s ukulele lesson followed by play and sing-along time for all skill levels. Music is provided but bring your ukulele. 503-873-8796
Silverton Planning Commission
7 p.m., Council Chambers. Open to public. Agenda available. 503-874-2207
Wednesday, Sept. 10
Virtual Film Discussion
7 p.m. Zoom. Watch the film (available on Kanopy) and then join for moderated Zoom discussion. Film information and Zoom invite: Ron, 503-873-8796
Thursday, Sept. 11
Patriot Day
Mount Angel Oktoberfest
Opens 11 a.m. Mt. Angel. Food, crafts, music, dancing, Runs thru Sept. 14. For a complete schedule of events, visit oktoberfest.org.
Cancer Support
11 a.m., Silverton 50+ Center. For those affected by cancer or who care for those affected by cancer. Open to all. No age limit or membership. 503-873-3093
Women’s Connection Luncheon
Noon, Seventh Day Adventist Church, 1159 Oak St., Silverton. Features Will-NBeez Quilt and Coffee Shoppe. Speaker is Barb Sulfridge. For reservations, call Stacey at 503-680-3786.
Red Cross Blood Drive
Noon - 5 p.m., Silverton First Baptist Church, 229 Westfield St. Appointments: redcrossblood.org or call 800-733-3767.
Silverton Zenith Women’s Club
6:30 p.m., Silver Creek Fellowship Education Building , 822 Industrial Way. Learn about the oldest women’s organization in Silverton and how we support our community.
Brush Creek The Bad Seed
7 p.m., Brush Creek Playhouse, 11535 NE Silverton Road, Silverton. Maxwell Anderson’s The Bad Seed, directed by Norman Gouvia. Runs Friday, Saturday and Sunday through Sept. 21. Tickets at brushcreekplayhouse.org.
Friday, Sept. 12
The Next Friday
5 - 8 p.m., Mt. Angel. Music, cars, vendors, shopping and more. discovermtangel@gmail.com
Italian Conversations
6 - 7:30 p.m., Curbside Italian Kitchen, 115 N Water St., Silverton. Practice Italian with Craig Bazzi and Carlo Antinucci. All levels welcome. Free. 503-851-8774
Saturday, Sept. 13
Cruz ‘n Car Show
9 a.m. - 3 p.m., St. Mary School, 590 E College St., Mt. Angel. 100 cars today and Sept. 14 in separate shows. Register at 8 a.m. on the day you choose. oktoberfest.org
1 - 4 p.m., 210 Grandview Ave. Open for public browsing. Free. Open by appointment by contacting Joe Plas, 503-871-9803; ksplonski@aol.com
SHS 25th Reunion
6 - 9 p.m., Silver Falls Brewery, 207 Jersey St., Silverton. Silverton High School’s class of 2000 25th reunion. $10/person. Shana, 503-949-1900, sfclassof2000silverto@gmail.com
Tuesday, Sept. 16
Silver Falls Book Club
6:30 p.m., Silver Falls Library. Discuss The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides. All welcome. Free. 503-873-8796
Wednesday, Sept. 17
Silverton City Council
6:30 p.m., Council Chambers. Work session followed by regular meeting. Open to public. 503-873-5321
Thursday, Sept. 18
SACA Open House
5:30 - 7 p.m., Silverton Area Community Aid, 1030 N First St. Come see SACA’s new home - now open and serving the community. Food donations welcome. 503-873-3446, silvertonareacommunityaid.org
Silver Falls Writers Group
6:30 p.m., Silver Falls Library. Share what you’re working on and listen to what others are writing. Free. Ron Drake, 503-873-8796
Mt. Angel Planning Commission
7 p.m., Mount Angel Public Library. Open to public. Agenda available. 503-845-9291, ci.mt-angel.or.us
Saturday, Sept. 20
Tombstone Tales
6 p.m., Silverton Cemetery, 800 McClaine St. Meet and hear stories of notable personalities from Silverton’s past in a living history cemetery experience. Presented by Silverton Country Historical Society. Free; donations appreciated. 503-873-7070, silverton.museum@live.com
Monday, Sept. 22
Park Tree Board
7 p.m., Mount Angel Public Library. Open to public. Agenda available. 503-845-9291, ci.mt-angel.or.us
Tuesday, Sept. 23
Explorer’s Cooking Lab
4:30 p.m., Mt. Angel Public Library. Learn to make caramel apples. Ages 5-12. Free. 971-370-5040.
Silverton Planning Commission
6:30 p.m., Council Chambers. Work session. Open to public. Agenda available. 503-874-2207, silverton.us.or PFLAG Silverton
7 p.m., Oak Street Church, 502 Oak St., Silverton. Everyone welcome. Under 18 must have parent/guardian. Christy, 541786-1613, silvertonpflag@gmail.com
Thursday, Sept. 25
Mt. Angel Book Discussion
1 p.m. & 6:30 p.m., Mt. Angel Public Library. Bring your current reads and your to-be-read list to discuss what, how and when it will be read. Adults. Free. 971-370-5040
TAB/Book Club
4:30 p.m., Mt. Angel Public Library. Discuss The List of Things that Will Not Change by Rebecca Stead. Afterward, meet for Teen Advisory Board (TAB) meeting. Snacks provided. Ages 12-18. 971-370-5040
Friday, Sept. 26
Rummage Sale
9 a.m. - 4 p.m., Immanuel Lutheran Church, 303 N Church St., Silverton. Something for everyone. Repeats Sept. 27. Proceeds benefit the church’s missions. 503-873-8656
Red Cross Blood Drive
Noon - 5 p.m., Silverton Elks Lodge, 300 High St. Appointments: redcrossblood.org or 800-733-3767 or 503-930-5401.
Family Movie Night
4:15 p.m., Mt. Angel Public Library. Watch Paddington on the big screen. Hot popcorn provided. Free. All ages. 971370-5040
Saturday, Sept. 27
Santiam Canyon River Run
9:30 a.m., Snow Peak Brewing, 280 E Water St., Stayton. 10K run, 5K & 3K run/ walk. $45/person. Finishers receive a commemorative pint glass with a coupon for soda or beer from Snow Peak. Checkin begins at 8 a.m. Benefits Santiam Hospital & Clinics Foundation. Register at shcfoundation/event/santiamcanyon-river-run.
Monday, Sept. 29
Vigil for Peace
2:30 - 3:30 p.m., Towne Square Park, Silverton. Silverton People for Peace gather to advocate for peace, social justice issues on all levels of society including a focus on issues of current concern. Open to all. 503-873-5307
Paid Advertisement
How Can We Know We Will Go to Heaven?
This month’s article was written by my friend, Randy Alcorn. You can contact him at www.epm.org
Arecent poll indicated that for every American who believes he or she is going to hell, there are 120 who believe they're going to heaven. The truth is that according to the Bible we don’t automatically get to go to heaven. In fact, hell is our default destination (Matthew 7:13-14). Unless our sin problem is solved, we can't enter heaven. That's the bad news. But once that’s straight in our minds, we’re ready to hear the good news concerning Jesus Christ.
ONLY TWO OPTIONS
There are only two possible destinations when we die: heaven or hell. Can we really know in advance where we'll go? The Apostle John, one of the writers of the Bible, tells us we can know.
“I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life” (1 John 5:13).We can know for sure that we'll go to heaven when we die. But how?
It’s a matter of how we deal with the problem of our sin. To sin means to fall short of God’s holy standards—to be less than God intended for us. Sin is what ended paradise in the Garden of Eden. And all of us, just like Adam and Eve, are sinners. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Sin separates us from having a relationship with God (Isaiah 59:2) and it deceives us into thinking that wrong is right
and that right is wrong (Proverbs 14:12). Sin is terrible, but God has provided a solution: “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, has loved us in a very specific way. He left the riches of heaven to become a man and rescue us from our sin.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). He came to identify Himself with us in our humanity and our weakness, but He did so without being tainted by sin, selfdeception, or any moral failings (Hebrews 4:15-16).
Jesus died on the cross as the only One good enough to pay the penalty our sins demanded: “For our sake He [God] made Him [Jesus] to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). But then, in
victory over death, God raised Jesus from the grave, defeating the consequences of sin (1 Corinthians 15:3-4, 54-57). When Christ died on the cross for us, He said, “It is finished” (John 19:30). In those times “It nished” was commonly written across certificates of debt when they were paid. It meant “Paid in full.” Christ died so that our debt of sin could once and for all time be marked “Paid in full.”
THE CRITICAL DECISION
It is only when our sins are dealt with by faith in Christ that we can enter heaven. We cannot pay our own way. Jesus said, “No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). “There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).
Because of Jesus’ death on the cross on our behalf, God now freely offers us forgiveness. But to be forgiven, we must recognize and repent of our sins. Forgiveness is not automatic. It’s conditioned upon our confession: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). Christ offers this free gift of forgiveness, salvation, and eternal life to everyone. But we must come to Christ empty-handed. We can take no credit for salvation. “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).
By Randy Alcorn
So, this gift cannot be earned or achieved. It’s dependent solely on Christ’s generous sacrifice for us.
NOW IS THE TIME FOR YOU TO GET RIGHT WITH GOD.
Confess your sinfulness and accept Christ’s sacrifice for you. Ask God to forgive you for Jesus’ sake. Put your faith in Him alone.
If you understand what God has done for you, you may want to express it in words like these: “Dear Lord, I confess that I do not measure up to Your perfect standard. Thank You for sending Jesus to die for my sins. I now place my trust in Him alone as my Savior. Thank You for saving me.”
Questions? Call 971-370-0967.
Nemo Rated PG First Come, First Served. Sponsored by NobleMenOfOregon.org
Attention Christian Men! Join us every Thursday for our Noble Men’s Breakfast at The Noble Inn 409 S. Water St., Silverton, OR 97381 Thurs. mornings from 7 to 8:30 AM For info go to NobleMenOfOregon.org Join us as we seek to have an impact on our community for Christ.
The views expressed by this advertiser do not necessarily represent the views of Our Town or its staff.
Gregg Harris, Teaching Pastor at GraciousCross.org
Something to Think About
Safety Compass
By Melissa Wagoner
Esther Nelson-Garrett began her career as a victim’s advocate in Portland, creating the first advocacy team for victims of sex trafficking in the United States in 2008. But what she really wanted to do was to extend her reach to more rural places, specifically her hometown of Silverton. Then, in 2014 she got her chance.
“Mount Angel and Silverton experienced a couple of sexual-violence homicides,” Nelson-Garrett said. She recalled the outpouring of concern and support that took the shape of a grassroots committee with representatives from several organizations guided by Nelson-Garrett’s experience.
“I assumed we would ramp down,” NelsonGarrett added. Instead, an outpouring of need arrived in her inbox and even on her front doorstep. “I had so many people come to me I realized this is a niche… It was shocking. It still is.”
So, instead of wrapping things up, she started the organization she’d always imagined. Safety Compass is a nonprofit with the mission of providing both hope and support to the survivors of sexual exploitation and human trafficking.
“There was a gap in services,” NelsonGarrett explained. And there still is. Between 2018 and 2024 in Marion County alone Safety Compass assisted 549 individuals, 280 of them minors.
“We operate a 24-hour support line… and we have an emergency response time of one hour,” she said. “We go where we feel secure – [Department of Human Services], the emergency room…”
Their aim is to provide the various crisis interventions that those spaces are simply
Funding cuts hit advocacy group for sex-trafficking victims
not equipped to provide. Sometimes that means delivering emergency items like food and diapers. Other times they simply offer information and resources. The thing Safety Compass is always equipped with is compassion.
“We have the lived experience component,” Nelson-Garrett explained. “We bring in people who have survived…and we extend into the community, so they begin to trust.”
Wrap-around care is paramount.
“We work with people that, when we meet them, they are so traumatized they can’t speak,” she said. “Every person they have met has purchased them. They are disconnected from community completely.”
Providing help involves, not just resources, or even court accompaniment – all of which Safety Compass provides – but the establishment of long-term connection and support in the form of community.
“And sometimes it takes a long time,” Nelson-Garrett admitted.
It’s a commitment that hasn’t been easy,
especially as the organization’s reach has grown to encompass all of Marion, Clackamas and Washington counties.
Now, with recent funding cuts that amount to 40 percent of Safety Compass’ annual budget, the organization is stretched thin.
“We typically receive funding from [The Office for] Victims of Crime (VOCA) at the federal level, some county and city-based funding and private donors,” Nelson-Garrett said. “We try to be diverse.”
Nelson-Garrett found herself concerned when the initial funding scare – the freezing of federal funds in February – took place.
“Then this morning I got an email from the VOCA funding department that they will be releasing federal VOCA funds,” she said.
“But I’m concerned…”
Even with those funds on the way, more recent cuts by the State of Oregon – which eliminated $18 million in victim’s advocacy for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking and child abuse –mean Nelson-Garrett has had to make cuts.
“I’ve already laid four off,” she said. “That’s huge for a staff of 14.” And devastating for victims who depend on rapid response.
“A trafficking survivor is 100 to 200 times more likely to die than the average American,” Nelson-Garrett said. “So, we will see a loss of life increase.” And a probable increase in homelessness, substance abuse, and the exploitation that occurs when survivors do not receive support.
“This is the most expensive thing we could possibly do as a state,” Nelson-Garrett said. “Because the more ACES [adverse childhood experiences] people have…it burdens social services.”
Sextortion – a crime where a perpetrator threatens to release sexually compromising information – has increased 18,000% thanks to the use of AI, she pointed out. Now is not the time for organizations like Safety Compass to make staffing cuts.
“My hope is private funders and donors step up…” she said. “And we’re always looking for volunteers.” For information visit www.safetycompass.org.
Now Offering Same Day CROWNS
Choir for grownups Making music, building community
By Melissa Wagoner
One of Sarah Weitzman’s favorite childhood memories is the time she spent listening to her mom play the piano for the community choir in Clackamas.
“I think part of the thing I remember about that choir was the variety of ages… People got to know each other…” Weitzman recalled. “It was just a neat way to make choir music for people who weren’t necessarily in church or the college music section. It was just for people in the community who wanted to come and sing in a choir.”
Weitzman helped found Silverton Friends of Music (SFOM) in 2016. Then the nonprofit began getting feedback that there was interest in the creation of an adult community choir. She was excited.
“But we were still building the Children’s Choir and then the pandemic…” she said.
So she waited. They finally conducted a formal interest survey two years ago.
“[W]e had pretty good interest on that,” Weitzman said. “So, I talked to Julia [Fabrizio, the SFOM’s choral director].”
It turns out Fabrizio was just as excited about the addition. So, in the fall of 2024, the Silver Creek Singers were formed.
“We kicked it off like we did Children’s Choir. We did a flat fee and added scholarships,” Weitzman said.The schedule follows the school district. It is broken into semesters with a break for the holidays and the summer.
“The first semester was amazing, and the second semester was great. We have high hopes for this year,” Weitzman said.
That’s because the Silver Creek Singers is open to everyone, regardless of experience.
“Our mission has always been to be inclusive of learning styles and social emotional needs…” Fabrizio said. “And I do think my approach and the way I lead us gives people a sense of, ‘Oh, it’s OK to come as I am, whatever skills or no skills, or all the skills, or even if it’s been a long time.’
“I’ll be gentle with them. I’ll be honest… But vocal checks is just a way of checking in. There’s no snootiness about it. I’m here to make this a positive experience for you.”
Both women recognize that, for a lot of people, committing to a weekly practice
schedule and trying something new is daunting.
“People said the first night they dreaded even walking into the room and had a lot of fear that first rehearsal about singing again,” Weitzman said.
“But then after they got past that first initial [rehearsal] they were like, ‘Oh, right. It’s kind of like riding a bike in a lot of ways. You’ve just got to breathe and sing.’”
“Julia makes it so much fun and easy going – no one should be nervous or think there’s a ‘tryout process,’” member Hilary Dumitrescu said. “It’s truly a community choir – all welcome. Making music together is such a beautiful celebration of the human spirit.”
It’s the same feeling Weitzman recalls from those days listening to her mother’s choir.
“People are like, ‘this is my thing every week…’” Weitzman said. “Because I think people are looking for this type of connection.”
And that includes the choir director herself.
“It’s been meaningful to me in a way it hasn’t been with children,” she said. “I love working with children of all ages, but working with adults has been a different level of preparation, music making and even emotion. It’s been a really good thing for me as a professional and a musician and as a person…
“I think our world right now is just starving for community and we miss being with people and hearing other people’s ideas and being with people we don’t have to be with. And being with a totally different group of people that are there for the purpose of music making, that is a piece of our soul that is missing.
“By having a group like this it is unlocking a closed part of ourselves.”
“I had been missing being in a community choir, so I was so excited when Sarah and Julia made this happen,” member Carly Colmone said. “It has been wonderful to make connections with others in our community…”
Including her own daughter, Adella, who is a member of the Children’s Choir.
“Those adult singers who have kids in the children’s choir, that’s been special…” Weitzman confirmed.
Silverton Friends of Music
Registration is open for the Children’s Choir and the Silver Creek Singers.
Cost is $100 for the fall semester. Scholarships are available. Rehearsals are Tuesdays for adults beginning 7 p.m. Sept. 9; Thursdays for children beginning 7 p.m. Sept. 11.
Trinity Lutheran Church 500 N. Second St., Silverton Register at: www.silvertonfriendsofmusic.org
Fabrizio added, “The big takeaway for me is that now there’s music at home together and this new activity that the kid and the parent can do together isn’t homework.
“That’s what people want… to be making music in community and at home. I love that. That is the hope, that there will be music making between adults and children.”
Registration for the fall semester of both choirs is open now at www.silvertonfriendsofmusic.org with rehearsals – held at the Trinity Lutheran Church in Silverton starting Sept. 9 at 7 p.m. for adults and Sept. 11 at 7 p.m. for children.
“But even if they don’t register and just show up, we’ll take them,” Weitzman said.
Above: Silverton Friends of Music’s Silver Creek Singers. Right: Choir director, Julia Fabrizio, and Sarah Weitzman, member of Silverton Friends of Music. COURTESY SARAH WEITZMAN.
Nurturing the ‘wise mind’
Emotion education funded for a second year in Silver Falls
By Melissa Wagoner
Last spring, Jenifer Trivelli – owner of WiseMind Educational Services, a team of emotion coaches based in Silverton – achieved a goal she had been working toward for the past six years. She began offering WiseMind’s services to students at two schools within the Silver Falls School District.
“There’s something truly meaningful about offering these resources where we live,” Trivelli explained. “We have the honor of supporting the young people who live in our neighborhoods and go to school with our own children. What could be better than that?”
They have served students in the Salem-Keizer School District since 2023. Between the two districts they have reach more than 350 students. WiseMind’s eight-week, one-on-one coaching program provides trauma-sensitive, neuroscience-based emotional wellness tools that help even young children turn their stress into strength.
“We teach brain science according to function,” Trivelli said, listing the two basic vocabulary words each coach utilizes: “wise mind” and the “protector brain.”
“The wise mind makes decisions,” she said. “And the protective brain keeps you safe.”
Helpful when both mechanisms are working in tandem, things can go off the rails when the protective brain – which cannot tell the difference between perceived danger (like an upcoming test) and real danger (a tiger in the bushes) – becomes dominant.
“And all they are taught in school is top down [coping methods],” Trivelli said. “But when stress and overwhelm hit a point, they can’t access that.”
That’s where WiseMind’s methods – which include understanding and even mapping the body’s physical response to stress prior to employing techniques that calm the protector brain and put the wise mind back in control – can be helpful.
“In your wise mind space you can then think about who can protect you or collaborate with you,” Trivelli said. “It changes needing to change the outside world to internal [regulation].”
But it’s not a technique that can be taught in a single lesson.
“We build relationships with the students and then between the students and themselves…” Trivelli explained. “And we bring the students’ lived experience into the room… If they can recall an experience, we have them reactivate it with a guide. That’s where the eight weeks comes in… In eight weeks, they’ve practiced it enough… And I picked eight weeks because that’s when neuropathways light up.”
It’s an experience that, for many of the adolescents who have met with a WiseMind coach, is transformative.
“I never really tell people how I’m feeling, so this experience helped me to reconnect with myself,” one Silverton High student explained.
While another said, “I believe that just overall meeting and talking helped me a ton… and I loved the techniques and learning how I feel.”
But the experience – a total of 70 hours of coaching and support – comes at a cost. Thanks to a $25,000 grant from the Edna L. Holmes Fund of Oregon Community Foundation WiseMind could provide services to the students in the SFSD last year.
“This funding gave us something to offer,” Trivelli said, describing the work WiseMind coaches Shea Bodine and Melissa Johnson, were able to do with students at both Silverton High and Butte Creek Elementary last spring.
“And we want to keep going,” she said.
With the small size of the district, Trivelli sees the work her team is doing as especially impactful.
“If we can support for five or ten years, we have the potential to reach every student and family,” she estimated. “Based on our conversation with the schools, community-parent workshops and more training for educators [is a possibility].”
It’s with these goals in mind that WiseMind launched an additional sponsorship campaign, already securing $30,000 in funding from the Roundhouse Foundation and the American Eagle Foundation that will support this year’s programming. It’s money Trivelli sees as very well spent.
“I imagine if Edna L. Holmes could have seen the students’ faces, heard what they shared, and witnessed their growth – she’d feel proud of where her legacy landed,” she explained. “This funding was an investment in our young people’s capacity to face hard things with more support, more skills, and more hope.”
For information about the WiseMind Educational Services or to take part in the sponsorship program visit www.wisemindservices.com/.
Jenifer Trivelli, owner of WiseMind Educational Services in Silverton. SUBMITTED PHOTO
Something for the Soul
Breaking ground
By James Day
A festive crowd of approximately 400 people gathered at Silver Creek Fellowship on Sunday, Aug. 24, to celebrate the groundbreaking for the church’s upcoming expansion.
The Fellowship, an unaffiliated nondenominational Christian church, is adding a new building that includes a 700-seat auditorium as well as two large rooms for nurseries and a children’s ministry.
“This is a celebration. This is a huge milestone in our journey here,” Lead Pastor Kurt Barnes told the crowd on a warm summer afternoon. “We’re not done yet, but look at what God has done.”
Also speaking were Nate Cooke of Rich Duncan Construction, architect Sarah Rose and Silverton Councilor Marie Traeger, who noted the Fellowship’s community-wide influence via its Red Cross, food bank and cooling center operations.
Silver Creek Fellowship prepares
Silver Creek Fellowship was organized in 1988 and moved into its present building off of Fossholm Street Northeast on the western edge of Silverton in 1995.
“I was a middle-schooler when we broke ground on this property,” Barnes said during his remarks.
The Fellowship also has a 500-seat auditorium, with church officials saying that the new building will give the organization greater flexibility and limit how much time is spent repurposing the main auditorium for different events.
The Fellowship is paying for the
new building via a capital fundraising campaign that has been ongoing during the past year.
“You overwhelm us with your generosity and support,” Barnes told the crowd.
A K&E Excavating backhoe was fired up to shovel up a ceremonial mound of dirt, while a series of Fellowship officials and members, construction partners and kids donned hard hats and vests, and turned their own shovels of dirt.
The audience then filed into the current auditorium to sit down for a meal together.
The new building will sprout up at the west end of the current building and will be linked to the current building via a covered walkway. Construction is expected to begin in September and is scheduled for nine months.
Barnes said that there will be some temporary disruptions during construction but no closures are planned.
Lead Pastor Kurt Barnes addresses a crowd of approximately 400 people at the groundbreaking for a new addition to the Silver Creek Fellowship in Silverton on Sunday, Aug. 24.
Charles Roy Hill July
Charles “Chuck” Roy Hill passed away Aug. 20, 2025. His life touched many and his memory will continue to inspire those who knew him.
Chuck was born on July 8, 1949, in Mishawaka, Indiana, to Gail and Dona Hill. He spent much of his childhood and young adulthood hunting and fishing the Barbee Lakes in Indiana. He met his wife of 49 years, Jaira, at Ball State University after he spent a few years in the U.S. Army in Explosives Ordnance Disposal (a.k.a. bomb squad). They met during a sailing club meeting; he was the commodore. They visited Oregon on their honeymoon (Jaira had never been west of the Mississippi River), and it was then they decided to leave the Midwest for the beautiful Northwest.
8, 1949 – Aug. 20, 2025
was a labor of love. The family welcomed many people to their home over the years, cooking and serving food for literally thousands of people.
Chuck retired from the State of Oregon as a construction project manager for the National Guard. He spent his later years fishing and tinkering on projects around the property. He attended First Baptist Church in Silverton.
Chuck is survived by his wife, Jaira; sons, Nicholas (Danielle) and Todd (Elaina); two grandchildren, Ruthanna and Sullivan Charles; a brother, Gary Hill; and a half brother, Rob Stucko. He is preceded in death by his parents, Gail Hill and Dona Stucko and his half brother, Steve Stucko.
Arthur Adair Brown
Aug. 2, 1938 – July 28, 2025
Art Brown, 86, died peacefully in Silverton on July 28, 2025. Art was born to Dorothy (Polis) and Arthur Brown of Grettinger, Iowa, at his aunt Eunice’s home in Maquoketa, Iowa, on Aug. 2, 1938. Art is survived by his wife of 41 years, Virginia, of Silverton; his sister, Kay Lou; and his children, James, Bridget, and Brendan, all of Washington state. Art leaves four grandchildren, Ayla, Andrew, Derek and Kirstin, and six great-grandchildren.
When Art was approximately seven years old he contracted bulbar polio: he was hospitalized for nine months, and it is reported that he was one of few children to survive that type of polio. He was athletic in high school and participated in a variety of sports including wrestling, baseball and football. He grew up loving the out-of-doors, hiking, camping, canoeing and kayaking. He enjoyed woodworking, photography and art, and worked to restore his 1922 Silverton home to its original old-growth fir glory.
Art graduated from Casa Grande High School in Arizona in 1957 and went on to receive a BA degree in Art and Industrial Arts at Arizona State University, followed by his first Master’s Degree (in Special Education) in 1963. He and first wife Patti moved to the Navajo Reservation where he taught Navajo children for the next nine-and-a-half years. After they left the Navajo Nation, Art continued to teach. In Elko, Nevada, he became head of a home for children with intellectual disabilities and started a thrift store there to help support the program.
They bought five acres outside of Silverton and began the dream of building their own log cabin. Chuck and Jaira welcomed their first son, Nicholas, shortly after buying the property. He and their second son, Todd, spent their youngest years watching their dad build a house out of logs. It
A private graveside service will be held. In lieu of flowers, a donation would be appreciated to Canyonview Camp or to YWAMMontana at https://giving. ywammontana.org/support and choose ‘Cozmore Fungulani.’ Arrangements by Unger Funeral Chapel.
In Memory Of …
Carol Ann Raid Marcoe April 23, 1941 — Aug. 2 , 2025
William Fred Breitbach III July 4, 1943 — Aug. 3, 2025
James ‘Jim’ Shull July 4, 1945 — Aug. 3, 2025
Shirley W. Johnson Mar. 19, 1928 — Aug. 6, 2025
Anna Mae Keele Sept. 18, 1927 — Aug. 6, 2025
Marlene Diane Ruff Aug. 14, 1933 — Aug. 10, 2025
Sister Teresa Gould Feb. 23, 1943 — Aug. 12, 2025
Audelia Cardenas May 15, 1938 — Aug. 12, 2025
Always honoring your request for traditional, eco-friendly or aqua cremation, celebration of life, and services involving earth burial. We also offer pre-planning alternatives to control costs.
funeral chapels serving Mt. Angel since 1919 &
In 1984, Art married Virginia (Averill) and they both obtained Master’s Degrees in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). Virginia was selected to teach at Shanghai International Studies University on a faculty exchange in 1989. Art joined her in June just before the Beijing Tiananmen Square violence. Even though universities were closing and students were being sent home by the government, Art and Virginia were among very few foreigners who remained in China. They backpacked by river boat and country buses (sometimes with broken windows and broken floor boards) throughout southern China for three months seeing very few other foreigners, meeting Chinese of many different ethnic groups, staying in a Dai home on stilts and traveling the Mekong River in southern China with Beijing art students.
Upon returning from China, they went to Casa Grande, Arizona, to teach and look after Virginia’s mother. In 1990, they both joined the Peace Corps and served for three years in Poland, helping to open Teacher Training Colleges throughout the country to supply Poland with English teachers after the Berlin wall and the Soviet Union fell. They helped change the Polish regulations and made it possible for a teacher with a wheelchair to teach in Poland!
After the Peace Corps, Art taught international students at Linfield University in McMinnville, Oregon, and later accepted a job as Case Manager at Lord High School/MacLaren Correctional Facility in Woodburn where he remained until retirement in 2010.
Art was blessed with four exchange students during his life in Silverton. Gulshan, a delightful “daughter,” from Uzbekistan; Minh from Vietnam became a third “son;” Felipe from Brazil; and lovely Hyewon from South Korea. All are still in touch.
Upon retirement, Art and Virginia drove to Minnesota and bought a 13-foot Scamp trailer and, with their dog, camped, canoed and kayaked in Oregon, Washington and Montana, including a long road trip through Alaska, Canada and Idaho (gaining life-changing knowledge of cultures and environment). After Art’s stroke in 2014, they began to travel via Viking Cruises, visiting destinations in Europe, Canada, and a fascinating trip 1,000 miles up the Amazon. In 2022, Art’s heart attack interfered with a planned trip to Argentina, around Cape Horn and Chile. In 2023, after more heart issues, Art moved into Assisted Living at Davenport Place in Silverton, only a few blocks from his home. His wife, Virginia, and beloved dog, Henny, were able to visit every day; they could eat together and go places together with a wheelchair.
While still in Arizona, Art became a member of the Baha’i Faith. In Silverton, he joined Silverton People for Peace and helped build the giant Peace Dove in his backyard 20+ years ago. Art was the first to carry the Dove in the Homer Davenport Parade. Later on, he became active in Silverton Progressives working for better government.
A Celebration of Life/Memorial will be held on Saturday, September 20, from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Silverton 50+ Center at 115 Westfield Street. Come and share your thoughts and stories. Donations can be made to your favorite charity, Doctors Without Borders, St. Jude, Save the Children, or any scholarships for young people.
Bavarian bravado
Oktoberfest is adding a new Germanthemed event for the 60th festival. pFriem pFeats of Strength is coming to the Weingarten on Thursday, Friday and Saturday (Sept. 11-13). Sponsored by pFriem Family Brewers, the competition features two events, Stein Hoisting and Hammerschlagen.
Stein Hoisting is a traditional Bavarian strength contest in which participants hold a one-liter beer stein with a straight arm, parallel to the ground, for as long as they can.
In Hammerschlagen, players compete to drive nails into a wooden stump or log using a hammer. The goal is to be the first to hammer your nail flush with the surface of the wood. Four guests will be chosen for each event daily. Check the Weingarten schedule for start times.
Other sporting events at this year’s festival include:
5K and 10K Runs: The races start at 9 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 14. Race check in, as well as the start and finish line, is at Kennedy High School, 890 E. Marquam St. The events are organized by the Silverton Runners Club, which uses the proceeds to support youth running programs in Silverton and Mount Angel. Day-of-the race registration is $40 for the
5K and $45 for the 10K. All runners receive a commemorative pint glass and those 21 and older receive a ticket for a free beer.
Golf Tournament: Mount Angel’s Evergreen Golf Course hosts the Oktoberfest Golf Tournament on Saturday,
Sept. 13. The 18-hole, shotgun-start tournament is a four-person scramble with lunch and prizes immediately following play. Check in is from 7 a.m. to 7:30 a.m., with the shotgun start at 8 a.m. Lunch and prizes are set for 1 p.m. More info at https://oktoberfest.org/golf-tournament/.
Volkswalk: The non-competitive 10K event starts on the north side of the Biergarten at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 13. The route includes the climb up Abbey Hill for a spectacular valley view. Families and strollers are welcome. More info: https:// my.ava.org/event-view.php?sn=129427/.
Oktoberfest Olympics: Sponsored by A Touch of Bavaria, six contestants will battle in a variety of contests at the foot of the Biergarten stage to see how well they might assimilate into German culture. Strength, agility and other skills will be judged by a panel. The competition takes place daily in the later afternoon/early evening. Check the Biergarten schedule for times.
Oktoberfest race and golf tournament. FILE PHOTOS
Football preview
The Silverton High football team heads into the 2025 campaign after two consecutive trips to the Class 5A semifinals and is 27-6 under fourth-year coach Dan Lever.
The Foxes, who opened in a Week 0 game on Aug. 29 at Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, have moved back into the Mid-Willamette Conference after one year in a district that included Wilsonville and Canby. The MWC has changed a bit, with Crescent Valley and Woodburn moving down to Class 4A. Defending champion West Albany, a long time nemesis of the Foxes, won the MWC title a year ago and also advanced to the Class 5A semifinals before losing to Mountain View. The Foxes lost to Wilsonville in the other semifinal in a 10-2 campaign.
The Foxes graduated 25 seniors from that district champion team but has plenty of firepower and speed on the 2025 roster, led by two-way standouts Sutton Kuenzi and Logan Uitto. Also in the playmaking mix are Lincoln Teeney, Keysean Davis and Gavin Aguero, a transfer from McKay.
Three-year starting quarterback Sawyer Teeney is gone to a college career at the University of Idaho, with Chase Dominguez, another McKay transfer, set to take over the role.
“He has been a pleasant surprise,” Lever said. “He’s got a high football IQ and has been really sharp throwing the ball, hitting his receivers with the ball in the right spots.”
Four of the five offensive line starters were among those 25 seniors. Center Kane Mack returns and Ryan Kuenzi also will be starting somewhere in the OL. The rest of the line, and the defensive line as well, will include players such as Damian Rael, James Collier, Mark Bailey, Trey Carstensen, Derek Eckis and Cal Kofstad battling for spots.
The linebacking and defensive back corps includes Sutton Kuenzi, Uitto, Teeney, Nash Moser and Levi Schurter as well as the versatile Luke Horner and Nolan Horner.
Foxes, Trojans look primed for playoff success
New Silverton quarterback Chase Dominguez looks for a receiver during fall drills. Dominguez replaces Sawyer Teeney, who has moved on to Univeristy of Idaho. The Foxes hope to make another push deep into the playoffs. JAMES DAY
The Foxes play Thurston of Springfield on Friday, Sept. 5 at McGinnis Field in the home opener. The game also features the Florida Walk, in which the team and cheerleaders will march to the stadium from the Pine Street campus at 6 p.m. The Foxes visit West Albany on Oct. 3 but have tough league games against South Albany (Sept. 19) and at Central (Sept. 26).
Kennedy, meanwhile, is coming off 8-2 and 7-3 seasons in the past two years and a pair of first-round playoff losses. For veteran coach Joe Panuke, that represents a step back from recent years in which the Trojans made four appearances in state title games and won the 2018 2A crown.
“We’re not used to going out that early,” Panuke told Our Town. “One of our goals is always to make a deep run in the playoffs.”
Panuke has a solid veteran squad for 2025, with about 35
players in the program. Son Brody Panuke is back for his second year as a starter and he has worked his way through the elbow problems that plagued him during baseball season.
Panuke has a strong array of backs and receivers to share the ball with, including Colby Rich, Stephen Handran and Landon Kline
Creo Walker and Jayce Hansen are set to lead the way in the trenches, with support from Jaden Traeger
Kennedy opens at home on Sept. 5 against Taft of Lincoln City with an intriguing matchup at up-and-coming Scio on Sept. 12. JFK travels to Banks to face the two-time defending district champion Braves on Oct. 10.
Got a news tip? Email me at james.d@mtangelpub.com Follow me on X (Twitter) @jameshday and Our Town on Facebook.
AI Artificial Ignorance invades everything internet
You may have noticed that AI – I call it artificial ignorance – has popped up nearly everywhere on the internet. Social media, chat bots and other clever little diversions. They are aimed at drawing your attention away from anything important. Stories are fake, photos are fake and “people” are fake.
It’s as though reality has been replaced not by individuals’ imaginations but by computers that string together prompts in an effort to create piffle.
Actually, piffle is too kind a word. Something with four letters might be more appropriate.
In other words, AI is the purest form of garbage. No one checks it, no one questions it and no one seems to care. Yet social media companies sell gullible advertisers billions of dollars worth of ads that are targeted at the public.
Last year alone, Meta, which brings you Facebook and Instagram among other social media platforms, made
a little over $62 billion, mainly from advertising. Google, which owns YouTube, raked in a net income of about $100 billion last year.
Just imagine if Meta and YouTube did something worthwhile!
Let’s take a look at YouTube, which appears to publish more AI garbage than anyone. There’s one video in which an orca jumps in the back of a boat. A sure giveaway is there is no information about it. No time, place, date – nothing. Just fake stuff. Also, if that had actually happened, legitimate news sources would likely have covered it, using real reporters and photographers.
Other “things” on YouTube are photos of movie stars grabbed off the internet accompanied by an AI voice reading poorly written AI narratives. Again, there is no attribution for the photos or the writing. I suppose no one would admit to being involved in it.
YouTubers and denizens of other websites have always relied on lowest common denominators to get clicks, but now they don’t even bother to copy video from other websites. They plug in some prompts like “tornado,” “trailer park” and “flying cow” and viola –there’s the perfect clip that will attract thousands of clicks from the artificially ignorant audience.
Then there are fake movie trailers. Several for “Top Gun III” promise a reprise of Tom Cruise’s blockbusters. It might be interesting if it weren’t fake.
So what does this all add up to?
Nothing. You see nothing real, and you learn nothing.
Which, I suppose, is the point of social media.
It’s meant to occupy the terminally bored with photos and videos that aren’t real.
We are told that AI will help scientists find new solutions for the world’s problems. Diseases will be cured. And AI will be used to make people smarter with a minimum of effort.
So far, though, AI is just a crutch for lazy students who resist the thought of doing their own work and prefer to try to cheat their way through school. It’s also used by members of the public who are too lazy to read a book.
Communist rabble-rouser Karl Marx once said that religion is the “opium of the masses.” If he only knew.
AI has taken over that role.
Carl Sampson is a freelance writer and editor. He lives in Stayton.
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NATURE’S PARADISE 4 BR, 4 BA 3463 sqft. Salem. Call Chuck at ext. 325 $719,000 (WVMLS#828227)
— #T2896 SCOTTS MILLS GARDEN GETAWAY 3 BR, 2.5 BA 2248 sqft Call Chuck at ext. 325 $699,000 (WVMLS#830657)
— #T2901 COUNTRY LIVING 3 BR, 3 BA 2792 sqft Call Kirsten at ext. 326 $795,000 (WVMLS#831900)
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)
