Issuu

Helping Hands

Something Fun

Stayton nonprofit provides hope and help for Haiti – Page 12

The sky’s the limit for pigeon racing enthusiasts – Page 14

COMMUNITY NEWS Serving Stayton, Sublimity, Aumsville, Lyons & Mehama

Vol. 23 No. 4

April 2026

Playtime! Sublimity opens new parks facilities– page 5 Our Town 2340 Martin Drive #104, Stayton, Or 97383

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2 • April 2026

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Datebook...................................8

Your Garden.................... Inside Legal Matters Maximum sentence sought..................13 Something Fun Pigeon fanciers off to the races............14 Our Neighbors.....................15 Sports & Recreation Regis girls basketball takes title...........11 A Grin at the End..............15 Marketplace.........................15

On the Cover

INSIDE

Kids play at the new play structure at Early Settlers Park in Sublimity. STEPHEN FLOYD Pigeon @ KZWWSKO/ 123RF.COM

Look inside for “Your Garden,” our special pullout section with ideas for dry-year gardening. Flowers © BABBANBILLO 1123RF.COM

T AV CER AI TIF LA IC BL AT E ES

Helping Hands Project Living Hope gets a hand...........12

GIF

Civics 101 Small town grants easier to get..............4 Cascade proposes facilities bond.............4 Sublimity RFPD seeks funds for emergency vehicles................................4 Stayton RFPD proposes operations levy..4 Something to Celebrate Sublimity opens new park facilities........5 Trust acquires property near Stayton .....5 Update Big turnout for hospital town hall..........6 Arts & Entertainment Calling all quilters..................................7

S TE ICA E TIF BL ER ILA T C VA GIF A

Contents

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April 2026 • 3

Civics 101

Easier aid

Bill lowers requirements for small towns to qualify for state grant funding By Stephen Floyd

State legislators have approved a bill reducing matching fund requirements for small-town infrastructure grants, expanding the number of applicants who qualify. On March 6, at the close of the 2026 legislative session, the House passed SB 1585 in a 46-5 vote. SB 1585 sets a cap on matching fund requirements for infrastructure grants from various state agencies for capital construction and municipal infrastructure. Previously, no cap was in place and match requirements varied broadly based on project and agency, and were often between 20 and 50 percent. This meant small towns often needed to raise thousands or millions of dollars before being able to apply. Under SB 1585, maximum matches are much lower and scale based on city population and project cost. For cities with fewer than 5,000 people,

the cap is three percent for projects less than $100,000 and five percent for projects greater than $100,000. For cities with 5,000 to 7,500 people, the cap is seven percent for all projects. For cities with 7,500 to 10,000 people, the cap is nine percent for all projects. For cities with 10,000 to 20,000 people, the cap is 12 percent for all projects. The bill also expanded the eligible uses of grant funds for cities with fewer than 20,000 people to include preconstruction work such as planning and engineering. Often grants require that projects be “shovel-ready” with all pre-construction completed before cities could apply. The bill would not impact government revenue as matching funds are spent directly on a project. Lawmakers do expect an increase in grant applications. Kotek signs the bill by the April 5 deadline, the new provisions will take effect June 7.

Cascade proposes $30 million facilities bond The Cascade School District has proposed a $30 million facilities bond to improve aging buildings, including renovation of the 3-5 grade building at Aumsville Elementary School. Measure 24-524 on the May 19 ballot will ask voters to approve a 20-year levy at an estimated rate of $1.09 per $1,000 of assessed value, the same rate as an existing facilities bond expiring this year. If the bond is approved, the district would also receive a $10.2 million state grant for building improvements, bringing total funds available for the project to $40.2 million. If the bond fails the district would no longer be eligible for the grant. Proposed projects include modernization of the 3-5 grade

4 • April 2026

building at Aumsville Elementary School. The school itself was first constructed with funds from the bond approved in 2005. The district would also upgrade the sports and PE facilities at Cascade Junior High and Cascade High School, including resurfacing of the track and renovation of the upper gym. There would also be repairs to buildings districtwide related to roofing, flooring, HVAC, electrical, plumbing, septic, accessibility and security. If the bond is approved, the district would create an oversight committee to help manage bond-funded projects, as required by state law. If the bond fails, the proposed projects will not proceed. – Stephen Floyd

Sublimity RFPD seeks bond to replace older emergency vehicles By Stephen Floyd The Sublimity Rural Fire Protection District has proposed a $2.2 million bond to fund new vehicles and equipment as its existing fleet ages out. Measure 24-523 on the May 19 ballot will ask voters to approve a 15-year bond at an estimated rate of $0.30 per $1,000 of assessed property value. This would equate to $60 annually for a home assessed at $200,000. The bond would replace an existing bond of $0.09 per $1,000 of assessed value approved by voters in 2012, which expires later this year. The existing bond raised $950,000 to replace two older fire engines. Many of the district’s current

vehicles are near or beyond their recommended service lives, according to an explanatory statement from the district. This includes a 15-year-old primary fire engine, a 25-year-old secondary fire engine, a 24-year-old water tender, and an 18-year-old rescue vehicle. The bond would allow the district to replace these vehicles and to acquire other equipment related to fire suppression, emergency medical response and rescue operations. If the bond does not pass, the district would continue to rely on and maintain older vehicles and would need alternative funding for potential replacements. The district covers a 44-square-mile area around Sublimity that includes roughly 4,000 residents, and also supports neighboring districts.

Stayton RFPD proposes operations levy By Stephen Floyd

The Stayton Rural Fire Protection District has proposed a five-year operations levy to continue funding fire and EMS services as costs related to personnel continue to increase. Measure 24-521 on the May 19 ballot would replace an existing levy expiring in 2027 and would impose a property tax rate of $1.06 per $1,000 of assessed value. This would generate an estimated $7.7 million between 2027 and 2032, and allow the district to continue employing nine full-time firefighters/ EMTs. In an explanatory statement the district said maintaining a staff of paid firefighters helps keep response times down. Otherwise volunteers would need time to travel to the station and gear up to go on a call. This would be further hampered by the diminishing number of volunteers supporting the district.

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The district said fast response times are particularly important because of the wide area served by the district in Marion and Linn counties. The area includes communities in and around Stayton and east to Mehama and Elkhorn, totaling 107 square miles. The proposed rate is 18 cents higher than the expiring rate of $0.88 per $1,000. The district said costs have increased related to salaries, healthcare and retirement. The proposed increase would maintain existing staffing and benefits. A homeowner with a property assessed at $200,000 would pay $212 annually if the levy is approved. This would be an annual increase of $36 over the current levy rate. If the levy is not approved, the district said it will likely see an increase in response times and may be unable to respond to all calls for service. It said they would continue seeking volunteers to go on calls, but that volunteerism in general is on the decline.

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Something to Celebrate

Preservation

River trust lands Stayton-area property By James Day The Willamette River Preservation Trust has added another property to its portfolio and is planning a series of guided tours of the trust properties this spring. The trust has received the donation of 60 acres of property about eight miles west of Stayton and a couple of miles north of the North Santiam River, said Travis Williams, president and CEO of the trust. “The new site (called the Santiam Wetland Preserve) is a mitigation bank for wetlands,” Williams told Our Town. “It was constructed about 25 years ago, and has a series of ponds and upland areas that work well for a range of species. In fact, in our work to learn about the site over the past year, we’ve witnessed a range of migratory songbirds, resident great blue herons, lots of waterfowl and other resident birds. Beaver, bobcat, coyote deer and other wildlife call the place home as well. “Once such mitigation banks are near their closure, they have a legal requirement to find a permanent steward. In this case our land trust made a lot of sense. The idea is to protect it in perpetuity for wildlife, and for

education. We look forward to getting folks out there to see it and learn about it. “This site has ecological attributes that are important. It is a key resource for a range of wildlife given the ponds there are wet all year. It provides a stepping stone for a range of wildlife in the area, and as a small wildlife refuge as well.” The Santiam Wetland Preserve is the fourth property acquired by the trust since it debuted in 2024. The other properties are Ancient Prairie and Oak Meadows near Scio and Mountain Prairie northeast of Molalla. A series of spring walking tours are scheduled: April 18: Oak Meadows, 10 a.m. April 19: Ancient Prairie, 2 p.m. Go to wrtrust.org/gatherings-and-trips to sign up. Trips in May and June will be posted, Williams said, that “will have a heavy focus on the native wildflowers. Ancient Prairie, Oak Meadows and our Mountain Prairie site are all wet prairie, and have amazing flowers.”

ABOUT THE TRUST

HOW TO GET INVOLVED

The Willamette River Preservation

To volunteer, tour, or contribute to the Willamette River Preservation Trust, go to wrtrust.org or send a check to Willamette River Preservation Trust, P.O. Box 117, Scotts Mills, OR 97375. The trust is a 501(C)(3) charitable organization. Donations are tax deductible.

Trust is a community-based, nonprofit organization that works to permanently conserve land by acquiring land outright or partnering with willing landowners. Land trusts also manage land and provide recreational opportunities.

OR CCB #67422

Ribbon cutting at the new playground at Sublimity’s Early Settlers Park.

Room to run New park facilities By Stephen Floyd The City of Sublimity has completed a series of parks improvements funded by state grants, including new facilities at Sunset Park and Early Settlers Park. In separate ribbon cuttings March 25, officials with the city, county and state, and local contractors, unveiled a new parking lot and bathrooms at Sunset Park and new play structures at Early Settlers Park. The city received two grants totaling $544,000 in 2024 for the projects. The city added $136,000. Construction began last summer and was finalized in February. Mayor Michael Taylor said Sublimity does not have the resources to dedicate to grant writing but is fortunate to have employees willing to wear multiple hats. This included Office Administrator Mandy Lape, who

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Taylor also recognized volunteers on the Park and Recreation Commission, and support from groups such as the Sublimity Rural Fire Protection District. Early Settlers Park, next to the district headquarters, has a play structure that resembles fire engines. Designed specifically for younger children, the playground has soft flooring and structures for a variety of ability levels. The new parking lot and restrooms at Sunset Park mark the first completed features for a park with a long list of planned improvements. The city acquired the 6.85-acre property along NE Berry Street in 2019. The Parks Master Plan includes includes future playground and picnic areas, walking paths and sports facilities.

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April 2026 • 5

Update

Merger talks Community turns out in force for hospital town hall By James Day

vehicles in Sublimity. The new facility is scheduled to open later this year.

More than 100 people gathered at Snow Peak Brewing in Stayton on March 17, for a town hall to discuss the proposed merger between Santiam Hospital & Clinics and Salem Health.

Growth: Hudson noted that one of the key drivers of the merger was to have the financial wherewithal for growth. She noted that the employees in the hospital’s Aumsville Clinic “are all but sitting on top of each other.” Hudson added that the hospital is adding two pediatricians and that it is hoping to provide an urgent care facility in the future.

Community members filled every nook and cranny of the brewery and spilled out onto the sidewalk. Perhaps a quarter of the participants viewed the proceedings through the open overhead glass doors at Snow Peak, which the warm weather made more pleasant than it might have been. Beer and wine were served before, during and after the town hall. Bowls of pretzels were on the tables. It gave the event the feeling of an old-fashioned town meeting from an earlier age. Maggie Hudson, Santiam Hospital & Clinics’ CEO and president, offered introductory remarks and then took questions for more than an hour. The formal session ended at 7:40 p.m., 10 minutes beyond the original intent, with many participants sticking around afterward to ask more questions. Cheryl Wolfe, president and CEO of Salem Health was scheduled to be on hand but could not make it. There were at least two Salem Health employees in the audience who were able to address a couple of questions that related to Santiam’s proposed merger partner, but Wolfe’s absence left a bit of an unintentional information gap. Hudson was unflappable throughout, but the event would have benefitted from a official Salem Health presence. Also a challenge was the fact that the microphones which were used by audience members to ask questions were balky and kept many members of the audience from hearing some questions.

The March 17 town hall drew an overflow crowd at Snow Peak Brewing. JAMES DAY

Under the terms of the agreement Salem Health will assume all of Santiam Hospital’s debt and also throw in an infusion of $35 million, which Hudson said would help Santiam Hospital continue to grow. “The hospital is in sound shape financially,” she said. “We are semiprofitable but on very thin margins. Health care is on the brink. We make a small profit, but we don’t have much in reserves.” Hudson added that the hospital has a reserve fund that would provide relief for 75 days. “It should be 125 days,” she said. “Salem has 300.” Here is a look at how other questions were addressed during the forum, which was conducted in civil and respectful tones throughout.

The tone of the questions made it clear that Stayton-area and Santiam Canyon residents feel very strongly about the value of Santiam Hospital and its services. They are not sure that linking up with Salem Health will improve things.

Regence: Salem Health no longer accepts patients who receive their health insurance from Regence. Santiam Hospital has a contract with the health insurance company that runs through June of 2027. Hudson explained the problem by holding her hands about 18 inches apart. The lower hand represented what Regence is willing to pay. The upper hand represented how much the services cost the hospital.

Hudson spoke candidly of the financial pieces of the proposed merger deal, which still is awaiting approval from the Oregon Health Authority.

The good news is that there are 15 months until that Regence contract runs out – and thus time to figure things out. The bad news is that a significant

6 • April 2026

chunk of the participation at the town hall came from Regence customers who were concerned about their future health insurance. They remain concerned.

“We’ve had big increases in patient loads,” she said. “And we need to continue to build infrastructure as our population grows and the need grows. This is a very critical time in health care.” Community relations: Matt Spenner, co-owner of Snow Peak, which hosted the town hall, asked Hudson if the hospital’s approach to community relations might change.

Abortion: This was another issue that was on the minds of many who gathered at Snow Peak. Would Santiam Hospital adopt the policies on the procedure that are in place at Salem Health?

“I don’t think you can keep us away,” Hudson said. “We are important to the economy of the community. We purchase goods. We provide high-paying jobs.”

“No,” Hudson said. “No abortion provider is credentialed to perform elective abortions at our hospital and clinics. There is no change there and that power rests with our board.”

Emergency room: Audience members gave Salem Health high marks for many of its services. But not its emergency room, which one town hall participant referred to as “a mess.” Another participant asked if the merger will mean longer emergency room waits in Stayton because patients are coming up Highway 22 to take advantage of shorter wait times.

Hudson, when asked another abortion question later in the town hall, said that “we can refer people. We can facilitate it, but we don’t offer it.” Integration team: Santiam Hospital deploys a highly praised service integration team, which has been particularly successful in assisting with fire recovery in the Santiam Canyon. Salem Health currently does not operate such a service, Hudson said, but she noted that they are considering one in Woodburn. Ambulance service: Santiam Hospital runs – and will continue to run – its own ambulance service from the main hospital complex on North 10th Avenue. As reported in September in Our Town the hospital received a $5 million state grant arranged by state Senator Fred Girod that is paying for a new facility to house the ambulance operation and its

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Steve Vets, the emergency room physician who shared the stage with Hudson, thanked audience members for the compliments but also noted “we are still going to have people coming here. The secret is out.” “We’re proud of our heritage and proud to be in the Stayton community,” Hudson said during her opening remarks. “It’s health care in the community where people live. That is our mission.” Later, she noted, “I’ve been doing this for 33 years. Second to my family, this hospital is the most important thing in my life.”

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Arts & Entertainment

Sew and sow Mill City quilt show and plant sale

By Melissa Wagoner

exhibition and are therefore seeking submissions.

Last year the Friends of Hearts to Arts (H2A) – a nonprofit with the mission “to preserve, present and promote the fine and performing arts in the Santiam Canyon” – decided to celebrate the Canyon’s many talented fiber artists by holding a quilt show on Mother’s Day weekend in conjunction with the plant sale already held at Stewart’s Hall by the Mill City Odd Fellows.

“Exhibit space is limited so we encourage those wanting to show a quilt to register early,” Thacker said. “Quilts will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.”

“A quilt show is an ideal companion event since it is held inside the Hall,” Bev Thacker – an avid quilter and member of the Friends of H2A – said. “It provides an opportunity to cross promote both activities.” Displaying an array of quilts from fiber artists located in towns from Stayton and Sublimity to Idanha, last year’s how was an instant success. “We exhibited quilts made by made by local quilters as well as heirlooms, including one made by the 80-yearold exhibiter’s great-grandmother from dresses worn by her grandmother and mother,” Thacker said. “Another special quilt was made by members of the Mill City Rebekah organization in the 1970s featuring blocks made by members and embroidered with their families’ names.” This year the Friends of H2A are planning a similar

There is no limit, however, to the number of community members encouraged to visit the show and partake in the plant sale, now sponsored by the Friends of H2A, on May 8 and 9, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Stewart’s Hall. “Visitors to the show will see a colorful display of fabric art expressed through the medium of quilts – from smaller, decorative art quilts to bed quilts of all sizes,” Thacker said. “Some quilts showcase new quilting techniques and colors while others highlight the history of an individual or area using more traditional quilting methods. It’s an opportunity to be inspired, encouraged and tempted.”

JOANN HEBING

Mother’s Day Quilt Show, Plant Sale Presented by the Friends of Hearts to Arts Stewart’s Hall, 158 SW Broadway, Mill City May 8 and 9, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Three gorgeous quilts will be raffled off during the show.

Free to the public • All ages welcome

“This event celebrates the creativity and skill of fabric artists in the Canyon,” Thacker said. “It supports Santiam Hearts to Arts… [and] proceeds from the Plant Sale are used to preserve and maintain historic Stewart’s Hall.”

Proceeds of the plant sale contribute to the upkeep of Stewart’s Hall Quilt submissions accepted at santiamh2a.org or by email at roylaj@yahoo.com

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Proceeds beneﬁt the Santiam Hospital & Clinics Auxiliary Scholarship Program, and fund the purchase of needed items for various Santiam Hospital & Clinics departments. Facebook: OurTown / Santiam

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Main Lobby of Santiam Hospital & Clinics 1401 N. 10th Ave. Stayton santiamhospital.org

April 2026 • 7

datebook Frequent Address

Santiam Senior Center 41818 Kingston-Jordan Road, Stayton Stayton Community Center, 400 W Virginia St. Stayton Public Library, 515 N First Ave.

Weekly Events Monday

Stayton Community Food Bank, 9 a.m. - noon, 1210 Wilco Road. Repeats Monday - Friday. 503-769-4088 Santiam Senior Center, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Monday-Friday. Seniors 50+. Daily, weekly, monthly events. 503-767-2009, santiamseniorcenter.com Senior Meals, 11:30 a.m., Stayton Community Center. Congregate dining or delivery. Age 60 and older. Serves Stayton, Sublimity, Aumsville, Lyons, Marion, Mehama. Repeats Wednesday and Friday. $3 donation suggested. For delivery, call Ginger, 503-769-7995 Bingo, 1 - 3:30 p.m., Santiam Senior Center. Cards $.05-.10 per game. Bring can/box of non-perishable food for Food Bank, get a free card. Seniors 50+. Free. Repeats Thursday. 503-767-2009 Alcoholics Anonymous, 7 p.m., New Life Foursquare Church, 1090 N First Ave., Stayton. Repeats Thurs. & Fri.. Santiam Canyon Community Chorus, 7 - 8:30 p.m., Stewart’s Hall, 158 SW Broadway St., Mill City. Anyone is welcome. JoAnn, 503-859-2502

Tuesday

Family Storytime, 10:30 a.m., Stayton Public Library. Explore early literacy through songs and rhythms, stories and rhyme. All ages welcome. Free. 503-769-3313 English, Citizenship, GED Classes, 6:30 - 8 p.m., United Methodist Church, 1450 Fern Ridge Road, Stayton. Classes free; $20 workbook. Repeats Thursday. Join class anytime. Mary, 503-779-7029

Wednesday

Stayton/Sublimity Chamber Business Network, 8:15 a.m. Network-building event for local businesses, non-profit professionals. Location varies each week. For location, call 503-769-3464 St. Boniface Archives and Museum, 9 a.m. - noon, 370 Main St., Sublimity. Learn about Sublimity; family history. Free. 503-508-0312 Intermediate Tai Chi, 10:15 - 11 a.m., Santiam Senior Center. Seniors 50+. Free for members. Repeats Friday. 503-767-2009 Toddler Storytime: Stay & Play, 10:30 a.m., Stayton Public Library. Explore early learning and literacy together with your infant or toddler, then stay for different activities and stations for play. Older siblings welcome. Free. 503-769-3313

8 • April 2026

Lyons Storytime, 10:30 a.m., Lyons Public Library, 279 Eighth St. Read, play, sing, rhyme, make friends. Free. 503-859-2366 Beginner Tai Chi, 11:15 a.m. - noon, Santiam Senior Center. Seniors 50+. Free for members. Repeats Friday. 503-767-2009 Stayton Area Rotary, noon, Santiam Golf Club, 8724 Golf Club Road, Aumsville. Guests welcome. 503-508-9431, staytonarearotary.org Cascade Country Quilters, 12:30 p.m., Santiam Senior Center. Seniors 50+. 503-767-2009 Pinochle, 1 p.m., Santiam Senior Center. Single deck. Seniors 50+. Free for members. 503-767-2009 Alcoholics Anonymous, 6 p.m., New Life Foursquare Church, 1090 N First Ave., Stayton.

Thursday

Sublimity Quilters, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m., St. Boniface Catholic Church, 375 SE Church St., Sublimity. Make quilts for local community donations and charities. Everything provided. New members welcome. Point Man Ministries, 6 p.m., Canyon Bible Fellowship, 446 Cedar St., Lyons. Veterans support organization. 503-859-2627.

Friday

Cars & Coffee, 7:30 a.m., Covered Bridge Cafe, 510 N Third Ave., Stayton. Open to all. 503-767-3945 Pinochle, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., Santiam Senior Center. Double deck. Seniors 50+. Free for members. 503-767-2009

Saturday

Alcoholics Anonymous, 8 a.m., All Good Things Cafe, 190 Main St., Aumsville. Alcoholics Anonymous, 10 a.m., New Life Foursquare Church, 1090 N First Ave., Stayton. Aumsville Historical Society, 11 a.m. - 2 p.m., Aumsville Historical Museum, 599 Main St. April-October, except holiday weekends. Free admission. 503-749-2744, aumsvillehs.com Revival Youth Hangout, 5 - 6:30 p.m., New Hope Community Church, 657 N Second Ave., Stayton. Follow “Revival_ Heartbeat” on Instagram and Tiktok. revivalheartbeat@gmail.com

Sunday

Community Lampstand, 5 -7 p.m., Brown House Event Center, 425 N First Ave., Stayton. Learn how the Bible inspired the works of the Founding Fathers in the creation of the United States and its founding documents. Free. Diannah, 503-881-6147

Alcoholics Anonymous, 6 - 7:15 p.m., Bethel Baptist Church, 645 Cleveland St., Aumsville.

Wednesday, April 1 April Fool’s Day Tulip & See’s Candy Sale

9 a.m. - 4 p.m., Santiam Hospital, 1401 N 10th Ave., Stayton. Tulips $10/bunch. Candy prices vary. Repeats April 2-3. Tulips also available from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. April 1 at Sublimity, Aumsville and Mill City clinics. Benefits Santiam Hospital & Clinics Auxiliary.

Aumsville Senior Social Circle

10 a.m. - noon, Riverview Bank, 112 Main St., Aumsville. Join Aumsville’s senior community for a morning of cards, dice and conversation. Feel free to bring your own games. Free. Sponsored by Aumsville Exchange Club. Repeats April 15.

Highberger Park Opening

1 p.m., Highberger Park, 9755 Willamette St., Aumsville. Ribbon cutting ceremony for the Highberger Park Improvements and opening of the new playground. Arbor Day proclamation and light refreshments. 503-749-2030, aumsville.us

CPR/AED Training

4:30 p.m., Stayton Community Center, 400 W Virginia St. Citizens trained in CPR/AED, care of chocking adults, children and infants, Narcan nasal spray for opiod overdose, ephinephrine for severe allergic reactions, Stop-theBleed for life-threatening hemorrhage, and understanding the Oregon Good Samaritan Law. $15; only available to people who live, work or do business in the Stayton 97383 zipcode. Register at medproed.com/course-2/savinglives-in-stayton-e5dcy. Other class dates include 8 a.m. April 11 and 4:30 p.m. April 22. 971-239-4631, medproeducators@gmail.com

Saturday, April 4 Toastmasters International

7 - 8 a.m. Toastmasters International Mid-Day Club meets virtually to deliver and evaluate prepared and impromptu speeches in an effort to improve as speakers and leaders. Meetings stream at https://tinyurl.com/ zoomwithmidday and https://us02web. zoom.us/j/9239283290. Agenda for role signup is at https://4139. toastmastersclubs.org. Repeats 7 - 8 a.m. April 18; 8:30 - 9:30 a.m. April 14 & 28. 855-402-8255, jsamuel12@ comcast.net

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Aumsville Easter Egg Hunt

10 a.m., Mill Creek Park, 1110 Main St., Aumsville. Children ages 1-9 hunt for goodies and meet the Easter Bunny. Be sure to arrive early. Free. 503-749-2030

Turner Easter Egg Hunt

10 a.m., Turner Christian Church, 7871 SE Marion Road. Short Easter message followed by an age-divided egg hunt. Ages 0+. All welcome. 503-743-2119

KofC Easter Egg Hunt

11 a.m., St. Boniface Catholic Church, 375 SE Church St., Sublimity. Three age groups. Donations of money or non-perishable items for Stayton Food Bank welcome. Randy, 503-932-5101

Authors Fair

11 a.m. - 4 p.m., Silverton 50+ Center. Local author presentations every 30 minutes, books sales, signings. 28 author tables. Free. Open to all. Sponsored by Atlas Bookshop and Books-N-Time. 503-873-3093

Prom Dress Shopping

Noon - 4 p.m., Annie Smith Photography, 203 Oak St., Silverton. Dresses are $10 each. All proceeds donated to Silverton Mainstay. anniesmithphotography.com

Sunday, April 5 Easter Easter Sunrise Service

7 a.m., Butte Creek Scout Ranch, 13462 S Butte Creek Road, Scotts Mills. Singing led by Crooked Finger Band. Message by Scott DePaolo. Free ham and egg breakfast – bring a pastry or fruit. Sponsored by Scotts Mills Friends Church. Open to all.

Foothills Easter Service

8 a.m., Foothills Church, 975 Fern Ridge Road, Stayton. All welcome. Services also at 9:30 a.m. & 11 a.m. foothillsstayton.org

Grange Easter Egg Hunt

1 p.m., Santiam Valley Grange, 1140 Fifth St., Lyons. 503-859-2161

Monday, April 6 DAR Chapter Meeting

10 a.m., Stayton United Methodist Church, 1450 SE Fern Ridge Road. Daughters of the American Revolution Abigail Scott Duniway chapter. Open to all. Refreshments Jan, 503-931-4112

Stayton City Council

6:30 p.m., Stayton Community Center. Open to public. Agenda available. 503-769-3425, staytonoregon.gov

VFW Post 5638

7 - 8:30 p.m., Stayton Fire Department, 1988 W Ida St. Veterans of Foreign Wars monthly meeting. New members welcome. Jim Bennett, 503-983-9110

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Tuesday, April 7 Stayton Lions Club

Noon, Covered Bridge Cafe, 510 N Third Ave., Stayton. Club and new members are welcome. Repeats April 21. staytonlionsclub.org

Stayton Parks and Rec Board

6 p.m., Stayton Planning Building, 311 N Third Ave. Agenda available. Open to public. 503-769-3425

Wednesday, April 8 RDS Board Meeting

6 p.m., Beauchamp Building, 278 E High St., Stayton. Revitalize Downtown Stayton meeting. Open to public. 503-767-2317, downtownstayton.org

Thursday, April 9 Red Cross Blood Drive

10 a.m. - 4 p.m., Santiam Hospital, 1401 N 10th Ave., Stayton. For an appointment, visit redcrossblood.org or call 800-733-2767.

Cancer Support Group

11 a.m. - noon, Silverton 50+ Center. For those affected by cancer or who are adjacent to those affected by cancer. All are welcome. Repeats April 23. 503-873-3093

Aumsville Food Pantry

Noon - 4 p.m., Bethel Baptist Church, 645 Cleveland St., Aumsville. Open to people in need of food items. Repeats April 23. 503-749-2128

Santiam Heritage Foundation

6 p.m., Brown House Event Center, 425 N First Ave., Stayton. Board of trustees’ meeting. Open to public. 503-769-8860

Aumsville Fire District

6:30 p.m., Aumsville Fire Station, 490 Church St. Agenda available. Open to public. 503-749-2894, aumsvillefire.org

Lyons Library Board

7 p.m., Lyons Public Library, 279 Eighth St. 503-859-2366

Friday, April 10 Community Play Group

10 - 11:30 a.m., Doris’s Place, 955 E Santiam St., Stayton. Free opportunity to spend time with your children, socialize with other families and build support with the community. For families with children 0-5 years of age. 503-769-1120

Saturday, April 11 The Catholic Land Movement

3 p.m., Mount Angel Abbey, 1 Benedict Dr., St. Benedict. A conversation with Michael Thomas to explore the origins of Catholic social teaching and the history of the Catholic land movement. Reception follows immediately after the talk. Admission is free thanks to the Mount Angel Institute. All are welcome. catholiclandmovement.info.

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Reds, Whites & Brews

5 p.m., Santiam Golf Course, 8724 SE Golf Club Road, Aumsville. Stayton Area Rotary dinner and auction. Wine and beer tasting from local vendors. Appetizers and dinner from The Hickory Spoon. Drawings. Silent and dessert auctions. Tickets $50, at staytonarearotary.org. Benefits Stayton Area Rotary Foundation which funds scholarships and awards, local grants, and programs and community projects.

Hearts on Harmony Gala

6:30 p.m., Stayton United Methodist Church, 1450 SE Fern Ridge Road. Second annual Hearts on Stage fundraiser for Spotlight Community Theatre. Silent auction, music, desserts. Tickets $25, available at spotlightct.com.

Sunday, April 12 Brown House Tour

Noon - 2 p.m., Brown House Event Center, 425 N First Ave., Stayton. Tour the historic Charles and Martha Brown House. $5/ person. Children under 18 are free. For reserved guided tour, call 503-769-8860

Monday, April 13 Sublimity City Council

6 p.m., Sublimity City Hall, 245 NW Johnson. Open to public. Agenda available. 503-769-5475, cityofsublimity.org

Lyons Fire District Board

6 p.m., Lyons Fire Station, 1114 Main St. Agenda available. Open to public. 503-859-2410, lyonsrfd.org

Stayton Fire District Board

6 p.m., Stayton Fire Station, 1988 W Ida St. Agenda available. Open to public. 503-769-2601, staytonfire.org

Aumsville City Council

7 p.m., Chester Bridges Memorial Community Center, 555 Main St., Aumsville. Open to public. 503-749-2030, aumsville.us

Cascade School Board

7 p.m., Cascade District Office, 10226 SE Marion Road, Turner. Open to public. 503-749-8010, cascade.k12.or.us

Tuesday, April 14 Supporting Independence

10 a.m., Santiam Hospital, 1401 N 10th Ave., Stayton. Alzheimer’s Association program on supporting independence for those with dementia. Free. Open to public. To register, call 800-272-3900 or visit alz.org/CRF.

Ancestry Detectives

10 a.m. - noon, Silver Falls Library. Topic of meeting is “Daughters of the American Revolution … Everything You Always Wanted to Know.” Beginners, intermediates and seasoned genealogists welcome. Free. ancestrydetectives.org

Santiam Historical Society

6 p.m., Stayton United Methodist Church, 1450 SE Fern Ridge Road. Local historian Roger Porter will present information on former Stayton businesses and past local happenings. Open to all. Free.

Wednesday, April 15 Tax Day Parkinson’s Disease Support Group

Noon - 1:30 p.m., Silverton 50+ Center. Facilitator Drew Miles, trained by Parkinson’s Recovery of Oregon, leads. All welcome. Free. 503-873-3093

Stayton Library Board

6 p.m., Stayton Public Library. Open to public. 503-769-3313

Thursday, April 16 Santiam Heritage Foundation

6 p.m., Brown House Event Center, 425 N First Ave., Stayton. Board of trustees’ meeting. Open to public. 503-769-8860

Stayton Public Arts Commission

Capabilities Expo

9 a.m. - 4 p.m., PVA Tri-State Chapter Office, 600 N Water St., Silverton. Paralyzed Veterans of America Tri-State Chapter hosts event where people with any disability, not just veterans, can learn and find resources to make their lives better. Free admission. All welcome. The chapter is looking for vendors and food trucks for the event. If interested, call 503-362-7998 or email tristatepva@tristatepva.org.

Flea Market

9 a.m. - 3 p.m., Santiam Valley Grange, 1140 Fifth St., Lyons. Free admission. Burger lunch with potato salad, deviled eggs, desserts, coffee, pop available for purchase. 503-859-2161

6 p.m., Stayton Public Works Building, 311 N Third Ave. Help plan and organize local art events. Open to public. Jennifer Siciliano, 503-769-2998, JSiciliano@ staytonoregon.gov.

Spring Garden Market

6 p.m., Mari-Linn School, 641 Fifth St., Lyons. North Santiam School District. Open to public. 503-769-6924, nsantiam.k12.or.us

10 a.m. - 4 p.m., The Oregon Garden, 879 W Main St., Silverton. Education exhibitors, workshops, explore the garden, family activities, music, food. Free admission. Onsite parking $10. Complimentary park & walk at Robert Frost Elementary. oregongarden.org

NSSD Board meeting

Friday, April 17 Community Play Group

10 - 11:30 a.m., Santiam Chapel Assembly of God, 440 Fifth St., Lyons. Free opportunity to spend time with your children, socialize with other families and build support with the community. For families with children 0-5 years of age. 503-769-1120

Spring Launch 2026

10 a.m. - 2 p.m., Littau Harvester, 1200 Wilco Road, Stayton. Free lunch while you watch Pro Carver Ryan Anderson create chainsaw art. Booths and industry experts to answer questions about outdoor equipment. Lots of sales on spring equipment. Get your chainsaw sharpened for free. Free games, drawings and prizes. Open to all. 503-509-0418

Expungement Clinic

2 - 6 p.m., Public Defender’s Office, 198 SE Commercial St. #100, Salem. Expungement allows people to clear up their past criminal record. $33 fee applies when eligible. Free parking at Liberty Square parking garage, levels 1-2. 971-332-5332

Saturday, April 18 USPS Passport Fair

9 a.m. - 3 p.m., Sublimity Post Office, 211 NW Starr St. Apply for a new passport or passport card. Photos available on site for $10. Walk-ins welcome. Due to time constraints, a limited number of applications will be accepted. usps.com/ passport

Bethel Clothing Closet

9 a.m. - 3 p.m., Molly Mo’s, 440 NE Cherry St., Sublimity. Vintage and antique items, garden decor, spring wreaths. Free admission. 503-510-0820

Free Earth Day Celebration

Joseph´s Storehouse of Hope

11 a.m. - 1 p.m., Mari-Linn School, 641 Fifth St., Lyons. Food boxes. 503-881-9846

Courage Crawl

2 - 7 p.m., downtown Stayton. $30 includes commemorative glass, pour at participating businesses, map and drawing ticket. Tickets at https://aftontickets. com/Couragecrawl. Benefits the Courage Fund, which provides education and opportunities to impoverished youth in Ghana, West Africa.

History Talks

3 - 4:30 p.m., Brown House Event Center, 425 N First Ave., Stayton. “Scio Lamb Fair History,” presented by Scio Historical Society. Light refreshments. Free. 503-769-8860, brownhouse.org

Alcoholics Anonymous

6 - 8:30 p.m., Bethel Baptist Church, 645 Cleveland St., Aumsville. Open meeting.

Sunday, April 19 Earth Day Plant Sale

9 a.m. - 5 p.m., 812 McClaine St., Silverton. Huge selection of trees, shrubs, flowers. 100 percent of proceeds benefit local scholarships and community grants. Sponsored by Elizabeth Ashley Hoke Memorial Trust. Repeats April 20-21.

Monday, April 20 Stayton Friends of the Library

11 a.m., Stayton Public Library. New members welcome. 503-932-2733

9 a.m. - noon, Bethel Baptist Church, 645 Cleveland St., Aumsville. Clothing from newborn to 2x. Free. 503-749-2128

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April 2026 • 9

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Do You Know Anyone Who Has Risen From the Dead? By Gregg Harris

n Sunday, April 5th, Christians all over the world will celebrate the greatest event in world history— the resurrection of Jesus Christ. While some folks are out hunting for Easter eggs and honoring the Easter Bunny, those of us who have placed our trust in Jesus will be remembering what happened on a Sunday morning, 1993 years ago, in 33 AD. That is the day when Jesus of Nazareth rose from the dead. He had publicly proclaimed Himself to be the Son of God, accepted worship from His followers, and predicted that He would be arrested, crucified, and then rise again after three days. No one understood what He was talking about, and no one believed Him. But it all happened just as He foretold. He rose from the dead!

How Can We Know for Sure? The eyewitness testimonies of those who were there when it happened are compelling. Many of them went to violent deaths rather than deny what they had seen. The historical evidence for Jesus is at least as strong as for many figures of ancient history such as Socrates, Julius Caesar, or Shakespeare. So, this is not just religious mythology. It actually happened in history. The most complete and detailed record of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus comes from the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. These are the first four books of the New Testament in the Bible. They provide consistent, historically reliable information, for the very same event. They record that Jesus was a practicing Jew who taught repeatedly that His death would redeem those who place their faith in Him. (See John 3:16). He was to be the final sacrificial lamb who would take away the sins of the world. The Gospels report that He was in fact executed on the orders of the Roman governor of Judea at that time, Pontius Pilate. All four gospels conclude with Jesus being buried and then rising from the dead after three days.

What Makes Jesus Different? “Ah,” you may be thinking, “That story of a god dying and then rising from the dead is as old as antiquity.” And you would be right in saying so. But, as C.S. Lewis so famously observed, “The difference is that in [Jesus’] case it actually happened.” He really did die, and He really did rise from the dead. But the New Testament is not the only source that mentions Jesus. The historical authenticity of the Jesus story is borne out by later sources without any positive bias to do so. Jesus was mentioned by both Jewish and Roman historians in passages that corroborate the major points of the New

They all agree with the Gospels.

Everything these historians wrote of Jesus coincides with what the New Testament itself tells us: Jesus was executed by Pontius Pilate and a religious movement followed. Before Tacitus wrote his account of Jesus, Roman governor Pliny the Younger wrote to Emperor Trajan that the early Christians would “sing hymns to Christ as to a god.” This small collection of references from nonChristian sources provides clear evidence that Jesus lived, that He was executed, and that He was known by historians of His day. to www.gracio

Rising from the dead is unique.

Testament narrative, including His life and death and the religious movement that followed. This is actual recorded history.

What makes the evidence for Jesus’ existence, His teaching, His crucifixion, and the faith movement that followed so compelling, is the fact that He alone, of all the religious leaders in all of world history, actually rose from the dead. It is not just that Christians believe He rose from the dead, it is that history supports that He did.

Gregg Harris, go

uscross.org

The first-century Jewish historian Flavius Josephus is our best source of information about first-century Judea. He mentions “‘A man who was merely a man and Jesus twice in his said the sort of things Jesus said would Antiquities of the Jews, not be a great moral teacher. He would written around 93 A.D. Josephus was an aristocrat and a military leader who served as a commander in Judea during the first Jewish revolt against Rome between 66 and 70 A.D. He was not a follower of Jesus, but he was around when the early church was born, and so he personally knew others who had seen and heard Jesus teach.

either be a lunatic–on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg–or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse…. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come up with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.” — C.S. Lewis, in Mere Christianity

In one passage of his Jewish Antiquities, he recounts the execution of James, the “brother of Jesus who is called Messiah.” Another historical account of Jesus appears in the Annals of Imperial Rome, written in 116 A.D. by a Roman senator and historian named Tacitus. He mentions that Emperor Nero falsely blamed “the persons commonly called Christians, who were hated for their enormities. Christus, the founder of the name, was put to death by Pontius Pilate, procurator of Judea in the reign of Tiberius.” These historians bear an unbiased witness to the existence of Jesus Christ without any intention of proving anything.

He said that by doing so He would pay for the sins of the world and provide the only way for anyone to be saved. Everyone who repents of their sins and puts their faith in Him will be forgiven and receive eternal life. It is His resurrection that establishes the authority and credibility for what He taught.

“Up From the Grave He Arose!” People would not “sing hymns to Christ as to a god” if His body was still rotting in a grave somewhere. His followers would never have faced lions in the Roman Colosseum if He was just a “good example.” Today, Christians would not “take a bullet” rather than renounce our faith in Jesus if He were just “a great moral teacher.” People don’t die for that.

As C.S. Lewis put it so well in his book, Mere Christianity: “I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him [that is, Christ]: ‘I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be God.’ That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic– on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg – or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse…. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come up with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.” If Jesus had not risen from the dead, we could never know for sure that He is who He said He was (i.e., God in human form), and that He had accomplished what He said He would (i.e., paying for the sins of His people). But because He did rise from the dead, we can know for sure. And because we can know for sure, we can, in fact, be saved.

So, now what? The Apostle Paul wrote, “For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephas i.e., Peter], then by the twelve.” (1 Cor. 15:3– 5). And so, “if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Rom. 10:9). That is God’s promise to all who put their faith in Jesus. It’s not too late for you to accept God’s offer of salvation. Just turn to Jesus in your heart. Repent of your sins. Pray for God’s mercy. Then, if you’d like to talk with me about any of this, please call or text me at 971-370-0967 or visit www.graciouscross.org. I’m here.

Attention Christian Men! Join us every Thursday morning for our Noble Men’s Breakfast at

The Noble Inn.

409 S. Water Street, Silverton, OR 97381

Thurs. mornings from 7 to 8:30 AM For more info go to NobleMenOfOregon.org Join us as we seek to have an impact on our community for Christ.

The v iews ex pressed by th is adve r ti s e r do no t ne ce s s ar i ly re pre s e nt t h e vi ew s o f O u r Tow n o r i t s s t a f f. 10 • April 2026

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datebook

continued from page 9

Monday, April 20

Friday, April 24

Saturday, April 25

6:30 p.m., Stayton Community Center. Open to public. Agenda available. 503-769-3425, staytonoregon.gov

9 a.m. - 1:15 p.m., Jefferson School District Health & Resource Center, 1344 N Second St. The conference is free and will feature presentations from organizations and agencies from around Marion and Linn County. Anyone can attend. Light breakfast begins at 7:30 a.m. Contact Kim Dwyer at kdwyer@santiamhospital.org for registration link.

5 - 7 p.m., Santiam Valley Grange, 1140 Fifth St., Lyons. Pulled pork, coleslaw, baked beans, dessert, coffee, punch. $10/person. 503-859-2161

Stayton City Council

Santiam Masonic Meeting

7 p.m., Santiam Lodge #25, 122 N Third Ave., Stayton. All Masons welcome. New members encouraged to drop by. “Santiam Lodge #25” on Facebook.

Tuesday, April 21

North Santiam Watershed Council

6 p.m., Old Mehama School, 22057 SE Emma St., Lyons. Open to public. For Zoom link call 503-930-8202

American Legion Post #58

6 - 7:30 p.m., Weddle Funeral Service, 1777 N Third Ave., Stayton. All veterans welcome. Post #58 will pay first year’s dues for all who join. 503-508-2827

Wednesday, April 22 Earth Day Thursday, April 23 Kindergarten Round-Up

5:30 - 6 p.m., Stayton Elementary, 875 N Third Ave. Meet the teachers and principal. Incoming students will do a fun craft with SES staff. Register for the 2026-27 school year. Spanish session 6 - 6:30 p.m. 503-769-2336

Bingo for a Cause

Santiam Integration Conference

Home Market

10 a.m. - 5 p.m., Union Hill Grange, 15775 SE Grange Road, Sublimity. Home Market on Union Hill features 20+ local vendors. Free admission. Repeats 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. April 25. Lisa, 503-779-4725

NW Living & Outdoor Show

2 - 8 p.m., Linn County Fairgrounds, 3700 E Knox Butte Road, Albany. Free parking and admission. Repeats 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. April 25, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. April 26. oregonhearthandhomeevents.com

Robin Hood

7 p.m., Spotlight Theatre, 282 N Third Ave., Stayton. Spotlight Theatre presents Robin Hood and Other Adventurously Funny Stories, directed by Shannon Rempel. $15 general admission. $12 seniors/college students, $10 age 14-17, $8 age 4-13. Tickets at spotlightct.com. Repeats 7 p.m. May 1; 2 p.m. April 25-26, May 2-3.

Pulled Pork Dinner

Sunday, April 26

Live Music @ Gordon House

5 p.m., Gordon House, 869 W Main St., Silverton. The Aruna Quartet performs saxophone chamber music. Tickets $45, includes refreshments. Seating is limited. Presented by chatter PDX. Tickets at chatterpdx.org.

Sunset Sunday

6 p.m., The Oregon Garden, 879 W Main St., Silverton. Live music, local flavors and private access to The Garden after hours. $20/members. $25 nonmembers. Each ticket includes one complimentary drink ticket. Additional beverages available for purchase. Tickets at oregongarden.org.

Monday, April 27 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

6 p.m., Snow Peak Brewing, 280 E Water St., Stayton. Free bingo; accepting donations for Scio Historical Museum. 503-767-2337

SCAN QR CODE TO FILL OUT OUR QUOTE FORM

7 p.m., Chester Bridges Memorial Community Center, 555 Main St., Aumsville. Open to public. Agenda available. 503-749-2030, aumsville.us

Tuesday, April 28 Lyons City Council

6:30 p.m., Lyons City Hall, 449 Fifth St. Open to public. Agenda available. 503-859-2167, cityoflyons.org

PFLAG Silverton

7 p.m., Oak Street Church, 502 Oak St., Silverton. Everyone welcome. Under 18 must have parent/guardian. Christy, 541-786-1613, silvertonpflag@gmail.com

Thursday, April 30 Chamber Award Luncheon

11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m., Foothills Church, 975 SE Fern Ridge Road, Stayton. 80th annual Stayton Sublimity Chamber of Commerce Awards celebrating outstanding local businesses, leaders and community members throughout the Canyon. $45/person. Tickets, table and sponsorship opportunities at stayonsublimitychamber.org.

Submissions

To get your events and fundraisers published in Our Town, send your information to datebook@mtangelpub. com. Or drop them off at our office, 2340 Martin Dr., Stayton.

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April 2026 • 11

Helping Hands

Project Living Hope Stayton-based relief agency gets windfall By James Day

Haitian families and communities that no longer rely on outside aid for their basic needs,” according to the project’s website.

Project Living Hope, a Stayton-based nonprofit that works on humanitarian issues in Haiti, has received a $140,000 grant to help continue its work.

Project Living Hope works to combat poverty by focusing on four strategic pillars: athletics, job skills training, community development and disaster preparedness.

The grant from the Murdock Charitable Trust, board chair Sarah Comstock told Our Town “represents a significant and strategic investment in our capacity to fulfill our mission. With an annual organizational budget of approximately $600,000, receiving $140,000 over three years allows us to dedicate critical resources to expanding our job skills training and disaster preparedness programs.

“While our program implementation takes place exclusively in Haiti,” Comstock said, “our work is deeply supported by a wide network of volunteers and professionals based in the U.S. – especially in Oregon. “U.S.-based volunteers contribute their time and expertise through teaching, coaching, construction projects, and virtual training. Engineers, contractors, and educators regularly participate in our efforts, and others help sustain our mission through fundraising and organizational support.

“Specifically, the funding enables us to hire a full-time small business operations manager – a key leadership role that will strengthen our operations in Haiti, build partnerships in the Pacific Northwest, and ensure our programs are both sustainable and scalable.” Project Living Hope has hired Waldimy “Wahi” Polynice to fill the new position.

A group of Haitian children works in an artisan class at Camp Marie, Haiti. The camp is part of the humanitarian work in Haiti undertaken by Project Living Hope of Stayton. PROJECT LIVING HOPE

“We are excited to welcome Waldimy Polynice into this role,” Comstock said. “Waldimy is a Haitian national and a licensed attorney with experience “Wahi” Polynice supporting nonprofit operations Waldimy PROJECT LIVING HOPE in Haiti. His legal expertise will be instrumental in helping us remain compliant with Haitian laws and in navigating the complexities of operating in-country during times of political instability.”

serves as the board president of the hospital foundation.

Project Living Hope was founded in 2014 by Santiam Hospital & Clinics physician Guesly Dessieux, who also

A Stayton resident, Dessieux has been on the hospital staff since 2007. After several years of serving in Haiti with his wife, Sara, Comstock said, “Dr. Dessieux witnessed firsthand the pressing need for programs that empower youth and communities to rise out of poverty. Motivated by a desire to create lasting, sustainable change, they launched PLH with a vision to build stronger, more self-reliant communities in Haiti.” Project Living Hope exists, according to project officials, to empower Haitians to build a stronger Haiti. “Our vision is to see an increase in strong, self-sustaining

“We are incredibly grateful for the support of our community here in Oregon and beyond. The work of Project Living Hope is a collaborative effort, made possible by generous volunteers, churches, businesses, and donors who share our vision for a stronger Haiti,” Cpmstock said. “We believe in the power of dignity, opportunity, and local leadership – and we are proud to walk alongside Haitians as they rebuild and transform their communities.” The M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust grant to Project Living Hope was identified in its Summer 2025 Grants Report. The report noted 125 awards to Pacific Northwest nonprofits totaling $25,747,000. Thirty-four of grants, totaling $6,302,500 went to nonprofits serving Oregon. The Murdock Trust is a private, nonprofit foundation that has invested more than $1.5 billion in nonprofits serving the Pacific Northwest since 1975.

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Legal Matters

Predator charges DA seeks long sentence By Stephen Floyd

Prosecutors are seeking hard time for a Stayton man who allegedly coerced teenage boys into engaging in lewd acts online, with recent charges reflecting a new victim. On March 3, Robert Lee Allen Jr., 36, was arraigned in Marion County Circuit Court on charges of allegedly offering to pay two teenage boys to perform sexual acts on camera. These included three counts each of using a child in a display of sexually explicit conduct, first-degree encouraging child sex abuse and unlawful contact with a child. The highest counts carry a maximum of 20 years in prison, and the Marion County District Attorney’s Office has notified the court of its intent to seek a lengthy sentence. They said the nature of the allegations, and Allen’s history as a sex offender, mean his incarceration is “necessary for public safety.” Allen was arrested Feb. 19 by the Stayton Police Department for alleged illicit contact with an underage male victim in North Carolina during July

of 2025. According to authorities, Allen allegedly posed as a 14-year-old on Discord and befriended the victim, then paid the victim in Roblox gift cards to perform sexual acts on camera. After his arrest, investigators learned of an alleged second victim during the same timeframe and new charges were added. Allen has a history of inappropriate contact with teenage males, including a conviction in 2010 for groping two minors. At that time he was sentenced to probation and required to register as a sex offender. In 2016 he was investigated for violating his probation by contacting two teenage boys via chats in an X-Box game and later stalking them. The victims lived in Washington. Allen allegedly told them his conduct was legal because the age of consent in Washington is 16. As of press time, Allen was held in the Marion County Jail on $200,000 bail. He has waived his right to a speedy trial and is due back in court May 4 for a status check hearing.

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We’re hiring! Ad director and co-founder Jim Kinghorn will be retiring April 30 after 22 years of sharing advertising opportunities with our business community. That leaves Our Town and Mt. Angel Publishing, Inc. with some big shoes to fill. This position, based in Silverton, is in a well-established market with publications that have exceptional reach and reputation. We offer both print and digital advertising services to help our clients connect with customers. If you like people, enjoy a goal-oriented challenge, and are interested in joining a community-oriented and committed team, this may be a fit. Important attributes include: • Sales and customer service experience • Familiarity with in-person, phone and digital client contacts • Basic understanding of effective advertising design • Willingness to learn, teach, and be part of a team We are accepting Advertising Account Executive applications now. We’ll keep looking until we find the right person. This is a full-time (32 hours a week) position. Compensation is a base-plus-commission structure. Historically, annual compensation ranges from $50K - $75K. We offer family-friendly flexibility and paid time off. We also serve a great community and have a cordial crew of co-workers. Check out our publications at mtangelpub.com. Interested? Send cover letter and resume or questions to: paula.m@mtangelpub.com, subject line: Account Executive. Not a fit for you? If you know someone who might be interested, please pass this ad along. Thanks!

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April 2026 • 13

Something Fun

Avian athletes Racing pigeons: more than ‘just a bird’ By Melissa Wagoner Look up at the sky. There might be a race happening as pigeons from the Foothills Invitational Racing Pigeon Club (FHI) train and compete to achieve top ranking. “Racehorses of the sky is what they call them…” club secretary Mike Coleman said. He’s been a fancier (or pigeon keeper) since 1978. “Some of the genetics go back to the carrier pigeons.” These racing pigeons aren’t your average bird. Known as “modern day homing pigeons,” these birds – comprising hundreds of varieties – are specially bred to fly at high speeds, with more endurance than their wild counterparts. “50 to 55 miles an hour is an ideal race speed,” Jeff Horak explained. He was introduced to racing pigeons by his grandfather but waited until retirement to officially take up the sport.

“Each band has a number, the class and the AU [union]…” Coleman said. “My name is in [‘Racing Pigeon Digest’]. So, when people find a bird, they call me.” And those calls aren’t uncommon because, unlike racing horses who run on a track, pigeons choose their own routes from the release point to their home loft, weathering storms, navigating around obstacles and facing predators as they go. “Some races are bad, some are good,” Horak said. “Some you’ll see them all come back in great shape and another time… This year was a tough year for falcons, high lines and storms. And their GPS doesn’t do well with electrical waves.” It’s a part of pigeon racing that is out of the fancier’s control. “It’s easy to become attached to some of them. They all have different minds…” Coleman said. “The thing I most enjoy is watching them come home… It’s sad when you’re sitting here at home, waiting for birds… and a hawk comes in and gets them.”

racing took off in the early 1990s. These races, unlike club races, provide each pigeon with the same race course by requiring breeders to send six week-old pigeons – those who have yet to home to a loft – through the mail to a single communal loft where they will be trained alongside thousands of other birds from around the world. “One loft racing is a lot of chance,” Horak said. Other than breeding, all other aspects of the race – including the health of the bird on race day and its training beforehand – are out of the fancier’s hands. “The key is to get that breeding to where you can send them anywhere,” Coleman explained. In his case, that usually means to Florida where pigeon racing is a burgeoning sport. “In this general area we had seven different clubs,” Coleman said of the popularity in Oregon back in 1978. “Now this is the only club left.”

The races themselves can be hundreds of miles long. “We used to fly 600-mile races,” Coleman said. “But since our numbers have decreased and the expense has increased with fuel costs, now our longest race is 350 miles out of Boise, Idaho.”

But he’s hopeful that this will change once more people learn how enjoyable pigeon racing can be.

It’s a sport that takes a lot of work on the part of the fancier who, according to Coleman, must gain the skills, not only of a trainer but a veterinarian as well. “First of all, your birds have to be super clean, fed vitamins and minerals, and they love routine,” he said. “Then, once my birds start training it’s three miles… then 25 miles five days a week, then up from there. They’re athletes. They have to be in good form.” But it’s worth it if you love the birds, which both Coleman and Horak do.

“It gets in your blood…” Coleman laughed. “And getting started is easy. I’ve helped out several fliers.” And, unlike in the 1970s, when he and Yahiku started racing, fanciers don’t have to rush home after releasing the birds, then wait around to clock their times. Mike Coleman, left, Paul Yahiku, and Jeff Horak, members of the Foothills Invitational Pigeon Racing Club. Above, right, one of Mike’s racing pigeons. MELISSA WAGONER

“I’ve always liked pigeons, chickens, stuff like that,” Coleman said. “When I went to the fair I went straight to the poultry barn. And I used to be a cockfighter. But they outlawed chicken fighting in ’76.” That’s when he switched to pigeons. “A guy I knew had racing pigeons,” he recalled. “So, I got a couple of birds. People are very helpful in this sport.” Now he has multiple lofts, housing an estimated 10 breeding pairs and 40 flyers. “[T]hey home here,” Coleman said. Meaning, each bird, when released, will attempt to make its way back to its home loft no matter the obstacles or the distance. It’s a concept Coleman inadvertently tested a few years ago when he sold one of his breeding pigeons to a man in Tennessee who, after deciding to get out of the business, released all the birds in his loft. Coleman’s pigeon made it as far as McMinnville before it was discovered and, because of the information on its leg tag, Coleman was alerted.

14 • April 2026

“We used to have to do every calculation by hand,” Coleman recalled. “Now it’s the computer world…It’s all calculated with GPS. It’s time versus speed.”

It’s both devastating and expensive, as some of the FHI Club’s birds – particularly those owned by breeder, Paul Yahiku – are worth thousands of dollars.

It’s a change that has made racing pigeons easier and connected fanciers around the world by giving them realtime access to race information.

“I like birds and I’m interested in genetically breeding things,” Yahiku said, when asked why he decided to become a fancier.

“It’s kept a few people in the sport,” Coleman said.

As a child growing up in Loma Linda, California, Yahiku couldn’t afford his own racing pigeons. He began by breeding parakeets until, after becoming a statistician in 1972, he was able to make the switch. “With parakeets it’s more subjective,” he explained. “With pigeons it’s very objective. There’s an objective way to measure how good a bird is by racing it. So, that’s the bottom line.” In other words, the mission to breed the best possible bird goes hand in hand with the goal of winning races and it has since pigeon racing began in Belgium in 1818. But the breeding side really began getting acclaim when one loft

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For the pigeons themselves, there has been relatively little change. Their care and training are managed in roughly the same manner it was 200 years ago. And their instinct to fly and to home – those are imprinted in their DNA. “Even bridge pigeons,” Coleman said. “They’ll come back to the bridge…” It’s a kind of magic that members of FHI never tire of watching, race after race. “They’re pretty amazing,” Horak said. For information about the Foothills Invitational Pigeon Racing Club or raising pigeons, contact Mike Coleman at 503-580-2800 or themcloft@gmail.com.

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Building community Stayton Sublimity Chamber hires Raba for outreach By Stephen Floyd Local technology consultant Nicholas Raba has joined the Stayton Sublimity Chamber of Commerce as its director of membership and business engagement, bringing a focus on relationship-building and entrepreneurship. Raba told Our Town he grew up in Stayton and, after spending time away in Nevada and California, decided to move back to the community he said “always felt like home.”

He began attending Stayton City Council meetings, joined the Arts Commission and the Parks and Recreation Board, and “saw firsthand how important local collaboration is.” “The Chamber became a natural extension of that experience and an opportunity to support and connect the businesses and people that make these communities special,” said Raba. When his family moved to Stayton, his daughter Victoria asked Raba when the local father-daughter

D&W

dance would be, as she had enjoyed such events in California. Raba sought a community grant from the City of Stayton in 2024 and started what would become the Stayton Father Daughter Dance. He hopes it continues to grow as a tradition for local families. Raba said his goal for the Chamber is to help local businesses “not just succeed, but truly thrive” by fostering community, sharing each business’ story and “contributing to the place you call home.”

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Our Neighbors

April 2026 • 15

Building community

continued from page 15

“Through open conversation, we often uncover solutions that may already exist but just need to be voiced and put into action,” said Raba. “I believe the Chamber can play an important role in creating those conversations and turning them into meaningful progress for our communities.”

for

This year’s theme, “Rising Together – Elevating Business. Strengthening Community,” reflects the spirit of collaboration and leadership across Stayton, Sublimity, Aumsville, Turner, Scio, the Santiam Canyon, and surrounding communities.

There will be honorees in the following categories:

Raba’s own story includes starting his own technology business right out of high school, specializing in digital marketing when the field was still taking shape. He has since gravitated toward cybersecurity and is currently the CEO of SecureMac, Inc., which he helped found in 1999, and has been an advisor for ThreatHunter.ai since 2024. “Technology consulting became a natural fit because it allows me to help businesses adapt, grow, and stay competitive in a constantly evolving environment,” he said.

Nick Raba, Stayton Sublimity Chamber of Commerce’s new director of membership and business engagement. SUBMITTED PHOTO

Outside of work, Raba enjoys running, dating his wife Melanie and spending time with their children Lanna, Victoria and William.

2025 Small Business of the Year 2025 Large Business of the Year 2025 New Outstanding Business 2025 Non-Profit of the Year 2025 Distinguished Service Award The award ceremony luncheon will bring together business leaders, nonprofit partners, elected officials, and community members for a celebratory program recognizing this year’s honorees. Thursday, April 30, 2026, 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Foothills Church, 975 Fern Ridge Road, Stayton Individual tickets, $45, full tables of 8, $375 Available at: https://stayton-slash-sublimity-chamber-ofcommerce.square.site/ 503-769-3464

16 • April 2026

Our Neighbors

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Our Neighbors

April 2026 • 17

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Our Town has been bringing you the stories that matter to your family, your business, and your community for more than 20 years. Now, we need your help to continue this important work for the next generation. Your tax-deductible donation will help ensure the future of Our Town is secure.

tinyurl.com/support-ourtown-santiam-news Or send a check to OPIP (Oregon Public Information Partnership). Put “Our Town - Stayton” in the memo line. We’ll mail your receipt. Send to: Our Town, P.O. Box 927, Mt. Angel, OR 97362

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18 • April 2026

Together, we build community

Our Neighbors

OurTown – Santiam

Our Neighbors

Celebrating 80 years of excellence

Stayton Sublimity Chamber Community Awards ceremony April 30 By Stephen Floyd

surrounding communities.

The Stayton Sublimity Chamber of

The Chamber press release said the event will be “an opportunity to recognize the organizations driving economic vitality, the nonprofits strengthening lives, and the individuals whose leadership and service create lasting community impact.”

Commerce is holding its 80th annual Community Awards Ceremony in April, celebrating eight decades of the people, businesses and nonprofits who shape the community. The event is scheduled for April 30, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Foothills Church, 975 Fern Ridge Road, Stayton. In addition to the awards program a luncheon will be featured. Tickets are $45 each or $375 for a table of eight. They are available from the chamber website: StaytonSublimityChamber.org. This year’s theme is “Rising Together – Elevating Business. Strengthening Community” and reflects the spirit of collaboration and leadership in the

Awards will be presented for accomplishments throughout 2025 in multiple categories including: • Small Business of the Year • Large Business of the Year

throughout the area – Stayton, Sublimity, Aumsville, Turner, Scio and the Santiam Canyon. Nominations closed March 18 and the honorees have yet to be announce. Watch the chamber Facebook page for more information: facebook.com/ StaytonSublimityChamber. In addition to event tickets, limited sponsorship opportunities are available for businesses seeking to showcase their support for the annual acknowledgement of good work. Sponsor levels range from $500 to $2,500. For additional information, go to StaytonSublimityChamber.org or contact Director of Membership & Business Engagement Nickolas Raba at 503-769-3464 or info@ staytonsublimitychamber.org.

• New Outstanding Business • Nonprofit of the Year • Distinguished Service Award Nominees will be selected from

Join the Chamber Business Network We all know that it takes more than showing up to work to create customers. You have to be qualified, available… But before even that, you have to be noticed. Do people know that your business or organization exists? Maybe it’s time to invest a little time once or twice a month in getting to know other business members in the community. It has an impact on business growth! The Chamber offers a weekly virtual business-to-business networking group Wednesdays, 8:15 a.m. They likewise offer casual “After Hours” in-person events, and business “Open House” events as requested. Check out the chamber Events Calendar for details. Questions? Call them at 503-769-3464.

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Our Neighbors

April 2026 • 19

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Sports Datebook Wednesday, April 1 Baseball

2 p.m. Regis vs Monroe/Alsea (double header)

Softball

2 p.m. Regis vs Monroe/Alsea (double header)

Thursday, April 2 Girls Tennis 4 p.m. Stayton vs Silverton 4 p.m. Cascade vs Lebanon

Softball

5 p.m. Cascade vs Harrisburg

Monday, April 6 Boys Volleyball 6 p.m. Cascade vs Toledo

“Our Family Serving Yours” Having served this community over 40 years, it is my honor to serve family and friends. Being a third-generation member of the community, I am happy to live and raise my family here. We offer funeral services, cremation, burial, headstones, and family assistance with church and memorial services. We support Stayton Lions Club, Sublimity Harvest Festival, Knights of Columbus. We try to support all local schools in the area with their efforts.

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Tuesday, April 7 Softball

All home games. Visit osaa.org for full schedules.

Wednesday, April 15 Softball

Friday, April 24 Softball

Girls Tennis

4 p.m. Stayton vs Woodburn

4 p.m. Stayton vs The Dalles/Dufur 4 p.m. Cascade vs Philomath

Thursday, April 16 Girls Tennis 4 p.m. Stayton vs North Marion

Baseball 5 p.m. Cascade vs Estacada

Saturday, April 18 Boys Volleyball 11 a.m. Cascade vs Willamette Valley Christian

Track & Field

2 p.m. Regis vs Mohawk (double header)

Boys Tennis

Monday, April 27 Softball 4:30 p.m. Stayton vs Cascade

Baseball 5 p.m. Stayton vs Philomath

Tuesday, April 28 Boys Tennis 4 p.m. Stayton vs Molalla 4 p.m. Cascade vs Junction City

Baseball

11 a.m. John Oliver Invitational @ Cascade

4:30 p.m. Regis vs Central Linn

Baseball

5 p.m. Stayton vs Scappoose

Wednesday, April 8 Track & Field

4:30 p.m. Regis vs Crosshill Christian

4 p.m. Cascade vs Philomath, North Marion

Boys Tennis

4 p.m. Cascade vs Molalla

Thursday, April 9 Girls Tennis

Monday, April 20 Girls Golf Noon Stayton, Cascade @ Special District 3 Match

4 p.m. Stayton vs Estacada

Softball

Friday, April 10 Baseball

Baseball

3:30 p.m. Stayton vs Astoria

Boys Volleyball

6 p.m. Cascade vs Newport

4:30 p.m. Stayton vs Newport 5 p.m. Cascade vs North Marion/Gervais

Tuesday, April 21 Boys Tennis 4 p.m. Stayton vs Philomath 4 p.m. Cascade vs Marist Catholic

5 p.m. Stayton vs Yamhill-Carlton

Girls Flag Football

5 p.m. Cascade vs Yamhill-Carlton

Boys Volleyball

6 p.m. Cascade vs Philomath

4 p.m. Stayton vs Cascade 4 p.m. Cascade vs Stayton

Wednesday, April 22 Track & Field

5 p.m. Stayton vs Philomath

Baseball Softball

5 p.m. Cascade vs North Marion

4 p.m. Stayton vs North Marion, Newport

Baseball Softball

5 p.m. Cascade vs Sweet Home

4:30 p.m. Regis vs Culver

4 p.m. Stayton vs Marist Catholic 4 p.m. Cascade vs North Marion

Baseball

Softball

5 p.m. Cascade vs Marist Catholic

5 p.m. Cascade vs Sweet Home

Girls Tennis

Thursday, April 23 Girls Tennis

4:30 p.m. Regis vs Culver

Baseball

5 p.m. Cascade vs Sprague

Boys Tennis Softball

4:30 p.m. Cascade vs Newport

Girls Flag Football

5 p.m. Stayton vs Newport

4 p.m. Cascade vs Estacada

Softball

Baseball

Tuesday, April 14 Girls Tennis 4 p.m. Stayton vs Junction City

4 p.m. Cascade vs Sprague

Thursday, April 30 Boys Tennis

4:30 p.m. Regis vs Mohawk

Monday, April 13 Softball

Wednesday, April 29 Track & Field

5 p.m. Cascade vs North Marion/Gervais 5 p.m. Cascade vs Philomath

Boys Volleyball

6 p.m. Cascade vs Western Christian/ Amity

VOLLEYBALL © LIGHTWISE, RUNNING SHOES © FAURINKO, TENNIS RACKET © MIKE FLIPPO, GLOVE © SHUTSWIS, BALL © TAKASHI HONMA / ALL 123RF.COM

20 • April 2026

Our Neighbors

OurTown – Santiam

Sports & Recreation

The Regis girls basketball team and its coaches after the Rams captured the Class 2A state championship in Pendleton. ANDRE PANSE – GAME DAY SPORTS MEDIA

Hoops domination! Regis girls win 2A title; Rams’ boys finish second Regis High has put together an amazing record of basketball excellence. Coming into the 2025-26 season the Rams girls’ teams had won five state titles, while the boys had four. And they have brought home trophies so often from the Class 2A tournament one would think they could easily get their mail forwarded to Pendleton. But this year topped them all. The Regis girls put together a magnificent 29-1 season and flattened Stanfield 55-35 to win the 2A girls title on March 7. The boys, meanwhile, came oh so close to matching the girls’ achievement. Down by 24 points in the first half of the final against top-ranked Trinity Lutheran the No. 3 Rams, led by a LeBron James-like performance from Eli Silbernagel, rallied to take the lead before falling 88-84 to finish 27-3.

two hoops teams in school history. “The girls had a great tournament,” second-year Rams coach Tim Manning told Our Town. “They came to Pendleton with one thing on their mind and that was a state championship. I assumed there would be some nerves and jitters right out of the gate, but these girls have played so much basketball and have felt pressure many times you wouldn’t even have known they were playing on the biggest basketball stage of their careers so far.” Senior Clara Persons (46 points, 6 3-pointers and 6 assists) and superfreshman Franke Koehnke (54 points, 10 assists and 8 3-pointers) were unanimous all-tournament picks, while Hadley Foster scored 52 points, led the tournament with 32 rebounds and dominated the final with 21 points and 15 rebounds.

Silbernagel, a 6-4 senior, scored 42 points and added 12 rebounds and six steals in a performance Pendleton will be talking about for decades.

Silbernagel (76 points, 43 rebounds) was a first-team all-tournament pick for the boys, while front-court teammate Fletcher Gould (51 points) made the second team.

Regis athletic director Darrell Risen and long-time boys and girls coach Jason Koehnke came up with this fact: This was the best combined performance by the

“I was really happy with how our team played,” coach Jason Koehnke said. “We played very well in all three games. We played hard, we played together, we

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overcame adversity that always shows up at the tournament. We never gave up. This team had an incredible bond and sense of family (more than any I’ve coached). I think that closeness was very evident at the tournament. This was a special team.” And while Regis tore it up in Pendleton, the Stayton girls did the same in Forest Grove. The Eagles, in their third year under coach Tal Wold, repeated as state 4A champs via a gritty 34-26 win against St. Helens in the title matchup. Cascade, one of three teams to defeat Stayton (the others were Baker and Springfield) took fourth at state. Juniors Kathryn Samek (44 points, 33 rebounds and 14 blocks) and Breeci Hampton (29 points and seven 3-pointers) were named first-team all-tournament for the Eagles, who had such a deep roster that four other players averaged at least 6 points per game in the tournament. “It was a great tournament,” Wold told Our Town. “Philomath (quarterfinals) and St. Helens really make you grind in the half-court and Henley (semifinals) gets up and down and shoots quick. We showed we could play in multiple ways.” The Stayton roster featured just one senior, Mackenzie Schacher. “We will miss Makenzie,” Wold said.

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“You could really trust her and count on her. We did have a deep roster and I think it will be deeper next year and we should be able to do a few more things. We certainly have the potential to be very good. A lot of that will be up to the girls and what they want to do. Leadership should be strong, and I would think there would be an incredible drive to leave a legacy that can never be erased.” Baseball: Kyle Baker has moved just a short distance from his spot as Regis baseball coach to take over the Stayton program for Steve Salisbury. The Eagles are 4-1 in the early going and spent spring break playing against teams in Idaho. “I am extremely happy over here at Stayton,” Baker told Our Town. “The administration, players and parents have been extremely supportive and encouraging. The facilities here are fantastic. That makes it really beneficial for the student-athletes to thrive.” Wrestling: Cascade took home three individual titles and finished fourth as a team in the Class 4A wrestling tournament in Portland. Winning state titles for the Cougars were Jack Mulvahill (106), Hans Kamm (165) and Matthew Hinkle (215). Stayton senior Leonardo Michel won the 144-pound crown for the Eagles.

April 2026 • 21

A Grin at the End

Budgets and bidets A blast of common sense One of the presents we received last Christmas was a bidet. Without going into excessive detail, a bidet is a gizmo commonly used in Europe. Most hotels have them, but I had never tried one until our son installed one in our bathroom.

Congress as run up. I know what some folks are thinking: You’re crazy. The federal government can’t live on a measly $7 trillion a year. What about raises for federal employees and wars and other stuff the president and Congress spend money on?

Actually, it wasn’t a bidet as such. It was an attachment that bolts onto the toilet seat and provides a shot of cold water you-know-where. It is, as the soda pop commercial says, a pause that refreshes.

That’s why the budget would remain flexible. While the total would be set, how it’s spent would be totally up to Congress.

It also provides a jolt, especially first thing in the morning. You are half awake, and after turning the knob, you are all the way awake. Which brings me to tax season. If you’re like me, you have spent a portion of your free time this year settling up with Uncle Sam and Aunt Tina. I had been told that our tax bill would go down this year, but in our case it jumped. Our total tax bill was more than I made as the editor of a daily newspaper in 1980. It was like my first time using a bidet. I turned the knob and the next thing I said was, “Yikes!” If you’re a casual reader of this column, you know my faith in politicians is somewhat lacking. I have never heard a politician say that government has plenty of money and then permanently reduce taxes. In the federal government, Congress reduces taxes and then borrows more money. This year the federal government will borrow about $1.8 trillion.

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I’d say that Congress was spending like a drunken sailor, but it would be an insult to drunken sailors. I have a plan for balancing the budget. It’s straightforward and logical, which means that Congress will never do it. Under my plan, starting this year, the federal government would spend only what it spent last year. Last year, the federal government spent a little over $7 trillion and took in upward of $5.2 trillion (Uncle Sam borrowed the rest). This year, the federal government is projected to take in more money, nearly $5.9 trillion. Next year, the feds will likely bring in even more, as it does nearly every year. That will bring us even closer to a balanced budget.

Members of the administration and Congress often remind us how smart they are. I have all the faith the world that they can balance the budget and start to pay off the deficit. Again, I can hear folks saying how crazy I am. As the former editor of The New Yorker magazine often responded to his critics, “You may be right.” All I want to do is get Congress on the road to fiscal sanity. It ran off that road many decades ago, and our kids and grandkids will have to pay the price. If Congress and the administration don’t return to the road to fiscal sanity, I have another suggestion. Every politician in the federal government, from the president on down, should be introduced to a bidet, with the water pressure on full blast. At the very least, that will get their attention.

After a few years, the budget would be balanced, and after that, we can start chipping away at the $39 trillion deficit

Carl Sampson is a freelance writer and editor. He lives in Stayton.

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April 2026 • 23

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VOL. 15, ISSUE 4

Gard ening in drought PLANNING AHEAD FOR A WARM, DRY SEASON

By Melissa Wagoner According to the calendar, the first day of spring is March 20, but this year, in the Willamette Valley, it started much earlier. “[T]his sort of false spring and very mild winter has been very interesting...” Delen Kitchen, the director of operations for the Oregon Garden Foundation, confirmed. “We’re seeing plums, cherries, daffodils and magnolias blooming earlier.” It’s a phenomenon that, in some years, can end badly if a late freeze occurs, killing buds and wiping out blooms. But this year, Kitchen predicts, “we’re just going to have an early spring.” And possibly a dry, hot summer. A phenomenon that could negatively affect gardens if gardeners don’t prepare. “For the [Oregon] Garden the rain [reduction] hasn’t impacted us too much yet because we’re so well established and our soil is so moist…” Kitchen said. “But I would say, definitely over the last couple of years for sure, people in this area have dealt

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with heat domes or heat waves and those have been problematic… we’re losing plants you usually don’t have to worry about in the Pacific Northwest.” Like ferns, hostas and rhododendrons.

Kitchen also suggested gardeners look at the plant recommendations for areas like Bend or Eastern Oregon, which can be found on the Oregon State University Extension Service website or by request at a nursery.

“Your rhododendrons, that’s sort of the first victim people think of,” Kitchen said. “But ferns and hostas don’t do well when it’s that blazing heat...” The key to protecting them, according to Kitchen – who received her bachelor’s degree in urban horticulture from arid Arizona State University – lies in planning. Specifically, that means researching plants that are going to survive in a hotter and drier environment. “Most people probably have a northwest style garden at this point but as you look toward the future, start to think of a plant pallet that’s more resilient to high temperatures,” Kitchen said, listing varietals like salvia, echinacea and manzanita as examples. “They all do well with less water and more heat.”

And, speaking of watering, now is also the perfect time to develop a watering system. “You want to water efficiently,” Kitchen stressed. That means putting down water – ideally using a drip system – over a prolonged period of time. If you have a timed system, which allows you to water through the night, that is ideal. But if not, “you want to be watering dawn or dusk,” Kitchen said. “Because it’s cooler and you won’t have that water loss.”

Then, when you are ready to plant, Kitchen suggests mulching, especially around new, sensitive or high value plants. “One to two inches of compost or a fine fir or bark mulch,” Kitchen said. “That makes sure whatever water or irrigation is going to last much longer in the soil. So, you’re going to stretch the water that’s put down.”

Your Garden

“Because plants are resilient,” Kitchen said. “[Many] can do without water for a little while… you may see your plants look a little thirsty and that may be okay. They didn’t get unlimited rain in nature.” In other words, it’s all right if everything isn’t perfect. Gardens are a work in progress, changing from year to year. It’s okay to make mistakes and learn from them, especially as the climate shifts. The key, according to Kitchen, is to have fun with it. “I wish everyone happy gardening,” she said.

April 2026 • 1

APRIL 2026

Invasion of the emerald ash borer! Permanent quarantine in place in emerald ash borer fight

By James Day

- Five miles northwest of the town of Yamhill in Yamhill County

Oregon has instituted a permanent quarantine in Marion County and other nearby counties as it continues its fight against the emerald borer. The quarantine limits the movement of ash, white fringe, and olive tree materials from Marion, Washington, Yamhill, Clackamas, and Multnomah counties. The purpose of the quarantine, Oregon Department of Agriculture officials said, is to slow the spread of EAB by restricting the movement of host tree materials to unaffected locations in the state. EAB is now considered the most destructive forest pest in North America, killing hundreds of millions of ash trees. State officials have announced more infestations of the emerald ash borer, which is threatening the state’s ash trees. The pest kills the trees nationwide by eating tissues under the bark, eventually killing infested trees. First found in Oregon in 2022 at a school in Forest Grove, there were a series of six new sightings in 2025, including one near Scotts Mills. Five of the sites were within the EAB quarantine boundary. The new sightings have taken place at: - Bureau of Land Management-administered land east of Scotts Mills in Clackamas County - The David Douglas Aquatics Center in the Hazelwood-Mill Park area in Multnomah County in which a single adult insect was trapped and sent to the U.S. Department of Agriculture

“The pattern of spread in the eastern U.S. has been that populations at first increase slowly and the rate of natural spread is slow,” said Cody Holthouse, manager of the Oregon Dept. of Agriculture’s Insect Pest Prevention and Management Program. “But within a few years there is a rapid build-up in the population and it spreads in all directions at a faster pace. That’s exactly what we’re starting to see with these detections.” Holthouse said the EAB is about half an inch in length and is hard to spot with the naked eye. It is not strongly attracted to traps, making early detections in novel locations difficult. “Finding one in a trap usually means there are quite a few already in that area,” he said. Holthouse said the discovery in southeast Portland put all of Multnomah County into the EAB quarantine zone. “Quarantine is designed to prevent humans from spreading EAB by limiting movement of firewood or any other plant materials from ash, olive or white fringetree,” said Holthouse.

Above: an adult emerald ash borer in a sticky trap in Marion County. OREGON DEPARTMENT OF FORESTRY Left: emerald ash borer. PA DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION AND NATURAL RESOURCES - FORESTRY ARCHIVE, WIKIMEDIA COMMONS.

For the past few summers, the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF), in collaboration with the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, made sticky purple traps available to numerous public land managers and soil and water conservation districts that agreed to place and monitor the traps.

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“Traps contain a lure and are checked periodically during the summer when adult EAB are flying. It was in those traps that the beetles were found,” said ODF invasive species specialist Wyatt Williams. While it’s possible EAB could turn up in more traps, Williams said most adults will have finished their short life cycle, laid their eggs, and died by October or November. “At that point, further spread is almost entirely by humans moving firewood,” said Williams. “That’s why it’s recommended you buy or cut firewood within 10 miles of where you plan to burn. ODF EAB specialist Kat Bethea said “any ash tree can be infested, including native Oregon ash as well as non-native street, park and yard trees. Signs of infestation include thinning and yellowing leaves, bark splitting, D-shaped holes in the tree bark, and shoots from buds on the trunk or branches. People who want to protect their ash trees before they become infested, said Matt Mills of the ODF, should consider the same insecticide treatment Beaverton and Salem are using. “The insecticide is injected at the base of the trunk and gets taken up into the tree canopy and is quite effective at protecting the tree from both adults and larvae,” said Mills. Mills said treatments must be done before trees are damaged and repeated every two or three years by a licensed pesticide applicator. “That’s why we recommend only treating high-value trees in good condition,” he said. “Ash trees planted in the wrong place to reach their mature size, such as under powerlines, should be removed as time and funds permit and replaced with species that aren’t susceptible to EAB.” Homeowners might also consider replacing young ash trees while they are still small and starting over by planting a species that is not susceptible to EAB. “This gets new tree canopy jump-started in urban areas where ash trees will be lost if not treated,” Mills said.

Face to face with the dreaded emerald ash borer. SAM DROEGE, WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Creature Features: Bug facts The problem: The emerald ash borer has killed tens of millions of ash trees in the United States and caused $2 billion in damage. Source: The EAB is a native of eastern Asia (Russia, China, Mongolia, Japan and the Korean Peninsula). Introduced: In 2002, likely through international shipping of infested wood product materials such as pallets in the Great Lakes area. Casualties: Five eastern ash species – green, white, black, blue and pumpkin – already are listed as critically endangered.

RESOURCES/INFORMATION To report sightings of emerald ash borer, make a report online at the Oregon Invasive Species Council hot line, https://oregoninvasiveshotline. org/reports/create or call 1-866-INVADER. For more information about the impacts of EAB on Oregon’s urban forests and the risks to native ash trees visit https://www.oregon.gov/oda/ programs/IPPM/SurveyTreatment/ Pages/EmeraldAshBorer.aspx/.

How it works: Eggs laid in crevices of bark hatch and the larvae consume the inner phloem, cambium and outer xylem just beneath the bark. The feeding cuts off the flow of sugars from the leaves to the roots, effectively starving the trees. Source: Oregon Department of Forestry

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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Your Garden

April 2026 • 3

Your April Garden Chores Oregon State University Extension Service encourages sustainable gardening practices. Preventative pest management is emphasized over reactive pest control. Identify and monitor problems before acting and opt for the least-toxic approach that will remedy the problem. First consider cultural, and then physical controls. Least-toxic choices include insecticidal soaps, horticultural oils, botanical insecticides, organic and synthetic pesticides used judiciously. Recommendations in this calendar are applicable to Oregon’s Willamette Valley.

Preparing

Pest control

Prepare garden soil and raised beds by incorporating generous amounts of organic materials and other amendments, using the results of a soil analysis as a guide.

Clean up hiding places for slugs, sow bugs and millipedes. Least-toxic management options for slugs include barriers and traps. Baits are also available for slug control; iron phosphate baits are safe to use around pets. Read and follow all label directions prior to using baits or any other chemical control. Monitor strawberries for spittlebugs and aphids; if present; wash off with water or use insecticidal soap as a contact spray. Follow label directions. Use floating row covers to keep insects such as beet leaf miners, cabbage maggot adult flies, and carrot rust flies away from susceptible crops.

Use a soil thermometer to help you know when to plant vegetables. When the soil is consistently above 60 degrees F, some warm season vegetables (beans; sweet corn) can be planted

Feeding Apply commercial fertilizers, manure, or compost to cane, bush and trailing berries. Place compost or well-decomposed manure around perennial vegetables such as asparagus and rhubarb. This is the optimum time to fertilize lawns. Apply one pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet of lawn. Reduce the risk of run-off into local waterways by not fertilizing just prior to rain and not over-irrigating.

Maintenance & clean-up

Planting If soil conditions permit, plant gladioli bulbs and alyssum, phlox and marigold transplants. April is a great time to start a vegetable garden. Among the vegetables you can plant at this time: broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, chard, chives, endives, leeks, lettuce, peas, radishes, rhubarb, rutabagas, spinach and turnips.

Pruning

Prune, shape and thin springblooming shrubs and trees after blossoms fade. Cut back ornamental grasses to a few inches above the ground in early spring.

Disease control

If necessary, spray apples and pears when buds appear for scab. Cut and remove weeds near the garden to remove potential sources of plant disease. Recommendations are for the mid Willamette Valley. For more information, contact your local office of the OSU Extension Service.

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Allow foliage of spring-flowering bulbs to brown and die down before removing. Cover transplants to protect against late spring frosts. Manage weeds while they are small and actively growing with light cultivation or herbicides. Once the weed has gone to bud, herbicides are less effective. Greenhouses open to the public April, May and June.

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