Our Town North: Feb. 1, 2021

Something to Think About

Arts & Entertainment

Health professionals share their vaccination stories – Page 4

Vol. 18 No. 3

Trumpeter takes fellow musicians on Tune Tours – Page 19

COMMUNITY NEWS

Serving Mt. Angel, Silverton, and Scotts Mills

February 2021

Stewards of the land – Page 13

Our Town P.O. Box 927 Mt. Angel, Or 97362

POSTAL CUSTOMER ECRWSS

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Your Health

COVID ‘long haulers’ issue warnings – Page 14

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Contents

19

SILVERTON SENIOR CENTER Commit to making your health a priority this year!

3 Ingredients for Brain Health a three-part recipe for clarity and vitality with Dr. Kelly Prill, ND

Tuesdays at 10 - February 2, 9, 16 Something to Think About Healthcare workers on the vaccine........4 Business Silverton Flower Shop closes.................5 Restaurants struggle with pandemic.....6 Something to Do Letters sought for Class of ‘21................8 Looking Back Tidbits of history................................ 10 Datebook................................12 Farmer’s Notebook Mount Angel native plants new generation of Oregon White Oak.........13 Above Justin Schepige on bass, Jon Deshler on flugelhorn, Nate Deshler on piano, and Neal Grandstaff on guitar perform a Tune Tour. SUBMITTED PHOTO

Your Health ‘Long haul’ COVID patients find validation thru social media................ 14 Passages................................ 16 Arts & Entertainment Singer returns to music to heal................ 18 Tune tours explore Oregon ................. 19 Talk Show author shares experience .... 20

Sports & Recreation Will football resume in February?........21

Marketplace.......................21 A Grin At The End...........22 On the cover Kurt Berning and Katie Doyle planting white oak seedlings in Mount Angel.

MELISSA WAGONER

How to prevent dementia and nourish the brain • • • •

Understand the foundations of brain health Learn to listen to the messages your brain and body are telling you Discover how it is all connected Receive take-home tips to integrate diet and lifestyle to slow cognitive decline Visit drprill.com

Get all Zoom links on our website or Facebook events page or send an email to dodie@silvertonseniorcenter.org Or watch later in the virtual pages of our website

silvertonseniorcenter.org Starting February 1 Interdisciplinary Women’s Gentle Yoga with Tsipora Every Monday, Wednesday, Friday 10:30 music and dance, 11:00 Intro, 11:15 Meditation and yoga Questions? Call 541-207-2557 or visit tsiporaswings.com Thursdays at 3pm “In the Kitchen with Kevin” - February 4, 11, 18, 25 Watch Kevin and guests prepare deliciousness in our kitchen Fridays at noon “Lunch with Dodie” - February 5, 12, 19, 26 Connect with Dodie and her interesting and informative guests

Our Town

Paula Mabry Editor & Publisher

Steve Beckner Custom Design

Melissa Wagoner Reporter

Jim Kinghorn Advertising Director

Tavis Bettoli-Lotten Copy Editor

Jim Day

Sports & More

DeeDe Williams Office Manager

Sara Morgan

Datebook Editor

Katie Bassett Greeter

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P.O. Box 927 Mount Angel, OR 97362 401 Oak St. Silverton, OR 97381 503-845-9499 ourtown.life@mtangelpub.com

SASI Board Meeting: Tuesday, February 9, 6pm via Zoom

By appointment only

ourtownlive.com Our Town mailed free to residents and businesses in the 97362, 97375, 97381 zip codes. Subscriptions for outside this area are $48 annually.

The deadline for placing an ad in the Feb. 15 issue is Feb. 5.

Contributors Dixon Bledsoe • Carl Sampson Brenna Wiegand Thank you for spending time with Our Town.

Your comments and suggestions are always welcome.

Free legal consultation with Michael Rose of Rose Elder Law: Friday, February 5, 9-11:30 am. Call 503-873-3093 for an appointment via Zoom.

Meet with United Health Care representative: Thursday, February 18, 1-3 pm Call 503-873-3093 for appointment.

Silver Angels Foot Care: Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Call 503-201-6461 Meals on Wheels: Delivered Monday through Friday Call 503-873-6906

AARP Foundation Tax-Aide Due to the pandemic, the AARP Foundation Tax-Aide free tax preparation will not be operating at the Silverton Senior Center this year. Please use the online site locator tool at aarpfoundation.org/taxhelp to see which sites are open, or call 971-599-1940. You can pick up a starter packet at the Senior Center or at ReVamp Thrift downtown Tuesday through Saturday 10am to 5pm. Starts Feb 1.

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February 2021 • 3

Something to Think About

Vaccinated

By Melissa Wagoner When Brian Reif – a clinical nurse who works directly with COVID patients – was offered the COVID-19 vaccine as a member of the tier one medical community, he did not hesitate to roll up his sleeve, likening his participation to a patriotic duty.

“What we have achieved to create and now deliver, a novel vaccine in such a short period of time, is a testament to what we can do through collective will and when we work together,” he said.

For him it was an emotional experience.

“Our efforts to fight COVID should be unifying and not divisive because we all want the same thing.”

That thing, for Reif, is the eradication of the COVID-19 virus, which he views as a scourge to current human existence.

“I cannot support the current trajectory of the virus in the US which has the greatest number of COVID deaths and some of the highest infection rates in the world,” Reif said. Adding, “370,000 deaths and counting in the US is simply tragic and a senseless loss that illustrates how we must come together.”

But not all healthcare workers were completely convinced of the vaccine’s safety. At least not at first. Scott Hamblin, a pediatrician based in Silverton , and Charity Pape, an RN Lead Nurse for Providence Home Health, both had at least some concerns as they faced down the day when they would need to make the decision whether or not to become immunized.

“I’ll be honest, I had reservations at first and was very worried that the roll out would be rushed as a result of political

Health professionals discuss their decisions and experiences motives rather than relying on the science,” Hamblin admitted.

Hamblin, too, experienced some side effects but his were decidedly less.

But upon a thorough review of the data, he became increasingly confident that the current vaccines are not only safe and effective but are the key to ending the pandemic once and for all. He received his first shot on Dec. 31.

“My arm was only mildly sore for a few days afterwards,” he said. “I did feel a little tired and achy for a few hours later that day… Fortunately, after a good twohour nap, I felt more myself…”

“As you can see, I wasted no time in getting mine, and many others from our practice have gotten theirs in the last couple of weeks as well,” a now thoroughly persuaded Hamblin said.

Pape, too, spent time researching the vaccine, focusing primarily on potential side effects.

“I have chronic Lyme disease, so me and vaccines don’t go well together because it’s really harsh on my weak immune system,” Pape explained.

Unfortunately, that weakened system also means Pape would be at a disadvantage should she contract COVID. So, in the final analysis, the vaccination seemed the better choice. She received her initial vaccination on Dec. 30.

Pape admits she did still experience some uncomfortable post-immunization symptoms – but none of them were life threatening and the majority were completely eliminated within five days.

“It’s definitely the strongest vaccine I’ve ever had that I can recall,” she noted. “I had a lot of arm pain at the injection site for days – my shoulder was achy in the joint – and because my immune system’s not so great I had really sore lymph nodes in my armpit and breast area. Fatigue and nausea and I think my gut just slowed down to deal with everything else.”

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Despite these temporary discomforts, neither Pape nor Hamblin harbor any concerns about receiving the second, booster shot at the end of January.

“I think because it’s a booster, you’ve already built up some immunity from the first one,” Pape speculated.

Hypothesizing, “I will get some symptoms but not as bad.”

“I actually hope that I do experience some symptoms afterwards,” Hamblin put forth. “It just means that the vaccine has done what it is supposed to do, and that my immune system is pumping out lots of protective antibodies.”

That protection, provided by an activated immune system, is something Hamblin is very much looking forward to, not just as a way to avoid contracting COVID but as a way of alleviating some of the stress he and his family have experienced during the past ten months.

“Since the beginning of the pandemic, and even more now that the pandemic has become more severe and widespread locally, I have anxiety and reservations every time I go into the office,” he said.

Hamblin is married and the father of three children. “I would never dream of quitting my job and abandoning my patients and their families, but I have been in constant fear of contracting COVID in the workplace and bringing it home to my family.”

Julie Bersin Home Loan Specialist

The vaccine, Hamblin hopes, should remove at least some of that burden – eventually.

“I still worry,” he admitted. Noting that, not only are those vaccinated still considered at risk for contracting COVID for up to two weeks after the second dose, but the vaccine itself is overall only 95 percent effective, leaving a small window for the disease to continue to spread.

“We still have a long road ahead of us…” he pointed out, “and I would encourage those who even get the vaccine to continue current social distancing and masking efforts to help keep us all as safe and healthy as possible. It will take six to 12 months before enough Americans are vaccinated that we can rely on herd immunity to reduce the spread of COVID-19.”

That time frame is also contingent on the majority of Americans stepping forward to receive the vaccine as soon as it becomes widely available – something both Hamblin and Reif passionately urge the community to do.

“We now have a powerful tool that can help restore normalcy if we choose to act…” Reif pointed out. “These dark times have been challenging and the vaccine is empowering. Few personal choices can so readily be magnified in the mind or extrapolated from one individual choice to another, building successively, to the ultimate goal of regaining our livelihood.”

Both participated in the interview to present their personal view on the vaccine and virus and were not representing their employers.

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Business

Topping off with a bow

Bolme retires, Silverton Flower Shop closes

By Brenna Wiegand

three kids, seven grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.”

People will have to look elsewhere for their Valentine’s Day flowers this year.

Silverton Flower Shop is closing its doors after 58 years as a prominent fixture in town.

Bolme has been an active member of the Women’s Golf Association at Creekside Golf Course in Salem for many years and last year received the Star award for her dedication and service.

Carla Bolme was just 11 when her mother enlisted her help at her recently opened Silverton Flower Shop.

Once again, Bolme is chairing the group’s annual fund-raising golf tournament.

“I’d walk over after school and sweep the floor and stuff like that,” Bolme said.

Norma Jean Branstetter opened Silverton Flower Shop in 1962, and Carla worked alongside her mother for 40 years until Norma’s passing in 2016. From there, she carried on Silverton Flower Shop’s legacy for another five years and is now ready to retire.

For 20 of those years Carla ran their Mount Angel store, Mount Angel Florist, during which time the chamber of commerce honored her with an award and plaque for her beautiful window displays.

“I’m very proud of that,” Bolme said.

Bolme spent December and January bringing forth a steady stream of diverse items from the back room to sell in the shop.

“She just collected things because she liked them or thought she could work them into an arrangement,” Bolme said.

“She had a lot of favorite things she didn’t want to sell.

“A lot of times she would buy stuff from salesmen, too, especially if she thought they needed to make a sale,” Bolme said.

“She just liked helping people. She also told me that it was all just stuff; that people are the important thing.”

That is not the only thing Bolme learned from her mom over the years.

“I didn’t go to school to be a florist; I just learned by watching Mom,” Bolme said.

“She would say, ‘That looks very nice... if you just moved this flower over here... see the difference?’”

Bolme learned how to treat people.

“She told me that customers are the reason we’re here and I just learned that from her,” she said. “You treat customers right because without them we don’t have a business.”

She learned how to work.

“She always told me, ‘You just have to get

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“It’s coming up,” Bolme said. “It is a charity for the Salem Health Cancer Foundation and our money goes to the breast cancer portion of it.

Silverton Flower Shop’s Carla Bolme is retiring and closing the shop.

up in the morning and get things done,’ and that’s what we always did,” Bolme said. “Neither one of us ever missed much work unless we were sick and luckily both of us were very healthy.”

She also benefited from her mom’s sense of humor.

the day and read a book or just sit there without feeling guilty because I have a whole raft of other things to do,” Bolme said. “I’m excited to have more time for myself and my family – my husband,

“People can’t go visit their mom or go to the nursing home or hospital and we were able to fill that void,” Bolme said. “However, I’m really sad for all the businesses that have had to shut down.

“A lot of people came in – even from out of town – and everyone has been so kind,” Bolme said. “We shared a lot of tears and memories... it is the end of an era.

“They have come in to say goodbye and often purchased something because it reminded them of Mom or of the shop,” Bolme said. “It has been really nice, and I am very grateful to them.”

Bolme’s lifestyle will look quite different in the years to come.

“One thing I’m looking forward to is being able to sit down in the middle of

“I’ve been in Silverton since I was four so you’re not getting rid of me,” she said.

“I’m just going to have more time to go shopping or whatever in town rather than always being at the shop during business hours.”

Stay Connected...

The City will provide information here each month on important topics. Upcoming agenda items are subject to change and meetings are subject to rescheduling or cancellation due to the COVID-19 Emergency.

Please check the website for remote participation options.

“There would be somebody who was sending a lot of flowers and then he would stop,” Bolme said. “My mom would say ‘Well, they either broke up or they got married.’”

With a satisfied, loyal customer base the flower shop weathered the economic ups and downs for nearly 60 years and in this time of COVID business increased considerably.

BRENNA WIEGAND

“This will be our 20th year; so far we have raised about $180,000 for them,” she said.

“I will have more time to devote to it so I’m excited about that. I can also go out and play golf on a beautiful day.

City Leaders Want You to Know COVID-19 Resource Line Available Countywide: Are you looking for assistance with a COVID-19 related issue? Marion County is available to help over the phone 7 days per week from 8 a.m. 5 p.m. – 503-576-4602.

City Updates Re: COVID-19: Please visit the City’s website for the latest updates on City services and facilities. Staff are available even Monday, Feb. 1: City Council Meeting at 6:00 p.m.

• Civic Center Update; McClaine Street Project Update; Pavement and Safety Updates Monday, Feb. 8: City Council Special Meeting at 6:00pm (Executive Session); • ORS 192.660(2)(h) To consult with counsel concerning the legal rights and duties of a public body with regard to current litigation or litigation likely to be filed; • ORS 192.660(2)(a) To consider the employment of a public officer, employee, staff member or individual agent.

when facilities may be closed or have limited access to the public. For all staff contact information, visit www.silverton.or.us/directory.

City Projects: To stay informed on what’s next for City capital projects, including the Civic Center and McClaine Street Reconstruction, visit www.silverton.or.us/projects.

Tuesday, Feb. 9: Planning Commission at 7:00 p.m.

• Water Master Plan; Input for City Council Goals Wednesday, Feb. 10: Urban Renewal Special Meeting: Goal Setting at 6:00 p.m., followed by City Council Special Meeting: Goal Setting Monday, Feb. 15: President’s Day Holiday – (City Hall Closed) Wednesday, Feb. 17: Environmental Management Committee Meeting at 3:00 p.m.

Monday, Feb. 22: Urban Renewal Agency Meeting at 6:00 p.m.

Wednesday, Feb. 24: Homeless/Housing Task Force at 6:00 p.m.

Be Informed: complete details on these topics

are located on the City’s website: www.silverton.or.us

Have a Voice: attend City meetings For times: www.silverton.or.us/government

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STAY CONNECTED with the CITY SCAN -TV

February 2021 • 5

Business

Hard times

Future still looks uncertain for many restaurants

By Melissa Wagoner “We’re hoping for the best and preparing for the worst,” those words, spoken by Lindsay Allen, co-owner of Magnolia Grill in Mount Angel, seem to sum up what so many restaurant owners have been feeling as wave after wave of closures, restrictions and regulations have threatened to swamp them during the pandemic, the wildfires and, most recently, lengthy storm-related power outages.

“It’s something you should never have to survive in one year,” Susan Countryman, the owner of the MillTown Pub in Silverton for the past 22 years, confirmed.

For Countryman, 2020 kicked-off with a three-month closure and concluded with laying off her final employee on Dec. 18 – only days before the Christmas holiday.

“It was a hard decision,” Countryman admitted.

And she is by no means alone. The National Restaurant Association estimates that 2.3 million workers in the industry were still out of work in November – nearly eight months after the first shutdown began – only to be facing closures once more.

“We’ve had to cut back on our employees,” Allen said of the choice she and partner, Raul Santana, made to lay off all but a single line cook. “It was heartbreaking.”

But staffing is by no means the only aspect of the pandemic that has been difficult. New regulations have also been a daily struggle.

It’s stressful for both managers, who can no longer count on staffing numbers, and on the staff themselves – who have potentially been exposed.

“Learning all the changing COVID stuff – that’s not that easy,” Liz Ipox, owner of Burger Time in Mount Angel for the past 12 years, said. “I have called Marion County several times to ask questions and I would have never thought I would call OSHA to ask them a question. I have learned a lot, and am still learning.”

“I just thought... should I just close instead of going through this all year long,” the owner said of the uncertainty an episode induced. “Then three days later I heard the result – thankfully a negative. The whole family came up negative.”

Confusing as they are, the protocols must be dealt with, however, because the alternative – stiff penalties for noncompliance or in a worst case scenario, a staff member or customer testing positive for COVID-19, could put a restaurant out of business for good. “[I]f you have an employee and their family member has COVID, then your employee can’t come to work and they need to get tested,” a restaurant owner who asked to remain anonymous said of a situation that can instantly throw any business into a tailspin.

“Now you are waiting for their results,” the owner continued, “cleaning areas and waiting to hear what’s going on. Calling and seeing if there is anything more you can do. And they tell you you’re doing everything you can and you need to wait.”

But the stress doesn’t end with a negative test result. The employee was still required to quarantine for more than 14 days and the incident was recorded in the Health Department’s records. “[Y]es, every time you call Marion County Health Department you have to tell them your restaurant’s name,” the owner confirmed.

Because of the risk restaurants face in having their business’ name connected to a COVID-19 infection, the focus to maintain a virus-free environment has become a top priority.

“It’s hard to say it’s not safe to be here when everything you touch has been sanitized,” Allen said. “We’ve stayed 110 percent in compliance.”

Those efforts have included extra cleaning supplies and custom-made booth dividers – when dining in was

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allowed. Now there are costly take-out materials like disposable menus, utensils, food containers and single serving condiments.

understand people are in economic hardship,” Allen said.

“We’re so grateful we had that first year under our belts.

We’ve been able to build relationships with customers who are supportive and generous. You see people that will tip 50 or 100 percent. That part is encouraging.”

“I spent $1,000 to be able to be open for a few hours,” Countryman said of her own attempt to stay open for outdoor dining this fall.

But even for restaurateurs with a longer history – such as Burger Time, which opened 35 years ago – the 42-day closure in the spring was of real concern.

Unfortunately, a gust of wind toppled the newly installed tent, exposing the once covered dining area to the elements and rendering the new outdoor heater useless. Considering the incident the last straw, Countryman closed her doors until her dining room is allowed to open.

“I was worried about – would customers come back?” Ipox said of those first few weeks after the restaurant reopened.

“We were closed so long. But… oh man, was it great. I wish I knew I needed all hands on deck.”

“I am grateful this state is 48th [in rate of virus spread],” she acknowledged. “I’m sure it’s due to the restrictions. But I think it could have been more equitable.”

Differing facilities – some with outdoor seating or drive through options, others without – as well as vastly divergent overhead costs has meant that restaurants are being affected in entirely individual ways.

“Anybody who owned their building will be back,” Countryman posed. And because of the control she has over her own mortgage of 22 years, “MillTown Pub will be back.”

But for many others, like Santana and Allen, who simply lease their space, the future is far less certain.

But, the pandemic – and the economic downturn that came with it – is not over.

Lindsay Allen and Raul Santana, owners of Magnolia Grill in Mount Angel. MELISSA WAGONER

“Nothing has stopped for us,” Santana said. “We still have the same bills.”

But paying those bills is harder than before, with a customer base that has shrunk due to closures, restrictions and an economic crisis.

“We’re trying to keep our business open but we also

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“We’re trying to keep [Magnolia Grill] as long as we can,” Santana said. “But I personally don’t want to be in the hole.”

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“The pandemic will touch us for quite a while,” Countryman said. She has an educational background in economics and hotel and restaurant management, and has a decidedly pragmatic view of the future. The downtown landscape will almost certainly be different once all is said and done, she acknowledges.

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February 2021 • 7

Coming Soon!

OPENING FEBRUARY 2021

Something To Do

Words of encouragement

By Melissa Wagoner While the majority of the lessons this year’s graduating class will learn will necessarily take place via a computer screen, Kevin Ortega, Silverton High School’s Counselor for the class of 2021, has set out to teach his students one lesson no computer can teach – the power of community support.

“Our seniors need some encouragement,” Ortega wrote in a recent Facebook post aimed at the citizens of Silverton. “I am so proud of them, but they are working under extraordinary circumstances and need a boost.”

a new retail shop replacing Savvy Interiors

2 1 8 E . M A I N S T.

8 • February 2021

Requesting a minimum of 346 letters, notes, poems, stories or other words of encouragement, Ortega hopes to let the students know that the whole town is rooting for them.

“I would gladly receive anything from short and sweet to elaborate and creative, as long as it fits in an envelope,” Ortega wrote.

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Class of 2021 letters Seeking 346 notes, letters, poems, photographs, drawings or other items of encouragement.

Address to “Dear Senior.”

Place in an unsealed envelop.

Provide return address.

Include postage if contents beyond standard size, weight.

Deliver to SHS kiosk by Feb. 5.

He encourages all ages to get involved.

“Maybe commission a preschooler you know to draw them a colorful picture,” he suggested. “Ask a grandparent to write them an ol’ fashioned letter in cursive (and then provide them a translated copy).”

Whatever the medium, it just needs to fit inside a standard envelope – unless extra postage is provided – and delivered to the high school kiosk by

For seniors

Friday, Feb. 5.

“For privacy reasons, you would not know who would receive your letter.

Just address it to ‘Dear Senior,’” Ortega instructed, “but you are welcome to sign off and let them know who in their community cares for them.”

Also, of utmost importance, is that the envelopes remain unsealed.

“The school is required to screen all letters before we mail them,” Ortega stressed. “Go ahead and place your return address on the envelope, write ‘Dear Senior’ above the address line and leave room for us to place a mailing label below that.”

The more letters the better, he said, because although simple words cannot possibly make up for the many sporting events, dances, assemblies and other special moments these seniors will miss, Ortega thinks a few words of encouragement might be just what these kids need to hear.

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February 2021 • 9

Briefs

Looking Back

Teens invited to virtual summit The City of Salem is partnering with Marion County Health and Human Services to offer a free, one-day high school summit for teens in Marion and Polk counties.

An annual project, this year the event is going virtual and is open to teens from throughout the MidWillamette Valley.

“ILEAD Youth Summit is a totally free one-day high school event connecting teens, inspiring change, and eating donuts,” City of Salem Youth Development Coordinator Laurie Shaw Casarez told Our Town.

“ILEAD is online via Zoom and open to youth in the Mid-Willamette Valley.”

The summit is set for Saturday, Feb. 6, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Teens who register get “welcome packet swag” and a free T-shirt. The first first 50

Did you know?

receive a “Happy Vibes Box” too.

By Melissa Wagoner

Participants can select from workshops that include: Self Care, Mental Health, Adulting Prep, Personal Development, and Leadership. Event organizers promise active challenges, games and breaks throughout the day, a Rock-Paper-Scissors tourney, prizes and more. After the virtual event there will be a live lounge with DJ, plus prizes and surprises.

A stroll through Mt. Angel or Silverton can feel like a walk through the past – if you know where to look.

For information or to register go to: www.cityofsalem.net/ ileadsummit or Facebook: facebook. com/ileadoregon or Instagram @ ileadyouthsummit.

“We’re going virtual with sunshine vibes as we connect, sound off, dive deep, laugh our faces off, and take the next step as a leader and adult in this world,” Casarez shared.

History tidbits

saloon owners paid a whopping $100 for a license – quite a sum in those days.

Silverton Established in 1845 by James Smith and his wife, Sarah Jennings, the town of Silverton was originally called Milford and was located about two miles upstream, on the banks of Silver Creek, near present-day Quall Road. In the mid-1850s the site was abandoned and the town moved to its current location.

With help from Bill Predeek, president of the Mt. Angel Historical Society, and Chris Schwab, secretary of the Silverton Country Historical Society, from time to time Our Town will share an interesting bit of local history with our readers.

Mount Angel In 1893 Mount Angel’s population was only 250 and yet four trains came into the station each day carrying both freight and passengers.

Legend has it that Silver Creek got its name because James “Silver” Smith, brought a bushel basket of silver dollars along to his new homestead.

The first order of business for the city council that year was the all-important business of issuing saloon licenses because, outside of a few dollars from city hall rent, this was the only source of income for the city. Each quarter the

Or else, a traveler on horseback tried to ford the creek when his horse’s struggles caused his saddlebags filled with silver to come loose. The truth of these tales has yet to be verified.

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February 2021 • 11

datebook Datebook Submission Information Get your events and fundraisers published in Our Town. If your ongoing event was cancelled because of COVID19 and is starting up again, please send a new listing. If you are meeting by Zoom or virtually, send those, too. Send your releases to datebook@mtangelpub.com.

Or drop them off at 401 Oak St., Silverton.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

City Meetings

Minutes and agendas for all city-related meetings and information on how to participate in/view the meetings virtually are available on each city’s website.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Weekly Events Monday

SACA Food Pantry, 9 a.m. - noon,

SACA, 421 S Water St., Silverton.

Repeats Thursdays. 503-873-3446, silvertonareacommunityaid.org

Mt. Angel Community & Senior Center Store, 11 a.m. - 3 p.m., 195 E Charles St.

Repeats Tuesday - Thursday, Saturday.

Volunteers needed. 503-845-6998 Mt. Angel Food Pantry, 11 a.m. - 3 p.m., Mt. Angel Community Center, 195 E Charles St. 503-845-6998 Silverton Senior Meals, 11:30 a.m.

Delivery only. $3 donation suggested.

Monday - Friday. For delivery, call Carol, 503-873-6906.

Mt. Angel Senior Meals, 11:30 a.m.

Delivery only. $3 donation suggested.

Repeats Thursdays. For delivery, call Ginger, 503-845-9464.

Tuesday

SACA Food Pantry, 4 - 7 p.m., SACA,

421 S Water St., Silverton. 503-873-3446, silvertonareacommunityaid.org Serenity Al-Anon Meeting, 5:30 p.m.

Virtual Zoom meeting. Repeats 10 a.m.

Saturdays. For Zoom link, call Barbara K, 503-269-0952.

Wednesday

Mission Benedict Food Pantry,

1 - 4 p.m., St. Joseph Shelter, 925 S Main St., Mt. Angel. Repeats Friday.

503-845-2468

Mission of Hope Food Pantry, 2 - 4 p.m.,

Wednesday, Feb. 3

Thursday, Feb. 11 7 p.m. Zoom. Discussion of Suggestible You

by Erik Vance. Topic is mental suggestions, placebos, etc. For a copy of the book and meeting login, call Ron at 503-873-8796. silverfallslibrary.org/pushing-the-limits

Thursday

Noon - 5 p.m., Lunaria Gallery, 113 N Water St., Silverton. Valentine’s Day works on the main floor gallery. View Digital Paintings by Fred Hartson and Tell Me A Story paintings by Hollie Newton in the upstairs loft. 503-873-7734, lunariagallery. com

Silver Creek Fellowship, 822 Industry Way, Silverton. 503-873-7353 Daniel Plan Journey Video Series, 6:30 - 8 p.m., Silver Creek Fellowship Church, 822 NE Industrial Way, Silverton. In-person or online at scf.tv/daniel.plan. Free. Open to public.

Sheila, 503-409-4498

Mediation & Shared Dialog, 7 - 8:30 p.m.

All spiritual traditions welcome. Request invitation for virtual gather by emailing compassionatepresence@yahoo.com.

971-218-6641

Saturday

Silverton Winter Market, 10 a.m. - noon,

Silverton Friends Church, 229 Eureka Ave. Local produce, eggs, meats, artisan crafts.

Free admission.

Saturday Lunch, Noon - 1:30 p.m., Trinity Lutheran Church, 500 N Second St., Silverton. Free. To-go lunch only.

503-873-2635, trinitysilverton.org

Notices

Mt. Angel Free Meals Mt. Angel School District offers free grab n go meals for children 1 - 18 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Monday - Friday at St. Mary’s Public School, 590 E College St., Mt. Angel.

Meal delivery available by registering at masd91.org.

Silver Falls Free Meals

Free grab n go meals offered by Silver Falls School District to children age 1 - 18 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday - Friday at the following locations: Silverton High, 1456 Pine St.; Robert Frost Elementary, 201 Westfield St., Silverton; Butte Creek, 37569 Hwy. 213, Mt. Angel; Scotts Mills Elementary, 805 First St.; Silver Crest Elementary, 365 SE Loar Road, Silverton; Victor Point, 1175 SE Victor Point Road, Silverton. Visit silverfallsschool.org for the most updated information.

Monday, Feb. 1

Scotts Mills City Council

7 p.m., Scotts Mills City Hall, 265 Fourth St. Agenda available. Open to public.

503-873-5435, scottsmills.org

7 p.m., Silverton Community Center, 421 S Water St. Open to public. Agenda available.

Also on Zoom. for login information, call 503-873-5321. silverton.or.us

Mt. Angel City Council

Tuesday, Feb. 2 Groundhog Day Caregiver Connection

2 - 3:30 p.m., Zoom. For caregivers 60 or older or caregivers 55 or older caring for an adult 18 years or older living with a disability. To join, visit https://nwsds.zoom. us/j/92235615586.

Pushing the Limits

Sunday, Feb. 14 Valentine’s Day

Thursday, Feb. 4 Circle of Security Parenting

6:45 p.m. Zoom. Free eight-week Circle of Security Parenting with Family Building Blocks. Gives families knowledge, strategies, skills to help with parenting.

Visit familybuildingblocks.org to join meeting.

Saturday, Feb. 6

St. Mary Preview Day

10 a.m. - 2 p.m., St. Mary School, 1066 N Sixth Ave., Stayton. Meet administrators and Pre-K/Kindergarten teachers, campus tours, drawings, refreshments, apply for 2021-22 school year. regisstmary.org

Monday, Feb. 8 Mt. Angel School District

6:30 p.m. Zoom. Agenda available.

Open to public. Meeting link available at masd91.org.

Silver Falls School District

7 p.m. Zoom. Agenda available. Open to public. Meeting link at silverfallsschools. org. 503-873-5303

Tuesday, Feb. 9 Ancestry Detectives

10 a.m. Zoom. Round table discussion on the truths and lies in genealogical research. Contact David Stewart at jdstew@frontier.com for login information. ancestrydetectives.org

Silverton Planning Commission

Silverton City Council

7 p.m., Zoom. Open to public. Agenda available. Meeting link on the city’s website.

503-845-9291, ci.mt-angel.or.us

12 • February 2021

Lunaria Exhibit

7 p.m. Zoom. Open to public. Agenda available. For meeting login, call 503-874-2207. silverton.us.or

Wednesday, Feb. 10 Caregiver Connection

1 - 2:30 p.m. Offered through conference call by contacting Julie Mendez at 503304-3432, julie.mendez@nwsds.org for instructions on how to participate. For caregivers 60 or older or caregivers 55 or older caring for an adult 18 years or older living with a disability.

Monday, Feb. 15 President’s Day Tuesday, Feb. 16 Silver Falls Book Club

7 p.m. Zoom. The German Girl by Armando Lucas Correa. If you aren’t a current Silver Falls Library Book Club member and would like to join, fill out the form at silverfallslibrary.org/book-club.

Thursday, Feb. 18 Red Cross Blood Drive

1 - 6:30 p.m., Immanuel Lutheran Church, 303 N Church St., Silverton. Appointments needed by visiting redcrossblood.org.

Writer’s Group

7 p.m. Zoom. Writers share work, get inspired by what other writers are creating.

All writers welcome. For additional information and Zoom invite, call Ron Drake at 503-873-8796. silverfallslibrary.org

Sunday, Feb. 21 Book Talk

9:30 a.m. Zoom. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. Contact Sr. Dorothy Jean Beyer, 503-845-2556 or benedictinefoundation@ gmail.com, for a Zoom invite. benedictine-srs.org/events

Monday, Feb. 22 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

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Farmer’s Notebook

Land stewardship

Mount Angel native plants white oaks on farm

By Melissa Wagoner

Discover more information about…

Welcoming the new year looked a lot different for Kurt Berning and his fiancé Katie Doyle this year. Instead of party hats and streamers, the couple awoke early, donned their rain gear and headed out into the drizzle to plant over 500 white oak tree seedlings.

General landowner conservation information: office@marionswcd.net Restoring Oregon white oak habitat: www.oregonconservationstrategy. org/strategy-habitat/oak-woodlands www.blm.gov/or/districts/salem/ files/white_oak_guide.pdf www.willamettepartnership.org/ oak-accord

“I felt like I could do something for this habitat and I could say thank you for the benefits it’s given my family over the years,” Berning – whose family has farmed their property, located on the outskirts of Mount Angel, for four generations – said. “We’re farming the land but we also want to be the stewards.”

Pollinator conservation information: www.xerces.org/ pollinator-conservation

Berning, who graduated from John F. Kennedy High School in 2008, only recently came back to Oregon to work as a Senior Finance Manager for the organization, the Indivisible Project, and to spend time with his parents, Herb and Bernice Berning, on their farm. Part of that time is now devoted to planting trees.

Marion Soil and Water Conservation course information: www.MarionSWCD.net

“This has always been a really special area,” Berning said of the property, which is surrounded by grass seed fields and nurseries. “I’m really excited about doing something for the environment locally.”

Initially inspired by a book that chronicled the decline of native white oak trees in the Willamette Valley, Berning enrolled in a six-week course entitled, “Plan for Your Land,” through the Marion Soil and Water Conservation District.

“We bring in local conservation experts… to teach about various aspects of conservation,” coordinator Sarah Hamilton said of the course, which kicksoff in mid-January. “We start at ground level with soil and water conservation, build up to vegetation, woodlands, riparian areas, agricultural areas, and specific wildlife habitats, and top it off with project prioritization and funding sources. At the end of the class, attendees have worked with us or a partner organization to develop a conservation plan for their property, have prioritized their projects, and maybe applying for funding.”

With the help of Hamilton and representatives of the Pudding River Watershed Council, Berning was able to both construct a plan for a three-acre parcel of his family’s land and apply for

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Kurt Berning and Katie Doyle planting white oak seedlings on Bernging’s family farm in Mount Angel. MELISSA WAGONER

a grant, which covered the cost of the seedlings.

“The Landowner Assistance Program is a 50/50 grant,” Berning said of the funding’s stipulations. “But your 50 percent can be your own labor as long as you’re OK putting your time in.”

The trees, which Berning purchased from the Champoeg Nursery, a wholesaler of plants native to the Pacific Northwest, take only a few minutes to plant but will have a lasting effect on the environment.

“As those oaks grow, they will provide food for countless birds, snakes, salamanders, and frogs, among many others,” Hamilton listed.

Once the trees are established, Kurt hopes to remove the remaining ground cover and seed it with native plants commonly associated with oak woodlands and savannah. These include flowers like camas, yarrow, and checkermallow, various native grasses, and shrubs like snowberry, serviceberry, and wild rose.

Eventually, he will probably thin the oaks to give them a more natural spacing and add some diversity like madrone and hawthorn.

But Berning’s project isn’t just about replacing displaced habitat it is also about reintroducing a species of tree that historically dominated the landscape of the Willamette Valley.

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“Historically, Oregon white oak woodlands and savannas were maintained by frequent fires that burned through the Willamette Valley,” Hamilton described.

Many other native trees, like Doug-fir, (which is commonly associated with the Valley), are not as fire resistant and were historically less plentiful on the valley floor. With the decline in fire in the valley, Doug firs and other species have become more abundant… The much taller Doug fir trees shade out the oaks, decreasing oak habitat. That, along with oak removal for agriculture and housing, has had a huge impact on the ecology of the valley. Currently, Oregon white oak woodlands cover approximately three percent of the area that they once did.”

While Berning realizes that planting a few hundred trees on a couple of acres will not replace the thousands that have been lost, he is excited to watch his tiny seedlings grow and flourish, bringing life to what was otherwise a fallow field.

“It’s a long-term goal,” Berning said. He hopes to one day move back to Mount Angel with his own family and try his hand at a bit of market farming.

“I’d like our family to be a part of these projects.”

February 2021 • 13

Your Health

When it’s not over

By Melissa Wagoner

Build your sweetheart a Custom Valentine’s Day Gift Box this year!

They won’t forget this gift for years to come!

Choose from our wide variety of “Wooden Shoe Vineyard” wines and the large selection of products from our Gift Shop. Premade boxes are available for purchase on-line or at the Gift Shop.

We are open daily 10 to 4. Drop-in or call for an appointment to build your gift box.

“A lot of people have this idea that you either recover after two weeks or you die, there’s no in-between,” Finicle – who, along with her ten-year-old daughter Ellie, has been suffering from the debilitating effects of COVID-19 since early March, over ten months – surmised.

Unfortunately, in the beginning, that misinformation was not simply public opinion, doctors too expected those infected to make a speedy recovery. And, when that didn’t happen, as was the case for both Finicle and Ellie who had no preexisting conditions, the ongoing muscle pain, fevers, headaches, extreme fatigue, numbness and heart palpitations left doctors scratching their heads.

“I had one doctor say there’s nothing that I can do,” Finicle recalled. “Not something you want to hear when you’re suffering or when your child’s suffering.”

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With nowhere left to turn, Finicle began searching online for others with similar experiences. And what she found surprised her – she and Ellie were far from alone. In fact, thousands had already joined a private Facebook page devoted to those suffering from the “long tail” of the illness, or symptoms lasting longer than 80 days. They called themselves the Long Haul COVID Fighters.

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“It’s been a really good support group,” Finicle said. Yhrough the group she was able to not only meet people who understood what she was experiencing but also shared the frustration of being told there’s nothing wrong.

In an effort to continue building connections with others, Finicle began her own group – coined the COVID-19 Long Haulers Awareness and Education page on Facebook. Through that group began receiving a surprising amount of attention, most significantly from the Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) in Portland.

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• February 2021 1

On July 24 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a report stating that, in a survey of 274 COVID-19 patients, 35 percent had not made a full recovery even two to three weeks after receiving a positive coronavirus diagnosis – a statement that did not surprise Michele Stone Finicle in the least.

“Their hope is to have a long-haul clinic up there that will include pediatrics,”

Finicle said. She was asked to advise the prestigious hospital regarding the needs of long-haulers, especially children.

The clinic will be one of only two in the country – the other located at the Boston Children’s Hospital. The need is extremely high.

“We are at 35,000 post reaches,” Finicle said of the Long Hauler group. “We have 12,000 members and are continuing to grow. It’s sad when you think about it.”

Sad because each member is someone’s spouse, parent, child or grandparent but also because the effects of such a debilitating disease – one that the Mayo Clinic now says may take a minimum of 12 to 18 months to overcome – reaches far beyond the sufferer.

“I just came off a ten-week leave,” Finicle, an elementary school teacher explained. “I taught for five weeks and it nearly put me in the hospital.”

Current statistics bear out that Finicle is by no means alone in her experience.

“Only 50 percent can return to work,” she said. “And even Dr. Fauci is saying this is something we need to look at because it really hits people in their prime.”

In other words, although the risk of dying from COVID is far lower for those 50 and under, some studies show that up to 25 percent of COVID-19 patients are considered long-haulers. That loss in workforce and childcare could have a significant impact on the economy for years to come.

Fortunately, the online long-hauler community – like the one Finicle coordinates – has been invaluable in disseminating information about what methods do and do not help to alleviate some of the symptoms.

“It’s just trial and error and people trying things,” Finicle said. She turned to a Functional Neurologist in Silverton, Kelly Prill, for help when the answers the conventional medical community was offering did not help.

“She said, ‘You have inflammation in your brain,’” Finicle recalled of Prill’s initial diagnosis. “Then a month later, a study came out that said – yes, this crosses the blood-brain barrier.”

Currently utilizing a regimen of antiinflammatories and antihistamines, as well as a host of vitamin and mineral

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1/15/21 3:45 PM

Silverton teacher helps COVID long haulers #longhaulcovidwarriors Here are some of the testimonies posted by the Long Haulers Awareness and Education Facebook page. “...symptoms still remain. I’m now on an inhaled steroid everyday and a handful of supplements.”

– Heather, 34, registered nurse.

Sick: 5+ months.

“I feel like I’m breathing through a straw.”

– Colin, 29, motorcross racer.

Sick: 31+ days.

“I now need an inhaler every day...

I miss my old life.”

– Elle, 48, active lover of the great outdoors. Sick: 103+ days.

“My tummy hurts every day and I have to keep resting.”

– Mimi, 4. Sick: 120 days.

supplements along with a specialized diet, Finicle is extremely cognizant of the privilege that has allowed her to work toward her own healing and that of her daughter.

“I think about those who are ten or 11 months in but aren’t able to function at all,” she noted. “And others who are still having to work.”

To them, Finicle offers the gift of validation. It is something she was severely lacking in the early months of the pandemic.

“It was really hard being a first-waver,” Finicle admitted. Noting the irony that, had she been allowed a choice, she would have been “masked up right away and social distanced right away.”

Fortunately, Finicle has chosen not to dwell on facts she cannot change and rather has taken to the media, sharing her story, Ellie’s story and the stories of the thousands of other Long Haulers as a way to expand awareness.

“I find messages every day that say, ‘Thank you for starting this page,’” Finicle said. “They say, “I feel validated. I have a voice. No one was listening to me.’”

Her page, as well as numerous interviews with newspapers, magazines and podcast hosts, have also given Finicle a platform

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“Still dealing with tachycardia, [shortness of breath], tiredness and random neurological issues.”

– Joanna, 38, working mom & business owner. Sick: 161+ days.

“I’m perpetually exhausted. My heart rate doubles just standing up. My symptoms are an irrational rollercoaster.”

– Tracy, 52, chef. Sick: 5+ months.

“I miss playing football and being healthy.”

– Indy, 9. Sick: 114+ days.

“Now some days I’m exhausted after sitting at a desk and talking to parents via a screen.”

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– Barry, 50, pediatric physical therapist.

Sick: 31+ days

from which to dispel some of the myths around the disease.

“I thought – this is not right,” Finicle said of the many false claims she read during the first months after COVID-19 was discovered. “And I need to share this information because no one else is doing it.”

But sharing hasn’t always been easy.

“If you have cancer people rally around you, if you have COVID it’s political,” Finicle said of the polarization the disease and the regulations associated with it has caused within the community.

503-845-2248

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“I had one guy tell me – in Silverton – that he didn’t care what happened to my daughter, he had a right not to wear a mask,” Finicle recalled. “That’s extremely hurtful. And we know through science that masks work, social distancing works.

I would not wish this on my worst enemy.

Especially if you’re a parent of a child.”

Which is why, though vaccines are finally rolling out across various segments of the population and much more is known about treating COVID-19 than ever before, Finicle still advises caution.

“Keep wearing your masks, even if you’re vaccinated,” Finicle urged. “Keep social distancing.”

• Living Trusts

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info@wholecirclefarms.com

503-400-4490

Family Farmed Hemp CBD Essentials

GOT PAIN? Where to Find Us Locally: •

Saturday Farmer’s Market 229 Eureka Ave., Silverton (Friends Church)

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White Oak Wellness 306 Oak St., Silverton

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Dr. Tomas Gigena, MD 106 McClaine St., Silverton

•

Durrant Chiropractic, PC 208 S. Water St, Silverton

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February 2021 • 15

Passages

Lee Ray Nixon

June 27, 1932 – Jan. 4, 2021

Lee Ray Nixon, 88, of Silverton, Oregon passed away peacefully at home on Jan. 4, 2021, of natural causes.

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Lee was born on June 27, 1932 in San Antonio, Texas to William Lee Nixon and Addie Pearl (Parker) Nixon.

He attended elementary and high school in Shreveport, Louisiana, and graduated from Coahoma High School in Coahoma, Texas. He attended school in Napa, California for two years. Lee joined the U.S. Air Force where he served five years during the Korean Conflict, was stationed at Travis Air Force Base and was Honorably Discharged in 1955.

Lee married Juanita Schrivner while in the Air Force, and two daughters, Carolyn and Shelley, were born of the marriage. His second marriage, to Joyce Munson, also produced a daughter, Leah. Lee married Glenda Golden Borboa in 1970 and was a part of a large blended family for the next 50 years, as four stepchildren, Casey, Rudy, Greg, and Lisa Borboa, were added to the mix.

After his discharge from the U.S. Air Force, Lee had a long career in the communication industry, starting in 1955 as a lineman for Western Union, and ending as a District Engineer for Continental Telephone Co., retiring in 1991.

313 North Water Street Silverton OR 97381 503-873-2454

Lee’s work allowed the family to live in several interesting places. From Dos Palos, California to Silverton, Oregon, then to Juneau, Alaska, then back to California to finish out his 25 years with Contel.

Lee loved participating in and watching sports and was a faithful Dallas Cowboys fan. He was partial to baseball and spent ten years volunteering and coaching Little League baseball in Dos Palos and Silverton. He also volunteered for the local swim club while in Dos Palos.

Golf was also a passion and he always had his golf clubs at the ready.

Lee was preceded in death by his parents; a sister, Joycelyn Roberts; and a daughter, Patricia Nixon. He is survived by his wife Glenda; children Shelley Lozano, Carolyn Nixon, and Leah Goodale; stepchildren Casey Borboa, Rudy (Beth) Borboa, Greg (Ana) Borboa, and Lisa Borboa Wynn. Also surviving are 15 grandchildren, four great-grandchildren, and two nieces.

Due to the pandemic, no services are planned. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his name to: The Cat House on the Kings, 7120 S. Kings River Rd., Parlier, CA 93648-9720, or Appaloosa Museum & Heritage Center, 2720 W. Pullman Rd., Moscow, ID 83843. Both charities are accessible online.

Arrangements were by Unger Funeral Chapel – Silverton.

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Wayne Frank Brosig

Clyde A. Kuenzi Aug. 14, 1938 – Jan. 7, 2021 Clyde A. Kuenzi, 82, of Silverton, Oregon, passed away on Jan. 7, 2021 following a brief illness.

He grew up on a farm and attended grade school in Central Howell. After graduating from Silverton High School, Clyde enlisted in the U.S. Air Force. His 20 years of service included tours in England, Germany, Japan, Texas, Korea, Italy, Massachusetts, and Maryland. He was awarded numerous honors including special recognition from the National Security Agency.

Following his military service, Clyde delivered feed to northwest Oregon dairies for over 20 years and left the workforce for good in 2000. Clyde’s love of the road continued in retirement as he spent the winters driving an RV around the American West for the better part of two decades. During this time, he enjoyed

his summers on the lakefront in Detroit, Oregon. He lived out his final years in Redmond, Oregon.

Clyde was a lifelong golfer.

Two of his favorite sayings about the sport were “at least no one shoots back” and “this is something you can do your whole life”. He proved the latter true playing his last round this past September at one of his favorite courses on the Crooked River.

Clyde had a great sense of humor and was a master storyteller. While at times his tales went on a bit long, they were always worth it in the end.

Clyde is survived by his wife, Gloria; sons Steve, Bruce and Jeff; brothers Lowell and Deuane; and four grandchildren. The family held a private service in Redmond and a celebration of life is being planned for this summer in Silverton.

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Wayne Frank Brosig was born on Jan. 18. in Silverton, Oregon; he was the first of three children born to Orville “Buck” Brosig and Ione Brosig, née Olson.

Wayne and his two sisters spent their childhood years in Silverton. He graduated from Silverton High School in 1968.

He then went into the Marine Corps and served overseas in the Vietnam War. He was trained as a rifleman, however, he never had to fire his rifle at anyone.

After he returned from Vietnam, Wayne married Debi Montgomery and they had a son, Michael Brosig. After their divorce he would later marry Colleen Brosig and become the father of her two kids, Marnie and Chris.

Wayne and Colleen eventually had two more children, Darcie and Andrew.

Later, Colleen and Wayne separated, but remained friends. He lived most of his life in or around Silverton, however his career in the construction industry moved him and Colleen to Reno, Nevada for a few years. He had a deep love for John Wayne and even started a construction company with his friend John called ‘John Wayne Construction’.

At a young age Wayne found a love for woodworking. He enjoyed making wood flowers, wind spinners or even finely crafted wooden puzzles of giraffes. You could often find him hiking the Silverton Reservoir to find fallen branches that he would debark, sand and stain into beautiful walking sticks. He loved the outdoors and spent as much time out in it as he could. Nothing brought Wayne more joy than his many grandkids.

He spent much of his time handcrafting them gifts for all occasions.

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Jan. 18, 1949 – Dec. 20, 2020

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Wayne was a kind man who loved deeply. If he wasn’t drinking coffee at Roth’s or hunting for sticks you could find him volunteering at the Silverton Senior Center where he spent much of his time and made many friends.

When you entered a conversation with him you expected it to last a while; he loved to tell his stories.

Wayne passed away peacefully in his apartment on Dec. 20 in Sublimity.

Despite his flaws and his many regrets, he brought joy to everyone who knew him, and he will be dearly missed. He is survived by his mother Ione, his sisters Sharon and Cathy, his children Michael, Marnie, Chris, Darcie and Andrew, and his ten grandchildren. A private service will be held in Scotts Mills. Remembrance donations can be made to the Silverton Senior Center in Wayne’s name. Please send to Silverton Area Seniors, Inc. at 115 Westfield St. Silverton, OR 97381.

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February 2021 • 17

Arts & Entertainment

Holding On

Silverton musician returns to writing after suffering loss

By Melissa Wagoner

as that category’s semi-finalist – she came very close.

When Hannah Paysinger was a little girl, she was mesmerized by her father’s ability to play the piano.

“The finalists were the top 10 of 20,000 entries,” Paysinger said of the honor, which provides novice songwriters the opportunity to have their songs heard by some of the most influential people in the business. “It was cool to get that recognition.”

“Sitting next to him on the piano bench watching his hands move over the keys and hearing the sounds that came out felt like magic,” Paysinger wrote in a blogpost recalling that period. “There were times I’d sit there alone, and pray to all the gods that if I just started playing random notes with the right degree of vivacity, that music would somehow follow.”

Rather than miracles, Paysinger got lessons, beginning at the age of ten, which she both loved and hated almost with equal measure.

“I liked actually playing,” Paysinger explained. “But the lessons I didn’t like.”

With an uncanny ability to play by ear and a creative spirit, Paysinger chafed against the classical training methods offered by her teachers.

“It’s so hard to learn an instrument,” she admitted. “When I was starting out, I just wanted to sit and play.”

And to sing.

“I’ve always loved singing,” Paysinger said. “There are home videos of me when I was three, sitting in my mom’s lap, singing. I loved that attention.”

With the support of her parents and a wellspring of natural talent, Paysinger’s young music career appeared to be all but assured.

“Then my mom passed away,” Paysinger wrote. “And over time, whatever passion and vivacity I was harboring inside me slowly passed away with her.”

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In light of that accomplishment, Paysinger marked 2020 as the year when she would take her career to the next level – moving beyond the boundaries of her home state and sharing her music with the world.

Hannah Paysinger performing.

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Abandoning music for five years, Paysinger’s existence became largely unrecognizable.

“Life moved on, and toxic relationships took the place where music once resided,” she wrote. “Grief dug its hole inside me, and slowly ate away at me. Darkness followed me, my constant shadow. I was lost.”

Fortunately, Paysinger’s pianist father – Steve Paysinger – had the presence of mind to offer his daughter a hand-up in one of the best ways he knew how. He bought her a keyboard.

“I picked it back up and kind of did my own thing,” Paysinger said.

“It was a big deal for me. It felt like the hardest thing ever – to learn to record.

I about pulled out all my hair learning to do it. But I didn’t give up. I just kept watching how-to videos.”

Titled Holding On, an ode to the many painful experiences she has endured in the past 30 years and to the tenacity it has taken for her to keep going, the album does not ascribe to one specific genre.

“It has elements of pop, folk and alternative with a dreamy sound,” Paysinger noted. “It’s deep feeling music.”

Playing only for herself in the beginning, Paysinger eventually began exploring her talent, writing her own music, playing at open mic sessions and recording two albums – the second released in 2020.

Preparing to take her music to the next level in 2019, Paysinger entered the upbeat number, “Sarah’s Song” – an ode to her sister which she recorded on her first album – in the Folk Singer/ Songwriter category of the International Songwriting Competition.

“I recorded it myself,” Paysinger said.

In the end, she didn’t win but – named

“I’ve played in Silverton and Eugene a lot,” Paysinger – an alum of both Silverton High School and the University of Oregon – said. “But I know to get out there, you have to really put yourself out there. There are places I want to go see.”

Of course, the COVID-19 pandemic put all of those plans on hold. But Paysinger did not let it get her down. Instead, she focused on the recording of her second album and entered another song in this year’s Songwriting Competition.

“I am forever grateful for my dad, who has never quit on me, no matter how many times I quit on myself,” Paysinger wrote in her blog. “He helped light that fire in me as a tiny girl, and everything he’s done since to show me how much he loves me and believes in me has done more than he’ll ever know to keep that fire from going out.”

To follow Paysinger or listen to her music go to www.hannahpaysingermusic.com.

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Roaming band

COVID drives music-lover to perform unconventially

By Brenna Wiegand

Tune Tours online

While his friends were going to Cheap Trick concerts, 16-year-old Jon Deshler was hitting jazz clubs throughout the L.A. area, shooting photos of the greats through the 1970s.

Many of the Tune Tours videos Jon Deshler and crew created in the summer of 2020 can be found on Jon’s YouTube page or at www.jondeshlermusic.com

Deshler began shooting pictures and playing the trumpet at 11 in North Hollywood. In junior high his band teacher took a handful of students to a jazz festival, where he took some pictures.

Fast forward a few years.

2,000 miles. It now resides at Your Break Tavern.

“We played in places where we expected people to be and places where we didn’t expect people to be and 99% of the time people came out of the woodwork,” Deshler said. “People were smiling and joyful and would very often throw us dollars.

“Between 14 and 21, I shot over 40 jazz gigs of the most famous and infamous musicians in and around L.A.,” Deshler said. “I shot Chet Baker, Count Basie, Joe Williams and Jaco Pastorious.”

His hobby led to a long and illustrious career in photography, kicked off in 1988 when he moved to Oregon and established his first commercial studio in Southeast Portland. One of his first customers was the Oregon Symphony, for whom he spent three years as a photographer.

“I became a fairly successful creative professional in my early career in Portland and have been published in every major magazine in the world,” he said.

Yet his trumpet beckoned and about seven years ago, in his 50s, Deshler set about playing in earnest.

“I had always been a pretty good musician; I just wasn’t practicing,” he said. “I started working at getting better and began looking for other people to play with locally.”

He attended jam sessions in Portland where he met some of the top Portland jazz musicians, and then started picking up gigs of his own.

Before long, the self-taught master communicator and networker was playing steady gigs in duos, trios, and quartets all over the area, including Silverton’s Wine Bar & Bistro, Salem Arts Association’s Clay Ball and EZ Orchards Strawberry Festival.

“I started bringing Portland professionals down, and they always had a good time,” Deshler said. “We made money, and it all led to other gigs, but that was for the adults, the social hour, etcetera. I thought we should be playing for the kids.”

In gratitude for the mental and emotional health provided him by the arts, and

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Tune Tours’ Jon Deshler and his son, Nate Deshler, on break from a 2020 street performance.

SUBMITTED PHOTO

its effects on healthy human brain development, getting to kids became one of Deshler’s overriding missions.

He earned his Oregon Provisional Substitute Teacher License an hour before the governor closed the schools last March. Both the mission and the fledgling music career were sidelined by the advent of COVID-19.

The premier photographer shot videos of himself there and at Mount Angel Abbey that afternoon with his Samsung S9.

Ultimately, with all of strain in 2020, Jon gave up his studio of 10 years in Marquam.

“Through people’s reactions I realized I had inadvertently started not only some quality, much-needed communal therapy, but almost a science project about the power of music.”

“My good friend Stu (Rasmussen) has a beautiful studio in downtown Mount Angel, which I’m starting to work in and promote,” Deshler said.

All the frustration and uncertainty of this last year failed to kill Deshler’s passion and on a sunny day in late March 2020 he grabbed his trumpet, hopped onto his motorcycle and hit the road.

“Spring was starting to bust loose but everybody’s being told to be careful and stay inside,” he said. “I ended up at Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm where I’d shot an Oregon Symphony cover about 30 years ago.

“I didn’t know if anyone wanted to listen to a lone trumpet player in a tulip field, but I decided to find out.”

“I played ‘Pennies from Heaven’ at the Abbey,” he said with a smile. “A week or two later I returned with my good friend and faithful collaborator Neal Grandstaff on guitar, and we were off and running, so to speak.

Deshler dubbed his new venture Tune Tours.

“More musicians started joining me and over the summer I went to over 25 locations all over, from the Alvord Desert to Astoria, ultimately playing with seven different piano players, starting with my son.”

His son, Nate Deshler, had been the pianist for the Steamboat Willie Band on Bourbon Street in New Orleans the past five years but now found himself with time on his hands.

“That’s why I put the upright piano in the back of my truck,” Jon said. “It was there for four months and logged about

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“One time we were playing at a spot just west of Highway 101 in Newport, the Yaquina Bay Bridge in the background, and a group of homeless campers came out of the forest and handed us $20,” he said. “My improvised COVID adaptation became a passionate pursuit for everybody.

“Was it all just so I could keep playing and keep my chops up? Yes, and more,” he said. “It was also because I really believe in the power of music, sharing and Mother Nature in healing and wellbeing and, perhaps more significantly, as potent and elemental components of healthy early human development.”

Nevertheless, even an artist has got to eat.

“Our current version of a capitalist society undervalues education, and what art and artists offer to the community and to the culture,” Deshler said. “I’m always looking for meaningful collaborations and associations with significant and potent people.

“Last year, I had grown a fairly significant performance schedule, including a regular weekly Friday night gig at a very nice and historic restaurant in Portland that has now gone out of business,” Deshler said. “So, what’s a guy to do? Go outside and take a movie of yourself playing the trumpet in a tulip field?”

In Deshler’s case, the answer is a resounding yes.

February 2021 • 19

Arts & Entertainment

Talk Show

Silverton author discusses new book that almost didn’t happen

By Melissa Wagoner

“These are people who are very pivotal.”

Publishing a book wasn’t on Jeffrey Michael Tinkham’s bucket list. In fact, he’d already written a book in 2004 that was still languishing in a box somewhere and so writing another one held very little appeal. But then came an idea, one he couldn’t get out of his head – that’s how Talk Show, Tinkham’s first self-published novel, was born.

Heavy on dialogue – due to the nature of the protagonist’s profession – the storyline lent itself to Tinkham’s strengths.

“Dialogue has always been an easy thing to write,” Tinkham said. “I’ve been told I’m a good listener. So maybe that’s why.”

But there was more to the creation of Talk Show than merely putting the story on paper, completing the 307page manuscript also took two years of determination and focus.

“Talk Show was a complete surprise to me,” Tinkham said. Marveling at the ease with which the characters, plotline and even the ending poured from his pen.

“I think along this way I had some help from somewhere, because I would get a little stuck but never too stuck – it’s just a blessing when it just keeps coming.”

Characterized by Tinkham as the ideal read for “anyone who has an ear toward a little bit of supernatural fun,” Talk Show is the story of late-night television host Teddy Baxter who is struck by a malady that is “perhaps not all together terrestrial in origin.”

“It was my day-to-day job,” Tinkham said, detailing a writing schedule which kept him at his desk often from morning through late afternoon.

Jeffrey Michael Tinkham.

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“I thought it was a failing that there’d never been a treatment of late-night talk show hosts in a fictional way – not in a movie, not in a book,” Tinkham, an avid fan of the late Johnny Carson, said.

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“You know, when I think about it now, it’s really, really wonderful to have that time,” Tinkham added. He has spent the majority of his career working in real estate in Portland.

Tinkham and his wife, Carole DeMar, took turns editing the piece. Then came a difficult choice – to seek out traditional

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“I am just too old to wait around for someone to say it’s good enough to publish,” Tinkham, 55, said. “And I was fortunate that I had the time and funds to do it myself.”

Fortunately, the process proved to be exactly what Tinkham had in mind, providing him with ultimate control of the manuscript including its cover, which DeMar designed.

“I had a great time with Brown Printing in Portland,” he noted. “And going to pick up a whole trunk full of the books I wrote, that’s pretty cool.”

Promoting his books largely through social media and at talkshowthebook.com, Tinkham wants to share his book locally.

“I’m just so in love with Silverton,” he said of the town where he and DeMar settled in 2016. “It would be such an honor to share with more people in town.”

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Sports & Recreation

Football challenges

Will practice start soon?

The questions persist. Will the COVID19 spread in Oregon be contained enough for high school football practices to start Feb. 8? Or for cross country, volleyball and soccer to kick in Feb. 22? Will we have games as of March 1?

Yes, statewide case loads have shown promising trends lately, but… contact sports football, as well as basketball and wrestling are still on Gov. Kate Brown’s “no go” list.

Across the state, says OSAA executive director Peter Weber, schools already are working on schedules.

“Schools are able to arrange their own schedules for the upcoming season,” he told Our Town. “We’ve strongly encouraged local and regional play given travel considerations, etc. I believe many have schedules fairly well set but (schools) are waiting to see if the football season will actually be able to proceed.”

Silverton football coach Josh Craig told Our Town the schedule puzzle might include teams from Salem instead of

But several months of just twice-a-week practices poses obvious challenges in terms of being ready to play a game.

Challenges, it should be added, that everyone else also is facing.

Kennedy’s Joe Panuke, meanwhile, is struggling with the fact that his athletes have no access to district facilities.

the Foxes’ usual MidWillamette Conference opponents. Teams will get a maximum of six games… if the season starts on time.

“I don’t see this changing anytime soon,” he said. “So no in-person workouts are allowed. I have been encouraging the guys to get some workouts in on their own.”

Josh Craig “We’ve been working out on the turf outside in front of the weight room,” Craig said.

“Every player is masked from the second they get to the weight room to the second they leave. We’ve got players in pre-set groups to try and avoid how many players are in contact with each other. The groups rotate through stations and we make sure to sanitize any equipment we use during our workout and after.”

It’s made for a weird spring, summer, fall and now, winter.

“I have been just trying to spend time with my family and find activities and workouts Joe Panuke for my sons to try and keep them in shape and to keep their sanity as well,” Panuke said.

Craig has been juggling a new baby, the purchase of a first home and distance

teaching taking up a lot of his focus.

“I feel the worst for the players,” Craig added. “They’re the ones who thrive on routine and structure the most. It’s really tested their individual dedication to the program. With several start and stops to our practices over the holidays and COVID case spikes, there has been several reasons for our energy and player numbers to drop. However, I’m really proud to say that our entire program has maintained three teams (frosh, JV, varsity) and the players have continuously showed up every week ready to work.

“In my past years as a head coach I don’t know if I’ve been more proud a team,” he said. “All of them have handled this adversity with extraordinary resilience and maturity... Whatever happens in February, I believe we’ve already accomplished something big as a group by learning to overcome doubt and obstacles in order to come together and get work done regardless of the situation at hand.”

Follow me on Twitter.com @jameshday.

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February 2021 • 21

A Grin at the End

Pint-sized billboards Every day at noon I take a walk through the north Salem neighborhood where I work. Aside from a handful of people making their way back and forth to the grocery store, most of the people I meet have taken up residence in the nooks and crannies of the area. Isn’t this an odd thing to say: the homeless people have made their new homes here. Their colorful patchwork of tents and tarps seems to grow day by day.

Recently, I was walking and one of my new neighbors appeared to be having a particularly bad day. He stood there on the sidewalk howling and swinging has arms against an invisible enemy.

I gave him lots of room, but he spotted my hat. It had a Portland Trail Blazers logo on it.

He stopped for a minute and turned to me.

“Go Blazers,” he said. Then he turned away and continued his rant.

I always wear hats when I go for walks.

They offer some protection against

I like a good hat, but not too many Two hats become four, and four become 16. Before long I felt like a rabbit farmer keeping track of my hats.

the inevitable rain, but they also offer something just as important: identity.

In this case, my neighbor and I found common ground through my Blazers hat.

Hats are that way. Just the act of putting a hat on your head helps you make a statement. It might be an affinity for a sports team, a company – even a political stance. Veterans denote the branch of the military or the outfits they served in. In my world, all hats are welcome. It’s the First Amendment without the noise.

I should say that hats are also dangerous.

If you have a hat, the odds are that someone will jump to the conclusion that you need more hats. The rate of growth is exponential. One hat becomes two.

Some years ago, my wife evicted my burgeoning collection of hats from the house. I moved them to my office, and things only got worse. Friends, acquaintances – complete strangers – would see the hats and add to the collection.

I had to do something, so I donated them to the local homeless shelter. Soon after, I’d see what were once my hats making the rounds downtown. It was so much better than having them stacked on a bookshelf collecting dust.

I still have a supply of hats on ready alert.

After all, you can never tell when a special occasion will require a different hat.

This month I am due to have my annual physical. Along with the yearly reminder that I need to lose some (more) weight and avoid eating like a 12-year-old boy – chocolate cupcakes were banned a long time ago – I will also put on a full-court press to get the coronavirus vaccine. After

all, I’m old enough to fit the demographic of folks who should get the shots.

I realize there are lots of folks out there who say they won’t get the vaccine.

They say they don’t trust science and technology. They will broadcast this to the world using science and technology that until a few years ago didn’t exist.

Smart phones and the internet are apparently OK. After I get the vaccine, I’m going to dust off one of my other hats. It’s from the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes baseball team.

On the front is a large “V.” In addition to standing for the team, that letter will take on a new meaning: “Vaccine,” which science and technology have supplied to us to finally defeat COVID-19 and help us all get back our normal lives.

As that happens, the “V” will have yet another meaning that’s far more important. It will stand for “Victory.”

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

PUBLIC NOTICE

NorthWest Senior & Disability Services (NWSDS) is conducting a public hearing to receive community comment on its draft Area Plan.

As a state-designated Area Agency on Aging, NWSDS provides services to persons age 60 or older, and to people with disabilities age 18-64, in Clatsop, Marion, Polk, Tillamook and Yamhill counties. The Area Plan serves to guide the agency’s activities for the years 2021-2025.

Spanish and Russian interpreters will be present during the public hearing.

The draft plan will be presented at a hearing scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 18, 2021, from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., via Zoom and phone.

Phone: 877-853-5247 Zoom link: https://tinyurl.com/NWSDS-zoom Meeting ID: 954 8445 3989 Passcode: 123456

Now Accepting New Patients Conebeam & Laser Technology General & Implant Dentistry AL BORROMEO, DDS 214 Jersey Street • Silverton 503-566-7000 22 • February 2021

Русскоязычные набирают (Russian speakers dial): 267-930-4000 Код доступа (access code): 572286273 #

Para español llame al (Spanish speakers dial): 267-930-4000 Código de acceso (access code): 192671036 #

The public is invited to review the draft plan and offer comment on it at this hearing. A copy of the draft Area Plan can be accessed on-line at www.nwsds.org from Jan. 27, 2021 through Feb. 18, 2021.

To request a printed/emailed copy of the plan or for more information, call 503-304-3456; E-mail tanya.dehart@nwsds.org; or write NWSDS, P.O. Box 12189, Salem, OR 97309.

Persons requesting accessibility accommodations or interpreters should contact Tanya DeHart in the Executive Offices of NWSDS at least 48 hours in advance at 503-304-3655 [voice]; or 1-888-370-4307 [TTY]; or by E-mail at tanya.dehart@nwsds.org

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February 2021 • 23

Kirsten Barnes Broker 873-3545 ext. 326

Becky Craig Principal Broker, GRI 873-3545 ext. 313

Marcia Branstetter Broker, GRI 873-3545 ext. 318

Sarah Graves Office Manager 873-3545 ext. 300

Micha Christman Office Manager 873-1425

Michael Schmidt Principal Broker GRI 873-3545 ext. 314

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Sheila Sitzman Broker 873-3545 ext. 302

Whitney Ulven Broker 503-873-3545 ext. 320

Mike Ulven Broker 503-873-3545 ext. 312

Chuck White Broker 873-3545 ext. 325

Meredith Wertz Broker, GRI 873-3545 ext. 324

Ryan Wertz Broker, GRI 873-3545 ext. 322

Mason Branstetter Principal Broker, GRI 873-3545 ext. 303

RENTALS

#T2639 WONDERFUL LOCATION $359,900 Wonderful location, zero lot line home on the common area in Oak Knoll Estates, single level home, 3 bedroom, 2 bath, open floor plan, Kitchen open to the living space, with gas fireplace, bank of windows to enjoy the pond on the common area, low maintenance landscaping. Location is close to downtown area and all the amenities that Silverton has to offer.

Call Meredith at ext 324 or Ryan at ext. 322 (WVMLS#772779)

#T2640 ACCOMODATES EVERYONE $498,900 Great West Salem location, Home that accommodates everyone, 3 car garage, plus Living room, family room, home office. 4 BD home, open kitchen w/ cherry cabinets to the living space, plus butler pantry to formal dining room. Vaulted ceilings to look out to your oversized deck for entertaining. Extra storage, with downstairs room plumbed for additional laundry room, plus central vac. Private backyard, fully fenced, raised garden beds, shed, pavers finish off the space for easy landscaping. Call Meredith at ext 324 or Ryan at ext. 322

(WVMLS#772873)

SILVERTON

COUNTRY/ACREAGE

#T2633 BEAUTIFUL HOUSE 4 BR, 3 BA 2652 sqft Call Becky at ext. 313 $440,000 (WVMLS#770942)

#T2611 11.68 ACRES Call Chuck at ext.

325 $625,000 (WVMLS#766171)

#T2637 CLASSIC CRAFTSMAN 3 BR, 2

BA 1864 sqft Call Chuck at ext. 325 or Becky at ext. 313 $434,900 (WVMLS#771660)

#T2636 CUSTOM BUILT 3 BR, 2 BA

1736 sqft Call Sheila at ext. 302 $679,000 (WVMLS#771557)

NEW! – #T2639 WONDERFUL LOCATION 3 BR, 2 BA 1520 sqft Call Meredith at ext. 324, Ryan at ext. 322 $359,900 (WVMLS#772779)

BARELAND/LOTS #T2611 11.68 ACRES 11.68 Acres.

Silverton. Call Chuck at ext. 325 $625,000 (WVMLS#766171) #T2615 CREEK FRONTAGE .37 Acres.

Silverton. Call Michael at ext. 314 $215,000

#T2637 CLASSIC CRAFTSMAN $434,900 Family Home w/Classic Crafts-

man Style... Join the Webb Lake lifestyle w/fishing & hiking trails on the edge of Silverton. Features include 3 bedrooms; 2 baths; separate living room w/gas fireplace and stain window accent; & a great room w/combined kitchen, dining, & family living spaces; all on one level. Master bath includes tile accents, soaking tub, shower, & walk-in closet. Double car garage has access off private alley at rear of home.

Patio area outside located off family room.

Easy to show. Call Chuck at ext 325 or Becky at ext. 313 (WVMLS#771660)

MOLALLA NEW! – #T2636 AMAZING LOCATION 3 BR, 2 BA 1464 sqft Call Becky at ext. 313 $490,000 (WVMLS#772566)

SALEM

2 level commercial building in Mt. Angel. Amazing centralized location. 4625 sq ft. Truck bay for easy loading and unloading. Kitchen area, 2 restrooms. 1 enclosed office space on the main level with 2 extra office spaces upstairs. $2500/mo. Tenant pays all utilities. Call for Micha or Sarah at 503-873-1425 more information.

NEW! – #T2640 ACCOMODATES EVERYONE 4 BR, 2.5 BA 2957 sqft, West Salem. Call Meredith at ext. 324, Ryan at ext. 322 $498,900 (WVMLS#772873)

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Rentals available in

Silverton and Surrounding Areas. For Rental info call Micha or Sarah at

503-873-1425 or check BROKERS ARE LICENSED IN OREGON

24 • February 2021

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