Our Town North: February 15, 2020

Civics 101

Helping Hands

School board votes for training in lieu of censure – Page 9

Open Doors gives special needs adults a place to engage – Page 4

Vol. 17 No. 4

COMMUNITY NEWS

Serving Mt. Angel, Silverton and Scotts Mills

February 2020

Preview the 20th Silverton Poetry Festival

– Page 5

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

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Sports & Recreation

Silverton girls bowling team head to state – Page 8

In Memory Of …

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Our Town Life

Contents

February 2020

CONGRATULATIONS TO ROSE HOPE

Silverton Senior Center’s Volunteer of the Year!

SILVERTON SENIOR CENTER 115 Westfield Street • Silverton • 503-873-3093

8 Helping Hands

Open Doors assists challenged youth with housing, support.........4 Arts & Entertainment

20th Poetry Festival arrives..........5 Silverton life inspires author’s first novel..................................... 6 Sports & Recreation

Silverton Girls Bowling moves up in State.................................8

SUBMITTED PHOTO

Wine Tasting & Appetizer Pairing

Civics 101

SFSD and educators association resolve contract...........................9 City of Silverton seeks proposals for Civic Center......................................9 School board votes for training over censure............................................9 People Out Loud.............10

Saturday, Feb. 29 • 4-7 p.m.

A Pop-Up Party Celebrating Mardi Gras Featuring five Wineries showcasing their wonderful wines and what delicious appetizers that pair the best together…

Great information for hosting holiday parties and get togethers.

The Silverton Senior Center is partnering with local wineries to make this spectacular Happy Hour Event possible. Tickets are $50 and include a free sample ticket, entry for door prizes and awesome appetizers. Wine will be available for purchase as well.

Tickets on sale at the Silverton Senior Center at 115 Westfield St. in person with cash, check or card via PayPal or over the phone. Deadline to purchase tickets is Feb. 25, 2020. Limited tickets available.

Questions? Call 503-873-3093. Tickets will not be sold at the door.

Marketplace....................11

SAVE THE DATES!

On the Cover

An excerpt from African American poet Jessie Redmon Fauset’s ode to dynamic weather in “Rain Fugue” from the August 1924 edition of The Crisis magazine (Vol. 28, No. 4).

401 Oak St. Silverton, OR 97381 • P.O. Box 927 Mount Angel, OR 97362 Tel: 503-845-9499 ourtown@mtangelpub.com www.mtangelpub.com Check out

ourtownlive.com The deadline for placing an ad in the March 1 edition is Friday, Feb. 20.

Submissions for The Forum or Passages are due Feb. 20.

ARTWORKS RESOURCED FROM LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, PRINTS & PHOTOGRAPHS DIVISION: THE COMING STORM (LANDSCAPE) GEORGE INNESS, 1878 [LC-DIG-DET-4A26145]; BURN! BURN! (HEARTH) A.B. FROST, 1900, ALFRED BENDINER MEMORIAL COLLECTION [2010715940]; UCHŪ NO SINKYŌ (RAIN) KONEN UEHARA, PRE-1920 [LC-DIG-JPD-01810]; THE BIBLE AS A LIBRARY (BOOK SPINES) HENRY SEIBERT & BROS., CO., 1898 [LC-DIG-PPMSCA-58469].

MONTAGE & COLORING BY COPPERGLANCE.

Correction In the Feb. 1 edition of Our Town, profiling Judy Schmidt Distinguished Service Award winners Bill and Sylvia Long, we labeled Bill’s name incorrectly in a few instances. We regret the error and have corrected the web versions of the story for posterity.

Ready to Buy or Sell?

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Email: ourtown.life@mtangelpub.com Submissions for March’s Datebook are due Feb. 20.

Email: datebook@mtangelpub.com Our Town is mailed free to residents and businesses in the 97362, 97375, 97381 zip codes. Subscriptions for outside this area are available for $48 annually.

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Coming Soon...

June 27, 10 am to 4 pm in Downtown – a Community Event celebrating Dogs for Dog Owners and those who LOVE Dogs! Bring your pooch and party!

Information booths, services, food… and FUN! Doggie Fashion show that you can enter your dog in… or how about a Look-Alike Contest?

Do you look like your Pug? Or does your dog resemble Lassie or Silverton’s famous Bobbie? Is it the biggest? Smallest? Ugliest? Hairiest? Does your pup do tricks? Have your photo taken in the fun Photo Booth, and so much more.

This community wide event invites everyone to come celebrate Dogs… BUT we need A NAME for this event… any ideas? Submit your suggestions for “Name the Event” Contest by March 15, 2020 to the Silverton Senior Center at 115 Westfield St. Open to all ages. $50 for winning

Line Dance Party Sunday, March 15 at 2:00 pm. $10.

All ages welcome! Light refreshments & beverages provided.

St. Patrick’s Day theme – wear GREEN! More info coming!

Want to learn to Line Dance first?

Classes starting Feb. 18 – March 10… just in time for the Party.

Classes are $50 for all four weeks.

Call to register 503-873-3093.

Silverton Senior Center’s 10th Anniversary Celebration July 24, 2020. Yes, that’s right, the Silverton Senior Center will be 10 years old and it is time to celebrate! Be watching for more information coming soon! entry. Also, vendor spaces available for $50. Electricity available. If interested contact Dodie for application.

Anything related to Dogs or food especially. Deadline for vendor applications is April 1, 2020.

Be sure to LIKE the Silverton Senior Centeron Facebook, where monthly events are listed and be sure to check out our website

www.silvertonseniorcenter.org

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February 2020 • 3

Helping Hands

Open Doors

Changing lives one cup, one project at a time

By Dixon Bledsoe

Award recipient, became friends with Shaw through the store, and shares the same benevolent goals. Griffin worked with many of the same population of kids at Silverton High School. Now he is a trustee of Open Doors and works with the young adults in activities they can enjoy with others of similar ages and circumstances.

Imagine a young adult, just finishing high school and heading out into the world for college, work or travel. A challenging time for an 18-year-old, right? Both exciting and scary.

Now imagine an 18-year-old with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

She had a support system in high school, from counselors to aides, from teachers to friends with similar challenges. He had activities and clubs and maybe a network of friends, too.

Many kids with special challenges may not be the best candidates for the college experience. Where do they go? Where do they live? Where do they fit?

Curt Shaw, founder of Open Doors Charitable Trust and one of its four trustees, has some answers. He saw a problem for this post-high school group of youth needing an extra hand, a warm bed, and a network of support, and came up with a solution.

These young people need housing which many non-profits identify as a key challenge for their clients. So, Shaw came up with an idea with a goal to get them that housing at an affordable rate.

Shaw encountered Bert Ortiz, owner of Tico’s Coffee out of Stayton. Ortiz’s company roasts coffee and sells it both wholesale and retail. Tico’s donates a sizable part of its profits to Open Doors to buy housing for these special young adults, who can live somewhat independently, and then rent it at half the market rate.

“Open Doors Charitable Trust (a 501-c(3)) provides non-profits serving individuals experiencing intellectual and developmental

Former Silverton Mayor Stu Rasmussen offered to let Griffin and his group meet at the Mt. Angel Performing Arts Center. There youths meet regularly to learn about theater, and music will be introduced as well as other arts activities.

Left to right: Open Doors Charitable Trust founder, Curt Shaw, Bert Ortiz of Tico’s Coffee, Darin Rybloom of Roth’s, and Anthony Arriaga, Business Development Manager of Open Doors.

SUBMITTED PHOTO

disabilities with access to affordable housing resources so they can expand their own services,” said Shaw. “These nonprofits deliver shelter, along with such services as vocational rehabilitation, life and job skills training to increase self-worth, community involvement, and instill a sense of purpose.”

Shaw continues: “Our goal in five years is to be at $1 billion in asset value. We need to recruit people to assist with finding the applicable non-profits... It is the Paul Newman model to feed revenue into the trust and then secure properties with the assets obviously staying in the trust and appreciating.”

“Right now we are seeking enough revenue to secure the next house free-and -lear and we should have another three by the end of this year at the minimum,” said Anthony Arriaga, another trustee

and business development manager.

“But we also have an educational and job board component, where people can locate a non-profit in their area offering the services they need, as well as links to potential jobs.”

These are exciting times for Open Doors.

They have recently worked with Roth’s Fresh Markets. Tico’s Coffee with the Open Doors sticker on the bag is now in nine stores.

“We are excited about carrying Tico’s Coffee in all nine stores and supporting the Open Doors program,” said Darin Rybloom, Director of Grocery Buying at Roth’s.

Roth’s has been a conduit in another regard. Kevin Griffin, a Roth’s employee and 2013 Silverton Chamber of Commerce Distinguished Service

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“They are terrific young people, and working with Curt and Open Doors has been a natural progression,” Griffin said.

“They are great young adults who need outlets for expression, social networking, and housing. This is just a wonderful adventure.”

Ortiz, of Tico’s Coffee, agrees: “I am happy to help such a worthwhile cause. Of course, we want to sell coffee and expand our wholesale and retail capabilities, but with a benevolent focus to helping these young people. It is a joy.”

Kate Tarter is the fourth trustee for Open Doors Charitable Trust.

“It is evolving,” she said. “Originally, I helped Curt ad Kevin find resources to help one individual with mental health issues and facing homelessness. Matching families who have a child with Intellectual and/or Developmental Disabilities (ID/ DD) is my passion and niche. It comes naturally from being the parent of a child with an ID/DD.” For more information, go to www.opendoors-ct.org. 503-409-6700.

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Arts & Entertainment

Plurality of voices

By Brenna Wiegand Fast approaching, the Silverton Poetry Festival beckons with opportunities to try something new.

It’s where you can meet prominent Northwest poets reading from their work, share a favorite poem of your own or one you’ve written, or try your hand at it through a poetry workshop.

In its 20 years Silverton Poetry Association’s annual festival has grown to include seven featured poets from around the Northwest, an open mic session and more ways to experience the “life poetic,” as poet and festival founder Steve Slemenda puts it.

Kelley Morehouse has also been there from the beginning and is quick to credit the festival’s success to dedicated volunteers, collaborative relationships with local entities and the many modest donations that have sustained the group.

“We’ve had people who have been on our board eight, 10 years which is remarkable,” Morehouse said. “Our volunteers do all kinds of things: make posters, serve on the board, facilitate events, serve food, handle PR… “The community has been so important to the [Poetry Association] because the businesses and venues have worked with us,” she said. “Our donations are usually $25, $30 and we’re able to make it through every year and pay honorariums to the poets.”

Silverton Poetry Association celebrates 20th festival

The festival draws its talent from the larger Willamette Valley. It’s important, Morehouse said, to honor the poets’ work and provide them a place to read.

“Our poets have been so pleased to read in Silverton,” Morehouse said. “They think the audience is especially attentive. When that happens you know you’re being heard; that your words are meaningful to people...

It’s a real amazing interaction.”

The group is especially pleased to be able to include Fr. Jeremy Driscoll in its Feast of Poets on Sunday.

In addition to his position as abbot of Mount Angel Abbey, Fr. Driscoll is a poet and author who has taught theology at Mount Angel Seminary for nearly 40 years. For the past 25 years he has traveled to Rome to teach a semester at the Pontifical University of Sant’Anselmo.

“We never could get him before because he’s always in Italy this time of year so this is a very special opportunity and the only weekend in February he could do it,” Morehouse said.

Fr. Driscoll is joined by Floyd Skloot and Marilyn Johnston, both returning poets.

Skloot has written about love and memory, the search for meaning through personal loss and “the struggle for coherence in a fragmented world.” Some of his work concerns his experience with neurological damage caused by a virus he contracted in 1988.

The poetry of Salem’s Marilyn Johnston

has appeared in a wide variety of literary journals and anthologies. She is committed to facilitating writing workshops designed for people who have been through battle, regardless of how that is defined.

The evening is followed by a “feast of delectable foods,” including the chance to try some beers produced by the abbey’s Benedictine Brewery.

“The (abbey) library has been such an excellent venue for us to have poetry readings,” Morehouse said. “The Finnish architect Alvar Aalto constructed the auditorium like a throat where the sound can resonate into the space... It’s a littleknown fact that the books provide the only color in the building.”

The poetry festival kicks off Friday night with the Featured Poets Reading with jazz-musician/poet Emmett Wheatfall of Portland and feminist poet Penelope Schott who taught poetry at Thomas Edison State College in New Jersey.

Saturday night’s Talking Poets session features readings by valley-based poet Lex Runciman and Jessica Mehta, citizen of the Cherokee Nation, multi-awardwinning poet and the author of more than a dozen books.

“It’s very interesting when people can share their writing process and Steve Slemenda is so good at facilitating a conversation,” Morehouse said. “We’ll talk about their process and how they make their decisions about their poems.”

Silverton Poetry Festival Friday, Feb. 21 Featured Poets Reading Gordon House, 869 W. Main St., 7 p.m. Poets: Emmet Wheatfall and Penelope Schott. Free.

Saturday, Feb. 22 Open Mic/Favorite Poem Project Silver Falls Library, 410 S. Water St., 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Free.

Poetry Workshop Silverton Arts Association, 303 Coolidge St., 2:30 - 4:15 p.m.

Led by featured poet Penelope Schott. Limited to 12; cost, $30.

Register by sending a check to Silverton Poetry Association, P.O. Box 929, Silverton, OR 97381.

Talking Poets Creekside Grill, 242 S. Water St. , 7 p.m.

Poets: Jessica Mehta and Lex Runciman. Free.

Sunday, Feb. 23 Feast of Poets Mount Angel Abbey auditorium, 1 Abbey Drive, St. Benedict, 1:30 - 3:30 p.m. Poets: Marilyn Johnston, Fr. Jeremy Driscoll and Floyd Skloot. Event followed by a culinary feast and social time. Free.

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Setting it free

By Melissa Wagoner It’s been 10 years since Silverton author Lisa Gerlits put pen to paper and began writing a book about a young, aspiring artist, Clarity Kartoffel, and her adventures growing up in a small town – very much like Silverton.

“She thinks that in order to be a real artist she has to suffer,” Gerlits said of the book’s premise. “So, she goes about trying to make herself suffer.”

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And suffering, in Clarity’s world, takes many forms. Already saddled with an unusual name and with a crippling fear of public speaking, Clarity decides to take her suffering one step further and embrace every challenge that comes her way, including the befriending of a neighbor who teaches her what it really means to be an artist.

“This book is for any kid but especially any kid who is creative,” Gerlits said.

“Any kid who worries that they might be different – and isn’t that any kid? – any kid who sees the world a little differently, any kid who has had a loss. I wrote the kind of book I like to read.”

Inspired by the likes of Katherine Paterson’s Jacob Have I Loved, Kate DiCamillo’s The Tale of Despereaux and Gary Paulsen’s Hatchet, Gerlits spent much of her childhood exploring the world through books.

“My mother read to me a lot and I would make up stories,” Gerlits remembered.

“When I was a kid, I would write books and illustrate them. And I would make up plays and make my siblings and foster siblings act them out.”

So, when it came time to seek out a vocation, for Gerlits, there was never any question what she wanted to do – write.

“I first started writing picture books when my son was a toddler and I was reading a lot of picture books,” Gerlits said. “But it’s really hard to break into the picture book industry and writing a successful picture book is way harder than I understood.”

That’s when Gerlits made her leap to middle-grade fiction – which typically targets age eight to 12 – and there she found her calling.

“With middle-grade books it’s all about exploring the world – the magical, wonderful, amazing world – and coming back home,” Gerlits said. “I really like the wonderous stage – the exploration of the world from a safe place. And they’re dealing with big things but they’re not dealing with everything.”

Gerlits, who grew up in Silverton, enjoyed pulling from her own experience while writing this, her first published novel, A Many Feathered Thing, set to be released on March 1.

“I was a girl growing up in a small town in Oregon that wanted to be an artist,” Gerlits said, noting the similarities between her own childhood and that

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Silverton author releases first novel She has also found inspiration in her three children; Alexander, 13; Mieke, 7 and Annabel, 10 – to whom she dedicated the book.

At last, Gerlits is taking a moment to bask in the glow of seeing her first book in print at last.

“When I start to talk about how long it took, it makes me really excited that it’s coming out,” Gerlits said. “I’m really glad that I stuck with it. It really is exciting that it’s right around the corner.”

Lisa Gerlits.

MELISSA WAGONER

of her protagonist. “And if people from Silverton read the book, they will find some familiar landmarks – Danger Hill, Rock Street, the 400-year-old Oak from The Oregon Garden. There are some names I’ve kept but they might not be in the same places.”

With the extensive writing, editing and submission process finally behind her, Gerlits is focusing on a new segment of the journey – promotion. A book release party for A Many Feathered Thing is planned for Saturday, Feb. 29, 1 to 3 p.m. at Silver Falls Library, 410 S. Water St., Silverton with a reading and signing, with copies for sale.

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“I really hope that the kids who need a story like this – that it reaches them,” she said. “I think there’s probably a lot of kids who could use a story like this.”

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February 2020 • 7

Sports & Recreation

Bowling stars

Silverton girls advance to state

The Silverton High girls bowling squad is headed to the state tournament after winning the District 2 qualifying event Jan. 18 at Town & Country Lanes in Keizer.

The Foxes will compete Feb. 22-23 in the USBC state event at Firebird Lanes in Salem.

Silverton downed Sprague of Salem in the two-game championship match, outscoring the Olympians 251-237. Dallas and McKay also participated.

Competing for Silverton were sophomores Cassi Rooke, Lily Fowler and Kylie Hettwer and freshmen Shelby Copeland and Katherine Howe.

Silverton also dominated the all-stars list compiled during the tournament, with Copeland and Rooke finishing first and second, respectively, with Hettwer (4th), Howe (9th) and Fowler (12th).

“The girls bowled great,” said coach Kayla Sattler. “They had so much fun and overall it was just a great competition. I expect the girls to give it their all but have fun while

anchor on the offensive line that helped lead the Foxes to a 10-2 record and a spot in the Class 5A semifinals. Clements and his mates helped open the holes for Hayden Roth, Nathan Kuenzi and Jordan McCarty. doing it and bring back the state title.”

The Silverton boys squad, coached

by Daniel Holden, took sixth in the district meet. McKay won the title.

Also participating were Sprague, Dallas, McNary and South Salem.

Bowling for the Foxes were Markian Anfilofieff, Tyler Blank, Kyle Chadwick and Matthew Hix. Chadwick was 11th, Blank 12th and Anfilofieff 14th and Hix 30th on the boys all-stars list.

Football: Senior offensive lineman Jackson Clements has signed to play college football at Azusa Pacific University in California.

The Cougars are in the Pacific West Conference and play in NCAA’s Division II. The 6-4, 270-pound Clements was an

Wendell Lee Foote

Aug. 9, 1931 – Jan. 22, 2020

Wendell Lee Foote was born on Aug. 9, 1931 in Mount Vernon, Ohio. Upon graduating from high school, Wendell joined the US Navy and was a triage medic during the Korean War. After leaving the Navy, Wendell went to Otterbein University in Westerville Ohio, where he studied Chemistry and played football, while also meeting his wife Judith Ann Lovejoy (deceased 2006) from Johnstown, Pennsylvania.

The Foxes scored 465 points in 12 games, an average of 38.75 points per game.

Their offense ranked fifth in Class 5A. Clements, who earned honorable mention on the all-Special District 3 all-stars, signed his letter Feb. 5 at the school.

Basketball: The Kennedy girls won the Tri-River Conference title with a 70-25 win Feb. 7 vs. Chemawa. The Trojans, 13-0 in league, are ranked No. 1 in Class 2A and will play a home game in the state playoffs on Feb. 28. A win there could lead to the state quarterfinals in Pendleton.

The Kennedy boys, meanwhile, are 12-3 in league and battling with Santiam and Sheridan for the No. 2 spot behind Western Christian. The Tri-River receives just two automatic state playoff bids, but the bracket includes four at-large teams.

Julie Bersin

Donations in his honor are appreciated to Silverton Area Community Aid (SACA), an organization he and Judy supported over many years.

8 • February 2020

Matthew Morrow (113 pounds) of JFK, meanwhile, is ranked seventh in Class 2A. Swimming: The Silverton Aqua Foxes are seeking glory this weekend at the MidWillamette Conference meet at Osborn Aquatic Center in Corvallis. See the Our Town Facebook page for a full report.

Follow me on Twitter.com @jameshday.

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Throughout Wendell’s life, he remained a staunch advocate for education in the sciences, donating time and money to Otterbein University, where he served on the campaign committee for the Science Center and created the Foote Atrium in the Science Center, while also funding the All-Star Corridor in the Clements Recreation Center, celebrating the excellence and achievement of Otterbein athletes. Wendell and Judy endowed a science fund at Linfield College, where both of his children achieved their undergraduate degrees. Wendell always had a strong love of high school and small college football, attending Silverton Foxes and Linfield Wildcats games whenever he could manage, as well as being a lifelong fan of his Ohio State Buckeyes.

Wendell is survived by his daughter Lauren, son-in-law Dean and granddaughters Marin and Amara Christensen from Portland, Oregon, in addition to his son David, daughter-in-law Deanna and grandsons Jack, William and Thomas Foote from Austin, Texas.

Wrestling: Silverton is ranked No. 8 by the Oregon Wrestling Forum, with two-time state champion Kaden Kuenzi ranked No. 1 at 126 pounds. Owen Magill (195) is ranked third, while Matthew Guenther (138), Kody Koumentis (145) and Nathan Kuenzi (170) all ranked fifth.

The Foxes participate in the midWillamette Conference district meet Feb. 21-22 at the Salem Armory.

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Following college in 1960, they soon married, moving to Terrace Park Ohio, a suburb of Cincinnati, where they started their life and family together.

In 1969, Wendell and Judy moved their family to Silverton, Oregon as he started his business Specialty Polymers Inc., in Salem which eventually moved to Woodburn.

The Silverton boys and girls are both 10-0 in the Mid-Willamette, with the girls ranked No. 1 and the boys No. 2. Both teams had six games left in the league season at Our Town’s presstime and were not yet in position to clinch league titles.

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Civics 101

Contracted

Civic Center

Uncensured

By Brenna Wiegand

By James Day

By Brenna Wiegand

It took eight months, but Silver Falls School District and Silver Falls Education Association have shaken hands on a contract.

The plan to build a new Civic Center complex in Silverton has moved another step forward.

Move forward with training, not censure, was the direction from the Silver Falls School District Board Feb. 10. On a 6-1 vote, additional training was endorsed as the appropriate response to the Nov. 25 citizen complaint lodged against five board members.

School district, teachers agree Silverton seeking proposals

The school board ratified a three-year contract Feb. 3.

Silver Falls School District Assistant Superintendent Dan Busch said the administration made a special effort to get teachers their retroactive pay, providing educators the reimbursement along with their paychecks for February.

“That was something that the district really wanted to be able to do for our teachers,” Busch said. “As bargaining was winding down, we made a verbal commitment to provide that retroactive check within 30 days.”

“We think it’s pretty cool, too,” Michelle Stadeli, Silver Falls Education Association President said. “We appreciate their willingness to pay us in a lump sum; we’re all looking forward to that February check for sure.”

The current year’s compensation schedule includes a 6 percent increase: a 3 percent one-time market adjustment and a 3 percent Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA).

The 2020-21 salary schedule will include a 3 percent COLA, and in 2021-22 a 4 percent COLA will be applied.

“I’m glad we were able to invest in our teachers’ salaries because they work really hard,” Busch said.

This year the teacher’s union pushed for extensive language and policy changes providing teachers with greater protection in areas that include teacher evaluations, grading disputes and involuntary transfers.

Other revisions include more funds for personal development, three rather than two personal leave days and a guaranteed prep period.

“We feel like with the things that were most important to us, as far as the language pieces go, we were able to get some stronger language in there that will offer important protections for our teachers,” Stadeli said.

“While this process took longer than either side would have liked it to, I really feel like both sides were trying to listen and understand each other’s perspectives,” Busch said. “The relationship between the teachers’ association and school district leadership is going to be reliant on keeping communication open and working to solve problems before they become bigger issues.”

“It was a long haul for sure,” Stadeli said. “We’re very happy with the outcome of the contract; we really got everything that we needed. It was a lot of back and forth and trying to be responsive to what we were hearing but also sticking with what we needed for our members.

“There’s always an aspect of bargaining that feels adversarial because you’re both fighting for different outcomes,” Stadeli said. “I really do believe that with our contract being closed we can start looking at what it means to move forward.”

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The city has issued a request for proposals from architectural design firms who want to participate in the project. Firms were required to attend a pre-submission meeting Tuesday, Feb. 11, with the final deadline for proposals set for Feb. 26.

Silverton is planning to build the new civic complex on 3.46 acres that once was occupied by Eugene Field School. The school closed in the spring of 2016 and was demolished last February.

The city is planning a two-phase project that would start with the police station and add a city hall in a second phase. The current police/city hall building a few blocks away on South Water Street was built in 1925 and is not seismically safe.

The fiscal year 2018-19 city budget for the project was $1,056,386, which paid for hazardous material abatement and the razing of the structure. A total of $731,931 is being spent in the 2019-20 budget on preliminary conceptual planning, a space needs analysis and architectural design.

Silverton City Manager Christy Wurster said the city hopes to complete construction of the police facility during the 2021-22 budget year, with the new city hall approximately five years after that. The timetables are dependent on securing funding for the project, she said.

‘Bene-fat’ Chili Cook-off supports ASAP program off to benefit The sixth annual Chili Cookool program for Silverton’s ASAP, an after sch Tuesday, Feb. 25, middle schoolers, is slated for United Methodist 5 - 6:30 p.m. at the Silverton W. Main St. Church community hall, 203 s year: the Silverton There are four contestants thi and consistent Fire District, a previous winner event; the Silverton competitor every year at the a previous winner High Culinary Arts Program, er School Activities and 2019 runner-up; the Aft the Silverton Program, the 2019 winner; and t time. firs Kiwanis Club, entering for the li, baked potato, The evening includes fun, chi to ASAP volunteer drink, and dessert according nation is adults Donna Eberle. Suggested do $20. Cash, or checks $10, children $5, or families epted at the door. payable to ASAP, will be acc

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School board opts for training

The complaint charges challenged the way board members followed – or did not follow – district policy, particularly on confidentiality and communications. The complaint was investigated by two district-hired attorneys, each submitting an independent report. The initial conclusion found that Janet Allanach and Lori McLaughlin were not members of the board when they participated in the electronic chain of communications submitted as evidence, and therefore not bound by board policies.

Subsequent review noted participation by board members Shelly Nealon, Jonathan Edmonds, and Jennifer Traeger was subject to question.

Board member Tom Buchholz, tasked with facilitating the board’s response to the reports, prepared a censure proposal of board member Nealon. Edmonds and Traeger were not recommended for censure due to their contriteness and willingness to submit to any further measures directed by their colleagues.

More than one board member expressed dismay at what they termed Nealon’s “defiance” and an unwillingness to “own” her mistakes. They cited her recent email to the board “advancing her position” during the school district/ teachers union contract negotiations, an action contrary to board policy. The contract was board-ratified Feb. 3.

Nealon said a verbal apology does not carry the weight of proving oneself in future actions. Her attorney, James McDermott of Ball Janik LLP, emailed a Feb. 10, seven-point response to the district findings, supporting Nealon’s actions and challenging the other attorneys’ conclusions.

He suggested a “collaborative process should begin with Ms. Nealon receiving an apology for what she has had to endure” and the SFSD board reimburse her for all attorney’s fees incurred as a consequence of an “unnecessary ‘investigation.’”

Though at least two additional board members said they came ready to vote for the censure, the ultimate board position was to reword the document from censure to a commitment to training focused on the policies in question. Training is to be completed by Aug. 31. In the end, Buchholz was the sole vote in favor of censure.

The next day, Board President Jonathan Edwards said that such trainings are typically held at regular board meetings and are therefore likely to include the entire board.

February 2020 • 9

People Out Loud

Phase II

Community rallies to keep Jason Franz’s memory – and dream – alive

Jason Franz was a special human being.

He liked kids. He loved to board on skates and snow, and bike whenever he could. He looked for ways to say “yes” and did so way more times than not. His bike shop, Fall Line, was a hub of activity for young and old alike. His barely-one-person shop was Silverton’s Business of the Year a few years back. He was friends with the iconic and inimitable public servant, Judy Schmidt, and working tirelessly together, we got a beautiful skate park.

Sadly, Schmidt passed away in 2014 and we just lost Jason this past October unexpectedly of a heart attack, doing something he loved – mountain biking at Silver Falls State Park. At his vigil, there were so many people and so many stories, told by kids and adults alike, all about what Jason had done for them and what he meant to them personally. The village was shocked by his death, and united in his love for this community, its kids, and service to them without a catch. That was Jason.

Now, the community wants to say thanks.

The Silverton City Council gave a local

committee the green light to move forward on Phase II of the Skatepark. There will be some new features for beginners, because newbies might be intimidated by some of the “pros” displaying their skills in the Phase I park. There will be lighting, and a memorial to Jason. Ethan Piaskowski and Dakota Becerra, two of Jason’s skaters, will play in integral part in the development of Phase II, as will Banyon Boyd, a boarder, a Silverton High School teacher and good friend of Jason’s.

Cash Miranda and Lincoln Echo-Hawk are also friends with key involvement. The Silverton Chamber of Commerce collected $2,000 at, not surprisingly, Judy’s Party, an annual event in Schmidt’s honor that raises funds for non-profits and noble causes.

The Silver Fox Foundation, a benevolent group if ever there was one, having raised and donated hundreds of thousands of dollars in youth scholarships and activities, will serve as the 501 (c) (3) non-profit handling the donations. Chuck White will receive donations to Phase II for the Silver Fox Foundation. Checks can be mailed to: Silver Fox Foundation, c/o Chuck White, P.O. Box 352, Silverton, OR 97381.

Piaskowski and Becerra are full of ideas to make the park user-friendly for new skateboarders, using the land wisely and as efficiently as possible, and recruiting enthusiasts willing to put in some sweat equity through physical labor to keep costs down.

Lay people may not know what “building a snake run” entails or what a “quarter pike” is, but Piaskowski and Becerra do, and know what Jason envisioned. One of those visions was bringing in new skaters and using older skaters to mentor them. Scott Clum, another good friend of Franz’s and an adult who knows a lot about skate parks, will work with the others in drawing

up a plan that includes several new additions. Then the group will work with Dreamland, which built Phase I. Sue Roessler has been a behind-the scenes driving force behind the group charged with the task of bringing Franz’s Phase II dream to fruition. She puts it simply, “This will take all of us, and many, many more people to make it happen. I call this my ‘Jason Franz Memorial Group.’ Let’s keep the momentum going.”

Fundraising will begin shortly. It will include the sale of T-shirts and placing jars all around the city at local businesses (thanks to Jane Jones), kid-friendly venues, the high school and other schools.

Look for a jar near you and look for some spare dollars in your wallet. This is a community effort to remember two people who put community first, always. We lost them way too soon, but we can keep their memories, and the dreams, alive. Helping kids, improving quality of life here, and simply saying thanks to a home-town hero.

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February 2020 • 11

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