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97381 zip codes. Subscriptions for outside this area are $48 annually. The deadline for placing an ad in the Oct. 1 issue is Sept. 20. Thank you for spending time with Our Town. Your comments and suggestions are always welcome.
An open invitation
Our Town hosted its first Coffee Chat this week. You may have seen the ad in the Sept. 1 edition or on our Facebook page. We invited readers to join us for a cup of coffee in the middle of a Tuesday morning.
The upstairs room at Little Leaf Café on Water Street in Silverton proved a lovely and comfortable setting.
We shared some insights into how Our Town operates, and asked for ideas on what folks would like to see in their paper.
The editorial crew – James Day, Stephen Floyd, Melissa Wagoner and Tavis BettoliLotten – joined in with about ten guests and we discussed ideas for inclusion or improvement.
Topics included letters to the editor, business coverage, use of photos, generation-specific information needs – both for seniors and high schoolers, phones/social media and loneliness… Ideas were wideranging.
It was a friendly group in a bright setting and there were plenty of positive comments.
There was also passing mention of areas where our coverage had improved. That was gratifying, but it also means there was a time when some coverage was perceived as less than adequate. So, I want to share what I told those around the table: Speak up!
If we don’t know something is lacking or missing, we’re not likely to improve.
If there’s a reason we can’t address an idea or topic, I’ll do my best to explain. Our good intentions are boundless; our resources have limits. We can, however, reshape priorities.
Have ideas you’d like to share? Plan to join us in January. We’ll host another gathering and make sure there’s plenty of room around the table. Watch the paper for details.
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Something to Talk About
Ad astra Silverton native Don Pettit takes on historic fourth space mission
By Stephen Floyd
Silverton native Don Pettit has become the oldest astronaut to join a long-term space mission after returning to the International Space Station (ISS) Sept. 11 for a six-month scientific assignment.
Pettit, 69, has spent the last two-and-a-half years training for the mission, which will be his first since 2012 and fourth space flight overall.
He is expected to conduct hundreds of research investigations that will help NASA and its partners prepare for broader missions including sending teams to the moon and Mars.
Pettit is also expected to bring back his popular “Saturday Morning Science” video series, to be rebranded as “Science of Opportunity.”
Our Town reached out to NASA for comment on Pettit’s mission and from Pettit himself and did not hear back by presstime.
Pettit did speak extensively about his new mission July 17 for Houston We Have A Podcast, a production of the Johnson Space Center. He told host Kenna Pell that returning to the weightlessness of the ISS will “be like going home.”
“I am jazzed, I am excited, I am ready to go,” said Pettit.
This article also incorporates mission data published by NASA and at www.spacefacts.de/.
Bitten by the space bug
Pettit was born April 20, 1955, to Dr. Virgil Pettit and his wife Ethyl. He spent his formative years in Silverton, including graduating from Silverton High School in 1973.
He went on to earn a bachelor of science in chemical engineering from Oregon State University in 1978, and a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from the University of Arizona in 1983.
He currently lives in Houston, Texas, with wife Micki Pettit and their two sons.
Don Pettit told Pell he first felt inspired to become an astronaut while still a child in Silverton. In 1962 at the age of six, Pettit heard a radio broadcast describing John Glenn becoming the first man to orbit the Earth that February.
“I thought, ‘Wow, that’s really cool.’ I want to be an astronaut,” he said.
While Pettit will be the oldest astronaut on a long-term mission, the oldest astronaut on any NASA mission was Glenn in 1998 when he spent nine days aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery at age 77.
Pettit got his first chance to become a NASA astronaut
in 1984 when the agency opened up applications. Having earned his Ph.D. the year before, Pettit qualified as a mission specialist.
He made it as far as interviewing in person at the Johnson Space Center but was ultimately not selected. Pettit told Pell he could not give into rejection because he “was bitten by the space bug” and would continue to apply.
Pettit started work that year at the Los Alamos National Laboratory on projects such as studying fluid dynamics in low gravity.
Pettit applied for NASA again in 1987 and 1994. Both times he made it to an interview and both times he was not selected for the program.
By 1996 NASA was open to selecting a greater number of applicants in preparation for the ISS, which was to launch two years later. Pettit said he had also grown as a person since he first applied 11 years before, crediting his marriage to Micki as an experience that had helped him mature.
After applying a fourth time, Pettit was among 35 astronauts selected to join NASA. He launched a career that would be marked by multiple firsts and turning points.
Crisis on first flight
Pettit’s inaugural space mission launched Nov. 23, 2002. His team was assigned to conduct experiments and deliver a new compartment for the ISS. Pettit went on two space walks during the mission, both lasting more than six hours.
At first he had not expected to fly, as he was originally a backup crew member. Then astronaut Don Thomas was pulled from the mission over concerns about his longterm exposure to solar radiation (it would have been Thomas’ fifth mission) and Pettit filled in.
His team expected to be in space until March of 2003. Then on Feb. 1, 2003, Space Shuttle Columbia was destroyed on re-entry, prompting a suspension of NASA’s shuttle program.
This extended Pettit’s mission by roughly three months until his team was able to return in a Russian Soyuz capsule on May 3, 2003. It marked the first time a Soyuz was utilized as a lifeboat, according to SpaceFacts.
Even this was not the end of a harrowing return. The capsule landed 300 miles off-course from the landing point in Kazakhstan when a computer malfunction forced a ballistic re-entry. It took ground crews a dayand-a-half to rescue the team, according to NASA. SpaceFacts said Pettit badly injured his shoulder during the landing.
A hero’s welcome
The space bug was still doing its work and Pettit received his second space mission assignment to help with updates to the ISS in late 2008.
While he prepared for this mission, the Silverton Mural Society commissioned “Don Pettit, Silverton’s Astronaut,” located on North Water Street. The mural was completed in 2008 by artist David McDonald. It features a portrait of Pettit, his parents, and a depiction of Pettit during a space walk.
The second mission launched Nov. 14, 2008 and lasted for 16 days aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavor. His team helped expand the living quarters of the ISS and installed a new life support system on the station that reclaims potable water from urine.
On the podcast, Pettit said he jokingly referred to the new life support system as “the coffee machine” because it “turns yesterday’s coffee into today’s coffee.” He said this was to distract from a certain “yuck factor” due to the system’s handling of human waste.
The name caught on with fellow astronauts and Pell said she was surprised to learn Pettit had coined the term.
After returning from his second mission, Pettit was honored as the grand marshal for Homer Days parade in Silverton in 2009. He was joined by his wife and kids, an image of which also adorns the mural downtown.
Silverton-raised astronaut Don Pettit returned to the International Space Station on Sept. 11, 2024. NASA PHOTO
Finding multiple niches
It was on Pettit’s third mission, which launched Dec. 21, 2011, that he came into his own as a science ambassador and content creator.
During this six-and-a-half month stay, he started broadcasting “Saturday Morning Science,” in which Pettit performed live microgravity experiments aboard the ISS.
One popular episode featured Pettit studying the behavior of oobleck, a non-Newtonian fluid made of cornstarch and water popular in science classrooms. In another episode he used characters from the game Angry Birds, including a red bird doll and a green balloon standing in for a pig, to show the behavior of objects in space.
Another episode featured a newly-invented coffee cup which allowed astronauts to drink coffee in microgravity like they might on Earth from a mug. Pettit used plastic film to create a cup with a beveled corner that employed surface tension to keep the coffee from sloshing around or floating away.
Pettit would later patent the cup, which became the first patent issued for something invented in space.
Pettit also gained a following for his numerous photos
taken from space, ranging from high-altitude images of Earth’s surface to dramatic depictions of celestial bodies. He regularly posted on Instagram under the handle @astro_pettit, while prints of his photos were later shown in art galleries.
Before that mission was over Pettit would take part in another first. On May 25, 2012, he was manning the robotic arm that captured the SpaceX Dragon capsule to dock with the ISS, marking the first time a private spacecraft rendezvoused with the station.
Pettit told Pell he told mission control “We have a dragon by the tail” when the capture was complete.
Ready to return ‘home’
For his fourth mission, Pettit said he plans a return of regular science videos, this time under the name “Science of Opportunity.” He said this reflects his own approach to experimentation while aboard the ISS and described how he often feels inspired to conduct experiments simply by the objects around him.
“You see something [that makes you say] ‘Wow that’s crazy,’ and then you say, ‘Let me poke it, let me take a picture of it, let me mess with it in a little different way,’
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and that becomes the science of opportunity,” he said. Pettit also plans to return to astral photography and said NASA is sending the team up with a special camera designed to capture images of cityscapes at night. The camera will have a servo that tracks the relative movement of the Earth beneath the ISS to keep pictures stable, and a special lens was optimized to capture light from the surface.
Pettit said this new camera will be “better by a factor of two” than current cameras aboard the ISS and will be able to focus on areas as small as 40 or 50 meters wide (130 to 165 feet).
Pell asked if Pettit will be able to see Silverton with the camera. Pettit said the small town he grew up in does not produce enough light to be seen well from space, adding this is a good thing for Silvertonians because it means there’s less light pollution than in larger cities like Salem which can be seen more clearly from space.
Pettit said he expects that returning to life in microgravity will be like “riding a bicycle,” despite being 12 years removed from his last mission.
He said when he docks with the ISS and the capsule doors open, he’ll be thinking, “Wow, I am home.”
Something to Think About
Honoring the oak Activists work to preserve, catalog ‘cornerstone’ species
By James Day
The calendar leaves are fluttering through September, which means it is time once again to launch ourselves into OAKtober.
For the second year Sustainable Silverton and its partners, the Pudding River Watershed Council and the Marion Soil & Water Conservation District are organizing OAKtober events to celebrate the venerable Oregon oak.
Last year volunteers gathered information on 102 oaks and built a database. Key findings include the fact that the largest oaks in town are at The Oregon Garden and that the largest one outside the Garden environs is at the grove at Mark Twain School. One of the key events for this year’s OAKtober is a Sept. 28 celebration of the Mark Twain grove along with a how-to class on measuring and mapping oak trees.
Also on the events list is a Sept. 26 library talk by horticulturalist Eric Hammond and a month-long opportunity for volunteers to search the community for oaks to add to the database.
“This information is really important to document and interpret for residents,” Hammond told Our Town. “All the large oaks in Silverton pre-date settlement in age and growth form; their broad spreading low crowns are savanna form and grew that way because of the Kalapuya’s treatment of prairies. Oregon white oaks (Quercus garryana) make up a critical part of the ecosystem in Oregon and are a cornerstone of Silverton’s urban forest canopy.”
The oaks during last year’s OAKtober have an aggregate biomass of 1,248,925 pounds and store 624,462 pounds of carbon. The total stored carbon increases by 3,000 to 4,000 pounds each year.
“Trees in the urban forest also have a measurable positive impact on wastewater infrastructure.” Hammond said. “These oaks alone prevented 47,603 gallons of water runoff. That is money the city saves on infrastructure. And these trees remove 3,199 ounces of aerial and particle pollution which helps reduce disease and medical spending by residents.”
A key piece of the oak puzzle, Hammond said, is “how we respond to our new knowledge. It isn’t enough to know which trees are large – we already knew that simply by opening our eyes. What do we do to not harm those trees, maybe even aid them, and what steps do we take to ensure that when the Pine Street or Mark Twain oaks die someday, there are younger trees growing with savanna stature to take their place.
“The health overall is middling. Too many trees are too close to irrigation. Or people foolishly build houses under them.”
Above: The largest oak tree in the Silverton city limits is located in the ancient oak grove in The Oregon Garden. Right: The largest oak outside of the Garden is part of the Mark Twain grove. This “champion” oak is seen here from two different angles in different seasons.
OREGON GARDEN OAK & WINTER MARK TWAIN BY JAMES DAY, SUMMER MARK TWAIN BY SUSTAINABLE SILVERTON
UPCOMING EVENTS
The OAKtober celebration for 2024 is sponsored by Sustainable Silverton and partners the Pudding River Watershed Council and the Marion Soil & Water Conservation District.
Thursday, Sept 26: Presentation and discussion on the cultural and ecological heritage of oaks in Silverton, led by horticulturalist Eric Hammond, 6:30 p.m., Silver Falls Library, 410 S Water St. Topics also discussed will be Kalapuyan land management prior to white settlement, the changes that have occurred since and the current state of oaks in Silverton and Oregon.
Saturday, Sept: 28: Celebration of the grove and fundraiser at Mark Twain School (2 to 3 p.m.), which includes the largest Silverton oak outside of The Oregon Garden and a 3 to 4 p.m. how-to class on mapping and measuring an oak.
October: The OAKtober large oak discovery and mapping competition. Participants are free to look anywhere in the region during the month of October and are asked to map the location, measure the oak and enter the data in an online form. Here is a link for the instructions and the form https://oaktober.org/2024-oak-competition/.
Sometimes the best way to teach somebody how to do something is to just plain show them how to do it.
That was how Steve and Alyson Budde put across their message on composting at a Sustainable Silverton “Tools for Adaptation” event at The Oregon Garden.
The Buddes set up a table underneath the deck of the fire safety house and mesmerized a crowd of about 20 participants and one reporter. Yes, composting can be mesmerizing.
They had a cylindrical chicken wire enclosure to start with leaves and then a series of plastic trays from which to add “green” and “brown” items. Rake, repeat and watch worms start doing the dirty work.
In an email interview the Buddes explained their process to Our Town.
Alyson: The landscape wire container is how we start a compost pile. We can make it any size we want, which is usually four to five feet across. We start with a couple shovels of existing soil and some good compost, then layer in green and brown three to five inches thick each. One tray had grass clippings (green) and one had dried leaves (brown). Then, we dig in kitchen waste (and cover it). Water, air and time help create the finished compost (the third tray).
Our Town: What started you down this path?
Alyson: “We’ve always gardened organically as a way to produce healthy food for our family. We tore up the front lawn of our Southern California tract house in 1998 and planted vegetables. There, we dug kitchen waste directly into the garden, which is a kind of composting. We’ve had compost piles on our current (Silverton) property since 2012. Following intense damage from the ice storm and heat dome, we began the soil regeneration project in June 2021 as a way to deal with PTSD by taking action.”
Steve: “Many years ago I became concerned about the prevalence of toxins in the soil and water... and the fact that commercial farming has a limited life span on the Earth.... Composting seemed like a really good way to use waste and improve soils.
Growing food and other plants the way we do is nurturing and sustainable for us and for the planet.”
TO LEARN MORE
Steve and Alyson Budde’s recommended resources:
Trees and Shrubs for Pacific Northwest Gardens by John A. & Carol L. Grant
The Ann Lovejoy Handbook of Northwest Gardening: NaturalSustainable-Organic by Ann Lovejoy (available at Silver Falls Library)
The Complete Compost Gardening Guide by Barbara Pleasant & Deborah L. Martin
The Buddes have a “try things” sapproach to innovation and extol the use of cardboard in their work. Cardboard? Yes, cardboard.
Alyson: “We used cardboard from boxes, laying it flat over the grass we planned to convert to garden bed. Then, we covered the cardboard with three to four inches of soil/compost mix to provide nutrients and make the area look like a garden bed. We cut small holes in the cardboard and weeded those areas in order to plant some foundational shrubs. That was two years ago. This spring, there is very little cardboard left and few weeds. A bonus is that nightcrawlers love cardboard. They congregate underneath it. The grass died, and now it is all black, healthy soil.”
Our Town: Any advice that you have for others just getting started with composting?
Alyson: “Don’t hesitate. Reading about composting can be confusing when authors prescribe an exact ratio of green to brown. When we finally let that go, we just started making it, and every year we get more, better compost. Steve has perfected a 60-day pile... We’re careful what we put into the pile because we don’t use pesticides or herbicides... We only use what falls on our property, but it took a few years to get to this point.
Steve: “Don’t overthink it. Don’t get caught up in how many worms or how hot it is. Just keep throwing stuff in there and see what you get. You really can’t go wrong.”
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Affordable housing Silverton council picks a partner to build a plan
By James Day
The Silverton City Council has directed City Manager Cory Misley to sign a memorandum of understanding that locks the city into dealing with only one development firm on an affordable housing project planned for a parcel adjacent to the dog park and the Silverton Senior Center.
For the next year Hacienda Community Development Corporation of Portland will be the sole agent authorized to negotiate with the city on the project, which would consist of approximately 40 units. The council officially selected Hacienda on July 8. The other finalist, DevNW, had been favored by the city’s affordable housing task force.
“The MOU isn’t a legally binding development agreement, but it does establish that the city will only negotiate with Hacienda on the project for the next year,” Jason Gottgetreu, community development director, told Our Town.
“It is anticipated that the development agreement terms will be negotiated in January, with the development agreement being signed in May. The development agreement is the major milestone in terms of legal agreements. Theoretically if the city and Hacienda can’t come to terms, the MOU would expire and the city could start up with another developer.
“I don’t foresee that happening as the next steps of the project are being done collaboratively with the city and Hacienda to make sure everyone progresses on the
Water rights
By James Day
same page.”
Approximately a dozen Hacienda employees were at Monday’s meeting and the group was all smiles after the 7-0 council vote to move forward with the MOU.
“I’m comfortable with the partnership we have started and I’m confident you guys can deliver,” Mayor Jason Freilinger said.
According to a rough timeline submitted by Hacienda, construction could begin as early as December 2025.
Camping: Councilors continued their discussion of a possible camping ordinance. The discussion was led by Ashleigh Dougill of Beery, Elsner and Hammond,
the Portland law firm that handles the city’s legal work. A key discussion point was how such an ordinance would apply to homeless teens. City staff plan to continue the discussion, with input from Dougill and Sarah White of Sheltering Silverton, who also spoke during the meeting. The city is working on an ordinance because recent court cases tied to Grants Pass, Medford and Boise have led to municipal decisions to review their statutes.
Old City Hall: Councilors discussed plans to partition the old City Hall site from the larger 18-acre parcel that includes the library, the pool and Coolidge McClaine Park. The early consensus on the use that the council hopes will result from any sale
or lease of the property was for a boutique hotel to go in the spot.
Additional rooms are needed, councilors said, and the city also could benefit from the additional jobs and hotel tax funds. The city still is working surveying the site. A final decision on how to use it is a ways away.
During the public comment period of the meeting, Gus Frederick, president of the Silverton County Historical Society, spoke in favor of converting the Fischer Building, which is included in the City Hall parcel, into a gallery to house a collection of cartoons by famed political cartoonist Homer Davenport, a Silverton native.
When asked by councilors if the historical society was seeking city financial help on the project, Frederick said no.
“We will be looking for some grants and donations,” he said, “but we’re pretty flush.”
Water Honor: Dave Olson of the Pacific Northwest Clean Water Association presented its Plant of the Year award for water quality to Silverton. Brad Jensen, the city’s water quality specialist, accepted the award. Plant tours and testing are done by the association throughout the year in a section of Oregon that ranges from Cottage Grove in the south, the Pacific Coast on the west and the Cascades in the east and the Portland Metro area in the north.
Friends of Family Farmers wants to help shape legislation
The Silverton Grange is hosting a community meeting that will discuss water rights for agriculture and farmers. The meeting is set for 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 19. The Grange Hall is at 201 Division St. just off the Silver Falls Highway before you get to the reservoir.
Alice Morrison of Friends of Family Farmers will be on hand to moderate the discussion. Friends of Family Farmers are concerned that pending new state rules from the Oregon Water Resources Department will make it harder for farmers to use their well water for crops as well as household use.
Friends of Family Farmers is hoping to help draft
legislation that would address the issues in the 2025 session. The new groundwater allocation rules, which currently are before the Oregon Water Resources Commission, are the result of a two-year public process.
Under the current rules, OWRD must approve a new groundwater application unless available data shows that the proposed use would not ensure preservation of the public welfare.
The proposed new rules, according to the OWRD website, focus on determining if groundwater is available to support new uses when issuing new groundwater rights. The rules:
• Define key terminology and criteria for issuing new water rights.
• Determine if water is available, if groundwater is reasonably stable, does not interfere with surface water flows and the aquifer can produce the water at the requested amount.
• Detail how applications would be denied if existing data did not show water is available. This means fewer water right applications would be granted for new uses in areas of excessive groundwater declines or where new groundwater rights affect existing surface water rights.
If the rules are adopted, they will take effect upon filing with the Oregon Secretary of State, an OWRD spokesperson told Our Town.
Brad Jensen (with plaque), water quality specialist with Silverton, was honored by the Pacific Northwest Clean Water Association for the water quality at the city’s plant. Jensen’s award was noted at the Sept. 9 council meeting. Shaking hands with Jensen is Dave Olson of the water association. Councilors Eric Hammond, left, April Newton, Jess Miller, and Mayor Jason Freilinger and councilors Elvi Cuellar Sutton, Marie Traeger and Matt Gaitan flank the recipient and presenter. MACY MULHOLLAND, CITY OF SILVERTON
Citizens academy Silverton Police initiate
By James Day
The Silverton Police Department has organized a citizens academy to help educate the community about police work.
The academy runs for five two-hour sessions on Thursdays, with classes set for Sept. 19, Sept. 26, Oct. 3, Oct. 10 and Oct. 17.
Chief Todd Engstrom told Our Town that the sessions “will be on a wide range of different topics, all of the things we do. It will be a real overview and some interesting stuff, with video scenarios and an optional range day in Woodburn in which you can shoot a gun while working 1-on-1 with an instructor.”
Engstrom said he and his department selected the participants for the first academy, reaching out to recruit representatives from the Silver Falls School District, Legacy Silverton Medical Center, the business community, city staff, the Silverton Fire District and the faith community. Also a confirmed participant is Mayor Jason Freilinger.
Topics to be discussed include a department overview, a department tour, Silverton crime statistics, a presentation from a detective, information on records and evidence, the use of force, vehicle pursuits and traffic stops.
new program
Silverton Police Chief Todd Engstrom.
“In future iterations of the Academy, we plan to open enrollment to the public and accept applications from interested community members,” Engstrom said in a letter to the Silverton City Council that describes the program and its goals.
“We believe this approach will allow us to build on the foundation established by this first class and continue to strengthen the ties between the police department and the community we serve.
“We are excited about the potential of the Citizens Police Academy to enhance awareness, promote transparency, and build trust within Silverton. We look forward to sharing the outcomes of this program with you and exploring ways to expand and improve it in the future.”
Election forum set for Sept. 22 at Grange
The Silverton Grange Hall is hosting an election forum on Sunday, Sept. 22 from 2 to 4 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.
Candidates from the U.S. House race in District 5, the state Senate race for District 9 and the state House race for District 18 have been invited to attend. Organizers emphasized that all candidates may not be present.
District 5 candidates include Republican incumbent Lori ChavezDeremer, Democrat Janelle Bynum, Libertarian Sonja Feintech, nonaffiliated Andrew Aasen, Independent
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Brett Smith and Andrea Thorn Townsend of the Pacific Green Party.
Candidates in state Senate 9 are Republican incumbent Sen. Fred Girod and Democratic challenger Mike Ashland.
In Oregon House District 18 candidates are Republican incumbent Rick Lewis and Democratic challenger Karyssa Dow.
Candidates will have the opportunity to introduce themselves and note issues of importance to them and then the moderator and audience will ask questions.
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In 2018, several signs were posted in front of the houses neighboring the St. Edward’s Episcopal Church. They were protesting the construction of four, small transitional cottage shelters that – once finished – would provide short-term housing to four previously unhoused women.
“It was a really rocky start,” Anne Barber-Shams – one of the organizers who helped get the cottages off the ground – recalled. She was referring not just to the protests, but also to the litany of setbacks the project suffered even after the signs were removed.
“We had [finished] cottages sitting there for several years,” Laura Antonson – another organizer currently acting as liaison between the diocese and the shelters –said. “But between COVID and losing our priest and Sheltering Silverton going through a lot of changes…”
The cottages sat empty until March 2023, when they finally opened their doors to the first round of inhabitants.
“It’s been a big learning curve…” Antonson admitted. “And we’ve had to remove four people. Not because they’re bad people, it just wasn’t a good living situation for them… We recognize that we’re high-barrier transitional housing.”
That’s because, unlike some shelters, the St. Edward’s Cottages require an extensive application process, which includes a background check through the diocese, a referral from Sheltering Silverton listing a case manager that will meet with the occupant once a month and a signed contract verifying that there will be no drug or alcohol use and no entertainment of outside guests.
“As we’ve gotten better at looking at referrals, we’ve had a higher success rate,” fellow church liaison Anita Beck said.
In fact, at the time of this interview, there was at least one resident who had successfully been living in the cottages for six months.
“We hope for six to 18 months,” Antonson said, of the proposed timeline. After that, the goal is to find permanent housing through either the Housing
cottages
Authority in Salem or Marion County.
“She’s on both lists,” Antonson confirmed. Adding that, at this point, there’s little anyone can do but wait until a home becomes available. So, being able to continue living in a cottage at St. Edward’s has really helped.
“And she’s been wonderful,” Antonson added. “She does little extra things for the church. When you find the right person, you can tell.”
It’s a sentiment onsite cottage manager Lacey Wellesley echoed. “The ladies that are at the cottages right now are very low key and really seem to enjoy the safety and comfort of their little homes,” she said.
Built primarily as a comfortable place to sleep and relax out of the elements, with a bed, air conditioning and a locking door, the only amenities the cottages lack are plumbing and space for food preparation. That’s why, for those activities, the cottage residents are given access to both the bathroom and kitchen facilities inside the church.
“They also receive services through Sheltering Silverton and Lacey will help hook them up as well,” Antonson said, referring to Wellesley’s training as a peer support specialist.
“I’m there to help them when life seems a little overwhelming,” Wellesley explained.
Because, while the cottages function as an important transitional space between life on the streets and life in a permanent residence, living in a confined space, near others can take some getting used to.
“Being homeless, people develop coping strategies that don’t always work in a group,” Beck said. She spent her career working as a certified addiction counselor. “So, they are learning to function as a group with the support of the group and Lacey.”
While only one resident has successfully transitioned from the cottages into permanent housing in the past year, those overseeing the cottages already view them as an overall success.
“The biggest win, I felt, was when the (Silverton) planning commission approved the cottages for another six-month trial period,” Antonson said. “We had a unanimous vote to continue on. We even managed to sway one of the commissioners who was against the code change.”
Amongst the neighbors, opinion of the cottages also appears to have shifted.
“I haven’t really noticed them at all,” Audrey Wuichet said. Her home is directly across from the church. “They’re just like a regular neighbor… they hang out, they’re chill. And I’m happy that they have somewhere to live.”
The transitional cottage shelters at St. Edward’s Episcopal Church. LAURA ANTONSON
Phone challenges Schools address distractions in classroom
By Stephen Floyd
SHS enforces cell phone ban during class MASD board to discuss downsides of social media
Silverton High School is prohibiting cell phone use by students in the classroom amid growing concerns about the negative impacts of social media on children’s mental health.
While the policy is not new, Principal Kirstin Jorgenson told the Silver Falls School District Board Sept. 9 they have started enforcing the ban more strictly.
Jorgenson had announced via ParentSquare Aug. 28 that students are required to keep cell phones and other personal electronics in their backpacks or lockers during class.
A student who violates the policy a first time would have their phone confiscated until the end of the day. Further violations would require a parent or guardian to retrieve the phone from the school office.
The announcement said the goal was to reduce time spent on social media, drawing a link between social media use and increased depression and anxiety among adolescents.
The policy does not apply during lunch or between periods. There are also exceptions for students who use electronics as part of individualized educational plans, to monitor blood sugar, or for other necessary accommodations.
Jorgenson said Sept. 9 that enforcement of the policy has been smooth for the most part, with minimal complaints from students and parents. She also said the results of keeping students away from social media are already visible, such as one email she received from a parent during the first week of school.
In the email, the parent described how her two daughters hated going to SHS last year and felt disconnected from their peers because “everyone was glued to their phones at all times.” With the cell phone ban enforced, the parent said her kids made more new friends and had more in-person interactions in a single day than during the whole of last year.
Jorgenson said this is the type of impact they were hoping the policy would have, and said the school looks forward to additional improvements in students’ social and emotional well-being.
“We feel really good about the gains we’re going to see,” said Jorgenson.
Pressure is increasing on policymakers to limit exposure to social media among young people as more research identifies harmful effects.
On June 17, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy said in an op-ed in The New York Times that social media has contributed to a “mental health crisis among young people.”
He said schools and parents should create “phone-free zones” during times when kids would otherwise be learning or making in-person social connections.
The Mt. Angel School District Board is holding a roundtable Sept. 24 with school administrators to discuss the harmful impacts of social media on student mental health.
The district already has a policy barring the use of personal electronic devices during class time, as well as the recording of audio, video and photos on district property without prior approval.
The roundtable will focus on how this policy can be better enforced and if any changes should be considered, as well as bring the board up to speed on recent research on the topic.
Superintendent Rachel Stucky told Our Town she has seen evidence not only in the research but within the district as well of the “very destructive” impacts of social media. She said there have been instances of posts and images that were “quite harmful” to local students, and that cyber bullying only continues when phone use is allowed in schools.
“We have enough research that would suggest there’s a very much higher risk of depression and anxiety of students who are heavy users of social media,” said Stucky.
The workshop follows a growing outcry for school districts to protect students from the harmful impacts of social media. This includes an op-ed in The New York Times June 17 by U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, who said schools should ensure classroom and social time are “phone-free experiences.”
– Stephen Floyd
Rejuvenation Silverton Senior Center to reopen Sept. 23
By James Day
After eight months of scrambling around town trying to keep programs alive the Silverton Senior Center is headed back home.
Repairs have been completed from the weather-related plumbing issues that closed the center in January. Now the reopening is set for Sept. 23. Meals on Wheels and the center staff are planning to move back in Friday, Sept. 20.
This month has produced a whirlwind of activity for executive director Simone Stewart, her board and the center’s volunteers.
“It will take a village to make it all happen,” Stewart told Our Town. “I’m excited to have the village of Silverton
supporting us in our next chapter. Many things will be happening between Sept. 3 and Sept. 20 for us to be up and running.”
Now Offering Same Day CROWNS
These include:
• Emptying and giving away furniture in the blue boxes stored on site;
• Re-painting offices and the great room;
• Cleaning, organizing, moving, and placing kitchen and office items;
• Building a new front desk at the
building entrance off the parking lot and tearing out the old front desk by the rear entrance;
• Installation of partitions to close off the large hallway making it an additional activity room and rentable space;
• Waiting on new couches and tables to be delivered;
• Purchasing and installing new outside storage; and many more details.
The center also has scads of equipment that must be moved back from the temporary venues in and around Silverton and Mount Angel that were used while the building, which is owned by the City of Silverton, was being repaired.
Stewart said the center is looking to the community for donations “to help cover the expenses involved in adapting the building to our current growth and needs.”
Those wishing to assist should call Stewart at 503-873-3093 or email director@silvertonseniors.org
Brush Creek Playhouse sets cleanup days
Set to resume services on Sept. 23, the Silverton Senior Center has been closed since January.
JIM KINGHORN
Silverton Senior Center Executive Director
Simone Stewart SUBMITED PHOTO
Family legacy Antique shop with history
By Melissa Wagoner
Henrietta Dill (Henri to those who knew her) didn’t set out to own an antique store. In fact, when she was born “with deformed legs” in 1943, doctors weren’t sure what she would be able to do.
“They told my grandma she shouldn’t take her home,” Henri’s daughter, Lori Lathrop, recalled.
But Henri’s parents didn’t follow the doctor’s advice. Instead they took their daughter back to Mount Angel where she lived a life that included earning a degree in journalism from the Seattle University, opening her own publishing company (the Angel Press), raising five children alongside her husband Ernest Dill, and opening two successful antique stores – Engelberg Antiks – number “One” in Mount Angel and “Two” in Salem.
“My mom was very good at business…” Lori explained,” but she knew nothing about antiques at all. She just thought it would be a good fit. And when they opened the first – we call it a collective – it was the first one in the state of Oregon.”
Lori’s 2nd Story
Furniture, home décor, jewelry, unique collections
105 N. Main St., Mount Angel
It turned out Henri’s instincts were correct. Engelberg Antiks became a successful source of income for the Dill family for the next 35 years. Ernie and his son, Hank, ran the Salem store and Henri and Lori managed the one in Mount Angel.
“Antique stores, collectibles, anything of that nature – you can have an entire block and people will come,” Lori said of the stores’ success. “You can’t do that with everything.”
It was a solid business model until the early 2000s, when the Dills discovered that the building housing the Mount Angel branch was in such disrepair that it needed to be torn down.
And so, Henri got to work creating yet another business opportunity – “Edelweiss Village,” a mixture of lowincome housing and commercial properties, including the Glockenspiel restaurant and pub – which she oversaw in various capacities for the next 18 years while also continuing to help manage Engelberg Antiks Two, still going strong in Salem.
“Through the year of COVID we doubled sales,” Lori remembered. “And the year after we were just about on the way to doubling again, but then [Hank] passed.”
And less than two years later, his father, Ernest – who had been suffering from multiple illnesses stemming from agent orange exposure during his military career – passed as well.
“So, we sold the store,” Lori said.
But the family held on to some of the inventory. In October 2023 –after combining those items with what they still had from the Mount Angel store – they began hosting a pop-up shop in “Edelweiss Village” as Bilyeu Creek Collectibles.
When Lori discovered the building that had housed Mt. Angel Drug for the past 40 years was for sale and she had an even better idea.
“I fell in love with the building,” she said.
Excited to move into the new space, Henri, Lori and Lori’s husband, Randy, began preparing to expand the shop, now called Lori’s 2nd Story.
But life continued to deal the family blows. Six months after her husband’s death and with plans for the new store underway –Henri, who suffered from COPD, succumbed to pneumonia.
“I can only say that mother and Hank are still here,” Lori said, looking around the store, which she opened on May 27 with both her mother and brother in mind.
Artfully curated, the store is a mixture of items once collected by Henri and objects more recently selected by Lori. It’s a combination that works well in a store based on nostalgia.
“The best part is the customers,” Lori said of her experience so far. “When someone buys something and relives their memories… it’s the smiles on their faces and seeing their enjoyment.”
Although the store is open for business, Lori and Randy plan to continue renovating the building a little at a time, in the hopes of bringing back many of the fixtures original to Oswald’s Grocery – rebuilt in 1932 after the original store burned six months prior.
“We’re uncovering the old beams and adding murals,” Lori said, describing the beauty she has already discovered hiding under 92 years of paint.
The couple also plans to reopen a set of picture windows along Charles Street that have been covered for years, after Lori’s uncle ran into them with his car.
There’s a lot to be done but, in the end, Lori hopes the store will be an homage to her entire family.
“All my kids grew up in the antique store,” she said. “And it’s still family run.”
Lori Lathrop. MELISSA WAGONER
By Stephen Floyd
Legacy Silverton Health has deflected a $10.2 million negligence lawsuit over a pelvic mesh surgery, while also being chided by the court for delaying vital evidence.
On Aug. 28, a Portland jury found that neither the hospital nor urologist Dr. Michael Lemmers were negligent in using a pelvic mesh device on patient Tamarie Richards on April 29, 2019.
Thirteen days before the surgery the FDA issued an order for all pelvic mesh manufacturers to stop selling and distributing the products.
Richards filed suit April 23, 2021, in Multnomah County Circuit Court and said she began experiencing chronic pain, inflammation and infections after the surgery. Another doctor confirmed these were a result of the pelvic mesh and that the device could not be removed without risking further nerve damage, according to the suit.
Richards sought $168,131 for past medical expenses, $10 million for pain and suffering, and legal expenses.
Legacy acknowledged using the device and argued the FDA’s order did not constitute a recall, and that Lemmers had no knowledge of a recall prior to the surgery. The hospital also said Richards signed an informed consent form six days before the surgery that approved use of the mesh device.
Legacy additionally argued Richards’ losses were caused by mesh manufacturer Boston Scientific and vendor Ethicon. Both businesses were originally named as defendants and they reached separate settlements last year with Richards.
A trial was set for Aug. 19 but 10 days prior Legacy provided a trove of documents to plaintiff attorneys. The delay, Legacy said, was due to “bureaucratic… difficulties.”
Judge Bronson James rejected this explanation and in an Aug. 27 evidentiary order said it was more likely the company attempted “to achieve a perceived tactical advantage.” He said some evidence was “potentially damaging” to Legacy and was of such high value that the majority of plaintiff attorneys’ arguments were based
Quality Dental Care in a Friendly Environment
on this late disclosure.
When approached for comment, a Legacy spokesperson said the company was “unable to comment on this litigation.”
Plaintiff attorney Ben Martin told Our Town the late production was “detrimental to say the least.” He said Richards was considering an appeal and the timing of these documents could be grounds to challenge the verdict, though he and his client were still examining options.
One document Martin said was particularly vital was an email describing an alleged conversation between a Boston Scientific representative and Lemmers on April 25, 2019, about the FDA’s order. Martin said this evidence contradicted Lemmers’ statements to the jury that he had not spoken to Boston Scientific about the order prior to the surgery.
Legacy challenged the evidence as hearsay because plaintiffs were unable to secure the testimony of the Boston Scientific employee who had sent the email. A subpoena for the witness was issued but was quashed in Washington where she lives.
One dead in crash near Silver Falls State Park
A Salem man has died following a single-vehicle collision the afternoon of Aug. 31 on Hwy. 214 in Silver Falls State Park after his pickup ran off the road.
According to a press release from Oregon State Police (OSP), David Dale Legan, 35, was traveling westbound in a Chevrolet U-Haul pickup truck near milepost 25 at around 3:34 p.m. This was near the South Falls Day Use Area of the park.
OSP said Legan “left the roadway on a downhill corner for an unknown reason” and struck a large tree head-on. Legan was declared dead at the scene. Authorities noted he was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the collision.
Troopers were assisted by the Drakes Crossing Fire District, Woodburn Ambulance and the Oregon Department of Transportation.
– Stephen Floyd
Dan Wilgus Owner
James ‘Jim’ Butsch July 16, 1933 – Aug.
James “Jim” Butsch, passed away peacefully on Aug. 29, 2024 in Mount Angel, Oregon. He was born at the Water Street hospital (the old Silverton Hospital) in Silverton, Oregon on July 16, 1933 to Cletus and Rose Butsch. He was 91.
Jim was a graduate of the Mt. Angel Prep High School, and then went straight into farming with his family. He married, Donna Zielinski of Molalla, and was married for 61 years before her passing on March 1, 2021. They had two children Jeffrey and Lori, both residents of Mount Angel. Jim, was a member of St. Mary Catholic Church and the Knights of Columbus council 1767, Mount Angel.
Farming was in Jim’s blood, but he said that if he didn’t farm he would have enjoyed being an architect because he liked seeing new buildings and new equipment.
29, 2024
Jim was progressive, and managed his farm operation with natural instinct and longterm employees at his side.
True passions of Jim’s were hunting and fishing. He traveled the great outdoors with friends who shared in the pursuit of the ultimate hunting or fishing adventure.
Jim is survived by his children and spouses, Jeff and Linda Butsch and Lori and Derek Pavlicek; along with six grandkids and five great grandkids.
Funeral services were held at St. Mary Catholic Church, Mount Angel on Sept. 6, with rosary and funeral mass.
Donations in Jim’s memory may be made to St. Mary Catholic Church or The Knights of Columbus council 1767, Mount Angel. Assisting the family is Unger Funeral Chapel – Mount Angel.
Submit to Passages: ourtown.life@mtangelpub.com or mail to Editor, Our Town, P.O. Box 927, Mount Angel, OR 97362
Lucky G. Harmon
Dec. 3, 1948 – Aug. 20, 2024
Lucky G. Harmon passed away on Aug. 20, 2024 at his home in Silverton, Oregon.
He was born in Beefhyde, Kentucky to Fred and Alma Pearl Harmon. He was the eighth child of 13 children.
In 1957, the family moved to Silverton. Lucky loved and missed the Silverton of the ’60s and ’70s era.
Lucky is survived by three siblings, Carol Sundet of Hood River, Oregon, Ellen Goldblatt of Silverton, and Jane Fish of Grants Pass, Oregon; two sons, Russel (Claudia) Harmon and Heath Harmon; two grandsons, Sydney and Cody Harmon; and two great grandchildren.
His favorite job was working at Sundet’s Big Bale, his sister Carol and her husband Sam’s wheat and rice straw farm in California.
Lucky was a history buff, enjoyed playing his guitar and was a talented singer. He is well known by many of the long time locals of Silverton. H enjoyed going into Mac’s Place and telling jokes and chatting with whoever was in there. He loved his family very much and will be missed by many.
Frederick Daniel Kaser
Nov. 2, 1936 – Aug. 23, 2024
Frederick Daniel Kaser passed away on Aug. 23, 2024 at the age of 87, surrounded by his family. He was born on Nov. 2, 1936 to Harvey and Edith Kaser in the Evergreen area of Silverton. He was the oldest of four boys.
Fred graduated from Evergreen Elementary School and later from Silverton High School. He played center on Silverton’s basketball team and for the next 20 years he also played on Silverton/Molalla town basketball teams. He went on to attend Oregon State University and earned his degree in engineering.
In 1957, he married his high school sweetheart, Ruth Jeffery, and they became parents of four children, Andrew, Matthew, Rachel, and Krista. He joined his father in farming operations and in 1962, Fred and Ruth were able to purchase their farm, Missouri Ridge, and build their house in the Marquam area.
Fred raised various crops over the years including grass seed, hogs, and hazelnuts. He was very active in agricultural and civic organizations, including serving as a member and president of a number of committees. Fred also received a private pilots license and purchased a four-passenger airplane which he was able to keep on the farm. He and Ruth belonged to the Oregon Flying Farmers and enjoyed many plane trips in the Pacific Northwest, Canada, and Mexico in their Cessna 182. Fred enjoyed golf, a good game of bridge, playing the piano, and traveling around the world with his wife. He was a kind and loving man who enjoyed his friends and family.
Fred was predeceased by his daughter, Krista Jeli; his brother, Jeff Kaser; and his mother and father, Edith and Harvey. He is survived by his wife of 66 years, Ruth; sons, Andrew (Steve) and Matthew (Diane); daughter, Rachel; brothers, Raymond (Loretta) and Bruce (Paula); seven grandchildren, Cara, Hayden, Emma, Molly, Dillon, Alex, and Nick; three great-grandchildren; and many cousins, nephews, and nieces.
A Celebration of Life will be held on Thursday, Sept. 19 at 4 p.m. at Vanderbeck Valley Farm, 37791 S. Hwy 213, Mount Angel.
Dorothy Ilg Feb. 23, 1934 — Aug. 22, 2024
John Bock Jan. 16, 1938 — Aug. 23, 2024
Ronnie “Ron” Bennett May 19, 1952 Aug. 24, 2024
James Butsch July 16, 1933 Aug. 29, 2024
Lynn DeGuire Nov. 7, 1948 Aug. 31, 2024
Kathleen Finicle Feb. 1, 1963 Sept. 3, 2024
Tracy Ferguson Feb. 19, 1964 Sept. 5, 2024
Your local funeral chapels serving Mt. Angel since 1919 &
www.ungerfuneralchapel.com
Soccer preview Silverton girls working under co-coaches
Don Holland and Eric Lay, two Silverton High graduates and longtime recreational and club-level coaches, have taken over as co-coaches of the Foxes girls squad.
Silverton was 12-11-7 overall and 10-3-3 in the Mid-Willamette Conference under Renee Cantrell in the past two years, which included back-to-back Class 5A playoff appearances and a quarterfinal berth last fall.
Holland and Lay, in a joint email exchange with Our Town, noted the benefits of the co-coaching regime. “It makes it very easy to collaborate on ideas that will improve the outcome of this season,” they wrote. “We are constantly sharing drills that will most effectively target weak areas in our game play. What is really great about having us both out there is the benefit to the girls. We are able to separate and work more closely on certain skill sets and game scenarios that might not pertain to all players or positions.”
The Foxes are loaded with a strong returning core of players, including goalkeeper Ella Lulich, defenders Gemma Mulick and Kai Buckley, midfielder Madison Walter and forwards Allie Mansur and Marley Wertz Holland and Lay are so confident in the skills and leadership of the roster that they have installed a system in which the top performer in each game wears the
captain’s armband in the next one.
The Mid-Willamette Conference will be tough as always, with Holland and Lay saying that they see no reason Silverton can’t be the “alpha dog in the race.”
The Foxes were 1-0 with a couple of jamborees under their belts at Our Town presstime amid constant communication.
“I think our text thread is probably overwhelming a data center somewhere,” Holland said.
Meanwhile, the Foxes’ boys squad was 0-1 in nonleague play at presstime. The boys are in their sixth year under Marty Limbird, another long-time local club coach. Limbird’s Foxes were 7-7-1 overall and 2-5-1 a year ago, qualifying for the playoffs because the insanely competitive MWC produced 6 of the top 11 teams in the OSAA rankings. The Foxes will miss international student Anton Mikkelsen of Denmark and other experienced players such as defender Benjamin Moore, midfielder Emmett Limbird and goalkeeper Travis Grimes Sawyer Stewart replaces Grimes in the net and
Santiago Najera is back to control the midfield. The Foxes are young, with 10 sophomores on the roster.
OSAA: In the spring of 2002 a group of Oregon sports editors met at Autzen Stadium at U of O to discuss story sharing and the role of the Associated Press with regard to providing members with reports on college and high school sports. The upshot: AP couldn’t do it, none of the sports editors was ready to share yet and so Craig Reed, then the sports editor in Roseburg, asked Oregon School Activities Association sports information director Steve Walker whether the state body could fill the gap. The answer was, no, not immediately, but it happened, and in ways that have made life much easier for the media and high school sports fans.
By the 2010-11 season the OSAA had added a high school scoreboard, league standings and class-by-class rankings. Reporters used to have to call around the state to get the scores they needed to have a prayer of making their standings add up. Heck, the OSAA has had reporters covering the first two Silverton football games this season. Walker, known as “Walk” around the state – and he IS known around the state – is retiring after 25 years with the OSAA. Golf, grandkids, being healthy and being able to watch the Beavers on Saturday, he said
when he asked about his future. Sounds like a good plan.
Weightlifting: Silverton lifter Piper Jones came back from an international meet in Guayaquil, Ecuador, with a bronze medal and three personal bests. Jones, 15, a Silverton High sophomore, lifted for the USA in the Pan-American Youth Championships. Jones set a personal best of 58 kilograms (128 pounds) in the snatch and 71 kilos (156 pounds) in the clean and jerk. Her total for the two lifts of 129 kilos (284 pounds) also is a personal best. Jones now will go back to work in an effort to qualify for the world championships next year in Lima, Peru.
Cow Pie Bingo: Silverton FFA raised $2,000 from its Cow Pie Bingo fundraiser Aug. 30, during the Foxes football opener vs. Summit at McGinnis Field. Unfortunately, by the end of the game the cow had not pooped and thus no winner could be declared. Undeterred, the innovative FFA folks decided that the urination closest to one of the bingo flags would count and the $1,000 Louisiana Grill prize was handed over. No word was available on any dietary changes planned for the cow. Two highly placed athletic department sources suggested “higher octane grain.”
Camping shutdown Silver Falls to start repaving campground
By James Day
The campground at Silver Falls State Park will be closed beginning Monday, Sept. 16 because of paving work and a restroom replacement project.
Crews will be reworking the pavement of the campground’s A Loop as well as a small slice of the B loop. In addition, the B Loop restroom will be replaced.
“It’s going to be great,” Silver Falls Ranger Chris Gilliand told Our Town
The work is tentatively scheduled to continue through June 30, 2025, although Gilliand said that his expectation is that the work will be completed sooner than that.
Camping sites on either the A Loop or the B Loop will be unavailable during the work. Cabins 1-10 to the east of the A Loop will remain open, but the four cabins at the south end of the B Loop will be closed.
Gilliand was especially excited about the new restroom.
“That restroom is outdated, it’s from the ’70s,” Gilliand said. “It has this old style of shower with less privacy. The new one will have individual stalls, will be easier to manage and will be more ADA accessible.”
In addition to the paving and restroom work, one of the B Loop campsites will be converted for ADA use.
Gilliand said the paving work also will improve connectivity between the campground loop and a paved path that links the campground with dayuse features such as the swimming area, South Falls and the South Falls Lodge.
Next year work will begin on adding a new campground and visitor center as part of the upgrade of facilities in
The closure affects only the campground. All other park facilities will remain open, including all trails, trailheads, day-use areas and South Falls Lodge.
the North Canyon area. State general obligation bonds are paying for the work at Silver Falls as well as work at seven other state parks. The total pricetag for all the projects is $50 million.
“I agree, it’s a great path,” Gilliand said. “Part of the repaving project will make the connection from A-Loop to the highway crossing more obvious. We hope more and more visitors use the connection in the future. Some campers choose to drive the trailhead parking lots.”
The B Loop restroom at the Silver Falls State Park campground. The outdated, 1970s style facility will be replaced in state-bond funded work that will continue into next spring. JAMES DAY
Watching from the sidelines
Five years ago, I attended my eldest daughter’s first swim meet, I was incredibly excited and equally unprepared.
Sitting on the rock-hard metal bleachers with the sun beating down on my unprotected skin, I watched as other, more seasoned parents set up folding chairs, umbrellas, slathered on sunscreen and handed out snacks. Jealousy is perhaps too mild a word.
Snacks
But that day marked the start of a journey that still continues today, to become a more prepared sideline parent. And while I am still by no means perfect, I find that, by and large, these days I succeed more often than I fail. Here’s what I’ve learned:
Seating
Always have a folding chair in your car. This may seem ridiculous, but I cannot count the number of times another parent has said to me, as I sit in comfort at an hour-long soccer practice, “I wish I had thought of that.”
Sunscreen
There is nothing that can ruin the euphoria of a successful event faster than a sunburn. Bring sunscreen. And an umbrella if one is allowed because when it comes to outdoor sports, shade is often in short supply.
No event, no matter how exciting, is fun if you are starving. So, plan ahead and do your research. If you’re packing your own, bring more water and food than you think you’re going to need. And if you’re relying on a concession stand, find out if they take cash or cards, what kinds of food will be available and what their hours will be.
Know your weather
If you’ve lived in Oregon for a while, this one shouldn’t come as a surprise and yet, I cannot count the number of times I (a native Oregonian) have been caught in the cold without a warm enough coat or
in the rain without a raincoat, umbrella or waterproof shoes.
And consider stocking your car with a bag or bin for after the game because nothing dirties a car faster than a dirty jersey and mud-clogged cleats.
Phone
If you’re going to be taking a lot of pictures or sending distant family realtime scores then you had better arrive with a fully charged phone and a charger for the car ride home.
Younger sibling support
We encourage our kids to attend their siblings’ events, but the days can be long, which is why I ask everyone to pack a backpack that includes art supplies, books, toys and snacks of their choosing.
Cost
Games, meets and performances often come with added costs. This can be uniforms, costumes, admission fees, concessions, meals out, gas and even sometimes a hotel room. It adds up. Set up a budget – you’ll be glad you did.
Clearing the schedule
Keep track of practice and game schedules in a way that includes your entire family. That can mean a centrally located paper calendar or white board or – for those kids with access to a computer or a phone – a family-wide scheduling app. Because life gets busy and the more familiar your entire family is with the schedule the better.
Volunteering
Don’t be surprised if you are asked –and then asked again – for help. That’s because behind every extracurricular activity is a host of volunteers, many of them parents, helping to keep time, referee and – in a pinch – even coach, truly demonstrating what it means to be a team player.
Enjoy this time
Nothing is ever perfect. Sometimes I still forget the snacks, I neglect the sunscreen and I stand in the rain but I love it anyway. Because watching my kids accomplish big things (and little things too) is amazing every single time and I never regret the days I spend sitting on the sidelines or in the auditorium cheering them on – especially from a comfortable chair.
Capture action images from the comfort of the sidelines. MELISSA WAGONER
NOTICES
CAN YOU SPARE A COUPLE OF HOURS TO HELP SENIORS IN SILVERTON?
The Silverton Meals on Wheels organization is looking for volunteers. We are asking for people who can commit to 2 hours a week. Volunteer positions are available in the kitchen (to plate meals) or drivers to deliver food to people’s homes in the Silverton area. If interested, please call 503-873-6906 between 8 a.m. and noon, Monday through Friday.
SERVICES
HANDYMAN & HOME REPAIR SERVICE
Installation and repair of fencing, decks,doors, gutter cleaning, moss removal, power washing, yard debris removal. CCB# 206637 Call Ryan 503-881-3802
GOT STUFF YOU WANT GONE? From yard debris to scrap metal-From garage sale left overs to rental clear outs. We repurpose, recycle, reuse, or donate what we can. Call and find out what we can do for you. $20 Minimum. Call Keith 503-502-3462
WANTED LOOKING TO
#T2838 HOME ON THE HILL
$774,900 Rolling pasture with maple, fir, and oak. Gated private drive is paved up to the custom built one-story home. Built in Spanish Ranch Style only the 2nd Owner in 50 years. Wood burning fireplace, atrium entry, vaulted ceilings with T&G & exposed beams. Room for a shop and/or animals. Near Silverton Reservoir. Set off Silver Falls Hwy. near town but private. Call Michael at ext. 314 (WVMLS#819011)
#T2834 STUNNING RIVER FRONT ESTATE $2,150,000
Don’t Miss Out! Rare Opportunity: Stunning River Front Estate! Experience the perfect blend of luxury living and privacy in this exquisite country property offering a lifestyle of comfort and convenience! Includes 5 bedrooms, 3 full baths, 3701sqft of living space, a great room adorned with elegant finishes, a magnificent stone fireplace, and panoramic views leading to a covered patio, sauna, and salt water pool on 2.8 acres. Don’t miss out! Call Chuck at ext. 325 (WVMLS#817967)
SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES
NEW! – MT. ANGEL #T2844 SINGLE LEVEL 3 BR, 2 BA 1320 sqft Call Michael at ext. 314 $425,000 (WVMLS#820704)
#T2840 NORTH FORK
PROPERTY 3 BR, 1 BA 1941 sqft. Lyons. Call Meredith at ext. 324, Ryan at ext. 322
$348,700 (WVMLS#820296)
#T2817 GREAT LOCATION
2 BR, 2 BA 990 sqft. Independence. Call Meredith at ext. 324, Ryan at ext. 322
$447,800 (WVMLS#815114)
#T2819 FIVE SEPARATE UNITS 6 BR, 5 BA 3172 sqft. Salem. Call Meredith at ext. 324, Ryan at ext. 322
$795,700 (WVMLS#815616)
SOLD! – #T2839 GREAT LOCATION 2 BR, 1 BA 1132 sqft. Salem. Call Meredith at ext. 324, Ryan at ext. 322 $358,750 (WVMLS#819125)
BARELAND/LOTS
#T2841 BUILD DREAM HOME
1.35 Acres. Silverton. Call Michael at ext. 314 $475,000 (WVMLS#820496)
#T2816 2 BUILDABLE LOTS
.45 Acres. Silverton.
Call Meredith at ext. 324, Ryan at ext. 322 $109,900 (WVMLS#814998)
#T2827 GREAT OPPORTUNITY 1.66 Acres. Salem.
Call Whitney at ext. 320 or Mike at ext. 312 $194,000 (WVMLS#817231)
#T2832 BUILD YOUR DREAM HOME 2.93 Acres. Silverton.
Call Whitney at ext. 320 or Mike at ext. 312 $399,000 (WVMLS#817735)
#T2825 WONDERFUL NEIGH-
BORHOOD $629,000 Built in ’95 home overlooks the HOA common area w/ pond An open floor plan w/ no step entry. Vaulted Great Rm. Large BR suite on main. Recent upgrades include: new carpet, LVP flooring, granite & quartz counter tops, sprinkler system, Hi-eff. HVAC, whole home surge protection, solar panels. Lower level has paver patio. Located on the east side of Silverton on a quiet / low traffic street. Short distance to downtown. Call Michael at ext. 314 (WVMLS#816834)
#T2840 NORTH FORK PROPERTY $348,700
Great opportunity to put in some sweat equity and make this place your own. Many updates have been started and waiting for the next owner to finish up. Wonderfully secluded property with close proximity to Santiam River, with Little Sinker Creek off the edge of the property. So much potential in this 1940’s home, with detached garage with loft area in the garage for storage. Currently has a spring and well. New foundation on the home, so just needs the finishing touches. Cash only or Rehab loans. Call Meredith at ext. 324, Ryan at ext. 322 (WVMLS#820296)
