Our Town North: July 1, 2020

Something to Think About

Arts & Entertainment

City officials look ahead to Silverton’s next decade – Page 6

Vol. 17 No. 13

Festival falls victim to virus, arts association seeks aid – Page 14

COMMUNITY NEWS Serving Mt. Angel, Silverton, and Scotts Mills

July 2020

Pandemic generates demand for fresh, local food – Page 4

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

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Sports & Recreation

JFK secures fifth consecutive OSAA Cup – Page 20

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Contents

SILVERTON SENIOR CENTER

Farmer’s Notebook Pandemic heightens CSAs roles ............4

Something to Think About Looking at Silverton in the 2020s.........6

Civics 101 Civic Center plans seek public input......8 Mount Angel hires new city manager... 8

Our Neighbor Artist Jo Aerne goes the extra step..... 10

10

Something to Celebrate Meet JFK’s scholarship recipients ....... 12

Datebook...............................13 Arts & Entertainment

What is Independence Day without fireworks?

Sports & Recreation JFK makes OSAA Cup for fifth year.......20

SAA festival a virus victim ................. 14

The Forum............................... 21

Update

Marketplace........................ 21

Mount Angel cancels fireworks........... 15

A Grin at the End.............. 22 On the Cover

Passages................................. 16

Something Fun

Happy Fourth!

Design your own sizzle and pow fest at our tent across the street from Les Schwab, just north of Roth’s

Saturday, June 27 thru Saturday, July 4 9am to 9pm All proceeds support the Silverton Senior Center and the Silverton Lions Club

Education Director Tyler tending and weeding the gardens at GeerCrest Farm. COLLEEN CARROLL

Silverton student receives top honors

503-873-3093

above

at state science fair ...........................18

Jo Aerne with one of her mosaic pieces.

NANCY JENNINGS

ReVamp Thrift expands hours Starting Tuesday, July 7 we will be open for business and accepting donations five days a week

Our Town

Paula Mabry Editor & Publisher

Steve Beckner Custom Design

Jim Kinghorn Advertising Director

Tavis Bettoli-Lotten Copy Editor

DeeDe Williams Office Manager

Sara Morgan

Datebook Editor

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

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

The deadline for placing an ad in the July 15 issue is July 6.

Tuesday thru Saturday 10am-5pm 207 High Street 503-874-1154 Thank you for your generous donations and your patience as we gradually return to “normal.”

We will be closed on July 4 to celebrate the holiday.

Contributing Artists, Editors, Writers, Photographers Dixon Bledsoe • James Day • Nancy Jennings Mary Owen • Steve Ritchie • Carl Sampson Melissa Wagoner • Brenna Wiegand Katie Bassett Greeter

Our Town Monthly

The Senior Center will remain closed to in-person activities until we are confident the spread of the virus has slowed significantly and has stabilized at a very low level.

In the meantime, watch for virtual and online events and on-demand classes via our website. Here’s one you may enjoy.

“Lunch with Dodie” Every Friday in July at noon via Zoom

Chat with Dodie and other familiar unmasked faces. Different topics and different giveaways each week.

Sponsored by local eateries. For your invitation, send an email to dodie@silvertonseniorcenter.org.

NOTE: Masks are now required in public places indoors in our county. Let us know if you need a mask.

silvertonseniorcenter.org

Thank you for spending time with Our Town.

Your comments and suggestions are always welcome.

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July 2020 • 3

Farmer’s Notebook

Providing

By Melissa Wagoner

The temporary closure of restaurants, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, could have easily spelled disaster for many small Willamette Valley farms.

“We plan for a year in advance,” Jay Uth, who owns Olde Moon Farm in Silverton with his wife Jordan, said. “We basically had to do a 180.”

That quick turn-around stemmed from the Uth’s realization that G-Love, a restaurant in Portland and their primary wholesale account, would no longer be utilizing the produce they had already begun growing from seed. Fortunately, the Uths knew of another way to sell their excess vegetables – they could start a community supported agriculture (CSA) program.

“People had been asking us to start a CSA,” Jay said simply. “And now was the time to do it.”

The time was indeed right, as the majority of CSA programs quickly found out.

“It’s insane!” Sarah Brown, who owns

CSAs gain popularity as pandemic shows importance of local food Diggin’ Roots Farm in Silverton along with her husband Conner Voss, said. She added that sales of this year’s farm member shares doubled from 35 to 70.

And for good reason. In early spring, as the pandemic began to take hold so too did fear over the possibility of food scarcity and concern for the safety of shopping in stores. Both problems CSA programs easily address through weekly boxes of produce picked fresh from the farm and generally delivered to an outdoor drop-site. “[A CSA] provides food security,” Adam McKinley, farm director for GeerCrest Farm and Historical Society just outside of Silverton, said. “Consumers know that they will have a continuous flow of food for the length of the farm’s CSA season.”

GeerCrest Farm, similar to Olde Moon Farm, is also new to the CSA scene.

Because they are largely an educational farm, hosting schools throughout the majority of the year, they too lost their primary source of income and needed a

stop-gap financial solution.

“In normal years our gardens are one of our principle ‘classrooms,’ where students engage and learn about their food while participating in all of the careful acts of stewarding seeds, soil, history, in the process of bringing food to the table,” McKinley described. “With spring programs canceled, and summer programs shifting toward serving families or ‘quarantine pods,’ we have the ability to grow more food for our community.”

And providing for the community is a big part of why many farms offer a CSA – pandemic or no-pandemic.

“We really consider our CSA members a part of our farm family,” Jordan said. “I think the culture of CSAs is one of the more beautiful opportunities to connect.”

Which may be another reason CSAs have seen such an upsurge in popularity during this time of pandemic and quarantine – human connection.

“We’re living in unprecedented times,”

Diggin’ Roots Farm

www.digginrootsfarm.com • Silverton Farmer’s Market • CSA: mid-June to mid-October • Market shares

GeerCrest Farm & Historical Society

www.geercrest.org • CSA: June 15 to Nov. 2

Olde Moon Farm

www.oldemoonfarm.com • Silverton Farmer’s Market • CSA: July 11 to Aug. 8 or July 11 to Oct. 24 • Online preorders Brown noted. “We’re collectively realizing the importance of community and our interconnectedness. We want to know where our food comes from and that it’s grown with care. Of course, we don’t want our CSA membership to be driven by fear.

Our hope is that this is an opportunity for people to reconnect to life around them.

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Buyers are buying and sellers are selling! In May of 2019, residential home sales under ½ acre in Silverton, Mt. Angel & Scotts Mills, had an average price per square foot of $203.61 and were on the market an average of 83 days.

In May of 2020, average price per square foot increased to $235.82 and homes were on the market an average of 72 days.

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Our Town Monthly

We’re striving to offer an experience and a connection through our CSA.”

begins to open up.

“That new interest from people realizing the fragility of the global food system and the fear that imparted – I’m so grateful people took the time to look for ways to support us and to support other people too,” Jordan said of what she hopes will be a lasting benefit to the local food movement.

Because it is important to Brown that as many people as possible have access to healthy, organic produce, especially during the economic crisis that has ensued, Diggin’ Roots works with several programs – Farm Direct Nutrition, SNAP and Double Up Food Bucks – to make that happen.

Voss, too, is optimistic that those who have found solace in purchasing food from their neighbors through CSAs and at farmers’ markets will continue to do so.

“Access to healthy, organic food should be available to everyone,” Brown said. “As a small-scale farm our costs of production are significantly higher than monocropped 100-plus acre fields in California.

We recognize these disparities and it pains us that we can’t make our food available at a lower price. As we strive to improve our efficiencies and pay a living wage, we are always exploring ways to increase accessibility.”

Education Director Tyler feeding heritage chickens at GeerCrest Farm.

assistance.

Olde Moon Farm also is striving to help where it can, raising money for the donation of farm shares to indigenous and people of color who are in need of food

“We have a customizable donation amount,” Jay said.” But some people just bought shares outright for another family.”

COLLEEN CARROLL

With online registration for their summer session newly opened, the Uths are hoping consumers across all economic levels and cultures continue to view CSAs as a preferred food source even as society

“The farm is a persistent reminder of our presence and collective power,” Voss said.

“It feels good to turn the earth, and plant the seed. It is hopeful. Hope is what we need, because how we see the future affects how we act in this moment. We have to believe that what we do today matters somehow, somewhere... All this is to say the obvious: Farming is an essential part of our happiness and our humanity. We can’t do this without you, and we wouldn’t want to.”

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Your input as Silverton stakeholders will help shape the design scheme presentation to City Council on Monday, July 6, 2020.

Be Informed: complete details on these topics are located on the City’s website: www.silverton.or.us Have a Voice: attend City meetings For times: www.silverton.or.us/government

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July 2020 • 5

Something to Think About

The decade ahead

By Melissa Wagoner In February, Public Works Director Petra Schuetz, Community Development Director Jason Gottgetreu and Mayor Kyle Palmer were discussong the decade ahead for Silverton for an Our Town story.

What none knew then, of course, was that in a matter of weeks the majority of Silverton’s small downtown businesses would be shuttered, its community members sheltering in place and its economy rocked by a worldwide pandemic.

Fortunately, as Marion County enters Phase 2 of reopening, Mayor Palmer’s outlook is mostly positive.

“I think on a human level, the generosity and compassion of most of our citizens has been astonishing,” he began, “at a time when some people might be worried about their own finances, so many have given to the Small Business Relief Fund, to SACA, and to other causes helping people.”

But that does not mean he doesn’t also have concerns, both about the possibility that the community might reopen too quickly or about the toll the lengthy stay at home orders has taken on morale.

“I’m worried about how much activity is occurring in Marion County in general,” he acknowledged, “and Silverton isn’t as ‘dead’ as it seemed at the start of this, so time will tell. Above all, I’ve really pleaded my fellow citizens to resist the urge to fight with each other. Respectful discourse is possible and productive.”

For the most part, Palmer sees economic and community recovery as a very real possibility, citing some construction and a few new businesses as tangible evidence.

He also noted that, while supporting Silverton’s businesses has become the City

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Silverton officials discuss projects for city’s future

Council’s number one priority for now, the pandemic has by no means changed the trajectory of the projects the City of Silverton had slated for the next decade.

Which means, while a pandemic and an economic shutdown have intervened in the four months since the previous interview, the answers to questions about what’s ahead are virtually unchanged.

City Center

Starting off with what is currently working, Schuetz rated the pre-COVID 19 health and success of Silverton’s downtown area as a resounding success.

“I think the downtown has a fantastic personality, identity and place,” she said.

“There’s a lot of healthy community activity.”

Palmer agreed, adding, “From a community standpoint, I think it’s been as vibrant as it has been in my lifetime.”

That does not mean there isn’t need for improvement. To that end, there are several propositions on the table.

“We talked about a Main Street revitalization in 2010,” Palmer said. “And I still believe in those things.”

Contained in that original plan was the broadening of the downtown sidewalks, the replacement of the current trees with trees at a greater distance from the businesses and an increased number of benches and bike racks.

“Mostly it was a visual reshaping of the downtown,” Palmer concluded, adding, “There also would have been pedestrian bulb-outs, which would increase pedestrian safety. And I would much prefer that.”

Although the plan has been given a ten-

year hiatus, it is once again seeing the light of day by the Silverton City Council.

“What was brought up was, ‘Hey, where did this ever land?’” Palmer said. “I know it got approved because it was a three to three tie...”

As the councilor with the tie-breaking vote at the time, Palmer is delighted to see the topic back on the agenda.

“One of the great things about our Council is its diverse opinions,” Palmer said.

Schuetz agreed, describing the current councilors as passionate and aligned. “The council doesn’t always agree,” she said, “but they work toward solutions.”

Wastewater

A sector of the city’s Public Works Department due for an overhaul in the next decade, according to Schuetz, is the Wastewater Department.

“We have a lot of our mains – water mains and sewer mains – that were constructed in the 1930s,” Schuetz explained. “So, in the next decade we’re going to need to deal with that.”

In other words, the aged infrastructure needs work, including costly pipe repair and a new water treatment plant. Schuetz is relatively confident about the city’s ability to handle what lies ahead – in fact, some work has already begun.

“Some real highlights are a screw press to handle biosolids and a slip lining project – where you put an internal lining inside a pipe,” she said of the equipment that has already been added to the city’s wastewater arsenal. “The water treatment plant is going to be huge, but we’ve already gone through a pilot project and we’ve acquired

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the property for that.”

With the new treatment plant slated for construction as early as 2022, Schuetz has already found ways cut costs for the plant down from an originally estimated $8 million to under $2 million.

“That will allow us to move forward on the second water quality part of the plan, which is why we need additional water storage,” she said.

Also, on the docket of improvements is a reduction in the amount of wastewater shunted into the city’s system in the first place, a subject Schuetz is especially passionate about.

“The big thing I’m excited about is shifting from a curb-gutter wastewater system to using bioswales,” she acknowledged.

Bioswales, which utilize natural vegetation to remove pollutants, silt and debris, is a way to lessen the impact of runoff on a municipal wastewater system and even, in some cases, help to recharge groundwater.

“It’s better for the environment,” Schuetz confirmed. “Aesthetically it can be better too. It’s using what the earth knows best through planting strips, vegetation and trees. It’s engineered to help with the demand.”

So far Schuetz’ department is breaking ground on two such projects; one which will remove the entire Silverton Pool parking lot from the drainage system and another implementing bioswales on McClaine Street.

“We have a full plate right now,” Schuetz said. “But we’re happy to have the opportunity to do some of these pilot projects.”

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Growth One cannot speak about infrastructure issues, such as wastewater, without touching on the foundation of that topic; namely population growth.

“Silverton’s population has been growing since it was founded,” Gottgetreu, whose job it is to oversee land use and planning as well as residential and commercial building and code enforcement, said. “So, finding room for all those folks and the folks who grew up here – that’s a pretty big challenge.”

Add to that, the more recent challenge of affordable housing now that the average purchase price of homes in Silverton stands at over $350,000 according to the online real-estate platform Zillow. The issue is greatly exacerbated.

But that is where Gottgetreu’s expertise in thinking outside the box comes in.

Working with the Affordable Housing Taskforce, a committee made up of community volunteers, and a group of students from the University of Oregon, he is considering the ways a more flexible housing code could benefit the situation.

“Something that creates more of a range of housing types,” Gottgetreu explained.

“As it currently stands, the entirety of the residential land is all R1 residential, which is one house on a lot. You have to look at doing something different if you’re going to address something different. If you’re going to address affordable housing then

it’s – what is that different thing and how does that fit in?”

That might mean looking at different lot sizes, different house sizes or different housing types, according to Gottgetreu.

It could also mean rehabilitating older buildings instead of building something new.

“I don’t share people’s opinion that affordable housing is just a supply and demand thing,” Palmer added. “I’m a fan of rehabbing and compounding the space we have until we don’t have that. I don’t personally think it’s important to build new homes.”

Traffic & Transportation

Along with issues surrounding affordable housing, Silverton’s population increase has also affected traffic, a subject often discussed with the city government officials, who are understanding of the complaints and their origins.

“I’m as concerned as the average citizen about traffic,” Palmer confessed. “But I mean, we can’t change traffic patterns.

And what town doesn’t have traffic problems?”

That statement is one that rings especiallyy true in the city of Silverton for several reasons, according to Schuetz, whose job it is to oversee the maintenance and improvement of the city’s infrastructure systems.

“There are 50 dead ends in town,” Schuetz

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said. “And it’s those former land use patterns and all those natural barriers that are expensive to fix. But one of the solutions is going to be future alignments to connect streets in order to have a way to dissipate the impact on the downtown.”

There have also been recent studies looking at the need for additional signalization on a few of the city’s main streets.

“There’s only one or two possibilities,” Schuetz said of these findings. “But nothing imminent.”

What has already been done is the adoption of five bike and pedestrian projects by the City Council that are slated for the next fiscal year. A development that has a large segment of Silverton’s population cheering, according to Palmer.

“I think there are people in town that would love to see us transition more into bicycles.”

More to come ...

With several major projects, joining the aforementioned smaller ones on the city’s list of improvements – including the construction of a police station and possibly a civic center on the previous Eugene Field School site and possible construction at Pettit Lake and on Westfield Street, each area of city government is sure to be busy with planning in the years ahead. Palmer is confident the decade ahead will be a positive one.

Our Town Monthly

George Floyd Memorial Protest video now available online

Our Town and Pass It On Films have teamed up to present a video documentary of the George Floyd Memorial Protest in Silverton on June 5, 2020. The Silverton High School students who organized the demonstration were stunned to see more than 400 Silvertonians of all ages filling the Eugene Field lot that afternoon. They came to listen to the speakers’ experiences and learn how it feels to be a person of color in our town.

Thank you to the Silverton Youth Movement and Mayor Kyle Palmer for their help in putting this piece together. There’s a link on the Our Town Facebook page or you can go to: https://vimeo.com/432699795 10 minutes / Directed by Michael Turner.

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“The staff is a huge strength,” he noted. “I’ve never seen work done more efficiently. I think municipally there are so many strengths. And I have not served with a council that cares more about what people think. There’s a vibrancy in the process now that’s just addictive. I only hope the community realizes what a unique situation they have now.”

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July 2020 • 7

Civics 101

Civic center

Mt. Angel appoints new city manager At its June 16 mdeeting the Mt. Angel City Council appointed Kevin Cronin as the new city manager for the City of Mt. Angel. Cronin replaces Gene Green who has served as Interim City Manager since October 2019.

By Melissa Wagoner When so much of the world feels like it’s at a standstill, it is often difficult to remember that there are some projects that are in fact moving toward completion. The planning of a new civic center and police station in downtown Silverton is one of those projects.

Cronin is currently the Assistant City Manager for the City of Warrenton. He has roughly 15 years experience with METRO, the City of Astoria and Warrenton and has a BA degree in Environmental Studies from Penn State University and a Masters in Community and Regional Planning from the University of Oregon.

“We also discussed rotating the option three so that it was better oriented for best option solar angle,” Project Manager Cathy Bowman said, noting that this, along

Cronin will begin Mt. Angel position on July 1.

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In May, MacKenzie Engineering presented four design options for the site, which were then whittled down to three. Those included: option one, in which the building is entirely on one level; option two, which provides the police department with the entire ground floor, locating the civic center on the floor above; and option three, in which the police department is split onto two levels.

The recruitment process was very challenging due to COVID-19, officials said. All of the major aspects of the recruitment were conducted by teleconference or videoconference.

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“The contract right now is through design development,” City Councilor Dana Smith said of the June 15 meeting between the City Council and the project’s design firm, Mackenzie Engineering. “It’s kind of preliminary to figure out what we want and can we afford what we want and then line up funding sources.”

The city retained the firm of Prothman Associates to assist in the recruitment. The city recruitment committee included City Council President Pete Wall and Councilors Ray Eder and Matt Donohue.

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Along with the survey, community members will find a link to Mackenzie Engineering’s entire presentation, as well as a PowerPoint option.

For those who prefer a paper version of the survey, Councilor Smith suggested a visit to City Hall.

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That input, due to the current pandemic and need for physical distancing measures, will be gathered through an online survey located on the main page of the City of Silverton website (www.silverton.or.us) now through July 3.

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“We’ve been working with the design drivers: having the community as a destination, a gateway to the downtown and really preserving the trees as much in the design as possible,” Bowman listed. “What we will be doing in the course of the next two weeks – before the next city council meeting – is preparing a cost estimate as well as soliciting public input.”

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July 2020 • 9

Our Neighbor

Mosaics, music & merriment

By Nancy Jennings Like many in Silverton, Jo Aerne (pronounced “Ernie”) is a doer. She’s all about community and causes – and finding the connections between the two. She is also spreading joy during this COVID-19 pandemic by serenading locals with her ukulele and belting out uplifting songs.

Born and raised in Granite City, Illinois, Aerne moved here in 2016 to accept a new position.

“I’m an artist that morphed into an occupational therapist, and I got a job in the Salem/Keizer School District. One of my dear friends in St. Louis, Missouri, told me her brother [artist Paul Jenkins] lives here,” she said.

Her friend added that Silverton’s community is well-known for its eclectic artistic talent. A mosaic artist herself, that comment sealed the deal. She has exhibited some of her pieces at local venues in the area, including the Borland Gallery.

Aerne credits fellow artist Lyn Rydosovich, as a major inspiration after attending her mosaic workshops in Corvallis. “I absolutely loved it so much that I’ve been participating ever since,” she said.

worked as a book designer at Yale University Press.

While in college, she was a watercolor painter and photographer.

Fast forward to her having taught graphic design for over 15 years and she explored another passion of hers – gardening. She went on to earn an Associate’s Degree in Horticulture, specializing in Garden Design.

“After this point, I felt very fortunate to have earned a Fulbright Scholarship to study abroad in the Netherlands for over three years,” she said.

“With mosaic art, I apply all of the principles of design and color, except I’m ‘painting’ with glass,” she said.

Inspired by artists Antoni Gaudi and Niki de Saint Phalle, she “incorporates her multilayered designs with vibrant colors and whimsical elements.” Likening her creations to stained glass, she combines “flowing curvilinear shapes and brilliant colors with light to transcend them to another level.”

Aerne’s educational background is as multi-faceted as the cuts of glass she works with.

“Though I loved garden design, I felt I needed a more practical occupation that would sustain my future,” she said, adding she did just that by earning a Master’s in Occupational Therapy from St. Louis University. “As long as I didn’t mix up ‘xylem’ and ‘phloem’ with ‘arteries’ and ‘veins,’ I was safe,” she laughed.

Jo Aerne

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including administering COVID-19 tests.

“We’ve done benefit concerts to aid various causes, including when Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans.”

She continues to bring joy to those who need a smile during this challenging time by calling seniors and playing rousing old-time songs over the phone. Locals may be surprised to see her plucking her ukulele at a social distance and singing songs in front of their homes. Aerne’s life motto is simple: “Just ask yourself ‘what can I do in the time I have left to make this world a better place?’”

When COVID-19 hit in mid-March, Aerne knew what she had to do: “I asked myself what can I do for the community? I thought the small businesses are really going to be hurting.

I’ll go pick up food and fresh produce at the farmer’s market, or fresh bread from a bakery, and deliver it to your door. I love paying it forward and doing small random acts of kindness every day,” she said.

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Our Town Monthly

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July 2020 • 11

Something to Celebrate

Scholarships

JFK Seniors honored for exceptional community service

By Melissa Wagoner

Commerce board member and volunteer Maureen Ernst, passed away in 2018, was created to recognize a JFK senior who most embodied Ernst’s spirit of volunteerism and community service.

Hundreds of hours of volunteerism paid off in a whole new way for two seniors from John F. Kennedy High School in Mount Angel. Kylee Cantu was awarded the Chamber of Commerce’s annual Junior First Citizen Award, while Ibeth Gomez was honored with the Maureen Ernst Memorial Scholarship.

“Between volunteering, cooperative work experience and participating in school clubs, Ibeth gave almost 400 hours of her time to help others,” the Chamber wrote in an announcing the award. “Some of the organizations she volunteered with include the Chamber, Mount Angel Oktoberfest, North Willamette Valley Habitat for Humanity and Providence Benedictine Nursing Center. She was a member of Leadership, FBLA, Health Occupations Students of America and National Honors Society. And those are just a few of the many groups she was part of.”

Kylee Cantu

“I really feel honored,” Cantu, the daughter of Candace and Tom Cantu, said of receiving the award. “I just can’t believe that I’m able to have this opportunity.”

Heavily involved in both school activities, such as the Associated Student Body and the National Honors Society, as well as community activities – including Habitat for Humanity and the Teen Advisory Board – Cantu nonetheless made time for her studies, about which she was passionate.

“Since I could remember, my teachers always commented on my good grades in school,” Cantu wrote in her scholarship application. “However, it was not until I began high school that I became challenged by AP and Honors classes. Despite always fearing failure or bad grades, I took this opportunity to challenge myself and see what I could achieve in these more rigorous classes.”

Along with pushing herself academically, Cantu also saw high school as a time to branch-out socially, even when it was difficult.

“When I was young, I never saw myself standing out to make a difference in my community,” Cantu admitted.

“I was too shy to open myself to new opportunities and experiences, believing they were beyond my capabilities.

Now, as a graduate senior and a previous member of multiple clubs, I understand that becoming involved was the best decision I could have made. Like my AP classes, I felt trepidation on entering community service activities. I lacked the leadership skills and the personality of a volunteer. However, I went out of my comfort zone and pursued this new path, growing more confident and knowledgeable with each volunteering opportunity.

Despite my lack of experience, I continued to put in

Kylee Cantu, recipient of the Junior First Citizen Award, and Ibeth Gomez, recipient of the Maureen Ernst Memorial Scholarship. MELISSA WAGONER

the work for all our club’s projects and finding new possibilities.”

“We’re very proud,” Cantu’s mother, Candace, said of her daughter’s achievements. “She’s worked really hard. It’s amazing to see this transition in her. She’s just kind of butterflied into this amazing woman.”

With this scholarship, Cantu plans to attend the Oregon Institute of Technology in Klamath Falls, where she will study Medical Imaging.

“Because of my community service experience, I felt like medical imaging is a perfect fit,” Cantu said. “Because your whole day is helping people.”

Ibeth Gomez “I feel great,” Gomez, the daughter of Cristina and Refugio Gomez, said after receiving the scholarship. “It’s very exciting that I got the scholarship with the meaning behind it. I look forward to carrying it forward in the years to come.”

The scholarship, established after Mt. Angel Chamber of

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With those newly honed abilities, Gomez plans to attend Western Oregon University. She plans to eventually apply to the Oregon Health and Science University’s nursing program.

“I really want to help critical babies in the NICU,” Gomez said. Explaining that this career path was heavily influenced by the time she spent volunteering in a hospital NICU through the Cooperative Work Experience course she took in high school.

“I’m very proud of her,” Gomez’s mother, Cristina, said of her daughter’s accomplishments. “Everything she does and is involved in.”

Although Gomez will leave this fall to attend college, she plans to visit home often, continuing to serve the community she loves.

“I want to continue to be a part of the Hazelnut Festival and the Oktoberfest as well,” Gomez said. “Because my family will still be in town.”

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“Community service is important because it does not only help the community succeed as a whole, but it also helps students develop essential skills for their future,” Gomez wrote in her scholarship application. “Being involved in various community service opportunities has allowed me to develop leadership skills, interpersonal skills, and organizational skills.”

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datebook Datebook Submission Information To get your events and fundraisers published in Our Town send your releases – including date, time, location, activity, cost, contact information – to datebook@mtangelpub.com. Or drop them off at 401 Oak St., Silverton.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Canceled Events

July 3rd Celebration @ Oregon Garden Mount Angel Fourth of July Music on Monday Canterbury Renaissance Faire Historic Silver Falls Day Pizza in the Park, Scotts Mills Marion County Fair •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Notices Homer Cartoon Contest The most “Homer” event of them all, the International Political Cartoon Contest will take place as an online process – go to HomerDavenport. com/tooncon/ or on Facebook at tinyurl. com/tooncon2020/ for details. In addition to the regular contest division, a Kids’ Contest has been added.

Free Summer Lunch Mt. Angel School District offers Grab n Go meals 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Monday - Friday at St. Mary’s Public School, 590 E College St., Mt. Angel. Meals run through Aug. 21. 503-845-2345 Silver Falls School District offers free lunches Monday - Friday through Aug. 21 in the following locations: Mark Twain, 425 N Church St., Silverton.

11 - 11:30 a.m.

Coolidge - McClaine Park, 300 Coolidge St., Silverton. 12 - 12:30 p.m.

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City Meetings

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

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Weekly Events Monday

SACA Food Pantry, 9 a.m. - noon, 421 S

Water St. Repeats Thursday. 503-8733446, silvertonareacommunity.org Mt. Angel Food Pantry, 11 a.m. - 3 p.m., Community Center, 195 E Charles St. 503-845-6998

Our Town Monthly

First Friday in Silverton

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

Delivery only. $3 donation suggested. Repeats Thursdays.

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

Silverton Senior Meals,

11:30 a.m. Delivery only. $3 donation suggested. Monday - Friday. Carol, 503-873-6906.

Tuesday

7 – 9 p.m. Explore the historic downtown, have dinner, shop, browse galleries, boutiques.

503-873-5615, silvertonchamber.org

Mt. Angel School District

Saturday, July 4 Independence Day Monday, July 6

Silver Falls School District

Caregiver Connection

Scotts Mills Food Pantry,

9 - 11 a.m., Community Center, 298 Fourth St. SACA Food Pantry, 4 - 7 p.m., SACA, 421 S Water St., Silverton. 503-873-3446, silvertonareacommunityaid.org Serenity Al-Anon Meeting, 5:30 p.m. Virtual Zoom meeting. Repeats 10 a.m. Saturdays.

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

Wednesday

Mission Benedict Food Pantry, 1 - 4 p.m.,

St. Joseph Shelter, 925 S Main St., Mt. Angel.

Repeats Friday. 503-845-2468 Mission of Hope Food Pantry, 2 - 4 p.m., Silver Creek Fellowship, 822 Industry Way. Repeats 9-11 a.m. Saturday. 503-873-7353 Daniel Plan Journey Video Series, 6:30 8 p.m., Silver Creek Fellowship Church, 822 NE Industrial Way, Silverton. In-person or online at scf.tv/daniel.plan. Open to public.

Sheila, 503-409-4498

Saturday

Silverton Farmer’s Market, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.,

Silverton UnitedMethodist Church, 203 W Main St. Fresh produce, plants, flowers. 503873-5615, silvertonfarmersmarket.com Oregon Crafters Market, 11 a.m. - 6 p.m., 215 N Water St., Silverton. Outdoor market with locally handcrafted items, art, food, live music, entertainers, festivities. Sunday, noon - 5 p.m. oregoncraftersmarket.com Saturday Lunch, Noon - 1:30 p.m., Trinity Lutheran Church, 500 N Second St., Silverton. Free. To-go lunch only.

503-873-2635, trinitysilverton.org

Wednesday, July 1 Scotts Mills City Council 7 p.m., Scotts Mills City Hall, 265 Fourth St. Agenda available. Open to public.

503-873-5435, scottsmills.org

Friday, July 3 Lunch with Dodie 12 - 12:30 p.m. Virtual lunch Dodie Brockamp of Silverton Senior Center. Every Friday in July. us04web.zoom.us/j/ 3673655447?pwd=alUxUzV wcWd2MGZPUkU1M3hUUW12dz09 Meeting ID: 367 365 5447. Password: 7vqVrN. 503-873-3093

Monday, July 13

2 - 3:30 p.m. Virtual Zoom meeting discussing how caregiving changes relationships. Join meeting at https:// nwsds.zoom.us/j/92235615586 10 minutes before start. To attend via phone, call 877-369-0926 with meeting ID 922 3561 5586.

Silverton City Council 7 p.m., Silverton Community Center, 421 S Water St., Silverton. Open to public. Agenda available. 503-873-5321, silverton.or.us

Mt. Angel City Council 7 p.m., Mount Angel Public Library, 290 Charles St., Mt. Angel. Open to public.

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

Tuesday, July 7 Coffee & Conversation 10 a.m. Family Building Blocks virtual support on practicing discipline, selfcare, stress management, proactive communication. Optimal for families with young children.

Visit familybuildingblocks.org/ parents/#opportunities and click on “connect through Zoom.” Repeats July 21. 971-701-0076

Friday, July 10 Red Cross Blood Drive Noon - 5 p.m., Silverton Elks Lodge, 300 High St. Appointments encouraged by visiting redcrossblood.org.

Walk-ins welcome and will be scheduled at door.

Saturday, July 11 Saint Benedict Festival 3 - 5 p.m. Virtual event to meet the monks online, enjoy prayer, music. Registration is free; however, those who gift $100 or more will be invited to attend a special virtual blessing and toast, hosted by Abbot Jeremy Driscoll. Register at mountangelabbey.org. 503-845-3030

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6:30 p.m., District Office, 730 E Marquam St., Mt. Angel. Agenda available. Open to public. 503-845-2345, masd91.org 7 p.m., Silverton Community Center, 421 S Water St., Silverton. Agenda available. Open to public. 503-873-5303, silverfallsschools.org

Tuesday, July 14 Silverton Planning Commission 7 p.m., Silverton Community Center, 421 S Water St., Silverton. Open to public.

Agenda available. 503-874-2207, silverton.or.us

Wednesday, July 15 Tax Day Tuesday, July 21 Virtual Book Club 7 p.m. Book club for adults via Zoom.

To get a Zoom invitation, sign-up at silverfallslibrary.org/book-club.

503-873-5173

Monday, July 27 Vigil for Peace 2:30 - 3:30 p.m., Towne Square Park, Silverton. Silverton People for Peace gather to advocate for peace, social justice issues on all levels of society including a focus on issues of current concern. Open to all.

Protective masks required. Proper social distancing maintained. 503-873-5307

Wednesday, July 29 Abbey Bach Festival 7 p.m. Free, four-day virtual concert series, broadcast live each evening. Musicians will perform in their homes, at local venues. Gift given in support of the festival will help provide logistical, technology, artist fees. Repeats July 30-31. Each concert will be available for viewing through Aug. 8. For concert links, visit mountangelabbey.org.

July 2020 • 13

Arts & Entertainment

Virus victim

Silverton Arts Association reaches out to community for help

By Steve Ritchie

to support programs throughout the year.

The COVID-19 pandemic has claimed over 110,000 American lives, ravaged the US economy and plunged budgets of governmental entities into the deep red, all in just over three months.

SAA board members are taking action to lessen the impact and help ensure that the organization stays afloat until the 2021 festival can be held.

Board member Harold Wood said operating expenses have been reduced, noting, “We’re trying to stop the bleeding, which we’ve done as much as we can.

We’re starting to write (for) grants.”

It turns out that nonprofit organizations are not immune to the virus either.

Among the local organizations suffering from COVID-19’s impact is the Silverton Arts Association, which has had to cancel its popular Fine Arts Festival in August due to the State of Oregon’s safety guidelines. The loss of the festival puts the association’s programs in peril, along with its very survival in the worst case scenario.

Joe Craig, a long-time SAA member and board member, says it’s important to make the case that the Silverton Fine Arts Festival contributes to Silverton’s economy.

“Many people come from out of town to attend the festival and most of the artists are from out of town,” Craig said.

August 2020 would have seen the 20th edition of the Fine Arts Festival, which in 2019 featured 93 artist vendors, ten music groups and performers, and six food vendors. The festival attracted approximately 5,000 attendees and generated $22,000 in net revenue for the association. The profit from the festival goes into the association’s operating budget

“We have a festival sponsor – Republic Services – which has offered to donate $5,000 to help with next year’s budget and to encourage others to donate as well.

We’ve got something to build on and show people, yes, these are tough times but we have people who believe in the Arts Association.”

The Silverton Arts Association was formed in 1963 and, since its founding, has been a resource for artists of all ages.

elementary schools have art programs,” Craig said. “We have through a grant and festival support been able to provide artists and art supplies to the other schools. The artists are not on staff, but go into each school on a regular basis for a month or two.”

Craig said that it creates a “community of artists and provides a safe, supportive environment for art.”

The SAA also brings art and art education into the community and the schools. Over 3,800 young people were served through the association’s artists-in-education programs and onsite programs and events.

The “Kids Show” and “Teen Show” art exhibitions at the association’s Borland Gallery are organized in coordination with the schools, and remain popular with young, budding artists.

The SAA also has a program that starts developing a love for the visual arts at an even earlier age. The Park House Preschool introduces the children to color, line, space and other design concepts of visual art. The enrollment at Park House is limited to 12, and there is usually a wait list.

Both Craig and Wood say continuing the fine arts festival is a high priority, noting that it is a win-win for the association and the community.

“The Teen Show is the most vital thing we do next to the fine arts festival,” Wood said. “Kids are excited about their drawings and paintings. We get some really good work from these high school students and they really are ecstatic – it’s just a delight.”

Contributions to the Silverton Arts Association can be made through its GoFundMe account, which has a link on www.silvertonarts.org. People can also sign for memberships on the Store button on the website.

Craig said the artists-in-education program is helping to meet a major gap in schools.

“None of the [Silver Falls School District]

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Our Town Monthly

Update

Empty skies

By Melissa Wagoner This year Mount Angel’s Fourth of July celebration was going to be different.

Sarah Bauman, president of the Mt. Angel Chamber of Commerce, has known that since the pandemic began.

“We pretty much wrote the parade off right away,” she said of the difficult decision the Chamber of Commerce board made in early spring. “But... what can we do for the fireworks?”

Because those fireworks were already purchased, and after three stressful months, the Chamber was determined to find a way to help the citizens of Mount Angel enjoy a little bit of normalcy – even if it meant getting creative.

“We knew fireworks couldn’t happen the way they normally would but we were like ‘It can still happen,’” Bauman recalled of those early brainstorming sessions.

And so the Chamber got to work, developing a plan to host a safe, physically distant fireworks display, utilizing the potential for the show to be visible for

Mount Angel July 4th fireworks canceled miles around, even from the safety of private backyards.

“The fireworks pyrotechnic team said this still can happen,” Bauman said. “And we really wanted to make it happen.”

But those shows are expensive and Chamber Past President Pete Wall had reservations.

“To get a display that people could enjoy with social distancing, we just couldn’t do it,” Wall said.

Nevertheless, Brian Halverson, Chamber July 4th committee chair, presented a plan to the Mount Angel City Council.

“There were a handful of councilors that just wouldn’t even hear it,” Bauman said sadly. “They said, ‘Why haven’t you already canceled this?’”

A legitimate question, according to Wall – also a member of the council – who said, “The governor’s order on crowds, or gatherings, really prohibited us from doing fireworks the way they’re normally done.”

After that first meeting, and with

the council;s comments in mind, the committee redoubled its efforts to find common ground and address concerns.

“People were saying, ‘Please do the fireworks,’ and ‘How can we help?’” Bauman said, recalling the community eagerness to find a solution. “They asked, ‘Can we volunteer to stand at parking lot entrances and encourage people to stay in their cars?’”

Confident that concerns had been addressed, the chamber again approached the council with a plan, but to no avail.

“It was the same councilors,” Bauman said. “The Chamber was not even allowed to present the idea that they had to do it safely.”

Prohibition of this year’s display is disappointing, but there are other considerations for the Chamber, too, according to Wall. There’s an uncertain financial future.

“We (the Chamber) spend a lot of money on fireworks,” he said. “And the people we buy our fireworks from, they were very accommodating and said we can keep

them for the next Fourth of July. We’ve already paid for them.”

That is important because, as Wall said, “We raise money all year for the fireworks, but we don’t even know if we’ll have the Hazelnut Fest this year.”

Events like December’s Hazelnut Festival and late winter’s Volksfest are the Chamber’s primary method of raising funds for things like the fireworks, the downtown fountain, flower baskets, Bavarian signage and other community contributions.

But no matter the reason, the cancellation is a bitter disappointment to both Wall and Bauman.

“I think we all could use a little July spirit,” Bauman said. “We spent a lot of time talking about it and going back and forth about it. To still be told no is a hard pill to swallow. We want people to know we tried.”

Similarly, Wall stated, “For Sarah, Brian and I – and for a lot of us it hurts. It hurts that we can’t do what we’ve always done.”

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July 2020 • 15

Vincent (Jerry) Gerard Till

Passages Sept. 28, 1928 – June 10, 2020

Vincent Gerard Till of Silverton, Oregon passed away on June 10, 2020 at his home. He was 91. Vincent (Jerry), husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather was born on Sept. 28, 1928 in Seattle, Washington to Vincent and Anna Marie Beller Harrold. Jerry lost his father to tuberculosis in 1934. His mother Anna Marie re-married in 1939 to Leo Joseph Till who adopted Jerry, his brother Donald, and sister Theresa. Jerry attended the Briscoe Boys School in Kent, Washington and the last year of High School at Mount Angel Abbey.

After graduating from high school, Jerry enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and served from 1948 to 1952. He was assigned to Fairchild AFB with B29s, preparing them and doing maintenance on them.

In 1952, he married Elma (Babs) Viola Brown in Mount Angel, Oregon, and together they had four children: Donna, Rose, Cecelia and Helen. In 1954 he re-enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and served until his retirement of 20 years of military service in 1969. He retired with the rank of senior master sergeant after serving in the Strategic Air Command for 12 years, the Air Defense Command for four years and in the Tactical Air Command for four years. He served tours in the Korean and Vietnam wars. He received the Bronze Star Medal in August of 1962 for meritorious service as Fabrication Branch Superintendent, 31st Field Maintenance Squadron, Republic of Vietnam, while engaged in ground operation against an opposing armed force from Dec. 22, 1967 to Oct. 20, 1968. His exemplary leadership, personal endeavor, and devotion to duty reflected great credit upon himself and the United States Air Force. Jerry received a special award while stationed at Hamilton Air Force Base for his contributions for building and assembling of a 20-foot, propeller-driven swamp skiff, named, “Big Brother,” for the AFB Fire Department.

It was to be used for rescue work in the mud flats near the Base.

After retiring from the U.S. Air Force in 1969, Jerry and his wife Babs built a log home in Scotts Mills, Oregon on property they had purchased prior to retirement where they had several acres of Christmas trees. In 1992, he and Babs moved to Silverton. In 1993, Jerry volunteered his time and skills to the Silverton Mural Society and in 1997 he became President of the society spending the next 20 years involved with fund raising, securing artists to paint murals, planting and watering flowers around murals throughout Silverton, inspecting the protective coatings of murals, giving tours to the public and school children, and a host of other activities. Friends and fellow mural society members honored Jerry with a plaque from the City of Silverton for his “uncounted hours of volunteer service” that earned him the “gratitude and friendship of the entire community.” The “murals” were Jerry’s pride and joy, particularly, Norman Rockwell’s The Four Freedoms murals.

He believed that freedom isn’t free and gave of himself to make a difference in this world.

Today, there are 30+ murals throughout Silverton, many of which commemorate historical and locally significant events.

In 1999, Jerry and his wife were honored as Silverton’s First Citizens for their many contributions to the community of Silverton. Additionally, he and Babs were passionate square dancers for over 45 years, including dancing with the Willamette Squares.

Jerry was kind and a very hard worker who always put his whole self into whatever he did.

He enjoyed people and always gave encouragement to many. He often would tell people to, “keep their motors running.” He had an infectious laugh and enjoyed singing “Happy Birthday” to friends and strangers. He will be greatly missed.

He is survived by his wife, Elma (Babs) Viola Brown Till; daughters Donna Till Zimmer, Rose Till Walton, Cecelia Till Tobey and Helen Till Kelley; sons-in-law, James Zimmer, Jimmie Walton, Phil Kelley; eight grandchildren and six great grandchildren; Theresa Ann Till Pajot, sister. His brother Donald Joseph Till predeceased Jerry.

A private procession for Jerry Till was held on June 19 along North First Street in Silverton, pausing at the Four Freedoms Murals, followed by a Mass at St. Mary’s in Mount Angel that was live streamed. In lieu of flowers, the family request donations be sent to the Wounded Warrior Project, National Processing Center, P.O. Box 758541, Topeka, Kansas 66675-8541. Assisting the family is Unger Funeral Chapel – Silverton.

16 • July 2020

Janice Faye Myers Janice Faye Myers was born to Russell and Eva Hauth on Nov. 4, 1938 in Richmond, California. She passed away on June 13, 2020 in Silverton, Oregon after a lengthy illness.

Janice spent the first few years of her life in Richmond, where her father worked in the shipyards during World War II. In 1943, her family moved a few miles east to the quaint, rural community of Walnut Creek, where she attended Pleasant Hill Elementary School and Walnut Creek Christian Academy.

During her first year at Western Baptist Bible College in El Cerrito, California she fell in love with James (Jim) Myers and they married Aug. 24, 1957 and had five children: Jeffrey, identical twins Stanley and Stephen, Laurel and Jennifer.

In 1962, Janice and Jim moved to Camino, California located in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, halfway between Sacramento and Lake Tahoe. They raised their family there and lived in the same home for 50 years.

Janice was a full-time homemaker, and she poured her time and energy into making her home safe, welcome, beautiful and nurturing.

She was an exceptionally wise and loving mother, a locally-renowned gourmet cook and baker (she baked all the bread for

Nov. 4, 1938 – June 13, 2020 her family), an excellent gardener, and a fastidious housekeeper. She volunteered her time, talents and resources to teach and help others, including teaching Junior High Sunday School at her local church for more than 40 years. She also played the piano, and sang in duets and quartets with her sister Shirley.

In 2013, Janice suffered a massive brain hemorrhage that nearly took her life. After spending several weeks in the hospital, she and Jim moved to Silverton to live with Stanley and Mindy Myers.

Janice is survived by her husband of 62 years, James Myers; her brother Russell Hauth Jr. of Thousand Oaks; children – Jeffrey (Kathy) Myers of Placerville, California; Stanley (Mindy) Myers of Silverton; Stephen (Kathy) Myers of Newberg, Oregon; and Jennifer (Joe) Cox of Folsom, California. She had 12 grandchildren, and 26 greatgrandchildren. She was preceded in death by her daughter Laurel.

There will be a private memorial service for Janice on Aug. 1 in Silverton. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Janice’s name to ELLS International, a nonprofit founded by her son that focuses on training pastors in remote areas of the developing world. Assisting the family is Unger Funeral Chapel – Silverton.

Cody Michael Thomas April 17, 1999 – June 14, 2020 Cody Michael Thomas, 21, of Mount Angel, Oregon passed away on June 14, 2020 as result of injuries sustained in a motor vehicle accident. He was born on April 17, 1999 in Silverton, Oregon.

He is survived by his parents, Michael Thomas of Silverton, Tracy (Halter) Thomas of Mount Angel; his sister, Courtney (Thomas) and Cletus Clapper of Keizer; brother, Christopher Thomas and Nikki Lorton of Aumsville. He also leaves his paternal grandmother, Judy Berry, of Silverton; and maternal grandfather, Jim Halter, of Mount Angel.

Cody has many loving extended family members including nephews Jeremy Thomas and Jason Lorton.

Cody was preceded in death by his maternal grandmother, Jerrilyn Halter and paternal grandfather, Paul Thomas.

Cody attended elementary, middle, and

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high school in Mount Angel, graduating from Kennedy High School in 2017.

He had been working on completing mechanics school through Mt. Hood Community College, combined with experience at Skyline Ford until COVID restrictions were implemented. Cody loved spending time with family and friends. Though seen as quiet, Cody had an infectious, loving smile, great personality, and fun-loving spirit. He was a peacemaker and a patient, loving man devoted to his family and friends. His favorite activities were fishing, golf, riding 4-wheelers in the dunes, and working on vehicles.

Funeral arrangements are being handled

by Unger Funeral Chapel in Silverton. A private Mass at St. Mary Catholic Church was held on June 25, followed by a burial at Calvary Cemetery.

Our Town Monthly

Russell James Talbot

Vic Gilliam

March 7, 1964 – April 15, 2020 Russell James Talbot was born March 7, 1964 in Fairbanks, Alaska. He died on April 15, 2020 in Silverton, Oregon at age 56. Cause of death was COPD and heart failure. He was a resident of Silverton for more than 35 years.

Soon after his birth the family moved to Fairfield, California to be near his paternal grandparents before his father’s deployment to Vietnam as a helicopter pilot. The family moved between Alaska and California several times until 1976, when they settled in Fairfield. He attended St. Patrick High School in Vallejo, California.

Russell started working full time at 18, enjoying construction and traveling extensively with the work. He worked with his dad, who was a project manager, and worked his way up from a laborer to an experienced sandblaster and painter.

Later he worked in steel erection as an installer and welder.

He met his first wife in Colorado. They had two children, a son, Justin Daniel,

and a daughter, Elizabeth Ann. They divorced soon after.

Russell continued working, and in his spare time enjoyed the outdoors, particularly hunting and fishing.

In the early 1990s he met the love of his life, Rose White. She traveled with Russell wherever the job took them.

He is survived by his parents, David and Gail Talbot; son Justin Talbot and daughter Elizabeth (Talbot) Gonzalez and three granddaughters; plus stepchildren Tina White, Jennifer Chavez, Steven and Angela Hernandez, 18 grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren. Russell is also survived by a special uncle, Dan Talbot; his brothers Robert, Richard and Randy Talbot, and sister Yolanda Ahmadian and their spouses and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, aunts and uncles.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions the celebration of life and funeral at St. Paul’s Catholic Church and St. Paul’s Cemetery in Silverton will be held at a later date to be announced.

In Memory Of …

Leonardo Luevanos Vincent Till

June 5, 2020 — June 5, 2020

Aug. 8, 1932 — June 12, 2020

Janice Myers

Nov. 4, 1938 — June 13, 2020

Sister Alberta Dieker

July 23, 1920 — June 14, 2020

Robert Kuenzi

Aug. 17, 1940 — June 14, 2020

Cody Thomas

April 17, 1999 — June 14, 2020

Timothy Schneider Victor Gilliam Mark E. Cox

March 24, 1956 — June 17, 2020 July 21, 1953 — June 17, 2020 March 2, 1957 — June 19, 2020

Vic’s eldest daughter, Leanne Ruby, was born in 1985 and his youngest, Becky Sue, was born in 1989 in Salem, Oregon. In 2003, Vic married Becky Arnett from Seattle forming a family with Becky and her son, Taylor Arnett Hussey.

Vic had a variety of careers but by far the most impactful began in 1976 when he was hired by Gerry Frank, Chief of Staff to Senator Mark O. Hatfield, and start working as a legislative aide for one of his heroes. Senator Hatfield would become a lifelong mentor and friend and Vic’s time working for the Senator in Washington, D.C. and throughout Oregon would awaken a desire to facilitate change through bipartisan relationships and servant leadership.

Vic is survived by his wife, Becky; daughters, Leanne Ruby (Julien Flacassier), Rebecca Sue (Sam Madge); and stepson, Taylor Arnett Hussey; his father, E. Joe Gilliam; sister, Felicia Capps (Rod); brother, Joe Gilliam; sister, Sue Carpenter (Brent); and several nieces and nephews.

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Vic graduated from Franklin High School in 1971, the same year his littlest brother, Steve, was born. Vic graduated from Warner Pacific College in 1975 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree. In 1982 he obtained a Master of Education from University of Virginia and received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from his alma mater in 2016.

During the last five years of his life, Vic was drawn to a deep place in his Christian faith. He became increasingly more aware of the truth of the personal, intimate love and grace of Jesus for all of His created beings. When Vic had lost his speech and much of the ability to move his body, he convinced his caregivers, Javier and Billy, to drive him around Salem and Silverton making deliveries of fresh local strawberries & blueberries, customized candy bars fondly called “GRACE and MERCY BARS” and custom-made bumper stickers that read “JESUS LOVES YOU SOOO MUCH.”

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Vic Gilliam was the firstborn son of Martha Marilyn Balser Gilliam and Earl Joe Gilliam.

He was born in Dover, Ohio on July 21, 1953, two years after his big sister, Felicia. In 1956, when Vic was three years old, the Gilliam family of four moved to Indianapolis, Indiana. In 1966, after the birth of Vic’s little brother, Joe and sister, Sue, his family moved west to Mt. Tabor, Portland, Oregon where his dad would become President of Warner Pacific College.

In 2006 Vic was selected to be the Oregon State Representative for District 18.

He was sworn in for this first term as State Representative in 2007 and proudly served until 2017 when it became clear Vic would not be able to effectively represent his district and serve out his term due to illness.

Sept. 28, 1928 — June 10, 2020

Gloria Dardis

July 21, 1953 – June 17, 2020

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Vic cared deeply about the Union Gospel Mission of Salem. A Gofundme account is being established in his honor. Arrangements by Unger Funeral Chapel – Silverton.

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July 2020 • 17

Something Fun

Deductive reasoning to first place

By Melissa Wagoner Last year Cole Perez attended the Northwest Science Expo – Oregon’s state science fair – as a seventh grader.

He didn’t win, but he did take home something else – motivation.

“He realized he needed to step up his game,” Daniel Jamsa, who teaches eighth grade science at Silverton Middle School, speculated.

That realization, Jamsa said, is one of the benefits of attending a high caliber fair.

“You really can’t explain what it’s like to see the science projects,” Jamsa said. “When you walk around the fair it’s like, we’re going to make it as a society.”

Because of the caliber of this fair in particular – which Jamsa has been attending with his students for the past 20 years – it is almost unheard of for a student from a small program, like

Silverton Middle School’s, to take home the prize. Until now.

“The level of science was very high,” Jamsa said of Perez’s first-place project – a microbial fuel cell that generates electricity using bacteria found in mud. “He got deep into his topic, he understood engineering and he took his time.”

“I picked this experiment because I wanted something to do with renewable energy since we use so many fossil fuels for energy,” Perez explained. “We need to be using renewable energy sources instead to reduce global warming.

I thought that using mud was an interesting way of doing it. Also, I wanted something more advanced than what I picked last year.”

And the topics chosen by participants is extremely important, according to Jamsa, who gives each year’s students until Thanksgiving to choose.

“If they like their project that’s the

Pieces from Cole Perez’s science project.

SABRINA PEREZ

whole thing,” he said, adding, “They might be with this thing for five months. If they don’t like it, they’re going to hate me.”

Luckily, Perez did like his project. “[I]t was fun because I was essentially using mud to produce electricity,” he said.

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Silverton Middle School student wins state science fair in spite of COVID-19 “The chambers are clear plastic boxes connected with a salt bridge made from PVC pipe with agar in it. There are wires and carbon cloth submersed into each chamber serving as electrodes and connected with a resistor.”

When the project was first completed, Perez sent his presentation to the regional science fair, held at Willamette University in February, where he qualified for the state competition, traditionally held at Portland State University in April.

Then COVID-19 hit.

Cole Perez with Silverton Middle School science teacher Daniel Jamsa.

While the initial description may sound simple, the project was actually quite complex.

“It had benthic mud in one chamber

SABRINA PEREZ

from a stream found in Silver Falls State Park and stream water from the same stream with salt added to it in the other chamber,” Perez described.

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“[I]t was changed to virtual and required an additional application,” Perez said. “Then, judging occurred in May. I learned, shortly after judging was done, that I got first place in my category, which was Electromagnetic Physics.”

Unfortunately, although Perez’s project – along with those of four other

But for Perez, whose project has recently qualified for the next level of judging – the Broadcom Masters National Science Fair in Washington D.C. – the switch from in-person to virtual has in no way lessened his motivation to continue experimenting.

“I am definitely looking forward to science fairs in the future, as I am going into high school,” Perez said. Adding, “I credit my success to Mr. Jamsa’s passion for science fair. He is one of my favorite teachers of all time.”

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“It’s just tremendous,” he said of the experience garnered by the students when they present their projects to the judges. “We lost all that.”

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July 2020 • 19

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The Kennedy High girls basketball team, coaches and staff are shown after the Trojans won the Class 2A title in March in Pendleton.

The victory helped the school earn its fifth consecutive OSAA Cup all-sports trophy. JEREMY McDONALD/JMcDONALDMEDIA

Five-peat The OSAA Cup is coming back to Mount Angel this fall. Kennedy High won the statewide all-sports trophy in convincing fashion, scoring 1,607.5 points in the competition in which schools earn points for success in athletics, academics and sportsmanship.

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20 • July 2020

Kennedy No. 1 again in 2A OSAA Cup country and track and field) are either in their second or third decades at the school. Bolstered by the “newcomers” – the Halls and volleyball coach Laura Beyer.

The Trojans, who will be taking home the trophy for the fifth time in a row, scored more than 500 more points than runner-up Enterprise (1,105.5). Oakland was third (1040) and Culver (1,002.5) was fourth.

Topping the academic list was girls swimming (3.84), followed by girls cross country (3.72), girls basketball (3.71), volleyball (3.69), boys swimming (3.55), boys basketball (3.45) and football (3.15).

Key achievements athletically for Kennedy in the 2019-20 school year were the state championships turned in by the girls basketball and volleyball squads and the runner-up in football. The girls hoops program under Kerry and Peter Hall has won three state titles in the past five years and Joe Panuke’s football squad was seeking its second title in a row when the Trojans fell to Heppner.

“Yeah, it’s pretty amazing to win that thing five years in a row. It just doesn’t happen at public schools,” Kennedy Athletic Director Kevin Moffatt told Our Town. “We’ve had an incredible run of kids, that is for sure, and as always great efforts by parents, teachers, and coaches.

Academically Kennedy turned in seven teams with cumulative grade point averages of 3.0 or above.

And there would have been more where that came from had not the coronavirus prevented the baseball, softball and track and field teams from participating.

“Our girls programs are in the middle of one of the great runs in Oregon sports history. Truly amazing. And the boys have been really good as well.”

The Trojans’ run has featured a remarkably consistent and highachieving coaching staff. Moffatt (baseball), Panuke, Walt Simmons (softball) and Steve Ritchie (cross

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“We have certainly been blessed with continuity in our coaching staff,” Moffatt said. “They are very dedicated and good at their craft.

That makes a huge difference. Most 2A schools have kind of a revolving door in coaching spots, but we have had the same coaches in each sport for a while now.

“When kids in your town grow up knowing who their coach will be, it really helps out. And to be as good as we have been on the fields/ gyms and in the classrooms is really a testament to the type of kids we have had come through.”

The OSAA will present the trophy to Kennedy at an all-school assembly in September.

Silverton also scored well in the OSAA Cup competition, finishing fourth in Class 5A. The Foxes scored 1,958.75 points, trailing only champion Wilsonville (2,968.75), Crescent Valley (2,550) and Hood River Valley (1,972.5).

The finish was the highest ever for

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The Forum the Foxes and reflects a strong surge in recent years. Silverton has finished in the top seven five of the past six years.

Leading the way athletically for the Foxes was girls swimming, where the Aqua Foxes took third in the state. Football, boys basketball and girls basketball all made it to the semifinals, but there always will be an asterisk notched in beside the hoops teams because COVID-19 prevented those semifinals from being played. The boys soccer squad, in its first year under coach Marty Limbird, advanced to the quarterfinals.

Academically, seven Foxes teams turned in GPAs of 3.0 or above, led by the sterling 3.81 scored by girls basketball. Boys soccer (3.65), girls swimming 3.63), boys cross country (3.61), boys basketball (3.53), football (3.38) and wrestling (3.13) also were above 3.0.

Follow me on Twitter.com @jameshday.

A ceremony to remember June 5, 2020 Last night we held a graduation ceremony for the Class of 2020 in the Silverton High School parking lot. A ceremony that was unorthodox and awesome.

I have spent a significant amount of time in reflection on the event over the past 24 hours and feel a need to express my appreciation to the community, parents, students, teachers and volunteers that helped make for an outstanding celebration for an equally outstanding class of students.

When the process of planning a modified ceremony began, nobody had any idea of how it would look. Not just the Graduation Ceremony, but honoring the Class of 2020 leading up to it. So many people came together to make amazing things happen.

The painting of the names of the Class of 2020 in front of the school. The yard signs around town. The banner over Main Street. The Senior Awards Ceremony.

The Facebook page dedicated to honoring the Class of 2020. The signs and banners hanging in front of and in the windows

of businesses around town. Finally, the ceremony itself. I believe anyone would be hard pressed to find a better graduation than Silverton High School’s. What an amazing celebration of a class worthy of being celebrated to the fullest. I want to publicly thank the people that made that happen.

Shawna Snyder, thank you for organizing and bearing the load for so much of this.

None of this would have been possible without you. You called me on the day we knew that school was closed for the year and requested to make something special happen for the seniors. What you pulled off was truly memorable.

All of the parents and volunteers: Lesly Brighton, Barb Rivoli, Adam and Amber Stutzman, Jennifer Cote, Nicole Brown, Celeste Clements, Sarah and Paul Brewer, Stephanie Traeger, Katie Tolmachoff, Jennifer Rogers, Debbie and Don Doerfler, Katy and Marvin Fessler, Amy Buchiet, Michelle Heater, Kim McAllister, Karen Schwabb, the high school staff and volunteers working the event, and the Silverton High School Counselors, Barnabas

Wong, Stacey White, Kristie Hays and Kevin Ortega, as well as others that I am sure I am forgetting (my sincere apology for that) thank you all so much for the time and effort put in. Russ and Margie Strohmeyer, thank you for helping us with sound and broadcasting. Abby Shetler, thank you and your team for an amazing video production.

Students and parents, thank you for your flexibility and willingness to try something new under difficult circumstances. I would also like to thank James Rise, Assistant Principal and Athletic Director, for taking point and coordinating many of these efforts.

You have all given these graduates something to remember and are sincere proof of the power of community. You have demonstrated that imagination, dedication and hard work beget great results. You have shown us what is possible and have set a new bar for future ceremonies. I could not be more grateful for all you have done for the Class of 2020 and Silverton High School. Go Foxes!

Wade Lockett

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July 2020 • 21

A Grin at the End

History lesson In 1976, I was editor of the University of Alaska-Fairbanks bicentennial project. It was called the 1776 Gazette, a newspaper that printed the news of that revolutionary year one week at a time.

Relying on microfilms of newspapers that were around back then and on history books, I put together each edition and had it printed and delivered to libraries around the nation.

Newspapers then didn’t print the news as such. They printed letters and announcements. The work of reporters or other neutral observers was nonexistent.

I see that today, particularly on TV “news” channels, where facts and seeking both sides of an issue have gone by the wayside.

Luckily, I do read a good newspaper every day, scan the Associated Press – the largest news-gathering organization in the world – and watch the BBC, where reporting has not gone out of style.

Advertisements that appeared in revolutionary era newspapers were heartbreaking. At a time when great men were

Struggle of rights versus racism an old, old story of Happiness,” says the Declaration unanimously passed July 4, 1776, by a Congress of the colonies’ greatest thinkers and printed in newspapers.

writing documents that asserted the Godgiven rights of Americans, the newspapers printed ads offering slaves for sale. And worse, many of them even owned slaves.

I remember one such ad. The headline: “Raisins for sale.” The first time I saw that ad, I scratched my head and wondered out loud what it could be about. Then it dawned on me: it was about slaves.

How could any American at that time reconcile the verbiage of the Declaration of Independence with the reality of slavery?

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit

At the same time, the newspapers printed advertisements selling human beings, who had been kidnapped from their homes in Africa and transported shackled to the decks of ships to the colonies, where they were sold to work on farms and plantations.

During the past month or so, many Americans have taken to the streets protesting the deaths of citizens at the hands of police and vigilantes.

These protests came after more than 40 million Americans lost their jobs and were ordered to stay home for three months at the risk of killing someone.

One of the phrases we all heard was “Stay Home and Save Lives.”

The combination blew the top off our nation. It doesn’t take a Ph.D. to understand that a combination of psychological and financial stress and blatant and continuing criminal behavior

N O W O P E N I N S I LV E R T O N

on the part of some “police officers” will set many people off like a skyrocket.

Look, most police officers are good men and women doing their best, often under trying circumstances.

But this undercurrent of racism that goes back nearly 400 years remains in our society.

It persists when we allow a minority of officers to carry an unprofessional attitude along with their badge.

And it is bolstered when we continue to see some Americans as “black” and others as “white” and still others as “Mexicans” or other “minorities.”

We are all Americans, and we share those rights of Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.

My hope for this Fourth of July – and for all of that follow – is that we can erase those lines of race and heritage that divide us. In doing that, America really can become great.

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

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503-874-4888

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We are closed at this time to protect our staff and guests.

Stay healthy, be kind and take care of your neighbors.

200 e. main st. silverton www.gather.cafe • email: info@gather.cafe Check our social media for updates:

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We are here when you need us!

Now Growing Healthy Smiles! All Insurance and OHP Accepted.

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Curved Edger

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503-845-6102

NEW! BGA 45 Line Trimmer,

Pole Pruner,

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ARE YOU READY FOR A Our Town Monthly

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Lightweight and easy-to-use string trimmer-ideally suited for small landscape grass trimming jobs.

Tues-Fri 8am-5pm Saturday 8am-2pm July 2020 • 23

Kirsten Barnes Broker 873-3545 ext. 326

Marcia Branstetter Broker, GRI 873-3545 ext. 318

Micha Christman Office Manager 873-1425

Becky Craig Broker, GRI 873-3545 ext. 313

Sarah Graves Office Manager 873-3545 ext. 300

Michael Schmidt Principal Broker GRI 873-3545 ext. 314

WWW.SILVERTONREALTY.COM

Whitney Ulven Broker 503-873-3545 ext. 320

Mike Ulven Broker 503-873-3545 ext. 312

Chuck White Broker 873-3545 ext. 325

Meredith Wertz Broker, GRI 873-3545 ext. 324

Ryan Wertz Broker, GRI 873-3545 ext. 322

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

#T2590 CUSTOM BUILT $650,000

#T2598 EAST HILL HOME $349,900

#T2601 GREAT GET AWAY $424,900

Custom built, single-level, Spanish style home on 7+acres. First time on the market. Private setting, yet close to town. 3 bdrm, 2.5 bath, vaulted Tongue & Grove ceilings w/ exposed beams, wood-burning custom fireplace, atrium entrance, patios off bedrooms, natural light, paved driveway, landscaped.

Wildlife abounds. Ready for livestock, room for hobby farm and more, w/ future development potential. Pride of ownership shows in this amazing home. Call Kirsten at ext. 326

Two-Story Home on East Hill.

Large corner lot in walking distance to downtown. Features include 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, living room w/ fireplace, family room upstairs, and lots of storage, including large crawlspace area or partial basement. Yard includes many beautiful trees including dogwoods and Douglas fir. Great opportunity for family wanting space and town living! Call Chuck at ext. 325

(WVMLS#760634)

(WVMLS#763308)

GET AWAY FROM IT ALL! Located 15min SE of Silverton near Silver Falls State Park. Elevation 1806sf.

Just under 9 acres with views to the east. Flat and sloped acreage w/northeastern exposure. Great future timber or, x-mass tree property. 1152sqft shop. Some recent updates to the 1946 home include; woodstove, heatpump, updates to electrical, heating, and plumbing systems. Silver Falls School District.

Call Michael at ext. 314. (WVMLS#763868)

SILVERTON

SILVERTON

COUNTRY

#T2551 COMMERCIAL BUILDING 1952 sqft Call Meredith at ext. 324, Ryan at ext. 322 $279,000 (WVMLS#751145)

#T2599 GREAT CUL-DE-SAC 4 BR, 2.5 BA 2542 sqft Call Meredith at ext. 324, Ryan at ext. 322 $548,000 (WVMLS#763297)

#T2590 CUSTOM BUILT 3 BR, 2.5 BA 1820 sqft 7.12 Acres. Silverton. Call Kirsten at ext. 326 $650,000 (WVMLS#760634)

#T2588 EUREKA ACRES 3 BR, 2.5 BA 2289 sqft Call Michael at ext. 314 $489,900 (WVMLS#760298)

#T2600 WELL BUILT 3 BR, 2 BA 1322 sqft Call Meredith at ext. 324, Ryan at ext. 322 $348,000 (WVMLS#763546)

BARELAND/LOTS

#T2590 CUSTOM BUILT 3 BR, 2.5 BA 1820 sqft 7.12 Acres Call Kirsten at ext. 326 $650,000 (WVMLS#760634)

#T2598 EAST HILL HOME 3 BR, 2 BA 1983 sqft Call Chuck at ext. 325 $349,900 (WVMLS#763308)

#T2597 CLASSIC CRAFTSMAN 5 BR, 4 BA 3249 sqft Call Kirsten at ext. 326 $570,000 (WVMLS#762916)

NEW! – #T2604 CUSTOM SINGLE LEVEL 3 BR, 2 BA 1493 sqft Call Chuck at ext. 325 $369,000 (WVMLS#760793)

#T2594 WONDERFUL NEW SUBDIVISION $169,500 Wonderful new subdivision, Craftsman character homes, classic style. Creek Frontage on Silver Creek, ready to be built on, build your dream home and live on Silver Creek, close to downtown.

Call Meredith at ext. 324 or Ryan at ext. 322. (WVMLS#762138)

SALEM/KEIZER #T2603 1960’s RANCHER 4 BR, 3 BA 1512 sqft. Keizer.

Call Meredith at ext. 324, Ryan at ext.

322 $339,000 (WVMLS#764189)

#T2568 BRING YOUR BUILDER 2.01 Acres Well Drilled Call Michael at ext. 314 $170,000 (WVMLS#754849) #T2594 WONDERFUL NEW SUBDIVISION .18 Acres. Silverton. Call Meredith at ext. 324, Ryan at ext. 322 $169,500 (WVMLS#762138)

For rental properties call Micha or Sarah at 503-873-1425

BROKERS ARE LICENSED IN OREGON

24 • July 2020

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