‘If I Were Mayor’ contest applications open
Silverton and Mayor Jason Freilinger are participating in this year’s “If I Were Mayor” contest. The event, sponsored by the Oregon Mayors Association, has an entry deadline of March 1.
Students in the fourthth through 12th grades in the Silver Falls School District can participate. Fourth- and fifth-graders entrants are asked to create a poster that answers the “If I Were Mayor” question, with sixththrough eighth-graders submitting an essay of 500 to 2,000 words. Highschoolers are asked to produce a oneto three-minute video.
Local winners will earn cash prizes, lunch with Mayor Freilinger and a spot in the state competition. The statewide winner will earn a trip to the August conference of the Oregon Mayors Association in Baker City.
For more on the contest and a link to the entry form go to https://www. silverton.or.us/community/page/if-iwere-mayor-student-contest-2025/.
For general questions contact Macy Mulholland at the City of Silverton at 503-874-2216. Completed entry forms should go to recorder@silverton.or.us.
– James Day
The Farmer’s Corner Deli & Market’s Natalie and Matt Lawson in the kitchen of their new business. MELISSA WAGONER
A 20-year plan
By James Day
The City of Silverton is embarking on a rewrite of its comprehensive plan, which is expected to help guide the town’s growth and development for the next 20-plus years.
Jason Gottgetreu, the city’s veteran community development director, is spearheading the project. Gottgetreu, who was the project manager for the new City Hall, has a task force working with him and the city was able to add some planning muscle from a unique community assistance program, Resources for Rural Environments (RARE).
Charlie Johann, a May 2024 graduate of Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado, has joined the city staff through August, with assisting on the comp plan a key piece of his agenda. Johann also has been working on a survey of local businesses that will inform an initiative on local business expansion and retention.
RARE is an AmeriCorps program run by the University of Oregon. It aims to increase the capacity of rural communities to improve their economic, social and environmental conditions, through the assistance of trained graduatelevel members who live and work in communities for 11 months. Johann and the others in the program are paid via a combination of federal funds, grants and a stipend from the city in which they serve.
Johann, who plans to return to school after his Silverton experience and work on a master’s in economics, said “I knew I wanted a gap year. This is an awesome gap year to take.”
In addition to Gottgetreu, other city staffers and the advisory group, Johann noted other partners participating in the work include the Silverton Area Chamber of Commerce, Travel Oregon and SEDCOR, a strategic economic development corporation serving Marion and other counties. The effort
is scheduled to continue through October.
Johann sees the effort within the framework of a series of questions.
Comprehensive Plan meetings
Tuesday, Feb. 18
5:15 to 6:30 p.m.
“This is the strategic vision for the next 25 to 30 years,” he said. “What do we want Silverton to look like? What is our shared vision for the community? What are we going to do with our city park? We have these plans and you might like to help us get there.”
Silver Falls Public Library
Thursday, Feb. 20
6:30 p.m., City Hall
See silverton250.com
The comprehensive plan, Johann said, “includes what you want, what you are going to do to get there and how you are going to execute it.”
Johann described land use as a bit of a calling, noting how “land use and the development code can affect livelihoods and how people live.”
Johann, who began his work with the
city in September, started with the project on business retention and expansion. He surveyed and made calls on approximately 40 businesses.
“We have a limited amount of industrial land,” he said of the city’s zoning map. “We’re trying to figure out if that is something that needs to be addressed.”
Also a trend from the discussions is that there are not a lot of small industrial buildings available, Johann said.
“A lot of businesses are doing very well,” Johann said, “and most are very comfortable with who they are. But sometimes a one- or two-person business wants to expand and needs to find larger facilities. We are working to connect local businesses with resources that they might not be aware of.”
Charlie Johann JAMES DAY
Preserved River trust purchases North Santiam property
By James Day
The Willamette River Preservation Trust has closed the deal on its first piece of property.
The Scotts Mills-based organization, which formed last year to protect land in the Willamette basin for conservation and recreation, has purchased a piece of property along the North Santiam River near Stayton.
“We reached our goal, have wired the funds, and signed the docs,” Travis Williams, the trust’s founder, president and CEO told Our Town
As of Jan. 13, Williams said, “our name will be on the deed for the Oak Meadows Natural Area. The funding effort went really well, and there is some good interest in the site and what we are trying to do.”
The 270-acre piece of land includes wetlands, wet prairie and oak woodland.
“This property is fantastic,” Williams said. “It supports Bradshaw’s lomatium as
well as extensive camas in the spring. It also holds native sedges and grasses.”
Bradshaw’s lomatium, a sweet native flower, was once on the Endangered Species List, but it is recovering and it has been de-listed.
“Several years ago they gained a conservation easement on the property from the Natural Resource Conservation Service,” he said. “Since then the property has been given over to conservation, with native sedges on the site, the Bradshaw’s lomatium, and some wonderful oak woodland.
“In time we will provide opportunities for the general public to visit the site. Hopefully we can do that in the spring when the wildflowers are blooming.”
Key environmental benefits of the property cited by Williams include:
• Oak meadows sustain unique wetland and native grassland species.
The purchase price of the property was $295,000.
Regarding the history of the property, Williams said the owners had once grown grass seed, and it had poplars as well.
• The expansive meadow of camas and the presence of Bradshaw’s lomatium make the property unique.
• It supports a range of oak woodland habitat, replete with Oregon grape and snowberry in the understory.
A look at property near the North Santiam River that the Willamette River Preservation Trust has purchased. WILLAMETTE RIVER TRUST
Your Health
Saving your life Keep on top of changes in breast cancer screenings
By Melissa Wagoner
Breast cancer screening guidelines can be confusing.
A quick search of the experts – including the American Cancer Society, the CDC and the Susan G Komen Foundation –shows just how much controversy there is around precisely when women should begin receiving a mammogram and how often one should be administered.
But the experts agree that – because breast cancer is becoming more prevalent, and in women of younger ages –knowing your family’s health history and advocating for your own health care (including the use of mammograms) is of the utmost importance.
Know your family’s story
When Hilary Dumitrescu’s oldest sister, Christine, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis at age 40 her doctor assumed that would be the disease that would eventually take her life. When it came time to order her annual mammogram at 51, he declined.
“He said the MS would kill her before breast cancer would,” Dumitrescu said. It turned out, he was wrong.
“One in eight women will get breast cancer,” Dumitrescu said of the statistics which, as one of six sisters, were not on Christine’s side. “And mom’s two sisters died in the 50s and 60s [of breast cancer] before there were a lot of options.”
With such a strong familial history, Dumitrescu now believes her sister should have continued receiving annual mammograms. Because she did not, in 2010 she was diagnosed with late-stage breast cancer via CT scan.
“And she lit up like a Christmas tree,” Dumitrescu recalled.
Christine lived almost three years postdiagnosis thanks to chemotherapy and radiation treatments, but according to Dumitrescu, things could have been different had she been diagnosed earlier.
“I think she would have certainly had a better quality of life,” Dumitrescu said. Lesson learned, the remaining sisters began requesting annual mammograms.
“We were all mammogram-aholics,” Dumitrescu said.
And that’s what ultimately saved her sister Anita’s life.
“In 2014 or 2015 I got a call from my sister, Melissa, and she said, our family’s getting hit again,” Dumitrescu remembered. “But when Anita was diagnosed, hers was found at a mammogram. They did a lumpectomy, radiation and chemo.”
And Anita survived.
“That could have been Chris’s experience,” Dumitrescu said.
With two sisters diagnosed and a genetic connection suspected, the family opted to get the BRCA gene assessment – a test that looks for a specific set of DNA mutations correlating with an increased risk of breast cancer.
“We didn’t test positive,” Dumitrescu said. But that doesn’t mean the family’s breast cancer history should be ignored.
“I printed it all out for my nieces and said, ‘Keep this somewhere safe,’” she said.
And that’s what Dumitrescu advises all women to do.
“Talk to your aunts. Know how your family died,” she said. “Because I had no idea I had two aunts that died of breast cancer. And get those regular mammograms because that’s how they spot something.”
Be your own advocate
Karen Garst was diagnosed with breast cancer 26 years ago.
“I had just started a new job. Sam was six…” Garst recalled. “I did chemo and tamoxifen. And I had a mastectomy.”
Things looked good and for the past 26 years Garst has lived a normal life.
“I never worried about it,” Garst said.
But she did continue to get a mammogram every year – just not on the mastectomy site.
“It’s difficult to do a mammogram with a mastectomy,” Garst said. “And they thought they had taken all of the breast tissue…”
Lulled into believing that a recurrent tumor on the mastectomy site was not a possibility, Garst was shocked when, several months ago, a CT scan showed that a cancerous lump in what remains of
her breast tissue had spread to her liver.
“It’s metastatic cancer. There’s no cure…” Garst said. “I’m on medication that is reducing the lesion but that’s it. They don’t take the lump out.”
It’s a diagnosis Garst had hoped to avoid.
“Once you’ve gone through cancer, you don’t want to do it again,” she confirmed.
And it’s a diagnosis she wants other cancer survivors to avoid as well.
“The American Cancer Society says the chances [of cancer on a mastectomy site] are slim…” Garst said. “But it’s not fair saying there are so few people they don’t count.”
Instead, Garst – an author and activist –is pushing for a policy change.
“I’m sure there is some other kind of imaging they could do,” she said. “So, I wrote to Susan G Komen because I thought they would be a good group to advocate for it. I do appreciate my 26 years. But when you’ve got something that you know there is no cure for, you can’t not think about it.”
And how to help others escape the same fate.
Test early and regularly
A primary care physician for over 15 years, Leslie Drapiza knew the importance of a regular mammogram for women over 40. And so, when she reached that pivotal age, she began receiving routine screening. Then the COVID-19 pandemic knocked her off track.
“The pandemic was a really difficult time for those of us working in medicine, and I experienced a strange contraction of time where I didn’t realize that three years had gone by since I addressed my own medical care and I was two years overdue for my screening mammogram,” she recalled. Then two of her patients were diagnosed with breast cancer only months apart.
“I scheduled one right away,” the 47-yearold said.
Initially the scan came back inconclusive, having identified “suspicious calcifications.”
“This prompted an ultrasound, diagnostic mammogram and biopsy,” Drapiza recalled. “The biopsy came back as Ductal Carcinoma in Situ (stage zero), Estrogen and Progesterone receptor positive.”
Because her cancer was caught early and was determined to be non-invasive, Drapiza was given the option of a lumpectomy and radiation, a unilateral mastectomy and the hormone blocker, tamoxifen, or bilateral mastectomy. She chose a bilateral mastectomy.
“This decision is such a personal one and each person facing this has to choose what’s right for them,” Drapiza said. “I chose bilateral mastectomy to flat closure because I wanted to be as aggressive as possible and wanted to get on with my life as soon as possible.”
And while an “upgrade in diagnosis” momentarily complicated the issue – “the final pathology came back as Invasive Ductal Carcinoma, stage one…” which is almost always accompanied by a recommendation for chemotherapy – because Drapiza’s tumor was so small, it was determined that neither chemotherapy nor radiation were necessary.
“Early detection made all the difference for me,” she pointed out. “If this was detected just six to 12 months later, I have no doubt the tumor would have grown and my treatment would be much more extensive.”
And that’s why she urges all women aged 40 and over, especially those with a family history of breast cancer to stay on top of their regular screening exams, including mammograms.
“Mammogram technology has improved and isn’t as uncomfortable as it used to be…” Drapiza said. Adding, “Early detection can literally be the difference between life and death.”
She also reminds women with dense breast tissue that it is important to advocate for yourself in order to get the specific screening you need.
“Women with dense breasts should be offered an MRI because mammograms can miss abnormalities in dense breasts,” she said.
And don’t be confused by the variances in guidelines.
“[As a physician] I offered mammograms starting at 40 because I did additional training in Women’s Health…” she said, “if your doctor is following the old guidelines, you may have to speak up… If I had waited until 50, it would’ve been too late.”
Wednesday market Local foods all year
By Melissa Wagoner
When Emma – whose family owns Drift Creek Meats in Silverton and who prefers to be known by her first name only – decided to offer the farm’s naturally raised pork and beef by the cut, rather than in bulk, she knew it would mean joining a farmers’ market. But she isn’t available on Saturdays and so attending a typical market was out.
“I joined at the Grange and that was on Wednesdays,” she said, referring to the Wednesday Market that Grange member Randi Embree held during the summer months.
While the Grange’s Wednesday Market was a success, the space wasn’t suitable for wintertime vending. And so, Emma approached the Silverton 50+ Center at Embree’s suggestion.
“Right now, it’s in the hall, but if it grows big enough, eventually we’ll move into other rooms,” Emma said. “It’s been slowly picking up, but I don’t think a lot of people know we’re here.”
Currently housing between eight and ten vendors selling
everything from sourdough breads to 3D toys and ornaments and natural skincare products, the Silverton Wednesday Farmers Market, as it has come to be known, has been held on the first and third Wednesdays of each month from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m.
“We’re trying to get the evening crowd,” Emma pointed out. “Hopefully it will grow big enough to fill the Senior Center and people will come get their local foods and support local businesses.”
While summer is when many people think about shopping for local food, Emma reminds people that there are locally sourced foods available year-round, including canned foods, breads and pastries, cheeses and meats like those offered by Drift Creek Meats.
“It’s important to know where your food comes from,” Emma said. “And if you want to be a vendor, we have openings.”
Silverton 50+ Center is located at 115 Westfield St. To become a vendor, email zurbie.marie@gmail.com.
Silverton Senior Center rebrands to ‘50+’
By Melissa Wagoner
The Silverton Senior Center was recently rebranded thanks to a suggestion by Executive Director Simone Stewart, who took the helm 11 months ago. She saw the original name – coined in 2010 when a City Development Block Grant specified the membership age at 60-plus – as a deterrent. The new membership threshold specified in the bylaws 2019 is 50-plus.
“The name Silverton Senior Center implied several inaccurate perceptions about our identity,” Stewart confirmed, “it implied that we are a type of facility with residents, or a nursing facility, or a place for elderly incapacitated and sedentary people to hang out and/or receive medical or personal care. None of these are true of who the Silverton Area Seniors [are]…”
In fact, many of the people utilizing the center’s resources and facilities don’t characterize themselves as “seniors” at all – a discrepancy that Stewart believes has led to a decreased membership and which she hopes the new name, Silverton 50+ Center, will remedy.
“Many people over 50 don’t identify as ‘senior,’” she pointed out. “I know people who are 85 that have told me they are too active to join the center. People should know that the center is for active people. People in their 50s can benefit from the lower cost of our classes and pacing…”
And with a full roster of classes – including yoga, dancing, painting and fitness – there is something for nearly
everyone. Even those who have not yet turned 50 can attend by paying a non-member fee.
“Grandparents and parents have attended classes with their kids and grandkids,” Stewart said. “The programming is for the 50+ community but is enjoyed by multiple generations.”
Which is what both Stewart and the 50+ Center’s board of directors – including newly appointed board president, Jan Holowati – had in mind when they approved the new name and the new mission to become “a vibrant, welcoming community offering social, recreational, and educational experiences for all.”
“We rely on future generations to help us remain relevant, so we have to be inclusive of those generations in our name…” Stewart explained. Adding that with the need to raise an estimated $175,000 annually – and an additional $20,000 in 2025 because of last year’s flooding incident that caused a nine-month loss in facility rental income – growing the organization’s membership is more important than ever.
“I’m hoping we will be able to make our budget in 2025 and be able to have the funds to expand our programming, our space, and possibly hire a part time volunteer coordinator.”
“We are grateful to have had the support and generosity of so many individuals and businesses in the greater Silverton area,” Stewart said.
“This community has shown us that it wants the Silverton 50+ Center to thrive and be a community asset for years to come.”
Silverton Wednesday Farmers Market vendors sell a variety of goods to customers at the Silverton 50+ Center.
MELISSA WAGONER
Looking Back
The Way It Was... and Is Silverton historian publishes new book
By Melissa Wagoner
For the past six years Norman English has devoted much of his time to preserving the history of Silverton.
“I’ve always been interested to an extent,” English, who has lived in Silverton for 80 years, said. “But the writing developed somewhat recently.”
The author of numerous books –including, a 414 page autobiography, a biography profiling Silverton’s notable inhabitants titled, They Made it Happen, and a historical fiction novel, Fireflies to Butterflies – English is at it again, this time with two books of photographs entitled, The Way It Was – The Way It Is, volumes one and two.
“How I set it up is, you open it and the left one is an image of then and the right one is now,” English said, demonstrating how every turn of the page showcases a historic image of Silverton (mined from various archives) interfacing with a modern one (taken by English himself). “And I wanted just enough in the caption to tell you what it’s about. I left the rest to the image.”
The two books released one year apart (volume two in December 2024) while similar, display different sets of images organized in separate ways.
“Volume two is purely alphabetical,” English said. “While one is different streets.”
Both show Silverton’s architecture and landscaping from the same angle sometimes decades apart.
“I tried to get the main thrust of the photograph,” English said, recounting how, in some instances, getting just the right shot required him to stand in the middle of a busy street.
And while most of the time the images in The Way It Was – The Way It Is feature the same building during different eras, there were a few occasions when a building was replaced by something new or simply gone.
“There were some of the locations where there’s nothing there,” English said. “No building. Just a vacant lot.”
But even those images are compelling, preserving the passage of time in a way that English thinks is valuable, especially
Book signing
The Way It Was -- The Way It Is a photographic depiction of Silverton’s past and present by Norman English.
Saturday, Feb. 15, 1 p.m.
The Neighborhood 301 E. Main St., Silverton
for people who have lived in Silverton as long as he has.
“What really warms an author’s heart is when people say, ‘I looked at your book and it really brought back memories,’” he said. Adding, “More than one person has said they gave the book to someone with memory issues, and they could pick out things they recognized.”
Available for purchase at the Silverton Country Historical Society’s Museum, The Wild Dandelion and The Neighborhood, The Way It Was – The Way It Is is for anyone interested in discovering the ways Silverton has changed during the past 170 years.
“We’re not an old community by Eastern US standards, but we’re old and it’s very worthwhile to look at these…” English said. “They tell a lot about the life of that day and how people lived and what they looked at… and if anyone has any longstanding connection to Silverton, they can touch base again.”
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$299,000 Creek frontage on 3.99 acres. Bareland. Ideal for recreational use. Seller will carry a contract. Off of Crooked Finger Rd., Scotts Mills. MLS#822303
Author Norman English MELISSA WAGONER
Sports & Recreation
Girls basketball
We are 12 games into the grueling MidWillamette Conference basketball season and the Silverton girls are perking along quite nicely.
The defending Class 5A state champion Foxes, ranked No. 2, took apart a solid Corvallis team, racing past the Spartans 61-42 on Tuesday night to move to 11-1 in league play. Silverton, which has won 12 of its past 13 games, most of them by 20 points or more, is tied for first with South Albany with six games to play.
The Foxes travel to South on Tuesday, Feb. 25 in a showdown that could determine the league championship. Please note that the South Albany game will be broadcast by KYKN 1430 AM and kykn.com, with veteran Mid-Valley broadcaster Mike Allegre on the call. But there was no discussion of South Albany on Tuesday night because the Foxes have playoff contenders Lebanon and Crescent Valley, both 7-5, plus a road match at Central on the schedule before they visit the RedHawks.
CUSTOM SIDING SPECIALIST
No. 2 Foxes run past Corvallis in impressive fashion
“We want to be playing our best basketball by this point in the season,” third-year Foxes coach Alyssa Ogle told Our Town. “And we are getting close to it.”
“We knew we had it in us,” said junior guard Allie Mansur, who scored ten points and played a huge role in the clawing Foxes defense, which clogged the passing lanes, forced turnover after turnover and produced easy points at the offensive end.
“We played really good defense,” she added. “We followed our scouting and did a good job of knowing when we could cheat on and off the person we were guarding.”
One sequence early in the third period tells the story. The Foxes started the second half up 37-18 and in just the first 30 seconds Hadley Craig tipped away two passes, Marley Wertz tipped away a pass and Mansur had a steal. No points had been scored, but Silverton had established a tone.
Craig, the transfer from Central, had another explosive offensive game with 28 points. Wertz had eight and Brooklyn Pfeifer added seven. Grace Hayashida scored just two points, on a runner in the lane in the third period, but she played a
great floor game, tipping passes, blocking shots, finding open teammates and running the floor.
“We don’t win this game without Grace,” Mansur said.
Sofie Robel scored 17 points to lead Corvallis, but she had to battle for every one of them in the low post against the defense of Pfeifer and a platoon of help defenders, including Wertz, Hayashida and Maggie Davisson
“I thought we played really good defense on Robel,” said Mansur. Robel battled foul trouble throughout and scored nine of her 17 in the third period on a series of bank shots from the right side.
The Foxes’ boys squad, meanwhile, downed Corvallis 57-54 to improve to 7-5 in league play. Silverton is in fifth place in the league, looking up at fourth-place Crescent Valley (8-4) and
third-place South Albany (9-3). The Foxes play both teams down the stretch. The top four teams in the MWC receive automatic playoff berths, with two at-large berths available statewide.
Football: The Oregon School Activities Association’s Executive Board approved a proposal at its Feb. 3 meeting to realign football districts for this fall. Silverton will be moving back into Class 5A’s Mid-Willamette Conference, now known as Special District 3. Also in the 7-team league will be Central, Corvallis, Dallas, Lebanon, South Albany and West Albany. The Foxes advanced to the 5A semifinals last fall before losing 32-29 to eventual champion Wilsonville. Silverton and the Wildcats played in Special District 2 a year ago. Moves of note include Woodburn and Crescent Valley from 5A to 4A and McNary of Keizer from 6A to 5A. Kennedy remains in Class 3A’s Special District 1.
Alumni Watch: Kyleigh Brown, who led Silverton to the 2024 Class 5A state girls basketball title, is averaging 9.2 points per game in her freshman year at Portland State. Brown has played in 19 of the Vikings 20 games and has started seven times. She is second on the team in minutes (27.7 per game), second in three-pointers made (19) and third in rebounding 65) and assists (36). PSU is 4-16 overall and 1-10 in the Big Sky Conference.
Got a news tip? Email me at james.d@mtangelpub.com. Follow me on Twitter @jameshday and Our Town on Facebook.
Silverton junior guard Allie Mansur. JAMES DAY
Delicatessen
The Farmer’s Corner opens in Silverton
By Melissa Wagoner
Healthy food that tastes good is the foundation of The Farmer’s Corner Deli and Market in Silverton.
“We really wanted to focus on the quality of what we’re providing,” said Natalie Lawson – who opened the restaurant alongside her husband Matt on Jan. 6. “So, we decided to look for nitrate-free meat… and we’re doing as much organic as possible.”
Open for breakfast and lunch, Monday through Saturday from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m., The Farmer’s Corner offers a variety of breakfast sandwiches and burritos in the morning, then switches to soups, salads and another selection of sandwiches for the lunch crowd.
“I like it all,” Matt said of the menu, which Natalie designed. “It’s simple but wholesome. We’ve both had health scares, so eating quality food is important to us.”
And the quality of the drinks is as well.
“We’re doing smoothies with fruit from Willamette Valley Pie Company – no sugar, sweetened with dates,” Natalie said. “And we’ve partnered with Margin Coffee Roasters in Albany… and Metolius Tea in Bend.”
Both brands are ethically sourced and will be available for purchase in the market as well as on the menu.
“We’ll sell our coffees and teas, a handful of books, random shirts and sweatshirts, towels and kitchen stuff,” Natalie said, referencing the well-stocked shelves in the restaurant’s tiny market, which will also contain prepackaged salads and sandwiches for grab-and-go, as well as a “bottle shop” with refrigerated drinks.
“I tried to find things you can’t find in Silverton,” she said of the assortment, which she hopes will appeal to a wide audience. “And I’ll have two different iced teas every day and lemonade.”
It’s a simple menu, but that simplicity was by design.
“We decided to stick with what’s good and start small,” Natalie explained.
With only 1,000 square feet, every inch of space is precious. Thankfully, with Natalie’s construction background and designer’s eye she and Matt have transformed what was a
The Farmer’s Corner Deli and Market
Serving a variety of healthy soups, sandwiches, salads, breakfast burritos and beverages.
601 N. First St., Silverton
Dine-in and to-go
Open Monday through Saturday from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m.
small kit house built in 1910 into something unique.
“It started with this wall,” Natalie said, motioning to a display of vintage farm animal portraits – 95 percent of which she sourced at local thrift stores – on display in the back dining room. “Then in the kitchen it’s vintage chickens.” And in the bathroom, it’s pickles.
“That’s been fun,” she said. But what she is most excited about – now that The Farmer’s Corner is open for business – is seeing how it fits in with the needs of the community.
“I think it’ll probably evolve over time,” she speculated. “But I think, because I have a great menu that’s versatile, no matter what kind of food you like, we have something to fit your needs.”
$1,399,000 Secluded country living with remodeled, beautiful interior. 27.7 Acres, located between Silverton and Salem, forest and river views. 2658 sqft, 4 bedroom, 4 bathroom, possiblity for dual living. Listed by Jackson Sherwood 971-343-2475 MLS#825174
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$819,900 4 Bed, 2 Bath
Matt and Natalie Lawson, owners of The Farmer’s Corner Deli and Market in Silverton. MELISSA WAGONER
Carol Elsie Storke
Carol Elsie Storke, 88, of Silverton, Oregon, passed away peacefully on Jan. 25, 2025, in Portland after a brief illness. Carol was born on Sept. 2, 1936 in Santa Barbara, California, to Charles Albert Storke II and Barbara Bullard Storke.
Carol spent her childhood in Santa Barbara, where she developed her life-long love of horses and riding, gardening, history, opera and more. Her grandfather, Thomas More Storke, was the publisher of The Santa Barbara News Press, and she had fond memories of her father’s involvement in the newspaper.
As a young woman, she moved to the east coast where she graduated from Smith College, and later received an MA in Information Systems from Pace College in New York. She married Sidney Smith Whelan Jr. in 1959 and then settled in New York City where they raised their three children.
In New York, Carol volunteered at the Vera Institute for Criminal Justice, then joined the staff. She worked on criminal justice legislation at the Community Service Society, bicycling to work. In 1976 she opened the New York City Office for the New York State Commission of Correction. She was divorced from Sidney Whelan the following year.
Joining the Mayor’s Office of Operations under Mayor Edward I. Koch, she set up the productivity program mandated by the federal government. After leaving city government, she designed computer systems for Datacom and subsequently opened her own consulting business. In 1990 she moved back to Santa Barbara to spend time with her ailing father, and retired in 1998. From 1992 on, she shared her life with Michael Townsend Smith, a writer and theater director.
She was introduced to horses as a child at her grandfather Bullard’s ranch in Goleta and spent much of her childhood with her sister Barbie, roaming the hills of Santa Barbara on their ponies. Returning to Santa Barbara rekindled her love of horses, and she joined a number of riding clubs. She bought and trained a show horse and began competing in horse shows around California, winning championships into her 70s. She wrote a monthly horse column for The Santa Barbara Independent and became an active board member of the Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation.
Music was also an important part of her life. As a child she learned to play piano and accordion, and with her sister Barbie performed songs during Fiesta. In New York she played classical chamber music with friends and went to the opera whenever possible. She even wrote her own short opera, which aired on a local NYC radio station.
In 2003 she moved with Michael to the Willamette Valley, where she bought seven acres along Silver Creek with room for a horse barn, pasture, and vegetable gardens, fulfilling a lifelong dream. In Oregon she joined the Pudding River Watershed Council and was elected to the Marion Soil and Water Conservation District. She owned and trained a succession of horses, showing in mountain trail competitions. Late into her life, she enjoyed horse-camping with friends in the Cascade mountain range.
Carol was predeceased by her sister, Barbara Conn, and her brother, Paul Storke. She is survived by her partner, Michael T. Smith; brother, Charles Storke III; her sister, Bess Wall; her daughter, Tensie Whelan and partner Russ Wild; daughter, Lora Whelan and husband Edward French; son, Sidney Whelan III and wife Lisa Waller; by granddaughters, Lora-Faye Ashuvud and wife Jordan Kisner, Genevieve Waller-Whelan and Gabrielle Waller-Whelan; many much loved nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. The family would welcome contributions made in Carol’s name to: https://soundequineoptions.org/ ways-to-help/donate/.
Passages
Jo Ann Pinkham
April 26, 1935 – Jan. 12, 2025
Jo Ann Pinkham was born July 26, 1935, and passed away on Jan. 12, 2025 surrounded by her family in the comfort of her home.
She was a loving wife, mother and grandmother. Jo Ann enjoyed many years of watching her family grow welcoming four children of her own, who then blessed her with grandchildren followed by many great grandchildren.
Having a deep devotion to her faith, Jo Ann hosted weekly bible studies, participated in fellowship and kept her family involved with church activities throughout the years.
Jo Ann is preceded in death by her husband of 67 years, Dean Pinkham, and son, Gregory. She leaves behind her daughter, Lisa; sons, Joesph and Michael; along with their spouses, Wayne, Tamera and Mary.
Services were held on Jan. 17 at Trinity Lutheran Church, Mount Angel. Arrangements by Unger Funeral Chapel.
Peggy O’Neill
Nov. 6, 1944 – Jan. 23, 2025
Peggy O’Neill (a.k.a.
“The Yellow Rose of Texas”) was born Nov. 6, 1944 in Lufkin Texas. She passed away at her home in Mount Angel on Jan. 23, 2025.
“Mama Peggy” was the perfect combination of sweet and Southern sassy! She loved fiercely, forgave quickly and appreciated every call, visit and gesture. Her family has never known anyone so grateful.
She endured decades of health issues without any real complaints. She would just say “I’m hanging in there sweetheart” She was deeply loved and an inspiration of strength and grace.
Mama Peggy’s family are so thankful for the amazing care she received at the Providence Benadicine Orchard House, and for the kindness shown to them by Jillian at Unger Funeral Chapel during this difficult time.
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Ronald ‘Ron’ Hardie
Ronald “Ron” Hardie was born in Seattle, Washington and grew up in Renton, Washington. He was living in Rochester, Washington where he owned a ten-acre farm when he met Linda on a dating website in April 2003. He eventually moved to Silverton to be with her. They were blessed to have found the love of their lives.
May 30, 1948 – Jan. 17, 2025
Before serving in the Marine Corps, Ron worked as a draftsman for Boeing. As a Viet Nam veteran, Ron received several medals for bravery and valor as well as two Purple Hearts. After his discharge from the service, he was unable to return to a normal life so he hitchhiked around the country for several years before returning to the Maple Valley area where he became a glazier working on several large construction projects in and around the Seattle area.
Ron loved hiking the mountains around Mt. Rainier with his faithful companion Hailey. He also loved fly fishing and canoeing. His other passion was playing the harmonica and jamming with his
best friend Ten Brighton. He also enjoyed playing music with another dear friend, Pete Rice.
Ron was a true and loyal friend and will be missed by all who knew him. He can finally rest in peace after suffering for years with a myriad of health issues.
Surviving Ron are his wife, Linda (Snow) Hardie; stepdaughter, Angela (Chris) Deckker; granddaughters, Aleyah and Jesara in Australia; brother, Rick in Silverton; sisters, Jeanie (Ron) Worley from Loon Lake, Washington and Carol (Rich) Johnston from Grove, Oklahoma. He is preceded in death by stepdaughter, Rebecca Snow; father, Walter Hardie; and mother, Marjorie (Sam) Pellegrino.
Linda would like to extend a special thank you to Dr. Elizabeth Blount of Silverton, the Portland VAMC emergency medicine staff and the OHSU stroke unit where he died from sepsis due to MERSA.
A celebration of life will be held Feb. 15 at 2 p.m. at Silverton Elks Club located 300 High St. Arrangements by Unger Funeral Chapel.
In Memory Of
William Cordill
April 12, 1946
Jan. 16, 2025
Ronald Hardie May 30, 1948 Jan. 17, 2025
Juanita Stormo Sept. 6, 1934
Peggy O’Neill
Dorothy Myhrum
Gary Johnson
Mary Lashley
Nov. 6, 1944
April 21, 1925
Jan. 12, 1953
April 27, 1941
Jan. 17, 2025
Jan. 23, 2025
Jan. 24, 2025
Jan. 26, 2025
Feb. 1, 2025
John Vandehey Feb. 5, 1954 Feb. 3, 2025
local funeral chapels serving Mt. Angel since 1919 &
David G. Duncan
Beloved husband, father and grandfather
David G. Duncan passed away on Jan. 10, 2025, from a cardiac event while battling AL Amyloidosis. His life was full of amazing family, friends and accomplishments.
He was born in Wellington, New Zealand, moving to the United States as a toddler. David grew up in the Central Valley of California where he began a life-long appreciation of and interest in the natural world. Some of his favorite childhood memories were of camping and fishing in Yosemite National Park with his parents (deceased) and his brother, Mark, and sister, Kathryn, who both continue to reside in California.
David attended the University of California at Santa Cruz on an academic scholarship, earning a bachelor’s degree in mathematics. His ever-curious mind did not lead to a life in the classroom. Instead, he had a brief career as a seasonal firefighter, leading a Hotshot Crew out of Southern Oregon.
It was at this time that David met his wife, Susan, and they settled in the central Willamette Valley. Over the following decades, he established himself in both the hop grower and nursery stock communities. David and Susan also pursued his goal of developing a vineyard in the Eola Hills of Oregon. Together they raised four farm-worthy children: Joseph Duncan, Nicholas Duncan (Katherine), Christopher Duncan and Elizabeth Grossen (Scott), who all learned the value of hard work. With what little free time was left, he enjoyed amateur photography, skiing, backpacking and camping with his family.
He later retired to their piece of heaven on Butte Creek, just outside Silverton and Mount Angel. In Dave’s retirement, he developed an interest in genealogy and was a member of Silverton’s Ancestry Detectives. Gardening was another of his retirement pursuits. He loved sharing the fruits of his labor with family, friends and the SACA community in the last few years. He was blessed with five grandchildren: Evelyn, Hazel, Lillian, Oliver and Elaine.
He will be dearly missed by all who knew his generous heart. Please join his family for some light refreshments while they celebrate his life on Feb. 16 from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. at their home. His family hopes all who knew and loved him will attend. Text 503-409-3006 for additional information.
Almost every Monday I pick up my phone and call my best friend, Leslie. It’s a ritual we started several years ago when we realized that, despite living only 35 miles apart, our jobs, our spouses and the commitments inherent in our adult lives mean we rarely see each other.
And so, we made our relationship a priority by putting it on the calendar. We picked a day, a time and a way of connecting that works for us both nearly every week and we simply made it happen.
Now, years into this undertaking, I can confidently say, our weekly commitment to stay connected is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. And it wasn’t as difficult as I’d imagined. After all, I plan my schedule around a myriad of menial tasks every week – and this one, which focuses on a relationship that is significant to me – is not only more important than most of those chores, but more fun as well. And that makes sense because friendships are supposed to be enjoyable. That’s why we work so hard at them when we’re kids. We know instinctively that having friends – and being one – is crucial. When I was young, I didn’t need statistics showing that having friends would boost my selfconfidence, help me deal with future trauma or encourage
me to be a better person. I just knew it felt good to spend time with someone who “got me,” to share parts of myself with someone who would listen without judgement and who was always on my side. It was important then and it’s important now. So, why did I let so many friendships lapse?
Because making friends and keeping them can be hard, especially once I moved past the ease of elementary, high school and college relationships (like the one I formed with Leslie). Back then time felt boundless, but once I moved into a frenetic stage where parenting and a career took pride of place, making new friends and maintaining my connection with old ones became difficult.
Which is why maintaining the friendships I do have – the ones that have stood the test of time – is more important than ever. And yet, it’s so easy to let them slip away, to see the distance as a deterrent, to stop calling because I have other things I should be doing or to remove someone’s name from my phone because our kids are no longer friends.
But now with my children growing older, I have found myself yearning to be available for friendships once again. Only now I don’t know where to start. Gone are the days when I met people in a classroom or through my kids on a playdate. Now it’s up to me to approach another parent at a game, ask someone to coffee or invite someone into my home. And it feels daunting, akin to how it felt when I was in kindergarten, approaching someone I hoped would be a kindred spirit for the first time. It’s hard and it takes a while.
But one day soon my children will be grown, out of the house and living their own lives, leaving space once again for me to spend time with friends. And yet, every year a few more friendships fall away like silent leaves without me even noticing. These are people I have known for years, whose lives I have been a part of, and yet many have become mere acquaintances, people I acknowledge in the grocery store and then walk past.
It’s a failure that could have befallen my friendship with Leslie. We could have become nearly strangers had it not been for the genius of the Monday morning exchange. And that’s been a lesson for me, maintaining a friendship doesn’t have to be arduous, it doesn’t have to mean spending money or even leaving the house. It can be as simple as picking up the phone.
Melissa and Leslie in 2003.
GENERAL
SILVERTON ELKS FLEA
MARKET Saturday, Feb. 15. From 9 am to 3pm.
CPR, FIRST AID, AED CLASS at Silver Falls Library on Saturday, Feb. 22 from 10:30 to 2:30pm. Cost is $55.00 per person Call or txt 541-626-8433
CASH FOUND Location: Silverton. Contact: Silverton Police Dept. 503-873-5326 Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm
YOUR RIGHT TO SELF
DEFENSE Saturdays, age 10-12 at 5 p.m.; age 13 & up at 6:15; Security & Correctional Officers at 7:30. Private lessons available. Intn’l certification curriculum available on request. Call Harold 503-391-7406
PASTOR CHUCK BALDWIN
Liberty Fellowship, Kalispell, Montana satellite group Sundays, 1:30 p.m. Call Kristen, 503-990-4584
HELP WANTED
FULL TIME ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGER FOR LOCAL BUSINESS Req. background: bookkeeping, accounts receiveable, inventory, Excel, Word, printer scanning, email documents, good customer/client skills. Approx office hours: 35 per wk. Compensation includes on-site living quarter, extra amenities and reasonable wage for office hours. Please email resume to: BSSWRKEN57@yahoo.com. Include phone # to schedule an interview.
HOMES FOR SALE
MOBILE TINY HOUSE FOR SALE Viewable in lot: Washington and Miller in Stayton. Towable with pickup truck. Many storage spaces. Good for another 30 years. Take a look. Call if interested, 707-494-7666.
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
SOUNDS GOOD STUDIO Bands, artists, personal karaoke CDs, books, restoring VHS to DVD, old cassettes, reel-to-reel & 8-track cassettes restored to CD. Call Harold 503-391-7406.
GOT STUFF YOU WANT GONE? From yard debris to scrap metalFrom 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
MAGIC CARPET CLEANING
& MORE Since 1992. Carpet & upholstery cleaning at its best. Free estimates. Residential & commercial. Located in Silverton. Call Harold at 503-391-7406
#T2857 WELL MAINTAINED 55+ HOME $125,000
Well maintained manufactured home with tons of yard space. Located in the desirable 55 and over community, Silverton Mobile Estates. Plenty of storage with built-ins and 3 sheds. 2 driveways with 2 separate car ports. Large main suite with bathroom and walk-in closet. 2 full bathrooms with walk in showers. Mini-splits and forced air HVAC systems. Leaf guard gutter system and other updates through-out. Don’t wait!! Call Becky at ext. 313 (WVMLS#823771)
#T2856 CORNER LOT $495,000
Mt. Angel corner lot in a quiet neighborhood, 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath, single level home w/ 2034 sqft, living room w/ wood burning fireplace, dining area open to a remodeled kitchen, triple pane windows. Potential for dual living, addl. living room, w/ a kitchenette off the living room, newer free standing gas stove, plus a single car garage that has been converted to storage. Carport for parking. Covered patio area, private backyard and workstation area and wood storage. Oversized lot and room for RV parking. Call Meredith at ext. 324, Ryan at ext. 322 (WVMLS#823593)
SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES
#T2856 CORNER LOT 3 BR, 2.5 BA 2034 sqft. Mt. Angel Call Meredith at ext. 324, Ryan at ext. 322 $495,000 (WVMLS#823593)
BARELAND/LOTS
#T2841 OVER 100FT OF ABIQUA FRONTAGE 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 $99,900 (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)
SOLD! – #T2848 PERFECT CREEK FRONTAGE 1.76
Acres. Silverton. Call Meredith at ext. 324, Ryan at ext. 322 $418,300 (WVMLS#821913)
SOLD! – #T2853 RARE BUILDING SITE .49 Acres Call Chuck at ext. 325 $150,000 (WVMLS#822413)
#T2841 OVER 100FT OF ABIQUA FRONTAGE $475,000 Owner just removed underbrush. Level build site. Mature trees along creek. Surveyed in 2023. Only a 10 min drive to Silverton. New well produces an amazing 80 gallons per minutes when drilled. Driveway permit finalized with Marion County. Septic Site approved with Marion County. Power and phone at the street. Ready for you to submit your home plans for a permit and start building. Ask about references for local Home Designers and General Contractors. Call Michael at ext. 314 (WVMLS#820496)
Call
Sarah at
#T2859 FANTASTIC LOCATION
$698,700 Fantastic location, close to town, great hobby farm, single level home with many nice updates. Separate space for all your hobbies, large 540 Sqft heated hobby space ready for all your project needs. Plus shop/barn with a 2 stalls and a tack room, fully fenced pasture area and cross fenced. Call Meredith at ext. 324, Ryan at ext. 322 (WVMLS#824492)
SILVERTON
#T2859 FANTASTIC LOCATION 3 BR, 2.5 BA 1590 sqft
1.8 Acres. Silverton. Call Meredith at ext. 324, Ryan at ext. 322 $698,700 (WVMLS#824492)
#T2838 HOME ON THE HILL 3 BR, 2.5 BA 2112 sqft
7.12 Acres. Silverton. Call Michael at ext. 314 $729,900 (WVMLS#819011)
#T2849 WONDERFUL SINGLE LEVEL 3 BR, 2.5 BA 1842 sqft 1.74 Acres. Silverton. Call Meredith at ext. 324, Ryan at ext. 322 $698,700 (WVMLS#821912)
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