S ERVING THE S ILVERTON A REA S INCE 1880
50 C ENTS
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A U NIQUE E DITION OF THE S TATESMAN J OURNAL
V OL . 135, N O . 31
W EDNESDAY , J ULY 20, 2016
SILVERTONAPPEAL.COM
Man accused of abuse ran ministry
WHITNEY M. WOODWORTH
STATESMAN JOURNAL
Police are searching for
more potential victims after a
Silverton man, who ran a Chris-
tian ministry and co-owned a lo-
cal coffee shop, was arrested on
sex abuse charges.
Andrew Stutzman, 38, was
charged with 10 counts of sec-
ond-degree sex abuse following
his arrest on July 1. Court docu-
ments listed one female victim
and stated the abuse took place
between 2012 and 2016. Silver-
ton police Detective Josh
Boatner said the victim, now an
adult, was underage at the time
of the alleged incidents.
Police began investigating
Stutzman in June when the vic-
tim came forward. During the
weeks-long
investigation,
Boatner interviewed the victim,
who said Stutzman began the
abuse when she was 16.
An indictment filed through
Marion County Circuit Court al-
leged Stutzman engaged in sex-
ual intercourse with the victim
in five different instances and
had other forms of sexual con-
tact five times.
Boatner said police are look-
ing for other victims. Stutzman
started a youth group with his
wife and had frequent contact
with teens.
The website for the Silver-
ton-based A.C.T.S. Ministry list-
ed Stutzman as one of the
church’s leaders. The minis-
try’s Facebook page promoted
teen-oriented events such as
hikes at Silver Falls, concerts
Andrew Thomas Stutzman
and outreach in downtown Port-
land.
Business records from the
Oregon Secretary of State’s Of-
fice list Stutzman as the regis-
tered agent of Gear-Up Coffee,
at 430 McClaine Street in Silver-
ton. In the aftermath of his ar-
rest, a sign posted on social
media stated that, as of July 3,
the coffee shop would be under
the sole ownership of Aaron
Miller and Luci Miller. Aaron
confirmed the switch was made
because of Stutzman’s arrest.
“We’re trying to keep our
business running and be here
for the community,” he said.
Stutzman, his wife, and the
Millers purchased the coffee
shop in 2015. The coffee shop
was a frequent meet-up spot for
Bible studies, book clubs and
teens associated with Young
Life, a nonprofit, Christian
youth outreach organization.
Stutzman’s proximity to
teens concerned some local par-
ents, who recalled evening trips
to Portland and late-night ex-
cursions their teens had attend-
ed with Stutzman.
He was reportedly involved
with Young Life, but a repre-
sentative from the Oregon Cas-
cades Region chapter said
Stutzman was not listed as a
leader with Young Life, and said
the organization runs criminal
background checks on adult
volunteers and employees.
Boatner also said Stutzman was
not a Young Life leader.
According to court records,
Stutzman was convicted in 2013
of public indecency in Clacka-
mas County. He was sentenced
to 15 days in jail and three years
See ABUSE, Page 3A
WATER WORRIES
MARION COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE
A sign reminds motorists to safely share the road with tractors
and other farm equipment.
Keep road safety
in forefront of
mind this season
JUSTIN MUCH
STAYTON MAIL
MOLLY J. SMITH / STATESMAN JOURNAL
Detroit Lake is shown on May 26. Low water levels have frustrated both boaters and businesses on the reservoir.
Concern over lake’s low
level prompts meeting
ZACH URNESS
STATESMAN JOURNAL
DETROIT - For the second
year in a row, low water in De-
troit Lake is likely to affect recre-
ation and tourism in the Santiam
Canyon.
The reservoir east of Salem is
projected to drop to 1,544 feet
above sea level by July 23, mark-
ing the lake’s third-lowest level
on that date since 2000.
Docks in the lake will hit dry
land by August, and marinas will
be forced to cut back their moor-
age for boat owners.
It’s an unwelcome develop-
ment in this tourist-dependent
town, especially after last sum-
mer’s even lower water levels.
“The tough thing is that it’s
been a phenomenal year up to
this point,” said Scott Lunski,
owner of Detroit Lake Marina.
“But in a few weeks, this will
make an impact, and it hurts ev-
erybody. August is the busiest
month — it’s the money-making
month — and to have this happen
is very disappointing.”
To look for solutions, the Fed-
eral Lakes Committee in Detroit
is hosting a collection of agencies
and lawmakers at 6:30 p.m.
Wednesday, July 20 at Gates Fire
Hall.
The public is welcome to listen
to a presentation from the U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers, which
manages the lake, and give testi-
mony to lawmakers in atten-
dance, including Oregon Con-
gressman Kurt Schrader.
The hope is to find long-term
solutions for businesses like De-
troit Lake and Kane’s marinas,
which have to shorten their sea-
sons or reduce operations in low
water years.
The ripple effect of less boats
on the water is fewer dollars
flowing through town, harming
jobs and the economy, said Mar-
ion County Commissioner Kevin
Cameron.
“What we hope to do is come
up with a plan to help these guys
in the long run,” said Cameron,
who has a house in Detroit and
keeps a boat at the lake. “It’s a big
hit to people up here, who are try-
ing to make ends meet.”
Detroit Lake Marina will con-
tinue to offer boat rentals and
gas, and will keep its store open
until Labor Day. Beginning this
week, however, it will reduce its
moorage — the number of boats
parked at its docks.
Last year, Detroit Lake and
Kane’s marinas had to move their
docks entirely to stay in business,
as the reservoir dropped to the
lowest summertime levels in its
history.
The reality of facing these
challenges two years in a row —
and the possibility it could be-
come a more common occur-
rence — makes the meeting a
crucial one for Lunski.
“If the Corps can’t alter the
way they manage the reservoir
level, they need to help business-
es adapt to where the water level
is typically going to be,” Lunski
said.
See LAKE, Page 3A
School board divided on ethics issue
CHRISTENA BROOKS
SPECIAL TO THE STATESMAN JOURNAL
Did former Silver Falls
School District Chair Tim
Roth do the community a
favor by taking loads of
fill dirt from the football
field turf project or did he
unfairly gain a valuable
commodity due to his
elected position?
Now the Oregon Gov-
ernment Ethics Commis-
sion will decide, but a ma-
jority of the school board
in Silverton voiced sur-
prise and outrage over the
way new board member
Todd White raised the is-
sue.
“We didn’t receive any
direct
communication
from you,” Aaron Koch,
new vice chair, said. “I
have a hard time with the
way this has been carried
out. I’m frustrated and
disappointed.”
Koch castigated White
for filing his ethics
complaint without first
raising his concern at a
meeting. White’s con-
cern about an estimat-
ed 25 truckloads of dirt
dumped last month on
Roth’s property by K &
It’s that season on
country roads around the
region;
slow-moving
swathers, combines, and
tractors tethered with im-
plements become fre-
quent sights – and poten-
tial hazards.
Tailing a tractor pull-
ing a wide farm imple-
ment can be an eye-widen-
ing experience, watching
the plow, disc, spray
boom, seed drill or the like
thread through a curving
country road, sometimes
eluding mailboxes, gar-
bage bins, even cars, by
mere inches.
That experience is no
less eye-widening to the
harvester driver, often
charged
with
white-
knuckling a wide front-
header down the road and
through potential obsta-
cles while avoiding hur-
ried oncoming motorists.
To shed light on the po-
tential hazards and pro-
mote
safety,
Marion
County Sheriff’s Office
has partnered with Ore-
gon Aglink and the Agri-
culture & Turf division of
Papé Machinery on a cam-
paign for rural road safe-
ty. A Papé spokesman said
there has already been a
clash this summer be-
tween a windrower and a
vehicle, flipping the latter
near McMinnville.
Those are the types of
clashes this campaign
aims to end.
“Farm safety is impor-
tant to all of us whether
we are in the agricultural
business, following a trac-
tor on our way to work, or
going to a family event,”
said Jake Barge, General
Manager for Papé Ma-
chinery, Ag & Turf. “With
school now out and sum-
mer heating up, we want
to remind all drivers to
use caution and share the
road with farm equip-
ment so we all keep mov-
ing down the road safely.”
While ag machinery is
most commonly spotted
on country roads, circum-
stances often necessitate
negotiating them through
city streets and state
highways to get from field
to field. Regardless of the
location, safety is para-
mount.
“In the last 3 years we
have had 2 fatal motor ve-
hicle crashes involving
farm equipment,” said
Marion County Sheriff Lt.
Chris Baldridge. “We
have had additional fatal
See SAFETY, Page 3A
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Births ......................................3B
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Classifieds..............................3B
Life..........................................4A
Obituaries .............................3B
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