S ERVING THE S ILVERTON A REA S INCE 1880
50 C ENTS
Ԃ
A U NIQUE E DITION OF THE S TATESMAN J OURNAL
V OL . 136, N O . 2
W EDNESDAY , D ECEMBER 28, 2016
SILVERTONAPPEAL.COM
Silverton hires new city manager
CHRISTENA BROOKS
SPECIAL TO THE APPEAL TRIBUNE
A candidate with seven years’ experi-
ence as a city manager and another 13 in
public works administration has been
hired as Silverton’s new city manager.
Christy Wurster, 49, now serving as
Sweet Home’s temporary city manager,
will start with Silverton on Jan. 17. She
was hired this month by the city council
to replace retiring City Manager Bob
Willoughby. She’ll have until the end of
January to work side-by-side with Wil-
loughby before taking over as the city’s
top administrator.
“This community is very actively in-
volved in the future of the city; I see that
at all levels,” Wurster said. “I will be in-
terviewing each city councilor individ-
ually, to get their perspective on where
they think the community needs to go.”
When they kicked off the search for a
new manager in last summer, Silverton’s
councilors expressed interest in hiring
someone with a strong fiscal back-
ground and the ability to address the
city’s aging infrastructure. Its 60-year-
old water treatment plant needs replac-
ing, an upgrade that comes with an esti-
mated $12 million price tag, Willoughby
said.
Infrastructure is one of Wurster’s
areas of expertise; she spent 13 years as
the assistant public works director in
Dallas. She also specializes in budgeting.
Her master’s degree from Portland State
University in 2009 required her to com-
plete a 200-hour out-of-class project. She
focused on municipal budgeting, and
she’s since applied that training to man-
agement and budgeting jobs in Dayton,
Salem, Creswell, Fairview and Sweet
Home.
“She has a very good understanding
of infrastructure,” said Silverton Mayor
Rick Lewis. “She has a public works
background, as well, which is important
to Silverton as we move forward to ad-
dress our infrastructure issues.”
A total of 35 candidates applied for
the job in Silverton, which was adver-
tised nationally and came with an offer
to pay $110,000 to $125,000. Wurster’s
contracted salary is $112,000. The coun-
cil whittled the list down to two finalists
by November, and, after sending two
members to visit both candidates’ work-
places, recommended Wurster be hired.
The unanimous vote came Dec. 12.
“From my perspective Christy has
excellent communication skills and is
well respected by her peers and by those
with whom and for whom she has
worked,” Lewis said. “She does her
homework and she researches issues
and listens to the various sides of issues.
CITY OF SILVERTON
Christy Wurster
See WURSTER, Page 3A
ROOM AT THE INN
LAURA COVINGTON
Laura Covington took this photo of the
icicles at Silver Falls State Park on Dec. 18.
Icicles force
Silver Falls
waterfalls
trail closure
ZACH URNESS
STATESMAN JOURNAL
JUSTIN MUCH | STAYTON MAIL
Crews have been working full steam in preparation to reopen Marquam-area's favorite eatery and watering hole, MarKum Inn. The
proprietors hope to be open by New Year's Eve, but that date is tentative.
Popular MarKum
Inn to reopen
JUSTIN MUCH
STAYTON MAIL
For anyone with a memory of nudg-
ing up to the bar or sitting down at the
dinner table in the old MarKum Inn,
the first difference you may notice
about the next incarnation is light.
On the darkest day of the year, Mar-
Kum Inn was bright with natural light
beaming through its broad windows,
facing east, north and south. A fitting
backdrop as Fr. Philip Waibel of Mt.
Angel’s St. Mary Catholic Church ar-
rived at midday to bless the premises
Tuesday, Dec. 20.
The local priest harbored equal dos-
es of reverence for the task and enthu-
siasm brewed from memories mixed
with anticipation.
See MARKUM, Page 2A
JUSTIN MUCH | STAYTON MAIL
Fr. Philip Waibel of St. Mary Catholic Church in Mt. Angel and Julio Valera, MarKum Inn's
general manager, discuss the upcoming reopening of the popular Marquam area eatery
and watering hole. Waibel visited to give the new establishment a blessing.
The danger of death-by-icicle has
apparently passed at Silver Falls State
Park.
The danger of 20-foot icicles impal-
ing unsuspecting hikers led officials to
close the Canyon Trail and any path-
ways leading to the park’s iconic water-
falls.
“The trails were slippery before, but
now we have 20-foot icicles falling onto
the trail,” said Katharine Kittinger, Sil-
ver Falls State Park specialist. “The de-
cision to close the trail was made for
visitor safety.”
The closure included not only the
Canyon Trail — also known as the Trail
of 10 Falls — but trails around the can-
yon including Maple Ridge, Winter
Falls and North Falls trails.
Officials said Dec. 21 that all the
trails leading to the park’s waterfalls
had reopened, following a two-day clo-
sure that began Dec. 19 to protect the
public from falling chunks of ice.
“The weather the last few days has
been warmer and wetter, which has im-
proved most trail conditions,” park
manager Dennis Lucas said in a news
release. “Some ice does remain on
trails, sidewalks and parking lots and
may cause slick spots, so visitors
See TRAILS, Page 2A
Magnitude 2.5 quake rattles area
just north of Silver Falls State Park
DAVID DAVIS AND JUSTIN MUCH
APPEAL TRIBUNE
The United States Geological
Survey is reported a magnitude 2.5
earthquake just north of Silver
Falls State Park along Highway
214.
The quake hit at 2:53 a.m.
Wednesday, Dec. 21, about 8.7
miles northeast of Sublimity at a
depth of just over 10 miles.
No damage or injuries have
been reported.
"I thought something hit the
back of my home but then the win-
Online at SilvertonAppeal.com
NEWS UPDATES
PHOTOS
» Breaking news
» Get updates from the Silverton area
» Photo galleries
Harcourts NW Oregon Realty Group
dows and the dishes in my kitchen
cabinets rattled so I figured it
might have been an earthquake. I
felt nothing underfoot," said Bren-
da Fuquay Chappell who lives
south of the epicenter in Lyons.
See QUAKE, Page 2B
INSIDE
Obituaries.............................2A
Letters....................................3A
Police log ..............................3A
Life..........................................4A
Sports......................................1B
Education ............................. 3B
©2016
Printed on recycled paper
119 N. Water St. Silverton, OR 97381 • 503.873.8600 • www.nworg.com