S ERVING THE S ILVERTON A REA S INCE 1880 50 C ENTS ● A U NIQUE E DITION OF THE S TATESMAN J OURNAL V OL . 136, N O . 26 W EDNESDAY , J UNE 14, 2017 SILVERTONAPPEAL.COM Area could see restored rail service JUSTIN MUCH STAYTON MAIL JUSTIN MUCH / STAYTON MAIL Pratum Co-op is among the businesses that have been without Willamette Valley Railway service since early 2012, even though the co-op and its spur are on sturdy tracks well north of where inclement weather compromised the rail. The railway infrastructure that con- nects much of the eastern region of the Mid-Willamette Valley is getting some attention, and that could potentially lead to an additional economic feature for places like Stayton and Silverton. Oregon Shipping Group representa- tives Kevin Mannix and Connor Har- rington addressed Stayton City Council on Monday, June 5, and followed up the next day meeting with Silverton Mayor Kyle Palmer, City Manager Christy Wur- ster and Public Works Director Chris- tian Saxe to impart the group’s earnest interest seeing the rail return to full working capacity. Palmer called the meeting “intrigu- ing” with all the possibilities that could emerge with a full working rail service. The rail line has seen limited use south of Mt. Angel over the past half dec- ade. Inclement weather compromised the tracks south of Macleay in early 2012, and in the years prior to that rail ship- ping tapered off in the Aumsville and Stayton area due an economic downturn. That, in turn, diminished the feasibility of sending an engine south. In 2014, a variety of interested parties met in Silverton to discuss the rail and its future, including Stayton City Manager Keith Campbell who noted that the city regards the line as an economic asset. Oregon Shipping Group concurs. Harrington, the group’s deputy direc- tor, described Oregon Shipping Group as a coalition of about 40 Oregon businesses engaged in importing and/or exporting. “As part of its advocacy efforts, the Oregon Shipping Group supports better utilization of Oregon railroads, including short lines such as the Willamette Valley Railway, to move freight safely, effi- ciently, predictably, reliably and cost-ef- fectively,” Harrington said. Oregon Shipping Group’s website lists a number of trade-enhancing objec- tives, such as legislative lobbying to es- tablishing stronger port shipping capa- bilities in the Columbia River and Coos Bay and evaluating container shipping prospects in Newport. See RAIL, Page 3A Oregon Garden Brewfest returns SILVERTON HIGH SCHOOL BROOKE JACKSON-GLIDDEN STATESMAN JOURNAL Starting Friday, Silverton’s floral wonderland will yet again become a lit- eral beer garden. The Oregon Garden Brewfest is back, with 60 breweries, an artisan market and a fun run. “It’s our first year doing anything like (a fun run) in the garden,” said Sara Hammond, regional marketing direc- tor for The Oregon Garden. “What more beautiful a location than to run in- side the garden?” The Sunday event lineup is designed to be family friendly: The fun run, kids games and crafts, live music and more make for a fun Father’s Day. Those looking for a bit of a party should visit Friday and Saturday evening for 21- and-older fun. PHOTOS BY DANIELLE PETERSON / STATESMAN JOURNAL What’s new this year? Kadin Brodahl and Caitlin Keating embrace during the commencement ceremony on Thursday at Silverton High School. CLASS OF 2017 Celebrating graduates For a complete list of Silverton High School graduates, see page 3A. Graduates Colin Walker and Catyana Montiel hold hands before the commencement ceremony on Thursday at Silverton High School. Get physical: The 5K fun run re- mains completely within The Oregon Garden, where runners will jog past some of the garden’s 60,000 flowers planted each year. Once guests pass the finish line, everyone wins a free glass of beer or soda, as well as a T-shirt. The race begins at 10:30 a.m. Sunday. Regis- tration costs $25 for adults 21 and older, $20 for ages 12 to 20 and $10 for ages 5 to 11. See BREWFEST, Page 2A Graduates make their entrance during the commencement ceremony. STATESMAN JOURNAL FILE The Oregon Garden Brewfest takes place 3 to 11 p.m. Friday, noon to 11 p.m. Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday. CREEKSIDE CHAT Check out ‘The House That Beer Built’ JUSTIN MUCH new Anyone who enjoys a pint of beer and equally en- joys trying dining establish- ments – and I’m guessing there are more than a few of you out there -- you might want to look into “The House That Beer Built.” Follow me on this, be- cause it’s a good cause that helps North Willam- ette Valley Habitat for Online at SilvertonAppeal.com NEWS UPDATES PHOTOS » Breaking news » Get updates from the Silverton area » Photo galleries Humanity and, frankly, a pretty nice deal: It costs $25, involves 25 locations and provides for 25 pints of beer, one at each loca- tion. NWV Habitat is selling $25 passports, each estab- lishment is on the card. At each one, passport hold- Harcourts NW Oregon Realty Group ers get one pint of beer, provided by the estab- lishment. Fifteen of those are located in Sil- verton and Mt. Angel, but there are also stops in Aurora, Colton, Can- by, Molalla, Oregon See MUCH, Page 2A INSIDE Classifieds..............................3B Life..........................................4A Obituaries .............................2B Sports......................................1B ©2017 Printed on recycled paper OR-0000389032