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 . 137, N O . 3
W EDNESDAY , J ANUARY 10, 2018
SILVERTONAPPEAL.COM
‘I wasn’t safe anymore in my own home’
‘Grimm’ crew supports coworker attacked by her dog
CHRISTINE PITAWANICH KGW
A Silverton woman, attacked by her own dog, was
worried she was in store for the worst Christmas of her
life.
But now Morgan Muta is taking the first steps to-
ward recovery. She had a lot of support as she got ready
for her first facial surgery on Jan. 2.
Muta worked as a makeup artist on the show
‘Grimm’ for a few years.
Once her ‘Grimm’ family found out what happened,
they didn't waste any time to help. One of her former
coworkers set up a GoFundMe page to help Muta pay
for medical bills.
It all started about two weeks ago when Muta said
her dog attacked her face while they were watching TV
on the couch. She said there was no warning.
“It was extremely scary and there was a lot of blood,
and I could tell that part of my face was missing,” she
recalled. “Even after getting my dog down off the
couch, he still came back again."
It was a scary situation that Muta is still processing.
“I think in that moment too, I understood that I
wasn't safe anymore in my own home,” said Muta.
Her dog Wally was a rescue. She said he may have
been abused and was probably in some sort of dog fight-
ing situation. Muta said Wally had been by her side for
the last eight years and had never acted so extreme.
“I just think that as he entered his senior years, a lot
of that hardwiring had probably come to show in him
again,” she said.
Now, a portion of her upper lip is gone.
“Basically the portion near the bow of my lip was
completely splayed,” Muta said.
Two days before Christmas, she put him down. It was
a decision made even tougher because she lost her oth-
er dog in July.
“It's already been a very difficult six months for
me,” she said.
When her ‘Grimm’ coworkers heard about every-
thing that had happened, they took action making the
GoFundMe page. Donations began pouring in.
How the Mid-Valley
fared during 2017
Morgan Muta was biten by her dog before Christmas.
CHRISTINE PITAWANICH/KGW
“As I continued to see the donations pouring in, I just
sobbed,” said Muta.
She has insurance but with the start of a new year,
See DOG, Page 2A
Monitoring
Silverton’s
water flows
JUSTIN MUCH SALEM STATESMAN JOURNAL
USA TODAY NETWORK
The Eagle Creek wildfire as seen from Stevenson, Washington, burns in the Columbia River Gorge above Cascade Locks. It
began in September. ASSOCIATED PRESS
Last year was dramatic,
from massive fires to
an awe-inspiring eclipse
Between Silver Creek, Silverton Reservoir and Sil-
ver Falls State Park, the impact water has on the phys-
ical character of Silverton is readily apparent.
What is less apparent is infrastructure that ensures
water flows effectively to maintain livability and pro-
vide for growth in the city.
During a recent Town Hall hosted by city of Silver-
ton and its city council, attendees received a clear over-
view of how the water flows beneath the surface of city
streets, and what projects are on tap to make sure that
flow continues smoothly.
“Obviously, water and wastewater (infrastructure)
are two of our biggest needs; we have to have the water,
and we have to get rid of the water,” said Silverton Pub-
lic Works Director Christian Saxe.
City Councilor Dana Smith broached the topic as it
tied into a frequently discussed theme around Silver-
ton, including at the Town Hall: growth. The councilor
conveyed that city representatives recently toured the
water-treatment plant and have sights set on keeping
the infrastructure apace with the need.
During that tour Saxe unveiled a “package plant”
that could potentially replace the city’s 60-year-old
“Plant 1,” which is nearing the end of its serviceability --
and is not serviceable at all during the winter.
“Plant 2,” is a newer facility and can handle Silver-
ton’s peak draw of 3.2 million gallons of water a day. It
provides all the city’s water during the inclement
weather months.
“We have two (water plants) right now; Plant No. 1 is
60 years old and is too old to be effective during winter
months," Smith said. "Thank goodness that is not when
we usually need the most water.
“This new plant that we’re trying out will help us fig-
ure out a way to buy a similar one, if not that one,” Smith
added, stressing that once the city installs a new plant,
it will “get us back to being ahead of the curve on water
See WATER, Page 2A
ABBY LUSCHEI SALEM STATESMAN JOURNAL
USA TODAY NETWORK
The solar eclipse
More than one million spectators were estimated to
have traveled to Oregon to witness the 62-mile-wide
path of darkness caused by the Solar Eclipse on Aug.
21. The eclipse touched land along the Oregon Coast
first, raced across the state in 11 minutes and then
streaked across the U.S.
Local and Federal agencies planned for the event
for more than a year. With good reason. There was a
lot to consider in regards to the eclipse such as traffic,
fires and accidents that could potentially occur with
that many people heading to the state.
In reality, many of those fears never came to pass.
According to public land managers, there was less
trash and damage than anticipated. Aside from some
traffic congestion, it was relatively calm.
The nation turned their eyes to the sky to catch a glimpse of
the full solar eclipse Aug. 21. RICHARD LUI/USA TODAY NETWORK
Distracted driving bill
As of Oct. 1, it became illegal to drive with your
phone in your hand in Oregon under the new distract-
ed driving law. This includes texting, navigation, so-
cial media and any other “hands-on” applications. The
fine for violation went up $500 to $2,000.
The new law was a response to the number of auto-
mobile crash fatalities in Oregon, which reached al-
most 500 in 2016. Oregon State Police and the Marion
County Sheriff’s Office saw a significant increase in
violations in the first month of the new law.
See 2017, Page 2A
Water is a key element in Silverton's character, and a key
focus of the city's infrastructure developments.
JUSTIN MUCH/SILVERTON APPEAL TRIBUNE
Silverton Grange preps for MLK Day
CREEKSIDE CHAT
JUSTIN MUCH
Elevating community participation
while observing Martin Luther King,
Jr., Day can be a tasty experience.
That’s one aspect of a planned Sil-
verton event that Rob Sisk imparted at
Live Local Marketplace and Café when
he and Rose Hope stopped in for a Creekside Chat on
Wednesday, Jan. 3.
The 15th Annual Silverton Dr. Martin Luther King,
Online at SilvertonAppeal.com
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Jr. Observance is scheduled for 6 p.m. Monday, Jan.
15, at the Silverton Grange, 201 Division St., located
about a 1.5 miles south of downtown off Water Street.
Hosted by the grange in conjunction with Silverton
People for Peace, this year’s theme is "Building Com-
munity in a Time of Divisiveness," and the hosts stress
that all are invited to attend. The event begins with a
social and a southern-style potluck featuring some of
King’s favorite dishes.
Sisk said about the only apprehension he’s had in
See PREP, Page 2A
INSIDE
Life in the Valley.................4A
Public Notices.......................3B
Sports......................................1B
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