WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2019 ❚ SILVERTONAPPEAL.COM
PART OF THE USA TODAY NETWORK
Barbecue company admits posting photo of sandwich
Bill Poehler
Salem Statesman Journal
USA TODAY NETWORK
The barbecue company being sued by Traeger Grills
denied it infringed on the company’s trademarks by us-
ing the pictures of company founder Joe Traeger in its
marketing. It did admit to posting a picture of a turkey
sandwich on social media.
New details were revealed in the 108-page answer by
rival pellet grill manufacturer Dansons to the July law-
suit filed by Traeger Grills in Arizona District court, in-
cluding that the Traeger sign has been removed from the
Traeger Barn, the image of which is a major contention in
the suit.
Joe Traeger developed the first pellet smoker in 1985
and founded Traeger Industries in Mt. Angel to sell his
new barbecue cookers. He and sons Mark, Randy and
Brian sold the company in 2006 for $12 million to a ven-
ture capitalist.
Traeger Grills was sold again in 2014 to private equity
firm Trilantic Capital Partners. In 2018, Joe and Brian
Traeger went to work for Dansons, a rival company that
sells pellet smokers under the brand names Louisiana
Grills and Pit Boss. They were hired as independent con-
tractors, according to the court filings.
In Dansons' marketing, it used photos of Joe and Bri-
an Traeger, as well as the Traeger Barn, and it has used
their names since they were hired.
In the answer to the Arizona suit, Dansons denied it
knew that Traeger Grills purchased the rights to the in-
tellectual property and likenesses of the Traeger’s.
The turkey sandwich
Much of the lawsuit has to do with allegations Dan-
sons is copying Traeger Grills.
Among the allegations: one day after Traeger Grills
posted a photo of its "Ultimate Traeger Leftover Turkey
Sandwich" on its Instagram account on Nov. 24, 2018
See TRAEGER, Page 2A
Scio bucks a trend,
rejects Dollar General
A woman works on a laptop outside at Willamette
University in Salem on Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2018.
Tuesday saw a high of 83 degrees in Salem, tying
the record set in 2002. Sunshine is expected to
continue into the weekend. ANNA REED / STATESMAN
JOURNAL
Willamette
University to
match savings
Natalie Pate
Salem Statesman Journal
USA TODAY NETWORK
Several Dollar General stores are opening up throughout the Mid-Willamette Valley.
SPECIAL TO THE STATESMAN JOURNAL
Bill Poehler
Salem Statesman Journal
USA TODAY NETWORK
Where derelict buildings once stood on city blocks
in small towns across Oregon, dollar stores have rap-
idly sprung up in the past decade.
Dollar General, a Tennessee-based chain of small
retail stores, has aggressively expanded to 60 stores
in Oregon, including rural locations like Jefferson,
Aumsville and Mill City, but also in distant locales
such as Drain, Winston and Shady Cove.
Scio, however, will not have one.
After significant opposition by community mem-
bers and small business owners, the Scio City Council
voted unanimously at its Sept. 9 meeting to deny a
requested zoning change that would have allowed
Dollar General to build a location in Scio.
Developer Hix Snedeker Companies of Daphne,
Alabama asked the city to change the zoning on a lot
at 38848 Highway 226, which is in the southernmost
part of Scio, and amend its comprehensive plan so it
could build a 9,000 square foot retail space for a new
Dollar General.
Dozens of residents and business owners in Scio
voiced strong opposition about the impact such a
store could have on its community.
"It was a sort of an awakening of the community,"
See DOLLAR GENERAL, Page 3A
Marion County trash will burn for another year
Tracy Loew
Salem Statesman Journal
USA TODAY NETWORK
Marion County’s garbage will go to a waste incine-
rator in Brooks for at least another year.
County commissioners approved a one-year
contract extension with Covanta Marion, which oper-
ates the incinerator, at their regular meeting Wednes-
day morning.
The incinerator’s future has been in question since
July, when the Oregon Legislature failed to pass a bill,
requested by Covanta, that would have designated
trash incineration as renewable energy.
The bill would have allowed Covanta Marion to be
certified under Oregon’s Renewable Portfolio Stan-
dard, which requires 50 percent of the electricity Ore-
gonians use to come from renewable energy sources
by 2040.
Covanta officials said that without the revenue
from the energy credits it cannot afford to operate the
32-year-old incinerator.
“We’re doing this one-year contract because we
don’t know if we’re going to be able to continue this
program if we don’t get those renewable energy cred-
its,” County Commissioner Keven Cameron said dur-
Willamette University is about to start giving
thousands of dollars per semester per eligible stu-
dent as part of a new financial aid partnership with
the State of Oregon.
Starting Tuesday, the Oregon College Savings Plan
and Willamette University will double students’ col-
lege savings with a dollar-for-dollar match.
Under the Willamette Savings Match program,
Oregon residents admitted to the school’s College of
Liberal Arts can apply to receive a match of their Ore-
gon College Savings Plan account for up to $5,000
per semester for eight semesters.
This allows for a potential savings of $40,000.
Willamette University, a private school located in
downtown Salem, serves about 1,600 undergraduate
students. Nearly 100% of its students receive some
form of financial aid, with $42 million in scholarships
awarded annually. But the annual tuition alone totals
$51,750.
Adding room and board, fees and book estimates,
attending Willamette costs more than $66,500 a
year.
Willamette’s partnership is part of a new program
called Oregon Scholars, which allows the Oregon Col-
lege Savings Plan to partner with colleges and uni-
versities across the state to incentivize people to save
for post-secondary education. Willamette is the first
school to take part.
“The Oregon Scholars program could be a game
changer, helping families who are already saving for
higher education while encouraging more Orego-
nians to start saving today,” said State Treasurer To-
bias Read, a Willamette alumnus.
“States can and should make it easier for every-
one, especially low- and moderate-income families,
to save for education and training after high school,”
he said. “When more kids are able to meet their edu-
cational goals with less student loan debt, that’s
good for everyone.”
The Willamette Savings Match
See COVANTA, Page 2A
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Undergraduate students admitted to Willamette
University, who also meet other program criteria, will
qualify for the match.
Eligible students must:
❚ Graduate from an Oregon high school or home
school;
❚ Have an active Oregon College Savings Plan ac-
count for at least four years prior to the year of enroll-
See SAVINGS, Page 2A