WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2020 | SILVERTONAPPEAL.COM PART OF THE USA TODAY NETWORK Group raising funds for skate park expansion Lee Clarkson Salem Statesman Journal USA TODAY NETWORK Members of the Silverton community are raising funds for the expansion of Judy Schmidt Memorial Skate Park, continuing the work of the man who was instru- mental in the park's creation. The park, located at 115 Westfield St., was a 10-year project spearheaded by the late Jason Franz. Fundraising organizer Sue Roessler said the work included car wash- es, T-shirt sales, can drives and community support. On Oct. 26, 2013, the skate park officially opened. Many knew Franz as the guy who tuned up bicycles at Fall Line Sports, Roessler said. Franz died of a heart attack while mountain biking in Silver Falls State Park on Oct. 6, 2019. At a vigil following his death, numerous stories were told by youth and adults about what Franz meant to them. Examples in- cluded checking on report card grades, teaching kids how to ride safely and giving big discounts to his customers. The park, named after former City Council member and community volunteer Judy Schmidt, was in the process of working toward a Phase II expansion earlier this year before the COVID-19 pandemic halted fundrais- ing. The expansion was a dream Franz hoped to accom- plish. Roessler said community members have decided it's time to resume the effort. A local committee of adults and youth are looking to add features for beginner skaters, install a light at the park and create a memorial wall for Franz. Once the project was given the green light by the Sil- verton City Council, plans were drawn up by Dreamland Skateparks. To date, the committee has raised $11,500 of its $49,500 goal. Those interested in donating to the project may do so with a check made out to the Silver Fox Foundation with "Jason Franz Memorial" written on the memo line. Checks can be mailed to Silver Fox Foundation, c/o Chuck White, P.O. Box 352, Silverton OR 97381. For more information, email Roessler at sue.roess- ler@gmail.com or go to the project's Facebook page at bit.ly/JasonFranz. The Silverton community is raising funds for the expansion of the Judy Schmidt Memorial Skate Park to honor the late Jason Franz. STATESMAN JOURNAL FILE Gates' new mayor was recalled four months ago Bill Poehler Salem Statesman Journal USA TODAY NETWORK A burned hillside outside of Gates, Oregon. ABIGAIL DOLLINS / STATESMAN JOURNAL Wildfire logging Oregon proposing to salvage log 3,600 acres Bill Poehler Salem Statesman Journal USA TODAY NETWORK The state is proposing to salvage log at least 3,600 acres of trees in the Santiam State Forest that were harmed by September's Beachie Creek, Lionshead and Riverside wildfires. The Oregon Department of Forestry’s reforestation plan would plant between 6 million and 7 million trees in the 24,700 acres of the forest that were damaged in the wildfires. Officials said 3,600 acres of new plantations need to be completely replanted, 1,500 acres of trees need treatment in order to be replanted, 5,400 acres have operability issues including being in hazard locations and 3,600 acres were identified for salvage harvest and initial reforestation. The value of the timber on those lands is unknown because of the high number of privately forested areas that likely will be salvage logged. “The actual fire damage to wood quality is un- known,” according to the draft plan released Monday. “Fire killed timber starts to deteriorate quickly with warm weather and its marketability quickly falls over time. The amount of charred wood and resulting mer- chantability is uncertain. “Many acres of private forest burnt during the Sep- tember fires which is expected to saturate near term timber supply and may constrict the available opera- tor pool. These factors create a high degree of uncer- See LOGGING, Page 2A COVID-19 confirmed in Oregon mink farm Tracy Loew Salem Statesman Journal USA TODAY NETWORK An Oregon mink farm has reported an outbreak of COVID-19 among animals and workers. Oregon Department of Agriculture spokeswoman Andrea Cantu-Schomus declined to say which county the farm is in or how many workers have tested posi- tive, citing federal health privacy rules. The farm has about 12,000 animals, she said. Eight of Oregon’s 11 mink farms are in Marion Coun- ty. The farmer reported mink with symptoms to ODA on Nov. 19, Cantu-Schomus said. ODA took samples from 10 of the sick mink, and all came back positive for SARS-CoV-2, the animal virus linked to COVID-19 in humans. Cantu-Schomus was unable to say how many mink were sick, but said the 10 were a sample of the population. On Nov. 23, ODA placed the farm under quarantine, meaning no animals or animal products can leave the farm. On the same date, the Oregon Health Authority asked all workers on the farm to self-isolate, Cantu- Schomus said. OHA officials did not respond to an interview re- quest. Outbreaks in farmed mink have been reported in several U.S. states and countries. Earlier this month Denmark announced it would kill all 17 million of the mink raised there after confirmation that 12 people had been infected with a mutated strain of COVID-19 that had spread from mink to humans. That strain has not been found elsewhere. News updates: h Breaking news h Get updates from the Silverton area Photos: h Photo galleries An appointment and a recall In the previous election, 2018, no one filed to run for mayor or city council. Carmickle helped Daniel Tucker’s successful last- minute run as a write-in candidate for mayor and Jim Hensell as city councilor in that election. Carmickle was appointed to the council in October 2019. The city has been without a mayor since Tucker resigned from the position for the second time in as many months in May. McCormick has been acting mayor since then. Tucker orchestrated the recall of Carmickle in Au- gust, citing his opposition to the city entering an in- tergovernmental agreement for a joint sewer district with the cities of Mill City, Detroit and Idanha. Carmickle had four months left on his term as a city councilor when he was recalled by a vote of 102- 91 (Hensell was recalled 106-85). After the recall, he was unable to put much effort into his mayoral campaign. “I did the sign, $125,” he said, pointing to a cam- paign sign in his front yard. “That was the extent of my campaign. I did the website that I built myself. Then I did the deal for the (voter’s) pamphlet and that’s it. It either goes or it don’t. See MAYOR, Page 4A See MINK, Page 2A Vol. 139, No. 50 Online at SilvertonAppeal.com In August, he was recalled from the city council. In September, his house and property burned down in the Labor Day wildfires. Now Ron Carmickle is the apparent Mayor-elect of what is left of Gates. Strange things happening in an election in Gates is not a new occurrence, but a recalled councilor being elected mayor in a four-month span is a new wrinkle for a city that has been through a lot. “Hopefully, once everything settles down, hope- fully the council will work with me and I’ll work with them and help and try to make good decisions,” Car- mickle said. “It’s not up to me to make the decisions, it’s up to the council.” Carmickle has 112 votes in the Nov. 3 election, beating acting mayor John McCormick’s 107 votes and former mayor Jerry Marr’s 58. He filed for the position before the recall election and only he and Marr were on the ballots. McCormick started a write-in campaign for mayor weeks before the election, but it wasn’t until after many Gates residents had received their ballots. “They say that silent majority is very, very power- ful,” Carmickle said. The two open city council positions were appar- ently won by Lisa McCall with 120 votes and Patrick Rahm with 109 votes. McCormick wasn’t re-elected to his city council seat, garnering 102 votes. Serving the Silverton Area Since 1880 A Unique Edition of the Statesman Journal QEAJAB-07403y ©2020 50 cents Printed on recycled paper Gates Mayor elect Ron Carmickle stands outside his home which burned down in wildfires. ABIGAIL DOLLINS / STATESMAN JOURNAL