NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS: What’s happening across Salem in March
Neighborhood News is a monthly Salem Reporter feature to highlight news or issues of concern to each Salem neighborhood association. Read previous editions here.
Salem is divided into 17 neighborhood associations that meet monthly. They serve as a conduit to city officials for things like park improvements, road projects and planning and building. Learn more and find your association here.
Leaders of each association are invited to submit a brief news item or report highlighting the association’s work, neighborhood concerns, upcoming activities or anything else of interest. Submissions are lightly edited for style and clarity.
Grant Neighborhood Association
Great news for Grant! Salem Parks and Recreation has awarded us funds to enhance and maintain Grant Neighborhood Park. The funded projects include repairing the existing chessboard table and building an information kiosk for use by GNA to post meetings and other neighborhood information. In addition, other requests including “Leash Your Dog” signs and drinking fountain repairs will be fulfilled by parks operations.
The well-attended March 5 meeting included a unanimous vote by the board to send a letter to the city requesting sign code changes that would allow neighbors to paint murals on public-facing private fences, especially in alleys, as measures to cover up and prevent episodes of graffiti tagging. Councilors Linda Nishioka and Paul Tigan were in the room and asked for the letter to be sent to them to present to council. It was suggested in the letter that a program, with set parameters and procedures, similar to the street painting program, be set up to guide and encourage fence-owners to create the murals.
The return of GNA Neighborhood Beautification Awards resulted in rewarding two home owners (and possibly a third) in Grant that have improved their property with thoughtful and creative paint jobs and other enhancements. Awards will be presented at the annual general meeting in May.
For more details, the minutes from the March meeting will be posted before the April 3 meeting. Find the location and link to our hybrid meetings on the GNA website and in the GNA newsletter.
Follow GNA on Instagram and Facebook. You may contact GNA at [email protected]
-Submitted by Susan Napack, vice chair
Highland Neighborhood Association
Join us at our next Highland Neighborhood Association meeting on Thursday, March 13, at 6:30 p.m. at 945 Columbia St NE, Salem, OR 97301, or attend via Zoom.
We’re excited to welcome Acting City Manager Krishna Namburi, who will provide details and answer your questions about Salem’s Livability Levy, a proposal aimed at funding essential city services like libraries, parks, and senior programs. We’ll also vote to approve the proposed bylaws changes discussed at our February meeting—you can review these proposed changes here.
Our next Highland Peace Walk is set for Saturday, March 22 at 4:30 p.m. with a NEW starting location at Highland Park. Despite the rain during our February Peace Walk we still had a hearty group show up! This month’s walk holds special significance, as earlier this month a neighbor was attacked at the park. By coming together at this new location, we’ll send a strong message that our neighborhood stands united against violence and is committed to safety and solidarity. Everyone is welcome—we hope you’ll join us!
Lastly, we’re gearing up for our 2nd annual free Kids’ Clothing Swap on Saturday, May 10, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Center 50+. This year we are partnering with South Central Association of Neighbors! We’re now collecting gently used kids’ clothing (sizes 0-12). If you’d like to donate items or volunteer, please reach out to [email protected]. Let’s support each other, reduce waste, and build stronger connections!
–Submitted by Ryan Erickson-Kulas, secretary
Northgate Neighborhood Association
These are a few more panels left to show from the Northgate Park mural. The narrower panels were painted to fill the gaps between longer panels, or installed onto the gates.
Here is a close up of the pine siskin and her baby birds.
Close up of the two shrews huddled together.
After being asked to paint some turkeys, here they are with the vigilant tom, ever ready to protect his family. His weapon is his pointed beak and sharp spurs. His thick coat of strong and heavy feathers will open up to appear larger and will help to thrust forward with gusto any opponents he may get. That, in addition to his strong will to protect, is his defense. While his opponent’s attention is captured when he opens his wings, his family will flee to a good hiding spot.
On a different subject, two board members, the chair and I went to testify about asking the city not to bring in an infectious and hazardous waste converter machine into the middle of Salem on Northeast Donald Street. Although it is located just barely on the industrial side, it is located next to a residential housing zone. Here is a picture of Chair Bayard Mentrum testifying against its location.
There were two more people who lived near the converter station who testified against it. But we shall see how it goes with the hearings officer. We may not win to keep this out of Salem, but on the other hand, we made some requests in case it will find its home here. We asked for sound batt insulation to be lined inside including the ceiling of the building which houses this machine. We made a few other requests, and we hope the hearings officer will come back with a good result.
–Submitted by Kaethe Mentrum, secretary and park chair
Southeast Salem Neighborhood Association
SESNA welcomes Toni Kirk, Dan Jursnick to Board
The Southeast Salem Neighborhood Association meets at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 25, at Capital Park Wesleyan Church. Thanks to new board member Toni Kirk, we’ll have a renewed emphasis on Mill Creek restoration, so we urge neighbors to attend if they care about this major creek.
SESNA also welcomes Dan Jursnick back to the Board as vice chair. We hope to feature someone from Cherriots to learn how they work with neighborhoods — and will start creating street mural ideas for the intersection at Richmond and Mill near Richmond Elementary.
-Submitted by Shannon Priem, chair
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