REPORTER’S COLUMN: UGM conversation illuminates forgotten Salem backyard trolley

I sat at a table at the Union Gospel Mission for two hours on Wednesday, with a notepad of questions ready for whoever wanted to talk. In hindsight, they were pretty negative.

How would you make Salem better?

What’s something the news could cover better?

Do you feel unsafe or unwelcome downtown?

My goal in coming was not to write a story. It was to introduce myself to people living without housing in Salem, and…