Saphara Harrell - Salem Reporter
Carol Adelman awarded for lifelong commitment to peonies
Carol Adelman. (Courtesy/Carol Adelman) When Carol Adelman was a preschooler, her father would take her across the street to visit Reverend Hartwig’s garden in Salem, where he had 300 varieties of peonies. Those early trips spawned a lifelong love of…
Thousands sign petition to save Salem mural as city leaders say they’re not trying to remove it
A mural on the side of the building where Valley Roofing and Exteriors is located. (Saphara Harrell/Salem Reporter) Following an indignant Facebook post and a petition that garnered thousands of signatures, city of Salem officials this week went on the…
Salem residents raised enough money to fund 125 micro shelters. The city needs to find a place to put them.
A Pallet shelter with the door decorated. (Courtesy/Hazel Patton) When Hazel Patton and fellow volunteers Ron Steiner and Emil Graziani set out to raise money for micro shelters, they thought they’d be lucky to sponsor 25. “We almost had that…
Invasive plant specialist helps Marion County residents find what they should grow in their backyards
Jenny Meisel, native and invasive plant specialist with the Marion Soil and Water Conservation District, in eastern Washington among balsamroot and phlox. (Courtesy/ Jenny Meisel) Sometimes when Jenny Meisel drives down the highway, she’ll do a double take if she…
TOP STORIES: Deadly heat wave, hot potatoes for homeless and a changing downtown
People walk on the sidewalk in front of the Court Yard apartment building on Court Street Northeast on Friday, July 9, 2021. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) If the Covid pandemic has taught me anything, it’s that the cracks that already existed…
New warming shelter opens as snow falls in Salem
Cots inside a warming site at 2640 Portland Road N.E. on Dec. 10, 2020. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) On Monday night a new warming shelter with capacity to fit 75 beds opened as snow was falling in Salem. About 30 homeless…
Chris Hoy enters Salem mayor’s race
Salem City Councilor Chris Hoy. (Courtesy/ Chris Hoy) Chris Hoy, a Salem city councilor and recently appointed representative of House District 21, is running for mayor. Hoy, 56, announced his candidacy Tuesday morning on community radio show “Willamette Wake Up.”…
Middle school students will spend semester creating art for micro shelter residents
Students at Howard Street Charter School. (Courtesy/Robert Salberg) Students at Howard Street Charter School are embarking on an art project to make life brighter for people living in micro shelter villages in Salem that are intended to serve as a…
Salem volunteer has helped pick up 9 tons of trash in the city
Dave Newman, left, and Mayor Chuck Bennett pose for a photo. (Courtesy/city of Salem) Dave Newman has picked up a lot of trash. In the last decade, he’s collected 18,350 pounds of garbage from Salem’s streets. It’s more trash than…
Salem Housing Authority distributed 24 emergency housing vouchers, but just two have found a rental
The Salem Housing Authority on Nov. 10, 2021. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) Six months after getting extra money to help 34 homeless or low-income households, just two clients of the Salem Housing Authority have found a rental. Along with housing authorities…