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 the flower for Adelman. Years later, her father would tell[Read More…]
COMMUNITY
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 offensive saying they haven’t leveraged a fine against a local[Read More…]
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 many the first week,” she said. Micro shelters are 64-square-foot[Read More…]
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 sees a plant she thinks might be invasive. The native[Read More…]
County’s waste reduction coordinator offers training in what to do with your stuff
(Courtesy/Dakota Tangredi) For Dakota Tangredi, a day at work as a waste reduction coordinator for Marion County often means showing up at apartment buildings with a safety vest, clipboard and gloves to examine their garbage. Starting with the recycling bins, Tangredi makes a rough estimate of what percentage of the[Read More…]
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 transition out of homelessness. In January, the middle school students[Read More…]
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 all the city’s 96 Adopt-A-Highway groups collect in a year.[Read More…]
To restore Eco Earth to its former glory, Salem Parks Foundation seeks to raise $300,000
The Eco-Earth Globe in Riverfront Park on Nov. 10, 2021. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) Tiles have broken off. Moss is growing in the cracks. Pieces of continents are missing. One of the signature features of Riverfront Park for the past 18 years is falling apart. The Salem Parks Foundation has a[Read More…]
Indigenous woman gets stolen tribal regalia back after being contacted by stranger
Auburn Logan wearing some of the traditional regalia pieces she says were stolen and later returned. (Courtesy/Auburn Logan) Just over a week after Auburn Logan reported her traditional regalia pieces stolen, she got a message request on Facebook that she couldn’t ignore. The message, delivered Nov. 28 at 9 a.m.,[Read More…]
Willamette professor honored with scientific research award
Christopher Irwin Smith studying a Joshua tree at his primary field site in Tikaboo Valley, Nevada, just outside of Area 51. (Courtesy/Christopher Irwin Smith) In a career of researching natural science, Christopher Irwin Smith’s fondest memory is the summer he spent studying bats in Oregon. Then fresh out of college,[Read More…]