Our roundup of Salem news you might have missed
Good morning…
No more couch surfing for the Cromwell family of Salem.
Under a local program, the family was the first to move into a new home, part of a transitional program provided by Family Promise of the Mid-Willamette Valley.
“The family just had to overcome so much,” a Family Promise official said.
Managing Editor Rachel Alexander’s profile of the family is part of Salem Reporter’s continuing focus on housing in Salem. You’re invited to suggest other stories or topics. Send Rachel an email at [email protected].
But hundreds remain unhoused in the community, many camping at Wallace Marine Park in west Salem.
A deadly shooting in the middle of the night hit the camp last week. One man died and another was hospitalized. Police on Friday announced an arrest.
Reporter Ardeshir Tabrizian talked with officials about the camp and the impact of the crime on those who feel they have nowhere else to go. City authorities don’t condone the camp but also say they try to deal humanely with those living in tents and under tarps.
Meantime, Salem soon will celebrate some of its community builders. Sam Skillern is a local leader who seems to be everywhere. His efforts to serve Salem are being recognized as he’s honored as this year’s First Citizen. The Salem Area Chamber of Commerce will present the award and others on Saturday, April 13. Tickets are available through the chamber’s website.
And there are plenty of other events coming up.
Reporter Abbey McDonald takes you for a tour of what’s new in local galleries and museums. Pick just one to go visit in the days ahead to learn about local talent and perhaps see places you’ve never been. The World Beat Gallery, for instance, shows how spring is celebrated in other countries. And the Salem Public Library is encouraging kids to try their hand at poetry.
At Willamette University, Theatre 33 plans a new season of live entertainment ranging from comedy to drama. Check out what’s on the playbill.
Last week, Salem again celebrated its Chinese heritage with the Qingming Festival. While the events are over, you can still dip into our story sharing local history.
At City Hall, the Salem City Council is expected to see that a $325,000 check is cut to a former 911 dispatcher. The money ends a legal case that accused the city of improperly disrupting the dispatcher’s chance at a promotion.
Later this month, Salem Reporter and the Salem City Club will conduct a debate between the two candidates for mayor – incumbent Chris Hoy and Councilor Julie Hoy (no relation). You can get your free ticket for the April 30 event now.
But we also invite you to propose questions for the debate. Send your suggestions to me ([email protected]).
Speaking of political forums, later this week, I’ll be moderating an online appearance by the two Democrats running in the U.S. representative primary for the 5th Congressional District, which covers territory from south of Portland into east Salem and on to Bend. The event starts at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, April 11. It’s billed as debate between Janelle Bynum and Jamie McLeod-Skinner and is hosted by the City Club of Portland. You can watch the virtual event with registration.
And also watch in the new few days for a survey about Salem Reporter itself. We have exciting news to share soon.
But first, we’d like you to share what local news you want – what matters to you. To encourage responses, we’ll randomly hand out five $25 gift cards from our friends at Governor’s Cup Coffee Roasters. The survey will take just moments and we’d love to hear from you. We will email the survey directly to you this week.
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As always, thank you for reading and feel free to reach out to me anytime at [email protected] with ideas, questions or concerns.
–Les Zaitz, CEO and editor
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