UPDATES: Plant sale returns to Bush's Pasture Park

Actors rehearse "Bethany Sees the Stars," which debuted at Theatre 33 in July 2019 at the Lee Pelton Theatre. (Courtesy/Dale Peterson)

Live theater is back on the Willamette University campus - sort of.

Theatre 33, a company that debuts original plays by Northwest writers, is premiering "Unbuttoning Virginia" by Seattle-based playwright Nora Douglass on Thursday, July 15.

Unlike in 2020, when rehearsals were conducted over Zoom, the company was able to have live rehearsals and produce the show on the Willamette campus, said Theatre 33 executive director Thomas Nabhan.

But the university hadn't yet approved larger events on campus when the season was being planned, so performances are being taped, edited and premiering online.

“Everything was normal except we weren’t going to have an audience," Nabhan said.

Theater patrons can reserve tickets for specific online showtimes that run Wednesday through Saturday. Tickets are available by donation.

"Unbuttoning Virginia" is a "comedy about dying," according to the theatre website. It follows a woman close to the end of her life who teams up with an imaginary friend to take on the medical bureaucracy.

It's the second production of Theatre 33's summer season. Nabhan said he's hopeful the August premiere of "Merchant of Stratford" will be able to have a live audience. More information is available on the Theatre 33 website.

-Rachel Alexander

People browse the 2017 Mission Street Parks Conservancy plant sale in Bush's Pasture Park (Courtesy photo)

The Mission Street Parks Conservancy's annual plant sale is back for 2021, with gardening experts on hand to answer questions.

People can browse plants grown in local nurseries during the event at Bush's Pasture Park on Friday, July 16 and Saturday, July 17. Plants will be on sale near the Bush House Museum.

The sale runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. both days.

On Saturday, the sale will feature family fun activities, including art and planting projects for kids, and 20-minute talks about flower drying and herb gardening. All proceeds benefit the conservancy.

More information is available on Facebook.

-Rachel Alexander

The Our Salem zoning subcommittee will meet a final time on July 15 to make recommendations on options to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Salem.

AGENDA

The subcommittee meets from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Members will vote on different recommendations including eliminating parking requirements near core bus lines and increase the minimum density in mixed use and multi-family residential zones.

City staff will incorporate the subcommittee's recommendations into zoning code changes that will be proposed later this year.

How to participate: The meeting will be streamed live on YouTube. https://bit.ly/planningpublicmeetings 

To comment, sign up by emailing [email protected] or calling 503-540-2304 by July 14, 2021 at 5 p.m. Provide written comments by emailing Eunice Kim [email protected] by July 14 at 5 p.m.

-Saphara Harrell

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