Community

For more than three decades, Capital Manor has been a cornerstone of senior living in West Salem, offering far more than retirement and memory care services. Under the leadership of David Lewis, Capital Manor has grown into a vibrant, close-knit community known for its warmth, laughter, and deeply rooted sense of connection. Capital Manor is a long-term living and memory care facility that has served residents for over 30 years. A proud 501(c)(3) nonprofit with a team of near

Place of birth: Portland Oregon How long in West Salem: Although I grew up and currently live in Amity, I worked in West Salem for Judy Vivier, CPA since 2007, where we started West Salem Tax. I moved away for a bit, then moved back and bought West Salem Tax from Judy. I love West Salem: it has a small town feel, but is part of a big city. Profession: CPA Other prior professions: CFO, controller, longshoreman, farmer, truck driver, stay at home mom. Favorites: Movie/and o

In the world of content creation, Matty Tingles is a household name.  Known primarily for his YouTube Channel filming ASMR (Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response) videos, Matty, whose last name isn’t actually Tingles, but Almendinger, jumped on the podcast scene three years ago.  “I had all the equipment for it, and I was like, let’s just try it,” Matty said. “It’s been really fun to see it grow and see it take on its own life, separate from all of my other channels.” Already

What Comes First? If you ask someone what the first steps are to becoming better prepared, you'll likely hear answers like making a plan, building a kit, achieving two weeks (or more) of readiness, and being informed about risks. These are good; they are all bedrock activities for becoming better prepared. Making an emergency plan involves discussing with your family where to meet if separated, how to communicate, and what tasks each person is responsible for, ensuring everyo

This month, history came alive at Brunk Farmstead.  A guided tour over the weekend of December 6, led by volunteers clad in period costumes and armed with a wealth of knowledge about the century farm, transported participants back to the eighteen-hundreds, when the area was just getting on its feet as an established county. The Brunk House, owned by the Polk County Historical Society and located just off the Salem-Dallas Highway, was built for original owners Harrison and Emi

Pentacle Theatre is thrilled to announce that its beloved Acting Workshop with Jo Dodge, a transformative experience led by one of the region's most respected theater artists, is returning this spring. Since founding the class in 1981, Jo Dodge has trained and inspired over 2,000 students, leaving an indelible mark on our community's creative spirit and stagecraft. Jo Dodge's class is more than an acting workshop - it's a journey. For over four decades, Jo has helped students

As the holiday season approaches, many experience a flurry of excitement while planning gatherings, celebrations, and moments of connection with friends and family. This can be a very rich and joyful time of year. For approximately 36% of adults, however, according to a recent national survey (Experience Camps/Harris Poll, 2021), the holidays bring reminders of grief and loss of loved ones, feelings of loneliness and isolation, and, for some, the long felt absence of “normal”

When Mike Light noticed there weren't any comics in The West Side’s November edition, he sent out an email to the publication. “I said, ‘hey, wanna see some of my work?’” Light said. “And the editor said, ‘sure, send over what you’ve got.’” The cold call – or email, rather – worked. His cartoons will now be featured in the paper’s future editions. “I’m excited about it,” he said.  No stranger to submitting to various publications, his work has been featured in the Clackamas R

Looking for your 2025 Christmas Tree? The West Salem Lions Club is selling Christmas trees at ACE Hardware at 820 Wallace Road, beginning on Friday, November 28th. The Club is again selling high quality, locally grown, cultured Noble Fir, Nordman Fir, and Douglas Fir Trees.The cultured Noble Firs are available up to nine feet tall. The Nordman Firs and Douglas Firs are available up to eight feet tall. The Christmas Tree Sale is organized by the West Salem Lions Club and partn

Salem Fire Department opened its doors to the community every Saturday throughout October in recognition of National Fire Prevention Month. Fire departments and safety organizations across the country use this month each year to promote fire-safety awareness, share prevention tips, and strengthen connections with the communities they serve. This year’s theme, “Charge Into Safety,”  focused on the growing importance of safe practices around lithium-ion batteries, found in comm

Want to know the secret ingredient to earning top national recognition as a car dealership?  It’s a family-first attitude, according to Alex Casebeer, owner of Salem Capitol Auto Group.  “Our employees are number one, ahead of our customers,” Casebeer said. “We have to take care of our employees first and make sure they’re super happy, because that will bleed out to how we treat our customers.” The dealership, which represents Toyota, Subaru, Chevrolet, Cadillac and Nissan, r

It’s December! That means everyone in Salem is gearing up for a much-deserved holiday celebration. Those who want to make the most of the holidays and support their local community will find few better spots to shop than East and West Salem ACE Hardware. This year, as with every year, the store arranged an array of holiday celebrations that will brighten your spirits, support the less fortunate, and even cover your gift shopping. We spoke to store President Jeremy Mackay abou

It’s never too early to start thinking about the upcoming holiday season. There are fewer jollier ways to get in on the fun than participating in the Salem Dream Center’s Dream Maker Holiday event. Since it was founded in 2004, Dream Center Executive Director Craig Oviatt, his wife Renee, and the team at Salem Dream Center have worked tirelessly to help elevate the area’s struggling families. They oversee a variety of programs designed to improve people’s daily lives. They pr

Drive down Wallace Road or Edgewater Street today, and you'll see a very different West Salem than even ten years ago. Where family-owned shops once stood for a generation or two, we now see empty storefronts, corporate chains, or completely new developments. Imagine Tom, who's owned an equipment repair shop near the bridge for 28 years. He's assuming he'll get $650,000 when he's ready to retire – that's what he needs for the retirement he and his wife have planned. But when

I’m Dr. Wallace Dick, and I’d like to share my perspective on fluoride use from the practical standpoint of a dentist. I work alongside Dr. Michelle Aldrich, owner of Riverbend Dental in West Salem. Between us, we bring 48 years of combined experience in dentistry, and Dr. Aldrich adds another 12 years from her previous work as a dental hygienist — totaling 60 years of experience in oral healthcare. We’ve seen the fluoride conversation evolve over the years, but never with th

When you enter the Westgate Auto office, a big dog named Buck greets you at the door. After returning Buck’s friendly hello, you enter a pleasantly cluttered office – family photos, landscape paintings, and other memorabilia decorate the walls. The energy in the office feels less like an auto shop and more like a community center. Westgate Auto has bounced along a one-block section of Wallace Rd. NW for the past 60 years. The business, started by Leroy Barfknecht’s father in

SREA is a Non-Profit Public Charity 501(c)3 established in August 2024, ID#6095875.  Salem Retired Educators Association (SREA) invites retired educators to join this social and philanthropic organization.  SREA encourages retired educators from all levels of service to gather monthly. Their primary goal is to promote a volunteering community and raise funds for their scholarship fund, supporting graduating high school seniors in the Salem-Keizer School District. Through our

Looking to learn a new skill or refresh an old one? Salem Rowing Club offers a competitive and recreational atmosphere for adults within the Salem area.  Composed of individuals who raced at a competitive level in college, those who had never set foot in a rowing shell before, and everything in between, SRC tries to adhere to all skill levels. Within the club, there is a competitive team that travels to regattas across Oregon and Washington year-round. But if that isn’t your

2025 has been an extraordinary year. We are continuing to navigate significant challenges. The US Government is about to enter the second week of a shutdown, our state revenue forecasts are showing a reduction of nearly $900,000,000, and we have a court battle being waged over the deployment of National Guardsmen by the President. For many people, this is a time of worry and uncertainty.   Here in Salem, we recently completed a "Special Session" of the Oregon Legislature and

Dear Friends and Neighbors, We are approaching the end of 2025, and preparations for the 2026 Legislative Session are underway. Oregon faces difficulties ahead, and one of the biggest challenges for every state right now is responding to President Trump’s budget bill, H.R. 1. The largest impacts stem from the cuts to Medicaid, which is known as the Oregon Health Plan in our state. This is the program that provides health care access for one in three Oregonians, including half