Community

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

The Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action Head Start program is expanding its services within West Salem.  This new location, residing at 1205 Wallace Road, will offer early learning services to a community where options have historically been limited. “We’re doubling our impact for children and families here,” said Eva Pignotti, Chief Program Officer of Early Learning & Child Care.  As new housing developments spring up in West Salem, deciding to expand was an easy choice f

The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) is a free program designed to empower residents. It educates volunteers in disaster preparedness and trains them in essential response skills like fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations. In short, CERT members gain valuable skills to keep themselves and their families safe, and to assist their neighbors during emergencies. The program was first developed by the Los Angeles Fire Depa