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There is another new restaurant in town, and I couldn’t resist a visit. Encore opened on November 14 at 195 High Street NE, adjacent to the Grand Theatre. It has been a space with many uses over the years, including hosting a wine bar, Paradiso, and other restaurants that came and went too quickly to remember.  Encore fits nicely into its location adjacent to the Grand Theatre, and includes a glass door between the theatre and the restaurant, making it convenient to dine and

As of November, the West Salem Library has doubled its opening hours, from 10 to 21 hours per week. The West Salem branch will now be open on Mondays and Fridays from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and on Wednesdays from 12 p.m.-7 p.m.  The increase in hours comes after the passage of the Salem Parks and Library Services Tax Measure in May, which brings new funding to the library system and other city programs for the next five years. Hours at the main library in downtown Salem have also inc

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

I chose a catchy title in hopes you’d keep reading — think of it as a little “clickbait” for a good cause. There’s a growing oral health concern in our community that deserves attention. For many years, oral cancer mainly affected older men with long histories of smoking and alcohol use. But today, younger people are increasingly at risk. So you might be wondering: “What does this have to do with me?” HPV: More Than a Common Wart Virus Most of us know that the Human Papilloma

Salem residents have a dedicated local resource for men’s health, hormone optimization, and evidence-based testosterone replacement therapy (TRT). Quali-T Men’s Health, led by Chris Mckeown, FNP-BC, FNP-C, provides expert services to the Willamette Valley with a mission that is simple but rare in modern healthcare: treat every patient as an individual, communicate clearly, and deliver care that fits real life. At Quali-T Men’s Health, patients are never just a number. Chris i

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

Dear Friends and Neighbors, November was a very difficult time for people impacted by the federal government shutdown. The effects of the shutdown rippled through our economy, with federal employees furloughed or working without pay, and SNAP benefits significantly delayed for the 737,000 Oregonians who rely on them. The result is immense strain on families’ household budgets. Amidst uncertainty in Washington, D.C., I met with local leaders and food bank representatives about

Miller Home Renovations is based in Vancouver, WA, but has been serving the Salem area and other parts of Oregon since Ken Miller started the business 17 years ago.   The bathroom renovation company offers quick installs and conversions of showers and bathtubs, and also offers walk-in shower styles that can help make a home more accessible to an aging owner. “Maybe they’re getting older and trying to stay in their home longer – we can help with that,” Miller said. Their produ

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”

Construction on Doaks Ferry Rd. NW, between Brush College and Orchard Heights Rd. NW, will redirect traffic to Wallace Rd. NW until December 24.  This section of Doaks Ferry Rd. NW is closed to traffic during construction. Construction crews are adding new utility infrastructure, including water, storm, and sewer, to support a new private housing development on Colorado Dr. NW.  “The closure was deemed necessary due to the location and depth of utility connections in the road

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

Welcome back to the Westside Newspaper! We have missed you. I am back too, but not on a regular basis. I will chime in when something hits me that you readers might find interesting. In the past I have written about food, restaurants, travel, and even a little satire, not to mention the April Fool’s Day spoofs. My contributions in the future will hopefully hit on all those areas. I will be fully retired as of the end of 2025, and plan extensive travels and adventures, some of

Marion Polk Food Share’s mission is to bring people together to end hunger and its root causes. Especially when a crisis is on the horizon, like the uncertainty surrounding the distribution of SNAP benefits as the federal government shut down, which began on October 1, showed no signs of opening back up.  Vice-President of Programs Ian Dixon-McDonald said the food share saw a 19 percent uptick in traffic coming through the food banks during that stressful time, particularly t

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

What has your CERT Team been up to? On November 8th, twenty-one CERT members participated in our biannual deployment exercise at Roth’s Event Center. We develop these joint training events, held every spring and fall, in collaboration with our counterparts in the Portland NET program (which is simply CERT by another name). While deployment exercises typically involve showing up at our staging area and setting up as if a real emergency had occurred, this time we opted for a de

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

On October 9, Salem Police patrol officers responded to a residential burglary in progress in West Salem, where the victim encountered two suspects inside her home. The suspects fled in a vehicle later determined to be connected to a burglary crew under investigation by Eugene Police.   Thanks to the sustained efforts of Eugene Police detectives, Salem Police Felony Crimes Unit detectives were able to quickly identify the suspect vehicle and begin processing the scene. Salem