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By Jennifer Halley, The West Side Newspaper The Wild Women Exhibit is coming back to the Independence River Art Gallery for its twenty-fifth season. Running May 28 to June 28, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., the show is open to all artists across the Willamette Valley, from those who have never been featured before to seasoned veterans. None of the artwork submitted is juried, which means that if you submit a piece, you will have a guaranteed spot in the gallery for the exhibit’s duratio

By Mark Wardell for Westside News The Class That Almost Was Well, things certainly changed fast. I wish I could tell you this was just an elaborate April Fools' joke, but unfortunately, it wasn’t. Due to circumstances beyond our control, the CERT training series that was scheduled to begin on April 9th has been postponed. I know many of you were looking forward to diving into those life-saving skills, and I share in that disappointment. However, the need for preparedness hasn

By Casey Chaffin, The West Side Newspaper In April, the Willamette Valley chapter of Cake4Kids delivered their 1,000th cake to a kid in need of some birthday cheer. Cake4Kids, a national organization with 27 chapters in 20 states, recruits volunteers to bake birthday cakes for youth served by local government agencies and nonprofits. This includes foster youth, immigrant and refugee youth, youth experiencing homelessness, and other kids in need. “We partner with anyone who

You may have heard advertisements promising “teeth in a day,” often paired with smiling patients enjoying apples or steak right after surgery. While this phrase is catchy and effective marketing, it can be misleading. All-on-X dental implants can be a life-changing treatment, but they are not a one-day miracle. They are a journey. The procedure is commonly called All-on-X, with the “X” referring to the number of implants used, usually four to six per arch. An arch means eith

A murmur of confusion runs through the gathering of theater students — why is there a picture of cheese grater in this PowerPoint? “Alright, who’s the punster?” Hannah Costa-Baker, the West Salem High School (WSHS) costume director, asks with a smile. On stage in the West Salem High auditorium, a gaggle of Advanced Technical Theater students are gearing up for their biggest “straight play” yet: The Great Gatsby. They’re buzzing with excitement and nerves: in small groups, t

Your dentist has told you it is time to get those wisdom teeth out. Some teens see it as a rite of passage; others hear it like Charlie Brown listening to his teacher: “Wah wah wah, wah wah wah.” Most patients accept a referral to an oral surgeon with grace. We often recommend sedation and suggest planning for at least four days of rest and recovery. In many ways, it is the one time in life when you are fully justified in doing absolutely nothing but healing. But what happens

The West Salem Urban Renewal Agency, guided by the recommendations of the volunteer Redevelopment Advisory Board, has been on a mission to improve the West Salem area’s public spaces, building infrastructure and access to housing since 2001. At their March 4 meeting, the West Salem Redevelopment Advisory Board (WSRAB) had an agenda that included public comment, updates from the City Council on projects relevant to the board, and a presentation about proposed improvements to

Ever feel like you hit snooze instead of waking up? Like your energy tank is always empty, no matter how many coffees or energy drinks you guzzle? We all have those days, but if chronic fatigue has become your unwanted roommate, it might be time to look beyond your sleep schedule. Turns out, your “get-up-and-go” mojo might be linked to a tiny but powerful hormone called testosterone. How do I know I have low testosterone? Well, besides needing ten alarms to crawl out of bed,

It is officially Spring in the Willamette Valley, even though it might not feel like it yet. Like most of us in this part of the state, now is the time of year where we emerge from the darkness of winter and ease back outside. Lucky for us, West Salem boasts plenty of parks to visit when those sunny days make their appearance. Or perhaps you are the parkgoer bundled up in rain gear and boots. Whichever adventure you choose, there’s a park to match it. Below is a list of whe

April Fool’s Day is historically one of the most fun days for the West Side Newspaper. For years, Chris McCartney and I huddled over a beer and dreamed up stupid stuff to write for the April edition. Spoofs only, with a little satire here and there. Long time readers may recall the April 2015 exploits of ex-con Chef Sal who was setting up a food pod out of the back of his van on Edgewater, serving such delicacies as Night Crawler Tartar, with fresh ingredients from Wallace Ma

The Spring show at River Gallery is in full swing. For the rest of April, visitors to the gallery in downtown Independence can enjoy Focus Artist Becki Hesedahl’s watercolor landscape paintings. The project is called “Spirit of The Forest” and looks to examine the landscape of nature in a close-up view. “My goal as an artist is to show the beauty in ordinary subjects – to engage the senses while conveying a mood,” Hesedahl said. In March, the gallery also featured a wind

For the firefighters of the Salem Fire Department, every day begins the same way: checking equipment, preparing the station, and getting ready for whatever the next 911 call may bring. In 2025, those calls came more often than ever. Last year, Salem firefighters responded to 36,465 calls for service across the city and surrounding areas. That’s a 9% increase over 2024, underscoring how busy crews have become as Salem continues to grow. The Salem Fire Department is a full-

The Edgewater Thursday Farmer’s Market is back for the summer season. Running seasonally from May through September, 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. every Thursday, the market features local vendors, community engagement initiatives, activities centered around children, and aims to attract everyone – people on lunch breaks and families and youths enjoying their summer holiday. There will be homemade crafts such as soaps, jewelry, and pottery for sale. Bread and flower bouquets. Fr

I’ve been thinking about “stuff” quite a bit lately. Seems like a somewhat trivial topic for philosophical contemplation. Nevertheless, if one goes a bit deeper than just a casual reference to my stuff or your stuff, I have found value, meaning, symbolism, angst, joy, maybe even obsessive/compulsive attachment to “stuff.” The word is so important it takes over two inches in my New World Dictionary (yes, I still have a dictionary). It is both a noun and a verb. One could stuf

Roy Long had never stepped foot in a food cart pod as of a few years ago. Now, he’s the owner of Checkpoint 221, West Salem’s first and only food cart pod. Long first discovered the joy of the food cart pod while living in Portland and working for the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission. As a father of four, he saw how the open seating spaces and many choices made the experience particularly family-friendly. “Everybody gets what they want, and the kids can run around,” Lon

Yes, that’s right, you – wait, didn’t we just do this? Didn’t we just talk about how an ice storm or heavy wind can isolate a neighborhood? Didn’t we discuss how, in the immediate aftermath of a major disaster, when professional first responders might be stretched to their limits, the best people to help are those already there: you, me, and our neighbors? Well, yes. Yes, we did. But the reason we are talking about it again is that the need for a resilient community never tak

Warmer, drier weather invites more bicyclists to pedal throughout West Salem for transportation and recreation. It also increases the chance of mishaps between bikes and cars. Local police say that both riders and drivers can safely share the road by looking out for each other. “Often problems are created by a lack of courtesy,” says Salem Police Sgt. Jonathan Hardy. “People often drive or ride with a sense of entitlement, and this type of behavior leads to conflict with othe

On Saturday, June 6, Acres of Hope Youth Ranch will host its 6th Annual Barn Party Fundraiser, an evening dedicated to celebrating hope, healing, and the youth and families served through the program. This event invites the community to visit the ranch, connect with supporters, and hear how Acres of Hope is working to positively impact the lives of adolescents in our community. Acres of Hope Youth Ranch operates with a mission to share HOPE: healing, opportunity, purpose, and

These days, the average American spends about four years at a job before they move on. It’s become common for people to keep an eye on their professional horizon. That makes Robin Green’s history an increasingly unique jewel. This month, she’s celebrating 25 years working for ACE Hardware. Long-term careers like Green’s are becoming less common in the modern workforce. According to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, median employee tenure across the country sits a

Since 1987, the U.S. has recognized March as Women’s History Month. Proponents for the designation say that the month gives people the time to recognize the achievements and contributions of women throughout history. One avenue for learning about women’s history in Polk County is the Polk County Historical Society and Museum. The historical society has records that go back to some of the earliest Oregon Trail travelers in the 1840s, according to Diane Weaver, a long-time vol