Pentacle Theatre is thrilled to announce open auditions for " The Lost Virginity Tour," directed by Karen  McCarty. Auditions are on Saturday, February 21st at Pentacle Theatre's downtown office.  When: Saturday, February 21st - starting promptly at 1:00p.m.  Where: P entacle Theatre - Downtown Office  (197 Liberty St. SE) in downtown Salem.  The story:  Four women living in an Arizona retirement community, Happy Trails Senior Resort Living, meet weekly for  their Happy Trail

Every year since 2017, Salem Reads: One Book, One Community, a program through the Salem Public Library, has created a city-wide book club. Throughout the month of February, the library and other partners will host discussions and events, centered around the themes of this year’s book: Remarkably Bright Creatures , a novel by Shelby Van Pelt.  This year, for the first time since 2020, the author will be making an in-person appearance in Salem. Van Pelt will be present for two

Place of birth: Medford, OR How long on in West Salem: Since March 2024 If you were not brought here as a child, what brought you to the area: Transferred from Manager of Les Schwab in Fresno, CA to Manager of West Salem Les Schwab Movie/and or Musical: Anything Mel Brooks Actress and Actor: Jim Carrey             TV show: Ted Lasso Book: How to Win Friends and Influence People         Type of music: I listen to it all         Food: Classic Burger and Fries           

Winter greetings! It is that time of year that some put their golf clubs away, while others keep them active. Winter is a good time to reflect on your golf process and evaluate what worked well and what you want to work on for next year.  I recently took a position with Corban University as an Assistant Golf coach, focusing on golf instruction. Interacting with college students has been a great learning experience, and reinforces what I already know – but also reveals new thi

Steve Anderson lives his life by the philosophy that one should be a good steward of the environment.   A Salem, Ore., native and Land Use Chair of the West Salem Neighborhood Association (WSNA) for the past 13 years, you could say that Steve Anderson is a household name. You could also say that you don’t have to look very hard to see that Anderson’s life has been shaped around identifying problems and solutions concerning the environment, and giving a voice to those who don’

Neighbors, Lights, and Life-Saving Plans We held our first general meeting of the year on January 10th at Roth’s Event Center in West Salem. With a great turnout of 47 people, the morning was filled with shared learning and neighborly support. One highlight was a "show-and-tell" from Mel Ito of Salemtowne, who shared some battery-powered task lights he discovered. These are practical tools that make a world of difference during a power outage, or if we’re called to work a nig

The treatment room is warm and inviting, a stark contrast to the gray sky outside the window looking out to Edgewater Avenue. Dany De Santis Mac, sitting at one end of a long, luxurious table, explains the concept behind Miss Dany’s Place. It’s easily understood that while this may be a business, for Dany it’s a labor of love. “I am very passionate about what I do,” Dany says, “and when you follow your passion, you're going to be good at it. My hands have been very blessed. I

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

Here is a summary of many of the biggest changes in our taxes, although not all are represented. You can read more here: https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/one-big-beautiful-bill-provisions   1. Raising the Standard Deduction- an increase of $1,000 for single filers to make it $15,750 for single filers and a $2,000 increase for married filing jointly which makes $31,500 for them. 2. Limitation on Itemized Deductions-  limits itemized deduction at 35% for those at 37% rate. 3.  Adop

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

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

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

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

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