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