Inside Salem

By rep. Paul Evans, For The West Side Newspaper

Our 250th Independence Day celebration is now part of our shared history. I hope you and your family had the opportunity to spend time with friends, neighbors, and loved ones over the holiday weekend. Across our region, July 4, 2026, was a wonderful day — filled with parades, music, fireworks, and the simple joy of gathering together as a community.

As summer moves toward August, there is still much to enjoy. County fairs are just around the corner — the Benton County Fair (July 29–August 1), the Polk County Fair (August 5–8), and the Yamhill County Fair (July 29–August 1) — along with community traditions such as Cruising McMinnville on August 22. These events, and countless other outdoor activities, remind us why the Willamette Valley is such an extraordinary place to call home. Summer gives us something increasingly precious: the opportunity to make memories with the people who matter most.

At the same time, our communities are facing important challenges. Growth brings opportunity, but it also places greater demands on roads, public infrastructure, and essential services. Longstanding concerns involving addiction, behavioral health, and homelessness remain difficult to solve. Families and businesses are also adapting to a rapidly changing economy as artificial intelligence and emerging technologies reshape workplaces and entire industries.

I understand the uncertainty many of us feel. The pace of change can be unsettling. Yet I remain convinced we can meet these challenges if we choose to work together in common cause. This is the moment for thoughtful conversation, respectful disagreement, and practical action. Rather than allowing change to happen to us, we should help shape the future we want for ourselves and for the generations that follow.

Over the coming months, I hope to host a series of community town halls focused on Oregon's future. Together we will explore emerging technologies, economic trends, and the opportunities and challenges ahead. More importantly, these gatherings will provide a forum for neighbors to exchange ideas, ask difficult questions, and help define the values that should guide our communities. Technology should remain a tool that serves people — not the other way around.

If you would like to participate, please contact my office at 503-986-1420 or Rep.PaulEvans@oregonlegislature.gov. The future will always involve uncertainty, but uncertainty is not the same as fear. By listening to one another, learning together, and working in partnership, I am confident we can build a future that remains both prosperous and worthy of the communities we are privileged to serve.