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Dark Skies Our City Our Neighborhood Our State

Embracing Dark Skies: Benefits for Residential Neighborhoods

In the hustle and bustle of urban life, it’s easy to overlook the beauty of the night sky. Yet, the Dark Skies movement advocates for preserving and restoring the natural darkness of our nighttime environment, not only for the benefit of stargazers and astronomers but also for the well-being of city residents. As city dwellers, […]

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Our City Our State

Our 2024 Oregon representation

Once more the Salem Public Library was host to a town hall with double bill Oregon House Representative Tom Anderson and State Senator Deb Patterson. You are used to hearing our City Councilor Linda Nishioka speaking on what is happening at City Hall, during our monthly SESNA neighborhood meetings. However, the people representing us on […]

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Our Neighborhood Our State

All Aboard! Exploring Cities by Train

Earlier this year, train service in Willamette Valley became more affordable, and the summer vacation is a great time to visit a museum, shop or explore the richness of neighboring Oregon cities. After all, there is no more relaxing way to travel, and it so happens that the Southeast Salem neighborhood is home to Salem’s […]

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Our City Our Neighborhood Our State

Your Oregon Representative and Senator, together at the library coming Saturday

Climate and Environment. Housing and Homelessness. Equity and Healthcare. Education and Community Safety. Tom Andersen isn’t your typical politician. He represented our neighborhood as the Ward 2 City Councilor for 8 years. Today he does the same good work as the Oregon Representative for District 19. Both Tom and Senator Deb Patterson will be talking […]

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Our Neighborhood Our State

World Bee Day with Honey Bees

It is World Bee Day once more! Oregon is home to about 500 species of bees. You can find them in forests, fields and our own gardens. These busy insects are the main pollinators for 90% of plants, so keeping them healthy is important. Maybe you know somebody who keeps bees in their yard. It is […]

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Our Neighborhood Our State

World Bee Day in Oregon

Oregon is home to about 500 species of bees. You can find them in forests, fields and our own gardens. These busy insects are the main pollinators for 90% of plants, so keeping them healthy is important for the production of food and protection of our environment. But the past decades the little fellows have […]

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Our City Our State

Safer and stronger, in a diverse community

All of us are part of a neighborhood, a city, a culture… a community. The fact that you choose to read this, probably means you want that community to be strong and healthy. The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) has launched a new campaign website ‘Safe + Strong‘ that provides community resources on how to deal […]

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Our City Our Neighborhood Our State

Summer activities risk

This writing was supposed to be about Salem’s iconic Saturday Market and how to walk there from our neighborhood, while seeing interesting things on the way. Sadly enough, reality has caught up to us, with rising numbers of COVID-19 infections. Promoting such a public gathering did no longer seem appropriate. Does this mean, we should […]

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Our City Our Neighborhood Our State

Do we forget again, or stand together?

There is no way around it; Oregon has a terrible history when it comes to racism. Up till 1928, Native American children were stolen from their families and put into christian-run boarding schools, to be forcibly indoctrinated into ‘civilized’ culture. At the onset of USA involvement in World War II in 1942, American-born US citizens […]

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Our City Our Neighborhood Our State

Hate crimes, even today

A neighbor recently reported seeing individuals with white supremacist/neo-Nazi tattoos and related symbols right here in Salem, in the vicinity of 12th Street and Hines. Hate groups have been expanding nationally and in Oregon in recent years. What can we do about this growing problem? The extent of the problem Despite Oregon’s reputation as a […]