🌮 What happened this week in Salem?

Author

Jacob Espinoza
August 08, 2024

We saw our email list grow by 132% last week!

This is incredible and tells us you are sharing it with your friends. Thank you so much for this!

My goal with What’s Happening Salem is to ensure our community has access to FREE and consistent information, because an uninformed city is an unengaged city.

Today’s newsletter is a huge step in this direction.

More than upcoming events, we want to be sure you have updated information about the decisions and news that are impacting our city.

You’ll never have to pay for this, but taking time to share this newsletter with friends and click on the links to support our sponsors is HUGE in helping this mission come to life.

Also, we are hosting our first live event (party) soon. Let me know if you’d like to be invited by replying to this email. 🙂 

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Community Updates

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Bridgetown Conservatory of Musical Theatre is set to launch in September in Salem

Stepping in to fill the gap left by the recent closure of Enlightened Theatrics, the new facility will feature 2,400 square feet of classroom space on the Mezzanine Level, located next door to the Historic Reed Opera House. Bridgetown will present a variety of musicals throughout the year at this venue, bringing new opportunities for musical theater to the community.

Avelo Airlines ending Salem to Sonoma County service

Avelo Airlines is canceling its Salem to Sonoma County route, citing insufficient demand, with the last flight scheduled for September 2. Despite this, Avelo will continue its Salem routes to Las Vegas and the Los Angeles area. The airline, which resumed commercial service at Salem Airport last October after a nearly 15-year hiatus, had announced the Sonoma route in February. Avelo, an ultra-low-cost carrier based in Houston, serves 45 destinations across 24 states and had suggested the possibility of adding more destinations from Salem in 2024.

Detectives arrest suspect involved in downtown shooting incident

Salem Police detectives, with assistance from the Stayton Police Department, have arrested 19-year-old William Jonah Wilson for his involvement in a shooting incident that occurred on June 29 in downtown Salem, where a 16-year-old boy was shot in the neck during a dispute between two groups at Pringle Plaza Parkade. Wilson was apprehended without incident in Stayton and is charged with second-degree attempted murder and first-degree assault. He is currently held at Marion County Jail and will be arraigned today. This arrest is part of Salem’s Community Violence Reduction Initiative, which aims to address and reduce violence in the community.

Behavioral health treatment home planned for East Oregon

Community First Solutions, a local developer, has begun construction on a 16-bed secure residential treatment facility for individuals with severe and persistent mental illness at 325 Lancaster Drive SE in East Salem. The $13.1 million, 12,000-square-foot facility, funded through a grant from House Bill 5024, will serve Marion and Polk counties and include therapeutic spaces, counseling, medical care, and vocational training. Scheduled for completion by February 2025, the facility will be fenced, staffed 24/7, and operated by Telcare. This project is part of Oregon's effort to address the need for more mental health treatment beds, with the state currently short by 171 beds according to a recent study.

Wallace Marine Park closed after grass fires

A woman was cited for arson Wednesday afternoon following a grass fire near the softball fields in Wallace Marine Park in Salem. Witnesses reported propane tank explosions near homeless camps in the north of the park, according to Salem police spokeswoman Angela Hedrick. Firefighters responded around noon, taking about an hour to control the fire. Police arrested a 42-year-old woman based on witness descriptions; she was injured and taken to the hospital. No park property or structures were damaged, and the investigation continues. The park, closed as a safety precaution due to the dry conditions, reopened around 2 p.m.

This July was Salem's hottest on record, with an average temperature of 74.4 degrees Fahrenheit. This breaks the previous record of 73.3 degrees set in 2021.

Upcoming Events

presented by

  • 🎭Oliver! @ Riverfront Park amphitheater 

    • Every Tuesday in August | 8:00 pm

    • A delightful outdoor theater experience

    • Attendees are encouraged to low-profile lawn chairs, blankets, picnics, and meals

  • 🧘🍻Yoga + Beer @ Riverfront Park amphitheater 

    • Wednesday, August 7th | 6:00pm-7:00pm

      • This event will also be held September 4th

    • Yoga for all ages and skill levels

    • Pay what you can

      • Suggested donation of $5-$10

    • Sign up or show up

    • Afterwards, participants are encouraged to support local business downtown

  • 🎡KeizerFest 

    • Thursday, August 8th - Sunday, August 11

    • For over 40 years, the community has celebrated and raised funds to support local families through this annual festival. 

    • Enjoy a wide range of events and activities, including a carnival, vendors, food trucks, art walks, a car show, a golf tournament, and much more.

  • 👪Family Fun Fridays @ Willamette Heritage Center

    • Friday, August 9th

    • $10/person

      • All-day self guided tour

      • 1-hour interactive lesson

    • Their interactive lessons will ignite curiosity and inspire a passion for learning in both children and adults.

  • 🔥🌊Elemental screening @ Riverfront Park Amphitheater 

    • Friday, August 9 | 8:30pm

    • A Pixar animated film set in a city where fire, water, land, and air residents coexist, following the unlikely friendship between a fiery young woman and an easygoing guy as they discover unexpected common ground.

    • Free, bring a chair or a blanket and plenty of popcorn

  • 🌲Englewood Forest Festival 

    • Saturday, August 10th | 10:00am - 4:00pm

    • Celebrate arts, nature, and community

      • Local artists, musicians, performers, and environmental nonprofits will be in attendance

    • Free and family-friendly

    • Learn about Englewood Forest and celebrate Salem’s oldest park

  • 🧘🥂Yoga + Mimosas @ Legacy Estate Vineyard

    • Sunday, August 11, 2024 | 11:00 AM  12:00 PM

    • All levels yoga

    • Pay what you can

      • Suggested donation of $5-$10

    • Canned wine and mimosas will be available for purchase before class, and after class, glasses and bottles of wine, mimosas, and more will be offered for purchase.

    • Sign up ahead of time

  • 🚗S-K CAR SHOW @ Powerland Heritage Park | 3995 Brooklake Rd NE

    • Saturday, August 10 | 9:00am - 3:00pm

    • Free to spectators

      • Raffles, DJ, trophies, vendors

    • Benefiting Brent Strohmeyer Memorial Scholarship Foundation

  • 🎲Adult game day @ Salem Public Library

    • Saturday, August 10 | 3:00pm - 5:00pm

    • Board games

    • Free drop-in

  • 🦎Reptile Man @ Salem Public Library 

    • Thursday, August 15 | 11:00am-12:00pm

    • Richard Ritchey, “The Reptile Man,” will present an educational show for children featuring live reptiles and amphibians, including a king cobra, rattlesnake, and giant python.

Government

Live Music & Dance

Live Music and Dance

presented by

  • 🎵Music on the Lawn - Macey Gard Band @ The Oregon Garden in Silverton

    • Thursday, August 8 | 6:00pm - 8:00pm

      • Doors open @ 5:30

    • High energy power pop band

  • 🪗2nd Thursday Scandi Dance Class @ VFW Hall | 630 Hood NE

    • Thursday, August 8 | 7:00pm - 9:00pm

    • This free class teaches basic Scandinavian dances with live music. No partner needed!

  • 🎶2nd Friday Céilí @ VFW Hall | 630 Hood NE,

    • Second Friday of each month | 8:00pm - 11:00pm

      • Doors open 7:00pm | Lessons begin 7:15pm

    • Enjoy a family-friendly, all-ages event with live Irish music and dance performances.

    • $10/person

      • Basic dance lesson included

  • 🎷Stump City Soul @ Hudak House (21+) | 5737 Orchard Heights Rd NW

    • Saturday, August 10 | 7:00pm

    • High energy dance tunes

Sports

  • 🏃😡🦉8th Annual Angry Owl Ultramarathons! @ Bush Pasture Park

    • Saturday & Sunday, August 10-11

    • Runners who register for the timed runs will have that duration to cover as many miles as possible on a one-mile loop. Participants can take breaks, nap, or leave the park as needed. 

      • 24-hour, 12 hour, and 6 hour races

  • ⚾Salem Baseball

    • Thu Aug 8

      • Campesinos vs Mavericks | 6:00pm

    • 🎇Fri Aug 9

      • Volcanoes v Senators | 6:00pm

      • Firework show following game

    • Sat Aug 10 | Split double header

      • Volcanoes v Senators | 1:00pm

      • Campesinos v Mavericks | 6:00pm

    • Sun Aug 11

      • Campesinos v Mavericks | 5:05pm

Meme of the Week

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