Upcoming October Meeting

Well, the summer really slipped by fast and now here it is fall already. I hope to stay on top of the blog now, so be looking for updates.

Our next meeting is on October 21st and we have some really great things on the agenda. Representatives from the local field offices of Congressman Schrader and Senator Wyden are going to be joining us and giving an update on what they have going on. In addition, we will be getting an update on the upcoming Union Street Railroad Bridge closure.

If you would like more information about our neighborhood, or you wonder if you are a part of it, please feel free to visit this city website for more info, or leave a comment on this page.

We hope to see you at a meeting soon. Meeting times are in red on the right ---->

Meeting on Wednesday June 17

The June meeting will be held tomorrow, June 17th at 6 pm. We will be meeting in our normal place at 350 Commercial St. (the City of Salem Urban Development Office).

On the agenda:

• Commercial Street restriping project
• Info on a new program to help seniors
• Discussion of a downtown information kiosk
• ...and other things.
  

Changes in CAN-DO

We have big news! We elected new officials at our last meeting and we now have an official secretary. Jeremy Crofoot volunteered for the position and I have high hopes that he'll keep us nicely organized and on track. Hopefully, this means we will be much better at posting our meeting agendas and minutes online so that everyone has the opportunity to stay involved and informed.

New Board Officers:

• Rebekah Engle is the new Chair.
• Alice Morton is again our Vice-Chair.
• Jeremy Crofoot is the new Secretary.

Thank you to all board members who are so diligently volunteering to help out in the neighborhood!

May Meeting

Wednesday will be the third Wednesday of the month, so it's that time again! We will be meeting at our regular time, 6 pm, at our regular place, 350 Commercial St. (between Chemeketa and Center streets).

Here is a link to our agenda for this month. It looks like we'll be getting some parking updates, and I hope to get a chicken update during city councilor comments.

Hope to see you there!

Annual Newsletter

Click here for a link to the CAN-DO Annual Newsletter that was mailed out last week.

Annual Meeting

We are coming up on our Annual Meeting. It will be held on April 15th at the Salem Conference Center. That is a change of location from what the newsletter printed. We were lucky enough to get the use of the conference center, but unfortunately it was at the last minute and so the newsletter had already gone out.

So, new information:
Annual Meeting of CAN-DO Neighborhood Association
April 15, 2009
6:00 PM
Salem Conference Center
Refreshments provided

Please come join us and be a part of your community!

March CAN-DO Meeting

The meeting for March was held on Wednesday, March 18th at the regular time and location. (See sidebar notice in red for more info).

Highlights:

• Parking issues for downtown residents, including questions about new RP zone numbers
• The process for paying parking tickets - letters are not accepted, you have to go to court
• Police reported a lot of large groups hanging out downtown at night, creating a new "gut"
• City planners presented information about new sign codes. LED signs will be allowed in everything but the downtown historic district. The new code only allows signs to change once every 24 hours, but some billboards have been grandfathered in at 6 second change intervals. That will expire in about 15 years.
• Updates on current sign codes. Sandwich signs are allowed on sidewalk with permits, wall signs are allowed on flat walls, hanging signs are allowed under awnings, etc.

If you have questions about anything, please feel free to contact a neighborhood association member or come to the next meeting on April 15, 2009.

Meeting Tonight

CAN-DO is having it's monthly meeting tonight at 6:00 pm. We will meet, as usual, at the Salem Urban Development office at 350 Commercial St. Please join us if you can!

Railroad Bridge Update

According the Urban Development, the new pedestrian bridge is due to open in March! And I must say it is looking good. The bridge is at the north end of Riverfront Park and runs across the river to Wallace Marine Park in West Salem.

January Meeting

Yesterday was the first CAN-DO Neighborhood Association meeting of 2009. The December meeting was cancelled due to inclement weather, also known across the region as the "Arctic Blast 2008."

So, here's a little taste of what happened at the meeting, in case you missed all the fun and information:

• We got updates on plans that the city has to build an interactive fountain for summer play. It is mostly funded by a gift, although the city will have to pay for maintenance and has also agreed to supply the landscaping.

• We also heard an update on the new pedestrian bridge that is in the works. It will run from Riverfront Park to Minto Brown Park, connecting to distant parts of the city. Also, the pedestrian bridge from Riverfront to Wallace Marine Park is already being reconstructed from an old train bridge.

• Go Downtown asked us to give support for more music at a slightly higher decibel for the First Wednesdays throughout the year. CAN-DO gave their support.

• An interested citizen presented an idea for a building mural at 100 High Street near the Wells Fargo Bank.

• And we were apprised of a group that works with prisoners released into Marion County. It is called Marion County Re-entry Initiative which is a transitional program. They are looking for volunteers and letting people know about their program.