The Salem City Club's Podcast

DJ Vincent, Pastor, Church at The Park (C@P) will speak about Micro-Shelter Villages in Salem. C@P explains their Micro-Shelter Village concept simply: “bring people out of the woods, vehicles and sidewalks into relationship and connection with resources. The associated workforce development brings confidence, honor and healing.” Given two years of experience operating villages, DJ will provide insight into micro-shelters as a critical part of the solution for the entire community, with particular attention to siting, operation, people served, public response and the future.

Edit: SENATOR DEB PATTERSON and REP. PAUL EVANS (D) The Salem City Club program committee is very grateful to Senator Deb Patterson, D-Senate District 10, for her willingness to step in at the last minute for her colleague Senator Kim Thatcher, who had a scheduling problem and is unable to appear on April 7.  Senator Thatcher recommended Senator Patterson as a possible replacement to talk about what is going on in the Senate. Patterson will be joined by Representative Paul Evans, D-House District 20, who will discuss activities in the House. Halfway through the session, big issues remain to be debated and solutions found. Two local legislators from different parties and chambers will share their thoughts and insights on what is possible before time runs out on Oregon's 82nd legislative session.

There is a nationwide shortage of public defenders. The shortage is especially acute in Oregon. There are several reasons for this, the main one appearing to be a lack of funding. This has led to the abrogation of the constitutional right to have an attorney for at least 500 defendants and to unconstitutionally long detentions of some of them. At least 300 cases in Multnomah County alone have been dismissed; there simply was no one to represent the defendants, preventing the criminal cases from legally proceeding. According to Mike Schmidt, the Multnomah County District Attorney, “This is a public defender crisis.“ Carl Macpherson, Executive Director of Metropolitan Public Defender in Portland, commented on OPB's Think Out Loud, “This is a total public safety system failure.” Please join us to hear a panel of experts discuss this important issue.

Nationally-known Oregon journalists Dick Hughes and Les Zaitz will explore their profession's faults and challenges - and how citizens can have a say in seeing the First Amendment still serves them. According to the veteran newsmen, “The evolution of social media and the pressure on journalists to keep up has left many citizens wondering if they can trust the information they get from the press.”

Dr. Ed Dover, Professor Emeritus of Politics, Policy and Administration at Western Oregon University, returns to Salem City Club to analyze and interpret 2022 election results from around the nation, Oregon and the mid-Willamette Valley.  Dr. Dover has lectured and written extensively on American political campaign communication.  Don't miss his informative, thought-provoking presentation.

Candidates Tom Andersen(D) and T.J. Sullivan(R) will tell us why they are running and their stand on important issues of the day. After answering a few selected questions, time will be available for audience members to ask questions of the candidates. We expect this to be a cordial, informative and lively debate for the hour.

No matter what happens on November 8, the literal face of SD11 will change when the 82nd Oregon legislature convenes next February. Peter Courtney's retirement after 25 years of service to the district, coupled with redistricting, made this a race for an open seat. Candidates Kim Thatcher (R) and Richard Walsh(D) will be with us to answer questions and speak to the issues. We expect this to be a cordial, informative and lively debate for the hour.

Long-time Salem City Club members, Senator Deb Patterson (D) and Representative Raquel Moore-Green (R) will appear in-person at the Willamette Heritage Center on September 9 for the club's fall opening program. Both well-respected members of the Salem community, the politicians will debate what qualifications are needed to represent voters in Senate District 10, which includes South and West Salem, Monmouth, Independence, Turner and Aumsville, and parts of Four Corners and unincorporated East Salem.

Four South Salem High staff – the principal, a teacher/coach, a student counselor, and the school nurse -- discuss challenges they and their students faced during the pandemic, and the coming new “normal” for their school community.

Join us for an evening program featuring candidates for Salem City Council seats, Wards 2,4,6 & 8 and the office of the Salem Municipal Judg

Join us for our second program on the upcoming primary elections. The two candidates for Marion County District Attorney will participate in this debate. The candidates are: Paige Clarkson, incumbent Marion County District Attorney and Spencer Todd, challenger

The Salem City Club is pleased to announce the first program in our series focusing on the political season. In any election 2-year cycle, Salem city government always has four of the eight council positions up as well as the mayor, who of course serves 2-year terms. For the first time in many years, much change could be in the works, since none of the five races has an incumbent. Our first program on Friday, April 1 focuses on the mayoral position, and will feature a debate between Chane Griggs and Chris Hoy. Join us as we give the two announced candidates an opportunity to share their views on the future of our city.

Changing technology and energy resources are impacting how energy is generated, transmitted, and used in Salem and the broader Northwest.   One of the Northwest Power and Conservation Council's responsibilities is to develop plans for our regional electrical needs.  At the same time, under Oregon law private electric utilities are required to phase out fossil fuel sources of power as climate change puts more pressure on the electrical system. Speakers from Portland General Electric and the Northwest Power and Conservation Council will tell us what they're doing to meet the challenges of green power and how consumers can help.

Well-known political analyst and former Oregon Secretary of State Phil Keisling dissects Oregon's primary system of voting to reveal how it excludes the votes of over one million Oregonians.

This second program in a two-part series explores the effects of the pandemic on the hospitality and restaurant sectors of our economy. Our speakers are Jason Brandt, President and CEO of the Oregon Restaurant and Lodging Association, and Cecilia Ritter-James of the Wild Pear restaurant in downtown Salem.

Join us to hear two Oregon experts on ShakeAlert explain why and how ShakeAlert technology was developed, how it will warn us that an earthquake has begun and that shaking is imminent, and how that warning can save lives, property, and critical infrastructure. Althea Rizzo is the Geological Hazards Program Coordinator in the Oregon Office of Emergency Management. Lucy Walsh is the Oregon Regional ShakeAlert Coordinator with the Oregon Hazards Lab in the Department of Earth Sciences at the University of Oregon.

Learn what's happened to manufacturing in and around Salem during the pandemic. You will hear from industry experts and a local business owner. This is a two-part series. The second program will air in February.

The energy industry is changing at lightning speed. The shift away from fossil fuels is dramatically impacting the industry and our daily lives. In the face of climate change, how can we ensure there is enough clean(er) energy to fuel our daily use? This program will focus on the work being done to make sure our energy systems are balanced, resilient, affordable, and clean.

On October 1, 2021, the “new” Salem Public Library welcomed patrons after two years of seismic, safety, accessibility, and system  improvements.  This program will reveal what those improvements mean to users of library services and the greater Salem community.  Join us to celebrate this milestone “mission accomplished.”

Without presenting a political analysis, our program views Afghanistan through the eyes of two soldiers. Colonel Kevin Dial and Sergeant Major Jerry Glesmann served separate one year tours in Afghanistan and bring us their observations and experiences.

Former Secretary of State Phil Keisling knows Oregon politics better than most, having spent over four decades in the worlds of journalism, elective politics, the private sector, and academia. Hear his perceptions of Oregon's proposed congressional and legislative district maps that will define the state's political future for the next 10 years.

County health departments are responsible for a variety of activities designed to keep their citizens healthy and safe. Lessons learned from the Covid pandemic will help county health authorities prepare not only for future pandemics, but also for future epidemics (flu, foodborne illnesses, STDs. etc.). Representatives from the Marion and Polk counties health departments will discuss what they have learned and possible preparations.

Alonzo Tucker, a black man, was lynched in Coos Bay, Oregon in 1902. The Oregon Remembrance Project, in collaboration with The Equal Justice Initiative (Montgomery, AL), the city of Coos Bay and the Coos History Museum, memorialized Alonzo Tucker in Coos Bay on June 19, 2021. We will remember Alonzo Tucker and discuss the through-line from Oregon's past to now.

Dr. Don Negri, Retired, Willamette University Economics Department, presents on the water history of the Klamath Basin. 

Salem City Club opens its fall virtual programs on Friday, September 10 with a comprehensive look at Oregon's demographics with Ethan Sharygin. The Center produces the annual population estimates for Oregon and its counties and cities, as well as the estimates by age and sex for the state and its counties. The Center provides the US Census with its Oregon demographics.

Salem City Club's April 30 program will feature SOS Fagan as she discusses her agency's core objectives and challenges.

The Willamette River defines the place we call home in so many ways. It carves our valley, nourishes all forms of life, supports industry, provides for recreation, and inspires us. It's easy to enjoy its benefits without appreciating how our actions impact the river, below its surface, on its surface, and around its edges. We are pleased to have Travis Williams, Executive Director of Willamette Riverkeepers, speak about the current state of the Willamette River System and work being done to protect it for generations to come.

Soils are increasingly in the news.  Linda Brewer, certified soil scientist with the Department of Horticulture at Oregon State University and the OSU Extension “Ask an Expert” resource for all things soil, soil fertility and compost, will bring us up to date on the buzz about good soils at home, on the farm, and for the environment.

Willamette University President Dr. Stephen Thorsett talks about national trends in higher education affecting enrollment and finances.  He also talks about how Willamette University is responding to those trends.

Salem Police Chief Trevor Womack, 90 days into his position, speaks to SCC about his principles and goals for the Salem Police Department.

Representative Rachel Moore-Green and Senator Deb Patterson are newly-elected members of the Oregon legislature.  They will share their perspectives on how this session feels different and on learning the ropes.

BJ Andersen, Executive Director of the Willamette Humane Society, believes that Walking with Peety: The Dog Who Saved My Life and the Willamette Humane Society value something in common: the power of the people-animal bond.  Join us to hear Andersen speak about the Willamette Humane Society, the challenges and rewards of working in animal welfare, successfully matching companion animals with people, and the positive impacts of pets on people in our community.

We are all well aware of what extreme wildfires are doing to our homes, forests and air quality. What's less clear is how wildfires pollute and alter the water coming out of our watersheds.  Listen to what water engineer Jude Grounds, Salem Water Quality Supervisor Lacey Goeres-Priest and Salem City Councilor Chris Hoy have to tell us about Salem's water source and the city's responses to keep our drinking water safe. 

Three justices from the Oregon Supreme Court – Chief Justice Martha Walters, Justice Lynn Nakamoto, and Justice Adrienne Nelson – all path-breakers in their own right, discuss the challenges of operating courts and providing access to justice during a pandemic, progress on the Judicial Branch Strategic Campaign, and the Oregon courts' efforts to promote equity, diversity, and inclusion in their work.

We'll hear works from seven published poets, many of whom call the Willamette Valley home.  The poets are Marc Janssen, Marilyn Johnston, Ada Molinoff, Jean Kendrick, Mike Strelow, Clem Starck and Mike Shuler.

Dr.  Ed Dover, recently retired Professor of Political Science and Public Administration at Western Oregon University provides his analysis of national, state and local 2020 election results.  The talk covers the outcome and long-term significance of the presidential election, the congressional elections and their relationship to the presidential outcome and the independence of the Oregon elections from national patterns. 

Debating the pros and cons of Measure 107 are Portland public interest attorney Dan Meek, who represents Honest Elections Oregon, speaking in support of the measure and Kyle Markley, a member of the Oregon Libertarian Party, speaking in opposition of the measure.

Given the two emergency declarations for Covid and wildfires, Marion County government is a major player in disaster preparedness and relief.  In November, voters will have an opportunity to elect one of the three county commissioners who oversee our county government.  The candidates are Danielle Bethell (R) and Ashley Carson Cottingham (D).

This program is a debate amongst the 3 candidates running to represent Oregon's Senate District 10.  There was a hard fought and close race for this position in 2016 between Incumbent Jackie Winters and Reverend Deb Patterson (D). Deb is now coming back for another run at the seat. Incumbent Senator Denyc Boles (R) was initially appointed to this position which she now now has to defend for the first time.   Finally Taylor Rickey (L) is a political newcomer who hopes that he has what the district voters are looking for.

The program features three of Oregon's most well-respected political commentators: Jim Moore, Bill Lunch and Jeff Mapes. This is the first in the Salem City Club 2020 Informed Voter Series