2010 April » Downtown Salem Oregon

Flower Children, Life is a Cabernet, NOISE

Apr 232010

We did it! We now have more than 500 people on the list who are passionate about Salem and willing to support social innovation with the Salem Creative Network. Between the pub crawls and wine walks, 200 people are coming downtown monthly to socialize, network and stimulate the economy. This after only three months as a nonprofit!
Well, grab on, cuz we’re going for a ride. Here are a few events in the upcoming weeks:

TONIGHT April 23
Creative Pub Crawl – Flower Children
Celebrate Earth Day in style by composting food and drink specials in 7 downtown venues.

Friday April 30
Willamette Valley Wine Walk - Life is a Cabernet
New venues! Blind wine tasting at Journey’s. Last month was a hoot so join the fun starting 6:00 pm at Grand Vines.

Wednesday, May 5
Member venue The Space is appealing their cease and desist noise violation order 4:00 pm at City Hall. We need you there to show support for our lobbying efforts on behalf of Salem nightlife advocates. After many discussions with the Mayor, City Councilors, Salem, Portland and Austin Noise Control officers, Advisory Boards and the like, we are getting a noise ordinance re-write. While the language of the new ordinance has yet to be initiated, we intend to insert allowances for louder music between the hours of 10 pm and midnight downtown.
Your presence is essential at Doug’s hearing to demonstrate support for a vibrant nightlife in Salem. Please attend! We will have an after-party at The Space.

Thursday, May 6
Salem Green Professionals Mahonia Vineyard tour 5-6 pm
jJ Travis Henry, LEED AP and Vice President of Wildwood, Inc., and Salem Green Professionals on May 6th for a tour of Mahonia Vineyards & Nursery and Wildwood’s AIA award-winning remodel of The Old Pringle Schoolhouse.

Solarize Salem
We are initiated the Solarize Salem project and need steering committee members. This effort will coordinate installation of solar panels in Salem residences in conjunction with Energy Trust of Oregon, Oregon Department of Energy and Solar Oregon. Our first steering committee meeting is Tuesday, April 27. Contact me for time, location.

That’s it for now, see you downtown.
Ross

Squeaky Wheels

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Apr 162010

Salem Creative Network meeting
6:00 pm April 19 Brown’s Towne

I sat down with Mayor Taylor to discuss Salem Creative Network projects and determine a plan to work together with the city. Here’s a short summary:

Creative Pub Crawl
Mayor Taylor has heard great things about the Creative Pub Crawl and appreciates SCN’s efforts to bring people downtown. Business owner feedback is positive as is the absence of incidents involving police. This programming is turning into an institution and we’re starting to plan the July-December schedule.

Next Crawl:
Creative Pub Crawl – Flower Children April 23
6:00 pm Venti’s

Willamette Valley Wine Walk
This project seemed more appealing to Mayor Taylor and she commented that she and her husband would be willing to attend. It was requested that the list of wine locales be expanded to include Allessandro’s, which we are working on for April 30. The attraction of establishing downtown Salem as a wine destination was received well and it was requested that we work together with Go Downtown.

Noise ordinance
SCN member Doug Hoffman has be delivered a Cease and Desist order concerning noise made at The Space past 10 pm. He is appealing the decision at the May 5th city council meeting. We need you to be there.
The defense looks good because there is no noise code written for mixed-use overlay zoning, only commercial, industrial and residential. This may provide an opportunity to create the new ordinance and grant a stay for The Space to continue making noise between 10 and midnight Fri, Sat.
Mayor Taylor seemed open to the idea of Fri, Sat noise increases between 10 and midnight. She asked how other cities handle it and promised to initiate a staff report comparing noise ordinances of Portland and Eugene.
You can help by scheduling a meeting with your councilor about the issue and attending Doug’s hearing on Monday, May 5th at City Hall.

Solarize Salem
We are starting a new project, Solarize Salem, which connects residential homeowners to finance for solar panel installations. We are working with EcoTrust, the Oregon Department of Energy, Solar Oregon and others in the area to launch this effort in June. Mayor Taylor is very interested in this project due to her recent visit to Japan and discovering that Sanyo’s new parent, Panasonic, is targeting the solar panel market and has set a goal of the largest worldwide manufacturer of panels by 2012. Salem may be on the list for a facility.
Contact me if you’re interested in participating.

Salem Green Professionals
I explained the need of promoting sustainability and Mayor Taylor agreed that more should be done in this area. The next Salem green Professionals informal social is Thursday, May 6 at Wildwood Nursery. Stay tuned for details.

Salem City Repair
With the creation of the new Public Arts Commission, SCN sees an opportunity to continue Salem City Repair natural building projects through the approval process of the Commission. Murals, sculptures and natural building will be legalized through the approval process. Mayor Taylor created the commission back in 2007 and it has finally made it through council, just in time for Salem City Repair projects.

Overall the meeting was successful and we’ll do a follow up in May.
Please attend the meeting on Monday, April 6:00 pm at Brown’s Towne.
We are planning a mayoral debate and need your feedback. Thanks again for being a part of the Salem Creative Network – we’re making a difference.

Ross