Making friends at the pub crawl.

Creative Pub Crawl ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY – Life’s a Beach

YooHoo! The Creative Pub Crawl turns one year old this Friday, July 23 with Life’s a Beach. So slip on your beach clothes and enjoy some live music while you meet new people, network and vibrantify downtown. Here’s hte schedule:
6:00 Venti’s – Jewelia Owens
6:45 Copperjohn’s – Shy Seasons
7:30 Magoo’s – Foxtrot
8:15 Pete’s Place – Potatoe Famine
9:00 Brown’s Towne – Matthew Price Band
9:45 Jonathan’s – Bold Riley
10:30 Flipside – House DJ

Live music schedule subject to change.
RSVP here

Willamette Valley Wine Walk – Sparkling Wine edition at Rivers Condominiums
Friday, July 30
The format last month seemed to work well with visiting wineries at Coffee House Cafe Backspace, Blind Wine Tasting at a downtown residence and a relaxed walk to Allessandro’s and Bentley’s Grill.
Bring a bottle of your favorite bubbly for the blind wine tasting.

Friday July 30
6:00 Laurel Ridge Winery and Van Duzer Vineyards pour complimentary tastes at Coffee House Cafe
7:00 Sparkling Wine BLIND WINE TASTING and tours at Rivers Condominiums
9:00 Allessandro’s Ristorante
10:00 Bentley’s grill
11:00 Flipside!

RSVP here

Solarize Salem launch at Oregon State Capitol steps
12:00 pm, Monday, August 2
Salem Creative Network’s newest project, Solarize Salem, brings solar installation bulk pricing to Salem residents, businesses and institutions. Learn more about the project meet the selected contractors 12:00 pm, Monday, August 2.
Monday, August 2. A tour of the State Capitol solar installation will follow the presentation.

We are still looking for volunteers to help spread the word about solar energy to neighbors and businesses. Contact ross@solarizesalem.org or call 503-551-2818.

Until August, stay cool!

It’s hard to believe that one year has gone by since our first meeting. When we first proposed to form a new group to address the lack of support for social innovation in Salem, most people were intimidated by the prospect of consensus-based, youth-driven decision making.

Initially designed to target the neglected 18-45 demographic, the Salem Creative Network has grown to include economic development, nightlife and sustainability programming. Dozens of small businesses and hundreds of individuals have experienced the value of our events and educational forums. And we’re continuing to grow.

Join us 5:00 pm, Thursday, June 17  for our annual board meeting at the place where it all started – Venti’s Basement Bar. We’ll review our past successes and introduce our programming for the coming year. We’d love to see you there!

Willamette Valley Wine Walk – Pinot Noir
Friday June 11 6:00 pm Coffee House Cafe

As seen on TV! That’s right, on this month’s wine walk, we’ll be shooting a segment for Explore the Northwest, a locally-produced syndicated television show with hostess Dawn Holmstrom. This will be their first Salem show!

Here are more surprises for you at this month’s event:

6:00 pm Pinot Noir tasting at Coffee House Cafe 135 Liberty St NE
Starting this summer, Coffee House Cafe will be add beer and wine to their menu and we’re breaking it in with a wine tasting in the back room. Cubanisimo Vineyards and Namaste Vineyards will be there with free tasting.
7:00 pm Pinot Noir BLIND WINE TASTING at Bishop Building Lofts 145 Liberty St NE
Join us upstairs from the Coffee House Cafe and experience downtown living.
Bring a bottle of your favorite local pinot noir and everyone will taste it and rank it from 1 to 10. The wine with the highest score wins a prize.
9:00 pm Allessandro’s Ristorante and Galleria
This month we have a guided art tour of Allessandro’s with Rebecca Maitland scheduled for our visit. As always, discounted wine and appetizer specials await the wine walkers.
10:00 pm Bentley’s Grill
The manager and sommelier at Bentley’s have been excellent hosts, offering complimentary tastes and delicious appetizer specials. Stop by and see what they have in store for us this month.
11:00 FlipSide!
Wear your dancing shoes!
See you downtown!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/ENW-Productions/102703666443321

http://www.explorenorthwest.net/

Creative Pub Crawl – African Safari

Grab your loincloth and elephant ears, we’re going on a safari! This pub crawl marks the 12th installment of our merriment downtown and our last international night for a while. And, we’re adding a surprise venue – Willamette Noodle Company. They just got their full liquor license and wanted us to stop by and give them a test drive.

So whether you’re a hunter or the hunted, join us as we crawl through EIGHT venues enjoying Salem Creative Network benefits and plan for the future of nightlife in Salem.

Bonus points if you wear a pith helmet!

Please remember – bring cash, drink lots of water and pace yourself! There’s no rule requiring you to take advantage of EVERY special. Tip the bar help!

Here’s the schedule:

6:00 pm Venti’s Cafe and Basement Bar
6:45 pm Copperjohn’s
7:30 pm Brown’s Towne Lounge
8:15 pm Magoo’s
9:00 pm Pete’s Place
9:45 pm Cokie’s Landing
10:30 pm Willamette Noodle Company
11:15 pm FlipSide!

Other dates of interest:
Sunday June 13 3:00 pm Salem City Repair meeting at Coffee House Cafe
Wednesday, June 16 Solarize Salem RFP release
Thursday, July 1 Salem Green Professionals – Zena Timber
Friday, July 23 First Anniversary of the Creative Pub Crawl
Friday, July 30 Willamette Valley Wine Walk – Sparklies
Monday, August 2 Solarize Salem launch
Friday, August 6 Sound off noise ordinance forum
Saturday, August 14 Salem City Repair Harvest Swap and Chalk Mural

Our creative solutions for social innovation are making a difference in Salem. When we started around this time last year, it became evident that opportunities for improving Salem were falling through the cracks and with a little organization, new, creative ideas could fill that gap. Little did we realize the impact these simple solutions would have on economic development and quality of life in Salem.

As we near our one year anniversary, we would like to thank all of you for believing in the Salem Creative Network and the possibility of making Salem more livable.

Here’s what’s coming up:

Friday, May 21 Creative Pub Crawl – South of the Border
Join us as we celebrate Cinco de Mayo tonight. Yes, it’s a few weeks after the fact but we’ll don our sombreros and ponchos for on last fiesta.
6:00 Venti’s Cafe and Basement Bar
6:45 Copperjohn’s
7;30 Brown’s Towne Lounge
8:15 Magoo’s Sports Bar
9:00 Pete’s Place
9:45 Cokie’s Landing
10:30 FlipSide!

Friday June 11 Willamette Valley Wine Walk – Pinot Noir Explore the Northwest television show
We’re taping a segment for the television show, “Explore the Northwest” during the walk and have a few more surprises in store for wine enthusiasts. Bring your favorite Pinot Noir and see how they rank in the blind tasting!

6:00 Coffee House Cafe wine bar sneak peek
7:00 Pinot Noir BLIND WINE TASTING at Bishop Building loft apartments downtown
9:00 Allessandro’s Ristorante and galleria
10:00 Bentley’s Grill
11:00 FlipSide!

Sunday June 13 Salem City Repair Cob House Tour
Did you know that cob structures already exist in Salem? Join us as we take a look at completed projects and plan for our first sculpture.

Friday, June 18 Creative Pub Crawl – African Safari
Are you a hunter or the hunted? We’re tracking the big cats around downtown as we bring one year of crawling to a close.

Thursday July 7 Salem Green Professionals – Zena Timber Tour
Join the Salem Green Professionals on a tour of Zena Timber, a sustainably-managed forest in the Eola Hills.

Friday, July 23 Creative Pub Crawl – Life’s a Beach ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY
Pop those corks! We’ll be celebrating one year of crawling downtown with an event of magnitudinal proportions with more bars, restaurants and retail stores than ever before.

Friday July 30 Willamette Valley Wine Walk -Rosé
For those hot summer months, nothing beats a chilled rosé and we’ll be sipping them during our BLIND WINE TASTING. Details to follow.

August Solarize Salem launch
This will be the first city-wide project of the Salem Creative Network. We’re offering homeowners an opportunity for a group purchase of solar energy installations. Look for workshops in your neighborhood for the opportunity to generate green power on your roof.

Thanks again for your outpouring of interest and support. Salem deserves all this attention and much, much more. Contact us if you would like to help in the planning of these or any other programming.

Ross

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

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

The Salem Creative Network celebrates Mardi Gras tonight with a benefit for Haiti and 60 jazz musicians at the Grand Ballroom and Theatre. A $5 donation get you in and we have mask for sale ($2-$25) made by the Open Studio artist from f-stop visual arts center.

So tivo NCIS, American Idol and the Olympics; Salem is ALIVE tonight and re3veling in a shared community experience. Shake off the isolation and stroll through downtown with the merry musicians. Most pub crawl venues are throwing parties too. See you there!