We invite you to get involved with decisions in your City. The City of Salem is currently seeking applications for vacancies on ten different boards and commissions. These boards and commissions advise the Salem City Council on various issues including, land use planning, tourism promotion, housing and urban development, human rights, and the public library.

The Board and Commission application form, descriptions, including current members and membership requirements, are available at www.cityofsalem.net/CityCouncil/BoardsAndCommissions/Pages/default.aspx.

Below is a full list of current vacancies, the number of vacancies for each Board/Commission and any special member requirements.

Ten of these twelve positions have been open for some time:

• Citizen Budget Committee (two vacancies - Ward 2 and Ward 7)
• Downtown Advisory Board (one vacancy – representing a business/property owner within the Downtown Parking District)
• Salem Housing Advisory Committee (two vacancies, one representing a tenant assisted by Salem Housing Authority and one representative from the Salem/Keizer School District)
• Housing & Urban Development Advisory Committee (one representative from Salem Housing Advisory Committee)
• Social Service Advisory Board (one vacancy representing the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce position)
• Salem Planning Commission (one temporary vacancy for a member on military leave)
• Senior Center Advisory Commission (four vacancies, two are for at-large positions and two are for “Partner” positions)

These five vacancies have opened recently:

• Citizen Advisory Traffic Commission (three at-large vacancies)
• Citizen Police Review Board (two alternate position vacancies)

For further information, please contact Linda Cate at 503-588-6255 or lcate@cityofsalem.net.

Compost your leaves and grass clippings at the Fall Leaf Haul on Saturday, December 3, 2011, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.   This event provides a way for homeowners to drop off grass and leaves.

The City of Salem is seeking volunteers to assist with leaf and grass collection. To sign up as a volunteer, call Leo Gonzalez at 503-589-2195.

For residents of Faye Wright, the nearest of the three locations is at Sprague High School, 2373 Kuebler Road South.

Everything you need to know is at the City of Salem's Fall Leaf Haul page.

We were pleased that representatives of Shangri-La visited our October meeting. They help Oregonians with disibilities or economic challenges in a variety of ways. It was interesting to find out about all they do in the Faye Wright neighborhood and around the valley. Read all about it at the Shangri-La website.

Bring the entire family to the eagerly anticipated Salem Fire Department Open House! This annual event is Wednesday evening, October 12, from 5 to 8 p.m, at the airport fire station. Come see demonstrations of fire trucks and rescue equipment, and Flash the Fearless Fire Safety Dog. Get tips and techniques for fire prevention, fire escape planning, emergency preparedness, and much more. It all takes place at the airport fire station, located on the west side of Salem Airport, at 2740 25th Street SE. See you Wednesday night!

For more information on this or other prevention related topics, contact your Salem Fire Department at 503-588-6245.

On National Night Out, Salem hosts Night Out Against Crime, which certainly did not disappoint this year! Read more about it's rousing success, along with all kinds of news from Salem and environs, in the October edition of Community Connection. (.pdf 7.83MB)

Volunteers from from all around Salem help make our parks shine. They are featured on page 5 of the October edition of Community Connection. (.pdf 7.83MB)

The Salem Human Rights and Relations Advisory Commission (HRRAC) will be hosting a community meeting on Wednesday, October 12, 2011 on the topic of “ageism”, including issues of age discrimination in employment, housing and public accommodations. The event will be held in the auditorium of the Salem 50+ Center, 2615 Portland Road NE.

There will be a brief, regular business meeting of the Commission at 6:00 PM on October 12, followed by the Community Meeting at 6:45 PM. The public is invited to attend either or both parts of the evening.

Ageism occurs when someone or group is treated differently or stereotyped on the basis of age. Almost everyone has experienced it and/or been a willing or unwitting agent of ageism. What is it and how is it affecting you now? Panelists will be present to discuss a variety of aspects of ageism as it affects Salem residents and, more broadly, society in general.

All members of the community and any interested advocacy groups are invited to attend, as well as speak out on this issue.

For further information, or to get on the list for future meeting and event notification, please contact the Salem Human Rights & Relations Advisory Commission at 503-540-2371, or mejohnston@cityofsalem.net.

Final paving on Kuebler Boulevard has been completed. Other construction work will continue until this project is completed in December 2011.

Read the entire news release from the City of Salem — along with other transportation news — on our Transportation page.

Get involved with decisions in your City. The City of Salem is currently seeking applications for vacancies on nine different boards and commissions. These boards and commissions advise the Salem City Council on various issues including, land use planning, tourism promotion, housing and urban development, human rights, and the public library.

The Board and Commission application form, descriptions, including current members and membership requirements, are available at www.cityofsalem.net/CityCouncil/BoardsAndCommissions/Pages/default.aspx.

Listed below is a full list of current vacancies, the number of vacancies for each Board/Commission and any special member requirements:

• Citizen Budget Committee (two vacancies - Ward 2 and Ward 7)
• Salem Cultural & Tourism Promotion Advisory Board (three vacancies - resident or have a place of business in Salem)
• Downtown Advisory Board (one vacancy – representing a business/property owner within the Downtown Parking District)
• Salem Housing Advisory Committee (two vacancies, one representing a tenant assisted by Salem Housing Authority and one representative from the Salem/Keizer School District)
• Housing & Urban Development Advisory Committee (three vacancies, two are for at-large positions and one representative from Salem Housing Advisory Committee)
• Salem Public Library Advisory Board (two vacancies for at-large positions)
• Social Service Advisory Board (one vacancy representing the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce position)
• Salem Planning Commission (one temporary vacancy for a member on military leave)
• Senior Center Advisory Commission (two vacancies, one is for an at-large position and one is for a “Partner” position)

For further information, please contact Linda Cate at 503-588-6255 or lcate@cityofsalem.net.

Your Opportunity to Partner in Making Your Neighborhood a Better Place to Live
Applications for Next Neighborhood Partnership Program Due November 1

Do you have ideas about how to make your neighborhood a cleaner, safer, and more enjoyable place to live? In addition to providing support to the nineteen neighborhood associations, the city collaborates with two neighborhood areas focusing on community building through the Neighborhood Partnership Program (NP).

It's a collaborative process made possible when residents, property owners, renters, schools, businesses, nonprofits, churches, local government, community groups, and others work together to support a neighborhood area. Partners address issues and concerns of the people who live and work there. Whatever the challenges may be, the NP focuses on the neighborhood's strengths to solve them.

Positive changes have included increased crime prevention efforts, education, and empowerment of citizens, cleaner streets and parks, support for youth and the equivalent of thousands of dollars in leveraged contributions. In addition, neighbors and partners report more neighbors talking and watching out for one another, enhanced awareness of neighborhood resources and overall improved neighborhood livability.

Now, it's your turn. Beginning September 1, nonprofits, churches, neighborhood groups, and/or other community groups, can apply for City support for a two year NP in a defined geographic area. There are two Partnership Programs in place, but on a staggered two year cycle. This way there's an opportunity to apply for NP support each year, giving the program the flexibility to impact multiple areas of Salem.

Anyone with an idea on how to improve their part of Salem is encouraged to apply. The applications are evaluated by City staff from various departments, and scored based upon demonstrated neighborhood need, measurable goals and readiness of partners to work with the City in addressing them.

Applications are available at www.cityofsalem.net/neighbor or 555 Liberty Street SE, Room 305. They're due November 1. Please contact Jessica Loewen Preis, Neighborhood Partnership Coordinator, for more information at 503-588-6207 or jlpreis@cityofsalem.net.

September is Disaster Preparedness Month across the nation. During this month, governmental agencies as well as the public are encouraged to review disaster preparedness issues for their own homes, vehicles, offices and schools. As a general rule, everyone should take measures to ensure self sufficiency for at least 72 hours, or more, in the event of a disaster.

The Salem Fire Department's Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) has been participating in Disaster Preparedness Month since the inception of the CERT program in late 2002. Our theme this year is to "Get a Plan, Get a Kit, Get Trained, and Get Involved." CERT classes are available in October and November 2011. Refer to the (pdf file) Autumn 2011 CERT Newsletter for class schedules.

Volunteer: Your community needs your help. Become a CERT member by contacting the City of Salem Fire Department's Emergency Manager, Roger Stevenson, at 503-763-3331 or rstevenson@cityofsalem.net.

On April 25, the City Council adopted the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) for Fiscal Years 2011-12 through 2015-16. This is a five-year plan for financing major public assets based on City-adopted master plans, goals, and policies. The purpose of a CIP is to match scarce financial resources with the capital needs of a growing community and to preserve or enhance existing capital assets to provide efficient city services. To learn more, check out the city's Capital Improvement Plan page. Not only will you find the CIP document there, but you will also find a handy search tool and map so you can locate the projects that interest you. There is even a form you can use to suggest new capital improvement projects. You can call Doug Gabbard, the City's CIP Coordinator, at 503-588-6174.

The Salem Housing Authority (SHA) has been awarded $529,248 by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to provide 100 rental assistance vouchers to help keep children out of foster care and their families stay together. This allocation of Family Unification Program (FUP) vouchers was awarded through a competitive national funding process. The Salem Housing Authority is one of 32 housing authorities from across the country and one of two in the State of Oregon to receive an award. FUP funding allows local public housing authorities to work closely with local child welfare agencies to identify families with children in foster care or who are at risk of being placed in foster care and youth at risk of homelessness. These vouchers, like HUD's Housing Choice Vouchers, allow families and youth to rent housing from private landlords and generally pay 30 percent of their monthly income towards rent and utilities.

In addition, Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) has awarded the Salem Housing Authority $28,235 to build organizational capacity. The Housing Authority will focus on building capacity through a formal asset management training in partnership with Bienestar (formally Housing Development Corporation), and technological upgrades to incorporate new business processes. The grant activities will immediately effect the Housing Authority's development and implementation of systems to better manage and preserve its portfolio for short- and long-term sustainability.

On June 21st, we moved this website to web host InMotion Hosting. We are very excited about this move. Our new web host allows us greater flexibility, and the resources needed to bring you a better website. As you can see, our site is in its early development. If there is something you would like to see on our site, please email our webmaster and let him know.

The Faye Wright Neighborhood Association Executive Board is very pleased to welcome new Board members Mary Kamppi, Lydia Gutierrez, and Melissa Van Hess.

Melissa Van Hess will take over as secretary from Sara Brennen. Sara was elected our new chairperson. Long-time chairperson and Parks Chair Wendy Pyper will continue her duties as parks chair. Also joining the Board are Lydia Gutierrez and Watershed Chair Mary Kamppi.

Elections were held at our Annual Meeting on June 6th. Although we meet six times a year, once a year we hold an Annual Meeting which also features food, fun, and prizes.

The Board would like to thank this year's Annual Meeting sponsors: Brick Brothers Pizza and South Salem Starbucks.

Brick Brothers Pizza is located at 3995 Commercial Street SE, Suite 150, facing Browning Avenue. South Salem Starbucks is located at 3405 Commercial Street SE, Suite 100, at Triangle Drive.

We would also like to extend our thanks to all who attended for the insights (and food) that they shared.

The Land Use Facilitation/Mediation Program has been established to provide land use applicants and affected property owners/neighbors the opportunity to identify, discuss, and resolve issues prior to the approval of land use decisions by the City of Salem. The purpose is to resolve or prevent land use conflicts between parties within the City.

Neighbor-to-Neighbor, Inc. (a Community Dispute Resolution Center) will provide voluntary mediation and/or facilitation services to parties affected by land use matters in the City of Salem, including applicants, property owners, and neighbors affected by the matter. Neighbor-to-Neighbor services are free to all parties. This service does not necessarily replace any required land use approval process, but it is an opportunity for collaboration to help resolve conflicts between affected parties.

Examples of land use issues which may be referred to Neighbor-to-Neighbor for mediation and/or facilitation services include:

• Infill Projects-projects that may affect the population density of an area.
• Proposed development offering services that differ from traditional services or uses in the area.
• Projects that affect major infrastructure systems, such as streets, water, sewer, or drainage.
• Other land use applications where there may be conflict between the parties involved.

For more information, please contact:
Neighbor-to-Neighbor, Inc.
Charles F. Ikard, Executive Director
945 Columbia St. NE Salem, OR 97301
503.585.0651
Email: n2nmediation@gmail.com
Website: www.n2nmediation.org

By now everyone has heard of the National Do Not Call Registry which was started back in 2004 as a way to place limitations on telemarketers, such as automatic dialers. However, with the increase of mobile phone use, rather than home-based landlines, marketers have taken to sending text messages as a way of getting you to call them. So, can you enroll your mobile phone with the National Do Not Call Registry? The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which facilitates the program, states that you can register your mobile phone. However, it only limits marketers who place a call to converse with you about a product or service. Current law does not cover text or mobile e-mail messages. The FTC does recommend you contact them if you have an issue with a telemarketing company on your mobile device. The FTC will still track the complaint. If you haven't registered any of your telephones, visit the Registry or call 1-888-382-1222. Remember, placing your number on the Registry will stop most, but not all unsolicited calls. And, there are exemptions for some organizations, so be sure to familiarize yourself with that information when you join the National Do Not Call Registry.

Preparing your family for a disaster is extremely important. Typically when preparing an emergency supply kit, you should plan to be without any emergency services for at least three to five days. The size of your family will determine what your requirements will be. You can assemble an emergency supply kit at home by packing the following items in a sturdy barrel.

Top of the Barrel

• Flashlight
• Battery operated radio and extra batteries
• First aid kit
• Personal items (eyeglasses, antibiotic ointment, eye wash, aspirin, Kaopectate, medication recommended by your doctor, i.e. Insulin, heart medication)
• First aid dressings (2 inch wide roll adhesive tape, sterile bandages, 2 inch wide roll and 4 inch wide rolls, large triangle bandages, plastic strips, cotton-tipped swabs, sterile absorbent cotton, ace bandages, butterfly bandages, box of disposable diapers, box of large gauze)
• Miscellaneous (scissors, tweezers, thermometer, petroleum jelly, rubbing alcohol, tissues, pocket knife, water purification tablets, eye dropper, first aid handbook)

Middle of the Barrel

• Food - three day supply of food requiring no refrigeration. Date all food items, write out menu for each day. (Examples: canned tuna, pork and beans, and stew (½ cup/person/day), nonfat dry milk (½ cup/person/day), graham crackers (½ cup/person/day), dried apricots (½ cup/person/day), canned orange or tomato juice, peanut butter (½ tbsp/person/day), water (1 gal/person/day)).

Bottom of the Barrel

• Bedding (sleeping bag/blankets/plastic sheet/tarp)
• Clothing (one change per person including heavy shoes or boots, coat, tennis shoes)
• Personal supplies (toiletries, towel, reading material, paper/pencil)
• Fuel and light (matches, candle, signal flare, Sterno canned heat)
• Equipment (can opener, dishpan, disposable dishes and utensils, ax, shovel, bucket, plastic liners)
• Infant needs as applicable. Keep in a secure and easily accessible place.
• Personal documents. Copy of driver's license, list of credit cards, checking and savings account numbers, insurance policies (health, life, auto, house), birth certificates, medical history, passports, U.S. Service discharge papers, ownership certificates (pink slips) for autos, trailers, boats, etc., Social Security cards, wills, certificates of authenticity for art objects, household inventory, cash (minimum $100 in small bills), list of contents, pictures of each room from two angles, photos of jewelry taken on a black cloth.

The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program teaches community members how to prepare for a disaster and deal effectively and safely with minor emergencies that can occur in neighborhoods during a disaster. For more information, refer to the article "Neighbor-to-Neighbor Disaster Preparedness" on this page.

SESNA (Southeast Salem Neighborhood Association) area neighbors and community partners have been making a difference where they live and work since 1997 through the Neighborhood Partnership Program. Recently, the City restructured this program to a "Rotating Partnership" model. SESNA neighbors and partners submitted a strong application to continue receiving City support. Even though SESNA was selected to continue at least through December of 2011 before reapplying, participants felt it was important to work on ways to sustain the efforts of the Partnership Program should City support move to another neighborhood next year.

After months of discussion, the SESNA Partnership Group and the South Salem Connectors (the Community Progress Team for the South High feeder district) decided to join forces. January 19 marked their first meeting as the new group, South Salem Connect. With a new Agenda Setting Team, Action Teams and meeting format, both groups hope to continue working on SESNA livability efforts while supporting the children, families and neighborhood livability of all South Salem neighborhoods. The group plans to recruit members from beyond the boundaries of SESNA to include others within the South High feeder district, which includes the portion of Faye Wright Neighborhood Association north of Salem Heights Avenue. Call 503-588-6207 for meeting times and for more information. All who are interested in the livability of South Salem neighborhoods are welcome to participate.

The new Teen area at the Salem Public Library, focused on the educational, informational, and entertainment needs of middle and high school-aged students Teen Scene, has relocated from the upper level, side-by-side with the Children's Room, to a dedicated space in the northwest corner of the lower level. This area was planned by and for area teens. Renovation has been completed entirely with private donations from the Salem Public Library Foundation, Salem Public Library Advisory Board Trust & Agency Fund, and Friends of the Salem Public Library. For more information, visit the Salem Public Library website.

A complete listing of events and programs at Salem Public Library is published monthly in the Friends of the Library newsletter. Home or direct email delivery is provided to members of the Friends. Individual memberships are available for just eight dollars. Learn more by emailing splfriends@peak.org. Printed newsletters are also available to pick up free at all Library service desks and at several community locations. The newsletters are also available online at the Library Newsletter page.

Salem businesses: upgrade your lighting and save money! The City of Salem is partnering with Energy Trust of Oregon, Salem Electric, and West Coast Bank to offer businesses an opportunity to reduce their electric bills. Customers of Salem Electric as well as customers of Portland General Electric are eligible to receive fifty percent of the project costs, provided the lighting project produces the required energy savings (25-30 percent or more, depending on the utility). In addition, a low interest (one percent) loan is available to finance the balance of project costs. The City is using $120,000 of its Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) funding to buy down the interest rate of participating loans.

West Coast Bank, West Salem branch will service the loans. Applicants will need to meet West Coast Bank's underwriting requirements and those required by the utilities. An inspection will be required after the project is complete to prove that the required savings has been achieved.

Funding will expire in 2012 or sooner – interested businesses should act quickly! Program information and an application can be obtained from Salem Electric, West Coast Bank, or the City's Urban Development Department. For more information, please contact Annie Gorski at 503-588-6178, agorski@cityofsalem.net, or visit the Community Energy Strategy page.

Marion County Master Gardeners (MGs) are here to serve our neighbors in a variety of ways:

A large group of dedicated MGs maintain the Marion Garden, located behind the County Health Services Building at 3180 Center Street in Salem. Originally a rubbish dumping ground for the county, it has been transformed in the last 15+ years to an outstanding demonstration garden. Stop by and stroll around for inspiration, information, or just enjoyment. Monday mornings are the usual time for MG work parties, so there is usually someone available to answer questions. Garden tours are also available by appointment.

They also staff the MG Help Desk at the OSU Extension Office, located in the County Health Services Building. Clients call 503-373-3770, send an e-mail to them at marionmg@oregonstate.edu or come in with questions regarding plant culture; weed, insect and plant disease identification; and a wide variety of other home gardening issues. Experience, training, and an excellent library, as well as knowledge of online resources, helps MGs provide the answers to most questions. For those outside their range of information, they supply referrals to other agencies and organizations, including their Marion County horticulturist, Neil Bell. From October through March, the Help Desk is staffed Monday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. April through September, office hours are 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Messages left on their voicemail outside those hours are answered the next business day.

During much of the year, MGs also sponsor booths at various fairs, garden shows, and farmers' markets. These serve as a mobile form of the Help Desk, and are an opportunity to find answers to your gardening questions and pick up useful information.

MGs also offer workshops to help with some of those gardening tasks that are best learned from hands-on presentations. Pruning in early spring and beneficial insects in April are recurring topics. Check the Master Gardeners web page for specific information as events draw near.

Many MGs also simply love to talk about gardening. If you have a community group that would like a speaker, please call the Help Desk, 503-373-3770, and leave your name and number for the Speakers' Bureau coordinator. You also can sample MG information every Thursday morning on Radio KBZY (1490 am) from 8:40 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.

For our younger neighbors, MGs also develop and present gardening programs at area elementary schools in late spring, and host an activity booth at Ag Fest.

Home gardens come in all shapes, sizes and types of plantings. Please call or stop by to see how Marion County Master Gardeners can help you make yours the garden of your dreams.

The City of Salem has launched a service to enhance the ability to look up permitting, licensing, and land use application information online. A web page named "SPLASH" (Salem Permit, License, & Application Services Home) is replacing the previous "Plans Review/Permit Search" and "Land Use Application Search" web pages. Check out the SPLASH Portal, or get more information on SPLASH at the City's "We're Making a SPLASH" page.

Grease can clog sewer lines, yours and the city's, causing sewage spills and expensive problems at home and in the city's sewer lines, costing everyone.

No amount of hot water keeps grease from eventually congealing. This only gets the grease through the part of the pipes in your home. Once fats, oils, and grease (also known as "FOG" throughout the sewer industry) get into the sewer and cool, they stick to the walls of the pipes and create an expensive and messy problem of sewer backups - for you, for your neighbors and for the creeks and rivers in your neighborhood.

Simple tips to dispose of grease and fats:

• Allow your grease to cool, but not solidify.
• Place it in a container that will not melt, such as an empty coffee can or glass jar.
• When the container is full, discard it with your household garbage.

For more information, contact Salem Public Works at 503-588-6063, or visit the City of Salem's FOG Program page.

• Are you prepared to be on your own for 72 hours or more?
• Wonder what would happen if a natural disaster occurred?
• How prepared is your family?
• Would you participate in the response and recovery efforts?

The events of September 11, 2001, hurricanes Katrina, Gustav, Hanna and Ike along with earthquakes in Haiti, Chile, New Zealand, and Japan have made it abundantly clear that emergency services will be overwhelmed with major emergencies and will not likely have capacity to deal with smaller events. Citizens are very likely to be on their own during the early stages of a catastrophic disaster. With some basic training in disaster survival and rescue skills, they can be better prepared to survive and help others until responders or other assistance can arrive.

The Salem Fire Department began organizing Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) in the Fall of 2002. Since that time over 550 citizen volunteers have been trained to act as a resource to the Fire Department. Initially, teams receive 21 hours of training by the City of Salem Emergency Management Division. This training includes; basic disaster preparedness, extinguishing small fires, immediate triage and life saving skills, victim evacuation, team dynamics, and to complete their series an exercise to put all they learned together. In the initial hours and days of a large disaster, an organized team can provide life saving services to their neighbors and often assist once responders arrive. The goal for the Fire Department is to have 20 CERT trained volunteers for every 200 homes in any neighborhood. CERT members are forming local Neighborhood Collection Points (NCP's). These NCP's are designated locations where neighborhood volunteers and injured collect for further assistance from the CERT Teams or Fire Department personnel. Amateur radio operators are assigned to these NCP's to act as communicators to Salem's Emergency Operations Center. Information from the NCP's is funneled into the response and recovery efforts supported by the city's emergency operations center.

What Can You Do?

• Get a Plan!
  Family preparedness begins at home with a good Family Disaster Plan. Having a family plan and getting a disaster kit together are essential steps to preparedness.
• Get a Kit!
  Create a 72-hour preparedness kit and ask your local emergency manager about resources to include in your survival kit. For an example kit, refer to the article, "Emergency Preparedness at Home" on this news page.
• Get Trained!
  Sign up for a CERT class from the Fire Department.
  September 2011 Update:
  Six CERT classes are being offered this fall and winter. Refer to the (pdf file) Autumn 2011 CERT Newsletter for a list of upcoming classes and registration information.
• Get Involved!
  Participate in your neighborhood area to gather neighbors into an effective team. By being prepared our citizens can significantly affect the outcome should a major disaster strike the City of Salem. They help the Fire Department by having immediate life saving skills, they help the Police and Public Works Departments by being aware and involved in the city's neighborhoods.

To register for CERT classes contact:
Roger Stevenson
City of Salem Emergency Manager
595 Cottage Street NE, Salem, OR 97301
503-763-3331
rstevenson@cityofsalem.net

Have you recently purchased a mobile phone with all the bells and whistles and now your old mobile is a pretty paper weight? Instead of having a phone without a purpose, consider donating it!

The Salem Police Department's Domestic Violence Response Team (DVRT) accepts used mobile phone donations. The phones are issued to victims of domestic violence who do not have a phone and are likely to be in need of calling 9-1-1 for emergency assistance.

Mobile phones that are not activated to an account are still capable of dialing 9-1-1 for emergencies. It is a manufacturer requirement.

The DVRT coordinators collect the used phones and chargers and repackage them so they are ready to provide to a victim in need. The phones are accepted at the front counter of the Police Department which is open seven days a week, 24 hours a day. The phones have to be in working condition, not perfect condition. Bumps and scratches are just fine. Please delete all information that might still be stored on the phone, including names, phone numbers, photos, and text messages.

For more information call the DVRT at 503-588-6499 or visit the DVRT webpage.

Now you can check out crime statistics for your neighborhood anytime. Salem recently joined CrimeReports.com. A tutorial for using that site can be found on the City of Salem's Crime Reports page.

To remind us to not dump waste down the storm drains, volunteers have been installing oval markers near your street's storm drains. Everything that goes into these drains flows into Pringle Creek and eventually into the Willamette River. Nearly the entire Faye Wright Neighborhood Association is within the Pringle Creek Watershed.

Storm drain marking is a great summer activity. This program is geared toward those age 4 to adult. To volunteer, or for more information on watershed education, email Deborah Topp at dtopp@cityofsalem.net, or telephone her at 503.588.6211.

The Pringle Creek Watershed Council is a non-profit, all volunteer organization whose goals include awareness and education of watershed issues, improving water quality, and preserving riparian corridors to support native plants and wildlife. Stewardship of the creek as a natural entity and sustaining it as a natural watercourse are other goals of the Council.

For more information on our watershed, or to get involved, e-mail vjdodier@teleport.com or visit the Pringle Creek Watershed Council website.

Low-cost spay and neuter services are offered for all pets by the Willamette Humane Society. Find out more about this program by calling 503.480.7729(SPAY).