Neighborhood News is a monthly Salem Reporter feature to highlight news or issues of concern to each Salem neighborhood association. Read previous editions here. Salem is divided into 17 neighborhood associations that meet monthly. They serve as a conduit to city officials for things like park improvements, road projects and planning and building. Learn more and find your association here. Leaders of each association are invited to submit a brief news item or report highlighting the association’s work, neighborhood concerns, upcoming activities or anything else of interest. Submissions are lightly edited for style and clarity. Grant Neighborhood Association Grant Neighborhood Association members handed out candy and information at Willamette Heritage Center’s Drive-Thru Trick-or-Treat. The Grant Neighborhood Association “Candy Crew” braved the ghouls, goblins and some pretty scary downpours to participate in the Willamette Heritage Center Drive-Thru-Trick-or-Treat again this year. We doled out thousands of pieces of candy, and cards about Salem neighborhood associations to hundreds of happy kids and drivers. The same weekend, with ruddy cheeks and rakes in hand, neighbors happily labored at Grant Park for our last clean-up party of the season. Clean-ups will resume in the spring.Thank you to over 25 participants and guests who attended our November 7 meeting. In addition to our usual great story from Grant neighborhood, neighbor concerns, police officer report, we welcomed David Gerboth, our new Salem fire chief; Salem Compliance Officer Roberto Magnaña; and Robert Chandler from public works along with representatives from Portland General Electric to explain the new electric vehicle charging stations in the works for Grant neighborhood and around the city. The board voted to donate funds again this year to the Boys & Girls Club Holiday Gift Drive for Grant school kids and their families. And we voted to send out postcards again next year to Grant residents to continue to raise awareness and inform them about GNA.  Minutes from the November meeting will be posted before the Dec. 5 meeting. Find the location and link to our hybrid meetings on the GNA website and in the GNA newsletter. For more community news, follow GNA on Instagram and Facebook. –Submitted by Susan Napack, vice chair Highland Neighborhood Association The Highland Neighborhood Association has been actively working to improve safety and build community connections in Salem. Thanks to HNA’s collaboration with city officials, new stop signs have been installed at key intersections on Spruce Street, including Hazel, Laurel, Walnut, and Brooks, enhancing pedestrian safety in this residential area. HNA is also requesting donations for the second annual “Gifts and Goodies” event, co-hosted with Center 50+, on Saturday, Dec. 14, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. This event includes a gift drive to support local seniors who are homebound or in care facilities, gift wrapping of donated items, and decorating cookies to take home! Community members are encouraged to donate gifts to help brighten the holidays for these seniors, with drop-offs accepted at Center 50+. Additionally, HNA’s monthly meeting is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 14, at 6:30 p.m. featuring guest speaker David Gerboth, Salem’s new fire chief, who will discuss the city’s emergency medical services transition and answer questions from attendees. All are welcome to join, share ideas, and stay updated on local issues. Through efforts like these, HNA continues to foster a safer, more connected community in the Highland neighborhood.   –Submitted by Holly Schiefelbein, outreach committee chair North Lancaster Neighborhood Association NOLA is hosting a beautification project at McKay Park on Saturday, Nov. 16, starting at 10 a.m. Wanna make McKay Park sparkle? Join us rain or shine this Saturday! The North Lancaster Neighborhood Association meets on the first Wednesday of every month at Blanchet Catholic High School, 4373 Market St N.E.  On Dec. 4th, the meeting will focus entirely on law enforcement in North Lancaster and the greater East Salem community. There will be representatives from both Salem Police Department and Marion County Sheriff’s Department present to share information on how each agency works hard to keep Salem safe. The meeting starts at 6:30 p.m.  Please come with your questions or concerns, this will be a great opportunity to learn and share. And lastly, a reminder of NOLA’s focus on aging well. Service project ideas for December are help with shopping, putting up holiday decor, addressing holiday cards or wrapping gifts. If you know of a senior who could benefit from a service project, please contact Deanna Garcia to make arrangements.  Contact information and all the exciting ‘going-ons’ of North Lancaster NA can be found at www.cityofsalem.net/NOLA. -Submitted by Deanna Garcia, chair Northgate Neighborhood Association As the weather turns to dreary, visit this lengthy art mural consisting of 35 pieces of 4’x8’ panels. Come to Northgate Park and look at each piece. It is meant to be therapeutic to help fight the gloom. Give yourself time to observe each to keep that memory engraved in your mind. The forever blue skies of springtime and certain animals might bring you a sense of peacefulness. Two below are prior to installment. Here is a quote from a neighbor: “The bright colors of springtime and certain animals like the fox. It a grand mural and covering the wild animals like that is serene.” This is to be an escape place from the harsh realities of life. So, we know it’s working. With that said, we’re sharing two pictures for those who have not yet seen the panels in person. (Courtesy/Kaethe Mentrum) (Courtesy/Kaethe Mentrum) Talking about murals, let us switch to street murals. The mural below originated from the deep thoughts of our respectable neighbor, Amador Aguilar, director of Enlace. Our association chose the intersection at Northeast Donald and Carleton Way as it seemed the perfect place to add some color and vibrancy. Amador has been working hard with city of Salem for over 20 years to bring awareness of “We Belong” which represents diverse cultures and races in our city. He also plants vegetables at the Peace Garden situated next to Northgate Park. The harvest went to Marion Polk Food Share. A close-up of the sunflower detail in the completed Northgate Neighborhood Association mural at the intersection of Northeast Carlton Way and Donald Street, designed and painted by neighborhood resident Kaethe Mentrum. (Courtesy/Northgate Neighborhood Association) He said he wanted to implement a sunflower into the mural because of its brightness and its use in providing food to people, animals and birds. Amador also chose the sunflower for its positivity with a diversity of people in it. After listening to him, Kaethe created the design and painted it to bring happiness and cheer to the neighborhood. -Submitted by Kaethe Mentrum, secretary/park chair Northeast Neighbors We will be planting a 1,200 square foot camas and native wildflower meadow in Englewood Park in partnership with the city of Salem! Please dress for the weather and bring a small trowel if you have one. Please contact Amanda at [email protected] or Lynn at [email protected] if you have any questions. This project has been made possible by the City of Salem Parks Improvement Fund with support from Heritage Seedlings. Camas and western buttercup (Courtesy/Lynn Takata) –Submitted by Lynn Takata, chair South Central Neighborhood Association Please join us for our monthly meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 13, at 6:30 p.m. at South Salem High School, 1910 Church Street S.E. We’ll be discussing board organization and business, as well as transportation safety and planning for our December meeting. Bring your concerns or announcements and come meet your neighbors! On Saturday, Nov. 23, SCAN is hosting a cold weather clothing swap event from 2-5:30 p.m. in the South Salem High School lower parking lot. Bring cold weather clothing to donate, shop donations and meet your neighbors. Everyone is welcome regardless of what neighborhood you live in. Please see the attached flyer.  There is always something happening in SCAN. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram to keep up to date with what is going on in the heart of Salem. –Submitted by Evan West, president Southeast Salem Neighborhood Association SESNA hosts annual meet with food, door prizes Nov. 19 The Southeast Salem Neighborhood Association normally meets the fourth Tuesdays — but with the Thanksgiving holiday, the annual meeting is Tuesday, Nov. 19, 6 p.m. at Willamette Heritage Center’s Dye House. But that’s not the REAL news. Our annual meeting features catered food by Marc Nassar and many door prizes from local businesses! Bentley’s Coffee, Willamette Heritage Center, Pendleton Woolen Mills, Al Aqsa and Habaneros restaurants, Furbish, and Offbeat Coffee.  The brief business meeting includes our Beautification Award winners presentation and a forum to share speed/pedestrian concerns on “problem” streets with city of Salem traffic staff. Board members will be elected — so if you’d like to serve or learn more, please attend! Contact Shannon Priem with questions at [email protected] or [email protected] for info. -Submitted by Shannon Priem, chair STORY TIP OR IDEA? Send an email to Salem Reporter’s news team: [email protected]. A MOMENT MORE, PLEASE– If you found this story useful, consider subscribing to Salem Reporter if you don’t already. Work such as this, done by local professionals, depends on community support from subscribers. Please take a moment and sign up now – easy and secure: SUBSCRIBE. The post NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS: What’s happening across Salem in November appeared first on Salem Reporter.