Salem Sustainability Calendar, back half of February 2009

There's a lot of sustainability events in these next few weeks that merit your attention and participation. Please come out and help out in as many of these as you can, starting with

==> Tonight, 2/16, Marion-Polk Food Share's Community Garden planning meeting, details here.

==> Tomorrow, 2/17, Salem City Council will consider a plan to expand bicycle access in the Salem City core by permitting bikes on sidewalks:

One change would allow bike riders to ride on the sidewalk in an area bounded by Front, Cottage Union and Trade streets. The change would give bicyclists easier access between Salem City Center and Riverfront Park.

The second change would allow bicyclists, skateboarders and roller skaters to ride on designated Salem Civic Center property, making it easier to connect between Liberty and Commercial streets NE on the south side of Mirror Pond.

Salem City Council meetings are open to the public. The council will meet at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday in council chambers at the Vern Miller Civic Center, 555 Liberty St. SE.

==> Wednesday, 2/18, City of Salem Town Hall meeting to discuss the giant budget hole we're in and hear citizen priorities, North Salem High School, 6 - 8 p.m. You can be sure that plenty of people will be out to argue for continuing business-as-usual priorities, which would only worsen our situation in terms of adopting to the new reality. Come out and speak up for investments in sustainability.

==> Monday, 2/23, C.I.T.Y. (Chickens in the Yard) presentation during public comment period at the Salem City Council meeting (at City Hall, 555 Liberty St. SE). The agenda won't isn't released until the Friday before, so it's hard to say exactly when the public comment period will start; it might be as later than 8, but we still need as many people as possible to come to City Hall and show the council that people are determined to get the city to quit harassing people who want to keep a few laying hens (instead of, for example, pit bulls or loud barking dogs or pot belly pigs). Council meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. in council chambers at the Vern Miller Civic Center, 555 Liberty St. SE.

==> Wednesday, 2/25, Salem Transition Initiative for Relocalization (STIR) -- meets at 7 p.m. at the Straub Environmental Learning Center (take A St. off 14th; SELC is right next to Olinger Pool, just south of North High; you can also get there via the pedestrian bridge over the creek that connects the High School to the pedestrian path along 12th St.)

==> Friday, 2/27, Oregon League of Conservation Voters Marion County Chapter invites you to Grand Vines (Corner of Court and High Streets) to hear from Cherriots Board member Lloyd Chapman about efforts to generate support for multi-modal transportation in Salem. This is a great opportunity to learn more about Salem-Keizer transportation, how the recent service cuts effect Marion County and what you can do to as a transit supporter.

==> Saturday, 2/28, Terra Gardens on Cordon (just north of State) is offering a free talk on caring for fruit trees from 10 a.m. to noon.