March 11 –  Willamette Heritage Center     Program: West Salem High School Wind Ensemble    Come enjoy West Salem High School’s (WSHS) top band, known as the Wind Ensemble, directed by Todd Zimbelman. The Wind Ensemble plays at a level that exceeds many University bands and features 20th century band music at a professional level.   The […]

March 4 –  Willamette Heritage Center     Program: History of Salem-Keizer Music as told by Author Frank Spragg   Author Frank Spragg researched and recently published a book on the historical development of the award- winning Salem-Keizer School District’s music program. Many consider the Salem-Keizer schools music program to be the best school district program […]

February 26 –  Willamette Heritage Center     Program: Oregon’s Hazelnut Industry     Drive almost any road between Portland and Roseburg and you will see new plantings of hazelnut trees – thousands and thousands of acres of new orchards.    By 2025 industry observers expect that hazelnut production will double thus creating a marketing challenge for […]

February 19 –  Willamette Heritage Center     Program: Youth Homelessness     New Rotarian, Tricia Ratliff, has led the Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action Agency’s youth program for the past seven years. As Program Director for both the HOME Youth Resource Center and Taylor’s House, Tricia is well informed about the local youth homelessness situation. She will share […]

February 12 –  Salem Convention Center   Program:  Mayor’s State of the City Address and Luncheon     Join your fellow Rotarians for Salem Mayor Chuck Bennett’s annual State of the City Address.    Check-in opens at 11:15 a.m., the buffet line opens at 11:30 a.m. and the program begins at noon. Cost for lunch is $20.   Free […]

February 5 –  Salem Convention Center   Program: Birthday Party and Tours    Although we have been acknowledging our history in our meetings this whole Rotary year, this week’s meeting will be our official Birthday Party. Program features include:   Music from the 1920’s An historical moment by Steve Martin Presentation by District Governor, Diane Noriega Memories […]

January 29 –  Salem Convention Center   Program: Oregon Hemp Production    In 2019, Oregon experienced an incredible increase in industrial hemp production. From a handful of acres the previous year, farmers planted more than 60,000 acres of hemp last year. Almost half of the hemp plants grown in 2019 came from a company in Molalla, NW […]

January 22 –  Salem Convention Center     Program: The Balancing Act of Managing Oregon’s Forests     Peter Daugherty, selected by the Board of Forestry as Oregon’s 13th State Forester, leads the Department of Forestry in its mission to serve Oregonians by protecting, managing, and promoting stewardship of Oregon’s  forests. He also helps the Board carry out its […]