Tulip Festival Set to Bloom March 21

Do you have a question for the mayor? The Monmouth and Independence mayors are accepting questions from the public to address during their speeches later this month. The City of Salem reports no major waste in the budget, but noted room for improvement in other areas. Then, kickoff spring with the Salem Community Market and Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival. You’re watching the “Local News Roundup”, brought to you by FastSigns, I’m Connor Shreve. Monmouth Mayor Koontz and Independence Mayor Schwarzler will deliver their State of the Cities addresses at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, March 20th, at the Independence Civic Center. The mayors will review 2024 highlights and outline key initiatives, economic developments, and community projects for 2025. Residents are welcome to submit questions to the mayors via the QR code on the event flyer. The event is free and open to the public. After several meetings, the Salem City Efficiency Committee found no major areas of waste in Salem’s General Fund. The committee also noted that the city has fewer resources than other similar-sized cities. For example, the city manager’s office has fewer full-time employees, and the libraries offer fewer service hours per resident compared to the peer cities. The committee identified eight focus areas to improve efficiency, including strengthening partnerships with other governments, exploring new service delivery methods, reducing employee overtime and turnover, and leveraging artificial intelligence to enhance operations. Other priorities include evaluating urban renewal areas, implementing leadership efficiency recommendations, and improving community communication. To read the full Efficiency Committee report, visit the City of Salem website. Salem Saturday Market is now open from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. every Saturday through October. Held at the State of Oregon Green Lot at Summer & Marion Streets, the market features handmade and homegrown products. Other Salem community markets are set to open the first week of May. Youth are encouraged to participate in the markets by applying for the Emerging Artisan Program where they can learn business skills and sell products for a reduced booth fee. The program begins in May and applications are available on the Salem Community Markets website. The Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival will tentatively begin on March 21st. The festival features hot air balloons, wine tastings, a food market, and plenty of photo opportunities. The tulip fields will be open from late March through late April or early May, depending on weather and bloom conditions. All tickets must be purchased in advance. For an up-to-date bloom status and ticket link, visit the Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm website. You can learn more about these and other stories online at midvalleylocal.news. Thanks for watching this edition of the “Local News Roundup”, I’m Connor Shreve.