Willamette Wake Up

Dr. Irvin Brown was elected to represent Ward 5 in the City of Salem during May 2024 elections.  He starts his term Jan 13, 2025.  We talked with him in mid December about how he's been preparing, philosophy that guides his leadership and the key issues the new council faces. 

One Braver Angels' alliance in Oregon shares their work on bridging the "rural urban divide" with project coordinators, Elizabeth Christensen and Steve Radcliffe. They talk about the importance of understanding the issues that "divide", how they hope to create a better understanding of each other through facilitated dialogue, and their hope that the project's findings will be used by Oregon legisl...

Conservation Spotlight talks with Lorelle Sherman, Forester for OSU Extension Service, about how her program supports woodland owners. She gives an update on Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) and a new invasive insect, Mediterranean Oak Borer (MOB). 

Monmouth Monthly looks back on Monmouth 2024 with Mayor Cec Koontz and City Manager Rochelle Roaden. They also talk about their vision for the future of Monmouth, the impact of Mayor John McArdle on the entire state of Oregon, and what we can expect as we enter 2025. 

In this episode of Policy for the People, we explore the policy known as guaranteed income, an idea whose time has come. First, we speak with Shafeka Hashash, at the Economic Security Project, about the experiments with guaranteed income that we’ve been seeing in communities across the country. Then we examine a guaranteed income pilot program in Oregon, with Brandi Tuck of Path Home, who says tha...

Keeping Oregon Oregon brings back Mary Kyle McCurdy with 1000 Friends of Oregon. Mary Kyle discusses issues affecting Oregon's land use planning system that might come before the 2025 Oregon legislature.

Holla for Labor talks with Christine Macline, a recipient of the "100 Accomplished Black Canadian Women" award. Macline is also a member of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU) in Toronto. She shares her personal story and reflects on the influence of William "Bill" Lucy, founder and longtime leader of CBTU. 

Braver Angels is a national organization with state and local alliances whose mission is to bridge the political divide through healthier communication. This month, learn about the newly forming Salem Alliance and how you can get involved in bridging the political divide locally, with Satya Chandagiri and Tim Buckley.

Conservation Spotlight highlights the North Santiam Watershed Council, a vital organization dedicated to riparian restoration and safeguarding of drinking water in Salem. Find out the roles, challenges, and successes of this conservation agency, especially in the wake of the 2020 wildfires. 

Policy for the People talks with Oregon Labor Commissioner Christina Stephenson about the funding crisis that Oregon Bureau of Labor Industry faces, and what that means for the economic well-being of working Oregonians. 

DJ Vincent, pastor and executive director at Church at the Park, talks about the role this faith-based nonprofit plays in addressing homelessness, progress on a new micro shelter community in Monmouth, a trend in older people losing housing, and how the general community can help.

Keeping Oregon Oregon speaks with Jim Johnson, retiring Land Use Coordinator with the Oregon Dept. of Agriculture. Jim discusses the status of Oregon farmland and what challenges lay ahead. 

Elephant in the Room talks with Stephen Howard and Bill Henley about a new climate action group in the cities of Monmouth and Independence. They share the ways they're generating interest and involvement within their respective communities. 

Holla for Labor celebrates the life of William "Bill" Lucy, co-founder and longtime leader of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists and co-founder of Free South Africa, the successful anti-apartheid campaign in the United States. Lucy died in September of this year at the age of 90. 

Willamette Wake Up and League of Women Voters covered the rank choice voting ballot measure in several programs.  In this podcast, you'll hear our stories combined.  First, the Marion Polk League of Women Voters explains the measure. Then proponent Blair Bobier, Oregon Rank Choice Voting, talks about its advantages. Last, State Representative Ed Diehl, talks about the disadvantages.

Election Integrity is a polarizing topic in the United States. Braver Angels, a national organization with local alliances and a mission to bring our nation together, has a plan for an election process to ensure that voting is easy, and cheating is hard. Hear the report from Oregon Alliance chairs, Bruce Borgerson and Dimitra Giannakoulias. 

Conservation Spotlight talks with Nellie McAdams & Andrea Krahmer, with the Oregon Agricultural Trust (OAT). OAT partners with farmers and ranchers to protect agricultural lands for the benefit of Oregon's economy, communities and landscapes. 

Monmouth Monthly talks with Dave Beasley, Western Oregon University Foundation, about the Smith Fine Arts series sponsored by the university and open to everyone.  They review the value of the series to students and the community, and review the 2024-25 line up.

Both presidential candidates and one Oregon State Senator recently put forward the idea of exempting tips from Oregon income taxes. But is exempting tips from taxes a good idea? Would it actually improve the economic security of struggling workers?  In this episode of Policy for the People, they explore the impact of no taxes on tips.  They also examine the origins of the practice of tipping and w...

Chemeketa Community College is asking voters to support improvements to the many campuses that serve the area.  Jessica Howard, President of the college, explains the importance of the community college in this area and what the bond monies will buy.  She emphasizes that passage of the bond will not increase residents' taxes because of the retirement of the 2008 bond.

Local Election Coverage. Steve Warden is running for election to Polk County Sheriff. He talks about the duties of sheriff, how he'd engage in various aspects of the community, skills and experiences he would bring to the position; and addresses specific issues of drug decriminalization, gun safety laws and homelessness from a law enforcement perspective.  

Local Election Coverage. Mark Garton is the current Polk County Sheriff running for re-election. He talks about the duties of sheriff, how the department works with various aspects of the community, skills and experiences he would continue to bring to the position; and addresses specific issues of drug decriminalization, gun safety laws and homelessness from a law enforcement perspective.  

Local Election Coverage.  Polk County Treasurer Election 2024 brings a twist to this race.  The duties of this office are in dispute during the time of these interviews. For this reason, we provided a brief summary of these issues and archived the two interviews back-to-back. Hear from candidates Steve Milligan, current treasurer and Chris Patoine as they explain the issue from their points of vie...

Local Election Coverage.  Jason Ridgeway is running for election to Monmouth City Council.  He talks about pressing issues facing the city and how he would address them, and the skills & experiences he would bring to the position.

Local Election Coverage.  Frank Morris is running for election to Monmouth City Council.  He talks about pressing issues facing the city and how he would address them, and the skills & experiences he would bring to the position.