SINCE 1979 • VOLUME 38, NO. 28
SECTION A
APRIL 14, 2017
$1.00
Daycare shut down by DHS
KEIZERTIMES/Andrew Jackson
Iris Valley Learning Center was closed by DHS last week.
By ERIC A. HOWALD
Of the Keizertimes
The sign on the door claims
Iris Valley Learning Center,
530 Dietz Avenue N.E., was
closed by the Oregon Depart-
ment of Human Services due
to “paperwork issues.”
The truth is that the closure
came after repeated violations
of staffi ng and sanitation rules
for child care facilities.
“Going back several years,
we would fi nd issues at the
site related to staff or sanita-
tion and we would add ad-
ditional support and supervi-
sion. Things would improve
for a while then go back to
where they were when we
stepped in,” said Dawn Woods,
child care director for the Or-
egon Department of Educa-
tion (ODE) early learning
division.
In March, representatives
of ODE notifi ed owner Con-
nie Williams they intended to
revoke her license, but Wil-
liams did not respond. About
two weeks ago, another com-
plaint was received about the
site and ODE offi cials made
another visit to Iris Valley.
After discovering that condi-
tions had deteriorated again,
the decision was made to shut
it down.
Parents who planned to
drop off their children Tues-
day, April 4, found a note on
the door notifying them of
the closure and directing them
to call 2-1-1 to fi nd alternate
care. The site is permitted to
care for up to 115 children of
varying ages.
Please see DAYCARE, Page A10
Crash–
BOOM
–
bang
Wind storm leaves wreckage in wake
By ERIC A. HOWALD
Of the Keizertimes
Two trees felled by strong
winds lay across Chemawa
Road North and Northeast
for most of a day while util-
ity and public works crews
scrambled to clean up and
restore power throughout the
mid-Willamette Valley Friday,
April 7.
“We had to wait for PGE
and Comcast to respond and
remove the downed wires be-
fore the tree could be cut up
and removed from the road-
way,” said Bill Lawyer, Keizer
Public Works director. “Given
the strength and duration of
the wind storm, we actually
fared pretty well.”
Strong winds blew through
the area causing a wide range
of damages to homes, vehicles,
businesses and impeding travel.
Girl Scout
provides
pals for
patients
PAGE A5
Student art at
Civic Center
PAGE A7
Arrest made
in bomb
threat
Please see STORM, Page A10
PAGE A8
TOP & RIGHT: Vehicles and apartment garages both fell victim to the high winds at Lockhaven Hill Estates (Submitted by Devon Green) . LEFT: A felled tree near the
intersection of Chemawa Road Northeast and Kinglet Way Northeast blocked the road in both directions for most of the day.
CASA lands in Keizer
By ERIC A. HOWALD
Of the Keizertimes
There’s a another non-
profi t organization calling
Keizer home.
Court Appointed Special
Advocates (CASA) moved
into the space formerly oc-
cupied by Keizer Liquor last
week, and the move is a result
of signifi cant growth in the
program during the last year.
Executive
Director
Shaney Starr joined the orga-
nization in May 2016. At the
time, CASA had fewer than
50 volunteers to handle the
cases of 561 children in fos-
ter care throughout Marion
County.
“We were only getting
about fi ve to seven volun-
teers at each of our trainings,
but we swore in 22 at our
KEIZERTIMES/Lyndon A. Zaitz
Pinwheels in the lawn of the new CASA offi ce on River Road
North represent children in foster care.
fi rst class in this building over
the weekend,” Starr said.
The organization needs
about 200 volunteers to
provide CASA representa-
tion that is mandated by the
courts. Starr said the organi-
zation is close to 100 volun-
teers now.
Please see CASA, Page A13
Budget talks continue
to frustrate citizens
the committee at a meeting of
By ERIC A. HOWALD
the Long Range Planning Task
Of the Keizertimes
Adding offi cers to the Force Monday, April 10. The
Keizer Police Department task force includes the bud-
get committee
has been one
and members
of the top pri-
of the Keizer
orities for the “ We talk about
City Council.
Keizer’s Bud-
police being
“We
talk
get Advisory
Committee
a priority, but it about police
being a prior-
for the past
obviously isn’t” ity, but it ob-
several cycles.
viously
isn’t
Yet, despite re-
— Joseph Gillis,
because
we
peated advoca-
Budget Committee
haven’t done
cy on the part
anything about
of
commit-
it,” said Joseph
tee members,
there are no additional offi cers Gillis, a member of the budget
in the current draft budget for committee.
Jonathan Thompson, an-
the 2017-18 fi scal year.
The situation drew the dis- other member of the budget
pleasure of some members of
‘The
buzzards
were circling
around
my arm’
PAGE A14
Please see BUDGET, Page A13
Saturday, Apr 22 9AM – 4PM
Keizer
3555 River Road N, Keizer
(503) 463 - 4853
Take the wheel. Help your School.
Take a free test- drive and Ford Motor Co.
will donate $20 to McNary High School,
$ 6,000!
UP
TO
Come & help break last year’s
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The more people who drive, the more you’ll earn for McNary. You do the math.