MARCH 6, 2015, KEIZERTIMES, PAGE A3
One day, two garage sales
on tap for Aug. 1 in Keizer
By CRAIG MURPHY
Of the Keizertimes
Looking to do as many ga-
rage sales as possible in one
day in Keizer?
If so, remember this date:
Saturday, Aug. 1.
That is the date members
of the Greater Gubser Neigh-
borhood Association will be
holding their third annual
neighborhood-wide garage
sale.
That is also the date for the
17 th annual McNary Estates
garage sale.
Having the two big sales on
the same day wasn’t planned.
Both groups chose the date
to avoid confl icts with other
events and happened to inad-
vertently create a new confl ict.
“It was certainly not a
competitive thing with Gub-
ser,” said Dave Parker, organiz-
er of the McNary Estates ga-
rage sale and president of the
McNary Estates Homeowners
Association.
While the McNary Estates
sale used to be on the third
Saturday of August, last year
the event was held on the sec-
ond Saturday of that month.
“It confl icted with so
many events going on,” Parker
said. “There was a big family
golf event, RIVERfair and a
bunch of other activities. So
we changed it to the fi rst Sat-
urday for this year. We couldn’t
change it to later in the month
because there is too much go-
ing on like fairs, school start-
ing and Labor Day.”
However, the latest date
change wasn’t widely known.
When GGNA members dis-
cussed when to have their sale
during their January monthly
meeting, it was emphasized
the McNary Estates sale has
traditionally been held on the
third Saturday of August.
“The end of August is too
close to school,” GGNA presi-
dent Mark Caillier said at the
January meeting. “This is what
I’ve been advised, to have it at
the start of the month. I would
say let’s go with the fi rst of
August.”
When Caillier was remind-
ed to not step on McNary Es-
tates’ toes, Caillier pointed out
that was one reason for choos-
ing Aug. 1.
“That’s a huge garage sale
they have,” Caillier said. “We
don’t want to piggyback.”
During
the
February
GGNA meeting, Caillier not-
ed the confl ict with the garage
sale.
“We had scheduled it for
Aug. 1,” he said. “McNary
Estates changed theirs to the
same date. I still think Aug. 1
is a wise date at this point. If
we try to go later it’s an issue.”
Gerry Nichols was among
the GGNA members agreeing
with the idea of keeping the
sale on that day.
“I think that is a perfect
date,” Nichols said.
Caillier noted the sale will
offi cially run from 9 a.m. to 3
p.m.
Brad Coy, the former
GGNA president who learned
how to launch the garage sale
thanks to tips from McNary
Estates residents, suggested
using Google maps to mark
what houses will be partici-
pating.
“It would be easy to create
a survey saying what you have
and send it out by Nextdoor,
Facebook and more,” Coy
said. “You would click on a
few boxes, then convert to a
Google map.”
Coy noted two garage sales
on one day will make logis-
tics more diffi cult, particularly
for participating sellers who
would also want to check out
the wares at the other neigh-
borhood.
“With it being the same
day as McNary, one thought
was about people here being
able to go to McNary as well,”
Coy said. “Keep in mind there
are a lot of garage sale hawks
looking for the deals. Hav-
ing the McNary sale on the
same day, it will likely attract
that crowd in more force than
if the sales were on different
days.”
Parker, who noted the Mc-
Nary Estates sale will go from
8 a.m. to 4 p.m., sees no is-
sue in working with GGNA
members on promoting both
sales together.
“I would not be adverse to
that,” he said. “We have our
signs at entrances to McNary.
We had 98 participants last
year. It was successful. The
number has been over 100 on
occasion. The last few years
it’s been in the high 90s. The
United Gospel Mission comes
for leftovers at the end. We tell
people, anything you don’t
want when it’s over, put it at
the foot of your driveway and
UGM will pick it up.”
We’ll transform your kitchen
or bath into what you’ve
always dreamed of
503.393.2875
remodelkeizer.com
CCB#155626
Members
of the
Keizer Arts
Commission
discuss the
work of local
artist Louise
Boucher
during their
Feb. 24
meeting.
KEIZERTIMES/
Craig Murphy
Art interest picking up
By CRAIG MURPHY
Of the Keizertimes
Things are fi lling up for the
gallery at Keizer Civic Center.
In the last couple of years,
efforts have been made to get
new art hanging at city hall on
a rotating basis. That effort is
paying off.
Currently the Mid Val-
ley Quilt Guild has work
on display. The exhibit went
up in January and continues
through the end of March, for
the second consecutive year.
The group is expected to re-
turn again next January.
At their meeting on Feb.
24, members of the Keizer
Arts Commission – expected
to be formally renamed the
Keizer Public Arts Commis-
sion soon – went over the up-
coming schedule of exhibits.
Up to 50 paintings by Lou-
ise Boucher will be on display
from April through June, fol-
lowed by a Colored Pencil Art
display from July through Sep-
tember. Student art from Mc-
Nary High School is expected
to adorn the walls from Oc-
tober through the end of the
year, followed by another quilt
display. Next spring, the pho-
tos of Mike Hare will be up.
KAC chair Lore Christo-
pher gave background into
Boucher’s work and had Nate
Brown, director of Commu-
nity Development, present a
slideshow of the work.
“This is a request from
a Keizer legacy family, the
Bouchers,” Christopher said.
“This is one of the families
that helped with the ballot
for this to be a city. There are
about 50 paintings available.
There will be nothing inap-
propriate. It’s a life’s work
show of a community mem-
ber. Nate’s fear is more people
will come forward (with art to
display); I’m fi ne with that.”
Brown noted sizes on some
of the pieces are unknown,
which means all of the pieces
might not fi t in the gallery.
Christopher noted some
of the pieces have been in
Boucher Jewelers on a rotat-
ing basis in the past.
“People will really respond
to that,” Christopher said.
“She’s painted for something
like 38 years. She’s no longer
painting.”
As Brown continued to go
through his slideshow, KAC
member Rick Day was im-
pressed.
“These are wonderful,”
Day said.
Christopher acknowledged
another issue to fi gure out will
be framing, but she expressed
confi dence issues will get
worked out.
“Ron Boucher contacted
us and said, ‘It would mean a
lot to our family to allow our
mother to display her work.’ I
said I think we can do that,”
she said.
Christopher
appreciated
Ron contacting the city with
the idea.
“I love that he wanted to
do it for his mother,” Christo-
pher said. “Many are familiar
with the paintings by com-
ing into Bouchers. I think it’s
wonderful to do.”
The display will begin
somewhere around April 1.
It hasn’t been determined yet
if there will be a reception.
Brown said Ron indicated
the family would be fi ne with
pieces being sold while on
display. KAC members noted
that would require the family
to come up with cards to put
next to the pieces.
After the colored art display
in the summer, Christopher is
hoping to have a Salem-Keiz-
er Education Foundation Art
Show from October through
the end of 2015, with another
wall fi lled with art by MHS
students. Christopher noted
she still has to set things up
with Krina Lee (SKEF) and
Todd Layton (MHS)
“They have an art show
right now at Keizer Heritage,”
Christopher said of MHS stu-
dents. “Everything is profes-
sionally matted and tagged,
with the name of the artist
and the piece plus the price.
They’ve sold 12 pieces so far.
Todd was interested in having
a student art show here. We
would partner with SKEF for
doing a show. I’m thinking we
could curate our own show
for October through Decem-
ber. I think that’s the perfect
time to have art by kids.”