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About Keizertimes. (Salem, Or.) 1979-current | View Entire Issue (March 20, 2015)
MARCH 20, 2015, KEIZERTIMES, PAGE A3 Cherriots is Moving Forward By CRAIG MURPHY Of the Keizertimes Increased frequency of ser- vice along key bus routes in Salem and Keizer will be tak- ing effect on Sept. 8. The Salem-Keizer Transit Board of Directors recently approved a Moving Forward plan, after a year of outreach efforts by transit offi cials. Allan Pollock, general manager for Cherriots, noted the changes represent phase 1. In the fi rst phase, popular routes will increase to stops every 15 minutes, as opposed to the current 30 minutes. The routes will keep the stops every 15 minutes from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m., dropping to stops every 30 minutes from 7 to 9 p.m. The fi rst phase does not in- clude added evening or week- end service. “We morphed phase 2 and 3 into just phase 2, for evening and weekend service,” Pollock said. As previously mentioned in the Keizertimes, weekend ser- vice was eliminated in 2009 due to budget constraints be- ing faced at the time. “For phase 2, the board asked me to do some outreach events and report back my fi ndings in May,” Pollock said. “The board will not go (for a vote) in May. We are potential- ly looking at November 2015 or later. More revenue would be needed.” Pollock said two options are being looked at to bring in additional revenue, either of which would require a vote. One option would be a fi ve- year property tax at $.58 per KEIZERTIMES/Craig Murphy Cherriots general manager Allan Pollock (right), shown talking to U.S. Rep. Kurt Schrader during the Keizer Transit Center’s grand opening in 2013, will be doing outreach about two options being looked at to expand bus service in the area. $1,000 of assessed value or a permanent payroll tax. “In order to implement phase 2, it will take $5 million a year,” Pollock said. “It would have to be new revenue.” Prior to the May 28 board meeting, community outreach meetings will be held. “What the board is really doing is trying to determine what the community support is for the two options and when we should seek going out for the ballot measures,” Pollock said. It hasn’t been determined yet when an option would be sent out for a vote. Jared Choc, Planning and Technology manager for Sa- lem-Keizer Transit, gave a syn- looking back in the KT 5 YEARS AGO Prime Steak has closed Prime Steak and Seafood at McNary Golf Club has closed. The golf club manager described the closing as “fairly sudden.” 10 YEARS AGO Let’s make a deal on Keizer Station property The Keizer City Council has put off a decision on possible condemnation of a Keizer couple’s land at the freeway, opting instead to take one more shot at negotiating to buy the property. 15 YEARS AGO City picks Kansan as new manager The Keizer City Council has chosen Christopher C. Eppley, a 28-year-old administrator for the city of Tonganoxie, Kan. as Keizer’s new city manager, succeeding Wally Mull. 20 YEARS AGO School size stirs parent concerns The plan to add sixth-graders to Whiteaker Middle School next fall has some Keizer parents worried. One concern was that the student body would be too large to ensure order and safety for all students. sudoku Enter digits from 1-9 into the blank spaces. Every row must contain one of each digit. So must every column, as must every 3x3 square. KEIZERTIMES.COM Web Poll Results Should logos or corporate advertising be permitted at The Big Toy playground at Keizer Rapids Park? 53% - No 47% - Yes Vote in a new poll every Thursday! GO TO KEIZERTIMES.COM opsis of Moving Forward in October. “Phase 1 is increased fre- quency on busy routes,” Choc said at the time. “That’s a change from now. Now, routes operate with peak ser- vice. We’ve found bus usage is consistent through the day. Buses are running on a con- sistent schedule with this new phase. It will hopefully lead to increased ridership. The bus is used by commuters, but not all workers have shifts that start at 8 a.m. It’s becoming more and more of a national trend that ridership is more stable throughout the day than in the past.” According to a statement from Cherriots, Moving Forward will add crosstown routes resulting in fewer trans- fers and reduced travel time while staying within the cur- rent budget. As one example, riders can catch a bus every 15 minutes on South Commer- cial Street in Salem and take it to the Keizer Transit Center without any transfers. Choc noted last year a common question transit of- fi cials get is when weekend service will be restored. “Everyone tells us they want weekend service,” Choc said. “We have a proposal for that. This is preplanning for what Saturday service could be. We’re trying to do more with the resources we have.” More information about Moving Forward is available at the Cherriots website online at www.cherriots.org/mov- ingforward. Keizer Albertsons is converting to Haggen By CRAIG MURPHY Of the Keizertimes The Albertsons in Keizer will soon become a Haggen. The store is one of 20 Alb- ertsons or Safeways in Oregon being converted to Haggens in the fi rst half of 2015. As previously mentioned in the Keizertimes, Washington- based Haggen Food and Gro- cery used to have 18 grocery stores and 16 pharmacies in Oregon and Washington, but is in the process of acquiring 146 Safeways and Albertsons around Oregon, Washington, Califor- nia, Nevada and Arizona. Albertsons and Safeway un- derwent a merger earlier last year, with the agreement to sell 168 stores to acquire merger approval as part of AB Acqui- sition LLC agreeing to buy Safeway for $9.4 billion. Hag- gen is acquiring 146 of those stores, including the Albertsons in Keizer that opened in 1985. The Safeway in Keizer will be unchanged. Nine stores are listed for transition to Haggen this month, with eight of them be- ing Albertsons. The fi rst con- version is expected to take place in Lake Oswego today, March 20. The Keizer Albertsons is one of eight stores listed for conver- sion in April. As part of the conversions, Haggen leaders are looking to meet with community mem- bers in informal, public meet- ings. Local farmers and produc- ers will be able to discuss selling their wares on Haggen’s shelves, while small businesses can talk about co-marketing programs and non-profi t organizations can learn about Haggen’s com- munity giving. “We hope community members will join us for a fun evening to learn about how we can work together to strength- en our community,” said John Clougher, CEO of Haggen Pa- cifi c Northwest. Deborah Pleva with Wein- stein PR said an exact date for the Keizer Albertsons hasn’t been determined yet. “It is slated to convert late March to early April,” Pleva said. “We will reach out as soon as we have determined the date and time of the community meeting.” The conversion schedule for each store will follow a similar Submitted Washington-based Haggen will be the name soon on the current Albertsons in Keizer. timeline. The store will close at 6 p.m. Haggen will take owner- ship of the store just after mid- night and begin the conversion. Both interior and exterior sig- nage will change at all locations and every store interior will re- ceive a fresh coat of paint. Then two days after the closure, the store re-opens as a Haggen. Dennis McCoy, Communi- cations and Public Affairs man- ager for Albertsons, told the Keizertimes back in December shoppers won’t notice much difference. “Under the terms of the purchase agreement, Haggen has agreed to hire all store em- ployees upon the close of the Albertsons/Safeway merger,” McCoy said. 3893 COMMERCIAL ST SE local weather THIS WEEK’S MOVIE TIMES Wild (R) Fri 6:45, Sat 9:10, Sun 7:45 Unbroken (PG-13) Fri 4:10, 9;00, Sat 4:30, Sun 12:00, 5:10 The Wedding Ringer (R) Fri 9:05, Sat 7:10 Sun 8:05 The Hobbit: Battle of the 5 Armies (PG-13) Fri 6:20, Sat 7;45, Sun 6:55 Project Almanac (PG-13) Fri 2:15, Sat 2:25 Paddignton (PG) Fri 11:35, 3:55, Sat 12:55, Sun 12:20, 2:20 Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 (PG-13) Fri 8:15, Sat 6:30, Sun 5:45 Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb (PG) Fri 12:00, 4:25, Sat 11;45, Sun 1:00 Penguins of Madagascar (PG) Sat 12:30 Into the Woods (PG) Fri 1:30, 5:55, Sat 2:50, 5:15, 8;50, Sun 4:30 Big Hero 6 (PG) Fri 2:00, Sun 3:00 FOR ALL SHOWTIMES GO TO NORTHERNLIGHTSTHEATREPUB.COM