MAY 1, 2015, KEIZERTIMES, PAGE A5
KeizerCommunity
KEIZERTIMES.COM
From Keizer to the Big Apple
By CRAIG MURPHY
Of the Keizertimes
Keizer native Steven
Kirby was hoping to land a
full-time job with the city.
It didn’t happen.
Don’t feel too sorry for the
2010 McNary High School
graduate, however. After all,
he now has a full-time job
working for a city you may
have heard of before: New
York City.
Yes, Kirby is working in
the New York City Parks
Department.
On the surface, it may
seem like quite the leap to
go from interning at the City
of Keizer in the summer of
2013 to getting a job in this
country’s biggest city.
Below
the
surface,
however, it’s not so surprising.
After
all,
between
graduating from MHS and
his spring 2014 graduation
from the University of
Oregon, Kirby completed
internships in Washington
D.C. for Oregon senator Jeff
Merkley, plus he interned in
the state governor’s offi ce
the same summer he became
Keizer City Manager Chris
Eppley’s fi rst intern. He was
profi led in the Keizertimes at
that time for his role.
Now he’s on a bigger
stage.
Kirby said he heard about
the New York City Parks
Fellowing and Conservation
program during his last year
at O, thanks to a former
student who had been in the
program the year before.
“I had this weird urge
to live in New York,” Kirby
said. “This was a perfect
opportunity to live in New
York. There were 700 people
who applied for this program
and I was one of 30 lucky
enough to be chosen.”
Kirby moved to New York
last September, originally
rooming with MHS friend
Davis Jones, who has since
landed a job in San Diego.
“I work in government
relations offi ce for the parks,”
said Kirby, whose offi ce in the
Arsenal building overlooks
famed Central Park. “I’m a
liaison between New York
City parks and any elected
offi cials,
state
assembly,
senate or council. Anything
political, I deal with it.”
Originally
Kirby’s
appointment was slated
to end in June. In March,
however, he was hired on
full-time.
“It’s now the same job, just
permanent. I’ll be sticking
around a little while. It’s fun
living out here. It’s a little bit
different than Keizer, believe
it or not,” Kirby said with a
laugh.
It took Kirby a few weeks
to get adjusted to living in
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Former City of Keizer intern Steven Kirby, seen here with New York’s skyline in the background,
now works for The Big Apple’s Parks Department.
a city of more than eight
million people.
“It is funny now how
normal everything seems
here in the city,” he said. “For
the fi rst month I was shocked
by the pace. Now I get up,
get on the subway and get to
the offi ce. I’ve been out here
eight months now. It feels
more normal now.”
At Christmastime Kirby
spent some time in Keizer,
visiting friends and doing
typical things like driving
around to see the Keizer
Miracle
of
Christmas
Lights display in the Gubser
neighborhood.
“I thought at Christmas
Keizer would feel so weird
and different,” Kirby said.
“But I lived there 18 years. I
immediately felt comfortable
and home. I could live here
(in NYC) 50 years and still
say I’m an Oregonian. When
I came back here, I thought
I would feel shock and the
scale. But this feels familiar
now. It’s not as drastic as I
once thought.”
Just how familiar does
NYC feel for Kirby? Let’s
put it this way: he gets high
praise for his tour guide skills
from his dad.
“I think it’s great,” Mike
Kirby said of his son’s job
in New York. “He’s always
wanted to live in a big city.
He wants to be there. He’s
done a good job with the
city. Good for him. Plus he’s
a great tour guide. He can get
us around town really well.”
Mike Kirby and other
family members plan to take
another visit later this spring.
Even though they’re in
different parts of the country,
Mike is clearly proud of his
son.
“He’s done well here and
back there as well,” Mike
Kirby said. “We’re pleased
about that, of course. That’s
what you want him to do.
He’s tried a variety of things
and done well.”
Steven Kirby said such
support means a lot.
“I feel very fortunate
with the opportunities I’ve
been given,” he said. “I have
the most loving support
system with my parents,
my brother and my friends.
My parents and brother are
100 percent behind me. I
wouldn’t have this without
the opportunities people like
my parents and Chris Eppley
gave me.”
When Kirby interned for
Eppley in 2013, he termed
it a “city government fantasy
camp” and indicated he
wanted to work at a city level
after having also seen the
inside workings of state and
federal government.
“In Keizer you have
fi nance, planning and public
works all in one big building,”
Kirby. “In New York City,
each department has a
different building. Interning
in Keizer gave me a feel for
what city government feels
like. It’s different here, but yet
it’s the same feel. Chris really
gave me opportunities to
work with different facets of
the city. I have been able to
translate that here. I worked
on independent projects for
Chris like the city survey,
which really helped. Now
we’re rolling out an initiative
in city parks here. It’s the
same service, but obviously a
lot more. It’s on a bigger scale.
The root of the foundation is
the same, but you’re talking
about eight million people
versus 38,000.”
Hearing about Kirby’s
update wasn’t much of a
shock to Eppley.
“He was a great intern and
we all really enjoyed having
him here,” Eppley said. “It’s
no surprise to me that he’s
doing well in New York.”
Even though he’s across
the country from home,
Kirby still has reminders of
home. For example, the fi rst
several months in the Big
Apple meant living with
Jones, a friend from his
McNary days.
“That made the transition
easier, having a good friend
from high school here,”
Kirby said.
Kirby also felt he needed
a Keizer connection in his
offi ce, so about a month ago
he got a photo of the Keizer
Civic Center to go next to a
big Celt.
“Now I see Keizer every
day at my desk,” he said.
Of course, that’s not all
Kirby sees at his desk.
“Our offi ce is within
Central Park, right next to
the Central Park Zoo,” he
said. “I can see the sea lion
tank from my desk. If I get
bored, I can lean back and
look to the right and see sea
lions.”
WorshipDirectory
These Salem-Keizer houses of worship invite you to visit.
Call to list your church in our Worship Directory: (503) 390-1051
John Knox Presbyterian Church
JOIN US FOR
SUNDAY WORSHIP
8:30 am • 10 am • 11:30 am • 6 pm
PEOPLESCHURCH
4500 LANCASTER DR NE | SALEM
503.304.4000 • www.peopleschurch.com
Celebration
Services
Saturday Evening
6:00 pm
Children’s Programs, Student and Adult Ministries
1755 Lockhaven Dr. NE Keizer
503-390-3900
www.dayspringfellowship.com
452 Cummings Lane North • 393-0404
Father Gary L. Zerr, Pastor
Saturday Vigil Liturgy: 5:30 p.m.
Sundays: 8:15 a.m. & 10:30 a.m.
La Misa en Español: 12:30 p.m.
Rev. Dr. John Neal, Pastor
Worship - 10:30 a.m.
Education Hour - 10:00 a.m.
Nursery Care Available
www.keizerjkpres.org
Jason Lee UMC
820 Jeff erson St. NE
Salem OR 97301
9:00 am
Dr. Jon F. Langenwalter, Pastor
The church with the purple doors
10:45 am
Worship at 9:30 am • Child Care Available
Sunday Morning
and
503-364-2844
Faith Lutheran Church
4505 River Rd N • 393-4507
Sunday Schedule:
9:00 a.m. Children’s Church
9:15 a.m. Adult Bible Study
9:30 a.m. Children’s Activities
Pastor
Virginia Eggert 10:30 a.m. Worship with Communion