SINCE 1979 • VOLUME 37, NO. 26
SECTION A
MAY 29, 2015
$1.00
Praying for Austin
KEIZERTIMES/Eric A. Howald
Austin Verboort's family and friends
attend a prayer vigil Wednesday, May
27. Verboort sustained critical injuries in
a crash Friday, May 22.
MHS student in coma after crash
By CRAIG MURPHY
Of the Keizertimes
A McNary High School student
remained in critical condition this
week following a savage crash just after
school was released for Memorial Day
weekend last Friday, May 22.
The two-vehicle crash happened
just after 2:30 p.m. on Lockhaven
Drive North, near McClure Street
North and involved three MHS ju-
niors, all of whom were 16-year-old
Keizer males.
Christopher Roger Gibson was
driving a 1986 Chevrolet Blazer while
Austin Daniel Verboort was behind the
wheel of a 1995 Jeep Wrangler. Trevor
David Guzman was a passenger in the
Jeep.
Though the initial Keizer Police
Department report listed the accident
as a head-on crash, pictures from the
scene seemed to indicate the Jeep was
t-boned on the left side by the Blazer,
with the driver’s door taking the brunt
of the impact.
All three teens were taken to Salem
Hospital, with Verboort suffering criti-
cal injuries and in a coma. The other
two were released by the following day.
The Verboort family released a state-
ment through the hospital on Sunday
evening.
“On Friday night, Austin was in-
volved in a tragic accident resulting in
a traumatic brain injury,” the statement
read. “Austin had surgery to allevi-
ate swelling in his brain and to repair
a fractured femur. Austin is in a coma
and listed in critical condition. Please
continue to pray for healing for Austin,
Trevor, and Chris – along with their
families. We are incredibly thankful
for the amazing outpouring of love
and support – both spiritually and fi -
nancially – we have received from our
families, friends, the community and
the caring staff at Salem Hospital.”
The statement also asked for privacy
and no media interviews.
Mark Glyzewski, Public Relations
consultant with Salem Health, couldn’t
say on Tuesday afternoon whether Ver-
boort was still in a coma or not.
KLL to make list of needs
By CRAIG MURPHY
Of the Keizertimes
This one might sound a
little familiar.
Members of the Keizer
Little League will be coming
up with a list of improvements
needed at Keizer Little League
Park.
Brad Arnsmeier and Paul
McGrath brought up the top-
ic at this month’s Keizer Parks
and Recreation Advisory
board meeting.
“We understand the fi elds
we are playing on were once
the crown jewel for our dis-
trict,” Arnsmeier said. “We had
nice fi elds growing up. Once
this facility was completed, it
was fantastic. In the last seven
or eight years we’ve been try-
“I can confi rm Austin Verboort is in
critical condition,” he said.
On May 23, Paula Keller-Phelps
started a GoFundMe website to raise
$10,000 to help the Verboort family.
That goal was later raised to $20,000
as the $10,000 mark was reached
in about two days. As of Wednesday
morning, more than $13,000 had been
raised by more than 200 people.
The site noted Verboort suffered a
broken leg in the accident, which doc-
tors performed surgery on. An update
from Monday noted Verboort started
breathing on his own that morning
and that his temperature and vital signs
continued to improve.
Sidebar:
Friends
talk about
Verboort
PAGE A10
Council
to look at
budget
PAGE A2
Please see CRASH, Page A10
Changed idea
for next mural
Lady Celts
advance
at state
PAGE A8
KEIZERTIMES/Craig Murphy
City leaders look at Keizer Little League Park during a Parks
Tour in 2013.
ing to build a community. In
the process, the fi elds have
been left behind a little. There
is work to be done. There are
things we’d like to see im-
proved.”
Please see KLL, Page A6
Three seniors sign…
KEIZERTIMES/Eric A. Howald
McNary seniors Kiana Villarreal, Megan Ulrey and Kimi Ito all signed letters of intent to
play softball in college Friday, May 22. Villarreal will play for Kansas' Steward County
Community College. Ulrey and Ito will play for George Fox University. For more on each
of the girls, grab a copy of the upcoming editions of the Keizertimes.
KEIZERTIMES fi le/Craig Murphy
Jill Hagen (left) and Lore Christopher (center) talk with Don
Lebold about a mural design in February. The design to put on
the side of Town and Country Lanes has since been changed.
By CRAIG MURPHY
Of the Keizertimes
So what will the mural at
Town and Country Lanes
look like?
That’s a good question.
As it was originally ex-
plained by members of the
Keizer Public Arts Commis-
sion, the town’s second public
mural – scheduled to be done
this fall – was to include a vari-
ety of items, including pictures
of fi lberts, trees, irises, various
fruits and more. A river would
go through the center of the
mural, with children doing
handprints and professional
artists helping out as well.
However, that was just an
idea. After the March KPAC
meeting, Kim Steen men-
tioned the north wall of the
building where the mural is
going – 140 feet wide – would
be a great spot for a mural of
the Iris Festival Parade.
Chair Lore Christopher
championed that idea at the
April KPAC meeting.
“We have two artists in-
terested. Kim was thinking it
would be perfect for a parade
(mural),” Christopher said.
“We thought that was magic.
That spot would indeed be
perfect for a parade.”
Jill Hagen, who originally
met with Town and Country
owner Don Lebold in Febru-
ary to get him on board with
the idea, said a third artist is
also interested.
“We set an April 30 (call to
artists) deadline,” Christopher
said of when potential designs
should be submitted. “They all
need more time. I’m thinking
we can even push it to June
15.”
Such a motion was made.
Christopher noted a pos-
sible site for another mural
down the road.
“We wanted to do a Keiz-
er history mural,” she said.
“We’re thinking the south end
of the old Roth’s building is
the perfect place. You could
see it on the way to Keizer
Rapids Park.”
If that indeed happens, it
would open up the Town and
Country mural for being fo-
cused on the parade, a main-
stay in Keizer for decades.
Please see MURAL, Page A6
Sisters
are fourth
at state
PAGE A8