PAGE A10, KEIZERTIMES, SEPTEMBER 18, 2015
PARKS: ‘We need to make
parks a higher priority’
(Continued from pg. A1)
Walsh had a key to the
house, giving most tour mem-
bers their fi rst look inside the
building that used to be the
park’s caretaker home. The
caretaker moved into an ad-
jacent home a few years ago
due to conditions inside the
Charge house.
“The current plan is a sup-
port building or educational
building,” Walsh said. “One
of the big questions is do
we expand the building, or
make it two buildings? Do we
keep what we have, or tear it
down?”
Refurbished
Christmas
lights are stored in the ga-
rage, with Clark pointing out
money saved by that process
could be reappropriated in the
spring by the Keizer Budget
Committee.
At Northview Terrace Park,
the basketball court is in poor
condition, thus the reason for
that park to be included.
“Without
maintenance,
things get to this condition,”
said Robert Johnson, parks
supervisor for the city. “This is
too far gone and needs to be
torn out. We need to invest-
ment money so things don’t
get to this level.”
Walsh emphasized the
point.
“This is what happens
when we don’t invest in our
parks,” Walsh said. “We are
starting to lose our assets. We
need to do more, but we need
more money or else parks will
crumble away.”
Councilor Brandon Smith,
who was chair of the Parks
Board last year, said advocates
for each park in the city need
to be identifi ed. Councilor
Roland Herrera, who was
also on the Parks Board last
year, volunteered to help fi nd
neighborhood park advocates.
At Bob Newton Park,
Johnson said the court needs
to be resurfaced before getting
to the condition of North-
view. An Eagle Scout painted
a shelter, while a slide was re-
placed last week.
Meadows was the fi nal
park on the tour and included
mainly because it hadn’t been
visited in quite a while as part
of the tour.
“The bottom line is we
need to encourage the budget
committee that our mission is
to make sure no one regrets
raising their family in Keizer,”
Walsh said. “The biggest bang
for the buck is in the parks.”
Parks Board member JT
Hager agreed.
“People love their parks,”
Hager said. “People use them
and use them a lot. The mon-
ey is well spent. The challenge
is we need to maintain what
we have. If we don’t maintain
what we have, we will start
losing them. Robert has done
a yeoman’s job.”
Smith noted there was talk
of long-term funding options
a couple of years ago, but those
discussions were abruptly shut
down by former mayor Lore
Christopher.
“We need to get that going
again,” Smith said of the dis-
cussions.
Clark noted the city’s per-
manent tax base can’t be add-
ed to.
“We have to be creative,”
she said. “Maybe we can ask
voters if the time is right.”
Walsh pushed for such con-
versations to get going.
“In the next three to four
years we need to fi nd more
money for parks,” Walsh said.
“We need to make parks a
higher priority. Police is 80
percent of the (general fund)
budget. Don’t get me wrong;
police is a priority. But it
means we’re fi ghting for 4
percent of the budget.”
Hager put the need for
more funding into simple
terms.
“We don’t want to lose
what we have,” Hager said.
Frosh football falls 30-8
McNary High School’s
freshman football team lost
30-8 in a non-league game at
Westview High School Thurs-
day, Sept. 10.
The loss leaves McNary at
1-1 on the season.
McNary took the opening
kickoff and moved the ball
down fi eld led by a 24-yard
pass from Nigel Harris to Ja-
cob Jackson. After an intercep-
tion, it took Westview one play
to score on an 82-yard run
from scrimmage for a 6-0 lead.
After a Jackson interception
and a McNary fumble, West-
view extended its lead to 12-0
on a 63-yard run.
In the second quarter, fol-
lowing interceptions, West-
view scored on passes of 20
and 35 yards to take 24-0 lead
into the locker room at half-
time.
After a scoreless third quar-
ter, Westview continued its big
play barrage with a 75-yard
punt return for a touchdown
and a 30-0 lead.
McNary responded with
a drive in the fourth quarter
led by quarterback David Al-
len and running back Boston
Smith. Allen threw a 51-yard
pass during the drive to re-
ceiver Brayden Lyda on a
catch-and-run. Smith rushed
fi ve times for 32 yards. The
drive culminated with Allen
punching it through from the
one-yard line. His run for a
two-point conversion made
the fi nal score 30-8.
Jackson led the Celtics with
72 yards rushing, 40 yards re-
ceiving, two interceptions and
fi ve tackles.
“We played better than last
week despite the loss,” said Ted
Anagnos, McNary head coach.
A
B
A: Mayor Cathy Clark
pretends to shoot a
basketball while she and
others visit Northview
Terrace Park during Monday
evening’s annual Parks Tour.
B: Members of the Keizer
City Council and the Keizer
Parks and Recreation
Advisory Board talk things
over while at Bob Newton
Park on Monday evening.
C: Keizer Parks Board
member Richard Walsh (far
left) opens the back door of
the Charge house to fellow
Parks Board members as
well as Keizer City Councilors
during Monday evening’s
annual Parks Tour. The
Charge house, vacant for
several years, is in Keizer
Rapids Park, where the tour
started. A group has been
formed to discuss the future
of the house.
Photos by
Craig Murphy/
KEIZERTIMES
C
You Never Know What You’ll
Find At A Collectors West
Gun & Knife Show!
SEPT 19-20
State Fairgrounds - Salem
2330 17th St NE • I-5 Exit #256
Sat: 9a-5p, Sun: 10a-3p • $6 • Free parking