SINCE 1979 • VOLUME 37, NO. 48
SECTION A
OCTOBER 30, 2015
$1.00
Cop: addicts aren’t bad people
By CRAIG MURPHY
Of the Keizertimes
Over the course of nine
years, Chris Nelson learned a
lot about drugs in the area.
Nelson was a member of
the Keizer Police Depart-
ment’s Community Response
Unit for two years, mainly fo-
cused on drugs, before joining
a Drug Enforcement Agency
task force for seven years. Two
years ago, police chief John
Teague brought Nelson back
from the DEA. Nelson is now
a detective working regular
cases with the KPD. Many
of those cases, however, are
directly linked to substance
abuse.
Even with his current du-
ties, Nelson keeps close tabs
on the local drug scene and
has seen the impact of drugs
like heroin.
One of the main things
Nelson learned is the stereo-
type of drug users being ter-
rible people simply isn’t true.
“Many individuals who
are addicted aren’t bad peo-
ple, they just have an addic-
tion to an illicit drug,” Nel-
son said. “The young addicts
were once thriving in school
and the older ones were once
contributing to society – the
addiction has temporarily poi-
soned their ability to thrive.”
As mentioned last week in
the Keizertimes, drug addicts
see others die of the habit
but don’t feel it will happen
to them – even after it does
happen to people like former
Keizer resident Brandon Crist,
who was found dead of a her-
oin overdose in late Septem-
ber at the age of 22.
“Heroin is a very addic-
tive and highly-potent opiate,”
Nelson said. “Unfortunately,
we’ve seen an uptick in heroin
use, which is directly corre-
lated to the rise in overdose
deaths. It’s extremely disturb-
ing when we see – all too of-
ten – the appetite our younger
generation has for this poison.”
During his time on the
DEA task force, Nelson
changed his view somewhat
in terms of what a solution
could be.
“When I was fi rst in law
enforcement, I thought the
solution was enforcement,”
Nelson said. “Over the years
on the task force, I quickly
realized we’re taking out one
(drug) traffi cking organization
and another new one takes its
place. I learned quickly that
if you have the demand for
drugs, it will fi nd its way into
our community.
Please see DRUGS, Page A7
c hasing Dark
Remember
to set your
clocks back
Saturday night
PAGE A2
Chasing Dark is an ongoing series looking
at heroin and other types of drug abuse in Keizer.
Be sure to pick up next week’s paper for the next installment.
Ring site not rock solid Transit, KFD vote
By CRAIG MURPHY
Of the Keizertimes
Are there different ways to
interpret the word no?
Apparently so.
That was on display Tues-
day night at the Keizer Pub-
lic Arts Commission meeting
when the topic of art sculp-
tures along River Road was
brought up.
Earlier this year, Keizer
Public Works employees in-
stalled several sculptures along
the busy thoroughfare. The
one receiving the most atten-
tion was the large Boucher
Jewelers ring, Creative Mem-
ories.
Former Mayor Lore Chris-
topher, chair of KPAC, had
championed the idea of hav-
ing the ring in front of the
jewelry store at 4965 River
Road North.
Ultimately, however, city
attorney Shannon Johnson
decreed the ring could be in-
terpreted as advertising for the
business and thus in violation
of city sign code ordinances.
Thus, the ring sculpture built
for this year’s Iris Festival Pa-
rade was placed in front of
Sonic Drive-In at 3775 River
Road N.
Christopher still didn’t
agree with Johnson’s point of
view and made it known on
Tuesday. She brought it up
as Nate Brown, director for
Community Development,
mentioned a location need-
ing to be approved for the
new Ric Smith American fl ag
sculpture.
“I would like permission
from KPAC to talk to the
Bouchers about moving the
ends on Tuesday
KEIZERTIMES fi le/Craig Murphy
Ballot Measure 24-388 would add more service times to Salem-
Keizer Transit.
KEIZERTIMES fi le/Craig Murphy
The Boucher Jewelers ring, Creative Memories, was placed in
front of Sonic Drive-In in September, a move that didn't please
everyone including former mayor Lore Christopher.
ring,” Christopher said. “You
had talked about taking down
the sign; in its place would be
the ring.”
Brown said that had been
proposed at one point.
“But we never entertained
or accepted that,” he said.
Christopher referenced a
recent Keizertimes editorial on
the subject.
“I want to talk to the
Bouchers,” she reiterated. “I’ve
had six people ask me why not
move it. They argue how is it
different than the bowling ball
planters and sidewalk in front
of the bowling alley, paid by
the city?”
Please see RING, Page A6
By CRAIG MURPHY
Of the Keizertimes
On the national picture, the
big election takes place a year
from Tuesday.
But locally, two big issues
will be decided this coming
Tuesday.
The one that’s been most
talked about is Ballot Mea-
sure 24-388, the proposed
0.21 percent business payroll
tax to pay for increased local
transit service. Offi cials with
the Salem-Keizer Transit Dis-
trict have estimated the new
tax, which will be collected
starting in 2017, will bring in
about $5 million in new rev-
enue a year.
Anyone reading the Keiz-
ertimes lately – or driving by
busy intersections on certain
days – knows opposition has
been strong. Both the Keizer
and Salem Area Chambers of
Commerce have led organized
efforts to protest the payroll
tax as being unfair.
In addition to the sign wav-
ing, the chambers have also
produced ads against the pay-
roll tax and spoken out in oth-
er forums such as luncheons.
While the opposition has
been vocal, proponents of
the tax have been far quieter.
Transit board members have
spoken at several Keizer meet-
ings this month, but the small
crowds at each means a total
of about 25 people heard the
message. Discussion of the
funding during the Oct. 12
Keizer City Council work
session drew a strong rebuke
from councilor Amy Ryan,
who asserted it wasn’t fair for
transit offi cials to campaign
for the tax since opponents
hadn’t been invited to speak.
Few, not even the op-
ponents, have been arguing
against the need for more rev-
enue since transit offi cials will
be using the money to fund
the restoration of weekend
service, extended weeknight
service and bus passes for
middle school and high school
students.
Shopping
cart rules
PAGE A2
Beauty and
the Beast
PAGE A5
Please see VOTE, Page A7
Time to walk with
a Keizer fi refi ghter
That's a giant pumpkin...
KEIZERTIMES/Eric A. Howald
Weddle Elementary School students Kaydence Lawrence and Liliana Vera try to move a
giant pumpkin brought to the school by Sandy and Gary Wheeler Friday, Oct. 23. In addi-
tion to trying to move the 1,000-pound-plus pumpkins, students at the school got to ask
questions about the life cycles of the huge gourds.
By CRAIG MURPHY
Of the Keizertimes
First there was Shop with
a Cop.
Now there’s Walk with a
Firefi ghter.
Walk with a Firefi ghter
starts Tuesday, Nov. 3 at 10
a.m. at Panera Bread, located
at 6110 Keizer Station Boule-
vard in Keizer Station.
The walk is a partnership
between the Keizer Fire Dis-
trict and Just Walk Salem. Skye
Hibbard-Swanson, Just Walk
Salem coordinator, brought up
the idea recently at a Greater
Gubser Neighborhood As-
sociation meeting. Lindsey
Walker with Salem Leader-
ship Foundation connected
her with Keizer fi re chief Jeff
Cowan, who in turn connect-
ed Hibbard-Swanson with
Anne-Marie Storms, Public
Education specialist for KFD.
“The goal is to make it a
weekly thing, rain or shine,”
Storms said. “We’ll be at Pane-
ra each Tuesday at 10 a.m. The
whole goal is to allow anyone
to come. It’s fl at and paved.
The walk is about two miles
total. Wanted to fi nd some-
where safe.”
The walk will go to Kai-
ser Permanente, follow the
pathway down to Starbucks,
go to Sleep Country, then go
to Lowe’s and behind Staples
and Petco before crossing to
go behind Target, then con-
cluding back at Panera Bread.
Please see WALK, Page A6
MHS boys
soccer done
PAGE A8