PAGE A2, KEIZERTIMES, NOVEMBER 20, 2015
Gahlsdorf stepping down after 18 years
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Today in History
Twenty-four high-ranking Nazis go on trial in Nuremberg,
Germany, for atrocities committed during World War II.
— November 20, 1945
Food 4 Thought
“Show me a man who claims he is objective and I’ll show
you a man with illusions.”
— Henry R. Luce, 20th century publisher
The Month Ahead
Friday, November 20
Oregon Symphony Association in Salem presents Mozart’s
Piano Concerto No. 27 with pianist Franceso Piemontesi.
Also on the program: Concerto for Orchestra, Brahms’
Symphony No. 3. orsymphonysalem.org.
Saturday, November 21
Whiteaker Middle School’s annual Stuff the Bus food
drive. Deliver perishable food to school bus in the Keizer
Safeway parking lot, between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.
Saturday, November 21 – Sunday, November 22
Old Fashion Christmas, Jackman-Long Building at Oregon
State Fairgrounds. A nostalgic celebration of the holidays.
Arts, crafts, antiques, food, live entertainment. Admission
is $4. Hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m.- 5
p.m. Sunday. www.centraloregonshows.com.
Sunday, November 22
The Creation, considered Joseph Haydn’s greatest work,
will be presented by Festival Chorale Oregon, 4 p.m. at the
Historic Elsinore Theatre. Tickets are $20, $15 for seniors,
$5 for students. festivalchorale.org.
Tuesday, November 24
Keizer Public Arts Commission meeting, 6 p.m. in council
chambers at Keizer Civic Center, 930 Chemawa Road NE.
Thursday, November 26
Turkey Dash 5K Fun Run/Walk presented by the Keizer
Chamber of Commerce. Registration opens at 7 a.m., race
starts at 8 a.m. www.keizerchamber.com.
Friday, November 27
Santa arrives aboard the Carousel Express at Salem’s
Riverfront Carousel at noon, 101 Front Street NE in Salem.
Free event. Sip complimentary hot cocoa while waiting in
anticipation for Santa. Additional activities for a charge
(photos, face painting, food services). More information
www.salemcarousel.org
Friday, November 27 – Sunday, December 13
The 1940s Radio Hour at the Historic Grand Theatre,
downtown Salem. Presented by Enlightened Theatrics.
Performances 7:30 p.m. Wed-Sat. and 2:30 p.m.
matinees on Sundays. Tickets range from $15-$20.
enlightenedtheatrics.org. 503-585-3427.
Friday, November 27 – Sunday, January 3
Christmas in the Garden at The Oregon Garden, 879
W. Main Street, Silverton. Enjoy ice skating, traditional
German Christmas Market with 18 artisan vendors, festive
music, taste holiday foods, live reindeer, photos with Santa
and walk through 400,000+ Christmas lights in the forest.
Admission: $11 adults, $5 children, free for children 4
and under. Open 10 a.m. daily. More information at www.
oregongarden.org.
Saturday, November 28
Santa Claus arrives by helicopter to Volcanoes Stadium.
Noon to 3 p.m. Free photos with Santa.
Tuesday, December 1
Holiday Tree Lighting at Walery Plaza on River Road N, 6
p.m. Two kids’ names will be drawn to help Santa fl ip the
tree lights on at 7 p.m. at this free event.
Wednesday, December 2
Artists in Action’s annual Something Red Art Walk,
Exhibit & Sale, downtown Salem. Art walk held 5-7
p.m. Awards reception at Elsinore Framing and Fine
Art Gallery, 444 Ferry St. SE, 7-8 p.m. Something Red
exhibition runs through Dec. 31. Visit something red.org
for more information.
Thursday, December 3 – Friday, December 4
Christmas in Hudson Hall, 7:30 p.m., Willamette
University campus. Tickets are $10. 503-370-6255.
Friday, December 4
The Trail Band performs traditional music at their
annual Salem Holiday performance, 7:30 p.m. at the
Elsinore Theatre. Tickets range from $25.50 - $40. www.
elsinoretheatre.com
Add your event by e-mailing news@keizertimes.com.
By CRAIG MURPHY
Of the Keizertimes
Shortly after the new year
starts, Susan Gahlsdorf will
fi nish her transition plan.
Gahlsdorf, Keizer’s Finance
Director for the last 18 years,
confi rmed to the Keizertimes
this week she is retiring.
“I am leaving after 18 years
with the city,” Gahlsdorf said
on Tuesday. “January 8 will be
my last day. I have been work-
ing through a transition plan
for over a year now, not know-
ing how all of this would work
with all the uncertainties of
life. But my family responsi-
bilities continue to grow and
it’s time for a lifestyle change.
I will miss everyone terribly. It
has been an honor and privi-
lege working for Keizer.”
Tim Wood, Keizer’s as-
sistant controller who has
worked alongside Gahlsdorf
for the last six years, is serving
as interim Finance Director.
“Susan is transitioning into
retirement,” Wood said. “Susan
will be with the city for a cou-
ple more months. However,
she is stepping back from the
daily operations. I am serving
as the interim Finance Direc-
tor until the open recruitment
process can be completed.”
Wood added he is inter-
ested in the job on a full-time
basis.
Though one wouldn’t
know by looking at her,
Gahlsdorf noted she’s been in
public service for 34 years. She
was previously an auditor for
the Oregon Secretary of State.
Before that, she worked in the
private sector. She has been
Finance Director her entire
time in Keizer.
Gahlsdorf said there were
some projects she pushed hard
to see completed before retir-
ing.
“I really wanted to see
through the Keizer Station
LID (Local Improvement Dis-
trict) debt situation and make
sure the city was on track with
its debt service payments with
an income stream that would
allow it to pay off its debt
when due,” she said. “Unless
something unanticipated hap-
pens, the city is now on track
with its repayment plan.”
According to Gahlsdorf,
many city councilors, citizens
and other jurisdictions wanted
to see the North River Road
Urban Renewal District close.
That happened at the end of
the 2014-15 fi scal year in June,
a year earlier than scheduled.
All outstanding debts for the
district were repaid.
“We also repaid interest
bearing taxing jurisdictions
the remaining debt owed from
the Urban Renewal Ninth
Amendment,” Gahlsdorf said.
“That debt was due in 2021
and it was very gratifying to
have it paid off early.”
KEIZERTIMES fi le/Craig Murphy
Susan Gahlsdorf (far left) is retiring as Keizer’s Finance Director
but has been training assistant controller Tim Wood (middle)
before she leaves.
Gahlsdorf just completed a
Request for Proposal process
for audit services, which will
go to the Keizer City Council
in December for approval. She
has also been working with
Wood for the past year, cross-
training him on her responsi-
bilities.
“I felt it important to im-
plement a transition plan to
ensure all critical fi nancial
functions work properly and
timely,” she said.
Gahlsdorf ’s last task is to
prepare the budget document
for fi scal year 2016-17, which
starts on July 1.
“By January, I will turn it
over to staff to prepare their
recommended budgets for the
upcoming year,” she said.
Gahlsdorf has appreciated
the conservative nature of
city leadership in regards to
fi nances.
“In my years of service, I
believe the city council and
budget committee have been
fairly conservative and very
thoughtful in making the de-
cisions necessary to keep the
city in good shape fi nancially,”
she said. “Of course I wish our
general fund long-range fore-
cast was stronger. While we’re
seeing positive trends with
new growth and development,
health insurance premiums
and retirement rate increases
take a toll. Our past practice
has been to recognize these
challenges and make the nec-
essary adjustments and I am
hopeful that will continue go-
ing forward.”
Parks district not only funding option
By CRAIG MURPHY
Of the Keizertimes
A parks district is just one
of the options that will be ex-
plored in order to get more
money for Keizer’s parks.
That was the update giv-
en at Monday’s Keizer City
Council meeting.
As mentioned in last week’s
Keizertimes, members of the
Keizer Parks and Recreation
Advisory Board talked with
city councilor Marlene Par-
sons during their Nov. 10
meeting about the idea of
starting a local parks district.
Like similar setups in Spring-
fi eld and Bend, such a dis-
trict would allow funding to
be brought in specifi cally for
parks, instead of the general
fund where money for other
key services such as police
comes from.
A local example of such a
district is the Keizer Fire Dis-
trict.
public
hearings
The Keizer City Coun-
cil will hold a public hearing
Monday, Dec. 7 at 7 p.m. to
consider a petition to vacate
688 feet of Ridge Drive NE.
The council meeting takes
place in council chambers
at Keizer Civic Center, 930
Chemawa Road NE.
Parks Board member J.T.
Hager gave an update during
Monday’s council meeting.
“I like parks and recreation
districts,” Hager said. “We
take a very limited amount of
money and try to meet all the
needs of Keizer. That’s a huge
job. We won’t have an abun-
dance of money anytime in
the future, I don’t believe.
“Having said that, I believe
parks are a key part of commu-
nity vitality,” he added. “I want
to make sure we have stable
funding to maintain what we
have and for improvements
that will benefi t people. We
are very interested in work-
ing with council on the pos-
sibility of having a parks and
recreation district. It will also
relieve some of the stress you
go through (in budgeting).”
Hager emphasized this is
not an immediate solution, as
options have to be vetted.
“We will take our time
doing this,” Hager said. “It’s a
long process. We want to look
at why and how it works, and
how it will be a benefi t to us.
That is one of the goals we
defi nitely do have, to create
a permanent parks and recre-
ation district.”
Mayor Cathy Clark sought
some clarifi cation.
“Is this something the Parks
Board voted on, or is this just
one of the options you’re ex-
ploring?” Clark asked.
Keizer Parks
Board member
J.T. Hager
talks about
a potential
parks district
to Keizer City
Councilors on
Nov. 16.
KEIZERTIMES/
Craig Murphy
Hager said it was the latter.
“We didn’t vote,” he said.
“We don’t have enough infor-
mation at this time. We want
to gather the proper informa-
tion fi rst. It’s pretty much a
consensus that we do want to
have adequate funding. We’re
blessed to have (parks super-
visor) Robert Johnson, who
is doing a yeoman’s job with
what he’s got. Our parks look
better than they should with
the funding we have.”
Hager pointed out fu-
ture improvements at Keizer
Rapids Park will be hard to
do with the current funding
structure.
“It’s becoming more and
more a jewel, but there is still
more to be done,” he said. “We
want staff to get cost estimates
for parts in the master plan.”
Clark addressed both Hag-
er and Parsons.
“As the Parks Board looks
at options of what you need
and how to pay for it, look at
a variety of funding options
rather than just one,” the may-
or said. “A parks district is not
the only funding mechanism
available, so bring forward a
number of options.”
Hager and Parsons agreed.
“This is just one piece,”
Parsons said of a parks district.
local
weather
sudoku
looking back
in the KT
5 YEARS AGO
City: ‘No Hoop’
at Keizer Rapids
Strict zoning won’t allow big
developments, offi cials say. City
staff are seeking to defuse ru-
mors of elaborate basketball
facilities and other high traffi c
amenities coming with annexa-
tion near Keizer Rapids Park.
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.
3893 COMMERCIAL ST SE
10 YEARS AGO
THIS WEEK’S
MOVIE TIMES
Chaos in Keizer
Man fi res on police offi -
cer, homes, crashes truck into
courthouse. Christopher L.
Mills is accused of ditching a car
on River Road and then driv-
ing a 1970s pickup truck into
Marion County Courthouse.
15 YEARS AGO
Keizer prepares for
Christmas Basket
It’s only November, but already
Keizer merchants are signing
on to participate in the annual
Keizer Chamber of Commerce
Christmas basket program.
20 YEARS AGO
State grant could add
teen voice to sex ed
McNary High School students
could begin teaching sexual
abstinence to Whiteaker Middle
School student, if the school
district obtains a state grant for
an innovative new program.
KEIZERTIMES.COM
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