SINCE 1979 • VOLUME 38, NO. 36
SECTION A
AUGUST 19, 2016
By ERIC A. HOWALD
Of the Keizertimes
The last time a total solar
eclipse passed over the entirety
of the contiguous United States
Woodrow Wilson was president,
stamps were 2 cents, World War I
was ending and the fi rst grocery
bag with handles debuted in St.
Paul, Minn.
All of that is to say, when the
total solar eclipse arrives Monday,
Aug. 21, 2017, it’s going to be a big
deal.
“It’s something of a once-in-a-
lifetime opportunity – unless you
are able to travel anywhere to go see
one, and there are people who chase
eclipses,” said Chris Claysmith, an
astronomy instuctor at Chemeketa
Community College.
Total solar eclipses aren’t exactly
rarities – the last one visible in a
small portion of the U.S. occurred
38 years ago – but they happen
over open ocean more often than
not, which means laying eyes on
them comes with a hefty price tag.
This time around Oregon is one of
only 12 states that will experience
totality, meaning the moon will
pass directly between the earth and
sun. It will create a near-complete
darkening of the sky and the
possibility of seeing stars.
“It’s something of a cosmic
coincidence,”
said
Tom
McDonough,
a
semi-retired
Chemeketa instructor who remains
$1.00
involved with the Chemeketa
Planetarium. “The sun is 400 times
larger than the moon, but the
moon is 400 times closer to earth.
If aliens were to visit our solar
system, they would come to earth
to see the eclipses because of the
show it puts on.”
The partial eclipse will begin in
Keizer about 9:05 a.m. and reach
totality at 10:18 a.m. The totality
will last 1 minute and 47 seconds
in city limits.
The eclipse is also occurring at
a prime time for viewing, said local
astronomy enthusiast Norman
Friedman, “In August, the earth is
still pretty far away from the sun,
which means that it will get even
darker than it would at another
time of year.”
The constellation of factors
making the Salem-Keizer area a
prime spot for viewing has some
locals expecting an infl ux of 30,000
to 40,000 visitors in the days
leading up to the celestial event.
Many hotels are reporting they’re
already booked solid.
In Keizer, the Keizer Parks
Foundation is planning to turn
Keizer Rapids Park into a hotbed
of activity for visitors. Foundation
members Donna Bradley and Rich
Ford presented their proposal to the
Keizer City Council at its meeting
Monday, Aug. 15.
Options
for MHS
parking
impact
PAGE A2
New
principal at
Cummings
PAGE A5
Please see ECLIPSE, Page 9
Small gains, big sacrifices
Repeal of
marijuana
distancing
denied
PAGE A5
PRUNING OF BRANCHES
R
EM
O
VA
L
Please see PARKS,
Page A8
AL
OS
ST
G
O
W
IN
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SPRINKLER
MAINTENANCE
A
SS
M
AF
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DIS
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By ERIC A. HOWALD
Of the Keizertimes
As Keizer’s parks and facilities supervisor, one of
Robert Johnson’s most rewarding jobs is planting a
tree.
“I can plant one and, in seven or eight years, drive
by and there is a family having a picnic in its shade,”
Johnson said.
However, that one tree can command a lot of at-
tention over the course of its life. Priority No. 1 is
water. Many of Keizer’s parks have built-in irrigation
systems, but the head that delivers water to the tree
might be 15 years old, and it had an expected life of
10 years. If the head is in a high-traffi c area, it may be
stepped on repeatedly during the course of a day
and need regular adjusting to ensure proper fl ow.
Trees also get sick or infested with any number
of critters, and Johnson may need to
enlist a tree specialist to diagnose a
problem and then add the needed
treatment plan into an already
busy schedule. If the tree was
planted near the park’s edge and
it grows into a neighboring yard,
it’s going to need to be limbed, and
it may even need to be limbed regu-
larly to ensure healthy growth. The
grass around the tree also needs
to be cut regularly to maintain
usability. Weeds and invasive
species in the area need to be
removed. And let’s not forget
the leaves. Come fall, the tree
is going to drop its haul on the
grass below and, the longer
they sit, the more damage
they are going to do to
the grass. Blowing leaves
and hauling them out is
going to require more time
and money, instead Johnson and Don
Shelton, Keizer’s other full-time parks
employee, keep mowers running well
into November for leaf control if the
weather permits.
All that is for one tree. Keizer has
240 acres of park space.
“I’m always looking for a better way
to do something and tweaking
things a little bit at a time, but
I feel like we’re running out
of tweaks,” Johnson said.
City offi cials are trying to
Shelton goes to the dog park at Keizer Rapids Park
fi gure out a way to increase funds available for parks
maintenance and improvements, likely through a fee to fi x a leaky dog fountain. Johnson heads to Claggett
added to utility bills. To understand how the fee would Creek Park to check on irrigation. After 7:30 a.m.,
support parks employees’ efforts, I accompanied John- residents start showing up with their pets for morn-
son as he made his rounds Thursday morning, Aug. 11. ing exercise and fi ring off the irrigation system can
drench an unsus-
The magic
pecting visitor.
hour is 6:30 to
Johnson
7:30 a.m.
“ I’m always looking for a better
drives up to the
Johnson,
Shelton and one
way to do something and tweaking control box and
points out some
of the city’s two
seasonal workers
things a little bit at a time, but I feel of the larger dry
spots in the turf
start early to get
like we’re running out of tweaks.”
as he does.
a jump on some
“I
noticed
maintenance is-
— Robert Johnson,
these a couple
sues.
Parks Supervisor
of days ago, and
usually it is a sign
of the heads not working prop-
erly,” he said. “Because of limited
funding, we can only change
them when they break. That’s
an issue because
you’re
not
being proac-
tive, you’re
chasing prob-
lems.”
PE
Parks make do with
meager funding
KEIZERTIMES/Andrew Jackson
Tommy John
surgery
yields
positive
results for
pitcher
PAGE A10