AUGUST 19, 2016, KEIZERTIMES, PAGE A9
ECLIPSE,
continued from Page A1
“A lot of what we’re
hoping to do is still in the
planning stages, but the goal
is to raise money to put back
into Keizer parks,” Ford said.
Foundation members and
volunteers are reserving open
spaces in the park for dry
camping, and hope to provide
concerts, games, eclipse
education, workshops for
making pinhole projectors
and selling eyewear designed
for safe viewing.
“We are looking forward
to welcoming people from
out of town, but people from
the community will also be
welcome to come and view
the eclipse at the park,” said
Bradley.
Prices for camping and
safety glasses are still being
determined. While the paper
shades the Parks Foundation
will sell are suitable for
viewing, Claysmith said
welders’ goggles (with a
rating of 14 or higher) will
also do the trick for a more
sustained experience.
In addition to the actual
eclipse viewing, one Keizer
resident is hoping to ramp up
the excitement the weekend
before the event. Allen
Barker is trying to work out
the logistics of holding the
fi rst ever Keizer Cribs Race,
a bed race, to benefi t Keizer
Parks. A bed race features
teams of six racing modifi ed
beds along a prescribed
course.
Barker would like to see
a race route travel from near
fl ips them over and jumps on
them until they are fl attened,”
he said.
continued from Page A8
He prefers tables with
galvanized metal legs that stand
“I’d been getting a lot of calls up to the weather and the most
from people asking if we had any punishing abuses. A cheaper,
pickleball courts. I had no idea wooden table might last three
what that even was, but I started to fi ve years with favorable
doing some research and then weather, but the more costly
got another call from a guy who metal-legged ones are expected
said we could fi t two pickleball to last 20.
courts on a tennis court if there
Johnson is loathe to prioritize
was enough room. We came one park over another, but
down here and measured and pressed he said Meadows Park
then added the stripes to the in north Keizer and Witham
court refurb,” Johnson said.
Park in east Keizer are ones he
While it can seem like an has his eyes on.
unneeded expense, Johnson
“Meadows needs a new play
views it as precisely the opposite. structure, better pathways and
“A lot of the calls about a sheltered picnic area. Witham
pickleball were
has a great
from
retired
community
people, people “ The bathrooms garden,
but
we don’t get
nothing else for
enough
of are needed, I
an area of the
in our parks.
community that
want them, but
Those courts
is pretty densely
are a way to I don’t have the
p o p u l a t e d ,”
draw new users
he said. “We
into the fold,” manpower to
could easily put
he said.
maintain them.” some irrigation
Bringing
in, a shelter,
— Robert Johnson horseshoe pits,
new users into
Parks supervisor
the parks serves
a small court
two purposes.
and you’d have
Primarily,
it
a neat little park
shows there is a need for the – if we had the money.”
spaces Keizer is providing, but it
Johnson isn’t looking for
also increases safety.
a monetary windfall as far as
“If somebody comes to funding, he chose to stick in
a park looking to vandalize Keizer because he enjoys the
something and they fi nd people way the city gets things done.
already there, they are going But the Keizer park system has
to go somewhere else, or at reached critical mass and, as he
least spend more time thinking said, he’s running out of tweaks.
about what it is they planned to
“It’s hard to talk about
do and whether they should do adding new things when you
it,” Johnson said.
can’t maintain the things you’ve
And there are more than already got, but I really think
enough community-infl icted that most of the residents would
wounds already. Cleaning be willing to pay a little more
graffi ti is a daily chore for the if it meant they didn’t have to
seasonal workers. Wooden volunteer their time to take care
picnic tables are also a prime of a park. There’s still a lot of
target.
volunteers in this city, but they
“The minute those tables plug in in different ways than
show any signs of wear, someone they used to.”
PARKS,
Luc Viatour/www.Lucnix.be
A total solar eclipse captured in France in 1999.
“All you have
to do is cross
your fi ngers
and hope for
a clear day.”
— Chris Claysmith
Astronomy instructor
Keizer Station all the way to
Keizer Rapids Park, but he’s
open to modifying it based
on availability and traffi c
needs.
“The idea would be to not
only bring in bed teams from
around the region, but also
some of the area drone teams
to come and fi lm the races
and parts of Keizer when the
teams aren’t racing,” Barker
said.
A contest for the resulting
fi lms would offer its own
prizes while the fi lms
themselves became property
of the city to use for
promotional purposes.
With entry fees starting
at about $1,500 per team, all
of it going to Keizer parks, a
tidy sum could be collected
if the idea gains traction.
“If we can pull it off, I
really want it to be something
that benefi ts the entire city,”
Barker said.
As the ideas continue to
swirl, the eclipse is shaping
up to be a major event, and
possibly a major boon for the
local economy.
“The best part is you don’t
have to go anywhere,” said
Claysmith. “All you have to
do is cross your fi ngers and
hope for a clear day.”
Salvation Army opens new store
The Salvation Army has opened a new Family Store (Thrift
Store) at 642 Lancaster Drive N.E. in Salem.
Three days of festivities are planned to celebrate the opening
that began with a ribbon-cutting Thursday, Aug. 18.
Raffl e drawings will be held throughout the weekend. Those
interested in registering can either stop by the store or enter on-
line at The Salvation Army’s Facebook page, “Portland Family
Stores.” No purchase necessary and participants need not be pres-
ent to win. Prizes include an Xbox One console and televisions.
puzzle answers