SINCE 1979 • VOLUME 38, NO. 1
SECTION A
SEPTEMBER 30, 2016
“ It doesn't matter where you
live, there are annoyances, but
you don't desecrate something
because you have to pick up
some yard debris.” — Tree owner
$1.00
Tree dispute
lands in city
council’s lap
By ERIC A. HOWALD
Of the Keizertimes
The fate of a giant sequoia
on private property might
rest in the hands of the Keizer
City Council.
On Monday, Oct. 3, the
council will hold a public
hearing on whether to ex-
tend heritage status to the
tree on Dennis Lane North
and prevent it from being
limbed by a neighbor.
Keizertimes spoke with one
of the owners of the tree and
they requested we not use
their name.
“We’re just trying to pro-
tect it,” the owner said. “It’s
majestic, that’s the only way
to describe it.”
The current owners have
lived at the home for six years,
but are concerned about a
neighbor’s recent desire to
cut back a portion of the tree
that hangs into their yard.
“The neighbor wanted to
cut so much of it, it would
have ruined it,” the owner
said. “It doesn’t matter where
you live, there are annoy-
ances, but you don’t desecrate
something because you have
to pick up some yard debris.”
The owner said they are
not the only ones who have
appreciated the tree.
“We’ve had a couple of
garage sales and people ask
about it and wonder at it,” the
owner said.
Trees can be nominated
for inclusion in the Oregon
Heritage Tree Program for a
variety of reasons. Trees as-
sociated with signifi cant his-
torical events, those associ-
ated with the life of a person
or group, trees that represent
a signifi cant and distinguish-
able entity within a commu-
nity or location, and trees of
signifi cant age, size or spe-
cies are all eligible. Within
Keizer, heritage trees can be
designated based on their
“location, size, age, botani-
cal interest, commemorative
plantings or historical signifi -
cance.”
Nominations for heritage
tree designations come from
members of the public.
Whatever the council de-
cides on the matter will be
a precedent. To date, there
are no heritage trees in city
limits.
“We really haven’t gone
through this process before
and that’s why we’re erring
on the side of caution by
having a public hearing,” said
Public Works Director Bill
Lawyer.
Please see TREE, Page A7
LEFT: Owners of a giant sequoia in the 300 block of Dennis
Lane North are seeking a heritage tree designation by city
offi cials. If approved, the tree would be the fi rst of its kind in
Keizer.
Keizer man
jailed after
armed
robbery
PAGE A2
Lakepoint
Church's
Servefest
PAGE A3
KEIZERTIMES/Eric A. Howald
Keizer man named
Veteran of the Year
A highly-decorated Keiz-
er veteran has been named
Veteran of the Year by the
Veterans
Commemoration
Association(VCA).
U.S. Marine Capt. F. David
Parker, Ret., was nominated by
the Oregon Chapter of Para-
lyzed Veterans of America and
will be honored at a banquet
Thursday, Nov. 10, at Ameri-
can Legion Post 51 in Lebanon.
Tickets for the banquet, which
begins at 6 p.m., are $27.50 and
are available by calling 541-
981-2390 or via email at al-
banyveteransdayparade@gmail.
com.
Parker will also help lead the
65th annual Veterans Day Pa-
rade in Albany on Friday, Nov.
10. The parade begins at 11 a.m.
Parker, a native Oregonian,
enlisted in the United States
Reserves in 1959 and then the
Marine Corps in 1960. He re-
mained on active duty until
1983 when injuries sustained
in an aircraft accident forced a
medical retirement.
Parker served more than
two years in Vietnam with the
First and Third Tank Battalions.
He was awarded three Purple
Heart medals, holds the Viet-
nam Medal of Honor and Cross
of Gallantry. Purple Hearts are
awarded to armed forces mem-
bers who are wounded in ac-
tion.
Homecoming
royalty
PAGE A8
Please see VETERAN, Page A8
Man caught mid-shave
in strangers' home
A Woodburn man was ar- residence and was located later
rested Tuesday, Sept. 27, after in the area of Lockhaven Drive
he was discovered shaving in Northeast and Verda Lane
the home of a Keizer couple.
Northeast. Offi cers identifi ed
Keizer police offi -
the man based on a
cers responded to the
description supplied
report of a burglary
by the victims and his
at 5:45 p.m. in the
partially shaved head.
5700 block of Kal-
Entry to the home
mia Drive N.E. The
was made by break-
husband had recently
ing through a fence
returned home and
leading to the rear of
found a stranger in a
the house and then
bathroom shaving his
opening a sliding
head with a razor.
glass door.
E. Avila
The wife was
Eric Avila, 39,
home at the time
was taken into cus-
of the incident, but was in a tody without incident and
bedroom and unaware of the is charged with burglary and
intruder.
criminal mischief.
The couple told police they
Anyone having additional
were fearful and intimidated information about his inci-
and told the man to leave as dent is asked to contact Of-
they were calling the police.
fi cer Jeremie Fletcher at 503-
The suspect ran from the 390-3713, ext. 3467.
KEIZERTIMES/Eric A. Howald
Margarita Lentfer and Carol Burks present Paige Merrill with a
certifi cate of appreciation at the fi fth anniversary celebration
of the Whittam Community Garden.
Community garden
grows row-by-row
By ERIC A. HOWALD
Of the Keizertimes
Carol Ann Burks went to
the Marion-Polk Food Share
(MPFS) in 2004 looking to
volunteer.
She expected to be pack-
ing food boxes, but she end-
ed up helping water a com-
munity greenhouse.
“I told them I wasn’t a
gardener, but that was what
they needed help with,”
Burks said.
Then she was put in
charge of the small team of
volunteers watering at the
greenhouse. When it came
time to distribute seeds, the
coordinator told her she
should have a plot. Again, she
said, “I am not a gardener.”
After some more encour-
agement, she took on a plot
at Keizer’s Whittam Com-
munity Garden where she
reaped a bountiful harvest in
2014. In 2015, she was asked
to coordinate the efforts at
Whittam and she had to stop
telling herself she wasn’t a
gardener.
“You don’t have to be a
gardener, you just have to be
willing and get your hands
dirty,” Burks said.
On Sunday, Sept. 25, the
Whittam Community Gar-
den celebrated its fi fth an-
niversary inviting present
and past volunteers to come
and be appreciated for their
work.
Please see GARDEN, Page A9
Olys deny
Lady Celts
PAGE A13