SINCE 1979 • VOLUME 38, NO. 48
SECTION A
SEPTEMBER 1, 2017
$1.00
Fall sports
preview
SPECIAL
SECTION
Church leads prep
for Big Toy upgrade
By ERIC A. HOWALD
Of the Keizertimes
Even
as
volunteers
surrounded the Big Toy with
600 cubic yards of wood chips
in 2015, it was never intended
to be the permanent solution.
Original plans called for
a pour-in-place surface for
added safety, but the idea
was jettisoned to save money.
When
the
opportunity
to apply for an Oregon
Parks and Recreation Local
Board looki
to prioritize
in wake of
parki fee
paiiage
By ERIC A. HOWALD
Of the Keizertimes
The Keizer Parks and Rec-
reation Advisory Board is ask-
ing supporters and skeptics
to help shape the future of
Keizer's parks at its meeting
Tuesday, Sept. 12.
During the meeting, the
board will discuss the way
forward now that the city will
begin collecting a $4-per-
month fee to create a dedi-
cated parks fund.
“We're looking for those
individuals intimately famil-
iar with their own park who
can come in and bring up is-
sues we haven't noticed. I'm
also hoping for some nay-
sayers because I think that
will help make the process as
transparent as possible,” said
Matt Lawyer, a member of the
parks board, in a presentation
to the Keizer City Council
Monday, Aug. 21.
At the last meeting of the
parks board, whether to have
the meeting became a point
of contention, but there is
pressure to come up with a
list of projects the city can an-
nounce and deliver on in the
coming months and years.
“The fee is offi cial and we
are moving forward, but we
didn't have immediate mea-
surable deliverables like Keiz-
er police,” Lawyer said. “The
parks plan was quite a bit less
nuanced.”
Lawyer didn't lay out
Government Grant in
2016 arose, a new play
surface for the Big Toy
was added to the request
along with pedestrian
trails and an enclosed
bathroom.
The grant was approved,
but now thousands of pounds
of wood chips have to be
removed to make way for
the new surface. The city was
lucky to fi nd a small army of
volunteers in the Keizer Stake
of the Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter Day Saints.
“In a lot of settings,
people look at Mormons and
— Dan Kohler,
ABOVE: Ryan Evan puihei
Lucy Golden and Lane Evani
in a tire iwing at the Big Toy
in Keizer Rapidi Park. About
600 cubic yardi of wood
chipi need to be removed for
a new pour-in-place iurface.
Volunteeri are needed.
LDS Church Repreientative
KEIZERTIMES/Eric A. Howald
“ Thii ii a community effort, not juit
a Mormon effort. We want to work
iide-by-iide by the community.”
think we're off in our own
world. This is a way to reach
out beyond that perceived
wall,” said Dan Kohler, the
community
engagement
coordinator for the Keizer
Stake.
The Keizer Stake of the
church
includes
several
individual
congregations
between
Salem
and
Woodburn, and Kohler is
hoping, between the church
and the community, to turn
out about 300 volunteers and
remove all the wood chips in
a single day.
Volunteers can sign up
Pleaie iee REVAMP, Page A10
PAGE A2
for shifts at www.justserve.
org. Type in the ZIP code
“97303” and choose the Big
Toy project.
Volunteers
are
also
welcome to show up at the
the Big Toy on the day of the
Pleaie iee UPGRADE, Page A10
Landscaping code revamp
meets skepticism at council
By ERIC A. HOWALD
Of the Keizertimes
A plan to amend the Keizer
development code in regard to
landscaping ran into pushback
from members of the Keizer
City Council at its meeting
Monday, Aug. 21.
Community Development
Director Nate Brown and the
city's planning department are
hoping to add another tool to
its arsenal when businesses re-
model or develop new prop-
erty. The issue came to light
as a result of two recent major
remodeling projects on River
Road North: Taco Bell and
Winco.
Requests to bring landscap-
ing up to code while remod-
eling fell on deaf ears with
both companies, and Winco
Design
meetings
set for story
poles
New
principals at
two schools
KEIZERTIMES/Eric A. Howald
Deipite a multi-million dollar remodel, Winco refuied to make changei bring the parkling lot
up to code. A plan to leverage future developmenti ii making iti way through city proceiiei.
Fire tears through E. Keizer garage
Submitted
A fi re in the late evening of Tueiday, Aug. 29, left a family of four without
a place to itay. The American Red Croii iupplied temporary houiing.
By DEREK WILEY
Of the Keizertimes
Keizer Fire District responded to a garage
fi re at a single family home in the 5000 block of
Courtlyn St. on Tuesday, Aug. 29 at 11:04 p.m.
While the fi re was contained in the garage,
the doors were left open, causing smoke and heat
damage throughout the house.
KFD was on scene for more than two hours.
Red Cross disaster response volunteers were
also called to the fi re, providing resources to help
address the immediate basic needs of those af-
fected such as temporary housing, food, clothing,
comfort kits, information about recovery services
and health services.
The family, which includes three adults, one
child and a pet, spent Tuesday night in a hotel.
Celts face off
with North
Salem on
gridiron
PAGE B1
FOR 12 MONTHS
INTEREST FREE
Pleaie iee PARKS, Page A10
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