SINCE 1979 • VOLUME 38, NO. 50
SECTION A
SEPTEMBER 15, 2017
$1.00
Skate park work
breathes new life
into local scene
KEIZERTIMES/Eric A. Howald
Keizer Parks Supervisor Robert Johnson talks with members of the Keizer City Council and
Keizer Parks Boiard during a tour of parks Monday, Sept. 11.
By ERIC A. HOWALD
Of the Keizertimes
Saturday, Sept. 9, is a day
that Robert Johnson will
remember for a while.
After overseeing a huge
group of volunteers removing
wood chips from the Big Toy,
the Keizer parks supervisor
was on his way home driving
past Carlson Skate Park
when something unexpected
happened.
“I saw this head pop up over
the ramps when someone did
a trick off the center diamond.
It was the fi rst time I've seen
the kids doing tricks like that
in years,” Johnson eagerly
told city councilors and parks
board members during a tour
of parks Monday, Sept. 11.
Johnson stopped his car and
pulled into the parking lot to
watch the kids and adults make
use of the newly-rehabbed
facility. Within a few minutes
he was outside his car taking
with people using the park for
the fi rst time in a while.
“This park had become
a scooter park because the
scooters are the only ones
Please see SKATE, Page A8
President’s actions could end
with deportation of MHS grad
By ERIC A. HOWALD
Of the Keizertimes
As a middle school student, Hugo
Nicolas made a vow to himself.
“I told myself that even if people reject
me or deny me things, I will still do my
best to uphold the values of this country.
I would like to help this nation be better
because it gave me so many
opportunities and
helped me see the
world in a different
way,” Nicolas said.
“Right now, it's
hard because I love
this country. It's just
so bittersweet. My
emotions are mixed.”
In August 2012,
two months after
graduating from McNary High School,
Nicolas enrolled in a then-new program,
called Deferred Action for Childhood
Arrivals (DACA), authorized through
executive action by President Barack
Obama. DACA did not confer or create
a path to citizenship for undocumented
children brought to the United States
before their 16th birthdays, but it was
a huge shift for Nicolas. At age 11, he
walked across a desert hand-in-hand
with his mother, through a barbed wire
Lady Celts
start 4 -1
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New pastor
PAGE A4
Please see DENIED, Page A9
Design by KEIZERTIMES/Andrew Jackson
School district works to quell
fears regarding end of DACA
By ERIC A. HOWALD
Of the Keizertimes
It's barely 10 days into the
school year, and McNary
High School Principal Erik
Jespersen has already had
several conversations about the
impact of a federal decision to
roll back protections provided
to undocumented students
through the Deferred Action
for
Childhood
Arrivals
(DACA) program.
“I know that we have some
(Deferred Action students) and
there are some students and
families that are concerned.
Our stance is that we are
wanting to support all of our
students,” Jespersen said. “I'm
certain that despite the anxiety
there's a lot of questions to be
asked and answered.”
On Sept. 5, the Trump
administration
announced
it would wind down the
DACA program that provides
9 /11
remembered
PAGE A10
Please see DACA, Page A8
Helping hands
Lakepoint ServeFest
arrives Sept. 24
KEIZERTIMES/Lyndon A. Zaitz
Anala Ver (from left), Jaysa Garner and Lillian Richardson were three members of the army
of volunteers removing wood chips from the The Big Toy on Saturday, Sept. 9. See Page A3.
Canceling Sunday church
is a radical move, but that
is exactly what the leaders
of Lakepoint Community
Church will do on Sept. 24.
In place of traditional
services, the church will host
ServeFest 2017 at the Keizer
Civic Center, to provide
needed services from 10 a.m.
to 2 p.m. This event is free and
open to the public.
The annual ServeFest is
a ministry that encourages
Christians to mobilize and
“be the church” by practicing
their faith in a way that serves
critical needs within their
community.
Some 200-plus members
of Lakepoint Community
Church will host ServeFest
2014. Lakepoint will provide
lunches,
family
photos,
haircuts, manicures, wellness
clinic, including vaccinations
(those being vaccinated will
need to bring their medical
insurance cards with them),
bicycle repair, a children’s
carnival and many other free
services for the community.
In addition to these services,
Lakepoint will be giving away
free school supplies, personal
care items, clothing for people
of all ages and surprise raffl e
items.
All are welcome. Keizer
Civic Center is located at
930 Chemawa Road N.E. in
Keizer.
Girls soccer
undefeated
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