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About Keizertimes. (Salem, Or.) 1979-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 22, 2017)
SINCE 1979 • VOLUME 38, NO. 51 SECTION A SEPTEMBER 22, 2017 $1.00 Gunfi re chases visitors out of park, neighbors out of homes e ett llam Wi River By ERIC A. HOWALD Of the Keizertimes A hail of gunfi re drove vis- itors out of Sunset Park and neighbors out of their homes along the Willamette River Sunday, Sept. 10. The incident resulted in a throng of area residents turn- ing out at the Keizer City Council meeting Monday, Sept. 18, to demand action on the part of the city. For now, it seems the only action to be taken is a sternly-worded let- ter to the owner of a quarry across the river who allows family, friends and even the Salem Police Department to use part of his property as a shooting range. “I’ve been here 25 years and we’ve had complaints about the noise, but this is the fi rst time it has ever risen to this level,” said Sgt. Greg Bar- ber, the Keizer police offi cer who responded to reports of the shots. Barber was unable to fi nd any bullets in the park, but doesn’t doubt witnesses who fl ed from the riverbank who Sunset Park Private Shooting Range Blow out PAGE A11 Please see GUNFIRE, Page A8 Keizer Station Hop Jacks will open next spring By ERIC A. HOWALD Of the Keizertimes Keizerites will have a new op- tion for burgers and brew come spring 2018. Hop Jacks, a Washington- based chain specializing in American comfort food, is currently building one of its newest locations on the corner of Ulali Drive North and Keizer Station Boulevard. “We selected Keizer because of its general proximity to I-5 and the mix of businesses in the center,” said founder Mark Eggen. “We have signed a lease in the Sherwood neigh- borhood, and are actively pursuing several opportunities throughout the Portland and Willamette Valley areas.” The Keizer location will be the business’s sec- ond in Oregon, the other opened in Happy Valley in 2016. The Hop Jacks menu includes a wide range of sandwiches, burgers, salads, tacos and three types of mac and cheese. “Signature items include hand-formed 100-per- cent Angus beef burgers, icy fruit drinks served in a glass made of ice and beer served from taps of ice and poured at 34 degrees,” Eggen said. Fugitive caught PAGE A2 Please see JACKS, Page A8 Rollover attributed to ‘mutual road rage’ Off to see the Wizard While signs covering windows like those seen here are permitted under the current code, changes are afoot. PAGE A4 KEIZERTIMES/Eric A. Howald Sign code changes draw scrutiny Supreme Court issued a By ERIC A. HOWALD ruling on the case of Reed Of the Keizertimes The Keizer Planning v. Town of Gilbert and it Commission continued caused cities across the na- wrestling with revisions tion to re-evaluate their sign to the city sign code at its codes. The case meeting stemmed Wednesday, from the Sept. 13. “ We’ve spent town of Gil- In ad- bert, Ariz., dition to an hour on two in which a b r i n g i n g things and we’re small church the code in placed signs line with a still shooting at near vari- 2015 U.S. ghosts.” ous buildings Supreme Court rul- — Garry Whalen, where it held Planning Commisioner services; the ing, city church did staff are not have a looking to update other sections of regular site where services the code dealing with the were held. The church was number of signs allowed per cited twice for exceeding storefront, window shades time limits for displaying and the frequency of change signs and for failing to in- clude the date of the event. on electronic signs. Supreme Court justices, Content vs. Category Two years ago, the U.S. Please see SIGN, Page A7 XC teams hit their stride PAGE A13 A rollover crash on Keizer Station Boulevard involving a 17-year-old Keizer Police Department (KPD) cadet and a 29-year-old man is being attributed to road rage after an investigation by the Mar- ion County Sheriff ’s Offi ce (MCSO). About 6:50 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 14, Keizer police and the Keizer Fire District were dispatched to a crash involv- ing two vehicles near the in- tersection of Lockhaven Drive Northeast and Keizer Station Boulevard Northeast. One of the vehicles fl ipped and came to a rest on its top on the road- way while the other involved vehicle left the scene immedi- ately after the crash occurred. Responding offi cers rec- ognized the 1985 Ford Bron- co that was resting on its roof Courtesy of KPD An off-duty Keizer Police Department cadet rolled his Bronco near the Keizer Transit Center in a crash ascribed to road rage. Both drivers have been charged in the incident. as belonging to an off-duty KPD cadet. He has been with the department since May 2016. Because of the possible confl ict of interest, MCSO deputies were called in to investigate. Their investiga- tion determined both driv- ers were mutually involved in a road rage incident. Both drivers were allegedly speed- ing and driving recklessly just prior to the crash. Deputies believe the other involved driver, 29-year-old Juan C. Vazquez of Keizer, cut off the 17-year-old and slammed on his brakes causing the cadet to turn his vehicle in an effort to avoid a collision. Doing so caused his vehicle to leave the roadway and fl ip as it traveled up an embankment. After the crash, Vazquez left the scene, but he was later found at his residence where he was taken into custody for reckless driving and six counts of recklessly endangering an- other person. The 17-year-old was taken to the Salem Hospital for evaluation and treatment of minor injuries that were caused by the crash. He will be referred to the Marion County Juvenile Department for the same charges. He was the only one of the Bronco’s four occupants that was in- jured.