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About Keizertimes. (Salem, Or.) 1979-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 20, 2017)
SINCE 1979 • VOLUME 39, NO. 3 SECTION A OCTOBER 20, 2017 $1.00 Complaints, solutions abound at McNary community forum Offi cials also unveil plans post-bond measure By ERIC A. HOWALD Of the Keizertimes The Salem-Keizer School District (SKSD) is already planning how it might revamp the McNary High School campus in 2019 if a new bond measure passes next year. That may sound like putting the cart before the horse, but the cost of what might be a massive project is a factor. “We are moving forward as if the bond will pass because, if we don't it, it will delay the whole program and cost $30 million more. It makes sense to do that prep,” said SKSD Chief Operations Offi cer Mike Wolfe. Wolfe and Principal Erik Jespersen unveiled a conceptual map of potential changes in the works at the school during a community forum at McNary Thursday, Oct. 12. School and city offi cials called for the forum to deal with the impacts of a growing student body on A conceptual redesign of the McNary campus was unveiled at a forum last week. Any work is dependent on the passage of a bond measure in 2018. parking and traffi c in the surrounding neighborhoods. “One of the reasons McNary is one of the fi rst in the queue is because of parking issues,” Wolfe said. For the past two years, neighbors along Newberg Drive North have voiced complaints to the Keizer City Council and Salem-Keizer School Board regarding drastic increases in school- related traffi c and parking on their street. The conceptual map, and the changes it forecasts, hinge on striking a deal for additional land behind St. Edward Catholic Church. School district and church offi cials are already in talks for an acquisition. If everything goes according to the concept plan, the softball fi elds and tennis courts would be moved to the fi eld behind the church. The current softball fi elds would be converted into additional parking and a Please see FORUM, Page A9 Relocated Softball Fields and Tennis Courts 3 4 2 The Arbor at Avamere Saint Edward Catholic Church PAGE A12 1 1. Expansion of administrative offi ces (970 square feet) to accommodate additional staff needed to serve larger student population. 2. Career Technical Education (CTE) addition supporting one large, and one small CTE program area (9,000 square feet), as well as replacement classrooms (CTE and other) for those lost in the demolition (17,200 square feet). Parking Expansion (New Drop-off Lane) KEIZERTIMES/Andrew Jackson 3. Flexible learning space (2,500 square feet) and science lab with prep area (1,625 square feet). 4. General Classrooms (13,020 square feet), Special Education Classrooms & Support (3,938 square feet), Extended Learning and Small Group Areas (2,200 square feet). Community support pours Keizer man headed to prison for at least in after death of KPD K9 Submitted by KPD Offi cer Scott Keniston and Bruno in a Keizer class- room. Bruno passed away Oct. 12 at the age of 5. Less than a week after the death of a Keizer Police Department K9 the funds to purchase a new one have already been raised. “We've already received well more than enough to purchase a new dog, but those interested in supporting our K9 unit can donate to the fund to purchase cameras for the dogs,” said KPD Chief John Teague at a Keizer City Council meeting Monday, Oct 15. On Oct. 11, around 4 p.m., Keizer Police K9 Bruno passed Price of adding Bend schools to GVC: $700K away from a severe bac- terial infec- tion. Of- fi cer Scott Keniston, Bruno's par tner, took the Bruno K9 to the veterinarian on Tuesday, Oct. 10, to have an abscessed tooth removed. Bruno exhibited a couple other symptoms that were not related to the abscessed tooth, so the veterinarian imaged Bruno's chest. The results showed a few lumps in the chest area and near the lungs. Doctors at the veterinarian clinic recommended Offi cer Keniston take Bruno to Dove Lewis Animal Hospital in Portland. Bruno was immediately taken to Portland where it was discovered he was suffering from a severe bacterial infection. There was an attempt to clear the infection, but the infection had spread Please see K9, Page A9 Domestic violence in spotlight PAGE A2 25 years in murder By ERIC A. HOWALD Of the Keizertimes A Keizer man has been sentenced to life in prison with a minimum of 25 years after pleading guilty to stabbing another man after his car crashed into a tree. Darnell Harris, 37, was sentenced by Judge Tracy Prall for the murder of 32-year-old Andrew Ramon in Salem in November 2016. Salem police offi cers re- sponded to a report of a single vehicle crash into a tree at the intersection of Liberty Street Southeast and Superior Street Southeast in Salem about 1:30 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 28, 2016. Offi cers found a Chevrolet Trail Blazer that had run into a tree and found Ramon de- ceased inside. An autopsy revealed that Ramon had died from multiple stab wounds and not the result of the crash. An investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident found that Ramon had been involved in an altercation with Harris hours before the crash. Harris was arrested three days later. Court records show that Harris threatened potential witnesses on the day of the murder, but those charges w e r e dropped as D. Harris a result of Harris' guilty plea. However, in January 2017, Harris was indicted for soliciting another inmate at the Marion County jail to kill a witness who testifi ed in front of a grand jury regarding Ramon's death. Harris was convicted of solicitation of murder and tampering with a witness in connection with the jailhouse incident. He received sentences of 9 years and four months and 13 months, respectively, on the latter charges. Prior to sentencing, Harris' attorney fi led a memorandum to the court asking for leniency and shedding some light into Harris' background. Harris is the father of a 19-month-old child and graduate of McKay High School who joined U.S. Marines shortly after receiving his diploma. He was injured during military WMS choirs perform PAGE A11 Please see MURDER, Page A8 Some Keizer parks may get designated smoking areas By ERIC A. HOWALD Of the Keizertimes The Keizer Parks and Recreation Advisory Board has recommended establishing smoking areas in Keizer parks. If the Keizer City Council agrees with the recommendation, designated smoking areas would be established in parks where such spaces make sense. Smoking would not be permitted in some of the city's underdeveloped parks where the space is small or does not lend itself to creating such a space. Smoking is currently permitted in Keizer parks, but state, county and even Salem parks have smoking bans in place. The discussion was prompted by a request from Darrell Richardson, who lives adjacent to Sunset Park in west Keizer. Lady Celts soccer rout N. Salem “I would like to see someone do something about it. I've been to the city council and now I am asking you,” Richardson told board members. The request sparked sometimes heated debate between members of the board and Richardson himself. Richardson said smoke in Sunset Park wafts across his Please see SMOKING, Page A9 PAGE A12 File photo
