SINCE 1979 • VOLUME 39, NO. 5
SECTION A
NOVEMBER 3, 2017
$1.00
Law professor on SKSD mandatory reporting:
New guidelines have ‘extremely bad consequences’
By ERIC A. HOWALD
Of the Keizertimes
Recently-expanded man-
datory reporting guidelines in
the Salem-Keizer School Dis-
trict (SKSD) – that require
teachers to report instances
of consensual sex between
students – prompted some
students to question whether
their free speech rights were
being squelched.
Keizertimes asked Uni-
versity of Oregon School of
Law Professor Leslie Harris
to review the training ma-
terials given to teachers and
explanations provided by the
district for the changes. In
her opinion, trampling free
speech isn't the primary con-
cern.
“The advice (given to the
district) is extreme protect-
yourself-from-liability kind
of advice that has extremely
bad consequences for students
and teachers, and particularly
for young people in diffi cult
situations who need help,”
said Harris.
In addition to teaching,
Harris is the author of
widely-used textbooks on
family law and children and
the law. She also directs the
Oregon Child Advocacy
Project, which
provides
education and assistance to
attorneys advocating for the
interests of children.
Harris said that while
students may feel their free
speech rights are being
impeded, the bigger issue is
the district's interpretation
of Oregon's child abuse
reporting statute.
Prior to the changes,
teachers were required to
report cases of suspected
abuse or neglect, but the new
guidelines pushed out by
the district expand reporting
to include students talking
about consensual sex, students
asking about options for
birth control for themselves,
student pregnancy, and even
in cases where students have
been kicked out of their
home by parents after sexual
relationships are discovered.
“Oregon
defi nes
sex
abuse in relation to certain
criminal statutes, which not
all states do. You have to have
reasonable cause to believe
that abuse as defi ned in one
of those criminal statutes
has occurred,” Harris said.
“I can't seriously imagine
that either police or DHS
(the Department of Human
Services) upon receiving a
report of a teenage consensual
sex relationship are going
to arrest them. That may be
because I lack imagination,
but you could do a lot of
harm to a student by bringing
charges and putting them
through this process.”
Moreover, Oregon law
provides
exceptions
for
students within three years
of age, also known as Romeo
and Juliet laws. In the training
materials, teachers are told
that while age differences
might be considered by
police, DHS, or the district
attorney when conducting
Please see SKSD, Page A9
Football
team Celts'
last hope in
playoffs
PAGE A11
China’s ‘Sword’
strikes Keizer
curbsides
By ERIC A. HOWALD
Of the Keizertimes
A decision by Chinese
offi cials earlier this year is
hitting curbsides in Keizer and
throughout the United States
now.
In March, China enacted
“National
Sword
2017.”
The action imposes severe
restrictions on the import of
recyclable low-grade plastics
and unsorted paper. Until this
year, China was the primary
market for getting rid of these
specifi c materials picked up
at curbsides nationwide and
especially on the West Coast.
However, contamination of the
materials being sent to China
has led to a crackdown in a
effort to clean up the Chinese
environment and to avoid being
labeled as the world's landfi ll.
“Our sorting facilities don't
clean to the specifi cations they
want, but there was still enough
good material for them to take
them in. Increases in Chinese
wages and new environmental
standards have led to the
change,” said David Lear,
general manager of the Mid-
Valley Garbage and Recycling
Association. “Up until two years
ago, China had 2,500 factories
that melted plastics. Because of
pollution, they are down to 200
clean-emission factories.”
Contamination
of
the
material generally happens at
home when families throw
away low-grade items like bibs,
mattress covers, ice cream and
yogurt containers, drinking
straws, syrup bottles, meat trays,
opaque spoons and cups, 3-5
gallon water containers, bottles
and sippy cups without rinsing
them fi rst.
Contamination
of
the
THE DON’Ts OF RECYCLING
TRAYS from
microwave meals,
deli products, other
food containers that
are not specifi cally
tubs, including
clamshell-type
containers, boxes,
bowls, etc.
BLUE CART
DON’Ts
STYROFOAM or
other foam products
PLASTIC BAGS
FREEZER BOXES,
take-out containers,
butter boxes,
ice cream
containers
ALL LIDS
CUPS, LIDS,
STRAWS that
are plastic or
plastic-coated
Going deep
in Claggett
Creek
PAGE A2
BOTTLES THAT
HAVE CONTAINED
ASEPTIC milk and
pesticides, motor oil,
LARGE
BUCKETS
juice cartons
herbicides or
Plastic packaging
hazardous materials
Planting/nursery
that doesn't conform (cleaning product
pots made of
to the bottle, jar,
bottles are OK)
rigid plastic
bucket, or tub shapes
GREEN CART DON’Ts
SMALL BASKET DON’Ts
Pet Waste, Dirt, Rocks,
Stumps, Ashes,
Treated Wood, Plastic,
Metal, Garbage,
Branches more than
4 inches thick
Vases, Bakeware,
Drinking Glasses,
Eye Glasses,
Window Glass, Mirrors,
Dishes, Light Bulbs,
Ceramics, Broken Glass
Alleged
burglar
nabbed
PAGE A3
Please see SWORD, Page A10
Father, daughter
die in duplex fi re
City won't
be stashing
modest
pot income
By ERIC A. HOWALD
Of the Keizertimes
The City of Keizer has re-
ceived its fi rst share of taxes
on recreational marijuana
sales, but it's not going to be
the boon some people might
have hoped for.
“This is not a game-chang-
ing event for us. It will help
offset the increases in health
insurance and PERS (Public
Employees Retirement Sys-
tem) payments, but it's not
going to solve any of those is-
sues,” said Tim Wood, Keizer's
fi nance director.
In the second quarter
of 2017, the city took in
$9,736.79 in local taxes. In
Please see POT, Page A9
could to help, including calling 911 and
By DEREK WILEY
entering the house on her hands and
Of the Keizertimes
A GoFundMe page has been created knees. But there was too much smoke.
“I ran over there and grabbed the kids
for a Keizer family, whose father and
6-year-old daughter passed away days and ran them over to my house,” Hoerauf
after a fi re engulfed their duplex on said. “I got on my hands and knees and
tried to go to the
Thursday, Oct. 26.
back
bedroom
Telese Hoerauf,
where the little
a
neighbor
girl had said her
who started the
sister was. My
GoFundMe, said
husband opened
she was having a
the sliding glass
normal Thursday
door and tried to
night when she
get to where the
heard
knocking
dad was but it was
next door and
way too smoky
cries of “Daddy,
so we had to go
daddy.”
back out and then
“I heard panic
in one of the girl's
— Telese Hoerauf, Neighbor went back in for a
second time. Then
voice and could
there was even
hear that she was
scared,” Hoerauf said. “I was thinking more smoke.”
Keizer Fire District were dispatched
maybe they got locked out of the house
or something. I opened my front door to the fi re in the 1400 block of Rozilla
and came outside and could see smoke Court Northeast at 11:40 p.m. Salem
Fire also responded as Miguel and the
coming out of the house.”
The oldest of the fi ve Ruvalcaba kids, young girl were pulled out of the fi re
a 7-year-old girl, had rescued her 2-year- unconscious at 11:52 p.m.
“When we arrived there was heavy,
old twin brother and sister and 4-year-old
brother. However, her 6-year-old sister heavy fi re and smoke,” said deputy fi re
and father Miguel remained in the house. marshal Anne-Marie Storms, who added
the cause of the fi re is under investigation
Their mom wasn't home.
Hoerauf said she did everything she but the garage is the main focus.
“ I got on my hands
and knees and tried
to go to the back
bedroom where the
little girl had said
her sister was.”
Submitted
Brixa Ruvalcaba
The couple on the other side of the
duplex evacuated their home unharmed
with their 7-month-old child but
Storms said there was damage to one
of the bedrooms, bathroom and smoke
throughout.
Miguel and his daughter, Brixa,
were taken to Salem Hospital in critical
condition before being transferred to
Legacy Emanuel and Randall Children's
Hospital in Portland. Miguel died
Saturday. Brixa then passed away Sunday.
Hoerauf and her husband have lived
next to the Ruvalcaba's for about a year.
Their children played in the cul-de-sac
together. Miguel would share fruit and
vegetables.
“They were very, very nice people,”
Hoerauf said.
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PRIVAT
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for more
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PAGE A4
Please see FIRE, Page A9
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