PAGE A12, KEIZERTIMES, DECEMBER 22, 2017
FIELD,
continued from Page A1
made during the past year.
While expenses totaled more
than $15,700 and improvements
amounted to $21,700, the list
did not include any mention of
revenues generated through fees
paid by participating families,
concession sales, sponsorships
or third party fi eld rental. The
only income listed at all was
the amount paid by MYB last
year for fi eld usage, and KLL has
been a recent recipient of grants
from the Keizer Parks Board
and the Rotary Club of Keizer
to help pay for the ongoing im-
provements at the fi elds.
Even as Arnsmeier started
making KLL’s case, the size of
the increase met with resistance
from Mayor Cathy Clark.
“It’s a variable increase be-
cause it is a fi xed rate and that
cost for the smallest fi elds is go-
ing up by 33 percent,” Clark
said.
Under the proposed rate
hike, the smallest fi elds would
increase from $30 to $40 per
two-hour time slot. The larg-
est fi eld would increase to $60
without the use of lights and
to $145 with the use of lights.
Arnsmeier said the $10 increase
was chosen primarily for ease of
accounting.
“Even with the increase,
we’re still in line or less ex-
pensive than other fi elds in the
Pacifi c Northwest,” Arnsmeier
said. “When you factor in the
cost of maintenance has to in-
clude what takes place in the
off-season. You have to factor in
the 12-month process, not just
during one week in the middle
of April.”
Ryan Walsh, president of
MYB, spoke out against the in-
crease.
“We’ve gone elsewhere be-
cause we can’t afford (the fees
at Keizer Little League Park).
We’ve had some community
partners that have allowed us
to use fi elds for free and we use
those a ton,” Walsh said. “We
decided to offer free T-ball this
year and gotten a number of
sponsors to make that possible.
We’re very excited for that, but
the revenue is tough to come
by.”
Last year, MYB paid more
than $5,700 in fi eld use fees
at Keizer Little League Park.
Prior to the start of the season,
MYB’s reserved spots amount-
ing to nearly $2,000 more, but
those were refunded when
teams found other venues or
were unable to convene a game
or practice.
“One of my biggest con-
cerns is that third parties using
of the fi eld that are offered dis-
counts for the off-season. May-
be we should ask them to pay a
bit more than adding it on for
our own kids,” Walsh said.
Walsh’s other point of con-
tention was that the fee increase
was not discussed during a
joint board meeting of the two
groups in November, and only
found out the council would be
looking at the issue because of a
phone call from City Attorney
Shannon Johnson last week.
MYB board member Josh
DeVos added that the expense
would be more diffi cult to ab-
sorb given that MYB had al-
ready set its registration rates
for the upcoming year.
“We decided to move our
registrations up and we’ve set
our prices for the year already
and we’ve worked for months
on those costs,” DeVos said.
Walsh said increasing the
fees would add another $1,900
to MYB’s planned expenses.
Arnsmeier responded that
the decision to ask for the fee
increase wasn’t made until a
retreat later in November, and
tried to put the onus back on
MYB.
“The business decision with
the free T-ball put them in a
bind,” Arnsmeier said.
Clint Holland, manager of
the concession stand, added
that not showing up for re-
served times also had an impact
on concession sales of up to
$120 per empty fi eld slot.
At that point, the tempera-
ture in the room grew more
heated as MYB representatives
clamored to respond. Howev-
er, Clark cut the conversation
short.
“We need to table this. We
need info on true costs and I
don’t have enough information
on the budgets of both organi-
zations. We don’t have enough
information here tonight,”
Clark said.
Councilor Roland Her-
rera, who earlier in the evening
had backed the request for the
increase, walked back his en-
dorsement after hearing from
both sides.
“I was a KLL guy, but I’m
a bigger Keizer guy. I jumped
the gun on this and it has to be
good for all the kids of Keizer,”
Herrera said.
KLL has about 450 regis-
tered players. MYB has ap-
proximately 300. The council
plans to look at the issue again
on Tuesday, Jan. 16.
ROBBERY: KPD still looking
for additional suspects
(Continued from Page A1)
crash into a utility box in the 3800 block of
River Road North. The occupants of the ve-
hicle had already fl ed the scene, but the li-
cense plate matched one sought in connec-
tion with other robberies.
Some of the occupants were detained near
the scene of the crash and offi cers learned
they were staying in the Quality Inn & Suites
on Wittenberg Lane Northeast in Keizer. Of-
fi cers responded to the hotel to follow up
on the investigation and recognized anoth-
er man, Brandon J. Thompson, in the hotel
lobby wanted for questioning by the Keizer
Police Department’s Criminal Investigations
Unit in the Shari’s robbery.
Thompson was detained and taken to the
police station. Offi cers eventually ended up
searching two rooms at the hotel in connec-
tion with the Keizer crimes.
Thompson was taken to the Marion
County Correctional Facility (MCCF)
where he was charged with third degree rob-
bery and theft in connection with the Shari’s
robbery.
On Thursday, Dec. 14, Keizer offi cers ar-
rested James A. Libokmeto – a man Det.
Chris Nelson said was staying in the Quality
Inn with Thompson – and charged him with
second degree robbery, third degree theft and
violation of probation in connection with the
robbery at Good Times Grill.
Police are continuing to investigate the in-
cidents and identify additional suspects.
The victim at Good Times, a 44-year-old
HOA,
continued from Page A1
In January, the HOA board
updated
its
architectural
manual to address “excessive
ornamentation,” but the sec-
tion includes a carve out for
seasonal holiday decorations
saying only that they must be
removed from the property
within two weeks after the
holiday.
Another section of the
CC&Rs, which deals specifi -
woman who works at the business located at
122 Chemawa Road N.E., told police she
was closing up when the fi rst suspect en-
tered and demanded money while pointing a
handgun at her. After the fi rst suspect robbed
her and fl ed the business with an undisclosed
amount of cash, a second male, also armed
with a handgun, emerged from the back of
the business, approached the victim and de-
manded money. After telling the second sus-
pect she had already been robbed by the fi rst
suspect, the second man appeared to become
confused and then fl ed.
Shari’s was robbed about 8 p.m. on Dec. 7.
Witnesses told police that two males en-
tered the restaurant and pushed the manager
to the ground before grabbing the drawer
from a cash register and fl eeing the business.
The amount stolen was not disclosed.
Anyone having any information about the
incident at Good Times incident is asked to
contact Keizer Police Department Det. Ben
Howden at 503-856-3525. Investigators ask
anyone who resides or has a business with
security or surveillance cameras in the im-
mediate vicinity of the Good Times Grill to
review their recordings to see if either suspect
can be seen.
Tips can also be submitted by email to
Tips@keizer.org. Persons providing informa-
tion can remain anonymous, but reference
Keizer Police Department incident no. 17-
5115 for the Good Times robbery or incident
no. 17-5076 for the Shari’s robbery.
cally with signs prohibits any-
thing larger 18-by-24 inches
without permission of the
board.
Straughan said no one con-
tacted board members about
their dissatisfaction before the
issue ended up exploding on
social media and the intent
was only to make residents
aware of the language in their
HOA contract and to survey
the extent of the issue within
the neighborhood. Since the
notices were made by the em-
ployee, the board has still only
received one request for per-
mission to leave a sign in place.
Asking residents to re-
move religious-themed signs
is contrary to a legal opinion
– posted on the HOA web-
site in January 2017 – on the
types of sign enforcement al-
lowed under the law. It was
prepared by attorney Kevin
Harker.
“McNary has two options:
1) enforce the sign provision
contained in the CC&Rs, or
2) amend the CC&Rs to au-
thorize other types of signs. If
the Board decides to enforce
its current sign provision in
the CC&Rs, it must be done
uniformly. In other words,
there can’t be an exception
for certain types of signs
(“Bring the Troops Home”)
and a prohibition on others
(“Jesus Christ is our Savior”),”
the opinion states.
The board isn’t taking any
further action on the matter,
but plans to revisit it in the
future, Straughan said.
WorshipDirectory
These Salem-Keizer
houses of worship
invite you to visit.
Call to list your church
in our Worship Directory:
(503) 390-1051
John Knox Presbyterian Church
JOIN US FOR
SUNDAY WORSHIP
452 Cummings Lane North • 393-0404
8:30 am • 10 am • 11:30 am • 6 pm
PEOPLESCHURCH
4500 LANCASTER DR NE | SALEM
503.304.4000 • www.peopleschurch.com
Father Gary L. Zerr, Pastor
Saturday Vigil Liturgy: 5:30 p.m.
Sundays: 8:15 a.m. & 10:30 a.m.
La Misa en Español: 12:30 p.m.
Celebration
Services
Saturday Evening
6:00 pm
Children’s Programs, Student and Adult Ministries
1755 Lockhaven Dr. NE Keizer
503-390-3900
www.dayspringfellowship.com
Sunday Morning
9:00 am
and
10:45 am
www.KeizerChristian.org
Rev. Dr. John Neal, Pastor
Worship - 10:30 a.m.
Education Hour - 9:15 a.m.
Nursery Care Available
www.keizerjkpres.org