Keizertimes., March 09, 2018, Page 11, Image 11

MARCH 9, 2018, KEIZERTIMES, PAGE B1
KeizerCommunity
KEIZERTIMES.COM
Making
Keizer
work
A Keizertimes
series pulling
back the curtain
on the people
who keep the
city running
smoothly.
Service called for
third-gen fi refi ghter
“To be a fi refi ght-
By DEE MOORE
er a person needs to
For the Keizertimes
be committed and
Each day for Ryan
adaptable. There are
Russell begins with
a lot of days when
the known and the
you come into the
unknown. He knows
station and not know
what he’s planned
what’s going to hap-
for the day but those
pen. I think I’ve al-
plans could change
ways been pretty
in
just moments.
fl exible, go with the
Russell is a Keizer
fl ow,” Russell said.
Fire
Department
He enjoys the
(KFD) division chief
fact that it is often
and shift commander
never the same. But,
heading up one of
the most important
the three shifts on ro-
part of fi re fi ghting
tation at the depart-
is teamwork and this
ment.
is the part of the job
He began his ca-
that appeals to Rus-
reer as a third gen-
sell the most. It’s the
eration fi re volun-
most satisfying.
teer in 1996 on the
“It’s always chal-
Southern
Oregon
lenging,” he said,
coast where he grew
“but the teamwork
up.
is always rewarding.
“I wasn’t sure out
Doing it with your
of high school. I was
Dee Moore for the Keizertimes crew and being able
one of those kids
who didn’t know Ryan Russell is a division chief with the Keizer to accomplish the
Fire District.
job. ”
what they wanted to
“It’s teamwork,
do,” Russell said.
said.
He soon realized that fi ght-
He relocated to the Salem- working with a good team
ing fi res was more than just a Keizer area and enrolled in and good people toward a
volunteer activity, it was a call- the Chemeketa Community common goal. Any job when
ing.
College fi re training program you are called on to help any-
“Getting into it when you and soon began volunteering one in their time of need is
are young it was exciting, it in Monmouth. He joined the always rewarding.”
becomes a second family,” he KFD 16 years ago.
Please see FIRE, Page B2
Wild about Keizer history
By DEE MOORE
For the Keizertimes
It’s the small forgotten per-
sonal stories of Keizer’s pio-
neers and founders that keeps
drawing Tammy Wild back
into the past. A little fact here,
a personal story there, a pic-
ture of a long gone business or
a faded wedding gown, these
are all clues for this historical
sleuth.
“I can’t go anywhere that I
am not connected,” Wild said.
These connections tie this
Midwestern transplant to the
community’s past and builds
a bridge to its present and fu-
ture.
She is the co-author of the
book Keizer, a pictorial his-
tory of the town published
by Arcadia Publishers as part
of their “Images of America”
series. Through her efforts
and building on the research
of author and historian Ann
Lossner’s work as well as that
of Ginger Riley Powers, co-
author of The Keizer (Keizur)
Story, Wild has pieced togeth-
er captions and stories to go
along with the photos that
were donated or loaned to the
Keizer Heritage Society.
“It was defi nitely a com-
munity project,” she said of
the book and all the help that
she has received.
Sitting down to talk with
Wild is being invited on an
intimate whirlwind tour of
the city’s past. Tales of love and
loss as well as devotion and
charity, are all told breathlessly
and with great enthusiasm. It’s
hard not to get caught up in
her excitement.
Dee Moore for the Keizertimes
Tammy Wild is an education assistant at Forest Ridge Elemen-
try and a volunteer at the Keizer Heritage Museum.
“My grandma lived on Fill-
more Street between Eliza-
beth and Delight Streets. The
streets were named by the
founders after their wives and
daughters.” She smiles at this
discovery it’s another piece of
the puzzle.
“People don’t realize what
they have,” Wild said. She is
referring to old family photos,
letters and cards which will
often as not reference or show
a place long forgotten.
During the day she works
for the Salem-Keizer School
District as an assistant helping
children with special needs.
After hours she is an avid his-
Please see HISTORY, Page B2
From keyboards to wrenches,
he keeps civic center humming
By DEE MOORE
For the Keizertimes
The fi rst thing that you
see as you walk into facilities
maintenance technician, Dan
Collingham’s offi ce at the
Keizer Civic Center is a desk
chair lying on its back atop a
large island in the middle of
the room.
All around the island are
tools and more tools.
The room is enormous
with high ceilings and cabi-
netry occupying every open
space that isn’t home to a
large tool or ladder.
It’s like a garage or a tool
shed with good lighting, a
desk and a computer and
every conceivable device
known to mankind for mak-
ing repairs.
Collingham
describes
himself as a jack-of-all-trades
but master of none. He
knows a little about every-
thing and he is always ready
to learn something new.
He is a very personable
fellow who doesn’t meet a
stranger. The talk fl ows easily
as he mentions that the chair
is the latest in a list of things
he needs to
get done to-
day.
“There
is not one
person
of
the city that
I don’t in-
teract with,”
Collingham
said.
This abil-
ity is per-
haps his real
skill. It has
definitely
helped him
connect
with
and
mentor the
youngster s
from peer
court who
perform
their com-
Dee Moore for the Keizertimes
munity ser- Dan Collingham is a jack-of-all-trades at the
vice hours Keizer Civic Center.
with him.
age. He tries to maintain this
“I
try
to mentor them, give them connection when he sees the
positive encouragement,” he kids out and about. He wants
them to know that there are
said.
Most of these youth are people who care.
middle school or high school
Please see CIVIC, Page B6
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