Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Keizertimes. (Salem, Or.) 1979-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 17, 2018)
SINCE 1979 • VOLUME 39, NO. 46 SECTION A AUGUST 17, 2018 The Thrift Store aims for high- end bargains Goodwill vacated its Keizer loca- tion in April, but a new thrift shop is gearing up to take its place. The Thrift Store, 3840 River Road N., is pushing for a Septem- ber opening, said manager Mike Kenney. “It will be a thrift store fi rst and foremost, but there will be different selec- tion and a more varied mix of new items to complement the used items customers expect,” Kenney said. The differences start with the store’s layout. Kenney relegated shelving units to the outside walls and added about 200 feet of additional space for clothing items. He’s also doubled the size of the book section. “We’re trying to create a different shopping experience. We don’t want things like shelves jam-packed with picture frames because you can’t shop them,” he said. Dispelling clutter and preconceived notions is only part of the plan.Customers might also fi nd high-end items unexpected for a thrift store setting. “We will have shoes that someone might fi nd at Payless or Walmart up to Jimmy Choos, Poppin’ tags By ERIC A. HOW A Of the Ke LD izertimes it will be the same with handbags up to Louis Vuitton and Coach,” Kenney said. “We want to put quality products in front of people at a real value – about half of retail.” Kenney said the business is a new venture for the owners who have chains in California and part of another in Texas. The Thift Store isn’t technically part of those operations, but it is the fl agship location in Oregon. Those looking to donate items, like they once did at Goodwill, can also donate to The Thrift Store knowing they are helping a worthwhile cause. All proceeds from clothing donations will KEIZERTIMES/Eric A. Howald Please see TAGS, Page A6 Mike Kenney is manager of The Thrift Shop, which is planning a September opening in the old Goodwill location. McNary alum releases 1st book By CASEY CHAFFIN Keizertimes Intern T.J. Reid is not going to be the next J.K. Rowling. He knows that. But what’s the harm in trying anyway? Reid self-published his fi rst novel—A Funny Thing Hap- pened on the Way to the Apoca- lypse — last year. It was a proj- ect he’s been mulling since his days at McNary, when the $1.00 book that turned out to be a tongue-in-cheek “lampoon- ing” of the post-apocalyptic genre was still taking itself seriously. The book describes the adventures of Leith Ev- ergreen on her quest to save her mother and stave off the apocalypse. “It wasn’t always a com- edy in my mind. I actually started a draft a long time ago, when I was a teenager – I’d be horrifi ed to read it now,” Reid said. “I was writing it and even then I thought this is really bad, I need a differ- ent way to approach this. It’s a story I want to tell … and then it kind of just clicked: I like writing funny things, why not make it a comedy?” A Funny Thing Happened Please see REID, Page A7 Submitted LEFT: T.J. Reid lands on an idea in his author photo. ABOVE: The cover to Reid's fi rst self-published novel, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Apocalypse. Blue Day is here PAGE B1 Keizer United gets half of promised support, for now on the budget she offered the By ERIC A. HOWALD council. Of the Keizertimes Aside from concerns about Earlier this year, the Keizer Budget Advisory Committee the vagueness regarding how appropriated $2,000 to assist the money would be used, Keizer United, a networking Councilor Kim Freeman took and collaboration organiza- issue with the money poten- tially being tion focused used to pay on bring- for lunches ing together “ There's a lot Keizer Unit- other good- of times ed provides will efforts at its monthly in the city. we're here, meetings. When asked as councilors, “Isn't it at to disburse lunchtime, so the money and we don't they could at a Keizer City Coun- even get lunch.” bring their own lunch? cil meeting — Kim Freeman, For me, as a Monday, Aug. Keizer City Councilor city to give 6, councilors you taxpayer got cold feet. dollars for In the end, Keizer United got half of its lunch is not okay with me. request with more to come if One, because we don't do it councilors like how the mon- for any other committee and there's a lot of times we're ey is used. Councilors approved dis- here, as councilors, and we bursing $1,000 in a 5-0 vote don't even get lunch,” Free- man said. It should be noted with two councilors absent. Meredith Mooney, presi- that Keizer United is not a dent of Keizer United, re- city committee, but an inde- mained in good spirits despite pendent non-profi t. pushback from the council Please see UNITED, Page A6 Chamber bolsters Blast Camp PAGE A2 New principal at Cummings PAGE A8 Task force may plan KLL Park’s future By ERIC A. HOWALD Of the Keizertimes One Keizer youth sports league walked away from its contract to manage Keizer Little League Park with several piec- es of equipment that fell into a gray area of ownership. The successor has proven less-than- forthcoming in money matters. The combination of the two may mean a task force is brought in to devise a plan for the future oversight and maintenance of the park itself. Keizer Mayor Cathy Clark announced the idea at the Keiz- er City Council meeting Aug. 6, and the Keizer City Council is expected to take up the matter in its next meeting Monday, Aug. 20. The council meeting begins at 7 p.m. The park is owned by the city but, to date, youth sports organizations operate and man- age the facility under a contract with the city. “It is important for us to val- ue and to do some long-range planning on how that complex will be managed going forward,” said Clark at the last city council meeting. “I have discussed with a few people in the community a long-range planning task force that honors the work and heri- tage that goes into the park.” Clark said she envisions an McNary hosts sports camps eight-person task force that in- cludes herself, City Councilor Marlene Parsons, city council candidate Dan Kohler, James Hutches representing the Keiz- er Chamber of Commerce and two representatives each from Keizer Little League (KLL) and McNary Youth Baseball, the or- ganization formerly known as Keizer Youth Sports Association (KYSA). Clark said it would be the role of the task force to gather information on the history of the park and what’s been done to date, gain an understanding of the business of running the Please see KLL, Page A7 PAGE B4 KEIZERTIMES/File photo