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About Keizertimes. (Salem, Or.) 1979-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 16, 2018)
SINCE 1979 • VOLUME 40, NO. 7 SECTION A NOV EMBER 16, 2018 $1.00 Eminent domain effort moves forward By DEREK WILEY Of the Keizertimes A resolution to acquire more than 6 acres of land from St. Edward Catholic Church passed by a 5-0 vote at Tuesday night’s Salem-Keizer School Board meeting. Chuck Lee, both a “true blue” member of the school board and St. Edward, abstained from the vote due to what he called a “moral confl ict of interest.” Lee added he would support whatever the board decided. Another school board member, Marty Hey- en, was absent. Jesse Lippold called the vote a “tough deci- sion to make.” “The reality is our schools are growing at a rapid pace and we have to expand somehow,” Lippold said. Before the vote, during public comment, Karen Scharosch, a parishioner at St. Edward, urged the school board to rethink the resolu- tion. “The church was designed with a quiet and peaceful atmosphere and we want to maintain that atmosphere,” Scharosch said. Deanna Fuller, who has raised four children, 12 grandchildren and fi ve great grandchildren over 54-plus years in Keizer, said she has always supported school votes like the bond measure, but might have voted differently if she knew the board was going to take land away. Fuller doesn’t attend the church but said she has seen the value of its presence over the years. “I challenge you to be creative and not just run over this dedicated group of people that have done so much for Keizer,” Fuller said. The resolution, which would acquire the land using eminent domain, kicks off a mandatory round of negotiations over 40 days that includes a lengthy appraisal to determine a just offer. Please see DOMAIN, Page A7 File The Salem-Keizer School District will condemn about 6 acres owned by St. Edward Catholic Church and try to force a sale using eminent domain. VETERAN SALUTE Happy Thanks Giving NO ADULTS ALLOWED: Parting words from Stan Lee PAGE A2 KEIZERTIMES/Eric A. Howald Two F-15 jets from the 142nd Fighter Wing of the U.S. Air Force performed a fl y- over for the residents of Willamette Lutheran Retirement Community at noon on Saturday, Nov. 11. For more pics of events at Willamette Lutheran and the names of its 22 veteran residents and employees, see Page A2. Michael ‘Mike’ James Hart, Jr. Task force convenes to discuss future mgmt. of KLL park By ERIC A. HOWALD Of the Keizertimes Earlier this year, the contract to maintain and operate Keizer Little League Park became a source of contention, again. Next week, a city-sanctioned task force will begin assessing the state of af- fairs at the park and working to determine if there is a bet- ter way to do business moving forward. The task force meets for, the fi rst time, Tuesday, Nov. 20, at 6 p.m. in the Keizer Civ- ic Center. Public testimony is welcomed during the meeting. Under the current agree- ment with Keizer Little League (KLL), the organization maintains the fi elds and schedules fi eld slots for its own use and others. In addition, KLL has invested heavily in improving the park after it fell into disrepair through a combination of private fundraising and in-kind donations. The eight-person group includes Mayor Jan. 30, 1942 – Nov. 8, 2018 He was one of Keizer’s founding fathers Cathy Clark, City Councilor Marlene Par- sons, City Councilor-elect Dan Kohler, James Hutches representing the Keizer Chamber of Commerce and two representatives each from Keizer Little League (KLL) and McNary Youth Baseball, the organization formerly known as Keizer Youth Sports Association (KYSA). “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 in August. “Ultimate- ly, the objective is [creating a] framework for how the volun- teer organizations that run and use the park can best be sup- ported by the city and community for long- term success. Success, in my mind, is the park is safe, consistently maintained, improved through planned projects, and a welcoming place for people to play for years to come,” The agenda for the fi rst meeting includes Sights set on sustainability, improvements, best practices Please see KLL, Page A7 Keizer lost a lion of an advocate last week with the passing of Mi- chael James Hart, Jr. Hart died Thurs- day, Nov. 8, at the age of 76. On Friday, Nov. 16, a memorial Rec- itation of the Rosary will begin at 10 a.m. at St. Edward Church in Keizer followed by funeral mass at 10:30 a.m. Hart will be in- terred at Willamette National Cemetery. Hart and his wife, Betty, moved to the area that would be- come Keizer in 1976. During the next four decades, Hart would be known as a Keizer city councilor, an hon- ored member of the Rotary Club of Keizer, board mem- ber of the Boys & Girls Club and the Center for Hope and Safety (formerly The Women’s Crisis Center), a past president of the Salem Sports and Break- fast Club, and an active pres- ence in the Keizer and Salem chambers of commerce. Most recently, Hart was a member of the Keizer Fire Board for more than 11 years, he was succeed- Veterans honored at local schools PAGE A4 Mike Hart ed in the role by Betty. Those who knew him, even tangentially, were never surprised to see Hart decked out in gear from his favorite college football team, the Uni- versity of Oregon Ducks. He held season tickets for many years and continued attend- ing games until his death. He was also an “owner” in a lo- cal Fantasy Basketball League that provided many years of fellowship with his Jaycees, Ju- nior Chamber of Commerce, buddies. Please see HART, Page A7 Salang among league’s best PAGE A13