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About Keizertimes. (Salem, Or.) 1979-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 18, 2019)
PAGE A6, KEIZERTIMES, JANUARY 18, 2019 Opinion Build vertically, not horizontally It can assumed that an overwhelm- ing majority of Keizer residents don’t think about the growth of the city and where it should go. That’s as it should be. Citizens elect city coun- cilors who hire the city manager and approve his choice for heads of the various city departments (known as city staff). The city council sets policy for the city and the city staff implements those policies. The Community Development Department is overseeing discussions about Keizer’s future growth. The Housing Needs Analysis/Building Lands Inventory (HNA/BLI) Advi- sory Committee is the latest iteration of various bodies appointed by the city to discuss the way forward for expected growth over the next two decades. All these groups have been funded by grants from the state. With the state, the city and var- ious bodies talking about where Keizer will put its expected 10,000 new residents, there is not much rea- son for current residents to think too much about the issue. However, few issues have greater potential to divide the city. Some people don’t want to grow, some people want to expand the city limits, some people want to grow vertically. Members of the pub- lic should understand that they, as citizens, can attend any subsequent meeting of any task force that is devis- ing a recommendation for the city councilor to con- sider. Especially sensitive to these meetings should be those whose livelihoods or lifestyle could be affected by development. There is much talk about splitting the Urban Growth Boundary (UGB) Keizer shares with Salem. As a single UGB there is enough land invento- ry to satisfy land use mandates set by the state of Oregon. The problem is that Keizer has basically run out of room to grow. The state of Oregon says that Keizer must prepare for those additional 10,000 people; the city must also consider what kind of housing will be needed, from single family homes to multi-family resi- dences (apartments) to manufactured our opinion homes. Initial data shows that if the urban growth boundary is expanded north and Keizer annexes that land into city limits, the prices of houses built there would mostly be out of reach of current Salem-Keizer homeown- ers. Keizer will continue to be a de- sired address due to our low tax rate and our schools. Unless the city wants to get into the developing business and become a land lord business, it will have to see to it that the table is set for the types of development that can meet the expected demand. The city should look into zoning changes that will allow tall, mixed used buildings along River Road. Affordable housing units need to be part of any new development; it’s the city’s duty to assure that everyone can fi nd a place to live in Keizer. Being creative with development swaps and land swap, goverment can work with the private to build a Keizer for the future that benefi ts all concerned. (LAZ) Sex harassment at the Oregon capitol The Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) investigations at the state capitol have found that sexual harassment in the form of inappro- priate touching, suggestive language and power plays over subordinates are commonplace. However, those legislators identifi ed as responsible for what’s been determined as wrongdoing, say the complaints against them are not true. It has been the case among members of Congress, the entertain- ment industry, corpo- rate executives, and others, that once discloser of this kind of behavior is made public the result has been stop actions, including immediate dismiss- al, forced resignation, heavy fi ne and, in a couple of cases, impending prison time. However, the case in Oregon has so far been a study in contrasts while the newly-elected BOLI commission- er, Val Hoyle, has recused herself due to what she argues is her predecessor’s “unusual role in the case” and turned the matter over to her second in com- mand. The upshot to where things stand now is that, at the request of the Cap- itol’s lawmakers, there will be no con- sequences for those found guilty. In- stead, there will be mediation. That means things will remain as they have been in that workplace, an unchanged condition likely undesirable to those wom- en who work in the Cap- itol and want action now. Further, mediation entails a lot of talk in search of ways to address behavior improvements and, once agreed to, go into effect on a kind of honor system where indi- viduals promise self-correction with nothing more done as long as every- one there walks the talk. It is imagined that this way of go- ing about correcting behaviors places more pressure on the victims than the accused. Under mediation the pow- er remains with the accused who can bring down a whole lot of punish- ment on those who would be so bold as to report harassments again. As a person who spent some of his work- gene mcintyre ing years in state employment, anyone who complained to higher ups about the unacceptable conduct of manag- ers received intolerable treatment in return, to the extent that they were often forced to resign while perpe- trators, somewhat more encouraged, survived. What has been going on by way of sexual harassment at the state Capitol has been going on for decades there and is, one might speculate, in the DNA of the place as it resides wide- spread in our society at large. Media- tion steps will be taken because that’s what the current authority (perhaps involving the usual political suspects) has committed to allow. But don’t expect the inappropriate behavior to disappear overnight. As history from elsewhere has shown under similar circumstances, it predictably will not just go away through promises of self-discipline and just may, possibly, wait until those responsible have left the premises due to retirements or are replaced by way of the ballot box. (Gene H. McIntyre shares his opin- ion frequently in the Keizertimes.) Dear mom and dad: cool it By KARISSA NIEHOFF and PETER WEBER If you are the mother or father of a high school athlete in Or- egon, this message is pri- marily for you. When you attend an athletic event that involves your son or daughter, cheer to your heart’s content, en- joy the camaraderie that high school sports offer and have fun. But when it comes to verbally criticiz- ing game offi cials or coaches, cool it. Make no mistake about it. Your pas- sion is admired, and your support of the hometown team is needed. But so is your self-control. Yelling, screaming and berating the offi cials humiliates your child, annoys those sitting around you, embarrasses your child’s school and is the primary reason Oregon has an alarming shortage of high school offi cials. It’s true. According to a recent sur- vey by the National Asso- ciation of Sports Offi cials, more than 75 percent of all high school offi cials say “adult behavior” is the pri- mary reason they quit. And 80 percent of all young of- fi cials hang up their stripes after just two years of whis- tle blowing. Why? They don’t need your abuse. Plus, there’s a ripple effect. There are more offi cials over 60 than under 30 in many areas. And as older, experienced offi cials retire, there aren’t enough younger ones to replace them. If there are no offi cials, there are no games. The shortage of licensed high school offi - cials is severe enough in some areas that athletic events are being postponed or guest column cancelled—especially at the freshman and junior varsity levels. Research confi rms that participa- tion in high school sports and activities instills a sense of pride in school and community, teaches lifelong lessons like the value of teamwork and self-disci- pline and facilitates the physical and emotional development of those who participate. So, if the games go away because there aren’t enough men and women to offi ciate them, the loss will be infi nitely greater than just an “L” on the scoreboard. It will be putting a dent in your community’s future. If you would like to be a part of the solution to the shortage of high school offi cials, you can sign up to become a licensed offi cial at HighSchoolOffi - cials.com. Otherwise, adult role models at high school athletic events here in Oregon are always welcome. (Karissa Niehoff is executive direc- tor of the National Federation of State High School Associations; Peter We- ber is executive director of the Oregon School Activities Association (OSAA.) KEIZERTIMES.COM Web Poll Results Should Division-1 college football move from a 4-team to an 8-team playoff to determine a champion? Yes: 75% No: 25% Vote in a new poll every Thursday! GO TO KEIZERTIMES.COM Keizertimes Wheatland Publishing Corp. • 142 Chemawa Road N. • Keizer, Oregon 97303 phone: 503.390.1051 • web: www.keizertimes.com • email: kt@keizertimes.com Lyndon A. Zaitz, Editor & Publisher SUBSCRIPTIONS One year: $25 in Marion County, $33 outside Marion County, $45 outside Oregon PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY Publication No: USPS 679-430 POSTMASTER Send address changes to: Keizertimes Circulation 142 Chemawa Road N. Keizer, OR 97303 Periodical postage paid at Salem, Oregon Kudos to cleaners letters To the Editor: A great big thank you is in order for the volunteers of the Keizer Cultural Center. Last Sat- urday, volunteers from the (Keizer Community Library, Homegrown Theatre, Keizer Art Association and the Keizer Heritage Museum) rolled up their sleeves, grabbed clean- ing supplies and worked together to make short work of sprucing up Keizer’s old school house. The clean- ing was a prelude to touch-up paint- ing of the interior and the volunteers made short work of the project. The Keizer Cultural Center organizations are totally operated by volunteers, with no paid staff, and it is gratifying to see them pitch in to help preserve this special historical building. Gayle McMurria Bachik Keizer (The writer is the chair of the Over- sight Committee.) File TOP: McGee wife family and friends at the dedication of a bench in honor of his late wife, Shirley. ABOVE LEFT: McGee delivers a speech during a First Citizen Banquet. ABOVE RIGHT: McGee with longtime friend David Johnson on a cruise. MCGEE, continued from Page A1 McGee departed the council he gave the sitting councilors a rock from his mine with grains of gold in it “a re- minder to always look at the bright spots in every situation and to see value in things that appeared worth- less,” Walsh said. His lengthy time on the council, also gave him the opportunity to mentor one of the city’s upcoming mayors, Lore Christopher. Chris- topher’s name was drawn from a bucket when the sitting councilors deadlocked 3-3 to fi ll a vacant seat. McGee supported Christopher’s opponent, and Christopher wasn’t certain what kind of working rela- tionship would come of the circum- stances. “The person I feared the most was Councilor McGee, and I even stated that I thought I would never be able to work with him. Councilor McGee turned out to be my closest confi dant and mentor,” Christopher said. “This was his nature. Council- or McGee valued every relation- ship and he worked to maintain and nurture close relationships. For years, I watched Councilor McGee thoughtfully listen and respectfully debate many individuals that he was on the opposite side of an issue with, yet all of those individuals felt sup- ported and listened to.” During his time as a councilor, McGee sowed the seeds of his next act, Keizer’s unoffi cial historian. He helped establish the Keizer Points of Interest Committee which has been marking historical sites through the city for almost two decades. Passion projects for McGee included mark- ing the spot where the 45th Parallel 1980s, but, by then, McGee was a regular presence at meetings of the then-new Keizer City Council. Mc- Gee was already a past president of the Rotary Club of Keizer, but he was about to step into a much larger arena of community involvement. “Jerry steadfastly stood up for his vision for the city and always felt free to share it with the council,” said for- mer city councilor Chet Patterson. Former councilor Phil Bay said there were some evenings when Mc- Gee asked him to pick up Shirley so she could be there in his stead. “He didn’t want to miss any- thing,” Bay said. He developed a reputation as a budget hawk during the meetings simply through attendance, but soon his needling pushed sitting offi - cials to the brink. Then-Mayor Bob Newton and Bay told him it was time to put up or shut up. “One day, I said he should get in- volved. And he said, ‘By golly, I think I will,’” Bay said. McGee was elected to the Keiz- er City Council in 1991 and served until 2003, he is the longest-serving city councilor to date. Despite his reputation as a staunch conservative and, at times, exhausting penny counter, the thing most fellow councilors recalled was McGee’s ca- pacity for grace. Patterson, who had left the coun- cil for a time, returned during Mc- Gee’s stint. “There again I saw his devo- tion to Keizer and all things Keizer. While we were not always on the same page on any given issue. Jerry was always very gracious in ac- cepting the vote of the council and then moving on,” Patterson said. McGee’s time on the coun- cil included the most epic council meeting to date, a Submitted barn-burner that extended to the McGee rides in on horseback to a dedication of the wee hours of the Thomas Dove Keizur statue in front of the Keizer Civic Center. morning as the council debated on whether to bring a baseball team crosses River Road North, a spot at the corner of River Road and Che- to town. For the baseball fan in McGee, it mawa Road that represents the do- must have been a wrenching mo- nation land claim of Thomas Dove ment, but he never failed to surprise Keizur, and a statue of Keizur him- when he ended up on the losing end self outside the Keizer Civic Cen- ter. McGee was a regular visitor to of a battle. “Jerry opposed the stadium proj- Keizer classrooms where he dressed ect but was never too proud to admit in character as Keizur to deliver that the Stadium was very good for enthralling history lessons, and he Keizer and he was glad he lost that wrote about the Keizur family’s wag- argument,” said Volcanoes’ owner on train trip to the Willamette Valley Jerry Walker. At his retirement from in a historical novel titled It’s a Long the council, Walker and his wife, Lisa, Way to Oregon. On news of McGee’s death and presented McGee with an offi cial Walsh’s recollection about the gold- team jacket. Former councilor Richard Walsh veined rocks, Christopher said she said McGee taught him the dif- found herself reaching for the rock ference between a politician and a McGee gifted to her and found it statesman, adding that McGee was alongside inscribed copies of his nu- merous self-published books. the epitome of the latter. “I love reading his books because “Jerry taught me that a statesman uses his political power and resources I knew him so well that I can hear to effectuate positive policies while his voice as I read his words. It is a maintaining relationships. Politicians comfort now that we will always are concerned with how a policy have him speaking to us through his will affect themselves while a states- books,” Christopher said. McGee was preceded in death man only worries about how the policy will affect others. Jerry was by his wife, Shirley, sons Shawn and a statesman in all these respects and Shannon McGee, and sister Shirley Olson. more,” Walsh said. He is survived by daughters Mar- Walsh also got to know McGee as ty McGee, Tammy McGee, Cathy an educator. “He took the Boy Scouts from Jordan and Wendy Hunt; grandchil- Troop 121 on a trip to his gold dren Wes Jordan, Brianna Hunt and mine and taught us all how to pros- Ian Hunt; and longtime friend Diane pect for gold,” Walsh said. When Monroe.