SINCE 1979 • VOLUME 40, NO. 17
SECTION A
JANUARY 25, 2019
$1.00
A groundbreaking First Citizen
By ERIC A. HOWALD
Of the Keizertimes
As Vickie Jackson accepted
the title and award of Keizer’s
First Citizen at a banquet
Saturday, Jan. 19, she called
out the previous First Citizen
honorees in a line in front of
her.
“They set the example for
me to follow,” said Jackson.
Jackson was one of four
award winners during the
banquet, which is an annual
event hosted by the Chamber
of Commerce. Kyle Juran,
owner of Remodeling by
Classic Homes, was honored
as Merchant of the Year. Brian
Aicher was presented the
Service to Education Award,
and Larry Schmidgall was
given the President’s Award
by current Chamber President
Bob Shackleford.
Jackson’s list of community
involvement
threatened
to have presenter Joe Egli
reaching for a glass of water,
but the longtime owner of
AccurAccounts broke new
ground in one of Keizer’s
older institutions.
Jackson became a member
of the Rotary Club of Keizer
in 1990 – just two years after
the club began admitting
women – and served as the fi rst
woman president in 1998-99.
She served as president again
in 2014-15.
“Rotary taught me how to
McNary
takes down
West Salem
on the mat
PAGE A14
KEIZERTIMES/Eric A. Howald
Keizer’s newly-minted First Citizen, Vickie Jackson (second from left), shows off the clock she
was gifted to represent the time given in service of the Keizer community. .
give back to the community
and how to be comfortable
speaking in front of all you
with all these bright lights,”
Jackson said.
Aside
from
Rotary
involvement, Jackson has
longstanding
engagements
with the Keizer and Salem
chambers
of
commerce,
Gubser Elementary School
Parent-Teacher Club, the
Whiteaker Middle School
Mom and Dad Squad,
the McNary High School
Graduation
Party,
the
Distinguished Young Women
of Keizer program,and the
Chemeketa
Community
College Advisory Committee.
She’s also had a guiding role
in the Keizer Big Toy project
and the McNary High School
Turf project.
“The list goes on and on,”
said Egli. “In addition to that,
she’s hosted nine exchange
students and has an impeccable
reputation.”
New owners,
new space
for Keizer
gym
PAGE A3
Please see CITIZEN, Page A5
KEIZERTIMES/Eric A. Howald
FROM LEFT: President’s Award winner Larry Schmidgall, Service to Education Award winner Brian Aicher, and Merchant of the Year Kyle Juran.
Legislators prep Keizer resident plans
for two years in park fi tness stations
‘superminority’
By ERIC A. HOWALD said Thatcher.
As far as their personal
Of the Keizertimes
Sen. Kim Thatcher and priorities, Thatcher is a
Rep. Bill Post, the two chief sponsor of Senate Bill
Republicans representing 321, which would modify
the procedure by
Keizer,
are
which a person
expecting a trying
convicted of a
2019 session.
felony can request
Democrats
new DNA testing.
hold a superma-
“ O r e g o n ’s
jority in the Or-
laws are such
egon Legislature
that they have to
and the gover-
prove innocence
nor’s offi ce which
K. Thatcher
before ordering
means that Re-
a new DNA test.
publicans
have
[SB 321] would
little
recourse
allow
retesting
when it comes to
before
proof
stopping the bills
of
innocence,”
they oppose with-
Thatcher
said.
out getting Dem-
“We want to
ocrats to cross
ensure that we
the aisle. What
B. Post
have the right
Thatcher and Post
people locked up
are hoping is that
Sen. Peter Courtney can for rape and murder.”
Thatcher’s
offi ce
reign in his party to some
is also looking into
degree.
“He’s the last Oregon potential solutions to the
statesman and that’s what state’s housing crisis and
this session will be about,” alternatives to Democrat-
endorsed cap-and-trade
Post said.
“But he has a fractured limits on carbon emissions.
“I am working with
caucus and I think it will
be diffi cult to keep the my staff who know some
more divisive stuff at bay,” Please see MINORITY, Page A9
By ERIC A. HOWALD
Of the Keizertimes
A few months ago, Jeff
Davis approached the Keizer
Parks Advisory Board with
a big idea – putting exercise
stations in every Keizer park –
and an inkling of how to get
started.
When he was
younger, Davis ben-
efi tted from his
f a m i l y ’s
focus on
fi tness. It
gave
him
access to a per-
sonal trainer and
he’s continued
working out on
his own for
the past
two de-
cades.
Despite
those experiences, he strug-
gled to incorporate his neigh-
borhood park into his routine.
“I would go down to Wal-
lace House Park where there’s
a great structure there for kids,
but I couldn’t get a pull-up in.
There was no way to change
the play structure’s utility. I
fi gured if I couldn’t do it, then
there would be other people
at a loss for what to do,” said
Davis, a fi nancial advisor with
Church
seeks
eminent
domain
dismissal
Edward Jones.
Counting Keizer stalwarts
Mark Caillier, Roland Herre-
ra and Clint Holland among
his infl uences, Davis decided
to swing for the fences when
it came to his proposal for
outfi tting all Keizer
parks with exer-
cise stations. He
quickly learned
that not all the city parks
are ready for such equip-
ment, but he has a
plan – and a dead-
line – for what he
calls Phase 1.
H e
envi-
sions,
the fi rst
wave of equipment
going into Wallace
House Park, Claggett
Creek Park, Meadows Park
and Country Glen Park. He’s
already identifi ed locations
in the parks that are suited
to congregation around the
equipment without impeding
on neighbors.
However, Davis wants
to take advantage of about
$9,000 matching grants avail-
able through the Parks Advi-
sory Board. That means the
project has to be completed
By ERIC A. HOWALD
Of the Keizertimes
St.
Edward
Catholic
Church is asking that the
courts dismiss an eminent
domain compliant fi led by the
Salem-Keizer School District
in regard to six acres of vacant
land the district wants to
expand McNary High School.
In response to the district
request
for
immediate
condemnation and possession,
the church contends, in
documents submitted to
Marion
County
Circuit
Court, that the school district
did not comply with proper
eminent domain procedure
and has “failed to justify its
need for immediate possession
of St. Edward’s property.”
The allegation of improper
procedure hinges on the
district not establishing a
fund for the estimated just
compensation and instead
seeking condemnation for
immediate possession.
Additionally, the church
Please see FITNESS, Page A9
Please see DOMAIN, Page A5
This spring, we’ll be expanding
to a FULL SERVICE CLINIC
in Keizer. We’re bringing
Orthopedic care, closer
to home.
to better serve the Keizer community
5825 Shoreview Lane, Keizer • 503-540-6471
1600 State Street, Salem • 503-540-6300
Round robots
unlock
physics
lessons
PAGE A7
Celtics defeat
McKay in
blowout
fashion
PAGE A14
®