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PAGE A6, KEIZERTIMES, FEBRUARY 15, 2019 Opinion No vaccine waivers Proposed legislation in the current session at the state capitol in Salem would repeal personal vaccine ex- emptions. The proposed bill, which has not been fi nalized, would elimi- nate all non-medical ex- emptions for vaccines the state requires for children attending schools. We support any such legislation, especially in view of the measles out- break in Clark County, Washington (Vancouver). Personal freedoms in the United States go only so far. When private actions threaten others in soci- ety—ie., exposing children to diseas- es—the safety of the many should take precedence over the few. There are still too many people who subscribe to the theory that vac- cines cause autism in children. Scie- nitists have repeatedly reported that is not true, yet a percentage of parents continue to hold onto that view. Expressing one’s opinion is en- shrined in the American Constitution. It is understood that the primary job of government at all levels is to keep the people safe and secure. Assuring that diseases such as mea- sles is eradicated is part of that society compact. We can hope that the measles outbreak is lim- ited to Clark County, but there is no guarantee of that. Measles is an airborne disease which spreads eas- ily through the coughs and sneezes of infected people. The virus can also live for up to two hours outside the body; an unvaccinated person could contract the measles just by being in the space where an infected person had been up to 120 minutes beforehand. Those who choose to send their children to school without required vaccinations are putting that entire school at risk, all for a disease that has our opinion mostly been defeated. Every parent should rightly be concerned about the health of their child. Yet, no fami- ly lives in a vacuum, what they do can affect many other households. With a disease as dangerous and as contageous as measles, parents should consid- er how adversely their unvaccinated children can affect others. Protecting society from a commu- nicable disease should not be diffi cult. The science is thorough and settled. Some schools will not allow students to attend unless they are vaccinated, which is as it should be. One parent’s anti-vaccine views should not endan- ger others. If the proposed legislation is not introduced this session, it should be brought up every year until parents are confi dent that their government and schools are protecting them. —LAZ Radical white wing By DEBRA J. SAUNDERS President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address was a partisan home run. It was a solid speech that showed Trump reaching across the aisle by proposing policies such as paid family leave that should be wildly popular with Democrats. But it also showed his playful side. In his third address to a joint session of Congress, Trump was downright jovial; when he disagreed, he wasn’t per- sonal. Which left Democrats looking like the obstinate and petulant party. Start with the suffragette white worn by female Democratic House members. Former Democratic San Francisco supervisor Angela Alioto wrote on Facebook, that “if you have to dress alike,” pick red “for power and fearlessness.” As it was, “they looked like a group of nurses.” It is telling that four female Demo- cratic senators eying the White House —Kamala Harris, Elizabeth Warren, Amy Klobuchar and Kirsten Gilli- brand—chose more fl attering colors. When Trump touted the good news on unemployment for people with disabilities, C-SPAN turned its lens on House members. I saw more ladies in white scratching their heads than clapping. Ditto for when Trump talked about doubling the child tax credit. The left rightly can deride Trump for being obstinate and petulant. Tues- day night, Trump was in good humor and Democrats came across like Trump on an angry morning Twitter tear. Many have criticized Trump for constantly play- ing to his base and not reaching out to the middle. In his State of the Union address, however, Trump talked about wanting legal immigrants to come into the country “in the larg- est numbers ever, but they have to come in legally.” At a meeting with regional re- porters Wednesday, Trump confi rmed it was a new policy because he said the country needs workers in “facto- ries and plants and companies that are coming back in.” Don’t hold your breath waiting for the Democratic leadership to push for more legal immigration, however, just as they did not seize on Trump’s offer to extend legal status to some undoc- umented immigrants in exchange for funding for his border wall. A cynic would say Democrats prefer to keep “Dreamers”—undocumented other voices immigrants brought into the United States as children—on the hook so they can use the issue at the ballot. President Barack Obama didn’t get it done when Democrats controlled the House and Senate. Trump also found a clever way to show how extreme Democrats have become. He brought up his administration’s recognition of Juan Guaido as inter- im president of Venezuela—a depar- ture from Trump’s “America First” focus and a coup for human rights. This time, most Democrats’ applause seemed genuine, not perfunctory. Then Trump condemned “the bru- tality of the Maduro regime, whose so- cialist policies have turned that nation from being the wealthiest in South America into a state of abject pover- ty and despair.” Bernie Sanders, the Democratic-caucusing senator from Vermont, sat stone-faced. When Trump later added, “Tonight we renew our resolve that America will never be a socialist country,” Sen- ate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer wisely stood up and applauded. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi stayed seated, smiled slightly and clapped dutifully -- like it was a chore to be on the record opposing socialism. (Creators Syndicate) Days in school more important than ever There appeared an interest-arous- ing juxtaposition on the front page of the Feb. 8 issue of the Keizertimes. The headline read, “Keizer has a read- ing problem” while, on the same front page, there appeared the photo of a child joyfully tossing snow “after waking up to discover she had the day off school.” This presents a dilem- ma but one that’s shared widely throughout our state and country: we value a formal education and we don’t value a formal education. As an aside, however, when there’s no formal education available, as is true in many of the world’s na- tions, a formal education is valued al- most as much as food and water. Then, too, there’s a related attitude that’s not uncommon in America: That going to school is neither enjoyed nor value. It is something about which some children scream as though in agony but have to do. However, snow melts and child labor laws prevent them from holding a job. But what happens to our youth as drop-outs too often mean trouble and rap sheets. But let’s make something clear and clean. Not wanting to go to school for most American children is not the fault gene mcintyre KEIZERTIMES.COM Web Poll Results How do you celebrate Valentine’s Day with the love in your life? Romantic Dinner: 26 % Card: 26 % Flowers and candy: 7 % Evening out: 7 % All of the above: 34 % 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 of teachers. Yes, of course, some teach- ers are less than outstanding at their profession; however, most of them are professional, they like kids, and want to do a good job of helping their students learn at whatever age level and subject matter they’re assigned to teach. My fi rst home was not a debat- ing society about school or going to it. However, we weren’t beaten into submission and appreciated a snow day without school. Actually, early in my youth, attending school became a positive. I liked it in the lower grades because of other kid contacts, meeting girls in the higher grades, while I soon realized by school that I could pres- ent myself on the world stage as more than just another dumb kid...especially when I looked for a job requiring the 3Rs and coherent English. My life evolved into much more than kindergarten through high school graduation, as I learned along the way to appreciate learning and knowing things. I chose a career that took me to a four-year college and gradu- ate school but always recognized also that there are great opportunities in the trades, certifi cation programs and other education and training programs through community colleges and technical training centers. Neverthe- less, the basic fact is that to move from childhood onto a career, a person must start with attention to and fi nd interest in school from day one. Interest in school is often inspired by a teacher, but there’s no denying that parent power prevails. So, parents of pre-school and school age chil- dren must recognize that what they say about going to school and getting a formal education is going to have a dramatic effect on how their children view it. If all that children hear are complaints, where teachers and a for- mal education are denigrated, then it’s with high predictability the child will adopt the parental view and behave accordingly. Most deserving of attention, if school is cast in negative terms, par- ents should not be surprised when their child takes no interest in attend- ing. What is tragic is that those chil- dren and youth lose out on acquiring the skills and abilities fundamental to a successful personal life and enjoyable work. (Gene H. McIntyre shares his opin- ion frequently in the Keizertimes.) School board approves boundary changes By HERB SWETT of the Keizertimes Boundary adjustment proposals for school attendance areas received Salem-Keizer School Board approval Tuesday. With equity as the goal, Superintendent Christy Perry had charged the task force with focusing on adequate room for required programs and anticipated growth, ensuring access to equitable opportunities, ensuring safety to and from school, providing continuity in school assignments, allowing involvement of affected community members and considering impact to established neighborhoods. The changes will have relatively little effect on the McNary High School attendance area. They involve the McKay High School area with the most and drew negative testimony from a long succession of speakers from the audience. They will take effect in the 2019-20 school year and apply to only incoming kindergartners through third-graders, sixth- graders and freshmen. Transportation will be provided for all students, whether in the revised boundaries or not. Students in special programs will remain in those programs. The speakers from the audience urged that the board either vote the proposals down or table them. Busing students, especially minority students, to areas that historically have white students from the more affl uent families was the main concern. Some audience members said many minority students new to the areas of West Salem and Sprague high schools would be harassed by white students. Others said more money from the district’s new bond issue should go to the poorer schools. Oregon School Boards Association Director Jim Green said the main issue was that the demographics of the district have shifted so that the resources for the schools were defi cient. He called the bond “politically doable.” Board Chair Kathy Goss said that McKay surpassed its capacity because of the amount of buildable land in its attendance McNary students honored Five McNary High School students were honored Tuesday in the Spotlight on Schools portion of the Salem- Keizer School Board meeting. The career and technical education students honored were: Madison Alt in business administration, Nathan Frazier in graphic design, Kate Bomar in media productions, James Redding in auto tech and Brady Jackson in culinary fundamentals. Those are the fi ve CTE programs at McNary. Each month, Salem-Keizer Public Schools and the Inspire Foundation recognize CTE students for demonstrating professional skills. Each student that was honored receives a certifi cate of recognition and a $50 gift card. area compared to the land in the other areas. The vote to approve was 5-2, with directors Sheronne Blasi and Jesse Lippold voting no. Both said the board could do better than approve the task force proposal. In other business, the board rejected a request from the city of Salem for property tax exemptions for multiple-unit housing. The program, which the Salem City Council enacted in 1976, allows local governments to establish tax exemptions for up to 10 years to stimulate construction. Green served notice of a possible reconsideration. By a split vote, the board approved an amendment to the Howard Street Charter School agreement, which will raise the student limit from 180 to 200. Green, who voted against it, said he had “grave concerns about their fi nancial ability to meet this.” Keizer United gets second half of grant By ERIC A. HOWALD Of the Keizertimes Keizer United, a networking and collaboration group for local non-profi ts, received the second half of a $2,000 grant with the unani- mous approval of the Keizer City Council Monday, Feb. 4. In 2018, Keizer United and sup- porters requested the grant be in- cluded in the city’s budget. The council granted tentative approval on the condition that the money be dispersed in stages with Keizer Unit- ed reporting back to the council on how the money was used. Of particular concern from some on the council was that the group used portions of its city funding to supply meals to attendees of the monthly meetings. Keizer United President Mere- dith Mooney promised to fi nd other sources of the meals – which is the primary draw to bring people to the table for collaboration – when the council approved the fi rst $1,000 in August 2018. At Monday’s meeting, Mooney reported that all the lunches have come through donations since Au- gust. “We’ve also been able to bring many more people to the table. We’ve got three schools, at least 18 non-profi ts, all the Keizer neighbor- hood associations, the city, the fi re district and six churches. The repre- sentation around the table is grow- ing,” Mooney said. The $1,000 grant was used to support the Keizer Klosets, which dispense clothing and other needed items at local schools, and the instal- lation of solar panels at the Peggy and Jerry Moore Community Garden on Rickman Road. Both projects received $500 grants from Keizer United. Still, Councilor Kim Freeman pressed Mooney to produce tangible reports on what is happening as a re- sult of Keizer United meetings. The group’s current mission is to bring together local organizations to fi nd ways to collaborate. That sounds a bit squishy, but it can yield real results. At a meeting last year, Elise Bauman, president of Salem Har- vest, talked with the Keizer United members about her mission and the conversation resulted in a group from Simonka Place assisting on a har- vest that produced an infl ux of fresh produce at Simonka Place and even more for the community at large. obituaries Submit an obituary through our website at keizertimes.com or send an email to: editor@keizertimes.com Carl Edward Beach Jan. 4, 1930 – Feb. 11, 2019 Former Keizer City Councilor Carl Beach passed away on Monday, Feb. 11, 2019. Beach was born to Conrad and Grace Harmon Beach on Jan. 4, 1930, in Salem. He attended North Salem High School and Oregon State University. He married his wife of 70 years, Mary Beach, on Aug. 20, 1949. The couple had two daughters, Laurie and Kathy. Beach’s careers included time at Commercial Bank and Ryerson Hardwood Floors. In addition to serving on the Keizer City Council, Beach served on the Salem Electric board of directors and was a member of Church of the Nazarene. He will be remembered as a devoted Chris- tian, husband, father and grandfather. He is survived by his wife, Mary, sister Lela Jackson, daughters Kathy Fish and Laurie Beach, grandsons Shane Beach and Derek Beach of Keizer, granddaugh- ters Heidi Swear- ingen of Albany and Julie Cornett C. Beach of Tennessee, and great-grandchildren Karmyn, Ethan, Greyson and Canon. CityView Funeral Home and Cemetery assisted the family with services and interment.