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About Keizertimes. (Salem, Or.) 1979-current | View Entire Issue (April 12, 2019)
SEE PG A2 SINCE 1979 • VOLUME 40, NO. 28 SECTION A APRIL 12, 2019 $1.00 Shooting range bill moves forward By ERIC A. HOWALD Of the Keizertimes A bill that would supply an extra avenue of recourse to Keizer residents impacted by shooting taking place at a Polk County quarry passed out of the Oregon Senate Commit- tee on Judiciary with a 6-1 vote Tuesday, April 9. The bill (Senate Bill 1040) allows the owner, operator and lessee of the property to be held liable for injuries re- sulting from bullets leaving the range. The individual dis- charging the fi rearm can also be held liable if the fi nal bill passes both the houses of Ore- gon Legislature. The bill is humorously site-specifi c and would only af- fect “an active quarry or mine located on property adjacent to the Willamette River in Polk County and across the riv- er from the City of Keizer,” a result of amendments made to the original language. Supporters and opponents of the bill turned out for a public hearing on the matter last week at the Capitol. After closing the public hearing, Sen. Shemia Fagin called the original wording “a no-brainer. If you are going to own a property you should be taking care not to affect the property around you.” During deliberations Tues- day, Sen. Floyd Prozanski ques- tioned limiting the measure to active quarries vs. inactive ones. D MaRdi GraS GOL PHOTO/Lyndon Zaitz Tfe Rotary Club of Keizer feld its annual Go for tfe Gold Raffl e dinner and auction at tfe Keizer Civic Center on Saturday, April 6. Tfe tfeme was Mardi Gras and everyone got into tfe spirit including (from left) Melissa Davis, Melanie Stiger and Raeanne McDonald. See more pfotos and tfe names of tfe raffl e winners on Page 12. Missed quotas, dirty laundry nab spotlight at KPD union hearing By ERIC A. HOWALD Of the Keizertimes An objection to a ad- ministrative rule judge fi nding that Keizer Police Department’s sergeants are supervisors – and there- fore not eligible for union membership – was heard in front of all three members of the Employment Rela- tions Board in March. The hearing was a con- tinuation of a request for union representation by Keizer’s six sergeants that was initially denied in Jan- uary. The board members have not yet made a ruling on the objection. Unlike hearings that unfurled over two days in 2018, the objection hear- ing involved only attorneys from both sides. Daryl S. Garrettson represented the union, the Keizer Police Association, and Kathy A. Peck represented the city of Keizer. The Keizer Police Asso- ciation contends that ser- geants’ duties do not rise to the level of supervisory and therefore warrant inclusion in the union. The city as- serts that sergeants act as supervisors and have been for at least two decades. Please see KPD, Page A7 Rich Angstrom, president of Oregon Concrete Aggregate Producers Association, said the change was made to separate the intended property, owned by Lance Davis, from others in the area. “There is a difference be- tween this site and some closed Please see RANGE, Page A8 Bill draws support, opposition at fearing By ERIC A. HOWALD Of the Keizertimes A bill that creates an extra avenue for pursuing injury lawsuits resulting from shoot- ing at a Polk County quarry drew supporters and detrac- tors at a public hearing at the Capitol Tuesday, April 4. The bill was moved to the fl oor by members of the Sen- ate Committee on Judiciary Tuesday, April 9. Sen. Kim Thatcher and Rep. Bill Post are sponsoring the legislation. In testimony, Mayor Cathy Clark said the bill was neces- sary because of jurisdictional boundaries. “We have crafted legisla- tion that would allow us to work more proactively to pro- tect the life and safety of our residents,” she said. Keizer City Manager Chris Track & Field season begins PAGE B1 Spring DEN & GAR HOME Home & Garden SPECIAL SECTION Please see HEARING, Page A8 The choice in Zone 6 Voters face a decision between two starkly different candidates when it comes to who will represent the Keizer on the Salem-Keizer School District board of directors this May. We sat down with both candidates to go deeper on what they see as the key issues and the role of a director within the school district. Lee: Funding, Betfell seeks a continuity essential more granular role By ERIC A. HOWALD Of the Keizertimes For Chuck Lee, Keizer’s representative on the Sa- lem-Keizer School District Board of directors for the past 12 years, funding is the prima- ry source of the district’s woes. “All of the issues we have from low graduation rates to lack of support for teachers with students coming from toxic environments, class size and everything else cost mon- ey,” Lee said. “If we’re serious about increasing the gradu- ation rate and lowering class size and giving teachers sup- port, we need the fi nancial resources.” And the situation isn’t get- ting any better. Gov. Kate Brown’s proposed budget for the next fi scal year was at best a break-even proposition for Salem-Keizer and the most re- cent draft to come out of the Legislature’s Ways and Means Committee would result in laying off 33 teachers, he said. “It’s one of the reasons why it was so attractive to partner with CTEC (Career Techni- See page B1 for more details SPRING Cfuck Lee Danielle Betfell cal Education Center). For 30 years, one of the district’s goals was to have a career technical space and the re- sources never came avail- able,” he said. CTEC is a public-private partnership and Lee remains heavily involved with the funding and direction of the school through his position as president of Mountain West Group, an investment fi rm owned by Larry Tokar- ski. By ERIC A. HOWALD Of the Keizertimes When asked what she sees as the top priorities for the Salem-Keizer School Dis- trict, Danielle Bethell is quick to dole out anecdotes about interactions with parents and potential constituents along with her answers. In part, it’s a refl ection of how she would seek to do business differently if voters elect her to the Salem-Keizer School Board in May. “I think I have a different Please see LEE, Page A7 lens to look at things through as a mom and a business owner. I have access to the emotion- al things going on and I have a good fi lter for those things and decide if they need to go to the school board or if it’s something that can be worked out through relationships at the level of the district staff,” Bethell said. “Because I’m so involved, people feel that I’m approachable and, regardless of the state of emotion, they reach out.” When one constituent reached out to ask why Mc- Nary High School wouldn’t be installing a turf soccer fi eld as the school undergoes major renovations, she saw in it a re- buke of the current trajectory the district is on in providing equal opportunity. “We, as a school district, unfortunately feel that every- body is equal and every school should look the same. I think that competition in life is healthy and it’s a conversation I want to have. We’re turning it into a regime where everybody Ballers headed to Dominican Republic PAGE A4 Gragg a Hall of Famer PAGE B1 Please see BETHELL, Page A7 SUV EVENT SALES Keizer 3555 River Road N, Keizer (503) 463 - 4853 www.skylineforddirect.com