PAGE A6, KEIZERTIMES, MAY 3, 2019
Opinion
Ted Anagnos
An appreciation
Ted Anagnos succumbed to ill-
ness late last month and Keizer lost
one of its stellar citizens.
Anagnos was known
for many different roles:
businessman,
husband,
father, civic leader and
coach. He was friend to
everyone, even those he
disagreed with politically.
The public most likely
knows Ted Anagnos for
his many years as a vol-
unteer coach for Whiteaker Middle
School and McNary High School.
There are countless former school
athletes who credit Ted for inspir-
ing them both on and off the grid-
iron. His infl uence was felt by his
former players long after they left
school.
For his many friends in the busi-
ness community (especially mem-
bers of the Rotary Club of Keizer),
it is Ted’s quick and caustic wit they
will remember most. For many, re-
peating stories Ted himself told, is
the ulitmate eulogy.
Ted Anagnos did not shy away
from leadership roles. He chaired
several city committees, was presi-
dent of both the Keizer Chamber
of Commerce and the Rotary Club.
His introductory seminars for new
Rotary Club members are legend-
ary, what he called the
Fireside Chats, held by
the fi replace in his liv-
ing room.
He was a hops bro-
ker before he moved to
Keizer and opened his
Edward Jones offi ce in
1987. Before splitting
his time between his
home and offi ce in Keizer/Salem
and a home near Lake Tahoe, he
had moved to Merrill Lynch.
Earlier in his working years he
was a high school football and
wrestling coach in Lodi, Calif.
Married to Susan, father to
Christopher and Tony, Ted leaves
behind a legacy of a commitment
to his community, his career, to
Keizer’s youth, but mos espeically
to his family.
All of Keizer is richer for having
Ted Anagnos as a citizen and as a
community and youth leader. The
best way to honor his memory is to
emulate his work with our kids and
within our city.
—LAZ
Band boosters
thanks
supporters
cer Society Cancer
Action Network
volunteer advocate,
I support this be-
cause I know my
voice is heard by
my legislators.
A signifi cant to-
bacco tax increase will keep kids
from becoming addicted and help
people quit. Lives will be saved
from a preventable death. A $2 cig-
arette tax increase will save nearly
13,700 Oregon lives. It will also
help more than 31,000 adults quit
smoking and reduce youth smok-
ing rates by 21 percent.
It will also generate millions of
dollars in new revenue. The state
can use that money to fund Med-
icaid and programs to help reduce
smoking rates. Sounds like a win-
ning combination to me.
Senator Peter Courtney, please
support this lifesaving tobacco tax
increase. It will generate revenue,
reduce tobacco use and save Or-
egon lives.
Kathy Ottele
Salem
edutorual
letters
To the Editor:
In March, Whiteaker
Band Boosters held a bingo
night to raise money for the mid-
dle school’s band program. With
the help of our dedicated parent
volunteers, we were able to raise
$1,692 to pay for supplies, perfor-
mances, fi eld trips and scholarships.
Part of what made the event
a success were the generous do-
nations from McDonald Ortho-
dontics, Keizertimes, the Keizer
Chamber of Commerce, Egan
Gardens, The Cotton Patch, Cop-
per Creek Mercantile, Black Rock
Coffee Bar, Odd Moe’s Pizza, Ad-
am’s Rib Smokehouse, Subway,
Little Caesars, Get Air, JC’s Piz-
zaria, and Dairy Queen.
We want to thank all the volun-
teers and businesses that donated
for their generous help supporting
Whiteaker’s band program.
Aimee Orr-Besa, president
Will Koenig, vice president
Jenn Wilson, secretary
Julie Olivo, treasurer
Whiteaker Band Boosters
Tobacco tax good
for Oregon families
To the Editor:
As a cancer survivor and having
lost four family members to cancer,
I understand all this dreadful dis-
ease brings into your life, If there
is any opportunity to fi ght back, I
will do exactly that.
I want to reduce cancer rates
and tobacco use. Did you know
smoking causes nearly 30 percent
of cancer deaths? Cancer is the #1
cause of death in Oregon.
Oregon lawmakers want to
raise the price of cigarettes by $2
per pack and make all other tobac-
co products like e-cigarettes more
expensive. As an American Can-
Vote for Diane
Watson
To the Editor:
I have had the privilege of serv-
ing on the Chemekata Commu-
nity College Board with Diane
Watson.
She brings Community College
knowledge and history to the cur-
rent board. She is always prepared
for the meetings and asks import-
ant clarifying questions. She is ad-
ept at balancing the needs of the
Community, Students and Em-
ployees.
Diane is running in this years
election and I encourage the
Community to keep this valuable
asset on the Chemekata Commu-
nity College Board.
Joe Van Meter
Keizer
Keizertimes
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ZONE 2: Incumbent faces
challenge from recent graduate
(Contunued from page A1)
2. Currently three of my siblings are
enrolled in Salem- Keizer schools and
it is important to me that all students
receive access to the best education
possible. Attending schools in Zone
2 provided me with the fi rst hand
knowledge about some of the needs
of students that are not being met and
about the inequities we are faced with
as a district. I believe that I will be able
to serve our community by providing
a unique and fresh perspective to the
school board.
KT: What do you feel is the most
important issue facing the school dis-
trict as a whole?
MH: Bullying and graduation rates.
Bullying has ramifi cations far beyond
those of just the action itself. The ob-
ject of the bullying many times may
feel alone and unable to continue with
their education. They may experience
physical affects like feeling sick or be
highly stressed and unable concentrate
in class or on homework. In extreme
cases it may lead to the student hurting
other people or taking their own life.
Unfortunately, bullying appears to
be out of control across our country
affecting children and adults every-
where.
Graduation is the litmus test we
use to determine if we are successful.
We have made over all improvements
every year that I have served on the
board. We can improve these rates
more by keeping students engaged by
offering them opportunities like art,
music, theater, sports, technical classes
and a bully-free environment.
RM: I believe that one of the
most important issues we are facing
as school district is large class sizes. I
experienced fi rst hand what it is like
to be in classrooms that were overca-
pacity, While as a district we are seeing
large class sizes, we must acknowledge
that there are schools, predominantly
low-income and majority students of
color, that are being impacted more
than other schools. It is imperative that
we address this issue through an equity
lens.
KT: What can be done at the
school board level to address that issue?
MH: We are a policy board; it takes
a strong unifi ed board who are all
committed to the same issues to set the
goals for the district and to enable and
give the superintendent the resources
needed to obtain our goals. We can
also continue to have conversations
with the community and partner with
groups with expertise, especially in
dealing with bullying and suicide pre-
vention.
RM: I believe that large class sizes
derive from the lack of funding for our
schools. If we fully funded our schools
we would have the ability to hire more
educators and provide additional class-
rooms for our students. We have a very
unique opportunity to reduce class siz-
es with the bond that passed recently.
It will be critical that we continue to
have discussions through an equity lens
to make the most from this opportu-
nity. Furthermore, we must ensure that
as a school board we work with the
state Legislature to guarantee that we
fully fund our schools. If passed, House
Bill 2019 would allow for our board
to have discussions surrounding how
we can reduce class sizes while also
addressing other issues we face as a
district by providing $2 billion for our
schools. It will not be enough to de-
pend on the changes made through
the bond and funding from the state
Legislature so it will be crucial that as
a board we seek to create community
partnerships with local businesses and
organizations that will provide addi-
tional avenues for revenue, and create
opportunities and resources for our
students to gain hands on experience
outside of the traditional classroom
setting.
KT: What issues, if any, would you
like to see the school board address
with greater urgency in the next four
years?
MH: Bullying is the most urgent
issue facing our students in my opin-
ion.
RM: I would like to see the school
board empower parents, students and
educators through the decision mak-
ing process. I would like to see the
board empower parents to be actively
involved in their students education. I
would also like to see the board di-
versify our staff and educators. Fur-
thermore, I would like for the board
to work to provide more staff training
to meet the needs of students from
diverse backgrounds and cultures. I
would like the board to consider eq-
uitable policies that will enable more
students, regardless of their income,
to participate in our award-winning
music programs and other activities. I
want to see the board support CTEC
and the expansion of CTE programs
in the district. I expect the board to
support students by providing mental
health resources. I would like to see
the board seek to improve graduation
rates by providing them with the sup-
port and resources necessary.
bit of stocks and bonds on the side to
support his habit,” Miller said.
Fellow Rotarian John Doneth
said the two bonded early over their
challenges or step up the Celtic game. interest in youth sports, Anagnos was
“By the end of the day, we’d have coaching football and Doneth was an
talked to each other 15, 17, 20 times. umpire for Little League.
“He had a tough-love style of
We should have just gotten together.
Between the two of us, we always coaching, but I think a lot of student-
thought a kid could be half a step athletes are better off for having
known Ted. He was a straight shooter
faster,” Nicholas said.
Anagnos’ day job was as a fi nancial and not shy about offering an opinion,
advisor. His business involvement led but I always found him to be totally
honest and he walked
him to the Rotary
the talk,” Doneth said.
Club
of
Keizer
Doneth
and
which was another
Anagnos had offi ces
source of pride and
near each other at
involvement.
Alex
Staats Lake for a
Miller got to know
time and said many
him through Rotary
Saturdays
were
and Anagnos’ “fi reside
spent in each other’s
chat,” essentially the
company
sharing
low-down on what
news of the students
Rotary Is and what is
they were guiding
expected of members.
and
community
“The big thing I
developments.
remember was him
Even in sports
telling me to bring
and activities where
my family to Rotary
Anagnos
wasn’t
events and get them
a coach, he was a
involved, too,” Miller
presence.
said. “We got to know
— Alex Muller
“He was always at
each other as parents
Fruend and neughbor the games whether we
and Teddy really
were at home or away,”
directed our boys.”
said Jim Litchfi eld,
Anagnos coached
Miller’s oldest son in his freshman a former head coach of the McNary
football season, the young Celtics went basketball program.
Litchfi eld and Anagnos met
9-0 that year.
Even before the 9-0 season, Anagnos when the former dabbled in football
did everything he could to support the coaching and their friendship
athletes he coached. He submitted continued thereafter. When one of the
weekly reports to Keizertimes on the star athletes in the basketball program
freshmen teams’ progress and soared began experiencing troubles at home,
beyond the call of duty as he tried to Anagnos took him in and supported
get as many kids’ names in the paper him through graduation. It was the
fi rst or only time he did that.
as possible.
“He was a coach and in the inner
“He told me years ago that his
passion was for high school kids. He circle and he would hear us talk
was primarily a coach who did a little about what was happening with the
kids. Eventually, he was there offering
assistance,” Litchfi eld said.
Anagnos gave generously to all
the Celtic sports as well as fi ne arts
activities at McNary in ways that were
often unheralded at the time.
“He would do whatever he could
whether it was giving them a meal,
giving them a ride, giving them advice
if the kids showed passion,” said Jeff
Auvinen, McNary’s head football
coach. Auvinen said Anagnos was as
much a mentor to him as he was to the
students when he fi rst started teaching
at the school in 1992.
“He always said he was going
to make taxpayers out of our kids,”
Auvinen said. While that might seem
like self-interest on the surface, it went
much deeper, Auvinen continued, “He
wanted them to be good people that
are doing what they are supposed to be
doing, that have a good job and good
family, and are pulling their weight.”
Even after Anagnos stepped away
from his coaching duties and took
up part-time residence in Nevada,
Auvinen said there was a message on
his phone every Friday after the games
saying he’d watched the fi lm and
offering encouragement in all areas.
Keizertimes asked every person
interviewed for this story where they
thought Anagnos’ passion for students
arose from. To a one, they said it was
his upbringing in Lodi, Calif.
“Sports were huge there and his
coaches were his role models. I’ve heard
so many stories about his coaches and
what they taught him. He carried that
over into his life and giving back to
the community and the kids,” Auvinen
said. “I think they broke the mold after
him, he had McNary blue running
through his veins and we’ll always
remember him.”
It was why whenever Anagnos
dropped in to meet the latest batch of
Celtic gridders Auvinen introduced
him as “The Legend” Coach Anagnos.
and how to get things done. Unfor-
tunately, most people think we can
do things we currently cannot. Many
things are dictated by the Oregon
Legislature and the Oregon Depart-
ment of Education and so are out of
our reach. I am a mother of a recent
graduate who attended Salem-Keizer
schools from Pre-K through gradu-
ation. I am a tax-payer and under-
stand how our decisions can affect
family fi nances. My background is
in information technology which is
all about problem solving, I use these
skills often. I currently serve as a Mar-
ion County Parks Commissioner, on
Salem’s Community Emergency Re-
sponse Team and Marion County Am-
ateur Radio Emergency Services.
Raul Marquez: I know how to
work collaboratively with people from
all walks of life to fi nd solutions for the
betterment of all our students. I have a
proven record of getting things done
and I hope to bring this mentality to
the school board. As a high school se-
nior, I raised $412,000, to purchase a
house, now known as Taylor’s House,
the fi rst overnight youth homeless
shelter in the Mid-Willamette Valley.
Furthermore my experience as a re-
cent graduate will allow me to better
understand the needs of our students,
parents and our educators so that we
may better serve them.
KT: What motivated you to seek
election/re-election?
MH: There is nothing I enjoy more
than helping people. Regardless of
who in the community it is, being able
to be a voice for them gives me great
satisfaction.
With any new job, it takes time to
get acclimated and become profi cient.
It took two full years of watching, lis-
tening and having different experienc-
es addressed on the board to get me
to a point where I felt I could be a
contributor and have my voice heard
and respected on the board. For me
to not run again would be to waste the
time I have invested in our families
and schools.
RM: I decided to run for the Sa-
lem-Keizer school board after an ac-
tive community member asked me
if I would ever consider running for
the school board. This began a series
of meetings which involved students,
parents and other community mem-
bers discussing the current state of the
school district. I am honored to have
been considered by several members as
a strong candidate to represent Zone
LEGEND,
continued from Page A1
“He was
prumaruly a
coach who
dud a luttle
but of stocks
and bonds
on the sude to
support hus
habut”
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Additional workshops to teach participants fruit thin-
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a.m. on Saturday, May 18, 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May
22, and 9 a.m. on Saturday, June 8 at the Marion Garden
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All workshops are free but pre-registration is required.
To register and get more information on the workshops,
visit marioncomga.org/event-registration/.