SINCE 1979 • VOLUME 40, NO. 34
SECTION A
MAY 24, 2019
$1.00
THIS IS IMPORTANT
Keizer
is deciding how
to grow. You should be
part of the conversation.
Lady Celts
pull off a
nail-biter
PAGE B8
KEIZERTIMES/Andrew Jackson
You might have established your
home in Keizer because no other place
would do. You might have arrived in the
city because circumstances led you here.
You might even view Keizer as a way-
point in bigger plans or dreams.
Whatever brought you to Keizer
– and regardless of how long you are
planning to stay – you should be part of
the conversation about how Keizer will
grow. There will be many opportunities
to make your voice heard over the com-
ing months and years, but a big one is
slated for Wednesday, May 29, and Keiz-
er residents shouldn’t let it pass them by.
Beginning at 6 p.m., at the Keizer
Civic Center, the city’s planning de-
partment will host the fi nal public input
Doing nothing may sound like an
meeting related to housing needs in the
appealing option, but ask just about
city.
The heart of the issue is this: Keiz- anyone paying rent in city limits how
long
they’ll
er is out of
last
under
room to grow.
OUR OPINION:
the
current
The city can-
It’s not sexy or scandalous,
conditions
not expand the
– more than
city’s bound-
but it may be the most
50 percent of
aries without
important conversation
renters
and
a lengthy and
a quarter of
costly process
Keizer will have since
h o m e ow n e r s
that
involves
declaring its independence
are paying more
courting
the
almost 40 years ago.
than a third of
regional part-
their income
ners and state
offi cials. The other option is increasing in monthly rent. Nearly every family
the number of households within the making less than $35,000 annually in
Keizer is rent-burdened in this way,
current boundary.
Bethell unseats Lee
on school board
of the vote to 46 percent.
By ERIC A. HOWALD
Marty Heyen, director for
Of the Keizertimes
Danielle Bethell’s bid to Zone 2, fended off challenger
oust long-serving Salem-Keiz- Raul Marquez. Heyen led in
er School Board director the unoffi cial results with 52
Chuck Lee appeared to have percent of the vote to Mar-
paid off according to unoffi cial quez’s 45 percent.
Diane
Watson
results with all pre-
retained her seat
cincts accounted for
on the Chemeketa
in the election Tues-
Community College
day, May 21.
Board of Directors in
Bethell was lead-
Zone 6. Watson faced
ing with 52 percent
a challenge from Art
of the vote to Chuck
Witkowski. Watson
Lee’s 45 percent in
won with 43 percent
Zone 6. Bethell, who
D. Bethell
of the vote to Wit-
is also executive di-
kowski’s 34 percent,
rector of the Keizer
Chamber of Commerce, will but more than 22 percent of
serve a four-year term begin- returned ballots didn’t have a
ning in July. Lee has served on selection in this race.
Three Keizer Fire District
the board since 2007.
In Zone 4, Satya Chandri- board members – Chet Patter-
giri and David Salinas vied for son, Greg Ego and Betty Hart
the seat being vacated by Jim – ran unopposed to retain their
Green. Chandrigiri, who ran seats at the table.
Only slightly more than 19
on a largely single-issue plat-
form of suicide prevention, was percent of registered voters re-
leading Salinas with 51 percent turned ballots in the election.
and it includes elderly residents facing
rising costs in manufactured home
communities throughout the city as
well as young residents trying to make
a good start.
There are things the city can do to
reclaim some space within the existing
limits such as reducing parking require-
ments and lot sizes, allowing for tiny
homes and doing what it can to encour-
age housing developers to meet needs
in “the missing middle.”
The missing middle, in terms of the
current market, means more townho-
mes, triplexes, duplexes, quadplexes and
Please see GROW, Page A3
PAGE A5
KeizerFest was here
KEIZERTIMES/Hunter C. Bomar
Kendra Jackson and her pal Sally make their way down River Road North as part of the
Mayor’s Pet Parade Saturday, May 18. For more photos from all of KeizerFEST, check out
our four-page coverage starting on Page B1.
City, Rotary nearing
accord on room rental
Submitted
Eighteen McNary High School seniors received $200 each in scholarship money from the Latino
Action Committee.
Latino scholars honored
BY MATT RAWLINGS
Of the Keizertimes
The second annual Latino Graduation
Scholarship Celebration took place on Thurs-
day, May 9 at Keizer City Hall with 18 students
from McNary High School receiving scholar-
ship recognition.
The recipients were: Ivan Alarcon, Rafa-
el Garcia Andrade, Francisco Ivan Rios Ber-
nal, Jesus Lopez Bravo, Jose Luis Bravo Bravo,
Javanie U. Bravo Bravo, Miguel Bravo, Osiris
Alvarez Carlos, Yoelin Sanchez Chavira, Yobani
Espinoza Diaz, Lorena Arellano Franco, Arace-
ly Plata Gonzalez, Tania Ceja Marquez, Keith
Cardoza Nolasco, Eduardo Guadalupe Gomez
Walking,
riding and
rolling at
Kennedy
Rodriguez, Karen Lozoya Salas, Jose Zamudio
and Ugo Chavez.
Each student received $200 in scholarship
money from the Latino Action Committee
(LAC); a group founded by Keizer City Coun-
cilor Roland Herrera, Rev. Jose Dominguez
and other Latino leaders from Keizer.
While $200 is by no means an astronomical
amount, the LAC is happy with what the con-
tribution represents and that there are people
and businesses in the Keizer community that
are willing to step up and making a difference
for Latino students.
“Many years ago, I received a scholarship
Please see SCHOLARS, Page A3
By ERIC A. HOWALD
Of the Keizertimes
The Rotary Club of Keizer
and city offi cials appear to be
nearing a deal for continued
use of a room inside the
Keizer Civic Center to host
the club’s weekly meetings.
The Keizer City Council
addressed the dispute at
a meeting Monday, May
20. The council voted
unanimously to approve a
version of Rotary’s preferred
agreement, but negotiations
are continuing.
In a letter sent to the
council earlier this month,
Rotary President AJ Nash and
Rotary Foundation President
Marc Adams took the city to
task for demanding $10,000
a year for continued use of
civic center spaces.
“We do not believe we
are properly using the funds
entrusted to us by paying rent
to the city for improvements
… which now primarily
benefi t other government
agencies,” the letter stated.
As an alternative, Rotary
was willing to pledge $10,000
a year toward projects
directly benefi tting the city
and 700 verifi able hours of
community service.
In addition to the letter,
Adams had since submitted
an accounting of the fi nancial
donations since 2006. The
fi gure was more than half-a-
million dollars and covered
projects ranging from park
and school improvements to
Keizer Police Department
efforts and support of other
local and international non-
profi ts.
A memo prepared by City
Attorney Shannon Johnson
stated the Rotary proposal
to use the rooms without di-
rect payment could be seen as
preferential treatment of Ro-
tary over other non-profi ts
PAGE A6
Track team
comes up
short
PAGE B8
Please see ROTARY, Page A3
No need to travel
all the way across town.
Our Keizer location has
now been expanded
into a FULL SERVICE CLINIC.
to better serve the Keizer community
Change
is coming
at MHS
®
We’re here for you — now closer to home.
5825 Shoreview Ln, Keizer • 503-540-6471 1600 State St, Salem • 503-540-6300