DECEMBER 20, 2019 KEIZERTIMES, PAGE A5
Opinion
Laws that aff ect you
go into eff ect Jan. 1
As the year comes to an end, I lature will meet again for a short
wanted to take some time to re- session in 2020 with a start date of
mind you of some of the new leg- February 3 and a constitutional end
islation going into effect on January date of March 8. In the House of
Representatives, each member is
1, 2020.
able to submit two bills.
Don’t forget to bring
The Senate allows their
your reusable bags to
members to submit only
the grocery or depart-
one bill. Since the pur-
ment store, unless you
pose of the short session
want to pay a fi ve-cent
is to focus on adjusting
fee for every paper
any budget issues, as
bag that is used. (Pro-
passed by the voters in
duce, bulk items, meat,
2010 via Measure 71,
and unwrapped baked
I usually never submit
goods are excluded.)
any policy legislation.
With the passage of
this session I
SB 608, state-wide rent
from the However,
am proposing some very
control, your rent could
simple and bi-partisan
increase at the start of
capitol
legislation that is much
the year up to seven
By BILL POST
needed:
percent plus infl ation
Kratom—this bill will
costs. This year, the rent
regulate and restrict this
was capped at a 10 per-
substance. Currently, any
cent increase.
If you want a plastic straw with person under 21 can purchase this
your beverage at a restaurant or opioid-like substance.
Land Use—this bill ensures that
convenience store, you’ll have to
ask for one. Otherwise, violators updated land use laws do not hin-
will receive a $25 fi ne per day der a property owner from selling
with a $300 yearly cap. (Fast food after a court judgment.
Prior to the 2020 session, the
drive-thru orders, hospitals, and
legislature will be meeting in Jan-
nursing homes are excluded.)
Expect to see a cost of living uary for Legislative Days and other
increase (an average of $1,300 per training opportunities. I look for-
year) due to the Gross Receipts ward to having a discussion about
Tax/Student Success Act (HB kratom in the House Committee
3427), increased minimum wage by on Agriculture and Land Use, of
50 or 75 cents depending on where which I am vice chair.
Most importantly, I hope you all
you live, and gas increases due to
have a wonderful holiday. Merry
legislation like HB 2007.
Affecting north Marion County Christmas and Happy New Year!
(Bill Post represents House Dis-
in House District 25, HB 3213, is
approved for a safety corridor study. trict 25. He can be reached at 503-
Hopefully this legislation will help 986- 1425 or via email at rep.bill-
post@ oregonlegislature.gov.)
decrease fatalities on “death road.”
If you didn’t know, the legis-
People and businesses
make Keizer great
About this time of year, mainly
appearing during the national and
religious holidays in which most
Americans participate to one de-
gree or another, are the recognized
blessings and statements of thanks
we express to voice our apprecia-
tions for where we are and what’s
happening with us in
our lives.
In the spirit of that
tradition, a few state-
ments are due about
the city of Keizer and
the people who make
this small city their
home. The fi rst has to
do with the look of this
place for residences and business-
es. During the 21 years my wife and
I have lived here, there has been a
steady increase in the sprucing up
of most everything and the making
of the community that much more
livable. One of the most prominent
displays of civic pride is the new
city hall and police station to which
my wife and I hand-carry our lat-
est water bill payment just to enjoy
the ambiance of the building and its
pleasing-to-the-eye interior.
We patronize the stores, busi-
nesses and professional offi ces in
Keizer close to 100 percent of the
time, thereby satisfying our needs
while we go elsewhere only when
it’s imperative to do so. This prac-
tice of ours in buying local includes
those locations along River Road as
well as those at Keizer Station. We
view Keizer Station as an Oregon
landmark that encourages persons
living-anywhere-near-close to pa-
tronize all that’s there. A couple of
added pluses about the Station in-
clude the fact that we must never
need search for a parking spot and
that the grounds throughout are
kept clean and free of trash.
A person in complimentary
mode would not want to over-
look the people who live here and
those who are employees of the re-
spective businesses. We have never
been treated by any employee with
a job here other than with respect
and consideration. In fact, to those
shops and sundry others we go on
a regular basis, citing Bed, Bath and
Beyond, Lowe’s, Michael’s and Sta-
ple’s as merely four examples, it’s
not uncommon for the workers to
address us by name and even re-
call why we were there on
past occasions. This level
of caring and friendliness
regularly cause us to purr
“We’re sure glad we live
here.”
Kudos also to Lyndon
Zaitz and his team who we
view as providing the com-
munity with a Keizertimes
newspaper that employs the work
of professional journalists, report-
ing events and happenings in our
Mid-Willamette Valley area of Or-
egon. They do outstandingly well
at keeping the local folks informed
and up-to-date on matters import-
ant for all to know and be aware
of. It is our hope that persons who
recognize excellence in small city
newspapers know how well our re-
porters do at their trade and honor
the Keizertimes accordingly.
Although this list is not all in-
clusive by any stretch of the subject,
one fi nal accolade here about Keizer
derives naturally from its location by
lay-of-the-land. Except for the oc-
casional Friday afternoon bumper-
to-bumper traffi c slowdowns and
instances when it seems everyone
left for work at the same hour, it
is totally easy to get around Keizer
for business or pleasure. Even when
adverse weather makes driving a
challenge, the mostly fl at geography
in our neck-of-the-woods provides
travelers a huge advantage over an-
other small Oregon city where I
grew up —and the many others like
it in our state—hilly Astoria.
Best wishes to one and all with
a prediction for more of the same
in 2020.
gene h.
mcintyre
(Gene H. McIntyre lives in Keizer
and shares his opinion frequently in
the Keizertimes.)
Keizertimes
Wheatland Publishing Corp. • 142 Chemawa Road N. • Keizer, Oregon 97303
phone: 503.390.1051 • web: www.keizertimes.com • email: kt@keizertimes.com
EDITOR & PUBLISHER
Lyndon Zaitz
publisher@keizertimes.com
2019-2020 President
Oregon Newspaper Publishers
Association
POSTMASTER
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Keizer, OR 97303
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A wish list for Keizer
By ANDREW JACKSON
This week, some friends and I
put our heads together to create a
Christmas wish list for Keizer. Many of
these are food-centric but hey — we
like to eat. Here is the list, in not-so-
catchy holiday song format:
On the fi rst day of Christmas, our city
gave to thee:
A pizza-by-the-slice eatery
I am sure the lunch buffet at JC’s
or Round Table is great,
but I’m not looking to
take a nap after lunch. On
one hand, both 7-Elevens
have said offerings. When
I think quality or variety
of pies, that’s not where I
go—no offense, 7-Eleven.
So, as a productive
person and refi ned pizza
enthusiast, I’d love to see
a pizza-by-the-slice establishment. I
know I’m not alone.
On the second day of Christmas, our
city gave to thee:
Two taco trucks
The city council approved food
trucks in the summer of 2016. More
than three years later, food trucks in
Keizer are still few and far between —
and most of the time non-existent. On
Friday and Saturday evenings you may
be able to fi nd a taco grill outside the
Plaza Morelia next to Tequilla Nights.
But I’m an American — I want more!
What I’m picturing is a reproduction
of The Yard Food Park in Salem, or a
mini version of that. While one food
truck every once in awhile is nice,
they’re more likely to succeed in the
pod format. Strength in numbers, you
know.
On the third day of Christmas, our city
gave to thee:
Three paddle boats
Okay Keizer, so we fi lled an old
gravel pit with water, paved a walkway
around the edge, and built some homes
and businesses around it — solid. Now
let’s turn Staats Lake into a destination
for more than just diseased birds and
catfi sh. My ultimate vision here would
be to have paddle boats or a swimming
hole during the summer. See Albany’s
Waverly Park with the giant duck.
At minimum, there should be a large
fountain in the middle. Of course,
some of these ideas would require
the water to be actually habitable by
something other than the Loch Ness
monster. This seems doable.
On the fourth day of Christmas, our
city gave to thee:
Small Business Saturday
I would like to see Keizer and
its residents really embrace Small
Business Saturday, the day following
Black Friday every year in November.
Starting next year, I’m asking for
people to join me in pledging 100
percent of their consumption that day
to small businesses. This is not anti-
big-business, just asking people to
patronize only small business on one
day of the year. We’ll discover new
things and new people, perhaps even
fi nd a new favorite spot for shopping
or eating. Mark it in your calendar:
Nov. 28, 2020.
On the fi fth day of Christmas, our city
gave to thee:
Five non-chain restaurants
It
is
almost
universally
acknowledged that Keizer is missing
some truly unique eating experiences.
My criteria for distinct dining is
pretty simple: 1.) only one location
in existence; 2.) no video lottery
machines; 3.) no televisions; 4.)
open for dinner. According to those
benchmarks, Keizer has precisely fi ve
of those restaurants: Bai Bua Thai
Kitchen, Gyro Stop (has a TV but
never seen it on), Nagani, Pho Keizer
and Thai Lotus. Those coming close
were Mommy & Maddi’s (not open
for dinner), Red Ginger (one TV only
on in the evenings). It’s worth pointing
out that Keizer Station has exactly zero
of these foodie-friendly establishments.
Forget the hippopotamus for
Christmas, I want fi ve more original
restaurants.
On the sixth day of Christmas, our city
gave to thee:
Six city districts
In the name of diversity,
proper
representation
and fairness, the existing
six city council seats
should correspond to
six geographical districts,
with the mayoral seat
being an at-large vote.
These zones could easily
be aligned along public
elementary school boundary lines.
There are seven elementary schools
in Keizer, so two schools would need
to be combined into one city district.
Since Forest Ridge and Clear Lake
are the closest together, we can merge
those two into one.
On the seventh day of Christmas our
city gave to thee:
Seven screens a showing
Remember the movie theater? No,
not the old Keizer Cinemas in the
current Skyline Keizer Ford location,
although I have very fond memories of
it from my childhood. I’m referring to
the multiplex that never was in Keizer
Station. The developer cited rising
construction costs and bailed. It was
supposed to be a 9-screen venue, but
hey I’d settle for a modest seven if that
meant it actually happened. These days,
literally everyone has a fi lmmaking
tool in their pocket, which has led to
a boom in young fi lmmakers. A Keizer
theater could host a fi lm festival where
local artists are showcased. What does it
say to the fi lm students at McNary, that
their city doesn’t even have a movie
theater? Sure, streaming habits have
played a factor in theater attendance,
but you can’t tell that to the people
behind such 2019 critically acclaimed
and profi table independent fi lms like
Peanut Butter Falcon and Countdown
or major studio blockbusters like
Avengers: Endgame or Joker.
On the eighth day of Christmas, our
city gave to thee:
Sidewalks on every street
The fi rst lines of a song made
famous by Whitney Houston goes, “I
believe the children are our are future,
Teach them well and let them lead
the way.” Giving them sidewalks on
every street in town would certainly
better there chances at having any
type of future. Texting and driving is
a rampant issue. Even at lower speeds,
it only takes a driver one short look
down at their phone to claim a child’s
life from a bike lane or non-existent
sidewalk. Even though there are now
widespread laws against texting and
driving, it’s still a big problem. The city
of Keizer owes it to their children, no
matter the cost. Make it happen.
On the ninth day of Christmas, our city
gave to thee:
Nine jokers joking
Why should we have to travel
outside Keizer for a live comedy
show? We should have a Keizer
Komedy Club (KKC). Only two
K’s though — there’s nothing funny
about racist bigots. On a lighter note,
there’s plenty to laugh about in Keizer.
Like that time everybody got excited
when worker’s mistakenly installed a
Trader Joe’s sign at Keizer Station. Or,
when our city manager was named
Keith Olbermann’s ‘Worst Person In
The World.’ How about all the dumb
criminals we have had? Like the burglar
the
more
i know
who was caught because he insisted
on showering before he fl ed. Or the
burglar who got stuck in a window, or
the wanted man stuck in the ceiling, or
the evading bicyclist whose handlebars
fell off. Law enforcement has their
occasional laughs as well. The KPD
once had a three hour standoff with
an empty building. The suspect was
believed to escape via Cherriots bus.
The Keizertimes is not even immune
to a few chuckling moments. In my
early days at the newspaper, I forgot
to include an advertiser’s logo in their
ad. If that’s not a solid material for the
‘Komedy Club’, I don’t know what is.
Laugh at yourselves Keizer, it’s healthy.
On the tenth day of Christmas, our city
gave to thee:
LifeSource a lunching
We’ve already gone over pizza and
food trucks here. In the name of equal
representation, join me in my public
outcry for having no health food store
in Keizer. South Salem has two for
Pete’s sake. On a regular basis, I will
drive out south to Commercial Street
to have a ready-made healthy lunch
from the LifeSource deli. After all, how
many burger joints can we go in and
out of? Which brings us to our next
verse.
On the eleventh day of Christmas, our
city gave to thee:
Fuddruckers feasting
When all this In-N-Out madness
began, I would like to point out that
I was a contrarian from the very
beginning. Who needs ‘animal style’
when you can get pico de gallo on
your burger? Better yet, can you get
scrumptious potato wedges dipped in
hot cheese sauce at In-N-Out? While
I don’t travel north on Interstate 5
very often, my car doesn’t like to pass
Fuddruckers without stopping. As I
approach exit 290, the car defi nitely
pulls hard to the right. I should get that
checked out.
On the twelfth day of Christmas, our
city gave to thee:
KeizerFEST’s new home
We should make it a priority to
rescue the festival from Cherry Avenue.
That was a nice experiment, but it’s
time to move on from that location. I’m
not claiming that I have the solution,
but I know the current location has
no potential for growth. Every year,
there are signifi ant periods where the
festival grounds look more like a ghost
town than a celebration of Keizer. The
festival once thrived in front of St.
Edward Catholic Church. Let’s come
up with something to breathe some
new life into KeizerFEST.
I have high hopes for this 2019
holiday jingle. Maybe next year at this
time, some of these holiday wishes will
have been granted. Please fi nd below
the fi nal verse. The recording is not
available at this time, so hum along if
you like.
On the twelfth day of Christmas
our city gave to thee:
KeizerFEST’s new home
Fuddruckers feasting,
LifeSource a lunching,
Nine jokers joking,
Sidewalks on every street,
Seven screens a showing
Six city districts
Five non-chain restaurants,
Small Business Saturday,
Three paddle boats,
Two taco trucks,
and a pizza-by-the-slice eatery
Do you have any holiday wishes
for Keizer? Email yours to publisher@
keizertimes.com.
(Andrew
Jackson
is
the
Keizertimes production manager,
graphic designer and resident smart
aleck.)