PAGE A4, KEIZERTIMES, NOVEMBER 13, 2020
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Stay in the room
No one likes uncomfortable con- night, but the accolades don’t end
versations but working through that there.
For the past few months, a steady
discomfort can have enormous pay-
cadre of residents have spoken out
offs.
Case in point: a work session of on issues of inclusivity and what a
the Keizer City Council Monday, Keizer resolution should embody.
Some of the faces have
Nov. 9.
grown familiar during
After receiving heated
that time, but new ones
backlash from residents of
have shown up to make
the city over a refusal to
voices heard at ev-
condemn white suprema-
editorial their
ery meeting.
cy, members of the council
Each added a unique
worked through the issues
perspective and moved
and drafted a statement of
the conversation for-
values that might live up to
ward in valuable ways.
Mayor Cathy Clark’s claim
a few weeks ago of Keizer “leading Over the course of weeks and
the way” through inclusivity in local months, they have shown the power
inherent in individuals coming to-
politics.
The new draft includes a defi ni- gether for a more perfect union.
We also don’t want to forget the
tion of white supremacy, a repudia-
tion of it and a nod to the tribes that efforts of those who fi rst brought a
resolution proposal to the city two
once inhabited Keizer.
Members of the council have yet years ago. They started a ball rolling
to vote on the statement – they le- that others were able to pick up and
gally can’t vote on issues in work run with.
All of these individuals who stood
sessions – and some may still dissent,
but the new document is a giant step up and spoke up during the meeting
forward from the mostly watered deserve recognition for their cour-
down statement of a few weeks ago. age and work as well.
Lastly, it should not go without
Each of the councilors,even in
lieu of recent comments, should be noting that the fi ve candidates for
commended for their work Monday city council seats in the election
earlier this month were in the room
Monday night.
To Kyle Juran and Ross Day: As
Keizer’s next city councilors, inclu-
sivity in all forms is a baton you will
need to take up, and we hope that
the messages of the people you will
represent resonated in your chests.
To Mike De Blasi, Dylan Juran
and Michele Roland-Schwartz:
It took courage to show up at the
work session in the wake of elec-
tion defeat, but we have come to
expect that from each of you. Salve
the wound of the loss, but don’t let
is dissuade you from public service.
Stay involved on the city commit-
tees you already serve on, join an-
other when you are ready and live
to fi ght another day.
Councilors have grown fond of
the phrase “The Keizer Way,” which
feels like code for doing things fru-
gally in word and fi nances. This time
around “The American Way” ap-
pears to have won the day.
There are lessons there for all of
us in the process that is taking place,
and we can continue to build on
them, but everyone needs to stay in
the room.
—Editorial Board
Welcome to city council
COVID-19 changed the way
political candidates campaigned in
2020. In Keizer, where grassroots,
door-to-door canvassing has been
the norm, candidates relied on so-
cial media, lawn signs and advertis-
ing to promote themselves.
In January 2021 the council will
seat an incumbent and two new
members.
Laura Reid won election to
her second term. Her historical
knowledge will position her as a
key councilor since Marlene Par-
sons and Kim Freeman did not seek
re-election. Parsons and Freeman
both will have served two terms
when they make way for their re-
placements.
Ross Day and Kyle Juran will be
Keizer’s newest councilors when
they are sworn into offi ce on Jan. 4.
Ross Day, an attorney with his
own fi rm, specializes in land use, real
estate and business law. As the city
moves forward on discussions about
future growth and any expansion of
the Urban Growth Boundary, his
experience will help navigate Keiz-
er through the the process. His fel-
low councilors will do well to turn
to Day for advice and information
that will be important to laying the
groundwork for growth.
Kyle Juran will bring to the
council a background and expe-
rience that will be as important as
Day’s land use knowledge. Juran
is the owner of Remodeling by
Classic Homes in Keizer and he
has served on the Keizer Planning
Commission. He will be able to
confi dently discuss growth issues
and the accompanying aesthetic
components.
We welcome Day and Juran to
the council and look forward to
their contributions.
— LAZ
How to protect migrating animals
Project, an innovative effort to map
By JIM AKENSON and
wildlife movement and corridors
LORI McKINNON
Oregon Hunters Association across the state. Oregon has an op-
(OHA), a group of conserva- portunity to ensure this new infor-
tion-minded sportsmen, urges Ore- mation leads to sound management
gon Department of Fish and Wild- solutions by developing agency pol-
icy to formally identify mi-
life (ODFW) to develop
gration corridors.
and implement a policy
This action will bolster
to enhance and conserve
guest
current conservation projects
migratory habitat for big
column where many groups (includ-
game, and all wildlife that
ing OHA) are working to
make seasonal movements.
conserve and enhance mi-
Habitat connectivity,
the degree to which separate habi- gratory habitat. For example, OHA
tat patches are connected, is a crucial has pledged over $114,000 and many
factor for conservation of wildlife. volunteer hours to the Gilchrist
Increases in urban and energy de- Wildlife Underpass Project aimed at
velopment has resulted in extensive reducing ungulate mortality and ve-
habitat loss and fragmentation for hicle collisions on U.S. Highway 97.
many species in Oregon. Fortunately, Additionally, a migration policy will
advances in wildlife tracking technol- frame new partnerships between pri-
ogy have allowed wildlife managers vate landowners, non-government
to more accurately identify where organizations, and government agen-
animals move on the landscape, as cies, which will result in additional
well as impediments to wildlife space conservation projects and funding
use. For ungulate species (e.g., deer, sources. Recently, Coastal Farm &
elk, pronghorn, bighorn sheep), mi- Ranch, after obtaining the low bid
gration corridors are fundamental to provide fencing material, support-
to their life history, but until recent- ed the Gilchrist Wildlife Underpass
ly, these corridors were thought of Project by providing fencing mate-
as conduit between seasonal ranges rials at a discount below their initial
low bid. OHA’s Bend chapter has
rather than essential habitat.
Many big game migration cor- invested hundreds of volunteer hours
ridors are currently obstructed by maintaining the fence that funnels
transportation infrastructure and en- wildlife to the Lava Butte wildlife
ergy development sites. Therefore, underpass on U.S. Highway 97, ap-
state agencies must consider the full proximately 50 miles north of the
extent of migratory habitat to better new Gilchrist underpass. The Lava
Butte wildlife underpass has reduced
manage ungulate populations.
ODFW is making leaps and vehicle-wildlife collisions by 86%. In-
bounds through the Oregon Con- dividuals can support and help fund
nectivity Assessment and Mapping habitat connectivity and migration
corridor projects by purchasing a
specialized watch for wildlife license
plate voucher at www.myowf.org/
watchforwildlife.
Global Positioning System (GPS)
wildlife tracking collars have become
commonplace in wildlife manage-
ment today, and this shift to more ef-
fi cient and accurate technology will
allow for more precise management
into the future. GPS collars collect an
immense amount of animal location
data on fi xed time schedules, and these
data are ideal for describing ungulate
resource selection and utilization and
migratory habitat. A migration policy
will assist ODFW and their partners
in obtaining additional grant funding
to provide wildlife professionals with
additional GPS collars, which will in-
turn, further our knowledge of mi-
gration corridors, resource selection,
and population dynamics.
How can Oregonian’s assist with
protecting wildlife and their habitats?
By working with their local wild-
life biologist, watershed managers,
ODFW commissioners and legisla-
tors to promote continued research
and policy development. In addition,
the public can support protection of
wildlife, their habitats, and mitigation
from land management, urban, and
energy development and transporta-
tion infrastructure projects through
county, state and federal public com-
ment processes.
absolute going forward.
No matter what label you
put in a value statement, it
letters
To the Editor:
will do absolutely nothing
After
attending
to change the hearts and
last nights Keizer city
minds of those who al-
council meeting (Mon-
ready harbor hate in their
day, Nov. 9), I left with similar hearts. And trust me, this won’t stop
thoughts that I have experienced at here from further demands being
times over my 37 years living in this brought from this same group of
great community.
“my way or the highway.”
There were times I would give Butch Dunn
the council the benefi t of the doubt Keizer
that the right decision would be
made, only to witness that the fi x
was in. The majority of the council
who were in attendance, led by the
Mayor, decided to join with a small To the Editor:
vocal minority of progressive sup-
Marion County Fire District #1
porters, led by Council or Roland wants to thank those who partic-
Herrera, and added, what appears to ipated in the recent election. Our
be, a knee-jerk response to Keizer’s local option levy was up for renew-
Value Statement that this group had al, and the outcome was not as we
insisted on. They did it just for ap- had hoped.
peasement, in my opinion, and in
The local option levy accounted
the opinion of many other Keize- for 30% of our revenue to provide
rites.
emergency services. Its loss means
Frankly, it’s as if last week’s elec- that we have to make cuts to ser-
tions didn’t even come into consid- vice levels, which includes laying
eration. Keizer spoke loudly that we off emergency personnel, taking
preferred more conservative voices apparatus out of service, and closing
on the council than we did progres- fi re stations.
sive ones. At times I felt lectured to,
New service levels will take ef-
and at times I felt preached to, by fect on January 1, 2021. We will
two individuals specifi cally. Rac- communicate with you in advance
ism, hate, discrimination and vio- about these cuts, and how it could
lence toward anyone should, and impact your family and business in
is, roundly condemned throughout an emergency.
this community.
These will be very diffi cult de-
I felt at times they were being cisions for us to make, and we ask
unfairly baked in with the “racist” for your understanding in the days
label too frequently thrown out. and months ahead. Please feel free
Note that one speaker even encour- to contact me with questions at
aged the council to move quickly kylem@mcfd1.com or (503) 588-
with this declaration, so it becomes 6535.
effective before the new councilors Kyle McMann
are seated. Or does she mean the Fire Chief/Paramedic/RN
two elected by the majority in last Marion County Fire District #1
week’s election? One thing will be
Keizer values
statement
Loss of levy vote for
MCFD1 will hurt
maze
(Jim Akenson is senior conserva-
tion director, Oregon Hunters Asso-
ciation. Lori McKinnon is president of
Coastal Farm & Ranch.)
Keizertimes
Maze by Jonathan Graf of Keizer
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