VOLUME 42, NO. 5
NOVEMBER 20, 2020
SECTION A
$1.00
Mayor renounces gov’s freeze
tactics, Post calls for defiance
At a Keizer City Council
meeting Monday, Nov. 16,
Mayor Cathy Clark played
up fears she had heard about
police showing up at the door
and either citing or arresting
members of the household.
“I am extremely con-
cerned about families in this
community that are larger
than six people,” said Clark.
C. Clark
B. Post
She then directed a more
pointed question at City
Manager Chris Eppley, “Will
the police come to a door for
a family that is larger than six,
city manager?”
“As per my direction, no,”
Eppley replied.
“We will not be doing
anything
except
being
welcoming and caring for one
another,” Clark said. “I am
deeply disturbed that there
are children who are fearful,
that is borderline harassment.”
State Rep. Bill Post urged
the city and its residents to
defy the freeze orders.
“To ask people not to
get together for the sake of
getting together is something
I cannot believe I am hearing
and I am reading,” Post said.
Post
cited
low-wage
Faith-based fi lm shot in Keizer
workers losing jobs and
the lack of input from the
Oregon Legislature as further
reason to defy the order.
Post specifi cally accused
the Oregon governor of
“weaponizing the Oregon
Health Authority.
“I am asking that we, as a
Please see RENOUNCE, Page A8
‘Freeze’
ordered
as COVID
surges
By ERIC A. HOWALD
Of the Keizertimes
As the COVID-19 curve
in Oregon continues to head
in the wrong direction, Gov.
Kate Brown has moved the
entire state back to modifi ed
lockdown mode.
Brown previously an-
nounced mandates for re-
duced activity, but raised the
restrictions to a “freeze” that
will halt activity at indoor rec-
reational spaces until Dec. 2.
“The virus is spreading in
the community and, every day,
it is infecting more and more
Oregonians. This situation is
dangerous and our hospitals
have been sounding the
BY MATT RAWLINGS
Of the Keizertimes
COVID-19 has caused the movie
industry to nearly come to a standstill
over the last nine months. However,
small-budget studios have been able to
continue production in the midst of a
pandemic, and one independent, low-
budget fi lm used Keizer as one of its
primary fi lming locations.
The 211 Home, a new movie from
New Shepherd Films, used locations
such as Volcanoes Stadium and Keizer
City Hall to fi lm their production earlier
this fall.
Jim Huggins, the president and
CEO of New Shepherd Films, and the
director of The 211 Home, expressed his
appreciation to the city of Keizer for
their support.
“This has been a diffi cult process
during COVID-19 but we have had
phenomenal support from Mayor
(Cathy) Clark and others in the
community,” Huggins said. “We are
Please see FILM, Page A8
PAGE A2
Fear and
thrills
PAGE A2
Elected
offi cials trade
barbs in wake
of election,
inclusion talks
Submitted photos
TOP: Tate Andersen, a 13-year old from Keizer, plays the lead role of Daniel O'Malley
in New Shepherd Films production of The 211 Home. BOTTOM: Jim Huggins (left)
and Jeff Schneider prepare to shoot a scene.
Courthouse defi es Governor’s orders
BY MATT RAWLINGS
Of the Keizertimes
Due to the mandated two-
week freeze ordered by Ore-
gon Gov. Kate Brown to stop
the spread of COVID-19, the
vast majority of restaurants
and gyms will be temporarily
closed to the public.
However, one company has
No end in
sight for rent
burdened
elected to defy Brown’s orders.
On Monday, Nov. 16,
Courthouse Club Fitness,
which has one location in
Keizer and four others in Sa-
lem, shared on its Facebook
page that they will be remain-
ing open during the two-
week freeze, which went into
effect on Wednesday, Nov. 18.
“As a result of the harm
done to our business from
the fi rst shutdown, we will
not survive another clo-
sure. This is a horrible po-
sition I fi nd myself in, and
it leaves me with only one
choice. Courthouse Club
Fitness will remain open on
Wednesday and the days to
follow,” Courthouse own-
er and Keizer resident John
Miller said in a statement.
Miller shared that, since
contact tracing began in May,
the Marion County Health
Department confi rmed that
there has been no transmis-
sion of COVID-19 traced
to the Courthouse — even
though Oregon Health offi -
cials have only been able to
trace approximately 58% of
COVID-19 cases from Oct.
1 to Nov. 10, not a single
outbreak has been linked to
an Oregon gym during that
timespan.
The Courthouse will
continue to enforce mask
wearing and social distancing
guidelines, as well as diligent
sanitation protocols. There
will also be a 50% capacity
limit.
Miller also noted that
physical therapy, youth sports
and massage are allowed un-
der Brown’s order due to
the impact on mental and
emotional health, noting that
gyms provide those same
outlets for people.
“This is not a decision I
take lightly, and I understand
some may not agree. At the
end of the day, I am con-
vinced staying open is the
best and most responsible for
our members, our staff, and
Please see
COURTHOUSE, Page A7
By ERIC A. HOWALD
Of the Keizertimes
The
mudslinging
started when Oregon
State Rep. Bill Post
appeared to target a
Keizer city councilor
in a since-deleted
Facebook post.
“The leader of this
gang … a current
councilor
will
be
ousted in two years …
mark my words. This
‘gang’ will be tossed
from Keizer. I’ve had
enough of their hostile
takeover attempts,’ Post
wrote around Nov. 5.
Post
did
not
mention who he was
writing about by name,
but Councilor Roland
Herrera thinks he was
Volunteer of
the quarter
PAGE A3
Please see
BARBS, Page A7
alarms. If we want to give
Oregon a fi ghting chance, we
must take further measures to
fl atten the curve and save lives.
I know this is hard, and we
are weary. But, we are trying
to stop this ferocious virus
from quickly spreading far and
wide,” said Brown in a press
release Friday, Nov. 13.
Brown said there will be
strict enforcement of the new
measure to control spread
of the novel coronavirus.
Violations are misdemeanors
punishable by citation or
arrest, Brown said. She planned
to work with state police
and local law enforcement
to encourage Oregonians to
comply with her directive.
Please see FREEZE, Page A7
Ebbs makes
it official
PAGE A10