VOLUME 42, NO. 12
JANUARY 8, 2021
SECTION A
$1.00
New councilors sworn in
By ERIC A. HOWALD
Of the Keizertimes
Tearful goodbyes and
hearty welcomes were the or-
der of the night at the Keizer
City Council
meeting Mon-
day, Jan. 4.
“ I appreciate the
The council
pride, spirit and
said goodbye to
Kim Freeman
volunteerism of
and
Marlene
Parsons while
all the residents.
Kyle Juran and
The residents
Ross Day were
sworn into their
step up in droves.”
fi rst terms on
— Kim Freeman,
the council.
exiting Keizer City Councilor
Freeman and
Parsons deliv-
ered prepared
speeches before exiting the
dais to standing ovations.
“Thanks for electing me
to two terms on the council,”
said Parsons. “It's not easy, but
it can be rewarding. We’ve
been told we’re not doing
enough, but it’s been a rough
year [referring to 2020]. I
think we’ve come out of it
Keizer strong because that’s
what we do,” Parsons said.
KEIZERTIMES/Eric A. Howald
Freeman thanked the Kyle Juran (above) and Ross Day (right) take their oath of
people who gathered around offi ce as they begin their terms as new city councilors on
her as a city councilor in Monday, Jan. 4.
private and public ways.
“I appreciate the pride, was so patient and they and Councilor Laura Reid
spirit and volunteerism of all gave me the tools and the was sworn into a second
the residents. The residents resources to make my own term on the council.
step up in droves,” Freeman decisions.”
The council sidestepped
said. “When you fi rst start
and
adopted
Mayor Cathy Clark was tradition,
out on the council, you have sworn into a fourth term as
Please see SWORN, Page A7
so many questions. Everyone mayor during the meeting
Packed agendas are likely
for school board this month
BY MATT RAWLINGS
Of the Keizertimes
The process of attempting
to reopen schools is expected
to be a hot topic of discussion
during Salem-Keizer School
Board meetings this month.
The board is scheduled to
meet three times in January,
with the next discussion
taking place on Tuesday, Jan.
12, at 6 p.m.
On Dec. 23, Gov. Kate
Brown announced that she
was directing the Oregon
Department of Education
(ODE) to implement new
policy
initiatives,
with
the goal of putting more
school districts on track
to return students to in-
person instruction, especially
elementary students, by
February 15.
As of Friday, Jan. 1,
“ This does not
mean schools
can resume in-
person instruction
without regard
for COVID-19
spread…”
— Gov. Kate Brown
decisions on if and when
schools can reopen fell to
the discretion of local school
districts as state metrics made
the shift from mandatory to
advisory.
“This does not mean
schools can resume in-person
Please see AGENDAS, Page A7
20
No. 5 in the
Volcanoes
countdown
PAGE A10
Higher numbers, shifting mission, better funding
A mystery
solved in
Bair Park
STILL A HOMELESSNESS CRISIS
By ERIC A. HOWALD
Of the Keizertimes
Among all the praise for
heroism of fi rst responders
during the COVID-19, it can
be easy to lose sight of all who
are worthy of such honors.
Ashley Hamilton, program
director of the ARCHES,
knows that the organization’s
veteran and new employees
deserve a share of that acclaim.
“We’ve had to do a fair
share of modifying programs
to make sure employees and
clients are safe, but we’ve been
very lucky. Everyone kept
showing up for work and then
we were able to add more
people in most of our pro-
grams,” Hamilton said.
While ARCHES is tasked
primarily with supporting
homeless residents by its par-
ent organization, the Com-
munity Action Agency, its
mission shifted to homeless-
ness prevention in the past
year when it was tapped to
distribute money for state and
federal programs. Hamilton
has to establish and staff an
entire call center for the effort.
“I’m proud to say that
we’ve been able to distribute
more that $5.6 million to peo-
ple struggling to make their
rents and mortgages, and now
we’re expecting a third infl ux
of funding,” Hamilton said.
PAGE A2
A new
setting for
police
interviews
PAGE A3
Please see CRISIS Page A6
Avamere vaccinates 85%
of residents in single day
Submitted
A staff member at Avamere Court at Keizer receives a COVID-19 vaccination.
More than 200 residents
and staff members at Avamere
Court at Keizer’s assisted
living, independent living
and rehabilitation residents
began their vaccinations for
COVID-19 Monday, Jan. 4.
Clinics were set up in each
of the buildings on the campus
to keep residents and staff safe,
said Sue Horn, director of
sales and outreach at the River
Road Facility.
“The vaccination clinic
provided 218 doses yesterday
to campus residents, staff, and
care partners, and at this time
85% or our residents have
had their fi rst vaccine [dose],”
said Blake Epp, the executive
director of the campus.
COVID-19 vaccinations
are most effective after two
doses
are
administered.
Avamere Court at Keizer has
additional clinics scheduled
later this month and in mid-
February. By that time, nearly
all residents are expected to
have received the full course of
vaccination. Avamere at Keizer
partnered with Walgreens
in administering the Pfi zer-
B i o N Te c h - d e v e l o p e d
COVID-19 vaccine.
Horn said the only
thing stopping a few of the
residents from taking part in
the fi rst round was recent fl u
vaccinations.
“We at Avamere continue to
be on the forefront of fi ghting
COVID 19 and keeping
residents, staff and loved ones
safe. Everyday our frontline
staff roll up their sleeves and
do whatever it takes. You have
to have a passion for what you
do to do this every day,” Horn
said.
Hearing
set on
compost site
PAGE A7
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