VOLUME 42, NO. 16
FEBRUARY 5, 2021
SECTION A
$1.00
McNary grad numbers leap
BY MATT RAWLINGS
Of the Keizertimes
After recording their
best graduation numbers in
more than a decade in 2019,
the McNary High School
class of 2020 again posted
some of the best numbers
in the Salem-Keizer School
District.
McNary's four-year senior
cohort graduated 91.21% of
students in 2020, just over
10% higher than the district
average. It was the second
year in a row that McNary
graduated more than 90% of
their senior class.
“This isn’t a blip. We
have been tracking these
numbers for the last six years
and we have seen consistent
growth year in and year
out,” McNary principal Erik
Jespersen said. “It’s validating
to know that we are going
in the right direction as a
collective school.”
One of the biggest
sources of pride for Jespersen
was seeing the four-year
graduation rate for Latino
students.
When Jespersen took over
as the McNary principal
during the 2014-15 school
year, Latino students, which
represent approximately one-
third of the McNary student
body, had a 73% graduation
rate. During that same year,
white students posted an
86% graduation rate.
Please see GRAD, Page A5
The best
Volcanoes
alum ever
Latino students
lead the pack
PAGE A8
100%
90%
McNARY GRADUATION RATE
80%
70%
Emerging
artist
60%
PAGE A2
2014-15
2015-16
2016-17
2017-18
2018-19
2019-20
SCHOOL YEARS
LATINO
WHITE
UNDERSERVED
SPECIAL EDUCATION
ALL
Andrew Jackson/KEIZERTIMES
File Photo / KEIZERTIMES
Eloisa Moreno shows off her diploma in the much-delayed 2020 McNary High School commencement ceremony.
Chick-fi l-A gets council greenlight
By ERIC A. HOWALD
Of the Keizertimes
Construction of a Chick-fi l-A near
Keizer Station moved one step closer to re-
ality at a meeting of the Keizer City Coun-
cil Monday, Feb. 1.
Councilors
approved
changes to a master plan that
removes a proposed auto
lube business to accommo-
date additional parking for
the fast food restaurant.
“We’re super-excited to
be part of the community
and see this project get go-
ing,” said Steve Schwartz,
development manager for
the Atlanta-based chain.
Asked by Mayor Cathy
Clark what prompted the
restaurant to choose Keizer, Schwartz said
it was partly based on the success of loca-
tions in the Portland area.
“Keizer had great commuting patterns
and was very business friendly as well,”
Schwartz said. He commended Shane
Peace poles
to be placed
in four parks
By ERIC A. HOWALD
Of the Keizertimes
The installation of Peace
Poles in four Keizer parks got
eager approvals from the Keiz-
er Public Arts Commission
and Keizer City Council in
recent weeks.
The arts commission gave
its blessing at a meeting Jan. 19.
The council gave the project a
fi nal stamp of approval Feb. 1.
“I am genuinely excit-
ed about this, and I’m glad I
get a chance to vote on this,”
said Councilor Ross Day. The
project was approved in a 6-0
vote. Councilor Elizabeth
Smith was absent.
Pat Fisher, longtime vol-
unteer for the city, proposed
Please see PEACE, Page A6
But what
about
traffi c?
Chemawa Station.
The major changes to existing plans for
the area also known as the “jug handle” in-
cluded:
• Reducing the number of buildings on
the jug handle from four to
“We’re super-excited to be part three.
• Increasing the number
of the community and see of parking spaces.
• Moving a water feature
this project get going.” to accommodate
a pedestri-
an
plaza
near
Chick-fi
l-A.
— Steve Schwartz, Development Manager
7-Eleven has already
been approved for the jug
handle, the business has also
applied to own and operate
a 12-pump fueling station
on the site.
The Confederated Tribes
of the Grande Ronde and
If things go according to plan, the Confederated Tribes of the Siletz are joint
Chick-fi l-A will be located in a space owners of the property that extends to the
between Chemawa Road Northeast and water tower near Keizer Little League Park.
Further development is expected, even-
Ulali Drive Northeast. The space is south
of Keizer Station and will become the tually, south of Ulali Drive to the water
fi rst development in an area identifi ed as tower.
Witham, Keizer’s interim community de-
velopment director, in particular.
The 128-seat location could create as
many as 80-100 jobs for the area, Schwartz
said.
As the city coun-
cil approved plans for a
Chick-fi l-A, the burn-
ing question on the
mind of Councilor Lau-
ra Reid was traffi c.
“What will be done
about lines and manag-
ing them?” Reid asked.
After the addition of
an In-N-Out in De-
cember 2019, traffi c
around that site swells
to the main roads on a
regular basis and illegal
U-turns to get in line
are becoming a regular
occurrence. With the
Pixar
delivers
with Soul
PAGE A3
Please see
TRAFFIC, Page A6
Fix in the works for striping
Thanks, in part, to a
dedicated Rotarian,
Keizer's fi rst Peace Poles
are going up soon.
Submitted
Fall in Love
After two ineffective shots
with refl ective beads, Keizer
Public Works is working on a
new solution for the hard-to-
see lane striping on Keizer’s
main drags.
“We put out feelers to
get an estimate on installing
refl ectorized
pavement
markers
(RPMs)
for
Wheatland Road North and
River Road North. It came
back at $7,000,” said Keizer
Public Works Director Bill
Lawyer. “I’m going to move
forward with formal quotes, I
was defi nitely surprised at the
number.”
Lawyer unveiled the plan at
a Keizer City Council meeting
Tuesday, Jan. 19.
RPMs are the square, raised
refl ectors found in other areas
near and far. Lawyer plans to
have the devices installed on all
of River Road and Wheatland
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ADVERTISING
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Refl ecting pavement markers for hard-to-see lane stripes are
planned on Keizer's main streets
OCCU on
River Road
PAGE A3
Road, and Lockhaven Drive
North from River Road to the
railroad tracks.
The city will need to issue a
request for proposals and then
fi gure out a time when weather
is most likely to cooperate.
Councilor Dan Kohler
asked why Cherry Avenue was
not included on the list.
“I’m not including Cherry
right now because it’s getting
close to being resurfaced,”
Lawyer said.
See pa
g
for mo e 2
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