Keizertimes., February 12, 2021, Image 1

VOLUME 42, NO. 17
FEBRUARY 12, 2021
SECTION A
$1.00
Back to Scho l!
SKPS plans March return for youngest students
person classes will resume for grades
By BROOKLYN FLINT
two through fi ve. In-person classes for
Of the Keizertimes
After months of discussion, and second and third grade begin Tuesday,
nearly a year of waiting for a pandemic March 9. Grades four and fi ve will
to subside, students in kindergarten and resume in-person classes Tuesday,
fi rst grade will begin
in-person
hybrid
“ Like our families and students,
learning March 2.
Students will attend
health and safety are on the
school in-person two
top of our minds, especially
days a week in either
a Tuesday/Thursday
when it comes to students
or Wednesday/Friday
returning to in-person learning.”
cohort. Parents can
verify which cohort
— Christy Perry, superintendent,
their students are
Salem-Keizer Public Schools
in by checking the
ParentVUE.
On the days when they aren’t March 16.
physically in school, they will continue
A return to in-person classes
distance learning.
for middle school and high school
During the rest of March, in- students is still under discussion.
Schedule
changes
Schedules will look different
as students return to
in-person classes. Here are
the new hours for Keizer
elementary schools.
8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Cummings, Gubser,
Kennedy and Weddle
10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m
Keizer, Forest Ridge
and Clear Lake
More information is expected later
this month. High schools are already
offering limited in-person instruction
for students needing extra help.
Christy Perry, superintendent for
Salem-Keizer Public Schools, released
a video addressing information about
hybrid learning and some of the health
concerns.
“Like our families and students,
health and safety are on the top of
our minds, especially when it comes
to students returning to in-person
learning” said Perry.
COVID-19 safety protocols have
been put in place since September, said
Perry. This includes keeping students
six feet apart at all times, enforcing mask
wearing and providing hand sanitizer
stations. The intent is to promote a safe
environment for students and staff.
District still
working on
return to
middle, high
schools
PAGE A2
Please see SCHOOL, Page A7
Butler ends career
as fi refi ghter
after 25 years
PAGE
A3
Firefi ghter of the Year, Emer-
gency Medical Technician of
the Year and she was the past
president of the Keizer Vol-
unteer Firefi ghters Associa-
tion. For more than a decade,
Butler has also participated in
I remember
being a little kid
and listening to
my grandpa’s
stories about
helping people
in their time
of need…”
— Amber Butler
the Firefi ghters Stair Climb in
both Portland and Seattle, and
has raised nearly $100,000 for
the Leukemia & Lymphoma
society.
“I am telling you that
among all volunteers, Amber
is special. She serves with
skill, devotion, and a heartfelt
passion for people,” said KFD
Fire Chief Jeff Cowan. “Our
community owes a huge debt
of gratitude to Amber Butler
with 25 years of service.
She set the bar for others to
follow.”
Butler began serving in
the KFD explorer program as
an 18-year old in 1994 then
became an offi cial volunteer
PAGE A7
KEIZERTIMES/File
Amber Butler (formerly Woolley), was featured in the Keizertimes with her father in
February of 1996. TOP: Amber Butler today.
Keizer woman tracks early Rezoned areas put small
history of Chemawa School dent in housing needs
KEIZERTIMES/File
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By ERIC A. HOWALD
Of the Keizertimes
Keizerite SuAnn Reddick was hired to plan
a ropes course at Chemawa Indian School more
than two decades ago. It led her on a journey into
the history of the school and a stint as its “volun-
teer historian.”
“As I reviewed the property lines, and noticed
that some campus property was west of Interstate
5, I became curious as to how large the campus
land originally was, and how it came to be in its
Please see HISTORY, Page A8
By ERIC A. HOWALD
Of the Keizertimes
Keizer learned how deep its
housing defi cit was two years
ago. Rezoning the city’s main
commercial areas to mixed use
helped, but not much.
Members of the Keiz-
er City Council and Keizer
Planning Commission met
virtually Monday, Feb. 9, to
discuss new fi ndings and look
toward the future. The meet-
ing agenda had only one item:
an update of Keizer’s Hous-
ing Needs Analysis/Buildable
Lands report.
Keizer comes up short in a
variety of ways based on pro-
jected needs for the next 20
years, but the meeting focused
on whether Keizer closed any
of the gaps with a major zon-
ing revision of its commercial
areas more than a year ago.
The
Mavericks'
storied
legacy
PAGE A12
Please see REZONED, Page A8
on March 19
te
en
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Please see BUTLER, Page A7
100 years
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BY MATT RAWLINGS
Of the Keizertimes
Fire service is something
that runs deep in Amber
Butler’s blood.
Both sets of her grandfathers
served as fi refi ghters for many
years, while her dad, Dan
Woolley, was a volunteer
fi refi ghter and battalion chief
for Keizer Fire District (KFD)
for more than three decades.
Butler has fond memories of
playing hide-and-seek in the
fi re station and listening to
family members swap stories
of the role they played in
saving someone’s life.
“I remember being a
little kid and listening to
my grandpa’s stories about
helping people in their time
of need. I knew from a
very young age that being a
fi refi ghter was something I
wanted to do,” Butler said.
After spending 25 years as
a volunteer fi refi ghter with
Keizer Fire District, Butler
offi cially retired last month.
With two kids — Abigail (13)
and Ethan (11) — and a job
as a registered nurse at Salem
Hospital, Butler felt that she
needed to give up her time
as a fi refi ghter, even though
the decision to retire was
extremely diffi cult.
“It was a bittersweet thing
to realize that something I
have spent more than half my
life doing will now be gone.
It’s hard to swallow, but it’s
necessary,” Butler said.
Along with her father, But-
ler has left quite the legacy
over her quarter-century of
service. She has been KFD
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