Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Keizertimes. (Salem, Or.) 1979-current | View Entire Issue (March 5, 2021)
MARCH 5, 2021, KEIZERTIMES, PAGE A3 ‘She gave out second chances’ City plans memorial fund for peer court director By ERIC A. HOWALD Of the Keizertimes Keizer’s Peer Court lost its most fi erce advocate to brain cancer in February, but the city and her friends are mak- ing sure her work is never for- gotten. Cari Emery Coleman, the program coordinator for youth court since its incep- tion in 2004, likely affected the lives of thousands of lo- cal teens and family members who supported them as they passed through the diversion program. On Monday, March 1, the Keizer City Council ap- proved the establishment of a memorial fund that will con- tinue to benefi t the city’s peer court. “Keizer has lost a great as- set,” said Tim Wood, Keizer fi - nance director and Coleman’s supervisor as an employee of the city. “She gave out sec- ond chances in a world that doesn’t give out a lot of sec- ond chances.” Cari Emery Coleman The court, made up of volunteer youth jurists, help determine sanctions for other minors charged with low-lev- el offenses or otherwise eli- gible for diversion programs. of the Week presented by JANE LOWERY Where and how do you volunteer? Keizer Chamber, KeizerFEST, Keizer First Citizens Banquet, Percey Presents which raises funds for the Giving Basket program. As a Keizer Rotarian, I help with many of the club’s community projects. I volunteer at the summer concerts at Keizer Rapids Park, help Liberty House with their events and the Boys and Girls Club for their Cinco de Mayo event. One of must rewarding volunteering experiences was helping at the state fairgrounds with the animals aft er the Canyon fi res. How would you get others to volunteer in their community? I get my whole team at Willamette Valley Bank involved. Together we participate in most of all the Chamber events, we take pictures, we share with our customers. I would encourage people to volunteer as a team, be it your work, or as a family, volunteering is wonderful way to bond with who you know along with meeting new liked minded people. “Sentences” can run the gam- ut from enrolling in training courses to determining the appropriate venue for com- munity service. The Keizer court serves youth ages 12-17. Approximately 80% of mi- nors who have passed through the Keizer court successfully complete the program and have their records expunged. After a transition period, the court will continue in Keizer. Those with current cases are being contacted in- dividually. City Manager Chris Ep- pley, borrowing a statement from Keizer Police Depart- ment Chief John Teague, said “He said peer court is not just important, it’s a moral impera- tive. It’s imperative to give the kids a chance to travel down a new path and away from the criminal justice system.” The request to establish a memorial fund in Coleman’s name came in the form of a letter to the city council from a group of Coleman’s friends and supporters. “Cari has directly impact- ed thousands of Keizer youth, their families and the com- munity through her leader- ship and vision by providing restorative justice and com- munity building,” the group wrote. In a statement posted on the Keizer peer court’s Face- book page, Coleman is re- membered as a tireless sup- porter of the court’s mission. “She truly poured herself into peer court and believed in our program. She will be greatly missed by all,” the statement read. Scott Peterson, CEO of Global Youth Justice, Inc., said he had no idea Coleman was battling cancer. “Cari was one of the best and I know thousands of adults who run these pro- grams, and she was among my most favorite,” Peterson said in a comment to the post an- nouncing her passing. Upon creation of the fund, which is not yet fi nal, friends and family will be able to col- lect donations. Donations will be held indefi nitely with the investment income used to support the ongoing opera- tion of the city’s peer court. Signatories to the letter re- questing the memorial fund were: Dean and Mickey Lan- sing Luehrs, Tim Davis, Dick Withnell, Jeff and Aimee Car- ter, Darci Dance, Ron and Linda Menser, and Jeff and Pam Vale. FOLLOW THE KEIZERTIMES ON:
