Keizertimes., March 19, 2021, Page 35, Image 35

MARCH 19, 2021, KEIZERTIMES, PAGE B11
Mayor lauds residents
in face of challenges
By ERIC A. HOWALD
Of the Keizertimes
Showing up and being up
to the challenge were the pri-
mary themes of Mayor Cathy
Clark’s State of the City speech
Wednesday, March 10.
Clark had no idea the roller-
coaster ride the city was in for
when she gave the annual address
in 2020. A pandemic, hacking of
the city’s computers, a devastat-
ing wildfi re season, disputes over
the city’s approach to inclusion
and then an ice storm all snarled
the regular fl ow of business for the
council. Minutes after her speech
concluded, the public was made
aware that the city manager had
discharged a gun in his offi ce. Clark
did not address the matter during the
speech.
Despite all the challenges, “Keizer
was up to the challenge,” Clark said.
She credited the community with
opening their hearts at each decision
point and fi nding ways to serve each
other.
Looking forward, Clark said she
hoped the city could capitalize on the
lessons learned and develop better plans
for future emergencies. That includes
looking at the ways the Keizer invites
new city councilors and city volunteers
into the fold.
On the council side of things, there
are already changes afoot on the policy
front, but Clark is drafting “a companion
document for council onboarding and
orientation.”
In addition, members of the Keizer
When to
go to get
involved
If you have a concern about the city,
or ideas for improving it, these are the
places to start:
Budget Committee - Meets limited
dates in April and May.
Parks Advisory Board - Meets the
second Tuesday of each month.
Planning Commission - Meets the
second Wednesday of each month.
Points of Interest Committee - Meets
the fourth Thursday of each month.
Public Art Commission - Meets every
other month on the third Tuesday of each
month.
Traffi c, Bikeways and Pedestrian
Committee - Meets the third Thursday
of each month.
All meetings are at the Keizer Civic
Center, 930 Chemawa Road N.E. and
begin at 6 p.m.
of the Week
presented by
If you don’t
know how to get
involved, we want
to make sure you
know how and
where you can.
—
ATHY LA
Keizer mayor
File / KEIZERTIMES
City Council want to make volunteering
on city committees a less intimidating
experience.
“Wouldn’t it be better if, when you
showed up, we could connect you with
training and resources to be able to be
very successful. If you don’t know how
to get involved, we want to make sure
you do so that you can pursue the things
that are that you’re passionate about in
serving the people of Keizer,” Clark said.
“We believe that that’s a fabulous invest-
ment in our volunteers.”
Clark also wants to host work ses-
sions and work groups developing plans
to address areas of diversity, equity and
inclusion “so we can then have conver-
sations targeted to specifi c action areas
and then be able to put together plans
for action in those areas.”
Tammy Ready
Where and how
do you volunteer?
"I volunteer wherever the need is and
what speaks to me. I have found my
volunteering centers around helping
the youth. Dinners for the football
teams at McNary High School.
Serving dinners in the kitchen at
Simonka House (before COVID)
— my family and I helped cook and
deliver Thanksgiving dinner there;
Imagine What We Can Do — this
is a giving basket fundraiser I host
every year near the holidays, I
collect them and deliver them to the
KNOW/Keizer Chamber's Giving
Basket program; Liberty House, and
will do so again when we are allowed;
during the ice storm helped remove
tree branches for neighbors."
How would you get
others to volunteer
in their community?
"I post on social media a lot when I
give or volunteer. Mostly I do so to
bring awareness of the need, and so
others say, "How can I help?" I have a
great "tribe" and I feel as though all I
have to do is ask and they would be
right their alongside me helping. We
are blessed to live in a community of
so many people who want to help."
What does volunteering
do for you?
"It just makes me feel good and it
makes my heart happy. To see the
look on someone’s face when you
have touched their world. It's hard
to ask for help when you need it -
try to anticipate that - see the need
- do it before it's asked."