EIZER times
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Volume 42 • No. 41
JULY 30, 2021
‘I didn't come here
with an agenda’
Hare takes over as interim manager
BY MATT RAWLINGS Of the Keizertimes
S
ince offi cially retiring in 2017, after nearly three
decades as a city manager, Wes Hare has taken on
a city administration project in Tanzania and was the
interim city manager in Toledo, OR in 2019.
Now, Hare has a diff erent part-time project that he
has immersed himself into.
Earlier this month, Hare was named the interim
city manager of Keizer. His contract with the city is
expected to last between six and 12 months while the
city searches for a permanent replacement.
“It has been good being in Keizer and working
with a lot of experienced people who know what they
are doing,” Hare said. “It seemed like a good fi t and so
far it has been.”
Hare, who specializes in economic and community
development and fi nancial management, is replac-
ing former Keizer city manager Chris Eppley, who
resigned in April after discharging a gun from his
offi ce one month earlier — Keizer Finance Director
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Tim Wood was serving as the city manager pro
temp since April.
Hare has experience in becoming a leader in
the wake of an unexpected departure. Prior to
accepting the interim city manager position
in Toledo, the town was in the midst of endur-
ing political turmoil as the mayor and two
city council members were recalled in Sept.
2018 — the fi re chief, city recorder and fi nance
director also were fi red or resigned that year.
“One of the things you have to do is to try
and reassure people that we will get through
this and recognize that the past is in the past
and move forward,” Hare said. “It was a really
good experience for me. It was challenging,
there were some really diffi cult issues that they
were struggling with over there, but I really
See MANAGER, page A4
Camp program stimulates
creativity in students
By BROOKLYN FLINT
Of the Keizertimes
Creativity comes and goes all the time,
but a summer camp program was able to
ignite some of the imagination back into
campers for weeks, one clip at a time.
The Stop Motion Film Animation
class at McNary High School was one of
nearly 200 other classes that was off ered
throughout the Salem-Keizer school
district. The program focuses on allow-
ing campers to make their own stories
through animations with toys, food, Play-
Doh and other items.
Cara Cain and Cheryl Barrie, the advi-
sors of the class, jumped at the opportu-
nity to lead the program after they heard
about it from the district.
“When we heard about the opportu-
nity of the enrichment program, we were
See CAMP, page A2
Cadence Crowder begins working on his film
project. Photo by BROKKLYN FLINT of Keizertimes