PAGE A2, KEIZERTIMES, MARCH 18, 2022
Percey Auction
set for May 12
+
Humane societies
to merge on July 1
The Willamette Humane Society
(WHS) will merge into Oregon
Humane Society (OHS) on July 1, cre-
ating one organization.The process is
expected to take up to 24 months to
complete. Though the Salem location
will retain its name for the short term,
it will eventually be known as Oregon
Humane Society
The work of both humane societies is
changing with an increased need to care
for animals who need complex medical
needs and behavior rehabilitation.
A merger allows for more collabora-
tion, along with enhanced purchasing
power. As a much larger organization
spread across two campus locations,
OHS will use the same software, phone
systems, email management systems,
and more. Those cost savings could
directly impact their ability to serve the
community.
Pets will also directly benefit from
the collaboration. Willamette Humane
Society currently transfers pets with
complex issues to OHS as needed,
to ensure that animals get the help
they need to move on to happy lives.
But those transfers require conversa-
tions, paperwork, planning and time. A
merger will allow the two communities
to collaborate much more quickly and
efficiently.
“I am very excited about what this
change means for our community,” said
WHS executive director BJ Andersen.
“I anticipate that we’ll have even more
resources available to help and protect
the pets in Oregon, and that’s some-
thing we all can celebrate.”
In 2020, the WHS Board of Directors
chose to explore the possibility of a
merger as the best path forward to be
able offer more state of the art animal
welfare services to the community,
while also building organizational resil-
ience and sustainability. The global
pandemic delayed the process a bit.
After exploring all possible partners for
a merger, they settled on OHS as their
top choice, and WHS initiated the con-
versation with OHS in early 2021. Both
organizations began the due diligence
process and continued discussions
between WHS and OHS leadership
until both boards were satisfied that this
was the right decision for each organi-
zation. The boards unanimously agreed
to proceed with the merge earlier this
year.
In recent years, other animal welfare
agencies around the nation have cho-
sen to merge, in an effort to cut over-
head costs and streamline services.
The Percey Auction event, which has been held in September since its creation, is
scheduled for May this year.
It is being held in the spring so as not to compete with the 2022 KeizerFEST, which
will be held each August starting this year.
Percey is a fund raiser for the Keizer Network of Women’s (KNOW) annual Giving
Basket program. Each December, KNOW delivers toys, clothes and food to house-
holds in need. In 2021 more than $30,000 was raised to deliver baskets to 305 families.
The Percey Auction will be held on Thursday, May 12, at Keizer’s Best Western
Premier hotel.
Organizers are seeking sponsors. To sponsor contact the Keizer Chamber of
Commerce at 503-393-9111.
brainfood
SYMPHONY: ‘Austrian
music through the ages’
Continued from page A1
all over the world. Winner of the Gustav
Mahler
Conducting
Competitions
and
the
Berhard
Paumgartner
Medal, Danzmayr was most recently
conducting the Illinois Philharmonic
Orchestra in Chicago. He was famous
for including an American composer in
every one of their concerts.
“I believe each composer’s musical
expression is shaped by their personal
environment, family heritage and
culture,”
said
Danzmayr,
who
is
forming
a
new
creative alliance of cultural thought-lead-
ers and music innovators in the Oregon
and Southwest Washington communities.
Traditional classical music is not the
only offering at the Oregon Symphony,
which also features the music of The
Princess Bride, Under the Sea, as well as
the 125th Annual Anniversary Gala on
April 9, hosted by Grammy-winning art-
ist Chris Thile. Tickets can be purchased
online at orsymphony.org.
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crossword
answers pg A23
We of the Keizertimes would like to appologize for missing the cross-word for last weeks paper
(edition 03-11-2022), and thank those for calling in when they caught it.
We hope you did not find it too much of an inconvenience.