There are services and amenities a city offers that many of us don’t think about until we want or need them. If our neighborhood doesn’t have sidewalks, we probably don’t think about them. But, how do we feel about them if we suddenly find ourselves needing to use wheelchair? It is much easier to get [...]

The tenure of Ken LeDuc on the Keizer City Council has come to a sudden end. He submitted his resignation late last week citing health issues. He was elected in November, opposed only by a write-in candidacy. While it is unfortunate that Mr. LeDuc resigned after only four months in office, the vacancy offers the [...]

With only a 20 percent chance of rain on Saturday, we will celebrate our city as a great place to live and work as Keizer Iris Festival events kick into high gear. Each year the third weekend in May is time for fun, family and flowers. The Iris Parade, one of the largest in Oregon, [...]

The Keizer City Council will hold a public hearing on Monday, May 20, to consider the proposed Economic Opportunities Analysis (EOA), Housing Needs Analysis (HNA) and revisions to the city’s Comprehensive Plan the two analyses would call for. Everyone who lives or runs a business in Keizer has a stake in these documents. The state-mandated [...]

Two tragedies hit the United States last month: the Boston Marathon bombing on April 15 and the explosion of the West Fertilizer Company plant in Texas. Arguably the Boston bombing has received the most sustained coverage and speculation. One of the suspected bombers was killed in a police shoot out, his brother was captured. After [...]

Earth Day is celebrated around the world each year on April 22; 2013 marks the 43rd anniversary of the first Earth Day. The United States has progressed a long way since 1970; Oregon has one of the highest rates of recycling in the country. Today our society talks about recycling, reducing waste, and sustainable lifestyles.  [...]

The beauty of communities is the diversity of options. There are different stores to shop, different parks to play in, different houses of worship to pray in. Communities, of course, are much more than the infrastructure. Communities are nothing withou its people and their pursuits. Those pursuits, be they athletic- or service-oriented, require money. Every [...]

No one who is elected or paid to work for the City of Keizer wakes in the morning thinking they’ll make life difficult for residents. The reaction on social media to a news story about a traffic roundabout at Chemawa Road and Verda Lane was swift. Most people who posted didn’t see a need for [...]

Before the Keizer City Council goes too far in setting up a process for policing and punishing its own members regarding public behavior, it needs to slow down—or stop all altogether. Mayor Lore Christopher acknowledges there is no process in place to address wayward behavior or infractions of sitting city councilors. The council passed a [...]

Positioning for business recovery