The conference center at the Keizer Civic Center has been a success and it operates as it was designed. Mayor Lore Christopher and other city leaders envisioned the conference center to be a space to be used both for community organizations to use and as a generator of revenue from other groups. This week the [...]

It says it right in the city motto: pride, spirit and volunteerism. All three traits can be found in the awards presented by the Keizer Chamber of Commerce on Saturday, January 26. Each year the Chamber honors and bestows awards on Keizer’s First Citizen, the Merchant of the Year, and the Service to Education Award. [...]

Burglaries are keeping the Keizer Police Department busy. There have been a rash of break-ins recently including at four local dentist’s offices in the past week. Keizer Police’s part-time Crime  Analyst Cara Steele is on the job. Hopefully she can deduce if there is enough of a pattern to determine the same culprits in all [...]

A person who recently traveled through Keizer commented on how many businesses there were along the main arterials from downtown Salem to Keizer. She was amazed—to her it seemed there were more businesses than one might normally see in cities this size. Her perception is important. We want visitors to see the many businesses that [...]

All living things must be allowed to live cruelty-free lives with no neglect and no abuse. Rational people should be shocked and appalled at the conditions found at Willamette Animal Rescue in Brooks. The Marion County Sheriff’s Office seized more than 100 dogs this week at the facility. The manager was arrested and faces multiple [...]

We are just friends and neighbors here in Keizer. We are not prententious and uppity. We like things simple and straight-forward. Even our biggest events lean toward the folksy and casual.  Which is why it’s not surprising that the swearing in of new city councils and a mayor is a low key affair. Becoming an [...]

There will be a changing of the guard at Monday’s Keizer City Council meeting. Three councilors will end their terms, three new members will take their place. We salute Councilors Mark Caillier, David McKane, and Brandon Smith for their service.  We welcome their replacements Dennis Koho, Ken LeDuc and Marlene Quinn. The out-going councilors became [...]

Citizens should have confidence that their government is working well and transparently. Government in Keizer includes the work completed by numerous boards, task forces and commissions. For a citizen to take a seat on any of those bodies they must first be recommended by the Volunteer Coordinating Committee (VCC). The Volunteer Coordinating Committee, comprised of [...]

It was good to hear Jim Taylor address the tragic shootings in Newtown, Conn. at the end of Monday’s city council meeting. A victim of a horrific shooting at a Salem tavern in the early 1980s, Taylor speaks with authority on the issue of gun violence. He said that the violence has got to stop. [...]

The 2012 election is over but a person wouldn’t know it if they were paying attention to what’s going on in Washington. The issues that should have been front and center during the presidential campaign (but weren’t) are being debated between the victor—President Obama—and the Republican leaders. The so-called fiscal cliff is fast approaching. There [...]