By DEBRA J. SAUNDERS Readers share their ideas. Since the massacre in December in Newtown, Conn., which left 20 children and six elementary-school staff members dead, readers have passed on a host of so-called remedies. Let’s make gun owners be licensed and pass a test, some have suggested. So the problem is, I ask them, [...]

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 [...]

By NICK THOMAS Of all the animal species on the planet, which one kills the most people each year? You might be thinking snakes. After all, cobras alone take out some 20,000 people annually in India. So, candidates with poison-laden fangs should logically be bumped to the top of the list, right? Nope. How about [...]

By DEBRA J. SAUNDERS When you’re president, every day is a holiday. This April is National Financial Capability Month, as declared last week in a presidential proclamation. “I call upon all Americans to observe this month with programs and activities to improve their understanding of financial principles and practices,” quoth President Obama. If April is [...]

To the Editor: Keizer is in the midst of planning the future direction of our city. There are a few more steps remaining and the public is encouraged to continue to  give their input. The city will be hosting an open house on April 10, from 4:30 to 6 p.m. regarding the Economic Opportunities Analysis/ [...]

To the Editor: Yes, Virginia, there is a first amendment. It has been announced that a person seeking election to serve as a member of the Salem-Keizer School District’s board is a single-issue candidate who wants Planned Parenthood banned in all schools and any other place where it is currently made available to 24J students.  I can’t imagine that this person [...]

Nine years ago this month, this paper ran a front page story on a local lesbian couple who went to Multnomah County to get their marriage license in the too-brief window when that county was the only one in the state sanctioning same-sex couples. In the wake of the paper hitting stands, we received numerous [...]

To the Editor: In the last few weeks, the Oregon Department of Administrative Services authorized Veterans Parking Spaces and began to participate in the program. The goal of the Veterans Parking Program is to establish veterans parking spaces at all commercial, private and public agency parking areas. Veterans license plates are not required but are [...]

To the Editor: My name is Rhonda Brattain and I have recently been elected to lead the McNary Athletic Booster Club into its second year. I am grateful for the opportunity to continue the work of resigning president Bill Doutt, as he commits additional time to his career pursuits. The efforts of this past year [...]

By DEBRA J. SAUNDERS In his State of the Union speech, President Barack Obama proclaimed, “Over the last few years, both parties have worked together to reduce the deficit by more than $2.5 trillion.” It’s a claim that the president makes frequently—along with the notion that having done all that heavy lifting, Washington now needs [...]