Sooner or later, the Oregon Legislature will have to face up to redesigning a state creation that now looks like two icebergs on a collision course.

One iceberg is the wildly high cost of housing along with other living costs including electric power and water; the other, the need to grow the state’s economy and shore up its softening base in the technology sector.

The locus for this conflict: Urban growth boundaries.

UGBs are one of those Oregon peculiarities, dating from the Tom McCall era and the 1973 enactment of Senate Bill 100, which framed the state’s land use system. Under its terms, urban areas in the state have to periodically estimate their needed growth for the coming 20 years and draw growth boundaries outside of city limits. The process is overseen by the Land Conservation and Development Commission.

The Oregon Encyclopedia says that generally, “Housing tracts, shopping malls, and other kinds of urban development are not allowed to sprawl past that boundary, while agricultural lands and open space outside a UGB are preserved.” The idea was partly to preserve open and farm spaces and partly to curb suburban sprawl, encouraging compact development to reduce infrastructure and other costs.

They have succeeded to a great degree, but bugs have begun to multiply in the system. Some of those were hinted at in one national study noting that critics say UGBs “can stifle economic growth and development within the designated areas. Restricting the amount of land available for businesses and industries to expand can limit job growth and economic opportunities.”

Hillsboro, in central Washington County, offers the best current case study. 

That city has been growing as tech businesses like (most notably) Intel have sometimes expanded and more recently struggled. Hillsboro also has become a major center, even from a national perspective, for large data centers; as many as 20 are located in the area. These are heavy consumers of resources like electricity and water. Available space for ongoing expansion within the UGB has been limited. 

The process for expanding a UGB is complex and difficult, and requires demonstration of a need for growth and evidence it can’t be met within existing limits. Cities are supposed to review them every five years. But the DLCD reports that “Since 2016, when the Land Conservation and Development Commission adopted revised rules regarding urban growth boundary expansions, cities and counties in Oregon have successfully approved 46 expansions or adjustments to their urban growth boundaries.” That’s not a lot.  

One academic study suggested UGBs began to have a “binding impact” on growth starting in the 1990s.

Hillsboro Mayor Beach Pace and area legislators in recent years have pressed what was called the Oregon Jobs Act, sponsored by Senator Janeen Sollman of Hillsboro, which sought to expand local growth areas by about 1,700 acres, to allow for industrial growth. But opposition became so fierce the measure died in the legislature this session. Much of that pushback focused on data centers and other developments; one report even highlighted a “spider’s web” of links between corporate and local government officials. 

Nellie McAdams, executive director of Oregon Agricultural Trust, opined Sollman “heard loud and clear not only from her constituents but from people all over the state that we’re not interested in poorly planned economic development that doesn’t result in jobs and destroys farmland.”

UGBs, then, have become a brake point for many Oregonians concerned about data centers. But limitations on them have other impacts as well. 

One study of UGBs said a key criticism was that they “can lead to increased housing costs within the boundary area. By restricting the amount of land available for development, the law of supply and demand can come into play, driving up property prices and making housing less affordable for residents.”

Many Oregon communities have hit, or are approaching, that wall. Some smaller cities are surrounded, or nearly so, by farm and other open lands, and expanding UGBs into those areas involves clearing hurdles. 

The Legislature has acted on some of this. It passed in 2024 a measure planned to help communities where rents were especially high to make a one-time expansion of its boundaries. But at least one poster child city for the effort, Woodburn, still was unable to accomplish its hoped-for expansion. In this year’s session a follow up bill was passed which may help with Woodburn’s issues. 

The problem for the legislature, however, is larger than these local small-bore efforts suggest. So far the question of how to treat UGBs and who uses them and for what, has been dealt with piecemeal. A larger frame for the subject needs to be developed. 

This could turn into a battle of more than housing versus economic growth, if only because those two things are related. Oregonians are going to face some hard choices if they’re going to untangle the web.

Randy Stapilus is an author and former newspaper editor who lives in Carlton. Oregon Capital Chronicle is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors. 

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Sue Meisenheimer accepted a job at Whiteaker Middle School’s office in 1999, partly because her daughter attended the school. 

What started as a “good job” while her two kids went through school became a career, bringing her to Forest Ridge Elementary School when it opened in 2002. 

She is retiring at the end of this school year.

She spent 27 years with the district, the majority of them as a secretary at Forest Ridge and the Optimum Learning Environments Charter School that operates in the building. 

In her time, Meisenheimer has supported students by attending their concerts, supporting cookie and flower sales or simply offering emotional support. 

Meisenheimer said her husband retired from the insurance industry about six years ago, and she now feels ready to retire. 

“It’s very sad. It’s bittersweet,” Meisenheimer said.

She plans to volunteer and serve as temporary staff at the school after retiring. She wants to keep in touch with the school community, coworkers and students, she said. 

Meisenheimer worked at Whiteaker for two years before moving to McNary High School’s office in 2001. She moved to Forest Ridge the following year.  

Jen Colton, the school’s office manager, said Meisenheimer has “given countless ice packs, bandages and hugs.” 

The secretary has missed so few days that she has accrued over 1,400 hours of sick time, Colton said. 

Colton added that Meisenheimer helps in the community as well, such as with the Keizer Community Food Bank.

“She’s been a huge part of the community,” Colton said. 

Meisenheimer said she has witnessed students grow up and become parents themselves and seen students who return to Forest Ridge as high school seniors. Some former students returned later as employees.

Meisenheimer said she enjoys going to student sporting events and concerts because of “the look of joy” on the faces of students and their families 

“It just is special to me, that they’re excited that I’m (there) too,” Meisenheimer said.  

Memorable moments cited by the secretary include bonding with students who regularly visited the office for special needs such as medicine, and witnessing events such as the jog-a-thon. 

She also recalled an instance of a fifth grader who answered “abracadabra” when she asked for “the magical word,” hoping to hear “please.” 

When asked what she would say to the school community as she retires, tears came to her eyes. 

“I love working here and I’ll miss everyone, but I’m going to come back to help out,” Meisenheimer said.

NEWS TIP? Contact reporter Krista Kroiss at krista@keizertimes.com.

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Call it the Gunderson Principle.

Thelma “Teddy” Gunderson chaired the Woodburn School Board in the late 1980s, when a particularly packed agenda sent the meeting into the wee hours of the following morning.

As people dragged themselves from their seats amid groans of fatigue around 3 a.m., Gunderson offered a bit of political wisdom: “The fruits of democracy belong to those who can sit through long, boring meetings.”

Few people embody the Gunderson Principle more than Jane Titchenal of Keizer.

Titchenal, 32, was born well after that marathon Woodburn School Board meeting. Yet she continues the democratic tradition of sitting through long, boring meetings.

She exhorts others to do the same through her social media posts and “Girlypop Politics,” her regular program on KMUZ (88.5 FM), a public radio station in Salem.

Titchenal told Street Roots she wants people to invest in local government and tries to make the process more relevant and less intimidating — especially for young people.

‘Reaching young people is important to me’

“Reaching young people is important to me,” she said. “It’s where the name ‘Girlypop Politics’ comes from. ‘Girlypop’ is an endearing term with some people in the Gen Z and millennial generations. It just kind of flowed. It’s a bit tongue-in-cheek.”

“Girlypop Politics” is a regular segment of “Willamette Wake Up,” a public affairs program that runs on KMUZ weekdays from 8 to 9 a.m. Titchenal interviews a variety of guests in an attempt to demystify local government and give listeners the information they need to get involved.

She became involved in local government herself through the Salem-Keizer School District three years ago. 

“I started off on social media with an Instagram account where I shared information when the district was facing $23 million in budget reductions,” she said. “I wanted to make sure parents and community members were informed.”

Although Instagram, Facebook and other social media platforms are often vilified, Titchenal said they’re invaluable political tools. 

“I firmly believe that social media, whether we love it or hate it, is a catalyst for reaching people,” she said. “I don’t know if politicians and activists recognize how much of a priority they should make social media. It’s where you’re going to reach younger people.”

Her social media posts, particularly their focus on local issues, eventually drew the interest of KMUZ and led to the radio form of “Girlypop Politics.”

‘You can make an impact if you’re loud enough’

Melanie Zermer, KMUZ executive producer, was following a story about the Keizer City Council when she met Titchenal.

The Trump administration wanted to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion programs and was threatening cities that refused to bend the knee. Several councilors worried about losing federal funds.

“I was looking for someone in the know that I could talk with to learn more,” Zermer said. “Someone told me about Jane.”

Titchenal had already been a guest host of “Demobrats,” a local podcast. 

“I was looking for someone who had a bead on Keizer, and her engagement with civic issues was a perfect fit,” Zermer said.

Titchenal said she started by showing up at school board meetings.

“I was never plugged in or engaged with politics, but I just started going,” she said. “One of the things I want to convey to people is that you have to start somewhere. I started just by going. I didn’t understand a lot of the language. I didn’t understand the process. However, by choosing to be around it, you absorb it. Eventually, everything will start to make sense, and you’ll connect the dots.”

Titchenal expanded her passion for local government to the Salem and Keizer city councils. She eventually provided testimony on Salem’s liveability levy last year and championed the Salem Public Library.

“Local government is where you can see immediate action,” she said. “It’s where you can talk with your city councilors and mayor. You can make changes that affect you, your family, your neighbors in a direct way. You can get sidewalks fixed. You can help decide where funding goes for special projects. You can have a say on the police department or if a new fire district is going to be formed.”

Civic involvement is particularly effective in smaller urban areas like Salem and Keizer, she added.

“You can make an impact if you’re loud enough, you’re persistent enough, and you have the passion to follow through,” she said. “I encourage everyone. If they want to get involved with local government and neighborhood associations, those are great places to start.”

‘It all starts at the ground level’

Keizer City Council discussed establishing the classification of the city’s code compliance coordinator at its March 16 meeting and recognized the winners of the “If I Were Mayor” contest.

The March 10 meeting of the Salem-Keizer School Board included such agenda items as the first reading of the district’s long-range facilities plan report and the sale of the Lake Labish Elementary School building.

Discussing code compliance coordinators and school facilities when the United States is in a war that left an Iranian school destroyed and more than 100 little girls dead may make local meetings seem more than long and boring. They may seem trivial to the point of being irrelevant.

“I’ve had to struggle with that personally,” Titchenal said. “National and international news is overwhelming. It’s in your face all the time. There is so much happening. It’s complex and scary. As human beings, it’s hard for us to look away. However, when we consume so much of the national news, it ultimately takes away our energy and intellectual bandwidth for local issues.”

Strike a balance, she advised.

“It’s important to stay informed on national events, but 75% of the news you consume should be local — should be the things that are going to affect you directly, the things that are going to be on your ballot,” she said. “The other 25% can be national, but to understand events on the national level, you have to start locally. It all starts at the ground level.”

So much of what happens in the world seems to be beyond the average person’s control. However, Titchenal said informed and involved citizens can have a direct effect on the outcome of local decisions. That can be a panacea for despair when facing the larger world, she said.

“I want people to understand local government is accessible,” Titchenal said. “The microphone is there. You have five minutes at a city council meeting to say whatever you need to say. To me, that’s power. To be able to stand and say what you need to say in front of people who make decisions about our quality of life — that’s power. If you’re brave enough, if you really believe in what you’re saying, if you keep showing up, change will happen.”

‘There’s action you need to take’

Although Titchenal believes in the political power of social media, she added too many people’s activism stops at their keyboards.

“People go to Facebook and say whatever they want to in the comments, but when it’s time to actually show up at city council meetings and say those things in person, nobody comes,” she said. “Sure, everyone’s lives are busy, but if you’re upset about something, there’s action you need to take.”

Young people, in particular, need to step up, she added.

She recalled attending a meeting this month of the Keizer City Club and looking out on what appeared to be a Q-Tip box of little white heads.

“I just look around the room, and it’s elderly people and mostly, if not all, white people,” Titchenal said. “We have a lot of voices that are not being heard. The people who are active in politics will age out. They have to stop at some point. If the younger generation doesn’t actively choose to step up in some way, decisions will be made for us instead of us making the decisions.”

‘I want to make sure I’m asking the right questions’

“Girlypop Politics” runs for 30 minutes on “Willamette Wake Up” on a varying schedule. The segment consists of prerecorded interviews with people like Salem-Keizer School District Superintendent Andrea Castaneda and less traditional guests like Becka Bonner, the founder of Radness Ensues.

Inspired by the late Rod Anders, the host of “The Ramblin’ Rod Show,” the beloved children’s variety and cartoon show on Portland television from 1964 to 1997, Bonner started a nonprofit that makes custom pinback buttons like the ones Anders used to festoon his trademark sweater. Through her organization Radness Ensues in Keizer, Bonner nurtures local artists, supports underserved youth and families and provides a space for self-expression and healing.

Zermer said her guidance for Titchenal and other KMUZ hosts is minimal.

“I tell them how to create an intro, a break in the middle for radio listeners and how to wrap up,” she said. “I ask them to think about the angle or point of the conversation, draft questions, but allow for a back-and-forth conversation.”

Titchenal’s first interview was with Keizer Mayor Cathy Clark. They talked about Keizer’s urban growth boundary. 

“A week or two prior to that, I really didn’t know much about urban growth boundaries,” Titchenal said. “I did a lot of research so when I interviewed her, my questions were technically accurate.”

She sticks mostly to her scripted questions — at least for now.

“I’m still getting the hang of interviewing people,” she said. “I hope to eventually be able to get into more of a relaxed conversational mode. For now, however, I want to make sure I’m asking the right questions so people get the information they need.”

Titchenal’s first three segments were big hits, Zermer said. “All fabulous stories that gave a lot of solid information about the community.”

One of Titchenal’s upcoming guests is C.M. Hall, a Newport city councilor and the executive director of Emerge Oregon. The organization breaks down barriers and creates pathways for progressive women to become politically active. It recruits and trains progressive women to run for office.

“I pick my guests based on what I see happening in the community and what conversation I want to make sure community members hear and understand,” Titchenal said.

‘All the work I do melds together’

Women running for elected office is a topic important to her these days as she stumps for Democrat Virginia Stapleton’s campaign for Oregon Senate District 11 in Keizer that is currently held by Republican Kim Thatcher.

Titchenal also volunteers with Moms Demand Action to call for firearm regulations.

“All the work I do melds together,” she said. “All of it advocates for the things I value like education, family and community resources and support. I guess that’s why I say yes to so many things, because I get excited and passionate.”

Growing up in the Salem area, she was never shy about expressing her opinions. Whether she’s talking to people at a public meeting or over the airwaves or campaigning door-to-door, Titchenal said she enjoys connecting with people.

“I love interviewing people,” she said. “I love asking questions and getting to know about them and their specific areas of expertise — especially if it’s an interest of mine. It comes naturally for me.”

Working in education also prepared her for a life of talking with people, she added.

 “You’re interviewing people all day long when you work with kids,” she said. “You’re constantly asking them questions and getting their thoughts and perspectives.”

Titchenal grew up in a conservative religious family and spent most of her childhood either being homeschooled or attending private school. She enrolled in public school in eighth grade but left school when she was a sophomore in high school after becoming a teen parent.

Being a parent at such a young age changed her life.

“It shifted my perspective of what it looks like to have power,” she said. “When people in positions of power are making decisions, do they understand the significant challenges that the everyday person faces? It’s shocking to hear the everyday struggles people go through just to pay their rent, pay their electricity, to get their kids to school, to get food for dinner.”

Titchenal received her bachelor’s degree in social work in 2020 from Portland State University and continues to work with children.

‘I’m learning as well’

She also continues to sit through those long, boring meetings. And they can be long and boring indeed, she acknowledges.

“It’s not always fun and exciting things or interesting conversations that people are having,” she said. “It’s automatically a turn off. I understand. I’m still new to all of this, and I’m learning as well. Still, these local decisions are what you will see tomorrow, and if you want to have a direct impact, that’s where you can start.”

And it truly is a learning process, she added.

“If people want to get involved, they should look at everything they do as a learning experience,” she said. “Every time I go door-to-door, every time I go to an event, every time I talk with someone, I’m learning. You don’t have to do this perfectly as long as you’re continually learning.”

Zermer said she likes Titchenal’s attitude.

“I appreciate her approach to learning along with the listener as she explores and shares what’s happening in our community in real time,” she said.

At the end of the day, no matter how long and tiring that day may be, Titchenal said there are people depending on her — depending on all of us — to get and stay involved.

This article is republished with permission from Street Roots, an award-winning weekly street newspaper in Portland. Visit www.streetroots.org.

The post Citizen Jane: The host of ‘Girlypop Politics’ takes civics education to the airwaves appeared first on Keizertimes.

The impact on Keizer schools remains unclear as the Salem-Keizer School District plans to cut 130 jobs across its 65 schools. 

Job cuts will include both teachers and classified staff, such as instructional assistants. District leaders announced on April 2 that they intend to avoid laying off teachers by cutting positions that are already vacant and transferring teachers to other schools as needed. 

The announcement said most classified staff positions can be cut without layoffs, but up to five people are expected to lose their jobs.

Declining enrollment is driving the district’s effort to cut $23 million from next year’s budget. Under the district’s February proposal, $14 million of that would come from cutting positions budgeted for 60 teachers and 60 classified staff.

Keizer has one high school, two middle schools and seven elementary schools. Recent reports show the district expects to lose 3,900 students between 2021 and 2027, including 1,000 students next year. 

Communications director Aaron Harada previously said Keizer schools are expected to lose 300 elementary students in the next five years, and 360 secondary students. 

In a statement, district officials said most middle and high schools are expected to lose up to three positions, and some high schools will lose up to six. 

Reductions will be felt less in elementary schools, due to the district’s goal to reduce classrooms with students from multiple grade levels to improve literacy instruction. On average, the statement said elementaries will have no change in teaching staff levels and some schools may gain one. 

The district aims to reduce its 168 blended classrooms by half, said Olga Cobb, deputy superintendent of elementary schools. 

“The truth is that anytime we make reductions, it means fewer resources for our students, according to a statement from Superintendent Andrea Castañeda.  “Even in the midst of declining student enrollment, state funding is not keeping pace with the rising expenses of running schools.” 

District officials declined to disclose the number of positions expected to be cut at each school. They said it is too early in the process and the numbers may change. The district plans to publicly announce these details on April 20.

School principals met with teachers potentially facing transfers last week, district officials said. 

In February, Castañeda said principals were tasked with using forecasted enrollment to determine where cuts could be made in their schools.

“There’s more for principals to work through in their schools, and so we want to give them a little bit of space and time to see how things settle,” said Cobb. 

Cobb said in an interview that she anticipates the number of staff cuts could continue to change through September, as students enroll in school. The district’s  preferred ratio of students-to-teachers help determine staffing needs. 

Cobb said enrollment factors contributing to which positions are cut include kindergarten orientation and the number of dual-language students and elementary students in each grade level.

Cobb said student learning will not be impacted by the staffing cuts. However, staff and students may feel the loss of a teacher they were connected with.

“We’re working through the changes in enrollment and understanding what those changes mean for the services at every school,” Cobb said.

NEWS TIP? Contact reporter Krista Kroiss at krista@keizertimes.com.

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Tina Schneider wants dogs to have a good day.

She plans to see that happen when she opens her dog grooming and boarding business in Keizer this summer.

Pet Play House will open in a former boxing gym in Allen Plaza at 4122 River Rd. N. That is the complex that is home to the Keizer Chamber of Commerce and Friends of Felines.

Timing depends on permits and some remodeling but Schneider is aiming for a June launch.

‘It’s the perfect location,” said Schneider.

Pet Play House will provide doggie day care and overnight boarding. Grooming services will be available as will dog bathing. Customers can wash their dogs or pay Pet Play House to handle the chore.

She said she will have open play areas, divided to sort dogs by size. She plans “more homey” boarding spaces that don’t rely on chain-link fencing.

Schneider, a 1984 graduate of McNary High School, started down the trail of animal care after breeding dogs while raising her children.

She needed a job and started with dog care.

“I cleaned a lot of poop and got bit a lot,” she jokes.

She entered the veterinary field in 1993 and in 2010 became a certified veterinary technician. The Oregon Veterinary Medical Examiner Board confirms the licensing.

For the past six years, she has worked at Salem Veterinary Emergency Clinic but is approaching what she calls “retirement age.”

She said she has long wanted to be in the doggie day care business.

“I don’t want to punch a clock at clinics anymore,” she said. “I want to have fun and enjoy the animals.”

The dog business is “a perfect fit for me,” she said.

When she mused about the idea earlier this year, her son Cody encouraged her. He graduated with a business degree, she said. He has formed his own businesses and “is doing very well.”

The two worked to develop a business plan, researching competition in the area and assessing the demand.

Schneider found that while there are dog day cares in the Salem area, none are staffed with a veterinary technician. Wait lists for some services are long, she said.

She has a website up and running – petplayhousesalemkeizer.com – and staff hired. She is advertising a special already to build her client list – three days of day care, a bath and nail trim for $99.

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Keizer Police responded to a variety of crimes, traffic incidents and calls for citizen assistance. Here’s a look at the activity reported March 29 through April 4.

SUNDAY, MARCH 29

12:59 a.m. – Failure to perform duties of driver when property is damaged in the 100 Block of Churchdale Ave N

12:59 a.m. – Unlawful use/carry weapon – dis. conduct in the 100 Block of Churchdale Ave N

2:52 a.m. – Domestic disturbance – non criminal in the 6800 Block of Wheatland Rd N

7:45 a.m. – Assist rendered – public/civil in the 900 Block of Chemawa Rd NE

2:25 p.m. – Minor in possession – alcoholic liquor in the 400 Block of Palmer Dr N

3:51 p.m. – Theft III – shoplifting in the 5400 Block of River Rd N

MONDAY, MARCH 30

11:39 a.m. – Other misc. – crime prevention in the 6400 Block of 14th Ave NE

1:27 p.m. – Criminal mischief II – vandalism in the 4400 Block of River Road North

4:23 p.m. – Criminal mischief II – vandalism in the 3800 Block of River Rd N

TUESDAY, MARCH 31

8:19 a.m. – EDP hold – POC in the 5100 Block of River Rd N

1:39 p.m. – Assist rendered – law on Dr Martin Luther King Jr Py NE & Cherry Ave NE

7:30 p.m. – Theft III – shoplifting in the 5400 Block of River Rd N

8:25 p.m. – Assault IV – simple (misd.) in the 1100 Block of Clearview Ave NE

9:08 p.m. – Assault IV – simple (misd.) in the 5000 Block of Elizabeth St N

9:08 p.m. – Strangulation – felony in the 5000 Block of Elizabeth St N

9:34 p.m. – Susp – activity in the 800 Block of Foothill Ct NE

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1

4:40 p.m. – Assist rendered – welfare check in the 5000 Block of Newberg Dr N

5:36 p.m. – Susp – activity in the 700 Block of Cade St NE

THURSDAY, APRIL 2

12:15 p.m. – Susp – possible sex offense in the 500 Block of Chemawa Rd N

FRIDAY, APRIL 3

10:41 a.m. – EDP hold – POC in the 700 Block of Manbrin Dr NE

11:02 a.m. – Disturbance/noise in the 500 Block of Rose Park Ln NE

3:47 p.m. – Criminal mischief III – dis. conduct in the 5200 Block of Chehalis Dr N

3:54 p.m. – Disorderly conduct 1st deg – false report at school (bomb threat) in the 1600 Block of Lockhaven Dr NE

SATURDAY, APRIL 4

11:08 a.m. – Unlawful entry vehicle – attempt crime in the 4900 Block of 13th Ave NE

11:08 a.m. – Unlawful entry vehicle – intent to commit theft in the 4900 Block of 13th Ave NE

4:25 p.m. – Telephonic harassment in the 5400 Block of Mcleod Ln NE

4:33 p.m. – UUMV – motor vehicle theft in the 5100 Block of Perry St NE

5:42 p.m. – Theft II – of MV parts/accessories in the 1700 Block of Dearborn Ave NE

8:41 p.m. – Driving under the influence of intoxicants – misd. in the 3000 Block of Cherry Ave NE

8:41 p.m. – Impound/tow auto in the 3000 Block of Cherry Ave NE

8:41 p.m. – Reckless driving in the 3000 Block of Cherry Ave NE

NOTE: Information is provided by the Keizer Police Department. The agency has removed specific addresses.

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Baseball

Friday, April 3 – McNary 8, Franklin 4

Tuesday, April 7 – Central 15, McNary 3

Wednesday, April 8 – McNary 12, Parkrose 1

Next up:

Tuesday, April 14 – McNary at South Salem

Wednesday, April 15 – South Salem at McNary

Thursday, April 16 – McNary at South Salem

Overall record as of Thursday, April 9: 7-5

Softball

Thursday, April 2 – McNary 6, Tualatin 1

Friday, April 3 – McNary 6, Forest Grove 2

Wednesday, April 7 – McNary 12, Putnam 0

Next up: 

Thursday, April 9: McNary hosts La Salle

Monday, April 13 – McNary hosts Sprague

Wednesday, April 15 – McNary hosts Sandy

Overall record as of Thursday, April 9: 7–2

Track/field

Wednesday, April 1 – League Relays

Girls: McNary 72, Sprague 70, West Salem 66, North Salem 40, South Salem 25

Sprague 70, West Salem 66, North Salem 50, South Salem 43, McNary 42

McNary first-place finishes:

4×100 relay – Iyana Contreras, Courtney Corron, Kennedy Herring, Madison Herring

4×200 relay – Courtney Corron, Kennedy Herring, Madison Herring, Iyana Contreras

Triple jump – Melody Duvick

Boys: Sprague 70, West Salem 66, North Salem 50, South Salem 43, McNary 42

McNary first-place finishes:

4×200 relay – Adam Ellis, Joey Elston, Yosef Picazo, Mason Bowlby

Discus – Derek Olivo

Javelin – Gary Olivo

Saturday, April 4 – Oregon Relays, Eugene

Derek Olivo won javelin (193.03). He was also fourth in discus (165.04). 

Boys team of Joey Elston, Adam Ellis, Yosef Picazo and Mason Bowlby set a school record in sprint medley relay, taking fourth in the event with a time of 3:32.

Yosez Picazo finished fifth in the 800 in a time of 1:55.20. That ranks him fifth in the state.

Girls team of Kali Ellis, Kailyn Bollman-Lechner, Amelia Estrada and Jocelyn Schnurbusch set a school record in the distance medley relay with a time of 13:15.13.

Next up:

Friday, April 10 – Vic Downs Mac Invite, McMinnville

Boys volleyball

Thursday, April 2 – Silverton 3, McNary 0

Monday, April 6 – South Salem 3, McNary 0

Next up:

Friday, April 10 – McNary hosts West Salem

Thursday, April 14 – McNary hosts Thurston/Mohawk

Overall record as of Wednesday, April 1: 0-5

Tennis

Monday, April 6 – McNary vs. North Salem

Girls: McNary 7, North Salem 1

Pola Baniqued (McNary) def. Joceyln Martinez (North Salem)

Sarahi Santoyo (McNary) def. Andrea Ramirez (North Salem)
Sairah Balderas (McNary) def. Marina Segura (North Salem)

Zhaoying Xie (McNary) def. Valeria Flores (North Salem)
Koriella Shelton/ Abby Skipper (McNary) def. Yaretzi Guzman/Amparo Flores Perez (North Salem)

Brianna Garibay/Poppy Moore (McNary) def. Brianna Duarte/Flor Lemus Arredondo (North Salem)

Vanessa Gomez/Madison Adair (McNary)def. Olivia Balau/Samai Sagrero Ramirez (North Salem)

Boys: McNary 4, North Salem 0

Brandon Winder of McNary def. Dariel Victoria Cuevas of North Salem.

Daniel Anguiano of McNary def. J. Refujio Pelayo-Pelayo.

Jacob Schuck/Hayden Geurin of McNary def. Logan Decker/Liam Ortiz of North Salem.

Kaiser Kenitzer/Nicholai Friedman of McNary def. Abraham Reyna/J. Refujio Pelayo-Pelayo of North Salem.

Tuesday, April 7 – Boys: McNary 4, Dallas 4
Daniel Anguiano (McNary) def. Zach Creal (Dallas)
Jacob Garcia/Noah Karstetter (McNary) def. Lucas Boyechko/Johnathan Johnson (Dallas)
Lazlo Montoya Mendoza/Jair Calderon (McNary) def. Charlie Moes/Eric Cowart (Dallas)
Miles De Blasi/Quinten Stevens (McNary) def. Jayden McKenzie/Sam Behling (Dallas)

Tuesday, April 7 – Girls: Sprague 8, McNary 0

Tuesday, April 7: Next up:

Tuesday, April 14 – McNary vs. West Salem

Wednesday, April 15 – McNary vs. Centennial

Golf

Next up:

Monday, April 13 – Central Valley match – Creekside

The post The latest: McNARY SPORTS SCORES AND SCHEDULES appeared first on Keizertimes.

In the closing days of the recent legislative session, Kim Thatcher ticked off her final acts as a senator.

The Republican representing Keizer noted her final committee testimony.

She noted the last minority report she would present on the Senate floor.

And she carried her last bill in a legislative career of more than 20 years.

Thatcher’s term is up at the end of 2026 and she is barred by law from running again. She still has work to do as a senator until then – committee meetings and occasional Senate sessions to approve gubernatorial appointments.

“It was really a cool, cool adventure,” she said as she reflected on her political career in a recent interview.

Thatcher has been in the highway construction business for more than 30 years, founding KT Contracting Co. in 1992 and then four years later a separate company that rented highway construction signs and barriers. KT Contracting, once based in Brooks, is now operated by Thatcher’s daughter in Washington state. The signing company was sold five years ago.

She was running her companies and raising a family when she was approached about running for the House seat representing Keizer.

“That was not on my radar at all,” she said.

Thatcher, who is also a pilot and plays piano, initially wasn’t interested. The pressure to run kept coming.

“I prayed about it and I got a really strong answer and I didn’t like that answer,” she recalled. “I went and meditated some more and decided, okay, yeah, I’m supposed to run.”

She won that race in 2004 and remembers attending her first caucus meeting. That’s when legislators of a party meet behind closed doors to figure out their political strategy.

The meeting was “chaotic” and Thatcher thought to herself, “Boy, these people like to talk.”

She soon discovered that her calendar could be filled with meetings, dinner engagements and fundraising events.

Thatcher said she prefers to be at home. Eventually, she cut back on such social functions.

In 2014, Thatcher was encouraged to run for the Senate seat being vacated with the retirement of Larry George of Sherwood.

She won handily with 64% of the vote. In the Senate, she encountered a different environment.

“When I got to the Senate, my first thoughts were, it was like leaving the cafeteria to go to the library in junior high. That’s what it was like,” she said, recalling the quieter atmosphere. “It was like going from a junior high cafeteria to maybe a college library.”

Then the pandemic struck. Remodeling of the Capitol further changed where and when legislators could gather.

She says that disrupted chances for legislators to talk informally in the Senate lounge, a private enclave.

“We weren’t talking about bills, necessarily. We were talking to each other as human beings,” she said.

In 2020, Thatcher won the Republican nomination for secretary of state. She said she was stunned at the scale of her subsequent loss in the general election since polling showed an even race against the Democrat, Shemia Fagan.

The senator believes Oregon needs to reconsider voting by mail, as President Donald Trump has been pushing nationally. She points out that only one Republican has won a statewide office in Oregon recent years. That was Dennis Richardson, who was elected secretary of state in 2016. He was the first Republican in statewide office since 2002 and there has been none since.

Thatcher ran for reelection in 2022, going against her sense it was time to move on. She was motivated, she said, by worries that the Republicans might not field a strong candidate to hold the Keizer seat.

She decided, though, it would be her last term.

“It’s just that at the end of session, you felt like you had a bloody forehead from hitting your head against the wall, and then things would calm down in between the sessions, and you felt renewed and ready to tackle the world again,” she said.

Her next session followed the retirement from the Senate of Peter Courtney, a Salem Democrat who as president was a master of the legislative process. His successor as president, Rob Wagner, a Democrat from Lake Oswego, was less open to cross-party deals, Thatcher said.

That was underscored in 2023, when Republican senators brought legislative progress to a halt. They left the Capitol and scattered. They were unhappy with the Democratic push on legislation related to gender-affirming care and other health care.

By law, a legislator who racks up 10 unexcused absences is barred from then seeking reelection. Thatcher crossed that threshold during the walkout.

“There were some other issues having to do with the rules and how the Senate was running. And, I mean, this is the first time we didn’t have Peter Courtney there, and it was a lot different world,” she said. “It was much more difficult.”

Thatcher prided herself on working with both Republicans and Democrats in her early years in the Legislature.

She didn’t hold back, though, dicing up the Democrats when the 2023 walkout ended.

“Make no mistake about it, they are still after our children. The Democrats still want total power over every position of government and every role of families in this state,” Thatcher said in a rare press release: “Unfortunately, negotiations did not address the outright and ongoing corruption by the Democrats, nor did they adequately address the tyrannical bills.”

Being in the minority almost her entire career, Thatcher still managed to advance reforms she thinks were important to Oregonians.

One bill established the Transparency Oregon Advisory Commission in 2009. That required state government to put out more information about its operations and expenses. She is chair of the commission.

Another was compelling the state to more fairly treat those who were wrongly convicted of crimes.

Among bills she proposed that didn’t advance were proposals related to small estates and wrongful allegations of child abuse.

“I can’t say those are the most important things in the world, but I really thought those could have been bipartisan type issues,” she said.

She introduced the last bills of her political career as the Legislature convened in early February.

Thatcher also caught attention for being the lone senator to speak against a funding bill.

That came last March 4, when she stood to oppose providing $350 million in state funds to remodel Portland’s Moda Center. She didn’t see the need for the public to support the new billionaire owner of the Trail Blazers.

As the clock ticked down toward adjournment, Thatcher mentally marked some last actions.

“It was kind of like, wow, this is just coming to this, this end. And it’s kind of cool. I mean, I’m kind of looking forward to just having a normal life,” she said.

When she gives up her Capitol basement parking space, Thatcher plans to sell her Keizer home and join her husband in Nevada.

She said she isn’t quite done with community service.

Thatcher described how she was struck by what she learned about USO service to veterans and troops. The organization provides special airport lounges for those in the military and otherwise supports them and their families.

During a legislative hearing, representatives described such services.

“That sounds really cool. Do you take volunteers?” Thatcher asked them.

She intends to volunteer with the group once in Nevada.

Thatcher urges others to take their turn at community service, whether it’s for a city committee or the Legislature.

“All the cogs work together right now, and that’s why it’s important to have more participation in those cogs,” she said.

She understands why people might shy from such service.

“I didn’t really want to get involved with politics,” she said. “I was busy with my business. I was busy with my family. I was busy with church, all the stuff, and so I know life happens, and it’s really hard to carve out time.”

She urged citizens to pick a couple of years to devote to public service.

Thatcher has mixed feelings about her departure.

“It’s a highly unusual situation to serve in a legislature. I mean, it’s not something everybody gets to do,” she said. “And so, it was quite an honor, and a very cool thing, but also very frustrating. I mean, it was just a whole spectrum of emotions and experiences.”

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A few years ago, Jen Baye attempted to return three packages through local shipping stores. 

What was meant to be a simple errand took an entire day because of traffic and long lines across three different stores.

She and her husband Edward hope to save people from a similar experience through their new shipping business. 

The couple opened Sign Sealed Delivered at 4472 River Road N. in February, and recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The store provides residents and businesses with a one-stop-shop for shipping services.

They aim to help customers, whether that’s providing a mail address for a business or understanding forms required for shipping.

“We’ve been trying to think about ‘what is something that is a service that the community actually needs, what is something we can actually provide’” Jen said.

Edward said they’re “trying to help people out when there’s other things they’d rather spend their day on.”

His previous role at a medical manufacturing company gave him experience working with shipping carriers like FedEx, and an understanding of what forms people need to complete for shipping items, he said.

The Keizer business provides shipping across major carriers, including the U.S. Postal Service and FedEx, along with notary services and mailbox rentals. 

The couple hopes one day to offer services for 3D printing and laser engraving. They plan to offer Oregon-themed gifts such as postcards as well.

The couple said they had been considering opening the business in recent years, and decided to do so after Edward lost his job in September. The medical manufacturing company employing him closed roughly 20 locations nationwide last summer. 

With help from Edward’s severance package, the couple moved forward with the business. While they live in Turner, they picked Keizer for their business because of its population density and foot traffic.

Outside of the shipping store, Jen runs a real estate photography business. She started the business after leaving an elementary teaching job in 2019. 

Jen said they hope the store becomes a place where residents can both deliver mail and learn of local events. A community bulletin board hangs on the wall of the store, along with local business cards. 

“I want the community to know that we’re wanting this to eventually become a community-hub type place,” Jen said.

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McNary track team members competed against athletes from throughout the West during the Oregon Relays at Hayward Field in Eugene that finished up on Saturday, April 4.

Derek Olivo won javelin (193.03). He was also fourth in discus (165.04). 

The boys team of Joey Elston, Adam Ellis, Yosef Picazo and Mason Bowlby set a school record in sprint medley relay, taking fourth in the event with a time of 3:32.

Yosez Picazo finished fifth in the 800 in a time of 1:55.20. That ranks him fifth in the state.

The girls team of Kali Ellis, Kailyn Bollman-Lechner, Amelia Estrada and Jocelyn Schnurbusch set a school record in the distance medley relay with a time of 13:15.13.

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