Juan Carlos Romero Hicks and his wife, Frances “Faffie” Siekman, who will receive Southern Oregon University’s prestigious President’s Medal next week, have connections with the university and Ashland dating back 44 years. Romero Hicks campaigned unsuccessfully to be president of Mexico in 2018 and is seeking his party’s backing again for the 2024 elections.
Entre Amigos: Sister City Guanajuato, Mexico, sent its summer festival queen and five other representatives to Ashland to participate in Ashland Fourth of July celebrations, resuming a 50-year tradition derailed in 2020 and 2021 by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Entre Amigos: Two Guanajuato summer festival queens may travel to Ashland in late June to join its Fourth of July parade and celebrations, a sister-city tradition for more than 50 years; a small gathering in May marked the official opening of the revamped lower level of the Ashland Public Library; and Ashland organizations are preparing multiple Independence Day activities this year following a two-year, COVID-forced interruption in the annual festivities.
Ashland sister-city related happenings include Mexican percussionist Ivan Manzanilla, a specialist in contemporary percussion music, will share his talents next year at SOU; the Amigo Club will again offer Mexican paletas during Ashland’s Fourth of July celebration; and longtime friend-of-the-club, artist Betty LaDuke, has opened a new show.
Southern Oregon University and the University of Guanajuato are collaborating on a project for their business school students to provide development plans for rural and small businesses in Mexico and the Ashland area.
The threat of new fire starts due to expected “abundant lightning on dry fuels” has prompted the Medford office of the National Weather Service to issue a red flag warning for noon to 11 p.m. Wednesday for wide swaths of Southern Oregon and Northern California, including Ashland and the south end of the Rogue Valley.
While three Ashland City Council seats will be undecided until November, a number of other elected offices within the Ashland saw only the incumbents filing for office, though additional candidate information could be published later this week.
Two candidates have dropped out of the race for Ashland City Council as the city waits on signature verification to release the forms of additional candidates who filed by the Aug. 8 deadline. City Recorder Melissa Huhtala said she is waiting to hear from Jackson County to confirm the signatures of additional candidates and will post candidate information after this step is complete.
Regarding the question, ‘Does OSF leadership trust Shakespeare?’ William Shakespeare, Twelfth Night, Act 1 Scene 5 (Speaking to Olivia): CLOWN: Wit, and’t be thy will,
The City of Ashland is seeking dismissal of an $850,000 lawsuit alleging rampant sexism and discrimination among Parks and Recreation Department employees, claiming the allegations themselves are invalid.
MJ Daspit: “Caprettone got my attention because I’d never heard of it before. A light, dry Italian, it was refreshing and delicious. … ‘Caprettone is a white Italian wine grape variety that is grown in the Campania region of southern Italy … Caprettone is also grown in the Rogue River Valley of southern Oregon.’ Wait — what? We’re it outside Campania? How did that happen?”
(It’s free)
