In a meeting lasting well into the dark of evening, the members of the 2200 Ashland Street master plan ad hoc committee ultimately approved a plan last Wednesday to present to Ashland City Council at Monday night’s study session, Nov. 18, but not without alterations, reservations and one member walking out.Â
Solar power plays a key role in Ashland’s plan to achieve net zero carbon emissions by the year 2050 — but right now, it generates just 5% of Ashland’s electricity. The local nonprofit Ashland Solar Cooperative aims to increase access to this renewable energy source by installing community solar projects.
Most everyone thinks that homelessness is a problem that must be solved, but there is little agreement as to what actions should be taken. The Jefferson Center discussion on Sunday will consider how government, nonprofit organizations and citizen volunteers might help.
In a circle of chairs at the Rogue Valley Metaphysical Library, volunteers for Ashland’s severe weather shelter were gathered for a training in how to offer trauma-informed care to shelter guests. Trauma can make people feel unsafe, not accepted, or lead to challenges in school, work and relationships.Â
Carrie Dahle: For first-time buyers who haven’t been able to build home equity elsewhere, coming up with a 10% or more down payment can feel almost insurmountable, especially in competitive markets like Ashland, where prices continue to climb.
A 91-unit accessible housing development is being planned for an approximately 4.2-acre site at the corner of East Main Street and Mountain Avenue in Ashland, the location of the former junior varsity baseball field. A nonprofit founded in December 2023 by three Ashlanders, including two school board members, is at the heart of the project proposal.Â
As the 2200 Ashland Street ad hoc committee faced the 11th hour of its available time to create a plan for the property, committee members wrestled with diametric opposition of perspectives and unease about uncertainty during a Wednesday evening meeting.Â
The Ashland City Council will review an update on the city’s Climate Friendly Communities plan presented by Community Development Department head Brandon Goldman along with consultants from 3JConsulting, JET Planning, and EcoNorthwest who have been contracted to work with the city in developing the initiative at the Monday, Nov. 4, council study session, according to meeting materials.Â
A training to help volunteers at the city of Ashland’s severe weather shelter offer trauma informed care will be held by registration only from 3 to 5 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 6. The shelter needs volunteers for this season. Those interested in learning more can contact longtime Ashland shelter volunteer coordinator Avram Sacks at 541-220-7307.
As the weather chills, the city of Ashland continues to wrestle with how to best operate its severe weather shelter in and plan the overall future of its building at 2200 Ashland St. While the city’s threshold for calling the severe weather shelter in winter is 32 degrees, there is some room for variation depending on accompanying weather conditions, duration of conditions and available resources, Ashland City Manager Sabrina Cotta said Wednesday.
As of Nov. 3, Ashland Community Food Bank has a new director at the reins. Catie Mahoney will serve in the role with guidance from outgoing director Amey Broeker, who will officially retire on Dec. 31 after serving in the food bank role since 2022.
The Ashland City Council will review a proposal from a potential provider to oversee its extreme weather shelter during its regular business meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 18.
The Ashland Independent Film Festival has added a second screening showcasing Indigenous filmmakers on Sunday, Nov. 23.
Three and a half years into the war with Russia, Ashland violinist and longtime music teacher Faina Podolnaya is still finding ways to help Ukrainian refugees.
Herbert Rothschild: As the number of ads in The New Yorker has shrunk, it seems as if the wealth of its readership has concentrated, just as one might concentrate the flavor of a sauce by reducing it on the stovetop.
Local artist MaryAnn Shank will share the thoughts behind her newest novel “Sor Juana, My Beloved” at Bloomsbury Books Jan. 26. Shank is a finalist of The Isabel Allende Most Inspirational Book of the Year 2025 award, awarded by the International Latino Book Association.
(It’s free)
