First-graders in Ashland will be treated to a reading extravaganza on Wednesday at Ashland High School. The Rotary Club of Ashland and Rotary Club of Ashland Lithia Springs will host the ninth annual Ashland Reads “celebration of literacy” for about 170 first-grade students in the Ashland School District from about 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at Ashland High School.
Ashland resident and school board member Daniel “Dan” Ruby has always worn a variety of hats in his professional life. This spring, he decided to try on one more for size: U.S. Congressman.
Two Ashland students are waiting to learn if they will win the state-wide competition of the “If I were Mayor …” contest after celebrating their local victory at the April 16 Ashland City Council meeting. Ember Richards, 10, and Avalon Gerk, 13, were declared the elementary and middle school 2024 winners.
In March, the Ashland Schools Foundation reached out to a national nonprofit organization, Free Guitars 4 Kids, which responded quickly. Within a little over a week, 85 of the guitars were taken home by the students. Electric guitars even came with their own amps and other accessories.
Sortia Sherrow was presented with Ashland Rotary Club’s Student of The Month for March at the club’s luncheon meeting on April 25.
An Ashland School District employee has started a petition opposing cuts to full-time, in-person librarian positions at Ashland Middle School and Ashland High School that will be eliminated this fall.
Ashland High School teacher Paul Huard will participate in a Harvard University-sponsored program to develop curriculum that can be used in U.S. schools to teach students about the global significance of Ukraine. He joins a group of six American teachers selected through a competitive application process by the Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies at Harvard.
Ashland Middle and Ashland High school students won’t have access to full-time, in-person librarians starting this fall, after cuts to the district’s General Fund budget made by the superintendent. Ashland High School’s librarian position is currently vacant following the departure of the school’s librarian and the position will remain so this fall. Ashland Middle School’s librarian position is proposed to be cut this fall as well.
Ashland High School hasn’t had a school resource officer (SRO) — a sworn law-enforcement officer who works in a school setting — in 10 years, but on Thursday, the Ashland School Board heard the principal, other administrators, teachers and students speak in favor of returning the full-time, city-funded role to campuses throughout the district.
Incoming Superintendent Joseph Hattrick plans to address Ashland School Board members and the community in person at Thursday’s board meeting starting at 7 p.m. Hattrick is also scheduled to be at the Ashland Food Co-op at 4 p.m. Friday for an Ashland Schools Foundation fundraiser.
Mt. Ashland Ski Area’s first new chairlift in more than three decades will open this weekend. The Lithia Chair will open at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 14, giving skiers and snowboarders greater access to easy and intermediate slopes, according to a release issued Tuesday from the nonprofit ski area.
Review: This year’s production of “A Christmas Carol,” playing at the CTP and directed by Tommy Statler, is original, imaginative and lighter than last year’s production of the same. The story of the miserly curmudgeon who finds redemption in the meaning of Christmas keeps with the spirit of the season.
The Salvation Army in Jackson and Josephine counties is pleading for volunteers to help ring in the holidays during the annual Red Kettle donations campaign as the organization faces a critical shortage of staff. “We are sounding the alarm,” said Capt. Yohani Ortiz with The Salvation Army Grants Pass.
Obituary: It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Patricia “Patti” Ann Metz (Seely), a devoted mother, friend, and pillar of the Rogue Valley community in Southern Oregon for the past 44 years. On Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024, Patti left us at the age of 86, after a long illness, leaving behind a legacy of love, kindness, and unwavering dedication to those she cherished.
Real Estate Corner: I’ve been noticing an interesting trend. There’s movement both ways — people discovering Ashland as their dream destination and others leaving for the next chapter in their lives. So, what’s driving these shifts? Let’s examine why people are moving to (and from) our fantastic town.
Ashland’s TC Chevy has shifted into high gear on sustainability, becoming a shining example of clean energy innovation with the addition of three new Stracker solar arrays to its existing five units. The dealership now is in a position to run entirely on sun power, achieving net-zero status and proving that the road to a greener future starts at home.
(It’s free)