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Ambuja Rosen: It seems to me that at least some of the time, the City Council is a yes-man for top staff. Not just the top staff who want Ashlanders to fund their substantial and frequent raises. But also the police chief, who has gotten council to “yes” him twice as he increasingly buckles down on our homeless citizens.
Sean McEnroe: Of course, if you’re a busy person, you could save a little time by using a leaf blower — neighbors be damned — or you could pay landscapers to make the noise for you.
John Marciano and Leslie Dwyer: There will be less money to pay for food programs here and across the country. This is an inhumane treatment of struggling families. At the same time, the U.S. has spent billions supporting Israel’s genocide in Gaza.
George Kramer: Passing this amendment is a reasonable way for voters to assure Council will be more thoughtful before extracting dollars from ratepayers. It’s not “horrible.” It’s democracy. Sadly, that is something currently in short supply.
Karen Smith: Requiring a public vote on every issue would reduce decision-making to a crawl and create much more conflict with endless debate.
Cori Frank: I was privileged to attend the groundbreaking ceremony on Oct. 2 for 19 pickleball courts in Medford. This will be an economic boon to the city.
Chris Millias: Both Republicans and Democrats seem to wait until the last possible moment to act. By turning every policy deadline into a crisis, they create leverage for their side — but at the cost of responsible governing.
Amy Greenwold:This is a very divisive topic with a huge amount of misinformation published. I commend your editor for including this “Viewpoint” piece, “In Defense of Israel.”
Trisha Vigil: While closing the government may seem a national rather than a local issue, to Rogue Valley residents, it is clearly a local issue.
Trisha Vigil: That Trump is threatening our environment and health in the Rogue Valley should be obvious to all. Where is our congressman?
Ashland, long celebrated for its Shakespearean drama, is about to trade soliloquies for sarcasm. From Dec. 5 to 7, the city will host the inaugural Ashland Sarcasm Festival (ASF!), a comedy takeover designed to fill theaters, bars and restaurants with sharp wit, satire and laughter.
Tickets are selling fast for “Mass for the Endangered,” described as a multi-sensory film experience of music and animated artwork being presented Sunday at the ScienceWorks Hands-On Museum in Ashland.
Ashland Scout Troop 112 will honor local veterans with a free Veterans Day breakfast on Tuesday, Nov. 11, from 7 to 11:30 a.m., or until food runs out, at Elks Lodge No. 944. Scouts will take orders, serve meals and visit with veterans as part of the local troop’s tradition of showing gratitude to those who served.
A proposal to improve safety along Lithia Park’s received a tepid response from the Ashland Parks & Recreation Commission on Wednesday, Nov. 5. Although commissioners supported adding disability parking near the Japanese Garden and created a designated pedestrian walkway, many questioned whether the cost would lead to meaningful safety improvements.
Medford voters appear to have approved a 2% increase to the city’s transient lodging tax, which will help partially pay for the construction of a downtown conference center and minor-league ballpark.
Gov. Tina Kotek confirmed that SNAP food assistance benefits will be fully funded for November with access to benefits today, Friday, Nov. 7. Kotek’s announcement follows a federal ruling that ordered the federal government to release SNAP funds.
(It’s free)
