Document text
3 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Earthquake hits 12 miles east of Eugene ... Our View: All's well that ends well ... Jeffrey Gillespie: A landmark in the history of love ... Earthquake hits 12 miles east of Eugene ... Our View: All's well that ends well ... Jeffrey Gillespie: A landmark in the history of love ... OUR VIEW Our View: One man's beacon Comment DailyTidings.com Writer Posted Jul. 2, 2015 at 12:01 AM Posted Jul. 2, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News Throw out  your cellphones. That's our message to the latest group of not-in-my-backyard cell tower opponents. This time, it's not radiation harm for which there is no evidence, or the distraction of a blinking light to warn aircraft at night, but distress over the intrusion of what will look like a tall tree atop a local hill. Neighbors of Beacon Hill, also known as Steinman Butte, object for reasons of aesthetics, history and lost property value. AT&T says it plans a "stealth" tower disguised as a large fir tree. Can't get much more aesthetic than that, if there are going to be cell towers at all (more on that below). History? It seems the peak once bore a light to warn military planes coming into the valley during World War II, hence the Beacon Hill name. It's not clear why that should preclude a modern beacon providing better cell service, but these neighbors might have objected to that historic use as well. Lost property value is tough to quantify, and isn't considered a valid objection under land-use laws anyway. One opponent noted that no one in the neighborhood uses AT&T, so improved cell service won't help them. But if they use cellphones with some other carrier, their signals come from a tower in someone else's neighborhood. The only way to eliminate the need for cell towers is to stop using cellphones. But since that's not likely to happen, tolerating a tower here and there is the price we pay for convenience.  DailyTidings.com Writer Posted Jul. 2, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. DailyTidings.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501