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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories What do you think of the proposed natural gas pipeline? Part 17: Dawn answers the call of the Rogue Sirens Chamber's Business Resource Portal offers tools for success Mt. Ashland Ski Area remains closed 10 things to know for Monday Education Ashland robotics team aims to build a winner AHS ranked No. 7 by Niche College debt load balloons: What could, should be done? 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In memoriam: 2014’s notable deaths Sports Latest Stories Raiders put on a show Oregon's Dargan goes from sideline to spotlight Branding: Oregon's other spread Southern Oregon to add men's soccer, women's wrestling Graham sparks Grizzly rout High school Raiders put on a show Graham sparks Grizzly rout Ashland drops MWL opener to Marist Ashland swats Yreka, braces for Marist Shibley-Styer, Malcolm lead Grizzlies to comeback win over Henley Southern Oregon University Raiders put on a show Oregon's Dargan goes from sideline to spotlight Branding: Oregon's other spread Southern Oregon to add men's soccer, women's wrestling Thirteen Raiders named scholar athletes Opinion Latest Stories Another View: Community colleges key to expanding opportunity Another view: Cheney defends nation's journey into darkness Our view: Protect Ashland's crown Herb Rothschild Jr.: Fury impedes justice The Plaza phenomenon Editorial Our view: Protect Ashland's crown Our View: A worthwhile goal Our View: Go slow on new chief Our view: Food that fits us Our View: Police are doing their job Letters Letters to the Editor, Jan. 5 Letters to the Editor, Dec. 31 Letters to the Editor, Dec. 29 Letters to the Editor, Dec. 23 Letters to the Editor, Dec. 17 Guest opinions Another view: Cheney defends nation's journey into darkness Herb Rothschild Jr.: Fury impedes justice The Plaza phenomenon Herb Rothschild Jr.: Waco and Ferguson Chris Honoré: 2014: the best and the rest Revels Latest Stories 4 things to do this week Savanna at Belle Fiore Community blog: Student Poetry Contest 'Creatures' mixes edgy sound with beauty and tranquility 4 things to do this weekend Theater Insights into the gifts theater offers off the stage Theater is an act of co-creation ACT presents reading of 'The Quality of Life' Music Jeff Kloetzel at Belle Fiore The Farr Side: Top 10 album count-up for 2014 Visual Art Schneider winter exhibits on tap: 'Baker's Dozen' and 'New Works' First Friday kicks off a new year Movies Interview: Bradley Cooper discusses working with Clint Eastwood on ‘American Sniper’ Movie review: Soulful ‘Selma’ offers a new lens on history Movie review: Mike Leigh applies an artist’s touch to ‘Mr. Turner’ Movie review: Hazy, crazy Thomas Pynchon novel ‘Inherent Vice’ makes it to the screen Movie review: Timothy Spall steps up to the palette as the artist J.M.W. Turner Food and Drink Food for Thought: Wintertime wining and dining Cruelest Month: Poetry Blog Lifestyle Latest Stories Part 17: Dawn answers the call of the Rogue Sirens Kitchen Call: Roasted pork, Tuscan style Book Notes: Essays on aging, from an aging poet Get A Life: The helping hand of humor It Is What It Is: There’s more to rejection than meets the eye Aging Happens Inner Peace Column Inner Peace Blog Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries Photos Videos Blogs Business NEWS NOW Students go behind the scenes at hospital ... Chamber's Business Resource Portal offers tools for success ... Mt. Ashland Ski Area remains closed ... Students go behind the scenes at hospital ... Chamber's Business Resource Portal offers tools for success ... Mt. Ashland Ski Area remains closed ... ROGUES: TALES FROM THE VALLEY Part 16: Howling good time at a wolf moon conclave Comment By Lyda Woods DailyTidings.com By Lyda Woods Posted Jan. 5, 2015 @ 6:12 pm Updated at 2:48 PM By Lyda Woods Posted Jan. 5, 2015 @ 6:12 pm Updated at 2:48 PM » RELATED CONTENT • Part 15: Into the belly of the Black Sheep • Rogues story series: Dawn channels her inner porcupine • Laying out the dots, looking for connections • Sibling rivalry spices lunch, but affection sweetens it » Social News Part 16 of the fictionalized adventures of two sisters, Sherry and Dawn, one Medford-bred, the other Ashland-loving, and their adventures across the Rogue Valley. Find prior chapters at www.dailytidings.com. After speaking with Kenny Green at The Black Sheep last week, I decided to infiltrate the Rogue Sirens, a secret political art group, to see if they were connected with the house bombings and Sherry’s abduction. Kenny had let slip that both he and Druantia were in the group and their next meeting was tonight, celebrating January’s wolf moon. In preparation, I’d searched among my friends for some connection to the Rogue Sirens and found one among the murder mystery actors I’d worked with over the years. Ray Zachary, an elderly man who was a magician, handyman and sometime actor and who had joined me for Thanksgiving, was connected to the group. He had agreed to take me to a meeting. He was coming over tonight at 7 p.m. to pick me up. We were going to Valentina Wilson’s home and pot farm in south Ashland. In the car, I quizzed Ray about the group. I’d told him that I wanted to join but not my motives. “So what happens at these meetings?” I asked, dressed in my best bohemian Ashland, long flowing skirts in green velvet, a patchwork vest and, underneath, leotards. “We all share; Valentina talks and then we focus on certain people, and then we smoke, sing, and drum.” “Cool.” “So you never told me why you want to join.” Ray asked as he pulled into a dirt driveway surrounded by a high stone fence. “I want to feel less isolated. I want to make a difference somehow. So many crazy things happening in the world. ” All true. “You’ll fit right in.” He parked the car in a dim lot that contained about 25 cars. From the house, the flickering yellow lights radiating out into the darkness, the scent of wood smoke, and the hum of chanting drew us to the front door. Inside were about 40 people, mostly women, mostly older, milling about, drinking wine, smoking dope, and catching up. The large living room had raised ceilings and a roaring fireplace, surrounded by pillows and chairs in a circle. A tall thin woman with graceful posture, who looked to be in her 60s, with long white hair, clapped her hands to silence the group. “Welcome everyone, it’s time to start.” Valentina walked over the fireplace and the group followed her, taking seats in a circle. "Tonight, we’ll start a bit differently and save shares for the end. We need to get started on our next social project. So let me ask you, what ideas did you trust in, growing up?” People trotted out their childhood beliefs: Study hard, save your money, succeed through hard work, integrity pays off, everyone is equal, the government cares, cops are good, and education is always a good investment. “And now that you’re all grown up and your rose-colored glasses have cracked to let in the light, what do you believe?” The energy in the room surged, people sat up and shared with gusto: our aged parents are forced into poverty; student debt is never-ending; lifetime healthcare is out of reach; tuition is impossibly expensive; banks are predators; cops kill; and politicians are inert. As the group shared, key members wrote responses on flip charts around the room. “Thank you all for sharing your truths. Now let me share mine.” Valentina’s voice became deeply resonant. “The middle class is deceased, cannibalized. We are the living dead. We think we are living but we’re already dead. Everything eats away at us but we have less and less to give. Our guts twist with debt and despair. We’re sucked dry, pissed off, gobbled up and dying on the vine. So if we are zombies, let’s embrace and use it. That, in essence, is our next art offense. Any questions, my dear fetid folk?” — Next week: Giant papier-mâché puppet heads are prepared for a flash mob event at the Ashland city meeting. By Lyda Woods DailyTidings.com By Lyda Woods Posted Jan. 5, 2015 @ 6:12 pm Updated at 2:48 PM » 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. 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 Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs 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. 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