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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 UO coach Mark Helfrich to speak at SOU commencement 10 things to know for Wednesday Ashland CERT will be there when you need it 10 things to know for Tuesday Ashland joins in Craft Beer Week with toast at Standing Stone on Wednesday Education Ashland High School again earns national honors Preschool's future not yet secure Ashland Middle School student spearheads Nepal relief effort Southern Oregon University's week-long Arts & Research showcase offers a potpourri of academics Ashland Middle School students put their Spanish-speaking skills to the test Environment Ashland publisher offers prize for environmental book Ashland water bills could go up to fund watershed protection Stopping fire in its tracks Some trails, roads remain closed due to controlled burn Earth Day: Hope for our 'pale blue dot' Business Ashland joins in Craft Beer Week with toast at Standing Stone on Wednesday Cars We Remember: Noted musician unravels 55-year Nash Rambler mystery 'Fill'er up' will mean with beer, not gas Ride & Drive: 2015 BMW 428i Gran Coupe Ashland Safeway closes Thursday, to reopen as Haggen on Sunday Politics and elections City of Ashland to consider making recorder position appointive, not elective Ashland water bills could go up to fund watershed protection BREAKING: Baltimore prosecutor charges officers in Gray's death Arthur I. 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GUEST OPINION Guest Opinion: Hannah Thomas-Garner's father thanks the Ashland community Comment By Jeff Garner DailyTidings.com By Jeff Garner Posted Mar. 21, 2015 at 12:01 AM Updated Mar 25, 2015 at 6:56 PM By Jeff Garner Posted Mar. 21, 2015 at 12:01 AM Updated Mar 25, 2015 at 6:56 PM » RELATED CONTENT • The rest of the story • MISSING ASHLAND TEEN: 'Why?' still unknown in Thomas-Garner case... • Missing teen Hannah Thomas-Garner found safe • Missing Ashland teen Hannah Thomas-Garner possibly seen in Florida, police say... • Editor's Notes: Agonizing uncertainty in runaway case • Police: No blood found in teen's car » Social News This letter is in regard to my daughter, Hannah "Moose" Thomas-Garner. I know there are some conflicting feelings about her and the time since Nov. 29. There was a lot of activity due to her choices in the past, and now that she has returned home and is safe I would like to speak on the comments that I am reading and hearing. I first would like to thank the Daily Tidings for putting the news out there for all to read. I would also like to thank the radio station KSKQ and the television news stations KOBI, KDVR and KTVL for the interviews. I would like to thank the community for assisting in all of the efforts to bring Hannah home. I would like to thank the students and staff at Ashland High School for putting together the assembly on the field to send a message to Hannah to contact her family. Last but certainly not least, I would like to thank Ashland Police Department. Back in December when I visited Deputy Chief Hensman and he told me the evidence led them to believe that Hannah had ran away, I told him that I disagreed. After about a 15-minute conversation, we agreed to disagree and I told him this is the one case that I hope I am wrong. On the evening of March 7, when I called Detective LeCoure to inform him that Hannah had contacted me and I picked her up, I told him that I have never been so happy to be proven wrong. I then apologized for doubting them because they were correct. And we agreed that as a father of a missing teen I was doing all that I could do to try to get my child home safely. There have been some comments about the interview Hannah and I gave from the airport. Some were happy comments and some were not. I want to thank all of the people that have given supportive comments and happy thoughts about the interview, as we, both Hannah and I, were very happy. For those that disagreed with our happiness I apologize. I sincerely hope that you never have to go through the grueling time, the emotional roller coaster, the deep dark depression of not knowing if you would ever see your child again that we went through. Those fears are what drove me to do all that I could, even if it meant screaming at the top of my lungs at the Ashland police station or in the Ashland Plaza. Yes, in my opinion at that time of worry I did doubt the efforts of APD. I called them every day. I spoke to one of the four detectives that were assigned to the case each time I called. I left countless messages for them. They even gave me their cellphone numbers just in case I wanted to complain, yell, cry, or just talk. They were very supportive. I told them about everything I was doing; they told me everything they could tell me that they were doing. There were times that I would be on the phone with one of the detectives and we would both ask each other, "What do we do now?" There were times when we had nothing to go on but as a fatherI could not just stop. I had to keep trying something. Luckily this missing person / runaway case has a good ending. The child that was homeless due to choices made decided to reach out and call family. I only wish that they all could end this way. Would the outcome have turned out the same had things happened differently? I really don't know. I do know that as a father I will fight for my kids no matter what. In closing I again would like to thank the entire community of Ashland Oregon for coming together and fighting with for my child; not many places would have done that. I would also like to go on record and say to Deputy Chief Hensman: I was wrong, Hannah was not injured and she did return home safe. I apologize for any ill feelings I have caused you or your department. Jeff Garner, the father of Hannah Thomas-Garner, lives in Kilgore, Texas. By Jeff Garner DailyTidings.com By Jeff Garner Posted Mar. 21, 2015 at 12:01 AM Updated Mar 25, 2015 at 6:56 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 Propel Marketing 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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