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1 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 'Guitar Player' book recalls the heady days of the '70s and '80s Ashland budget proposal says solar power could attract investment Ashland High School water polo club seeks yard sale donations Final Ashland Middle School band concert of the school year set for May 20 Nashville singer/songwriter with Ashland ties dies of cancer Education Ashland Middle School students put their Spanish-speaking skills to the test Grizzlies claim speech championship Levy backers eye final push Neal Simon: This is a test Grade-school philanthropist 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 Ride & Drive: 2015 BMW 428i Gran Coupe Ashland Safeway closes Thursday, to reopen as Haggen on Sunday Cars We Remember: Car enthusiast wishes new model designs were ‘more different’ Ride & Drive: 2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Silvio Calabi: Taxis and traffic in the olde worlde Politics and elections 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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Our View: Waging peace after war Our View: Rail car roulette Our View: Reading the tea leaves Letters Letters to the Editor, May 8 Letters to the Editor, May 6 Letters to the Editor, May 5 Letters to the Editor, May1 Letters to the Editor, April 30 Guest opinions Guest Opinion: Restoring the Plaza's sense of place Guest Opinion: Making conservation a game Guest Opinion: A good day to act Guest Opinion: Allegations unfair to Dr. Tomashefsky Guest Opinion: Fremont cottonwood is not a hazard Columns Arthur I. Cyr: Britain’s important election – in royal political context Matthew T. Mangino: Aging prisoners: An American crisis Jeffrey Gillespie: Is there a right to offend? Editor's Notes: This, that and the other Mochas, Midrash and Mysteries: Balancing the gift and the task Chris Honore Council Corner Editor's Notes Jeffrey Gillespie Herb Rothschild Revels Latest Stories Peter Rowan, Big Sandy & His Fly-Rite Boys at Rootsfest Movie listings: May 8-14 Dancing People Company presents 'Salon Series' 5 picks for live entertainment Prepare for lots of dialogue in 'Clouds of Sils Maria' Theater Ticket availability Ticket Availability Ticket Availability 'Arsenic and Old Lace' has killer charm Some OSF crew members seek to unionize Music The Farr Side: Mumford & Sons’ latest is full-on rock Interview: Country singer Suzy Bogguss enjoying life on the road The Farr Side: CMAs do it right, in many ways Interview: Offspring plays hits new and old on tour The Farr Side: Slow disappearance of physical music Visual Art Movies Movie review: ‘Hot Pursuit’ is a hot mess George Miller returns to his ‘Mad Max’ roots Tom Hardy adapts to life as Mad Max Movie listings: May 8-14 Prepare for lots of dialogue in 'Clouds of Sils Maria' Food and Drink Taqueria Picaro takes over Tabu space Owner of Mix and Amuse to bring Flip burger joint to Ashland Cruelest Month: Poetry Blog Lifestyle Latest Stories Inner Peace: Satyam, shivam, sundram (truth, consciousness, joy/beauty) Looking Up: Once in a while a star blows up Health Watch: Easy tips to drink more water throughout the day Orthodox Church raising funds to build new home Antionette Kerr: Mother’s Day founder challenged commercialism Aging Happens Inner Peace Column Inner Peace Blog Mocha Musings Rogues: Tales from the Valley Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries Photos Videos Blogs Business Business Services NEWS NOW Ashland publisher offers prize for environmental book ... Police Reports ... AT&T withdraws Ashland cell tower proposal ... Ashland publisher offers prize for environmental book ... Police Reports ... AT&T withdraws Ashland cell tower proposal ... GUEST OPINION Guest Opinion: Restoring the Plaza's sense of place Comment By David Sherr DailyTidings.com By David Sherr Posted May. 2, 2015 at 12:01 AM By David Sherr Posted May. 2, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News For over 18 years since first coming here in 1995, I regularly walked and drove by our old downtown Plaza, sometimes several times a day, morning, afternoon and evening. I remember the beautiful trees and old-world, almost mystical feeling of the downtown Plaza, and the very special feelings it used to evoke. I think many people here shared the same experiences, and thus there is a real sense of loss felt by each of us every time we witness what has befallen our beloved Plaza. I can't really put it into words, and I don't expect those who live outside our area, or who have moved here fairly recently, or who have never visited the old Plaza daily as many townspeople here and I have, can really grasp what the community's shared experience of our former downtown Plaza once was. For us, the Plaza was central to the Ashland experience, it established a palpable "sense of place." We deeply feel its present state is a great loss for the true look and feel of our special town. Ashland is still a wondrous place, but in many ways, it is slowly being transformed into a mini-Medford (my apologies to all Medfordites). You can kill a special place, a little bit at a time. Scientific opinion polls are impractically expensive to conduct, but the Ashland Plaza Restoration Project's registry of Facebook "likes" is similar to a straw poll, and, is certainly a strong indication of the broad level of community concerns about our Plaza. Our Facebook pages and post endorsements, as registered by "likes," now top 2,400. Many more people who are not on Facebook have expressed sympathetic views. I believe this is a strong indication that the look and feel of our Plaza is a vital issue for many who live and visit here. Every architectural designer we've talked to, and we've talked with several, has commented that the redesigned Plaza does not reflect the look and feel of our historic downtown. These people are qualified to make such judgments. The pavers are but one issue, but the overall appearance and function of the Plaza is a much bigger issue. After more than two years, the city of Ashland still has no plans to rejuvenate the Plaza into a more harmonious, community-inclusive and architecturally integrated state. An editor of the Tidings remarked recently that the Plaza improvements advocated by the Ashland Plaza Restoration Project "puts the city in an awkward position." But isn't it really the city which has put itself in an awkward position, by its very rushed and unsuccessful Plaza redo? If the city now commits any more substantial amount of public funds for Plaza improvements, it will be an admission that it "goofed" with a large amount of public funds during the initial redo. It's a bit like a catch 22 for the city. That's why I and others here feel strongly that a private funding effort is the only viable way we are going to get the funds, and the impetus, to make substantial improvements for our Plaza. The project wishes to partner with the community and with the city on projects to enhance the Plaza, in the same way Councilor Pam Marsh is teaming with private donors to raise funds for hanging baskets on the Plaza. Tens of thousands of dollars are spent each year by the city on other forms of historical renovation and preservation. The public has the same right, ability and incentive. Project members hope that as our pledge fund pool grows, the project will gain more and more support from the public, and from the city, to effect the positive changes for our downtown Plaza that many of us envision. David Sherr is a founding member of the Ashland Plaza Restoration Project. By David Sherr DailyTidings.com By David Sherr Posted May. 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. 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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