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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 Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW More thunderstorms expected ... Stay out of the creek, officials warn ... Motor home destroyed in Talent-area fire ... More thunderstorms expected ... Stay out of the creek, officials warn ... Motor home destroyed in Talent-area fire ... EDITOR'S NOTES Changes in latitude Editor's Notes: Changes in latitude Comment DailyTidings.com Writer Posted Feb. 26, 2015 at 12:01 AM Posted Feb. 26, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News Who knew marble has terroir? The term is usually used to describe the influence of where a grape was grown on the taste of wine. The character of the soil and climate affects how what’s grown there turns out. Makes sense. But marble? You’d think its character was, well, set in stone. Yet evidently what Ashland bought to make the fountain recently removed from Chautauqua Square “is not suited to our climate,” according to a theory put forward in an Ashland city staff report. There’s some science — well, at least experience — to back that up. The marble, which was purchased by the city from a Mexican quarry, began to “weep” (shed water through the marble itself, not through a crack) less than two years after its installation in 1990. More than one attempt at repair was made. The most recent, in 2008, worked — until freezing weather set in, according to the same city staff report. So, it seems, the marble was only suitable for climes more temperate than this part of the world. Look, there’s lots of marble fountains (or so I’ve heard) in Italy. But that makes sense; Italian marble, Italian fountains. The rock didn’t have to leave the ’hood to find work. Maybe marble is not the best material for fountains. I know the iconic, marble-tile-lined outdoor Neptune Pool at Hearst Castle, within my old stomping ground, leaks like a sieve. Or did, before they drained it because of the drought. Maybe Ashland should have bought Italian marble. Turns out we’re only about 20 miles north of Rome, relative to the equator. We’re about 1,460 miles north of Ashland’s sister city, Guanajuato, Mexico, near where the marble was quarried. The fountain was not, as some would have it, a gift from Guanajuato. It was designed by the late Bill Emerson of Ashland, who received a city Historic Preservation Award in 2010 for his work on the former Grizzly Roasting Company building at 11 First St. Emerson’s work will not be lost, however, as significant features of the fountain, including its centerpiece “gargoyle head,” were salvaged and will, at some point, find a new home in Ashland. So, besides not working, why was the fountain removed? To make “Chautauqua Square ... a more inviting space for patrons and the community,” said Oregon Shakespeare Festival General Manager Ted Delong, according to the minutes of the Jan. 6 City Council meeting. Its removal, he’s quoted as saying, would make way for a food concession, tables and chairs and “better circulation.” Council discussion, the minutes say, included Councilor Pam Marsh saying OSF “was interested in creating a great public space that invited a cross-section of the community. It was not about getting rid of people, it was about creating a different environment by inviting all kinds of people into the space.” Marsh’s comments echo those of — surprise — Emerson, as reported in a 2006 Tidings story about plans for the Plaza: “(Emerson) said the original (Plaza) design called for another fountain, more benches, the information kiosk to be in a different place and a larger grass area on the East Main Street side of the plaza. ... All of these changes, Emerson said, would have made the plaza more conducive to attracting a more diverse population, thus driving away the people that plaza business owners have complained are bothering tourists and residents. ‘I guess the city removed (benches) because they didn’t want panhandlers.’ ” I guess some things never change, regardless of your attitude or latitude. Bert Etling is editor of the Ashland Daily Tidings. DailyTidings.com Writer Posted Feb. 26, 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... 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