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Letters: More on ASD and 'competition' As a parent of two children currently in Waldorf classes, I find Superintendent Di Chiro's persistent use of the word "competition" to describe any educational program other than the public school divisive and inaccurate. While it is true that most Waldorf children spend their elementary years in classes outside the public school system, the vast majority of those children go on to Ashland High, where they are enthusiastic, creative contributors to the school community. Supt. Di Chiro paints a wrong and simplistic image where Waldorf and other private programs have caused the closure of Briscoe School, but she knows that is not true. There are more people than ever living in Ashland, and still the school age population is shrinking. It's as if Supt. Di Chiro believes that by ignoring and dismissing those community members who choose Waldorf or other programs this demographic problem will mysteriously vanish. In the end she harms this community by denying our diversity, a diversity that ultimately serves to strengthen Ashland High, not "the competition." Robert Hackett Talent *** Hummingbirds and house sizes I've fed the hummingbirds at my house for six years. They are amazing entertaining aggressive little birds, as anyone with a feeder will tell you. I also have a sparrow family, which has several rounds of babies every summer. Last winter I fed them too. This year, there were at least six nests built, a great many babies, and suddenly, no hummers. None. I thought they had been poisoned or their nests wiped out. The cacophony from the baby sparrows was ear splitting. Now that the baby sparrows are grown up, the hummers are returning, and I am thrilled. Why am I sending this to the paper? There's a big issue right now in Ashland about huge expensive housing for the conspicuous consumer. May I suggest that the Ashland City Council has a choice and a chance here to limit the growth of the sparrow population so that the bright and mischievous hummers can also thrive? One species alone is not only kind of sad, it can also get pretty obnoxious. Kim Cower Talent *** What about REAL progress? Now it looks like the REAL Corps program is cut. We already know that its parent group, AmeriCorps, has "funding problems" - problems that are a direct result of the Bush tax cuts. Just when it felt like Ashland might continue to make some REAL progress with the thinning of wildfire-prone forests and our own watershed, this funding cut has landed right at our doorstep. Actually, right in our interface. How can anyone be "for" this kind of destructive decision-making? If you're against it, speak up now and speak out loudly! Julia Tucker Ashland *** LINKS: DAILY TIDINGS: Main | News | Sports | Obituaries | Opinion | Columnists | AP News | Subscribe | Archives | Weather | Classifieds | Contact Us | Privacy REVELS: Main | Calendar | Dining | Movies | T.V. OTHER: Road Cams Copyright 2003 Ashland Daily Tidings 541.482.3456. 1661 Siskiyou Blvd., Ashland, OR 97520. Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. - Advertisers -