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- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Archives Revels Classifieds Real Estate Menu Guide Wedding Weather Subscribe Contact Us May 10, 2005 Helpful, sure. But can it go elsewhere? Neighbors complain that CERT emergency base is an eyesore By Robert Plain Ashland Daily Tidings CERT bases are supposed to be a boon to the community. The metal storage containers utilized by the Community Emergency Response Teams around Ashland and elsewhere are a place to meet and store medical and emergency supplies in the event of an catastrophe or a natural disaster. Neighbors contend that this CERT base on Scenic Drive , one of five throughout Ashland, should find a new home. Orville Hector | Ashland Daily Tidings However, residents of the northerly section of Scenic Drive feel the CERT storage container in their neighborhood is also a blight because the beige-colored square box also blocks their view and, according to some, also hinders their ability to enjoy the park. “We absolutely want it out,” said Mary Douglas, president of the Scenic Condo Homeowners Association. “To me, this was a quick solution but not a very thoughtful one. It’s an eyesore. A park is supposed to be a relaxing place to enjoy nature. To have a big metal box there doesn’t quite fit that concept to me.” Douglas said she is glad to help find an alternative location for the CERT box, and that the city parks department has been a terrific help throughout this process, but that she and many of her neighbors feel the boxes must go. “We all have common goals in this,” she said. “We all want these available in a time of emergency but we also want attractive open spaces.” Kirah Solomon, the program coordinator for Ashland’s CERT program, said this location was chosen because in the event of an emergency, such as a flood, this area of town, known as the Briscoe neighborhood, could become entirely cut off from the rest of Ashland. “If a flood occurred and cut off this area, the CERT base could be used as a shelter or a meeting place,” she said. The CERT bases also hold emergency supplies — such as fire extinguishers, medical equipment, backboards and bolt cutters — that could prove invaluable in an emergency situation. Solomon said the CERT base would likely remain at the park but that the city was open to suggestions as to where at the park it would be best placed. “We’re open to public input if residents think there may be a better location at the park,” she said, adding that if the local residents would like to suggest a particular color for the emergency base the city would be amenable to that, as well. She said the container was not designed to remain where it has been placed and would soon be obscured by plantings, as well. Douglas, who thought this park was the only public space north of Lithia Park, said there may be other locations in the area that would work as well and wouldn’t crowd the neighborhood park. “We have a hospital with vast amounts of land in this neighborhood,” she said. “Maybe that could be a solution.” Solomon said there are four other CERT bases in Ashland, the one on Scenic being the most recent addition to the city. The program has been in Ashland since 1999. She described it as “a volunteer program of people who are trained to help themselves and their neighbors in an emergency situation.” Solomon said there are 238 trained CERT volunteers in town, 46 of which would respond the Briscoe base in the event of an emergency. On May 26, there will be a public meeting to further determine the master planning for this new park, at which residents are encouraged to offer suggestions for a permanent location for the CERT base, said Solomon. Staff writer Robert Plain can be reached at 482-3456 x 3040 or [email protected]. DailyTidings.com Home Page Archives | Revels | Classifieds | Real Estate Guide | Weather | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2005 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Free Musick Downloads Slippers Ceramic Piggy Banks Heloc Calenders 2005 Women's & Men's Slippers Accelerate Weightloss Products Memory Foam Mattress tcg student loan consolidation Home Equity Loans teleconferencing W2 Forms cortisol weight loss Diamonds Paris Hilton Mesothelioma Free Home-Loan Referrals Tatoos Website Design & Marketing Student Loans African Safari Conference Calls - $50/Month Security Systems Helzberg Diamonds Currancy Exchange Online Casinos Community Student Loans Tatoo Poker Games Homeschooling Auto Insurance Mortgage Calculator Mailing Lists Payday Loans Click Here .:Advertisements:. Site Search: RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams