Document text
- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Valley&State Backpage O&E Sports Archives Classifieds Faith&Beliefs Obituaries Revels September 11, 2004 Coming changes require creative input I don't want to complain about change, as it is the most inevitable fact of life. Instead, I encourage all of us, and especially those in "power" to step into the process of change with full-on creativity. Ashland will and must change, as more and more people want to be here, and as money does the talking it always does. But we have choices, and our public servants (remember that phrase?) are here to implement our choices. I think the mixed-use downtown can be really wonderful, but we must hold fast to making it express diversity in terms of including lower cost housing and rentals. If we want this to be a creative town, we must allow creative people to live here, and artists and artisans are not usually the wealthy folks wanting more golf courses and mini-mansions. Also, we need to balance the density and upward growth with more inviting green spaces in the downtown area (like the wonderful labyrinth, thank you!) which also welcome children. Intelligent landscape architecture is as important, and often more nurturing of community, than buildings and parking lots. Last, but not least, traffic. It is time to consider making some areas pedestrian only, as blasphemous as that sounds in our car culture. It works in European towns full of tourists, why not here? Long term planning should include pedestrian only use around the plaza, for instance, and moving parking lots to the outskirts of the city with shuttles and effective public transportation to support our quality of life and air. Let's be fearless and step into innovation; this place is worth it! Vanessa Scott Ashland Give support to ScienceWorks We want to join the many local and visiting families and sing the praises of ScienceWorks museum. Not only are the exhibits clever, intellectually challenging and exciting to children and adults, but the summer camp program is outstanding. Our grandson Sam attended "Circus" camp. Besides juggling, balancing and other familiar circus tricks, the children learned the science of circus. Because of the excellence of the staff (Jill and Craig, her teen assistant), there was order and there was joy. We were treated to a concluding performance, which is part of all camp programs. Keep up the great work Scienceworks. And as a community, let's support this museum financially and by volunteering. Barbara and Carl Hopfinger Ashland Business tactics don't work Sid DeBoer has apparently confused his neighbors with corporate CEOs. Is his comment that he will be a good neighbor and build a smaller house, as long as his neighbors behave themselves and don't object, some sort of corporate-like blackmail? Hey Sid, what might work in the corporate boardroom isn't really considered ethical or appropriate in the neighborhood. Tom Dimitre Ashland DailyTidings.com Home Page Valley&State | Backpage | O&E | Sports | Archives | Weather | Classifieds Columnists | Faith&Beliefs | Obituaries | Revels | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2004 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Click Here Site Search: .:Advertisements:. RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams