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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 Home News Latest Stories New Southern Oregon University board votes to bump tuition nearly 5 percent in the fall Police Reports Schneider Art Museum installation re-imagines Rivera UPDATED: Two lanes open after I-5 truck crash near Siskiyou Summit 10 things to know for Friday Education New Southern Oregon University board votes to bump tuition nearly 5 percent in the fall Why OLLI matters: A personal perspective Southern Oregon University names director of marketing Dianne Williamson: College admissions mania ill-advised Rotary Club of Ashland names Riley O'Sullivan as Student of the Month Environment Mt. Ashland Ski Area to host party March 28 Mt. Ashland hopes coming storm will reopen ski area Wild Side: Selfish and other reasons for saving endangered species Mt. Ashland Ski Area: Low snow closes 'bunny hill' chairlift for beginning skiers With pre-season conditions worst in 25 years, catastrophic wildfires expected in region this summer Business Ride & Drive: 2015 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque Snow hopes dashed, Mt. Ashland Ski Area hosts season-ending party Saturday Iconic Ashland bookstore to celebrate 35th anniversary on April 19 Test Drive: 2015 Honda Accord Cars We Remember: The original Candymatic Ramchargers Politics and elections Jackson County Commissioners plan no tax on marijuana for first year Grassroots group campaigns for Plaza paver do-over Arthur I. Cyr: Iran – a crisis without end Short-term rental restrictions kept in some areas, loosened in others Arthur I. Cyr: South Korea represents long-term triumph – for them and for US State News Oregon's governor appoints new secretary of state Nation - World Leonard Nimoy, famous as Mr. Spock on 'Star Trek,' dies Obituaries Death Notices Alicia Applegate Hardy Death Notices Rosalind Dee Death Notices Shareable Sports Latest Stories Grizz baseball team caps Arizona trip with another win Ashland Rowing Club hires highly touted coach and national-award winning team director to lead expansion Antionette Kerr: Tourney fever gets superstitious Blazers fight back, edge Jazz Grizzlies rally past Colorado school for Greenway Festival victory High school Grizz baseball team caps Arizona trip with another win Grizzlies rally past Colorado school for Greenway Festival victory Ashland softball team splits pair in second day of Bend tournament Grizzlies rally past GP, to 2-0 start Ashland boys capture another Sato Cup snowboard title at Mt. Bachelor Southern Oregon University Grizz baseball team caps Arizona trip with another win Grizzlies rally past Colorado school for Greenway Festival victory Ashland softball team splits pair in second day of Bend tournament Ducks enjoy the challenge Oregon bows out Voices Latest Stories Guest Opinion: Ashland council vote on travelers accommodations was less than transparent Herb Rothschild Jr: Failing at charity Philip Maddocks: GOP plan offers hope for poor once they become rich Matthew T. Mangino: A clearer picture of police shootings begins to emerge Letters to the Editor, March 27 Editorial Our View: Build it; they will play Our View: How it should work Our View: Ashland High principal is the head of her class Our View: Tuition trauma Our View: SOU's economic clout Letters Letters to the Editor, March 27 Letters to the Editor, March 25 Letters to the Editor, March 23 Letters to the Editor, March 20 Letters to the Editor, March 19 Guest opinions Guest Opinion: Ashland council vote on travelers accommodations was less than transparent Guest Opinion: Hannah Thomas-Garner's father thanks the Ashland community Guest Opinion: Ashland is asking for trouble with new room rental rules Guest Opinion: More reasons to oppose Jordan Cove Guest Opinion: It's Groundwater Awareness Week; test your well Columns Guest Opinion: Ashland council vote on travelers accommodations was less than transparent Herb Rothschild Jr: Failing at charity Philip Maddocks: GOP plan offers hope for poor once they become rich Matthew T. Mangino: A clearer picture of police shootings begins to emerge Jeffrey Gillespie: Pax Americana? At what price? Chris Honore Council Corner Editor's Notes Jeffrey Gillespie Herb Rothschild Revels Latest Stories Top 5 things to do this week Laurie Lewis and Kathy Kallick pay tribute to Arkansas bluegrass duo Vern Williams and Ray Park The Oregon Shakespeare Festival presents Eugene O'Neill's autobiographical 'Long Day's Journey into Night' Community blog: Words, wine and Craig Wright 4 Things To Do This Week Theater Ticket availability Ticket Availability Ashland Contemporary Theatre seeks new artistic director Ticket Availability The Oregon Shakespeare Festival presents Eugene O'Neill's autobiographical 'Long Day's Journey into Night' Music Futureshock: Kendrick Lamar release points to road ahead Laurie Lewis and Kathy Kallick pay tribute to Arkansas bluegrass duo Vern Williams and Ray Park Album reviews: Recent and recommended for March The Farr Side: New format for ‘American Idol’ as show continues a strong run Improv rock and folk band hosts a dance party at the Ashland Community Center Visual Art Ashland's First Friday Art Walk showcases new exhiits by regional artists Movies Movie review: In ‘Danny Collins,’ Pacino helps us imagine a Lennon story Noah Baumbach talks Ben Stiller, adult comedies and more In 'Timbuktu,' lust for power disturbs peace Movie review: ‘The Gunman’ misses the target Movie listings: March 20-26 Food and Drink Cruelest Month: Poetry Blog Lifestyle Latest Stories Ride & Drive: 2015 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque App Finder: Best barbecue apps Health Watch: It’s OK to have a cheat day Inner Peace: The good, the bad and the spiritual Antionette Kerr: Tourney fever gets superstitious Aging Happens Inner Peace Column Inner Peace Blog Rogues: Tales from the Valley Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries Photos Videos Blogs Business Business Services NEWS NOW Ashland Calendar: Saturday, March 28 ... Guest Opinion: Ashland council vote on travelers accommodations was less than transparent ... Herb Rothschild Jr: Failing at charity ... Ashland Calendar: Saturday, March 28 ... Guest Opinion: Ashland council vote on travelers accommodations was less than transparent ... Herb Rothschild Jr: Failing at charity ... 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. 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