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Letters: Talk to your brother, mayor One of your duties as mayor is to support what is in the best interest of the City of Ashland. Mr. Mayor, please convince your brother that building a gigantic house in Ashland is not in the community's best interest. Ask him to use his millions to purchase/build his magnificent tribute to himself in a more appropriate location outside of town. Thank you very much. Tom Dimitre Ashland *** Flood the medians How to solve the problem of pre-Fourth of July blankets and tarps laid out on the newly sodded median strip: turn on the sprinklers, leave them on all night (the cost of the extra water would be less than having to re-sod), turn them off in time for the grass to dry. Christine Amorelli Ashland *** Guest forum: Bring your own bat, ball to the political ballgame Jill A. Iles Talent I went to the monthly Democrats Meeting. It depressed me. I was there for 30 minutes and got to wave at friends and acquaintances that I care for, respect, and admire. After the introductions, we were treated to an "inspirational" speech rehashing all the negative posturing of this current administration (if it can be called an administration). Intelligent people were sitting in a stuffy room listening to and lamenting depressing reruns. We must stop this ineffective pattern of preaching to the choir. I suggest we pull up our britches, tie our shoelaces and stand up with and for the man running for president on the Democratic ticket who is verbalizing and introducing into the political process all that we, in the peace and environmental movements, have been working and yearning for. Dennis Kucinich, the man who walks his talk represents the fury and passion of the people and is not afraid to be antiwar and anticorporate. The failure of Democratic leaders in Congress to challenge the policies of Bush and his minions is a wakeup call � a loud one. Kucinich got nine standing ovations at the Take Back America conference in Washington last week. He is demanding answers and the walls of Wolfowitz, Rove, Kristol, Cheney, etc., are beginning to crack as the lies to Congress and the American people become more and more obvious. He deserves our support. Let us not waffle in this political ballgame because the bat and the ball belong to the rich kid on the other side of the tracks. Let's bring our own bat and ball. To quote Bill Moyers (so many people's hero), "Do not be afraid to be a warrior in the war the other side started and is determined to win". We must not concede to the opponent's value system, nor fight on his turf. If we do, we will be irrelevant and obsolete. The media is controlled by the King Midas Court so we must find other ways to renew democracy - to renew a vision of justice, fairness, and equality. To again quote Moyers "allow yourself that conceit - to believe that the flame of democracy will never go out as long as there is one candle in your hand". We must organize now in defense of social and economic justice and to preserve democracy. 'Moveon.org' is helping this organizing. Let's strive to get on the same page and all read the human story together. *** Find another place for a 'mega-house' By Kay Atwood Ashland We recently received a letter from Sid and Karen DeBoer, one of 1,500 issued by them to homeowners within the Historic District. Introducing themselves as supporters of historic preservation, proud of their "wonderful Frank Clark historic home in Ashland," who "have a strong desire to maintain and enhance the character of our historic district," the DeBoers requested that recipients support their stand against the proposed ordinance to limit house sizes within Ashland's National Register Historic District. I must take issue with both the DeBoer's description of themselves as "preservationists" and their stance on the proposed ordinance. I prepared the National Register nomination for the former owners of the Pracht House at 234 Vista, now the DeBoer's residence. At that time it was a fine, intact representative of both Clark's work and the Craftsman Bungalow style. As the preparer of over 90 nominations, I do not believe that the house as it has fared under the DeBoer's ownership, would qualify for Register listing today. Faced with disapproval for his plan to further dramatically alter the Pracht House, public record indicates that Mr. DeBoer announced his intention to demolish the residence if approval were not forthcoming. The DeBoer's have received approval for their new large home on Glenview Drive above the house at 234 Vista, but still adamantly oppose the proposed ordinance. The action that prompted study of an ordinance limiting house size was the threatened demolition of a c. 1880 home on Granite Street. Not only was the removal of that historic home a loss, but the intended construction of an outsized dwelling on the site - one far out of scale with the many historic properties on Granite Street - threatened the character and quality of that neighborhood. Not ideally, but fortunately, the historic house was purchased, moved and relocated a short distance away. Supporters proposed the size-limiting ordinance to encourage construction of two houses of more modest scale that would fit in and complement the existing homes on Granite Street. Now that the Granite Street property is for sale, it remains critical that it, as well as other lots in Ashland's National Register District are developed with residences appropriate in scale and mass to their historic neighborhoods. I urge the Planning Commission to approve this ordinance that will not limit but improve the quality of development with the District and to move forward in a timely fashion. People who wish to build mega-houses can still find places to do it in Ashland - but hopefully not in the National Register District. LINKS: DAILY TIDINGS: Main | News | Sports | Business | 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 -