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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters to the Editor, Dec. 15 Comment DailyTidings.com Writer Posted Dec. 15, 2015 at 12:01 AM Posted Dec. 15, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News A Gather-ing debacle The City of Ashland has, quite simply, muffed this entire process, from the time the Public Art Commission decided to build a "monumental icon" at a location in our historic district that doesn't need their "improvement," to the scope that they asked artists to respond, to the way they internally eliminated 50-plus options that didn't meet their self-designed criteria, to the 8:30 Friday morning "public" meeting where they made their decision to select "Gather" from their three finalists, to manipulating/delaying the public hearing before the council for two months in an effort to dissipate public concern, to the 1.5-hour uninterrupted infomercial from PAC on why their process was right and all of their errors weren't, to this most recent cancellation of a final vote that was not announced until a Saturday morning 72 hours before the hearing, to what is now an awkward divided series of testimony that by definition splits the focus of the community and allows staff to continue to portray concerns citizens with issues about "Gather" as fringe elements. Public art has the potential (and the goal) of improving community, creating local pride and becoming beloved aspects of town. Gather will never be anything more than an icon to a failed process, if it can even overcome its known structural failures. It's a giant, over-priced, steel scrunchie they propose to install where everyone will see it for years, where it will at best represent how Ashland took what should have been a positive community effort and has allowed it to devolve into a shameful lecture. I will have more to say tonight, but that the council has allowed this to get to this point is not a sign of leadership. This is a potential disaster for Ashland. Staff and the city need to admit their mistakes, kill this process and start over. Please tell them so. Maybe they will listen. George Kramer Ashland Looking for a new way Jeffrey Gillespie has offered a powerful article, cleverly written and alive in content (”Embrace the brave new Ashland,” Dec. 11.) Since September, the Ashland Culture of Peace Commission has discussed Ashland's current concerns/opportunities as being the microcosm of the macro. High polarization is showing up globally and we are no exception. Awakening to the polarities — affluent/homeless, Ashland/Medford, et al., is essential to the formula of collapsing our current failing systems. The in-our-face matters can be humbly celebrated, for they are the purposeful thorns to break the surface of callused consciousness. Yes, a new Ashland is being created with our very breath, words and actions. I applaud Mr. Gillespie for being clear and to the point, though slanted, in my observation and experience. "Nobody is looking at the roots" is simply and strongly inaccurate. Please, let us no longer only point a finger without pointing the new way by including references of people/groups/organizations engaged in root excavation. In this way, inspired readers of the article can join with others to create the unknown magnificent potential, or, at least, begin to think beyond what is to what is coming. May we, as individuals and community, continue to edge forward into our evolved selves and modeled village of peace with considerable care and soulful resolutions. The Ashland Culture of Peace Commission, for one example, is stepping up, invested in effectively unraveling what is, while illuminating golden facets of rich, fertile, practical, supportive actions. Mr. Gillespie's article serves well to fire people up. I hope it will fire them toward unity and not rile them toward continued separation. Susan Grace Ashland DailyTidings.com Writer Posted Dec. 15, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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