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2 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW The Ashland Climate Challenge ... Ashland Climate Challenge Kickoff Sunday at Armory ... Talent asphalt plant continues operating while appeal moves forward ... The Ashland Climate Challenge ... Ashland Climate Challenge Kickoff Sunday at Armory ... Talent asphalt plant continues operating while appeal moves forward ... LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters to the Editor, Nov. 11 Comment DailyTidings.com Writer Posted Nov. 11, 2015 at 12:01 AM Posted Nov. 11, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News For love of the wild I feel compelled to respond to Brent Thompson's opinion concerning deer. I know Mr. Thompson has been an advocate of curbing human population, although he has been mute on the subject lately. Now he has turned his ire on deer. If hunting were to be banned, the balance of nature would be restored with time, and deer would not be such a problem for fearful, self-centered human beings. Unfortunately, there soon will be no room for any wildlife on the planet at the rapid rate it is being destroyed by humans. I, for one, would not like to live on an Earth devoid of wild beings. People have a compulsion to control not only one another but all other life forms as well, and that is the root of the problem. It is true that Native Americans did hunt before Europeans arrived, but in a very different manner. They hunted from necessity and did so with respect and regret and prayed for the soul of their prey. They hunted for survival and used every part of the animal sacrificed — not merely for sport or blood lust as is done now. What pleasure could possibly be derived from destroying life I cannot imagine. Such an act shows a complete lack of respect for life itself. Nicole Twining Ashland Commission vote flawed The Ashland Historic Commission's narrow 4-to-3 vote to affirm the "Gather" sculpture on Nov. 4 is invalid on so many levels, it would be unfortunate if anyone associated with the city chooses to use the AHC's decision as a reason to select this controversial sculpture. The Fairfax Free Dictionary defines "conflict of interest" as follows: "n. a situation in which a person has a duty to more than one person or organization, but cannot do justice to the actual or potentially adverse interests of both parties." Clearly there is such an appearance of a conflict of interest in the vote of certain members of the AHC concerning the "Gather" sculpture: Knowing Allison Renwick was both a member of the selection committee that chose the "Gather" sculpture and a member of the AHC, The AHC clearly had a duty to poll commission members on whether Renwick should recuse herself from the vote if she did not do so voluntarily, yet it did not do so. Kerry KenCairn, an AHC member, is also a contractor, previously hired by the city, who may have future vested interests in affirming the sculpture project, in the form of contracts concerning the landscaping of the "Gather" sculpture. This possibility compromises the objectivity of her "yes" vote. Renwick's and KenCairn's yes votes for the "Gather" sculpture should therefore have not been allowed by the commission, and they should have been asked to recuse themselves from the vote. These circumstances recall the saying: "A person cannot serve two masters." It's the integrity of the process, not the integrity of the people involved, that is in question. The city administrator asserts that the recommendations of commissions are not binding upon the council, but surely the council is influenced to some extent by the recommendations and opinions delivered to it by a commission. When such a recommendation is called into question, whether it be due to procedural misconduct or apparent conflicts of interest, as are both the case here, it casts doubt upon the validity of the commission's recommendation, and its usefulness as an opinion the council should consider. Perhaps the best solution is for the commission to rescind its vote and hold another session on the "Gather" sculpture, this time with only the non-compromised commission members voting. David Sherr Ashland Enforce loitering law My wife and I would like to offer the city a simple suggestion that would make a big improvement in the enjoyment experienced by citizens and visitors to your vibrant downtown. If you have a loitering law, enforce it! On a recent three day visit, there were numerous groups who camped out for most of the day on the sidewalks. Men, women, pets and packs were clustered at corners and in front of stores for hours. Every day we had to deal with the bottlenecks they created near crosswalks and at entryways. We have visited many cities, large and small, and have never seen anything quite like what we saw in Ashland. It was a distraction to see so many people disrespect the common courtesy appropriate to public places. We hope you care enough to do something about it, for everyone’s sake. Paul Poresky Myrtle Point DailyTidings.com Writer Posted Nov. 11, 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. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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