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Briscoe: The big good-bye By Amber Fossen Ashland Daily Tidings Past and present memories mixed as the Briscoe Elementary community celebrated the school's final year. Walking through the halls of Briscoe Elementary on Saturday, decades of present and former students, parents, teachers, and staff members reflected on their times at Briscoe in the "Roots to the Past" celebration. Brian Bolstad, an Ashland High School teacher and former Briscoe Elementary student, looks through a memory book with wife Kendra Bolstad on Saturday. Ashland Daily Tidings/AMBER FOSSEN Throughout the school, memories seeped from every corner. In the library, a constant stream of people sifted through old school albums while a historical documentary on Briscoe played on a small television. In the gym, a photo slide presentation highlighted some of the students and staff who have come together to learn over the years. Many in attendance, such as former student Dava Cook, returned one last time to visit the school where their roots first began to take hold. "I went here 20 years ago," she said. "I only went for four years but it was the best four years of my life." Cook said the school offered her more than just a learning environment - it established a sense of community, something she wishes her children could have. "I wanted my kids to go here because I wanted them to have the sense of community I had here," Cook said, adding, "I can't remember a bad day I've had at this school until today, although it's not bad. It's just sad to see it go." Throughout the four-hour celebration, questions like "When did you go here?" or "What did you teach?" filtered through the air. As the past and present mixed, and memories poured, the school's halls - which will soon stand vacant - were filled with the artwork of current students and the photos of days gone by. Ashland Middle School student Molly Hamilton, who spent time looking at old photos with friend Allison Buhl, said she couldn't imagine having any other school as her starting point. "Briscoe was such a good childhood experience for me," Hamilton said. "The friends I made here are still some of my best." Despite the music, the laughter of children and the smiling faces - the reason for the celebration was always present - Briscoe is closing. "It comes in waves," said teacher Debi Blair. Blair, a Briscoe teacher for 21 years, said she was taken aback one afternoon when she opened her class door into the hallway. The realization that the familiar draft from Briscoe's halls would no longer be pouring into her classroom made her pause with the reality of what's to come. "There's been a lot of denial because that's how you survive," she said, knowing the end is near. Briscoe's closure at the beginning of June has many, like Ashland High School freshman Hugh Bitzer, asking "What next?" "It's weird because the closure will change the neighborhood," he said. "It will be interesting to see what they do with the school." A petition letter from the Briscoe Site Council to the Ashland School Board and Superintendent Juli Di Chiro was made available for interested parties to sign. The letter asks that Briscoe be leased, not sold, and that the playground be kept intact as a neighborhood park. The letter also requests to keep the process collaborative, allowing interested parties to attend meetings and give input. 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 -