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- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Archives Revels Classifieds Real Estate Menu Guide Wedding Weather Subscribe Contact Us June 28, 2005 Intergovernmental meeting revolves around tree health School board, parks panel, councilors talk about common goals for city in the near term By Jennifer Squires Ashland Daily Tidings The school board, parks and recreation commission and city council went around and around and around brainstorming the shared issues of the three policy-making bodies in the city during their joint meeting Monday evening. “There are a number of issues that are of great interest to each of our jurisdictions,” said Ashland Mayor John Morrison. “Even more so, many of those issues interface.” Although 15 elected officials at the meeting brought up more than 60 topics that affect at least two of the groups involved, the unirrigated fields at Briscoe and Lincoln schools attracted the most public interest during the two-hour discussion. The school district turned off the water to the playing fields at both school facilities earlier this month and, while the spring and early summer has been very wet, residents are concerned about the state of the lawns and trees on the properties. “Both large fields are already drying out pretty rapidly,” said Bryan Holley, a member of the Ashland Tree Commission, explaining the change in moisture patterns can have a severe effect on tree health. “Trees get accustomed to a certain water regime.” There are at least 110 trees and numerous other bushes at the two schools, both of which have been closed by the school district, including a former Ashland Tree of the Year at Briscoe School, the Monterey cypress at the corner of Laurel and North Main streets. “The trees in the park-like landscapes on our school grounds ... which have had consistent watering since their planting, will no doubt do best if the watering cycle that they have adapted to is maintained,” according to a statement from the tree commission distributed by Holley. Melissa Mitchell-Hooge, the coordinator of Save Our Schools and Playgrounds, added that the trees may die within a year and other residents added their voice to the conversation. “It’s just unbelievable if we’re going to look at dead lawns there in August or September,” said Paul Copeland, who lives 1/2 mile from Lincoln School. “It’s a beautiful place. It’s green and it better be green in September.” Ashland School Board chair Amy Amrhein said the watering of Briscoe and Lincoln fields would be on the school board agenda for its July 11 meeting and members of the other elected bodies agreed the dry lawns demanded quick attention. “I think the top priority in my book is some sort of resolution on the Briscoe and Lincoln issue,” Parks Commissioner Rich Rosenthal said. The elected officials also discussed on holistic planning, using school properties as parks facilities, services for youth and seniors, affordable housing, transportation, attracting young families to the area and communication — both internally and with the public — during the meeting. “We all have separate issues and we all have issues we share,” said Parks Commissioner Joanne Eggers. “I’m less interested in information. ... I’m more interested in policy discussion.” Members of all three bodies will prioritize the topics brought forth at the meeting through e-mail communication with city staff before officials reconvene on July 28 to talk over action steps. Staff writer Jennifer Squires can be reached at 482-3456 x 3019 or [email protected]. DailyTidings.com Home Page Archives | Revels | Classifieds | Real Estate Guide | Weather | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2005 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Deep Muscle Stimulator Ceramic Piggy Banks FREE Entertainment Guide Women's & Men's Slippers Accelerate Weightloss Products Backpacks Online Pharmacy Vegas Travel Guide Search Engine Optimization Student Loans Hotel & Airline Reservations Hammocks Water Filter Helzberg Diamonds Online Casinos Community Bonus Casino Mortgage Calculator Security Systems Mailing Lists Click Here Advertisement .:Advertisements:. Site Search: RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams