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Growers are running out of time to find a market By Sean Wolfe Ashland Daily Tidings Time and options are running out. In its pursuit of finding a new location to host its Ashland market, the Rogue Valley Growers and Crafters Market Association is making a last stab at finding a new home somewhere in the downtown area. Otherwise, according to manager Janet Bierbower, it will have to try out the National Guard Armory - thus far, the market's only viable alternative. The issue with the armory is that it's so far out of the downtown orbit, which Bierbower said she believes would get far less tourist and foot traffic. That's led Bierbower to work with city planners to get a location approved near the Darex Ice Rink in Lithia Park. "We're in a time crunch. If our final application (for the Darex space) isn't in by March 7, then there's no way we can open until mid-May. As it is, we're going to be delayed two weeks and open in mid-April, if we're successful," Bierbower said. "Before we pay the $750 to go the armory, we're gong to make another stab at finding something near downtown." Traditionally the Rogue Valley Growers and Crafters Market runs from March through October, and has four locations throughout the valley - two in Medford, one in Ashland and one in Jacksonville. In Ashland, the market opens on Tuesdays. Following a parting of ways with its site of the last two years - on the grounds owned by the Ashland Christian Fellowship - the market looked variously at a parking lot owned by the Elk's Club, the Darex location, as well as following a suggestion from former city administrator Brian Almquist that the market consider a Lithia Park location. According to Bierbower, telephone conversations with Parks Director Ken Mickelsen indicated that moving the market to Lithia Park would be fine with him, so Bierbower pursued the matter. But a later memo to Bierbower from Mickelsen indicated that such a move would, in fact, not be approved because of a city rule restricting selling activities in the park, pending approval from the Parks Commission. "Since I've been here historically, the Parks Commission has never waived that (rule), because it opens up a precedent for other groups to come in. So they've decided it's not in their best interest, because they'd be inundated with groups that wanted to use the bandshell and other areas in the park," Mickelsen said. The Parks Commission has permitted commercial activities within Lithia Park in the past, making one exception per year on July 4. For her part, Bierbower takes exception to the commercial label being applied to a farmer's market. "It's farmers, growers, local craftspeople. It fits in very well with the park atmosphere, and it's a long-standing Ashland tradition. Parks all over the state have farmers markets in their parks. You'd think Ashland would be friendlier to that kind of activity," Bierbower said. 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 -