Document text
3 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Gov. Kitzhaber steps down, federal investigation begins Successor Kate Brown must run for election in 2016 Mt. Ashland offers shuttle service Sadness, relief greet Kitzhaber resignation locally Fountain, planter to be removed from downtown Education Levy supporters kick off campaign Bowling for knowledge Sharing black culture It's alive! SOU students create thought-provoking art Environment Mt. Ashland Ski Area celebrates snow GMO opponents can join Jackson County in defending ban Grant will help restore 'legacy' oak habitat in Southern Oregon and Northern California Mt. Ashland Ski Area crew dips to five Mt. Ashland Ski Area announces layoffs Business Ride & Drive: 2015 Dodge Challenger R/T Scat Pack Silvio Calabi: Range Rover Sport, the off-road GT Where do Ashland’s top chefs go to dine? Ride & Drive: The 2015 BMW M4 Silvio Calabi: Jeep’s Patriot earns respect Politics and elections Gov. Kitzhaber steps down, federal investigation begins Successor Kate Brown must run for election in 2016 Sadness, relief greet Kitzhaber resignation locally Gov. Kitzhaber announces resignation Read Gov. John Kitzhaber's statement on his resignation State News Gov. Kitzhaber announces resignation Read Gov. John Kitzhaber's statement on his resignation Legislative leaders join in call for Kitzhaber resignation (updated) Oregon secretary of state: Meeting with governor 'strange' Oregon's second in command abruptly returns from capital Nation - World Obituaries Arlene M. (Ryan) Mills Michael Wayne South Claire G. Craft Theodore F. "Ted" Carter James Fredrick Shareable This $1 million Mercedes is like an armored private jet for the road Sports Latest Stories Raiders perfect on senior day Millers smother Grizz on senior night Three questions facing the 2015 Oregon State baseball team Under SOU spotlight one last time Just following the rules High school Millers smother Grizz on senior night Crater girls, boys cruise to victory in Midwestern League blowouts Grizz boys' upset bid falls just short in loss to Churchill Layton picks Western Oregon Ashland girls go 6-1 in multi-team dual meet Southern Oregon University Raiders perfect on senior day Three questions facing the 2015 Oregon State baseball team Under SOU spotlight one last time Just following the rules Raiders sweep Hope Int., stay perfect Voices Latest Stories Letters to the Editor, Feb. 14 Workers need more power Landgren cartoon: Disneyland measles outbreak Matthew T. Mangino: The government has access to your emails Our View: Support schools — again Editorial Our View: Support schools — again Our View: Kitzhaber's Delilah? Our View: GMO ruling was correct Our View: The benefits are mutual Wolves in our woods Letters Letters to the Editor, Feb. 14 Letters to the Editor, Feb. 11 Letters to the Editor, Feb. 10 Letters to the Editor, Feb. 6 Letters to the Editor, Feb. 4 Guest opinions Guest Opinion: Legal poisons in our waters Chris Honoré: Public schools: separate, still unequal Guest Opinion: Why so anxious to tax marijuana? Herb Rothschild Jr.: A good day for peace Guest Opinion: A message to my health care colleagues Columns Workers need more power Guest Opinion: Legal poisons in our waters Jeffrey Gillespie: Mr. Netanyahu goes to Washington Editor's Notes: More local content in the Tidings Council Corner: Transforming Ashland for the future Revels Latest Stories 'Dames at Sea' opens at Oregon Cabaret Theatre Listings for Varsity Theatre and Ashland Street Cinemas Brett Dennen plays the old Ashland Armory Cotillard embarks on a journey of hope in 'Two Days, One Night' Best Bets: Feb. 12-19 Theater 'Dames at Sea' opens at Oregon Cabaret Theatre Looking inside yourself and finding a character is magic Classics, premiers highlight 2015 season for OSF Roy Orbison tribute hits high note Music Victor D. Infante: Just in time for Valentine’s Day, some favorite breakup songs The Farr Side: Smith dominates, Beck surprises at Grammys Frisell brings fine-tuned act to Armory The Farr Side: Trainor building a music niche A laid-back chat with Marilyn Manson Visual Art Ashland's First Friday Art Walk showcases new exhibits by regional artists Movies Movie review: ‘Fifty Shades’ of boring Movie review: ‘Kingsman’ transcends spy-movie tribute status Listings for Varsity Theatre and Ashland Street Cinemas Cotillard embarks on a journey of hope in 'Two Days, One Night' Movie review: ‘Leviathan’ tells a whale of a human tale Food and Drink Cruelest Month: Poetry Blog Lifestyle Latest Stories David Murdock: Take a nice little walk Looking Up: The sky on Valentine's night Health Watch: The rise of wearable fitness tech Jimmy Smothers: Car trouble turns into a pleasant experience Marketta Gregory: We are loved Aging Happens Inner Peace Column Inner Peace Blog Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries Photos Videos Blogs Business NEWS NOW Ashland Calendar: Feb. 14 ... Workers need more power ... Gov. Kitzhaber steps down, federal investigation begins ... Ashland Calendar: Feb. 14 ... Workers need more power ... Gov. Kitzhaber steps down, federal investigation begins ... LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters to the Editor, Feb. 11 Comment DailyTidings.com Writer Posted Feb. 11, 2015 @ 12:01 am Posted Feb. 11, 2015 @ 12:01 am » Social News Throwing RVTD under the bus I find it ironic that while the Oregon Department of Transportation is sponsoring a campaign at Southern Oregon University to drive less, options for these same SOU students to use public transportation will be severely limited due to the Rogue Valley Transportation District’s eliminating bus service on Saturdays, as well as eliminating transportation after 7 p.m. Let's not throw RVTD under the bus! We already have due to the voters turning down the request for tax increases last November. While we do need to find other sources of funding, through no fault of their own, the staff at RVTD is government paid and couldn’t campaign for this increase. I propose a blue-ribbon advisory committee. Presidents of the university and college, hospital directors and all the mayors in the Rogue Valley should come on board, and I guarantee a host of volunteers could restore and improve service. After all, look what all the volunteers accomplished establishing our library district. We do get help from the Legislature and government sources for funding this service; however, I believe that transportation in this valley of 250,000 is fundamental. The ridership is manifold and includes students, those who wish to reduce harming the atmosphere, as well as employees of all our institutions, hospitals and libraries. And anyone who voted against the RVTD tax last year had better think twice. There will come a time when all of us won’t be driving, and who knows — the property owner who voted against this increase may be going to the doctor in Medford and sitting next to me! We need to get this bus service restored, and to think outside of the box to make it happen. Wendy Eppinger, Ashland A vaccine overview Because Ashland has a higher than average percentage of unvaccinated children, and because there is general concern about the related increase in the number of measles cases in America, I think the following accurate information from The Economist of Jan. 31 should be shared: “The measles vaccine, now combined with those for mumps and rubella, is safe and effective. Yet some parents believe the opposite and refuse to vaccinate their kids …They reflect a rise in anti-vaccine sentiment funneled by misinformation and pseudoscience. "…it is not just the anti-vaccine crowd who have suffered: …infants … too young to be vaccinated have caught the disease, along with a handful of vaccinated people (in some the vaccine does not produce a strong immune response). "Like those infants, thousands of frail and sick Americans cannot be vaccinated. They are generally protected from measles and other preventable diseases by what scientists call ‘herd immunity,' whereby a large vaccinated population forms a fence around those who are susceptible, keeping diseases away. People who choose not to get vaccinated also benefit. But in communities where anti-vaccine sentiment is strongest, the fence is falling down. "… skeptics tend to cluster in certain parts of the state where vaccination is far from the norm. These include wealthy and well-educated areas. "Parents who skip vaccines are often portrayed as pampered fools swayed by conspiracy theorists. Some swear by debunked studies — like one linking the measles vaccine to autism — and dodgy alternative medicine ... But parents rarely opt out of all vaccines. Many are overwhelmed by the large number of vaccines now required for young children, so they choose to limit or delay the jabs. "That is still risky behavior. Paul Offit, a doctor at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, often hears parents worry about vaccines. He notes that most of them have never seen the 14 diseases for which the government recommends vaccination. ‘In the end,' says Dr. Offit, 'people don’t get vaccinated because they don’t fear these diseases.' In other words, vaccines are a victim of their own success.” I hope this report is useful to some of your readers. Jack Altman, Ashland DailyTidings.com Writer Posted Feb. 11, 2015 @ 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. calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs 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. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. DailyTidings.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501