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May 14 , 2004 - Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Valley&State Backpage O&E Sports Archives Classifieds Faith&Beliefs Obituaries Revels January 2, 2004 Air standards need to improve, contrary to DEQ On Dec. 16, a public meeting was held regarding the Department of Environmental Air Quality standards which will increase our industrial air pollution. Anyone who has lived in this valley through the '70s and '80s is incredulous at such a proposal. According to the DEQ notice, the Medford/Ashland area violated federal air quality standards throughout the 1980s. With stringent reduction of emission from vehicles, smoke and industrial pollutants, the air quality of the valley slowly improved to its current "acceptable" levels. A major factor in this accomplishment has been conditions placed on new and expanding industries, demanding any emission increase be offset by a corresponding emission decrease with the net result of acceptable air quality in this region. The DEQ is requesting that we retract this protective requirement and provide industry with a "growth allowance" for industrial pollution. That is at the heart of this change in regulation. This proposal comes at a time when even the EPA is reviewing adverse health effects caused by particulate matter (PM10, PM2.5). On Dec. 16, articles in the New York Times and Wall Street Journal cite evidence that minuscule particles in air pollution pose a greater risk to the heart than to the lungs. With each increase of 10 micrograms of particle matter per cubic meter of air, the risk of schemic heart disease increases 18 percent. This is not the time to be lowering our air quality standards. It is the time to raise such standards. Ramona De Vaul Ashland Record thoughts and experiences of loved ones In the early morning hours of Dec. 31, my mother passed away. She was 92. Among the many feelings I had was the wish that I had recorded more of the stories and experiences from her life. She had some funny and interesting things to tell about events in her life. She did not often talk about the past, however, unless she was badgered to do so. I am thankful my brother had the foresight several years ago to record on audio some of her stories just as she told them in her own voice. I am glad I have a copy of that tape and only wish I had more. What I do have is the memory of many incidents and stories she told me over the years. My new year's resolution this year is to write down the stories that I can remember. For those of you who still have your elders, consider getting them to tell about their lives on audio or video tape. It may be interesting to you and your descendents in a few or many years from now. You might consider recording experiences from your own life, even if you aren't badgered by your family to do so. But above all, resolve to do it this year because one never knows how much time is left, and time slips away so quickly. Janelle Davidson Ashland Nader no longer serves a purpose of relevance Ralph Nader has announced he's considering another run for the presidency. In 2000, Nader ran only to play the role of spoiler. At the last moment, and with absolutely no hope of winning, Nader refused to throw his support to Democrat Al Gore. The effect of those thousands of Green Party votes siphoned away from the Democratic candidate was to usher in Bush - one of the bottom 5 worst administrations in U.S. history. Nader- a crazed egomaniac - has seen his effectiveness decline dramatically since that election; particularly with Democrats who were his former allies. The Green Party has been set back for years. Both Nader and the Greens are now irrelevant. If you heard one of the standard Florida lies - Bush won there by 500 votes; then you should also hear the truth, which is very relevant - every vote in the 2004 presidential election will matter. Prior to the election in 2000, there were a number of cars with Nader bumper stickers in Ashland. I simply ask citizens here not to make the same mistake twice and throw their votes away on a candidate who doesn't have a chance of winning when so much is at stake. Lloyd Knapp Ashland DailyTidings.com Home Page Valley&State | Backpage | O&E | Sports | Archives | Weather | Classifieds Columnists | Faith&Beliefs | Obituaries | Revels | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2004 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Site Search: .:Advertisements:. RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams