Document text
June 21, 2004 - Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Valley&State Backpage O&E Sports Archives Classifieds Faith&Beliefs Obituaries Revels April 13, 2004 Our View Changed city could still be a place of tolerance People often say, Ashland is changing. But the fact is Ashland has already changed. One elementary school has closed, and a second is closing due to declining enrollment. Our high school sports, once a powerhouse in the state, are mostly in a state of decline, at least in part due to the decline in enrollment. Ironically, at the same time, a host of new people move into the city every day, each bringing a bit of change with them. Real estate has catapulted into the stratosphere with home prices far more similar to California prices than Oregon's. The old way of life here, like most dynamic, growing places in America, is a distant memory - akin to old movies, the five and dime and smalltown America. Ashland is not stagnant, nor are the people who call it home. Ashland has changed and will continue to change in the years to come. The key to change is managing it, rather than running from it. What is it we as a community want to protect and nurture in the coming years? It starts with schools, to be sure. Ashland's reputation for education is unsurpassed in the state. Widespread community support is evident through the school levy that overwhelmingly passed last year, providing the school system with a crucial buffer for its programs. It includes the arts: From our many galleries and our playhouses, our after-hours music venues, to our bookstores, each plays a part in the quality of life in Ashland. Each contributed to and has uniquely benefited from the changed Ashland, drawing new people to the region, as well as new artists of all types. Our outdoor life is a vital part of what makes Ashland Ashland. Where else do pedestrians and bike traffic take such precedence over automobiles? Not to mention a beautiful greenway that is nearing completion, endless hiking trails and the queen bee of Ashland, Lithia Park. Each is worth protecting despite the changed Ashland. But even more important than each of these is the ethos of the city itself. We pride ourselves on our activism, our free thinking, our diversity of views. With change comes more of this, with more viewpoints straining what we believe like a taut rubber band. As Ashland continues its change, perhaps most critical is recognizing that we won't likely agree on much as a community. How we disagree, however, will say more about this new Ashland, for better or worse, than perhaps anything else. Ashland has changed. Its up to each resident to contribute to its spirit of kindness, acceptance and peacefulness, despite the growing diversity evolving out of the new 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 Click Here Site Search: .:Advertisements:. RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams