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- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Archives Revels Classifieds Real Estate Menu Guide Wedding Weather Subscribe Contact Us April 21, 2006 AT LENGTH Get involved in downtown planning meeting By John Stromberg Downtown Plan Committee Tuesday and Wednesday Ashland residents (and interested visitors) will have the opportunity to dialogue with noted architects/planners George Crandall and Don Arambula. Their firm has been chosen as the city's prospective downtown planning consultants, and on April 25 and 26 they will take up residence in the ballroom at the Ashland Springs Hotel to meet with downtown stakeholder groups and also conduct four meetings that will be open to the public. The purpose of the two-day effort is to build support for the downtown planning process, to encourage some stakeholders to defray a significant portion of the planning expenses, and to respond to questions and concerns about a process that may be paid for by a combination of private as well as public funds. The consultants will work with individual developers and property owners while generating options for the community to consider. Here's a rundown on the four sessions: Tuesday at 7 p.m. — The Ashland Planning Commission will give over its regular study session for George and Don to interact with citizens who have appeared before the commission or council in the past in support of the public interest on land use decisions. The public is also invited to attend. Wednesday at 10 a.m. — This session will be for downtown business owners and merchants, but is open to the public as well. Wednesday at 1 p.m. - Architects and land-use professionals, and the public. Wednesday at 7 p.m. - The General Public: This meeting will summarize the two day's experience and its implications for the upcoming planning process. In addition, any stakeholder(s) who feels his/her group's perspective on the planning process — not content — is being neglected, can contact Acting Planning Director Bill Molnar to arrange to meet with the consultants (Call, 552-2042). It should be a lively two days and all members of the community are warmly invited to attend. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Council needs pork patrol As the latest round of articles in the Tidings are uncovering, the latest wasting of Ashland taxpayers' funds is the Council's authorizing spending $60,000 on a PERF report. PERF was first presented as needed for an objective view of APD, but as we all are too late finding out, PERF is a group specifically promoting their own brand of “Community Policing.” This in itself is not necessarily a bad thing. Trying to swindle honest citizens, possibly putting their safety on the line as well, by committing such a hoax borders on being criminal! The (non-)handling of AFN, transients disturbing businesses (day and night) and panhandling in the streets, etc. are all bad enough; we didn't need this too! The City Council is in dire need of a Pork Patrol Committee, with the specific task of oversight on any committees dreamed up or paid for by authorization of the council or the mayor. They clearly are incompetent to properly objectively review such committees before authorizing them, e.g., to review whether these committees and their constituents can pass any kind of peer review to perform as expected. I mean “incompetent” in the nicest sense: They are just not competent to do these jobs, whether because of time, interest, experience, political agenda, or whatever. Lester Ingber Ashland Borrowing can be a bad idea Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Southern Oregon appreciates the Ashland Daily Tidings’ coverage of the payday loan issue. CCCS encourages consumers to consider borrowing money (from any source) only as a last resort. We'd like to offer some tips to avoid getting into debt: • Check with your employer for an advance on your paycheck, which some employers will do. • See if you can borrow money from friends or family, though this can present problems if the money isn't paid back. • Consider ways to reduce expenses like travel, going out to eat, gift giving, or transportation. Budgeting your money helps you plan, so there are fewer “emergencies.” • Start a savings account so you can use your own money rather than borrowing money from someone else. Include savings in your budget, just as if it is a bill you have to pay. Borrowing money to pay debts seldom works. It's like trying to use a shovel to dig your way out of a hole. CCCS offers free budgeting counseling and low-cost classes throughout the year. For information, visit www.CCCSSO.org, or call 779-2273. Matt Conens Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Southern Oregon Time to make a quality plan As a former Ashland Planning Commissioner and current downtown business owner, I was invited to become a member of the Downtown Planning Committee and to attend the initial presentation offered by planning consultants, Crandall Arambula. Their firm specializes in downtown planning and was chosen by the Ashland City Council to consult with the citizens and facilitate the process of updating this important document which clarifies our expectations for the heart of our city. I confess to having been disenchanted with the city planning process for many years. It seems to me that we have been adrift, stuck in a pattern of merely reacting to proposals rather than proactively choosing our direction and so it was with some skepticism that I attended the presentation. My skepticism was quickly dispelled! George Crandall and Don Arambula are true professionals who have worked with many cities to create an individual blueprint for their future and I saw that they can offer us what we have been lacking — vision. Furthermore, they are devoted to a process that is inclusive and solicits and considers the viewpoints of all the diverse segments of the community so that we can create the vision that is uniquely our own and proceed in stages to achieve it together. I urge everyone who loves this vibrant and contentious place we call home to attend the Crandall Arambula presentation at 7 p.m. on Tuesday in the Grand Ballroom of the Ashland Springs Hotel. Let’s make a plan! Susan Powell Ashland Generals shed light on problem I’m following the news coverage of the “generals’ revolt,” and while I share their view that this war is a big mistake made worse by incompetent leadership, I can’t help but wonder: Where were these privileged, perfumed princes when their commander in chief was preparing to send our fighting men and women into harms way? I guess it doesn’t take much courage to talk about courage. As a lapsed Catholic, I’m no theologian, but if you ask me, the reason why God created the chain of command and put generals at the top of it was to demonstrate that crap floats. John Dollison Talent The Tidings gives priority to letters on local and regional topics of current interest. It seeks to encourage thoughtful, well-reasoned letters and to discourage personal attacks, repetitive messages and personal disputes. Form letters are not published in the Tidings, nor are letters identified as having been published in other publications. Contributions to the Opinion page should be e-mailed in text-only format to [email protected]. Please include your address and a daytime phone number where you can be reached for confirmation. Letters are limited to 250 words. At Length submissions are limited to 400 words. Submissions may be edited for length, content and clarity. See www.dailytidings.com for our expanded letters and opinion section. . 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 Click Here Advertisement .:Advertisements:. Site Search: RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams