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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Little Yaretzi is county's first baby of 2015 Emergency services A memorable year Unnatural corridor 5 Things to do This Weekend Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Emergency services Community blog: Mentoring=Crime Prevention Two Eagle Point men charged in Lake Creek Road poaching case MADGE bust at Medford Walmart nets meth, $20,000 in cash Drug raid in Rogue River leads to two arrests Politics and Elections Councilman stirs online dust-up with anti-marijuana post State certifies recount showing failure of GMO-labeling measure Time running out for O&C funds GMO vote recount still shows little change Education Traveling artist sets the stage for Ruch School amphitheater Ruch school class focuses on the natural environment Bethel Church helps families at McLoughlin Middle School Logos may offer students 'fifth year' at RCC or SOU St. Mary's plays host to youth robotics tournament Environment Monument expansion expected to increase tourism, protect resources Biologist resigns over LNG reporting failure Bird flu discovered in Winston backyard flock Jackson County holds back on enforcing GMO ban for now No fish, no funding for problem dams State News Oregon fans get married Rose Bowl parking lot Earthquake off coast shakes Humboldt County Stranded sea turtle recovers at Oregon aquarium Oregon minimum wage rises to $9.25 Storm brings snow, cold to West Nation - World Obama makes Maduro’s ‘insolent Yankees’ line harder to sell Obituaries Dr. Kenneth Emerson Janet E. Leonard Lyle Roberts Death Notices Sidney A. Stitt Weather Photo Galleries Since You Asked Videos Web Cams Mail Tribune 100 Shareable In memoriam: 2014’s notable deaths Looking back: Do you remember 2014’s biggest stories? Sports Latest Stories Capitals top Blackhawks 3-2 in Winter Classic LeBron to miss two weeks with injuries Arizona at top of Pac-12 No. 16 SOU aims to slow Northwest Christian, Corban 15th-ranked Raiders look to keep rolling Varsity 541 College Sports Arizona at top of Pac-12 No. 16 SOU aims to slow Northwest Christian, Corban 15th-ranked Raiders look to keep rolling No. 6 TCU crushes No. 9 Ole Miss in Peach Ohio State’s Jones getting quite an education Pro Sports Capitals top Blackhawks 3-2 in Winter Classic LeBron to miss two weeks with injuries Ravens head of security charged with sex offense Lions’ Suh refuses to talk about incident Aldridge comes back strong in Blazers win Community Sports Business Latest Stories Rising prices bear fruit for local pear growers Dear Monty: Best start for 1st-time homebuyers Milken economist headlines Southern Oregon Business Conference Ride & Drive: 2015 Volkswagen Jetta TDI Silvio Calabi: Infiniti Q50 offers business-class driving Real Estate News Dear Monty: Best start for 1st-time homebuyers Rental owners group reports 2.48 percent vacancy rate More sales, but no change in residential housing median price People In Business People in Business, Dec. 3 Transportation Falling gas prices help spur travel at Medford airport Agriculture Rising prices bear fruit for local pear growers K-BAR ignites agriculture boom beneath Table Rocks Opinion Latest Our View: Help clear the air for the new year Letters to the Editor, Jan. 1 Dana Milbank: America's Slacktivist generation George Will: A strike against rent-seeking Granlund cartoon: Resolutions redux Editorials Our View: Help clear the air for the new year Our View: Caves expansion worth the wait Other Views: Oregon incomes still lag behind Our View: Council is barking up the right tree Other Views: Roseburg VA director sets the right goals Letters to the Editor Letters to the Editor, Jan. 1 Letters to the Editor, Dec. 31 Letters to the Editor, Dec. 30 Letters to the Editor, Dec. 29 Letters to the Editor, Dec. 28 Guest Opinions Guest Opinion: Loved one chose death with dignity in Oregon Guest Opinion: Forest thinning means water for the future Guest Opinion: Suit threatens family farms and democratic vote Guest Opinion: SOU pool decision short-sighted Guest Opinion: It's time for biologists to let OR-7 go dark Lifestyle Latest stories Dear Monty: Best start for 1st-time homebuyers Community blog: Ring in new flavors with year's last appetizers Community blog: We Don't Have To Conspire Against Good Health Mark L. Hopkins: New Year’s resolutions and more HealthStyle: New year, new you Food Community blog: Ring in new flavors with year's last appetizers Food for Thought: Tips for cooking when you have food allergies Food for Thought: Wintertime wining and dining Kitchen Call: The comfort of creamy soups Community blog: Baking contest finalists combine cookies, candies Home and Garden Dear Monty: Best start for 1st-time homebuyers Dear Monty: Can a rookie real estate agent be a good choice? Bathtub or shower: What’s best for you? Home Help: Home safety tips for a safe and happy winter season How NOT to install drywall Health Community blog: We Don't Have To Conspire Against Good Health HealthStyle: New year, new you Health Watch: Build up your glutes in the off-season Dr. Jeff Hersh: What's a monoclonal antibody? Dr. Murray Feingold: Have a happy and stress-free holiday Hiking Biking Faith (No heading) Churches, synagogs host seasonal events Bethel Church helps families at McLoughlin Middle School Milestones and Achievements Little Yaretzi is county's first baby of 2015 Local landowners see no public good in proposed pipeline Pear Blossom queen has open heart surgery Hundreds enjoy Christmas dinner, gifts at St. Vincent de Paul SinceYou Asked: SBA would work with Mt. Ashland Ski Area about loan Columnist for a Day Rogue Healthy Aging Tempo Latest stories New Schneider Museum exhibits highlight First Friday Camelot's 'Fiddler' is a charmer Top 10 CDs of 2014 Ring in 2015 at a New Year's celebration near you Dobra Tea menu offers hundreds of brews Theater Camelot's 'Fiddler' is a charmer ACT presents reading of 'The Quality of Life' Meet the real Jacob Marley This Nutcracker ballet will have a superhero twist Plumbing the depths of meaning Music The Farr Side: Top 10 album count-up for 2014 Top 10 CDs of 2014 A tribute to Joe Cocker Ring in 2015 at a New Year's celebration near you SugarBeats headline an all-ages dance party at Historic Ashland Armory Community Events New Schneider Museum exhibits highlight First Friday Celebrate winter solstice with the Bad Film Society Tomaseen Foley's "A Celtic Christmas" returns to the Craterian Theater Stefan Baumann and Eugene Bennett highlight Third Fridays Dancing People Company celebrates the solstice Dining Dobra Tea menu offers hundreds of brews Food for Thought: Wintertime wining and dining Coffee shops roll out holiday-inspired drinks Over Easy serves 'pop-up' brunch Sundays Ooblies Artisan Waffle Sandwiches Tempo Videos Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries Blogs TV Listings Movie Listings Oregon Outdoors Oregon Healthy Living Magazines & Special Sections NEWS NOW Unnatural corridor ... Our View: Help clear the air for the new year ... Two Eagle Point men charged in Lake Creek Road poaching case ... Unnatural corridor ... Our View: Help clear the air for the new year ... Two Eagle Point men charged in Lake Creek Road poaching case ... Council breathes life into smoking ban Medford leaders urge passage of law making parks off-limits to tobacco Asmoking ban in Medford parks fired up the City Council Thursday as it pushed for a local law that would allow police to cite offenders. Comment By DAMIAN MANN MailTribune.com By DAMIAN MANN Posted Jan. 24, 2014 @ 12:01 am Updated Jan 24, 2014 at 2:30 AM By DAMIAN MANN Posted Jan. 24, 2014 @ 12:01 am Updated Jan 24, 2014 at 2:30 AM » Social News Asmoking ban in Medford parks fired up the City Council Thursday as it pushed for a local law that would allow police to cite offenders. The council agreed to consider an ordinance to prohibit smoking and tobacco in any park or adjacent sidewalk. "It drives me crazy in Alba Park," Councilor Eli Matthews said. The council's directive follows a Parks and Recreation regulation that took effect earlier this month to ban smoking or tobacco products in local parks. Enacting an ordinance would give police the option to cite someone for violating the smoke-free regulation, including on the Bear Creek Greenway. Alba and Hawthorne parks are often used by smokers. Alba has receptacles that accept cigarette butts, which seems to contradict the recent ruling against smoking in parks. Brian Sjothun, Parks and Recreation director, said his department is waiting until the city passes an ordinance to come up with signs and other efforts to alert the public to the smoking ban in parks. "This has been a trend nationwide to eliminate tobacco use in parks," he said. Sjothun said 902 communities in the U.S. have passed ordinances against smoking in parks. Ashland prohibits smoking in all city-managed facilities, including parking lots. Bend and Roseburg both have ordinances banning tobacco use. Sjothun said the proposed ordinance in Medford could include electronic cigarettes, which emit a vapor that has a slight smell compared to cigarettes. Parks and Recreation staff also contend with the litter left behind from cigarette smokers who throw their butts on the ground. The council stopped short of wanting to require the same smoking prohibition on public sidewalks because it would prove difficult to enforce. Councilor Matthews said he wants local hospitals to find a way to prevent their workers from gravitating toward public sidewalks for a cigarette. "I'd like to see these hospitals provide this space," he said. Some councilors wondered whether a ban would prove difficult in U.S. Cellular Park, suggesting that a smoking area be created. Councilor Tim Jackle wondered whether the smoking ban could have a "chilling effect" on attracting national softball tournaments to the park. Mayor Gary Wheeler said the city already has issues with people smoking in downtown parks, and the situation might get worse once the new Jackson County Health Building is finished later this year. He said the parks department and law enforcement need to have ways to deal with smoking or consuming tobacco products in the parks. "I'd like to have a few more tools in the toolbox," he said. Reach reporter Damian Mann at 541-776-4476 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @reporterdm. By DAMIAN MANN MailTribune.com By DAMIAN MANN Posted Jan. 24, 2014 @ 12:01 am Updated Jan 24, 2014 at 2:30 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 MailTribune.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 Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked 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. 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