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69 °F Forecast | Road Cams Friday, May 13, 2005 Today's News | Shop Our Valley | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery | Contact Us SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Health Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Real Estate Guide Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley SHOP OUR VALLEY AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Classified Place an ad TOP JOBS EXTRA Ashland News NIE Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People Volunteer Moving here? eSouthernOregon CUSTOMER SERVICE FAQ's Advertise with us Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend May 11, 2005 Neighbors say box is anything but scenic The Community Emergency Response Team containers hold emergency supplies By ROBERT PLAIN for the Mail Tribune ASHLAND — It might be a welcome sight to survivors of some future natural disaster, but right now a big metal storage box is taking the "scenic" out of Scenic Park, one neighbor says. The beige metal box parked off Scenic Avenue in the park is just an eyesore to Mary Douglas, president of the Scenic Condo Homeowners Association. She says a better place can be found. "We absolutely want it out," Douglas said. "To me, this was a quick solution but not a very thoughtful one. It’s an eyesore. A park is supposed to be a relaxing place to enjoy nature. To have a big metal box there doesn’t quite fit that concept to me." The container, which looks something like a railroad boxcar without wheels , is one of five emergency supply caches stashed around town for use by the city’s Community Emergency Response Teams. Should disaster befall the city and its residents, the boxes would be a place to gather and distribute medical and other emergency supplies. Douglas says her membership believes the container is a blight because it blocks views and some say it limits their ability to enjoy the park. Advertisement Douglas said she would be happy to help find another site for the container, adding that the city’s parks department has been a terrific help. But the bottom line for her and many of her neighbors is that the boxes must go. "We all have common goals in this," she said. "We all want these available in a time of emergency but we also want attractive open spaces." Kirah Solomon, program coordinator for Ashland’s CERT program, said the location was chosen because the area north of Ashland Creek could be cut off from the rest of town in the event of a flood. "If a flood occurred and cut off this area, the CERT base could be used as a shelter or a meeting place," she said. The containers hold emergency supplies — such as fire extinguishers, medical equipment, backboard stretchers and bolt cutters — that could prove invaluable in an emergency. Solomon said the CERT base would likely remain at the park but the city is open to suggestions. "We’re open to public input if residents think there may be a better location at the park," she said, adding that another color is possible as well. She said the container was not designed for permanent placement and would soon be obscured by landscaping. Douglas said other nearby locations might work better and wouldn’t crowd Scenic Park at the northern end of Scenic Avenue. "We have a hospital with vast amounts of land in this neighborhood," she said, referring to Ashland Community Hospital. "Maybe that could be a solution." Solomon said the container is the most recent addition to the city’s cache. She described the CERT program, in Ashland since 1999, as "a volunteer program of people who are trained to help themselves and their neighbors in an emergency situation." The city has 238 trained CERT volunteers, 46 of whom would respond to Scenic Park in an emergency. Solomon said the city will hold a meeting on May 26 to conduct master planning for the new park, and residents are encouraged to offer suggestions for a permanent location for the CERT base. Robert Plain is a reporter for the Ashland Daily Tidings. He can be reached at 482-3456 or [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback Free Music Downloads Conference Calls - $50/Month Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker, Trunk, Footlockers home equity loans helzberg diamonds Distance Education Diamonds Paris Hilton Online Poker Auto Insurance Mesothelioma Slippers Student Loans Tatoo tcg student loan consolidation teleconferencing Website Design & Marketing Memory Foam Mattress w2 forms Tatoos Mortgage Calculator Free Home-Loan Referrals Payday Loans Advertisement s