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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 Emergency services A memorable year Unnatural corridor 5 Things to do This Weekend Get Up & Go: Jan. 1 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. 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Sports Latest Stories No. 6 TCU crushes No. 9 Ole Miss in Peach Ohio State’s Jones getting quite an education Ravens head of security charged with sex offense Going great lengths Lions’ Suh refuses to talk about incident Varsity 541 College Sports No. 6 TCU crushes No. 9 Ole Miss in Peach Ohio State’s Jones getting quite an education Going great lengths Michigan AD Hackett: Harbaugh a long-term answer Facebook responses suggest Ducks win Pro Sports Ravens head of security charged with sex offense Lions’ Suh refuses to talk about incident Aldridge comes back strong in Blazers win Bryant's triple-double carries Lakers Lions’ Suh cleared top play Sunday 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 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 Fans, friends and family welcome home victorious SOU team at airport 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 ... City may tell smokers to butt out Medford City Council gets recommendation to enact ordinance that bans tobacco in municipal parks The Medford Parks and Recreation Commission is recommending an ordinance to the City Council that bans smoking in all of its parks. Comment By Teresa Thomas MailTribune.com By Teresa Thomas Posted Jan. 9, 2014 @ 12:01 am By Teresa Thomas Posted Jan. 9, 2014 @ 12:01 am » Social News The Medford Parks and Recreation Commission is recommending an ordinance to the City Council that bans smoking in all of its parks. The commission passed a regulation in November that prohibits smoking and tobacco products on all properties managed by the Parks and Recreation Department, but until that rule becomes an ordinance and is enforced by Medford police, "it doesn't have much teeth," said department Director Brian Sjothun. A study session to discuss the proposed ordinance is set for noon today in the Medford Room in City Hall, 411 W. Eighth St. Changes to the pawn shop code and restrictions on dangerous dog breeds also will be addressed in the session. "Jackson County has a higher percentage of people that smoke than other areas of Oregon," Sjothun said. "From our perspective, this is about trying to reduce the amount of litter and having clean and healthy facilities for people to go to." The current regulation makes one exception, for a small, designated area in the northeast section of the parking lot at U.S. Cellular Community Park. "There were a couple commission members that felt there should be a designated area in that park because of the amount of adult softball that is played there," Sjothun said, adding that his recommendation to the council is that all areas be smoke- and tobacco-free. If the ordinance is approved, violators would face a fine, which has yet to be determined. Signs also will be posted in all the parks. "I feel like there should be a law against distance from kids, but there aren't any kids around," said Josh Sampsell, 18, who was smoking and playing basketball with his friends in Fichtner-Mainwaring Park Tuesday. Sampsell frequents Fichtner at least once a week and Lewis Park daily. He said an ordinance, if passed, probably wouldn't stop him from lighting up in the park. It would just make him more cautious. "I'll probably still smoke here, just not when police are around," he said. Other people smoking at Fichtner on Tuesday called the proposed ordinance "stupid" but said that they would respect it, if passed, and look for somewhere else to hang out. As of Jan. 2, 901 communities nationwide, including 15 in Oregon, and several states have made their park facilities smoke- and tobacco-free, Sjothun said. "We are just following suit with what's being done around the United States," he said. Nearby cities such as Ashland, Roseburg and Redding, Calif., already have adopted ordinances banning the smoking of any substance in parks and outdoor facilities. "Parks are supposed to be used for healthy pursuits, not unhealthy pursuits," said Ashland Parks and Recreation Director Don Robertson. "We also had a problem with people not disposing of their cigarette butts appropriately." The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department is holding four public hearings this month for those wishing to comment on a proposed rule change that would limit smoking in Oregon state parks to personal vehicles, tents, RVs and campsites in developed camping areas. If passed, new rules would be enforced in January 2015. Reach reporter Teresa Thomas at 541-776-4497 or by email at [email protected]. Follow her at www.twitter.com/teresathomas_mt. 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