Raising money for raising a barn
Taking inspiration from the old countryside tradition of roping in a whole community to build a barn in a day, a group of parents and community members hope people will dance to Beatles tunes to raise money for the restoration of the barn at Willow Wind Community Learning Center.

School’s property has been home to many families and activities for last century
The wind still blows through the willows on these acres just outside the city limits of Ashland, but this unique parcel of land has witnessed many changes.

AFN employee seeks top post
An Ashland Fiber Network employee is among the final four candidates to become head of the city’s cable television and Internet service, according to Mayor John Morrison.

Friendly rivals search for birds

Mon: Essentially Ashland
A dying breed in Ashland: blue-collar artist

Mon: Tales From The Crib
Murder on my mind

Mon: From Denmark
Feeling out of place, a snowfall provides relief

Tues: Off The Vine
Get more wine into your life

Weds: Food & History
Confederate army had few blacks

Thurs: Commentary
The battered Muslim moderate

Fri: I'll Shut Up — Right After This
The oneness that comes with calm

Fri: Healthy Pets
Aflatoxin is deadly for dogs

Sat: Marketing Today
Thoughts on management

Roupp’s hard work pays off with banner season
Jamie Roupp can’t change the past, but she’s doing everything in her power to keep history from repeating itself. On Feb. 25, 2004, the Ashland High guard toed the free throw line with 38 seconds left in a second-round state playoff game at Tigard. The Grizzlies were down by one and in desperate need of a clutch shot, but Roupp, then a sophomore, clanked both freebies.

Opinion & Editorial

— LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

— GUEST COMMENTARY

— OPINION PAGE POLICY

COLUMNIST
Updated Tuesdays:

From the Right Side

Mike Green

It's all about
R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Yo mama is so big she uses the driveway for an ironing board!

Oh yeah?

Well, yo mama is so ugly when she looked out the window she was arrested for indecent exposure!

For those of you unfamiliar with this uniquely inner-city game played among many black Americans, it’s called, “the dozens.”

But make no mistake, this game isn’t all about getting big laughs … it is fundamentally about undermining respect for others and gaining respect for oneself.

Respect is what most everyone seeks, regardless of who they are, where they reside or the conditions in which they live.

Take a look at the recent events in the Middle East.

Since December of last year, hundreds of thousands of Muslims have become outraged about 12 cartoons that initially appeared in a Danish newspaper, which depicted caricatures of the Islamic prophet Muhammad.

CASE IN POINT (OPED)
Updated Mondays:

— CASE IN POINT: Truthiness

When it comes to truth, even facts don’t get in the way
Last month the American Dialectic Society announced that it had selected the word “truthiness” as the word of the year for 2005. The Society explained their choice in a press release as follows which stated that the word “truthiness,” which was recently popularized on the Cobert Report, “a satirical mock news show on Comedy Central television chanel, refers to the quality of preferring concepts or facts one wishes to be true, rather than concepts or facts known to be true.”

What the society is referring to is the use of the word “truthiness” by Stephen Colbert during a feature called “The Word.” He defines “truthiness” as the quality by which someone purports to know something emotionally or instinctively without regard to evidence which might be deduced after a close examination of the facts.

There are no obituaries today

— POLICE

In Review | Arthur's Dreams
Playwright Richard Moeschl’s "Arthur's Dreams" superimposes the theme of death, rebirth and transformation of the human spirit onto mundane family events of three generations of the Ellis family. It’s a large undertaking, and it is to the playwright’s credit — as well as director Paul Roland’s skill — that, on the whole, it succeeds.

Movies | T.V. | Calendar

Stories updated by
6 p.m. Thursday
(Back issues available)

A weekend of Environmental films
5th annual event features reception welcoming the new director of the Siskiyou Project

Blue Star carves out a niche in Ashland
Blue Star, creator of over 10,000 custom made flutes, is in the midst of creating two films that share a common energy. All are inspired by, as he says, “Love. By becoming unconditional love and sharing unconditional love.”

LOCAL ENTERTAINMENT

Movies: Now playing

‘Affluent beggars’ an opportunity to examine ourselves

Forgive me, but I’m feeling yanked in a couple of directions by the current discussion / firefight over Jason Pancoast and Elizabeth Johnson — you remember, the “affluent beggars” who walk our streets and whose story has been spread across the country by the Associated Press.

And it’s easy to say you feel compassion for the homeless until you meet people like Jason and Elizabeth who’ve been pretty, shall we say, up-front about their situation.

Church Listings

Ashland residents traveling nationwide and around the globe provide first-person accounts of their travels, complete with pictures to share their adventures with the Tidings' readers.

FEMA Experience in Texas, September 2005
I was invited by FEMA to act as a Public Information Officer (PIO) in a volunteer capacity.

Mis queridos
This is my first e-mail and I write it not from Syria but from South Lebanon.

New Orleans: Up Close and Personal
I returned to my hometown of New Orleans on Oct. 6 to view the devastation and assist my displaced family.

The impact of the Gulf Coast tragedy on Native Americans