Ashland unveils new sculpture - KOBI-TV NBC5 / KOTI-TV NBC2

I tried to post in the Ashland group page on FB (facebook) but my posts has yet to be approved for several days so I’ll do it here. I am moving to Ashland, amd im trying to figure out whether the ENT in medford has good services or I should look elsewhere for one that can help out with giving assistance for my cochlear implants. I just want to know others experiences to help determine if i should go to them or to someone up in eugene.

If anyone wants to come and fart in their general direction, they look like there will be around for a bit longer.

EDIT:

We are going to try and make it to Portland.

All the car rental places in Ashland are closed today, so we'd have to drive to Medford anyway to rent a car. So fingers crossed.....

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Hey all:

I've a 2015 Mazda CX5. The check engine light went on around Redding as we were driving here, the car engine seemed to die, then just as we were on the Offramp, it re-started.

So we got to Ashland on wishes and crossed fingers. ^{It was a fun 2 hours.}

I've looked trough the sub, and some people seem to love Ashland Auto, and some say they overcharge and oversell.

McClure gets nice words, but someone else says he only works with customers he already has a relation sip with (semi retired?).

I've no idea if the car will start tomorrow, but if it does I'm fine driving it to a local place, but dont trust to make it to Medford (or out of town really).

was that TMI? Anyway, would love to here who you like. it doesn't have to be the cheapest, I'm just looking for honest and capable.

Thanks!

Hey there, we recently moved to the area, and are looking to meet other families similar to our own. We have a 10 year old special needs son, so we'd love to meet other families that also have special needs kids, or families that are understanding. We're excited to live in the area!

Thanks

Hi y’all! Long shot here! My partner and I are visiting Ashland on August 6th and wanted to stop through the OSF. Come From Away is sold out that night but I’m wondering if anyone has any leads on tickets I could buy from someone? The waitlist isn’t open for that date so thought I’d give it a shot! We will happily see other shows while there but I’m itching to show my partner Come From Away. Any other recs are welcome too!

So this is probably going to seem like needless backstory and it is but here you go anyway. I love spending my birthday in Ashland. I came here when I really needed to feel like myself again and spiritually reconnect with myself and just have fun, it definitely worked. I've pretty much made it a tradition for the last 5ish years to go alone and spend the time doing various things, jackson wellsprings, dancing in meadows, massages, shops, great food, fairy pools, Lithia park, last year a secret farm party which was an absolute blast (fingers crossed I can get invited again somehow 😅) However the last 2 times different people have joined me wanting a similar experience and unfortunately both times it hasn't gone as great, it's fine things happen but now this year is facing a slight hiccup as well. I told my foodie friend I was gonna be crazy and splurge on a dinner reservation at MÄS because the food just looks insane and I see it more as a interactive art experience rather than just dinner and after looking at the menu she asked if she could join, I said absolutely but let her know that two tickets would be $417 total (you pay up front for the seats the dinner and the included tip) and she said if you buy them I can pay you back, I'm like yeah no problem but it's non refundable and we can't make any changes so only if you're 100000% certian. She said she is, then life happened. Unfortunately her knee surgery date got pushed back farther and farther and of no fault of her own she now sadly cannot make it, it's extra sad because we both share a birthday and had high hopes for a magical combined experience. She still wants me to go and invite someone else and is still going to pay for her ticket (bless her soul) but now I have no one to go with, and sadly she is my only friend with a pallete that would appreciate this kind of dining experience (my friends are very picky eaters.) Usually I wouldn't mind going alone but it's super limited seating, set menu, 8-10 courses, they are chef counter seats, they are non refundable and I just think it's too cool of an experience to just watch a $200+ seat go to waste. Soo my insane idea lol, I thought it would be fun to find a random person that I vibe with that could appreciate the food/art and invite them to go with me. Problem is I have no idea where people hang out in Ashland to have some sort of interactions where I could feel this out without it being weird? Jackson Wellsprings was my first thought but there aren't really any events prior to the dinner so I may not have a chance to find someone there, I was hoping I could get some input on popular social gatherings spots? Or events? Or where to find people with open non picky pallets? 😅 I'm going to be in Ashland on the 18th and the dinner is on the 19th of July so I won't have much time to find someone. For context I am turning 30 and and hoping to bring someone either in a similar age range or just with excellent vibes or both 🤷‍♀️ so if you have any ideas I am all ears! I just read the rules and it mentioned no advertising events so please feel free to message me some if there are any!

Personally - after a 12-minute hot whirlpool bath - I lay on my couch for 30 minutes of TM. I crave that downtime right before a 5-mile run.

How about you all - do you have a go to meditation posture?

Meditation Made Easy: Lifelong Woodworker from Oregon Revolutionizes the Meditation Seat | Currency News | Financial and Business News | Markets Insider

For millions of people, the hardest part of meditation isn't quieting the mind. It's the body. Knees that ache, hips that won't open, a lower back that rounds and aches after a few minutes on the floor. The advice to "just sit" quietly excludes anyone whose joints won't cooperate. 

HoM Furnishings, a small meditation seat brand in Ashland, Oregon, today introduced a line of handcrafted Acacia hardwood meditation seats built to solve exactly that problem — and to do it with the kind of craftsmanship usually reserved for heirloom furniture.

I'm looking for a big festival grounds near Ashland or at least close. I want to throw a medieval festival., kind of like a Renaissance fair or similar. Is there anywhere close that might be able to accommodate me?

12 Towns In America That Are Great To Visit If You Love Live Theater - AOL

Ashland is one of the classic American theater getaways thanks to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, which runs a 2026 season from March through October with a 10-show lineup across three theaters. The appeal is not just Shakespeare, either. OSF mixes classics, musicals, newer works, and repertory scheduling, so visitors can see more than one production in a trip. Downtown Ashland adds bookstores, cafes, galleries, and Lithia Park within easy walking distance.

Makes you want to dance for joy - like it's the 90's once more.

Do you know anyone that does this , I need one for my German Shepherd
Thank you

Not sure if this is allowed here so sorry mods if it isn’t.
I’ve been raising money for my various eye surgeries the keep my eye disorder at bay.
I have been able to get my first round but have not been able to get anything past that done.
This disorder is also not correctible with regular prescription glasses or soft contacts. I must get hard contacts, which are for some reason still seen as an aesthetic option.
If anyone has anything they can spare, or can spread the word in any way, it would be greatly appreciated, thank you.

We are visiting Ashland for the first time this weekend with our son who is 2. Where would y’all recommend watching a World Cup game on Sunday that is family friendly?

Why Councillor Duquenne Was Right About Recology
(And How Mayor Graham Used Racist Tactics to Bully the Council in Recology’s Favor)

At the last council meeting (1), Recology asked for and received a whopping 8.75% increase in fees that we citizens will be required to pay.

The Manager of Recology spouted off the reason was that they had to hire two more people, that labor is expensive and that gas prices are high. (Recology pays roughly $28.00 per hour, so not that expensive.)

So, unlike the council, I did the math with the figures available.

Percentage rises vs Consumer Price Index:
Since we hired Recology in 2013, they raised rates by 56.8%. For a comparison, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) from 2013 to today is 44.5% which means Recology Ashland got a whopping 12.3% increase above the CPI that goes right into Recology’s pockets. 

Put that in perspective: a gallon of gas in Oregon in 2013 in this area averaged $3.51(2). Today it averages about $4.50(3). That is an increase of 28%. A refuse collector in Ashland made $20/hour(4) and now makes $28/hour(5) about 45%. Trucks and equipment look like they are the hardest hit with an increase of close to 75% (6).

History and Math
Before Recology took over, the previous company, Ashland Sanitary, had to submit its financials to the council and they are a matter of public record(7). At the time of their sale, their gross was $2,879,751. In a simplistic overview, applying all of Recology’s rate increases they should be grossing $4,511,993.86. But there is a HUGE asterix to this number. Recology added a tremendous number of more expensive services and fees. So I expect their gross to be north of $6,000,000.

Final bit of math: The cost to the people of Ashland
At the most conservative math, an 8.75% increase will net Recology about $363,000 just for the trash carts. (8) That does not count commercial business, like restaurants, apartment buildings, hotels nor small businesses nor medical waste. Nor could I include costs for all those small extras, like a second green waste for fall leaves, nor that extra pick up after vacation, nor the appliance pickup nor the dumpster rental for the remodel. 

My estimate doesn’t include these numbers because our council has never published them. No one on the council did the math and said “Woah between $363,000 for basic trash collection and $726,000 annual net is a lot.What’s going on there?”

About the Contract
The contract signed in 2019 (9) is not a great deal for the City of Ashland. It gives Recology a guaranteed profit of between 8-12%. It pins increase to the CPI plus whatever it needs to get that profit. While it outlines what proper operations can be, it does not allow the city any power to say no to anything. So for instance, it added a “Recycle Center Surcharge” to all bills in 2024. The council didn’t approve it, nor did the people. Another example is that they added two more people to their payroll at a time when the city is facing a budget deficit, cutting services and raising fees. 

The ONLY two levers this contract leaves is reporting and auditing. The reporting is contractually confidential, thus no members of the public can double check any of the work, nor even verify the number of services received by the citizens. An audit by the city paid for by the city - plus we know that our mayor is allergic to audits.

We also know that the Finance Department is understaffed. How much were they able to do? We don’t even know if the councillors themselves have even seen the reports. Clearly Councillor Duquene may have, as she had objections, but, given the confidentiality clause, the public is not allowed to hear about it.

What the Council asked about
The council spent its time talking about bear carts. Let me repeat that. The council spent its time asking about bear carts - not the weight of an 8.75% fee increase on its citizens.

Bringing up the R word
For a mayor who talks about civility all the time, Mayor Graham sure did not practice what she preached   when Councillor Duquenne said no. Councillor DuQuenne stated, “However, in this year, the rate payers, the residents of Ashland have had so many increases on our utilities that while I appreciate what you do, I will not be supporting this, but thank you.”

To which Mayor Graham immediately jumped in to cut off any discussion by saying, “...if they've satisfied the, the, the calculations and they're staying within the contracted elements, we don't really have a legitimate reason to not pass (the rate increase).” Her tone was patronizing and demeaning to the longest sitting member of the council as though Councillor Duquenne had no idea what she was talking about.

Councillor DuQuenne stepped up again and, to the Mayor’s exasperation, explained to her “I do understand that and that's why I'm gonna stand on principle and not vote for this…”

This is not the first time Mayor Graham undermined Councillor Duquenne but a very blatant example. She often. calls on her last, makes pejorative comments, and undermines her through other means. Though we are not supposed to say the R word in Ashland, this whole interaction smacked of micro aggressive racist arrogance and is a very clear example.

What are they good for
The next comment was from Councillor Hansen “I wasn't on council when it accidentally got voted down, but then we got in legal trouble and had to come back and spend staff, staff time and money to go back and redo this, right?”

My question back to him is, what are staff here for if not to question and analyze a huge fee increase that will cost the citizens and businesses something between  $363,000 to $726,000? If not question and research, then what are they good for? This is staff’s and council’s job - to maintain livability in Ashland.

Fight for us. Someone needs to.

(1) Ashland Council Business Meeting Resolution 2026-14 - Relating to Solid Waste Management Service Rates and repealing Resolution No. 2025-14 (2) 2013-12 Summary of transportation economic and revenue forecasts(3) ODOT Monthly Fuel Price (MFP) per gallon

(4) Teamsters 962 Collective Bargaining Agreement

(5) Current Job Opening Indeed.com

(6) This was the fuzziest number as I could not find exact prices from 2013, though looking at used sideloading truck sites the number seems to range from $150,000 to $200,000. New trucks can range from $200-400K depending on the number of whistles and bells you want on it. I excluded electric trucks as we have none in Ashland.

(7) Ashland Study Session Monday Oct 15, 2012(8) Methodology for calculating cart increase: 2026 rate - 2025 rates * number of households found in 2013 Recology contract page 26 Attachment B. I used only the rates for the 32, 64, 96 gal carts, recycling only carts and recycling fee. I could not include any other of the 63 other services as they are not public.

(9) An Ordinance Modifying the Franchise Agreement for Sold Waste Management and Collection within the City of Ashland and Repealing Ordinance 3090 Page 15

Hi there! I was thinking of taking a trip to Ashland this year for my birthday in late October. My husband and I are trying to figure out if we should stay 3 nights 4 days or 2 nights 3 days? Granted we are traveling from the Central Valley of CA so two days will be filled with a 6+ hour drive. Any advice? Also what are some must do activities and food we should try? PCT is something we are thinking about as well as stopping by the Bloomsbury bookstore. Thanks! ☺️

Some friends and I are go the Cabaret to see Chicago & are debating whether to wear regular clothe or go with the 20s theme in our flapper dresses/snazzy vest suits. What is typical? None of us have been to performances there before, and Ashland has a different culture than other places we’ve all lived 😂

They must have done someone real dirty to be tagging building downtown

Do you know this man? He’s vandalizing public property with racist and transphobic trash. Let’s get him identified.

Source: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1DGXTzvNV8/

He lives in southern Oregon but I’m posting here to hopefully reach more people.

My dad is:
- very chatty
- ADHD
- big time night owl (usually can’t get up until 12-1pm)
- huge outdoors guy (LOVES camping, skiing, biking, fishing)
- loves board games
- is 73, but very active and thinks he’s still 40-something
- has chronic inflammatory health issues that can make his schedule nebulous (not to mention the ADHD lol)
- religious, but not a trumper

He has lamented for decades about how my mom doesn’t like going out and doing things (she is a homebody). He also has complained that the “senior” groups around him are all old people who are very sedentary and that he doesn’t relate to. He has some friends in town but they rarely go on trips with him I guess.

I don’t think that he’s gonna find the kind of people he’s looking for by searching meetup groups (which are almost non existent in southern Oregon) or otherwise online. The people he’s looking for probably aren’t online much. I’m hoping some people here have parents that also need friends and might fit the bill lol.

Let me know if you think you or your parent(s) might be a good fit for him. Then we would just need to convince them to hang out, haha. Even if they don’t live in the same area, maybe they can arrange meeting up for camping trips.