Checking the math on service calls at library

A recent feature in the Rogue Valley Times concerning the influence of homelessness at the downtown Medford library made this puzzling claim:

“Under the city of Medford municipal code, a property is deemed a nuisance property when it generates 12 calls for service during a 12-month period. The Medford library generated 400 calls for service during 2022.

“After library officials voted to reinstate daytime security in May, the library experienced a noticeable decrease in calls for service, dropping to 47 in May, 33 in June, 25 in July and 34 in August.”

Well … adding those numbers together and multiplying by three shows that the pro-rated annual number of service calls for the summer of 2023 is now 417. And that’s just for the months when homeless persons are least likely to seek weather-driven refuge at the library.

How is that “a noticeable decrease” in the 2022 figure of 400? Who’s checking the math here?

Steve Bismarck / Medford

Anti-gay protests show how lost we’ve become

At a recent Pride event at Ashland High School, anti-gay protesters verbally attacked the student shouting homophobic slurs. What the heck is wrong with these people?

These are children, teenagers! If what they believe is so threatening that anyone thinks verbal assaults on them are morally justified then no decent person should have anything to do with them. Such conduct is reprehensible and deserves utter condemnation by the entire community.

If this is who we’ve become, so hateful that we condone attacks on our children, we have completely lost our way.

John Rose / Ashland

City Council climate plan needs to be thoughtful

The Rogue Valley Times article “Medford braces for climate change effects …” reports on the efforts by the City Council to formulate a climate plan.

If the councilors are serious, then I hope their plan will stop the removal of native trees that “(protect) the urban canopy in residential and other areas of the city …” A painful-to-see example of this is the obliteration of dozens of decades-old native oaks for The Reserve luxury home development on Pierce Road.

The loss of these old trees is especially short-sighted: On a recent “Jefferson Exchange,” ODF entomologist Christine Buhl said that these are some of the most drought-tolerant trees available to us. Or how about prohibiting the installation of turf grass? This would be a key strategy “to conserve water and electricity to deal with hotter drier summers.”

Less water-hungry turf would make available more precious water for drinking instead of growing a pointless crop. Less irrigation would also lower energy costs incurred in pumping that water.

I know that the city council has a difficult task ahead of them, but I hope they are bold and far-seeing enough to put us on the right track.

Arti Kirch / Medford