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A SISTERLY PROPOSAL |
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by Tara Carreon
Posted: Thu Sep 22, 2005 3:55 pm I would like to suggest to the City Council and the citizens of Ashland that we ease the burden on the victims of Hurricane Katrina by dedicating an economic incentive zone in Ashland where creative people fleeing New Orleans and elsewhere can relocate in the northwest. We could call it the New French Quarter, and it could exhibit all of the charm and artistic flair that has been the hallmark of the original French Quarter. It would also provide a counterbalance to the one-track Anglophile obsession that has swamped our town with images of the Bard. While the immortal poet of the English language makes a wonderful mascot for a town devoted to arts and letters, I would suggest that a little Voltaire and Rousseau might be helpful to get us back to our roots. I also would like to suggest that as citizens, we direct our City Council to: (1) extend the hand of sisterly care to the stricken citizens of New Orleans, (2) request assistance for the project from France and French-based NGOs like Doctors Without Borders, and (3) inform the French people that the New French Quarter project will accept contributions in any form – works of art, visits from French artists, cheese and wine, or any kind of aid that our federal government has rejected. Remember, these are the people who gave us the Statue of Liberty! We could really put this town on the map. |
