The City of Ashland has begun to crack down on excessive signage on the sidewalks of the downtown area. Business owners, including Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, have been targeted and many believe that it is unfair and over-reaching for the City of Ashland to attack the businesses that help make this town the tourist attraction that it is.

In this series of videos, the Bear from Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory speaks out about being forced indoors by Dean Walker, Code Compliance Specialist for the City of Ashland. We also talk to the Stone Lion outside of the Black Sheep to get his reactions and Alfredo of Wiley's World of Pasta.

For More info:
Ashland wants stuffed bear, other fixtures off street - By John Darling
City Ordinance Bans Sidewalk Animals - By John Darling
Signs of insanity in Ashland - By Lance K. Pugh

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it is a genre blurring three-piece group consisting of Turntables, Guitar, and Bass. Their resulting sound blends elements of improvisation and their own take on trip-hop/hip-hop/downtempo electronic forms into an original format. Each member brings a unique background and perspective on music to the table, adding to the diverse directions their sound takes, and expanding the possibilities in tonal experimentation. All three members played for 2 years together in Varius Ardis, a five-piece (add trumpet and drums) before forming Sizemix in the Fall of 2002

Official Sizemix Website

Sizemix on MySpace

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it : Turntables
A DJ and Producer force to be reckoned with, DJ Eye is changing the way the Turntables fit in with live music. He has appeared with Del the Funky Homosapien, Tre Hardson, Lifesavas, and Madgesdiq and also performs with A Typical DJ and Ramiz the Manchild in the Turntablist/Hip-Hop group, Subliminal Twinkeez.

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it : Guitar, Live Loooping
A talented visual artist as well as natural musician, Mike brings his unique approach to guitar and live looping concepts to the mix. As with DJ Eye, Mike is changing the ways his instrument and live guitar looping function in a stripped down trio format. Mike has played in several Jazz, Funk, and Rock bands over the years and is a certified luthier, playing a custom guitar he built in 1999. Mike's keen sensitivity and taste are a crucial ingredient to the Sizemix sound as are his fresh perspectives on sound color and contagious optimism. His role as principal "painter" in Sizemix is faithfully fulfilled and not to be missed.

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it : Bass
Jason, a multi-instrumentalist, has worked in Metal, Progressive Rock (Hermetic Science), Big Band/Jazz/Blues, Rock (Alias Real, Finius), Hip-Hop, and experimental/improvisatory ensembles and brings a unique versatility to Sizemix. He holds a BS in Music Composition from Southern Oregon University and plans to obtain his MA in Composition from Mills College, Oakland, over the next couple years. In addition to performing in multiple groups, Jason also performs solo improvisations and continues to compose for a variety of musicians. Click here for a list of works and discography.

Drive South of Grants Pass, headed towards the beaches, and you'll pass through the tiny town of Selma, Oregon.  You'll probably miss the town except for the single swinging caution light at the one intersection between a Ray's Food Market and a Shell Gas Station.  Those that are in the know, those of us that crave to be the first to hike and swim the most beautiful parts of Oregon each Spring - we've been known to hang a right at this particular Shell Station, and head 10-15 more miles down the windy, gravely, single-lane road to relax by the Illinois River.  Whether it's the beer & drugs or just the casual atmosphere, the Illinois River has been a spot for a number of universal awakenings by the culture of outdoorspeople who make it their weekend destination.

One weekend each Spring, just after the right at the Shell Station, long before you hit the river's edge, a local property owner opens up his land for an all-weekend extravaganza of music, outdoor recreation, and a barter faire to celebrate the oncoming season - The Summer Circus.  Started 4 or 5 years ago, the Summer Circus began with a small group of musicians and their close friends  taking over a stage nestled in the middle of the Siskiyous for a couple days of music and excess.