Ashland gets another nude visitor

ASHLAND, Ore. — A man in his 70s has been roaming around Ashland in the nude.

Little is known about the visitor who arrived in town from the Bay Area about three weeks ago. His lack of clothing has disturbed some residents, and caused at least one girl to cry, but officials say he's not doing anything wrong — at least in a legal sense.

Oregon does not have any laws restricting nudity, but Ashland requires people to cover their genitals when downtown, Police Chief Terry Holderness told The Ashland Daily Tidings.

"To the best of our knowledge he's never violated any public indecency laws," Holderness said

Not everybody is so relaxed.

Late last week, the man appeared at an intersection near an elementary school just as students were walking home. Crossing guard Pamela Osa asked a friend to call the police. A young girl, just about to cross the street, burst into tears.

"This little girl is going to be scarred for life," Osa said, adding the girl's mother and grandmother were also upset.

"I don't care about nudity," Osa added. "But when you're dealing with kids, I care."

The situation has reminded residents of last year's nudist visitor, or "the naked lady." Jennifer Moss would go through downtown wearing only a hemp G-string — and less than that elsewhere in the city.

She intended to enter Ashland's Fourth of July parade free and independent of all clothing but the G-string, but the local Chamber of Commerce thwarted the plan, saying it sets the rules for its family friendly parade.

The police chief said that since nudists seem to find their way to Ashland with some frequency, parents might want to consider taking a proactive approach.

"If you think your child is likely to be offended or have issue with seeing a naked person, then maybe you should walk your child home from school or have a discussion with your child," Holderness said.