House of Paws Now Open!

House of Paws has opened its doors for business at 3960 W. Main Street – just across the street from White’s Country Farm store.

Owners Rob and Kim Dudley searched for months to find the right spot. Located in the building that once housed Lady Bug Garden Store, the Dudley’s now provide dogs a spacious indoor and outdoor place to roam, play, lounge, exercise and socialize. Guest dogs will find toys, beds and wading pools to cool off on hot summer days. For smaller, less active dogs that might need a place to get away from higher energy dogs, a separate room is available.

House of Paws is open Monday – Friday from 7:00 am to 6:00 pm and is the perfect spot to drop your best friend for play time. For rates and general inquiries, please contact Rob or Kim at 541-973-2101, houseofpawsoregon@gmail.com or see House of Paws, LLC on Facebook.

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Britt’s General Public Sales Starts Thursday, May 16

Britt’s 2013 season goes on sale to the general public starting 9 a.m. on Thursday, May 16. At this writing, tickets are still available for all concerts on the 2013 lineup. Tickets will be available online at www.brittfest.org, in person at the box office at 216 W. Main Street in Medford, or by phone at 541-773-6077.

Britt anticipates a high-volume of sales on this day, and advises patrons to plan for long lines.

The season kicks off this year with “Taste of Summer” on Saturday, June 8 in downtown Jacksonville. “Taste of Summer” celebrates Britt and Jacksonville through festivities including a wine walk; family activities on the courthouse grounds; live music by several groups; a beer garden; artist demonstrations; classic cars; hot air balloon rides (weather permitting); food booths by Jacksonville restaurants and more. New this year is the Taste of Summer $500 prize drawing, in which two lucky winners will receive $500 worth of Jacksonville gift certificates, good for any business in town.

The Northwest’s premier outdoor summer performing arts festival includes 37 performances, with such notable performers as Robert Plant presents the Sensational Space Shifters, Cyndi Lauper, Martina McBride, Dennis Miller, Steve Miller Band, Rodrigo y Gabriela, Pink Martini, Scotty McCreery, Ziggy Marley, Jeff Bridges, John Prine, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, Cake, Jon Kimura Parker, Yuja Wang and many more.

For full information about Britt’s 2013 season, visit www.brittfest.org or call 541-773-6077 or 1-800-882-7488. Britt’s box office is now open 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday thru Friday at 216 West Main St. in Medford.

Photo by David Gibb Photography

Britt Festivals invites audiences and artists to celebrate the joy of live performance, the power of community, and the magic of the Britt Experience. Through on-going education and audience development programs, Britt educates new generations of listeners, helping them discover the wonder of music and performance. In addition to presenting concerts, Britt Festivals maintains a formal education program through the Britt Institute. Established in 1985, the Britt Institute hosts a wide variety of learning opportunities through a multi-faceted approach of summer camps, workshops, grade school programs, lectures and adult learning opportunities.

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Community Bone Marrow Drive Update

Thank you to everyone who came out yesterday to Bigham Knoll and got registered!  Between the in-person registrants at Bigham Knoll and others, we added approximately 40 new people to the registry – that’s 40 more chances for someone to find the life-saving match they need.  I would like to thank my volunteers (Carrie Robertson of Rogue Valley Electric, Jana Jensen of Cycle Analysis and Joy Tayler) for staffing the drive.  We are happy with the results and hope it will help many patients in need down the line.  Thank you to the Jacksonville Review for advertising and supporting the drive, to Bigham Knoll for allowing us to use their site and to KTVL Channel 10 for running the series of interviews on their morning news.  If you are interested in more information regarding the Be the Match Foundation and/or would like to register with them online to become a potential donor, please visit www.bethematch.org.

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Library Group Seeks New Board Member

The Friends of the Jacksonville Library (JFOL) is seeking a new board member to fill a vacant volunteer position with the group. President Joan Avery says, “The purpose of our group is to endorse literacy and learning by supporting the mission of the Jackson County Library.”

You might recognize many of the current board members around town or spot them during one of the twice-yearly book sales at the library’s Naversen Room. “Our priority is to raise funds so that our library is open four hours each Saturday in addition to the sixteen hours a week the county provides,” Avery notes.

Since the Jacksonville branch is a part of the countywide system, this means residents have access to material anywhere in the county as well as the advantages of centralized purchasing and processing which reduces overall cost.  Underscoring the importance of the work the JFOL does, Avery adds, “It also means that if the library system is closed due to budget constraints, everyone from babies to seniors will no longer have access to a building that provides a major source of information and pleasure, as well as losing a major community gathering place, the Naversen Room.”

Candidates for the JFOL board should expect to meet once a month, except during the summer months. The group meets for about an hour each time in the Naversen Room at the library.

Avery, a retired librarian from Los Angeles is quick to note, “Board members don’t need professional library experience…they only need to care about libraries and their importance to the community.  New members should be willing to help with our Book Sales and programs and have ideas about how to make Jacksonville residents aware that the library of today is more than books. They do need to be readers.”

Whomever steps-up to fill the vacant seat with join Avery and Annette McGregor, Vice-President, Bruce Garrett, Treasurer, April Bower, Secretary, Gus Hughbanks, who took over sorting and transporting books for the Book Sales, and former City Councilor Donna Schatz, who has been involved since the library was built.

Interested candidates are urged to contact Joan Avery at 541-702-2114 or via email at mailjoanavery@charter.net.

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Time to Celebrate Spring Colors

Spring officially arrived on March 20 and with it the chance to spend more time outdoors amidst new growth with a reinvigoration of color and texture in the landscape. Some would say that spring is the best season of all, and I’d have a hard time arguing with them. It’s always exciting working alongside Mother Nature in bringing to life new to outdoor areas in our town and region.

When we think of spring, it’s important to remember that the things we do for the interior of our homes carries over into outdoor spaces. You probably know what I’m talking about – spring cleaning! Most of us would agree that our homes benefit from a good spring cleaning and this is equally true for landscaping. The first, most obvious thing to do is clearing out dead plant material, which is really important. Most properties can be cleared of old growth and unwanted plant material in as little time as a weekend. But there are a number of other steps needed to “clean up” a landscape, including tearing out outdated designs, and   incorporating an irrigation system. Adding or seasonally updating an irrigation system can improve the strength of the spring growth in any outdoor area.

With a clean, fresh and newly-irrigated lawn, new plantings can be just the solution for a springtime update. Some of the most traditional blooms we associate with spring weather are those that grow from bulbs, so these would naturally have to be planted in the fall. Sometimes I like to take look at a landscape in the spring and note the color that should be added with bulbs the coming fall. I would advise that you make sure to record your plans for bulb planting, so that when fall comes around, you’ll have some specific steps to take. In a different vein, planting a vegetable garden in the spring can bring much more immediate results. Often, a dedicated planting bed for vegetables can transform an outdoor area from one that is beautiful to one that’s beneficial and provides nutritional foodstuffs at the same time!

This is a great time of year to take note of how spring colors bursting from your yard can be incorporated into outdoor areas. If you have outdoor furniture that is starting to fade, an update can be achieved by adding a few new throw pillows, or simply replacing the outdoor cushions with one’s complimenting your garden plantings. Annual blooms can be added to planters and garden beds for a minimal cost with a maximum return in color impact. I invite you to join me in celebrating the season by embracing the beauty, hope and new life that a little attention to colorful details can bring to your outdoor living area.

Adam Haynes is the owner of Artisan Landscapes and may be reached at 541-292-3285 and www.artisanlandscapes.com

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Swordplay and Swashbuckling at Old City Hall on May 17

We are pleased to announce that SCARAMOUCHE will be the film screened at Old City Hall in May.  Stewart Granger stars in this Napoleonic epic with Mel Ferrer as his villainous opponent.  Janet Leigh and Eleanor Parker supply the love interest.  SCARAMOUCHE is probably the best film of its type other than THE SEA HAWK which we ran a couple of years ago. It is a breathtaking display of sword-fighting at its best, excellent acting from all the main characters, brilliant direction, superb over-the-top script and dialogue, and first-class Technicolor photography.  The climactic eight minute dueling scene is perhaps the best ever filmed and certainly one of the longest.  SCARAMOUCHE is a film not-to-be-missed.

It screens Friday night, May 17 at 7 PM at Old City Hall.

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City/MRA Land Swap a Done Deal!

In July, the City of Jacksonville will close a long-awaited land swap deal with the Motorcycle Riders Association thanks to a grant awarded to the MRA for $684,000 by the State Parks Commission.

The Reservoir at Forest Park

This week, Mayor Paul Becker and City Administrator Jeff Alvis traveled to Baker City, Oregon where the State Parks Commission met to dole out this year’s round of park-oriented grants. The deal, when closed, will transfer 380 acres of city-owned land in the upper reaches of the city’s watershed to the MRA. In exchange, the city will reap the money and take control of the MRA-owned parking and staging area in the lower-most acres of the 1800 acre watershed area.

The deal, which has been in the works for 15 years, effectively removes motorized vehicles from the Forest Park, a city-owned park with miles of new hiking and mountain biking trails. Funds utilized to purchase the acreage are collected via gasoline sales taxes and are available to groups like the MRA to create off-road use areas. Although highly contentious at times, the deal solidifies the future of the Forest Park by making it an exclusively non-motorized area.

While en-route to Jacksonville from the Baker City meeting, the Mayor called the Review to say, “This is a win-win-win. I loved the attitude of the State Parks Commission which reduced other grant applications by 15% just to make this one happen.” Other Jacksonville representatives at the meeting included Tony Hess, considered the leader and founder of the Forest Park as well as Steve McIntyre and Steve Croucher of the MRA, all of whom worked for years to make this happen.

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THE UNFETTERED CRITIC

By Paula Block Erdmann & Terry Erdmann

Sometimes life, and theatre, is more than Fair

            If we had to choose a favorite from all of Broadway’s tuneful offerings, My Fair Lady would likely lead the pack. So how “loverly” for us that the Oregon Shakespeare Festival currently is presenting an exceptional interpretation of Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe’s 1956 classic!

            You know the story. Eliza Doolittle, good-hearted, “squashed cabbage leaf” of a flower girl, encounters Henry Higgins, distinguished, overbearing snob of a linguistics professor. Higgins observes that Eliza’s Cockney accent keeps her eternally bound to the lower rungs of society. “Look at her, a pris’ner of the gutters,” he states, “condemned by every syllable she utters.” When Higgins boasts to his friend Colonel Pickering that by teaching the girl proper English he could get her a job as a shop assistant, clever Eliza takes note. The next morning she shows up at Higgins’ doorstep offering to pay for speech lessons. Recalling the professor’s claim that he could “pass her off as a duchess at an Embassy ball,” Pickering proposes a wager, and Higgins bites. As Eliza endures weeks of insults (tempered by chocolates), she realizes that she isn’t the ignorant guttersnipe Higgins thinks she is—and therein lies the fun…

And the songs, almost all timeless standards. Excelling as Eliza, lively actress Rachael Warren makes us want to join in as she sings “The Rain In Spain” and “I Could Have Danced All Night.” We actually feel for Higgins as actor Jonathan Haugen quietly laments, “I’ve Grown Accustomed To Her Face.” The leads are so good that we willingly relinquish memories of incandescent performers like Rex Harrison and Julie Andrews (or Audrey Hepburn) in the roles. Warren lifts Eliza into a place all her own, while Haugen smartly sings his way through the tunes rather than “talk” the songs as Harrison once did.

We’ve long thought that My Fair Lady contains two unnecessary characters. Freddie, the misguided chap who pines for Eliza, isn’t an integral part of the main story. He exists to demonstrate Eliza’s acceptance into a more elevated level of society. On the other end of the scale, Alfred, Eliza’s ne’er-do-well father, shows the depths she’s emerged from. They have nice songs, though, and director Amanda Dehnert found wonderfully innovative ways to use them. As Freddie, actor Ken Robinson nearly steals the show with his hilarious performance of the once-staid ballad, “The Street Where You Live,” which infers that his romantic attachment may literally be for the street—cobblestones, gravel, and all. And we applaud OSF staple Anthony Heald, as Alfred, who demonstrates astounding energy during an extended dance routine in “Get Me To the Church On Time.” As Heald and an ensemble of dancers stomp about the stage, the number resembles a play-within-the-play, brimming with excitement.

Dehnert’s best decision may be in her staging. Most of the cast—and the musicians—remain on stage at all times, so that wardrobe, location, and scene changes happen via a fluid choreography that is fully visible…yet largely unnoticeable. “Life isn’t neat, and theatre isn’t clean,” Dehnert asserts. “You should see where the lights hang, see the clothes being put on and taken off, see how people transform.”

My Fair Lady was based on George Bernard Shaw’s play Pygmalion, first produced in l916. Shaw, in turn, based his story on a verse from the Greek poet Ovid’s Metamorphoses: “Pygmalion, critical of faults which nature planted in female hearts, lived unmarried. With skill, he carved a statue out of ivory, and gave it exquisite beauty. She was so beautiful, he fell in love with his creation.”

Two thousand years later, in Ashland, so will you.

Paula and Terry each have long impressive-sounding resumes implying that they are battle-scarred veterans of life within the Hollywood studios. They’re now happily relaxed into Jacksonville.

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Wizard of Dogs 2013 Dogs for the Deaf Dog Walk

By Vaughn Maurice, General Manager, Dogs for the Deaf, Inc.

As spring slowly fades to summer, every dog owner in the Rogue Valley hears that tiny whisper in their head, “I am longing to get out of the house with my pooch and mingle with others like myself.”  And, whether you are one who blasts “Who Let the Dogs Out” or simply hums along to Cat Stevens’ “I Love My Dog,” you know that each time you’re singing along to those beloved dog tunes, one thought enters your mind: “When, oh when, is Dog Walk?”

That’s right folks, it’s time again for Dogs for the Deaf’s much anticipated Dog Walk! This year’s furry fun- filled festivities are on Saturday, June 1^st from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.  Register at DogsfortheDeaf.org by May 3rd and receive a custom designed Dog Walk t-shirt.  Advanced registration is only $30 and day of the event registration is $50– so register now and save.

What’s different this year?  Well, a number of things! We’ve added a poker run and we are in historic Jacksonville. You and your furry friend will enjoy a Saturday full of gambling while strolling around town.  Like most poker runs, each ’paw’ticipant will make 7 puppy poker stops from one pup-friendly shop to the next.  The merchant stops are: Jacksonville Veterinary Clinic, Gary West Meats, WillowCreek/Posh, Blue Door Garden Store, Good Bean Coffee , Elan Guest Suites and Touvelle House. The hound holding the best hand at the final stop wins the competition.  One might ask, “Well, what DOES the best hand win, exactly?” How about $1,000 in cold hard cash donated by our friends at Rogue Valley Pet?! We’ve also added some other PAWsome prizes including:  Shakespeare Festival tickets, Jazz Festival tickets, a weekend getaway, and much more.  But the really cool part of this ‘Puppies Gone Poker” game is that EVERYONE is a winner because all the proceeds go towards helping Dogs for the Deaf.

Join us and add YOUR support to our mission of saving the lives of orphaned dogs, training them and placing them to assist people.  AND, have a little fun in the process.   So, come meet Grand Marshal Ryan Lane from ABC Family’s hit show “Switched at Birth,” enjoy a free lunch as you check out our kids zone, canine agility demonstrations, local community information booths, and a Wizard of Oz doggie costume contest.  Something for everyone, except the family cat, can be found at our 22nd annual Dog Walk.

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JOWA to Showcase Jacksonville’s In-Town Wineries

Herb Quady (Quady North), Jeanne & Jim Davidian (Caprice Vineyards), Russ & Margaret Lyon (Daisy Creek Vineyard), Cassia Winkler (Umpqua Tasting Rm), Front: Dan & Cindy Marca (DANCIN Vineyards)

The Jacksonville Wineries Association (JOWA) is a collection of six wineries, each offering a unique wine tasting experience located within one mile of Jacksonville. The Association was formed during the development of a collective brochure being prepared by Porscha Schiller of South Stage Cellars. “We didn’t just want to have a piece of paper with a list of participating wineries,” said Dan Marca, the Association’s President,  “so we decided to gather as a group and determine how we could all work together to draw attention to the Jacksonville wineries.” Having only six members has its advantages and after only one meeting, JOWA was born!

Founding JOWA members include DANCIN Vineyards, Daisy Creek Vineyards, Quady North, South Stage Cellars, Umpqua Valley Wine Tasting Room and Caprice Vineyards. JOWA’s affairs will be managed by its President, Dan Marca of DANCIN Vineyards, VP, Jim Davidian of Caprice Vineyards and Secretary/Treasurer Dawn Roelke of Quady North.

The Association was formed as a collaborative effort by each Member Winery to showcase Jacksonville, where wine tasting is complemented by a host of varied amenities. Jacksonville is a very unique southern Oregon experience where you can visit up to six very distinct wineries, enjoy shopping at wonderful stores, dine at world- class eateries and stay at upscale inns and B&B’s –  all within one  mile of the downtown core!

The Member Wineries are planning thier first event, a Father’s Day Weekend Open House on June 15^th and 16^th where dads will be treated to complimentary pairings! They are also planning subsequent events on Veteran’s Day and Mother’s Day.

Marca notes, “The main goal of JOWA is to help visitors discover our unique wine tasting area and to promote it to locals in the valley. Ultimately, it’s all about promoting the Southern Oregon experience and providing people with enough variety so they’ll spend more time exploring our region. Jacksonville’s past may have been paved with gold, but its future will grow with wine.”

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