A Few Minutes with the Mayor – Dec 2024/Jan 2025

AFTER A BUSY YEAR here at City Hall and in Jacksonville, it’s time to say goodbye to 2024. Our fall season was spectacular, and we are feeling the relief of fire season being over for the year. As so often happens in the Rogue Valley, it seems like we went from temperatures in the 80’s down to the 50’s, overnight. Now we are enjoying warm fires and hot drinks, as we all take a little downtime over the winter holidays. It’s a wonderful time to reconnect with family and friends and enjoy the traditions of a Jacksonville Victorian Christmas. Jacksonville is aglow with Christmas lights, and you can’t find a more magical setting.

Our merchants have been busy preparing for the holidays with new and distinctive merchandise. Our restaurants, tasting rooms and bars are ready to serve you delightful foods and beverages, in charming settings.

Our newly re-organized Chamber of Commerce has an outstanding Victorian Christmas Holiday Events agenda scheduled for December. The time and effort the Chamber puts into promoting Jacksonville is considerable, and it shows in the range of activities planned. Our citizens and visitors look forward each year to the Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony, taking place on the grounds of City Hall on Saturday, November 30th. Saturday, December 7th, we can all look forward to our Christmas Parade; complete with plenty of entertainment for all. Father Christmas will be making time for us on weekends, and there will be a lot of fun-filled activities to participate in. The Jacksonville Trolley Tours are sure to be popular again, with new Trolley schedules and Holiday Lights Tours. Please look for all the details on Victorian Christmas events in this issue of the Jacksonville Review on page 2.

The Jacksonville Community Center will be hosting a Crafts Event before the Tree Lighting Ceremony this year, from 3:30-5pm. Please join them for some family fun and activities they have scheduled for December.

The Jacksonville Garden Club will hold its Annual Holiday Greens Sale, next to the post office on December 6th, from 10am-2pm. New this year there are beautiful handmade wood boxes, filled with greenery. Their classic table decorations and wreathes will also be available.

The Beekman House Victorian Christmas Tours are open on weekends as usual. This tour is an outstanding way to spend time immersed in the customs of the era.

Giving to others is a time-honored tradition for many of us. There are many local organizations that can use your help, especially during the winter months. Please consider supporting any of the organizations that benefit the people who live in our area. Food Projects, warm clothing, energy gifts, and Christmas gifts for less fortunate children and families are much welcomed.

Here in City Hall, we are ready for 2025. Our City Council and I, along with City Administrator Jeff Alvis and his staff, have been planning for 2025 for several months now. We look forward to seeing our newly elected and re-elected councilors on the dais, after our swearing-in ceremony on January 7th, 2025, at our first City Council meeting of the year. Congratulations to Andrea Thompson, Steve Casaleggio, and John Jorgenson.

On behalf of the Jacksonville City Council, Jacksonville City Staff and myself, Happy Holidays & Best Wishes for a Happy New Year.