My View – February 2023

A slew of regional changes has caught everyone’s attention recently, blowing up social media and sounding the alarm as to the future of our community. Here in town, the new owners of the Jacksonville Inn announced the closure of the restaurant… after purchasing the business less than two years ago. Perhaps it was a fool’s errand to follow in Jerry Evans’ and Platon Mantheakis’ legendary footsteps… or perhaps the impact of Covid on the labor pool, supply chain or other factors are to blame for its demise. No matter the reason, our town has lost an iconic dining establishment, and with it we’ve lost a part of our heart and soul. My sources tell me there are multiple restaurateurs considering leasing the space for a new venture…I hope new operators understand the difference between owning a business and operating a treasured establishment.

At the Mail Tribune, within months of announcing the  suspension of its physical newspaper, the publisher closed the remaining digital edition, leaving our region without a “paper of record.” Although you may think the Jacksonville Review would benefit from this, the impact is negligible because the majority of our advertising income comes from in-town sources. The Review is LOCAL, really local. At this time, I want to assure readers that the Review is financially healthy and there are no plans to shutter our print or online issues. We will continue mailing 3500 copies to nearly every postal address in 97530,  stocking print issues in town and valley-wide, and offering our website and Facebook pages. There’s a caveat, of course—the Review only exists as a community publication with advertiser dollars. In turn, advertisers rely on you to support their businesses. It’s a win-win.

Finally, I’d like to thank one of our longest-standing contributors, Hannah West, for her monthly Art Presence column. More than 13 years ago, Hannah answered the call to help get the art gallery off the ground and was instrumental in its development. She’ll still administer the Southern Oregon Artists Resource website and bring us a monthly piece for SOAR. Thanks, Hannah for making art more present in Our Small Town with Big Atmosphere!