My View – April 2025

THIS MONTH, I’m honored to bring you another issue of the Review that tells the true story of what it’s like to live in Jacksonville. The story begins on our cover, with a photo of Mayor Donna Bowen, who presented Belita Palu-ay and Mike McClain with the 2024 Citizen of the Year and Lifetime Achievement awards, respectively. As she says in her cover story on page 8, “I am proud to be part of a community with the many enthusiastic, capable people who give so much to our city. Both Mike and Belita are familiar and much-loved figures in Jacksonville…on any given day, you stand a good chance of running into either one going about their work as volunteers for the City of Jacksonville.”

As you read on, you’ll be rewarded with more stories of volunteers doing incredible work that enhances our quality of life. In his new series on non-profit organizations, Mike McClain reflects on the many successes of the Jacksonville Boosters Club, now in its 62nd year. Speaking of new series, Sandra Colley joins the Review’s editorial team this month with her take on the local wine scene and its tasting rooms, with “Sipping & Playing in Jacksonville.” Sandra will be bringing us stories on family-friendly wineries, starting with local gem, Dos Mariposas Vineyards & Lavender Farm. And in “A Good Fish Tale,” Brad Snodgrass honors his dear friends, Maurie Hicks and Jerry Hayes, in a not-to-be-missed tribute.

For those seeking activities and events, our pages are packed with great ideas! Art lovers will delight in a new exhibit at Art Presence Art Center, and you’ll also find fun activities happening at the Jacksonville Community Center this month. Check out the annual Jacksonville Elementary School Art Show on April 17, where you’ll be delighted by artwork from our younger and very talented artists. For outdoor enthusiasts, hikers will find useful information on the Forest Park and Jacksonville Woodlands trail systems penned by Clayton Gillette and Cora Campanella. For those looking to explore outside town borders, Graham Farran offers up destination-suggestions for “Blossom Season.”

Looking ahead to May, be sure to mark your calendar for upcoming events including The Garden Club’s Annual Spring Sale, Firewise Day, Historic Cemetery workshops, the Lion’s Club Wine Walk and the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce 3rd-Annual Parade of Inns. For more, please be sure to see our Calendar of Events on page 4.

With an abundance of talent and activities in town, I wish you a happy spring season in our Small Town with Big Atmosphere!