Jacksonville has a new creative writing studio! Writers’ Room, located at 240 S. Oregon Street, was established by Jacksonville resident Marion Denard. Writers’ Room offers writing groups for adults and teens, with plans to expand into programming for children. Weekly groups and themed workshops are designed to inspire new writing and help writers develop their […]
MEDFORD, OR — The Britt Music & Arts Festival has finished an outstanding season filled with wonderful weather and lots of big artists, and is thanking its patrons, members, business partners, media partners, artists and fans for a successful season. Ticket sales started slightly slow before the season began, but caught up and surpassed 2018 […]
Every October, strange things happen in Jacksonville. Bone-chilling apparitions and the spirits of frightening characters of yesteryear, return to play out their destiny again and again!
“Strange Things Happen in Jacksonville” is the theme of this year’s Haunted Trolley Tour. We are featuring some of our local hangings, disease epidemics, and the Deautremont train robbery. We […]
Have you ever driven by Sanctuary One, your local care farm, on your way to Applegate Lake and thought, “I wonder what they do?” or “I should stop by sometime.” Here’s your chance! Meet the animals, see the farm, and join the party! Join us on Saturday, October 26, from 10:30am-1:30pm for a fun-filled day […]
Come celebrate the fall season at Shooting Star Nursery’s Annual Apple Tasting and Fall Celebration on Saturday, October 19, from 11:00am-3:00pm.
Nursery owner Christie Mackison says, “We started our Apple Tasting event six years ago as a way to thank our customers and celebrate the bounty of harvest season. It’s a great time to enjoy fall […]
Harvest is always a festive time in Southern Oregon. Farmers are hard at work bringing in their crops while families venture out to enjoy the last of the warm weather before the rainy season begins. It’s a time for celebration and abundance as evidenced by the many wonderful fall events that occur across the valley. […]
On October 11, from 4:00-7:00pm, come meet Jacksonville’s firefighters, spray some water from the fire hoses, and check out the Fire Trucks! This is a great opportunity to learn more about your Fire Department, the services they provide and steps you can take to keep yourself and your family fire safe. J’Ville Fire looks forward […]
How could I possibly imagine that when I sat down to my computer in 1991 to express my fears and dreams about adopting a child, that one day those words would be acted out at the Alice Griffin Jewel Theater on 42nd Street in New York City?
On July 31, I sat with the birthmother of […]
City Council 9/3/19—Administrator Jeff Alvis informed Council that the City had received two bids for the construction of the New City Hall Interior Elevator and other building alterations. The scope of work will include installation of a 2-stop commercial elevator with a machine room in the basement, alterations to the existing first floor restrooms and […]
This September, the Jackson County Windermere Real Estate offices will spend a month making sure local children are kept warm. Starting Sept. 16, the public will be able to make donations of new or gently-used child-sized coats to multiple drop-off locations. Windermere brokers, staff, and owners will pick up the donations from the drop-off […]
As every resident of Jacksonville knows, Southern Oregon is full of unique delights: beautiful wineries, gorgeous scenery, endless outdoor adventures, and a vibrant, burgeoning arts scene. This September, Wanderlust Theatre Company of the Applegate Valley will combine all of these delights into one magical experience—an original theatrical adaptation of the Peter Pan story produced at LongSword Vineyard.
Jackson County Recycling Partnership is now seeking residents of Jackson County to take part in the annual training course and volunteer service program. Participants gain a broad understanding of home waste prevention strategies, the local solid waste infrastructure, hazardous waste avoidance, composting, plastics, e-waste and much more.
The annual course offers and an extensive training manual, […]
Do you have a burning, or even a mild desire to sing with a group of passionate and dedicated adults who love sharing the excitement of vocal music with devoted audiences? Do you thrive on challenges that move you to the next level of achievement and growth? Can you dedicate time and energy to the goal of […]
Many in Jacksonville have met resident Don Reordan through Jacksonville Physical Therapy, the clinic he founded with his wife, Lynn, in 1996. What most may not know, however, is that Don was a world-class rugby referee—and that he was recently recognized as one of the top American referees in the game by being inducted into the U.S. Rugby […]
The Jacksonville-Applegate Rotary Club will hold its 10th-Annual Salmon Bake at Bigham Knoll on September 15, 2019.
This event has turned into a beloved Jacksonville tradition! As in past years, the Salmon Bake fundraiser supports Rotary’s clean water projects around the world.
The 2019 Citywide Yard Sale event is Friday-Sunday, September 6-8. Sale day hours are 7:00am-8:00pm. Setup is allowed on Thursday September 6, from 6:00-10:00pm.
Note: NO sales are allowed on Thursday.
Remember, this event is NOT sponsored by the City of Jacksonville. Due to the nature of the event with lots […]
The Jacksonville Presbyterian Church annual Mission Yard Sale is arguably the largest sale in the city on that special “yard sale” weekend. Since its inception, the sale has been held at the Historic Presbyterian Church on East California Street, but this year the sale will move to the main church at 425 Middle Street. The new location will […]
Making Mike Official—Mayor Becker opened the 8/6 meeting with the swearing-in of Mike McClain who was appointed to fill the remainder of Councilor David Jesser’s term. After taking the Oath of Office, administered by City Recorder Angela Watson, Mr. McClain was officially seated.
Bring on Britt—On 8/6, City Administrator Jeff Alvis disclosed that the […]
A few years ago, I learned a fancy word: ineffable. It is defined as “too great or extreme to be expressed or described in words,” as in the ineffable natural beauty of Crater Lake. Speechless is another way to say it. I have experienced this ineffability at the Britt Festival Orchestra concerts more than I can count. It […]
BFO August 4 Concert will be On the Hill at the Britt Pavilion
08/03/19 MEDFORD, OR — Based on weather/smoke forecasts and the improved AQI numbers in Jacksonville, the Britt Festival Orchestra performance scheduled for Sunday, August 4 will be held on the hill at the Britt Pavilion in Jacksonville. All regularly […]
Britt Music & Arts Festival has opened a Call to Artists for the 2020 Fine Arts Poster. Britt is also considering artists for the 2021 and 2022 seasons. The Call to Artists will be open until July 31st, 2019, and will be juried by […]
Constance Thompson Bohn Borntraeger, “Connie,” age 97, of Jacksonville, passed away at the Holmes House in Medford on June 22, 2019 following a fall and a brief hospital stay.
Connie was born on Long Island, NY to father, Tillman G. […]
Iris Louise Sperry passed away at Asante Rogue Reginal Medical Center in Medford, Oregon on July 21, 2019, at the age of 90. She was born in Portland, Oregon on May 3, 1929 to Lila Ann (née Hunt) Thompson and John Gordon Thompson. She was […]
Marilyn Joy Earl, 90, passed away peacefully at her Jacksonville home on June 19, 2019. Marilyn was born in Los Angeles, California on July 30, 1928. During her early years, she worked for the Alameda Shipping Yard, in the Clerical Department. At age 17, Marilyn married […]
Marjorie O’Harra died on July 9, 2019 in Medford, Oregon, at the age of 91. Marjorie, a lifelong resident of the Rogue Valley, grew up in Ashland and later moved to Jacksonville.
She married Robert “Bob” O’Harra in June 1947 and went on to […]
Patsy Ann Mitchell, 82, of Jacksonville, passed away peacefully on July 26, 2019 at Vista View Mood and Memory Care, Central Point. She was the second of four children, born October 22, 1936 in Arp, Texas. She moved to Alameda, California as a child in the […]
Just how much effort is required to be “Firewise”? This was my first question when Gold Terrace became the obvious trial neighborhood with about twenty-five homes. We would be working together to prepare our homes for resilience to fire and to submit […]
While drinking ice cold fluids may feel refreshing, too much can be counterproductive. When the stomach is cooled, it has to work harder to produce the heat needed for normal digestion, resulting in heating-up the rest of the body. One antidote for this is to take ginger. […]
July 2 & 16 City Council Meetings
At the 7/2 meeting, Mayor Paul Becker opened the meeting by thanking the community for their outpouring of support following his recent heart attack. Please read his commentary on the matter in his August 2019 “A Few Minutes with the Mayor” column. The Mayor […]
MEDFORD, OR – The Britt Festival Orchestra performance scheduled for 8:00 PM this evening, July 26, 2019, will be presented as scheduled. The decision to perform outdoors at the Britt Pavilion was made this morning per Britt’s protocol by an ad-hoc committee consisting of the Britt President and CEO, Artistic Operations Director, Britt […]
Nobody wants to have a wildfire occur in their town, so several Jacksonville neighborhoods have become certified Firewise neighborhoods. Firewise USA is a nationwide program that teaches people how to adapt to wildfire and encourages neighbors to work together and […]
American Quilter’s Society, the largest quilting membership organization in the world, is pleased to announce that Terri Budesa, of Jacksonville, has been accepted as a contestant with her quilt, Lost in Translation, at AQS QuiltWeek – Fall Paducah, KY.
The City Council has selected Mike McClain to fill a vacancy on the City Council following the resignation of David Jesser. McClain has been actively involved in Jacksonville civic matters for several years and is the current Chair of the Budget Committee. He will be sworn into office at the next meeting and […]
JACKSONVILLE, OR – The Britt Festival Orchestra (BFO), led by Maestro Teddy Abrams, returns to southern Oregon for its 57th season with three weeks of exhilarating orchestral programs at the Britt Pavilion in Jacksonville. The annual BFO season begins with a new series for families and people of all musical interests entitled Teddy’s Discovery Tuesdays (TDT), which offer […]
In April 2019, Jacksonville’s Mary Van Horn traveled with members of her Rotary club to Tanzania, Africa. Below, please read a touching piece written by Mary upon her return after reflecting on the experience. Mary notes that the piece is based upon the knowledge and experience gained during the trip, and augmented with information […]
In a solid victory, the “Rogue Pack” Envirothon Team from Logos Public Charter School in Medford earned the highest scores in three of six testing categories, winning first place honors overall at the 23rd annual Oregon State Envirothon held at the Oregon Garden in Silverton, on Friday, May 3. The science team won testing stations in Wildlife Ecology, […]
My roots are firm into this ground. Over the years they have been exposed from harsh weather, but they are still planted holding me strong.
But I’m still standing strong…
It’s warmer now. The air thickens and the rain drops are bigger.
My branches are starting […]
My recent Rotary trip to Nepal lasted two weeks with a travel group comprised of Rotarians and their families from Jacksonville/Applegate, Medford and North Carolina. I was thrilled that my wife, Karen, and my son, Ayden, joined me on this trip of a lifetime.
The first part of the trip was exploratory while the second […]
Don’t miss the 53rd Annual Children’s Festival! Special Agents, detectives and imagination will take center stage this year as we put on our Special Agent fedora hats and grab our magnifying glasses. Sponsored by the Storytelling Guild of Jackson County, this innovative 3-day event will take place July 13-15 at the Britt Festival Grounds in Jacksonville and will […]
Linda and Bill Graham, owners of Scheffel’s Toys & More, are proud to carry an exclusive, new Ravensburger puzzle featuring one of Bill’s photographs of Crater Lake. After Linda had searched in vain for a high-quality Crater Lake puzzle and learned there were none on the market, she worked through a program offered […]
Summer’s almost here! When school is out it is time to come to the Jacksonville Library (or any Jackson County Library) and sign up for our Summer Reading Program. This is a great way to have fun and learn about lots of cool things, and keep those reading skills sharp.
Our theme is A […]
The entire community is invited to join Mayor Paul Becker in a July 4th celebration on the lawn of New City Hall. The festivities will take place from noon-3:00pm. As in year’s past, plenty of seating and tables will be provided and the city will be serving complimentary hot dogs, water, chips, etc. […]
Ruch Outdoor Community School has a 104 year-old history that holds within its arms, a deeply-rooted attitude of relationship building, mutual care and sustainable community. What began as a roughhewn wood-built original schoolhouse that accommodated 51 students, is now a modern school that holds 225 students—preschool through 8th-grade. Internationally known for being one of the TOP 100 Place-Based Community […]
Just outside of Jacksonville in the Applegate Valley stands the humble Woodrat Mountain, an unassuming peak in the Siskiyou mountain range. Despite its prosaic name, Woodrat is quite an exceptional site. In fact, from the months of April to October, Woodrat and the Applegate Valley offer some of the best conditions in the world for paragliding. Paragliding is […]
The 11th Annual AAUW Spring Garden Tour is on Saturday, June 8, 2019, 10:00am-4:00pm and features two Jacksonville gardens on 3rd Street. There are four more gardens in Medford to complete this year’s tour where guests can gather new ideas and enjoy viewing the beauty and variety provided.
The first Jacksonville garden was […]
Theresa Marie Wadovich Gieg passed away peacefully on May 6, 2019, at the age of 83, though she would have emphatically told anyone who asked that she never grew a day older than 39 years.
From her birth in Buffalo, New York to Neva Wadovich Johnson and Stephen J. Wadovich on June […]
City Council Meeting 5/7/19—Mayor Becker opened the meeting with a moment of silence for Terri Gieg, a longtime member of the Jacksonville community who passed away in early May. Terri will be remembered fondly for creating the annual Victorian Christmas celebration and for decades of service with the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce. (Please see page 15 for information […]
June 15 at 9:00am marks the official Grand Opening of Jacksonville’s Waggin’ Tails Dog Park! Mayor Becker will speak at the event and John Parrott, a dog trainer with R&R Pet Resort, will discuss dog park etiquette. This will be a fun morning and an opportunity to see the park in its completion.
Major construction progress was made during the month of April at Waggin’ Tails Dog Park. The new park, scheduled to open mid-June is located near the Skate Park, above the “D” Street parking lot. Visitors to the site have been watching excitedly as land next to the skate park was sculpted out to provide separate play areas […]
It is late, morning is closer than evening. Sleep has avoided me once more. I wander the house in slippers and robe. My mind chewing on last night’s party talk. I walk to your room, pull the chain of a small green banker’s lamp. A warm light fills the corner where you are resting. You are as […]