In mid-July, a volunteer crew spent the day plowing a 30-acre field that was overgrown with tall grass and weeds—the parcel abuts Royal Mobile Estates to the north. Not only was the patch of ground an eyesore, it was a fire hazard that’s now been mitigated with a fire line. With a generous donation of […]
Landscaping Against Your Home—An easy way to create defensible space around your home is to remove weeds, brush, and other invasive vegetation and debris. Use noncombustible rock mulch around your home in place of standard mulch. Trim grass and flowers to 4” or less and maintain all summer. Trim touching or overhanging tree branches to […]
It happened again. This column took a sharp turn as I was polishing-up a completely different piece, and was unexpectedly but pleasantly interrupted at the office. As my hands were pecking away on home row, two friendly-looking un-face-masked faces (and their dog) peered […]
JACKSON COUNTY OREGON — Jackson County Emergency Management launched a layer to the existing Everbridge mass notification system that allows individuals to receive all Citizen Alert Level 1, 2 and 3 evacuation alerts issued in Jackson County by Emergency Management and City jurisdictions.
“We are very excited to add this to our mix of alerts. This […]
JACKSONVILLE, OR—Beginning in August 2021, Historic Jacksonville, Inc. will again be opening the oldest bank in the Pacific Northwest to the public! Scheduled “banking hours” are 11am to 3 pm, Saturdays and Sundays, from August 7 through September 5, 2021. The 1863 C.C. Beekman Bank Museum is located at 110 W. California Street in Jacksonville.
The […]
Long-time restaurateurs Colin and Monique Cox are back. As the former owners of The Honeysuckle Café, they closed their doors in 2020 after six successful years of operation. The couple said, “We just could not survive on To-Go business alone and after much consideration, and missing our loyal customers, decided to get back to doing […]
In Psychology Today, Dr. Steve Albrecht says that for his money, “ice cream wins the prize as the snack food that brings the most joy. Feeling blue? Go to your local ice cream shop and get a scoop.”
The feeling of delivering joy through fun and delicious ice cream and other treats is what drives Violets […]
Historic Jacksonville and its abundance of wineries once again will serve as the scenic backdrop for the annual Oregon Wine Experience. As people from across the country and around the world travel to our beautiful hamlet for the event, vintners will present their signature wines and chefs will prepare their culinary delights.
“Everyone who attends or […]
JULY, 14, 2021, MEDFORD, OR — Britt Music & Arts Festival invites everyone to “Come Together” for more concerts during the 2021 Britt Presents season, offering more musical variety and a comedy act. This is the final announcement for the 2021 Britt Presents season, bringing the total number of concerts to 17. The announcement introduces […]
On Saturday, June 5, 2021, a newly-constructed suspension bridge below the reservoir in Forest Park was officially named the “Tony Hess Bridge,” in honor of its long-standing champion. Back in 2003, Tony Hess headed up an ad-hoc group of volunteers to work with the City Council to transform 1800 acres of city-owned land into a […]
Local Jacksonville residents, Mike and Laurie Thornton, working with the Jacksonville City Council and the Jacksonville Boosters Club are sponsoring a demonstration-site event focusing on the removal of blackberries and other invasive plants. The event will take place on Saturday, July 17, from 8:00-10:00 AM with work on the creek bed across from the Jacksonville […]
Climate scientists from World Weather Attribution recently attributed the recent Pacific Northwest heat wave to climate change.
As the summers’ sweltering heat reminds us, fire risk is here and now. Last year’s fires were devastating, but the consequences of ongoing global warming tell us a repeat is almost inevitable. The message is that while we […]
Darla Baack was born in Marengo, Iowa to Shirley and Marvin Baack. She was the youngest of three children and grew up on a number of farms in Iowa County, Iowa. Her father was also the local sexton, so she spent numerous hours helping to groom local cemeteries. From a young age, she […]
At the June 1 City Council meeting, the 2021-2022 fiscal year city budget was adopted. The following summation was excerpted from the Budget Message provided by staff to council prior to budget deliberations.
We have had some budgetary impacts from the COVID-19 Pandemic; however, the City’s fiscal prudence of previous years has prepared us for impacts […]
Due to extreme wildfire risks, fireworks are now banned on private and public property in Jacksonville.
Please see the below resolution passed on 6/29 by the City Council.
RESOLUTION NO. 2021-007
A RESOLUTION DECLARING CRITICAL FIRE DANGER AND PROHIBITING ANY FIREWORKS DURING 2021 JULY FOURTH HOLIDAY IN THE CITY OF JACKSONVILLE
WHEREAS, the City Council of the […]
June 25, 2021 – The Britt Festival Orchestra (BFO), under the leadership of the festival’s Music Director, Teddy Abrams, is announcing three unique musical experiences for its 2021 season.
It begins with a virtual installation art piece titled Ellen Reid SOUNDWALK that will be accessible through a smartphone app from July 1 through October 15. Then, […]
With the easing of Covid restrictions comes the ability to gather again—and there is no better place than in the purple fields of the Applegate Valley! The farms and ranches are happily full steam ahead with plans for Lavender Festival Weekends, June 25-27 & July 16-18. They may require […]
The Britt Festival Orchestra (BFO) will present the world premiere of an experiential new work by the multi-faceted, Pulitzer Prize-winning musician and composer, Caroline Shaw. Under the leadership of the festival’s Music Director, Teddy Abrams, the BFO will perform this special project on the Jacksonville Woodlands Trail system in six free performances from July 30 […]
MEDFORD, OR — Britt Music & Arts Festival is excited to announce its first set of concerts for the 2021 Britt Presents season. In the first of two announcements, Britt invites music lovers to “Come Together” and enjoy a wide variety of musical […]
Michele Brown Riding passed away on June 22, 2021, at her Salt Lake City home.
She was born October 5, 1952 in Fairbanks, AK to Dale. W and Mildred W. Everill, and was raised in Salt Lake City, UT. Michele attended St. Mary’s and Judge Memorial Catholic High Schools where […]
MEDFORD, OR — ATTENTION: Do not purchase your Britt Music & Arts Festival tickets anywhere except at brittfest.org. Britt is seeing more ticket scams than ever this year. Don’t get scammed.
Only go to: https://brittfest.org/performances
Many ticket resellers such as StubHub, Seat Geeks, and Tickets-Center offer Britt tickets at inflated prices. Purchase your […]
This June, the Jacksonville Library is the place to be in-person (and online) to get out and expand your knowledge base and have fun at the same time with events covering a wide array of fascinating topics. Register for events (both virtual and zoom) online at https://jcls.org/.
Bee a Leader with the Southern […]
The Jacksonville City Council has identified emergency preparedness for wildfires as a key focus this year. The Council is working on several steps including revision of the Emergency Operations Plan, a review of the Britt Evacuation Plan, instituting a set of emergency protocols which include potential evacuation routes, warning systems and fuel reduction. Our partners […]
Eric, 51, of Jacksonville, was born October 19, 1969 in Norwalk, CA to Ted & Lynn Wroblewski. Eric lost his hard-fought battle with alcoholism in April 2021. Eric was raised in the area, having lived in Phoenix, OR in the early 1970’s and in Jacksonville starting in 1975. He played Little League in the Rogue […]
A question many climate concerned individuals face is: how do I talk about climate with friends, family, and co-workers who are less accepting of the science than am I? The pre-eminent organization in the U.S. exploring climate attitudes and ways of communicating about the science is the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication.
For the June […]
There will be a dedication/ribbon cutting at the new suspension bridge in Forest Park on June 5 at 10:00am. At that time, the official name will also be unveiled.
Visitors to Jacksonville’s Forest Park, a large city park located in the Jackson Creek Watershed, have given rave reviews on the newest park […]
The start of Fire Season was officially announced May 12 in Southern Oregon Department of Forestry Southwestern District. Conditions are pointing to be a very busy summer for wildfires and normally fire season starts at the beginning of June but this year there have been more than 30 wildfires caused by open burning and with […]
Wildfire Firewise Community Preparedness Day is a national campaign where people to come together on a single day to take action to raise awareness and reduce wildfire risks. Jacksonville is especially vulnerable to wildfires due to many homes being in the wildfire-urban interface, in close proximity to woodlands and forested land. Removing dead vegetation in […]
Water is life – in so many ways! Without adequate supplies, life is threatened, as are our agriculture, forests and fisheries, and our natural ecosystems. As the climate changes, droughts are occurring more frequently in southern Oregon resulting in adverse impacts to our water supplies as well as an increased risk of fire in the […]
On April 22, 2021, Michael R. Charles passed away suddenly of cardiac arrestat the age of 71. Michael was born in San Francisco to Robert and Lee Ann Charles and grew up in South San Francisco and Millbrae. He graduated from Mills High School in 1968 and attended Sonoma State.
Mike loved his family, friends, music, […]
At the Jacksonville Community Center, we are excited to be offering more programming as vaccination rates increase and infection levels decline. Now, after the hurdles of the past year, you can help us relaunch more fully in this improved environment.
As a nonprofit organization, the JCC […]
Jacksonville’s creaky boardwalks of yesteryear are today’s concrete sidewalks. But for people with disabilities, Jacksonville’s streets remain difficult to navigate, harkening back to when the streets were dirt during summer and a muddy mess during winter.
That will soon change. This spring through June, you’ll see workers on six corners of 5th Street (Oregon 238) from […]
Awen Winecraft is excited to announce the opening of their first tasting room, the “Inspiration Station,” in late February at the historic McCully House at 240 E. California Street. The location offers both indoor and outdoor seating with patio heaters and fire pits to keep everyone warm while they enjoy a glass or bottle of […]
Marge Wall, the owner of Country Quilts here in Jacksonville was passionate about quilting. It turns out, she was also passionate about cooking.
This past Christmas, Marge passed away. Her daughter Debbie was tasked with clearing out her mother’s personal belongings. Among the items were boxes and boxes of cookbooks that Marge had collected throughout her […]
The Jacksonville Garden Club is pleased to announce our Spring Sale on Saturday, May 8, 2021 from 10:00am-2:00pm, in the alcove next to the Post Office on Oregon Street. After a hiatus in 2020 due to Covid restrictions, we are thrilled to offer this event, modified a bit to accommodate Covid safety guidelines.
Club members will […]
When I started in real estate in 2004, my office was on the corner of 5th and California streets. One day I stepped outside to take a call and noticed something I had never seen before. Over the white picket fence was a house nestled amongst the trees and […]
City Council Meeting, March 2—Michael Cavallaro, the Executive Director of the Rogue Valley Council of Governments, presented his annual year-end review, a copy of which may be found on the city website.
Jacksonville Presbyterian Church submitted a small event packet for an outdoor Easter service with amplification on Sunday, April 4, 2021. It came before Council […]
As we reflect on the past year at the Jacksonville Community Center, the image that comes to mind is a river. On its journey, the river may encounter places where the water appears to be stopped, takes a bend, or circles in eddies, but overall, the current keeps […]
“Help…I’ve fallen and broken my ankle. Can you send help?”
“Where are you?”
“Uh…”
We all know that this conversation doesn’t have to take place if you take a few precautions.
I would say the first precaution to take is simply telling someone where you’re going hiking, and approximately for how long you’ll be gone. Sticking to that game […]
James Soule and Kristin Bria are the new innkeeper-owners of the famed TouVelle House, set for a soft reopening this March. The couple, formerly of the Napa/SF Bay Area closed on the property in June. “Since then,” James says, “we have largely been settling in and getting to know Jacksonville and performing many major and […]
During the month of March, Art Presence Art Center will change its “OPEN” days to Saturday and Sunday, rather than Friday and Saturday.
The hours will remain the same, 12 to 5 PM.
Come see us and enjoy our guest artists, the Woodworkers Guild.
~Anne Brooke, Director, Art Presence Art Center
Pot Rack owner, Erika Bishop, says they have partnered with Valley Mobile Sharpening Service to bring this much-loved and needed service back to Jacksonville. Customers may drop off knives and kitchen shears anytime during the week. Then, on Monday afternoons, Valley Mobile Sharpening will arrive in their custom sharpening van to expertly sharpen and hone […]
After being the Kiwanis Club of Jacksonville since being chartered in 1974, the Club has decided to merge with the Table Rock Club of Central Point who is celebrating their 30th anniversary. Kiwanis focuses on service projects connected to children and families in our area. By combining our Clubs and projects, we will be serving […]
While we all face the looming threats of climate change, communities of color, tribal communities and rural Oregonians are on the frontlines of this existential threat. The Almeda and South Obenchain fires were vivid examples of this reality, as many of the hardest hit residents were from historically marginalized and disadvantaged communities. To compound the […]
Spring is in the air and it’s time to celebrate! Enjoy some Irish shenanigans at Jacksonville’s St. Patrick’s Day event, Celebrate the Shamrock on Saturday, March 13, beginning at noon.
Shop our stores in town for special-themed discounts and giveaways. There will also be grand prize basket drawing valued at over $250! Enter to win at […]
When the first vaccines for COVID-19 were being developed, I signed up to participate locally in the Moderna trial. My decision to roll up my sleeve and get the shot was based on two things: my familiarity with mRNA technology and my belief that mRNA technology is the future of vaccines long before the pandemic.
I […]
Medford, OR. January 25, 2021: C&K Market, an independent chain of grocery stores in Oregon and California, completed a transaction to become 100% employee-owned through an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) trust. This enables employees to receive retirement […]
It is hot off the press! The new and updated Jacksonville Woodlands Association’s (JWA) trail map is now available. At this time, the maps can be found at Woodlands trailheads and Jacksonville’s Visitor Center. In addition, the City of Jacksonville has uploaded the map to their Avenza Maps account so that it is georeferenced and […]
The Jacksonville-Applegate Rotary Club was pleased to award $500 to the Bella Union Restaurant as part of the club’s Rotary Loves Jacksonville campaign.
In order to promote shopping locally through the holiday season, Rotarians and local residents would leave a Rotary Loves Jacksonville card when they shopped locally. At the end of December, cards were collected […]
Positive Consumer Ratings Led to Industry-Leading Distinction from Caring.com
JACKSONVILLE, OR — February 2021 — Pioneer Village is pleased to announce it has been selected as a 2021 Caring Star for service excellence in senior living. In consumer ratings and reviews on Caring.com, Pioneer Village earned a 5-star rating (the highest possible score) within the qualification […]