Whitman Parker is Owner and Publisher of Jacksonville Review and Southern Oregon Wine Scene magazines. 
THIS JUNE, you’ll find events for everyone in the family at every turn. As the temperature heats up outside, a plethora of events awaits in our historic landmark town.
At the top of the list, June 3 marks the kickoff of the Britt Music Festival with Bonnie Raitt playing to a sold-out […]
IT’S MAY… and that means it’s trolley season in our historic landmark town. For decades, Jacksonville’s iconic trolley has been a familiar site in the warmer months. But did you know the Chamber of Commerce now operates three trolleys and that a fourth is rumored to be in the works? The […]
AS WINTER BECOMES SPRING in Jacksonville, something magical begins to happen—the air softens, the light lingers a little longer each evening, and town slowly awakens. Spring here is not just a change of season, it’s an invitation to get outside.
After months of cozy indoor routines, spring urges us back outdoors. The […]
As I reflect on 2025, I’m filled with immense gratitude for the unwavering support of the Jacksonville community. This year has been a testament to the strength of our town—made possible by the collective efforts of our advertising clients, dedicated volunteers, and volunteer columnists who contribute their time […]
AS THE SCENT of woodsmoke mingles with autumn colors and the promise of Thanksgiving feasts, I find myself reflecting on the extraordinary pleasure of calling Jacksonville home. Gratitude seems to come naturally here—it’s a part of the rhythm of small-town life as seen in the smiles exchanged on the streets and […]
During the week of September 10, I received news that Lifeline Computer Solutions, the new owner of the building that’s housed Picos Worldwide on California Street for 21 years, notified the business to vacate the property by year end. The reason: Lifeline is moving its corporate offices into the building—legal under […]
ONE OF THE BEST THINGS about living in Jacksonville is that you never really face life alone. Our little town has a way of wrapping its arms around people—especially when neighbors step up to help each other. This issue is dedicated to my dear friend, Frank De Luca, who spent his life teaching us to […]
WILDFIRE SEASON in the Jacksonville area can be unpredictable and devastating. As wildfires grow in frequency and intensity, preparation becomes paramount. You’ve heard this mantra before, I know. If you currently don’t have a Go Bag, get one as soon as possible. It’s one of the most important steps […]
JUNE 3, 2025—THE COUNCIL held its regular session as well as a Public Hearing to address a re-evaluation of a land partition application for the Touvelle House, located at 455 N. Oregon Street. Late in 2024, the Planning Commission had rejected a plan to create two small building lots on […]
LOCALS KNOW that one of the greatest pleasures in life is calling Jacksonville home. Nested at the edge of the Rogue Valley, our little town manages to strike a rare and beautiful balance—steeped in history yet vibrantly alive with culture, creativity, and community. Our town may be small in geographical size, […]
Police Chief Towe to Retire—Police Chief David Towe announced his retirement in a social media post on May 7, saying in part, “May 8th will mark my 34th anniversary with the city of Jacksonville. This seems like a great time to say thank you to all the citizens of this […]
BUDGET SEASON BEGINS—At its monthly work session on April 15, council, staff and budget committee members met to review and preview the 2025-26 fiscal year budget. The most notable discussion centered on the need to shore-up funding for the fire department, which is fully funded for the next year. Going […]
PRIOR TO RUNNING MY PUBLISHING EMPIRE, I was an enterprising sales professional—a job I started fresh out of college that made me one of the youngest in the office for years and years. Early on, I received advice from older, more experienced people, whether I asked for it or not. One […]
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 […]
Library Update—Library Director Kari May and Board Member Marta Tarantsey presented a brief overview of the Jacksonville County Library system, including its goals for 2025. The library is celebrating its 10th anniversary as a tax district that is funded via a property tax levy […]
THIS MONTH, I am proud to publish a new column by Mike McClain, dubbed “Vital Volunteers,” wherein Mike will bring us an up-close-and-personal perspective on the many volunteers and non-profit groups that make Jacksonville thrive.
As we know, Jacksonville is a small town with a big heart, and we are well-known for […]
City Council Meeting, January 7, 2025
Public Comment—Sue Miler requested that the council reconsider plans to halve the number of pickleball courts at Pheasant Meadows Park from 4 to 2. She based this request upon the significant number of town residents supporting the sport and wishing to utilize a city park. Because […]
IT’S ALWAYS FUN TO CELEBRATE THE LUNAR NEW YEAR, so once again, I invite you to join our friends at SOCCA, the Southern Oregon Chinese Cultural Association, for Lunar New Year in Jacksonville. This year is The Year of the Snake, and the festivities happen the day after Valentine’s Day, on […]
I RARELY USE THESE PAGES to share my thoughts on national politics, opting instead to focus on very local issues that impact us as a town. However, I’m diverging a bit here due to a text message I received on election night from a close Jacksonville friend. Dating […]
PLEASE JOIN ME IN SUPPORTING Donna Bowen for Mayor and Steve Casaleggio, Andrea Thompson, and John Jorgenson for City Council. Every two years, we elect a slate of volunteers to represent the best interests of our citizenry. This year we are fortunate to have a slate of highly-qualified citizens running for […]
OUR THEME THIS month is “wellness,” a topic I know we value as a community—one that ranks as a top reason most of us choose to live here. For certain, life in a small town has its pluses and minuses. On the positive side, supporting the quest for good mental and […]
THIS MONTH, we’re celebrating and having some fun with our canine friends in town. All month, check our Instagram and Facebook where you’ll find photos of the four-legged friends who make Jacksonville extra special!
On a political note, please see Mayor Donna Bowen’s column on […]
ON JUNE 8, more than 100 friends gathered in the Jacksonville Cemetery at the Sexton’s tool shed for a marker dedication ceremony to honor Dirk Siedlecki, who passed away in 2023. The ceremony was officiated by Eric Rogers, current president of the Friends of Jacksonville’s Historic Cemetery. As Eric noted, in […]
AS WE STEP into the vibrant month of June, it offers a packed schedule of events and opportunities to get out and enjoy our beloved Jacksonville and its surroundings. With summer in full swing, there’s no shortage of places to explore, celebrate, and make memories with friends!
First and foremost, awaiting us […]
I WANT TO REMIND OUR READERS about the importance of dining and shopping locally in our charming town. Supporting our local businesses isn’t just about convenience or preference; it’s about nurturing our community and bolstering our local economy.
When you choose to dine at our local restaurants or shop at our small […]
City Council, March 5—City Recorder Angela Watson opened the meeting by swearing in our newest Firefighter, Kellen Kerrigan. Kellen, 21, is a Rogue Valley native, who boasts deep roots in the area alongside his twin brother and older sister. He graduated from Crater High School in […]
THIS MONTH, I’m looking forward to putting in some extra time on our woodland trails as our annual wildflower season bursts forth. From my view, a great way to spend time and get exercise is out on the trails spotting wildflowers—and there are plenty to spot including the world-famous […]
THIS VERY SPECIAL ISSUE of the Review is dedicated to two wonderful groups of women who are making Jacksonville a better place to live—they are women making history today and hail from the volunteer, non-profit and business community. It’s my hope that tomorrow’s leaders will look back […]
THE RESULTS OF THE CITY’S annual budget audit were presented, (see city website jacksonvilleor.us for a full-length copy) revealing a healthy financial status. As summed up at the meeting, the city received the highest ranking available for fiscal management.
The report also stated, FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS:
The assets of the City […]
I CAN’T THINK OF A BETTER WAY to ring in 2024 than with the Lunar New Year celebration on February 17, from 10am-3pm, on Britt Hill. Thanks to Jeresa Hren’s team at the Southern Oregon Chinese Cultural Association (SOCCA), Britt Festivals, and some generous sponsors, (including the Review), Lunar […]
I hope you’ll join me in reveling in the magic of the holiday season as captured on our inspiring cover. Thanks to Amy Kranenburg at Happy Alpaca Toy Store, it was created to put a smile on your face and remind us that the holidays are […]
Part of what makes Jacksonville “Jacksonville” is having a relationship with town employees—office staff, public works, firemen…and cops. Over the last year, Jacksonville’s Police Department, under Chief Dave Towe, has been operating on a skeleton crew with 2.5 patrol officers and the chief. Reasons cited for a lack of police staffing […]
This month, our cover story on Firewise leader Linda Davis comes as Jacksonville once again finds itself in the path of wildfires surrounding the Rogue Valley. Because of Linda and her dedication to making Jacksonville a safer place to live, more and more of us are aware of what we can […]
Successful municipalities run on tight budgets…something our city staff and council have mastered due to our small tax base. At its April 13 Budget Committee meeting, staff presented their 3-year budget projections in advance of the first formal budget meeting on May 11. (If needed, follow-up meetings will be held on […]
On the heels of this winter’s weather, it’s a pleasure to see signs of spring in the air… and in the garden. Luckily for us, there are lots of fun events this April to reinvigorate us and get us out and about.
In this […]
When I heard the news that Dirk Siedlecki had passed away, a piece of my heart broke. Dirk was one of “those” guys—one you admire right off the bat and like more and more as the years go on. For 15 years, I was lucky to chat with Dirk several times […]
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’s the most wonderful time of year in town—having counted our blessings at Thanksgiving, it’s time to celebrate Victorian Christmas with a long list of must-do community activities and events. In this two-month holiday issue, you’ll find information on everything from the Tree Lighting ceremony to the annual Christmas Parade […]
If you haven’t yet returned your mail-in ballot, I’d like to remind you that I have endorsed three candidates for Jacksonville City Council: Ken Gregg, Andy Hellenthal and Ryan Hess. As I stated in my October column, all have previous Jacksonville-based civic […]
Having covered City Council races since 2008, I’m familiar with what makes a good candidate and ultimately an effective councilor. This time around, I encourage you to vote for Ken Gregg, Andy Hellenthal and Ryan Hess. Please read their Candidate Statements on pages 12-14 and Mayor Donna Bowen’s monthly column on […]
This month, I wanted to circle back around and touch base on a few perennial topics that are always on my mind. During the first week of June, town will see an influx of visitors as the Britt Festival season kicks off, setting the stage for another amazing season of popular […]
This year’s Oregon Wine Experience (OWE) will be held from August 17-21…and it has a new home! Stephen Gambee, an owner/partner of Stage Pass, and Andrea Reeder, Vice President and Executive Director of Asante Foundation, sat down with the Review to share this exciting news. This year, the Oregon Wine Experience will be held at […]
There are so many locals who rejoice in telling me that spring is their favorite time of year…it’s really no wonder since the practically perfect weather makes getting out and about a breeze. As it warms up and the hours of sunlight increase, many of us are upping the number of […]
I’m deviating from my normal column to bring you the latest news from the Jacksonville business community. At this writing, more than a dozen local businesses are shifting focus, owners and locations—here they are, in no particular order in Our Small Town with Big Atmosphere!
Kubli Haus—After a major renovation by Kathleen […]
I started off 2022 unlike any other year with a phone call from an Urgent Care physician to inform me, “You’ve tested positive for COVID!” As you know, I don’t publish a January issue and generally head out of town to recharge my solar batteries. As such, I was hanging out […]
My View – December 2021/January 2022
For nearly 15 years, I’ve used this column to highlight members of our community for their unending volunteer service. This month, I’d like to get a little closer to home, a little more personal in expressing my thanks to friends and neighbors who’ve been there for my wife, Jo and […]
All of a sudden, November is here and we find ourselves at the beginning of the holiday season—a good time to take stock of how grateful we are for our community and the positive lifestyle it offers. Every day here in Jacksonville, we are the recipients of gifts from volunteers—the ones […]
Okay, not THAT kind of centerfold…it’s one that might save your life in case of a major natural disaster such as wildland fire, forest fire or earthquake. The full-sized, color-coded Evacuation Map on page 17 is designed as a pull-out for you to keep in case of […]
With deference to the great Yogi Berra and in today’s parlance, it sure seems as if we’ve “been there done that” when it comes to this pandemic. Just when we thought it was safe to go back in the water, the Delta variant emerged, exploded, and then wiped out any hope […]
As town reemerges from isolation in the wake of the pandemic, every masked and unmasked person I bump into basically has the same thing to say: “It’s nice to be out and about again…visiting my friends and sharing my life with others!” Indeed, it’s the sharing of experiences that makes life […]