As I sit at the Mayor’s desk in City Hall, some of the duties that I am responsible for honoring are routine and even boring. Tasks that have to be done over and over, as Mayor, are just part of the job. Thankfully, there are also plenty […]
“Merritt Divorce Case Testimony Thrills J’ville” read the 1924 Medford Mail Tribune headline.
June may be a traditional time for weddings and all the accompanying pageantry, but there’s nothing like a juicy divorce to set neighborhood tongues wagging!
The Merritt divorce even gained statewide attention. Gossipy charges and counter charges included profanity, bad […]
There’s excitement at the box office, and the daily hum of activity can mean only one thing: It’s time to welcome you back to the pavilion for another summer of music making. In particular for this month’s column, I’d love to highlight a Night at the Orchestra!
You’ve probably noticed […]
SOHS Hanley Farm’s Heritage Plant Sale ends May 1, 11am to 3pm—this is the last opportunity to select from drought-tolerant, deer-resistant, sun, shade, herbs, native and pollinator-friendly choices.
The Society is changing with the times with a new website, https://sohs.org/. Our new look has been in the works since May […]
So, you’re invited to a Cinco de Mayo party and you’re not sure what to bring that is festive, fun AND unique. I give you cake! Not just any cake, but a slightly boozy concoction that looks stunning and tastes so refreshing.
Ingredients
For the cake:
5 room temperature […]
As a young girl I loved the Little House book series by Laura Ingalls Wilder, which chronicled her life growing up in the 1860s. I read the books innumerable times and when the television series came out, I was glued to it.
I had the pleasure of revisiting those books with my […]
U.S. home prices hit an all-time high in 2021, but those price increases are expected to slow in 2022 due to a number of economic factors. One of the biggest factors is how rising interest rates will impact the housing market. This used to be a pretty easy […]
Over the years, we have been fortunate to see world-class performances at the Britt Festival: Smokey Robinson, Steve Martin, Moody Blues, Doobie Brothers, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Kenny Loggins, Diana Ross, Willie Nelson, Robert Plant, ZZ Top, Judy Collins, Earth, Wind & Fire, Three Dog Night, Huey Lewis, Heart, […]
Yield curves are supposed to slope upward. For example, if you loaned your neighbor $1000 for a day, you’d probably ask for $1000 tomorrow. But, if the loan were for a year, perhaps you’d ask for $1100. How much would you ask for if the loan was for 30-years? […]
It’s that time of year again. We are all gearing up for summer and of paramount importance, it’s time to consider what summer will bring in the way of fire and smoke. This is a good opportunity to review the City of Jacksonville Emergency Evacuation Checklist and […]
The Jacksonville Boosters Club and the City are exploring a project that would refurbish one of Jacksonville’s Historic Landmarks, the “Gold First Found Here” marker on Applegate Street where it crosses Daisy Creek just after it branches off South 3rd. The original marker was placed there in 1932 by the Jacksonville […]
“Downton Abbey! Have you heard it’s coming back?”
A voice called from across the street, not far from Jacksonville’s historic downtown. We looked around, and realized it belonged to a neighbor whom we hadn’t seen for two mask-obscured years. We recalled that she was a Review reader familiar with our humble […]
It’s a pleasure to write my first column as Britt Music & Arts Festival’s new President and CEO, starting May 1. I’m pinching myself; I can’t believe I’ve been given the opportunity to steward this gem of Southern Oregon in its next chapter. And, of course, I’m arriving just […]
MEDFORD, OR — Britt Music & Arts Festival is excited to announce several more concerts for the 60th Anniversary Britt Presents season, adding more music and comedy performances to the previously announced lineup. This is the final announcement for the 2022 Britt Presents season, bringing the total number of concerts to 28. The announcement introduces […]
Spring is here and my palate is dreaming of lighter fare with a nice balance of acid and fat. So this year I decided to not do the big leg of lamb on Easter Sunday and instead do a lite and full of flavor version of lamb […]
Since 1991, Transportation Planning Rules have set transportation planning requirements for all Oregon cities and counties. It has become clear over the last decade that Oregon’s existing rules are not sufficient to meet Greenhouse Gas Reduction Targets.
On March 10, 2020, Governor Kate Brown issued Executive Order 20-04, directing […]
Just as spring arrives, just as the pandemic recedes and life begins to look a bit brighter, Vladimir Putin.
Seriously? Two insane years of Covid, massive political and social upheaval, The Great Resignation, spiraling inflation, and now a globally destabilizing war in Europe. Toss in personal life struggles and […]
Cutler has long been a supporter of the Boy Scouts. We provide volunteer hours, financial support, and have kids enrolled in the program. And, if there’s one thing that Scouting has taught us, it’s that you should always “Be Prepared.” This has been the Scouts’ motto since the organization […]
It seems like everything is more expensive than last year: food, cars, clothes, furniture, and gas which is getting dangerously close to $5 a gallon. But few year-over-year price increases compare to what’s happened to the housing market. The medium price of a home in Jackson County has ballooned […]
On April 6, from 6pm to 8:30pm, the Southern Oregon Historical Society presents “Spring SOHS Forward!” a fundraiser to publicly launch the $1.2 million Event Center capital project. Sponsors will cover dinner expenses, so proceeds from all ticket sales (tickets are $100/each) and auction sales will go directly to […]
We mentioned “remakes” in our last column: new movies based on existing properties that inspired studios and filmmakers to wanna do them again. Remake motivation for studio executives is obvious. If it made money before, the prospect of cashing in on the same property a second time is irresistible.
Motivation for […]
This month, I’d like to give you an overview of City Commissions and Committees. Jacksonville runs on a volunteer force, which is readily apparent in the folks who show up to serve.
There is a distinct difference between the two. To simplify, in Jacksonville, we have an elected […]
MEDFORD, OR — At this time, in line with other outdoor venues throughout the country, Britt Music & Arts Festival will no longer require masks, COVID testing, or proof of vaccine for our patrons at our outdoor venue in Jacksonville, Oregon. Masks are still optional. Ultimately, it is each patron’s decision whether or not to […]
JACKSONVILLE, OR — Britt Music & Arts Festival announces its first installment of concerts for the 60th Anniversary 2022 season this summer. The first of two season announcements presents a broad array of musical artists, including a return visit by ZZ Top, jazzy pop singer-songwriter Norah Jones, electric blues band Blues Traveler, a night of […]
Britt Music & Arts Festival announces the selection of a new President and CEO. The Britt Board of Directors is excited to introduce Abby McKee, who will become the new head of operations at Britt beginning May 1, 2022. After eleven years, current President and CEO, Donna Briggs, is retiring.
“Abby is the right leader for […]
Editor’s Note: At the January 4 City Council meeting, a standing-room-only audience packed New City Hall to pay tribute to Mayor Bowen’s yearly award recipients. On behalf of a grateful community, thank you to them and all of the volunteers who give so much to our community!
Kandee McClain, 2021 Jacksonville Person of the Year—Kandee McClain, […]
Featuring New Commission from Sebastian Chang & Star-Spangled Guest Artists
MEDFORD, OR — The Britt Festival Orchestra (BFO) announces its 2022 60th Anniversary summer season, anchoring Oregon’s Britt Music and Arts Festival with three weeks of exhilarating open-air programming in historic Jacksonville, Oregon. Under the inspirational leadership of Music Director Teddy Abrams, the 2022 season opens […]
Homeowners often want to turn a den, office, or attic into a bedroom. Who doesn’t want the extra space for family or guests, even if it’s small? Defining a legal bedroom may seem simple, but despite clear building codes, the process is not as clear cut as you […]
It’s March and spring is in the air! The daffodils and forsythia are blooming, and the birds have on their “mating colors,” so Love seems an appropriate topic for this month’s Pioneer Profile —although in this case the Love in question is John Love and the Love family.
John Swan Love was […]
Instant Pot and Crock Pot recipes continue to be all the rage. I find this form of cooking handy for sure, but it doesn’t really inspire. The dishes all come out pretty much the same… over-cooked. Well, I changed my mind when I tried this little dandy. […]
You were up at five AM on February 8, anxiously awaiting revelation of the 2021 Oscar nominations, right?
Yeah, neither were we, but then, we’re old hands at this. We slept in, and looked them up on the ‘net later in the day. We felt pretty smug because we’d actually seen […]
AN OBJECTIFIED ME.
I need that myself
to help the other separate the viewer
and the viewed
which subjectivity’s mirror
fuses;
someone
for a short time
to wear my problem so that unburdened
I
may
save
my soul.*
I love stories. I love listening to them, reading them, telling them. I am privileged, in my work, to listen to the life stories of […]
Understanding Credit Scores—Before you can improve your credit score, you must understand it, know how it’s calculated and what it’s used for.
Your credit score is a part of the package of information lenders use to decide whether or not they will lend you money or extend credit. Besides lenders, […]
In last month’s column I gave a report on work that went on last year in City Hall and its departments. This month I’ll bring you up to date on City Council projects. Next month I will feature City Commissions and Committees. My aim is to give […]
Our year-end donation match campaign put the Southern Oregon Historical Society on track for turning the dream of a downtown Medford Event Center and museum into a reality. The architects have begun transforming concepts into floor plans, reviews are underway, and it’s time to kick-off the campaign to renovate […]
“The times, they are a changing”—and the Southern Oregon Historical Society is changing with the times! We need a new logo to reflect the new SOHS, and you are invited to create one for us.
Because of the broad public that we serve—members, volunteers, community individuals and organizations, school children, visitors, and guests from all over—we […]
Since Helena and Marc Lopez’ move to Southern Oregon from Escondido last October, despite Covid setbacks, business plans for her new store, Trotting Fox Boutique, have clipped along nicely—as if they were meant to happen.
“I thought about getting back into real estate, because I did that in California, but I was not really feeling it,” […]
What could feel cozier against an autumn chill than sipping on a mug of something hot and snuggling deep beneath a sumptuous quilt? It’s time to stow the lighter spread and bring out the stack of hand-wrought covers for warmth and winter comforts.
For nearly 35 years, visitors and residents of Jacksonville have discovered beautiful, American-made […]
MEDFORD, OR — In honor of the 60th Anniversary of the Britt Festival Orchestra (BFO) in 2022 and in recognition of Teddy Abrams being honored with Musical America’s 2022 Composer of the Year Award, Britt Music and Arts Festival will establish a $500,000 Britt Festival Orchestra Fund. The fund will be used to support the […]
Sinking into a comfy seat in a crowded auditorium ain’t gonna happen for us—yet. The good news, however, is that we all can be entertained at home (for just a little longer).
May we recommend Director Peter Jackson’s perfect (we mean it) documentary, The Beatles: Get Back, streaming on Disney+. The […]
Well, congratulations. We made it into another new year. And regardless of how you may be feeling about this fact, I think we should all be feeling darned good about ourselves for having slogged through what can only be described as the weirdest—if not the worst—two years in recent history. We’re […]
Happy Chinese New Year—the year of the Tiger. A tiger by definition is fierce, determined, and ambitious. Sounds like a recipe for success that all of us can follow as we forge into another year of uncertainty. So, in honor of that tiger within […]
Although everyone hoped COVID-19 would be a faded memory by now and that the economy would have recovered, this has not been the case, and the pandemic’s influence on the economy is still being felt. Although it is rebounding, COVID continues to impact economic growth and many economists […]
In 2021 the housing market saw growth that we hadn’t seen in 16 years. Home sales and home prices both reached record highs. If you benefited from this surge, it depended on if you were selling a home.
The median-priced home saw double-digit growth in Jackson County over 2021 prices. […]
February is a month where we celebrate many things. President’s Day comes to mind, and with it a long weekend. Super Bowl Sunday should be a national holiday. And, of course, there’s Valentine’s Day. This month, let’s talk about love. And finance. Okay, words that don’t often go together. […]
As we start the New Year, I’m reflecting back on what we have all gone through the last two years. The months have been both agonizingly slow and surprisingly fast. Slow when I think of the things we cannot easily do, that we used to take for […]
Happy 2022! As I look back at 2021, SOHS Hanley Farm—despite Covid 19 and variants—has continued to present new, and ongoing annual events for all to enjoy. In addition to the several Hanley Farm events, there were a couple of other exciting, noteworthy events last year!
Southern Oregon Historical Society […]
Editor’s Note—In February, Jacksonville traditionally celebrates Chinese New Year, although there are no planned activities this year due to changes brought on by the pandemic. The following article pays tribute to the Chinese immigrants who first arrived in Oregon in the 1850s, despite them receiving anything but a “welcome” by most […]
After 11 years with Britt Music and Arts Festival, I will retire soon, so this is my last “News from the Hill” column. With approximately 110 columns (about 11 a year) under my belt, you’d think I might have run out of things to say. Yet that hasn’t […]
Easy Peasy with just 5 ingredients and you get to use a blowtorch! What could be better! Seriously though, we spend much of the holidays eating pie, pie and more pie. I’m not knocking pie… a good pie is like it’s own food group! But Crème […]