In this month’s “Sensational Seniors” article, I honor the spirit of two well-known and well-loved Jacksonville ladies, Lou McBride and Donna McNurlen, known by their business name as the “Two Macs.” It’s only fitting that these two long-time friends and self-motivated and hard-working entrepreneurs both passed away in January of 2018. […]
Time after time, we get calls here at the shop from people asking us to sell sets of dishes owned by a relative. While we sometimes buy, a determining factor in doing so is, “what is it you’re trying to sell?” If it’s Nippon, Limoges, Spode, or Noritake, they’re lovely […]
Selling a home is not for sissies. Between the last-minute showings, scurrying to clean up the pile of toys and stuff more junk into the junk drawer, the stress of negotiations when an offer finally does comes in, and wondering what hidden issues the home inspection may bring, […]
Last weekend, we had a great time in Ashland. It was a date night and we had dinner at MAS, a new restaurant serving a pre-fixed, eleven-course dinner with a pairing of Sake or Wine. After that, we stayed the night at the historic Ashland Springs Hotel. When we […]
I need to start this column by thanking a couple of people, who through their efforts have made a positive contribution to our city: Donna McMann and Donna Williams, neither of whom lived in Jacksonville.
Donna McMann possessed a beautiful, circa 1880s upright piano which she treated with […]
This summer you can again experience the world of 19th Century banking when you step behind the counter of the oldest bank in the Pacific Northwest, preserved intact since its proprietor’s death in 1915. Established by Cornelius C. Beekman as a gold dust office in 1856 and moved to its current […]
Anyone who has been to the Britt Music and Arts Festival knows that it offers an experience like no other. Throughout the region there are different outdoor music venues for both the young and old to attend, which seems to suggest something. Going to outdoor music venues gives us […]
Despite occasional downpours, we had a terrific turnout at our annual Heritage Plant Sale. Intrepid gardeners arrived early each day to find that perfect piece of history to add to their landscape. There were as many as 50 different varieties of plants to choose from, including purple and lavender […]
JACKSONVILLE, OR – Britt unveiled its 2018 Fine Arts Poster on Tuesday, May 15 at Jacksonville Elementary School in Jacksonville. This year’s work is a beautiful quilt by Jacksonville textile artist Karen Hanken. The poster is the 34th in a series celebrating Britt through the visual arts. The piece, titled “Britt ScRhapsody”, features a mosaic […]
Britt Music & Arts Festival and the Rogue Gallery & Art Center present Britt Orchestra Music Director and Conductor Teddy Abrams in a free piano performance during the monthly Third Friday art walk in downtown Medford at 6:30 p.m. on May 18. Teddy will perform an hour-long recital of music from his repertoire. The general […]
While compiling Rogue Valley Wine, a pictorial history of the local wine industry co-authored with Eric Weisinger (Arcadia Publishing, 2011), I became familiar with Jacksonville’s iconic pioneer photographer, horticulturalist and winemaker Peter Britt (1819-1905). Today his name is synonymous with the summer music festival held above First Street in Jacksonville. And with the growing reputation […]
“On a day – alack the day! –
Love, whose month is ever May,
Spied a blossom passing fair
Playing in the wanton air.”
William Shakespeare, “Love’s Labor’s Lost,” Act IV, Scene 3
This scene in Shakespeare’s comedy involves King Ferdinand and his three attending lords reading aloud poems they have written to their love […]
If you suffer from allergies, the thought of breathing is challenging as the sneezing and itchy eyes, and scratchy throat… make you feel miserable. Some of us with pulmonary issues can experience more severe manifestations, like asthma.
Here are a few helpful suggestions inspired by Ayerveda, which is the yogic approach to […]
Pouring cream into coffee is a tradition borrowed from the Europeans. Before coffee makers succeeded in separating the grounds from the water, coffee was often too strong or bitter. A bit of sugar and a splash of cream smoothed-away the bitterness, making a more enjoyable hot drink. Cream and sugar […]
With spring in full swing, you may be thinking about buying a home but are not sure where to start. Here’s a list of the main items that typically occur when purchasing a home.
A visitor stopped by my office the other day to discuss a dream she has. That dream is to one day see a world where everyone who is handicapped and wheelchair-bound will have the freedom of movement to go where others go who take it for granted. […]
The Gold Diggers are a mainstay of the Southern Oregon Historical Society. Doug McGeary says it best, “The Society would not be the same without them! The quality of the programs is owed to these remarkable women.” In April, the Gold Diggers celebrated their 40th year of service, and […]
Our readers may have noticed that we have an affinity for dogs. This doesn’t mean we automatically adore any movie featuring a canine (some are dogs, and we don’t mean that in a good way), but it does suggest we’ll make the effort to spend an afternoon at a matinee. […]
In early 2016, we sent out a survey to 2,600 constituents asking for extensive input from our community. First, we determined how often the respondent attends concerts and for how many years they have been attending. By determining previous involvement, we were able to gauge their familiarity with our […]
JACKSONVILLE, OR — Britt Music & Arts Festival has announced the remaining concert schedule for 2018, doubling the number of shows that have previously been announced while bringing big variety and big names. Britt is excited to announce concerts with 80’s sensation Boy George & Culture Club (Sept. 11), rising alt-pop stars Portugal. The Man, […]
For thousands of years, people of India and Asian countries have known the benefits of drinking water from Copper Vessels because of its many health benefits, especially its antibacterial property. I learned this practice from a teacher who was an Ayurvedic doctor. Ayurveda medicine is an integrative approach to health that […]
Jerry and Nell Mathern have lived in their 5th Street Jacksonville home for 46 years and, in those years, have endeared themselves to many of us who call Jacksonville home. Jerry’s life started in Sioux Falls, South Dakota on June 22, 1939. Jerry’s father tried his hand at a number of […]
The wearing of a hat is as old as civilization. A head covering is worn for protection against all types of weather, ceremonial and religious mandates, modesty, safety, and as a fashion accessory.
Hats were a symbol of social status or class. A Top-hat in the 19th century was worn as […]
There’s a lively and colorful movement growing here in Southern Oregon, and it embodies beauty and environmental stewardship with an intention to reverse pollinator decline.
It’s the Rogue Buzzway project sponsored by Pollinator Project Rogue Valley (PPRV), and you can bee a part of it. The Buzzway is a map of […]
Retaining walls can be functional and also just enhance your landscape. There are many options for style, color, texture, material and cost.
Function and necessity are usually the reasons for the installation of a retaining wall but in many situations retaining walls add depth and character to a sloped or steeply-graded […]
As a real estate broker, I spend a lot of my time looking at homes and conducting research. One of the things I do most often is preparation of a comparative market analysis (CMA), which is a document that helps determine the selling price range of a home […]
Often, we get asked how to increase the value of a home before selling it. Sometimes the answer is simple, and sometimes the answer is more complicated, especially if the seller is interested in investing a little time or money. There are some improvements that increase the value of […]
Hanley Farm Heritage Plant Sale—This sale is Hanley Farm’s most anticipated and beloved event and takes place on April 28 and 29, from 10:00am to 3:00pm. Here, you’ll have the opportunity to take home a piece of history to add to your landscape. Once you’ve located your historical treasure, […]
A Wrinkle in Time, Madeleine L’Engle’s award-winning 1962 novel, is beloved by generations of readers. It is “science fantasy”—too fanciful to be considered science fiction, but brimming with science-y theories on traveling through space without a spaceship. And, as with the most memorable children’s tales, it stresses the power of […]
Britt Music & Arts Festival announces that “Symphony for Nature,” the documentary film that tells the story about the Britt Orchestra’s performance at Crater Lake in 2016, has been selected to be screened as part of the 2018 Ashland Independent Film Festival. This will be the film festival premiere of the film, which is being […]
Though it was half a century ago, it seems as fresh to me now as the day it happened. I was what they called a Data Processing Manager in those days. One of those fellows who ran all of the business computer systems which included Operations, Systems […]
JACKSONVILLE, OR — With its second season announcement for 2018, Britt Music & Arts Festival is adding a variety of popular music artists to the summer line-up. Britt fan favorite Michael Franti & Spearhead returns Saturday, June 16 for the 13th year in a row with both an afternoon family matinee as well as their […]
We aren’t enamored of streaming services.
We don’t object to them. We just haven’t felt the need to sign up for “additional services.” We like network TV—free TV—although we know its future is shaky. So we tried to delay the inevitable…
…At least, until last fall, when we signed up for CBS […]
One question has come up recently that I would like to address. Many patrons are asking, “Is Britt going to announce the 2018 season in thirds?” Logically, since Britt is now announcing the 2018 Season in February, March and April, patrons might assume that it makes sense to break […]
As we approach spring, it is a perfect time for spring-cleaning your body. The less obvious place to start is in your mouth. Specifically, your tongue, which plays a very obscure but important role in your overall well-being. The tongue is perhaps one of the most underrated and neglected organs in […]
When my wife and I moved to Jacksonville six years ago, we met numerous fine Jacksonville citizens and in so doing several names were frequently mentioned; among them were Pete Dahl, Lee Lewis, John Braislin and Jerry Ferronato. Unfortunately, I missed out on the opportunity to meet Pete, Lee and John […]
Kitchen utensils are an everyday item that one rarely spends any time thinking about, until you can’t find the one you are looking for.
Kitchen drawers all over America are over-filled with tools one doesn’t necessarily need. I call these “vanity tools.” Do you really need a pincer to remove a […]
“It standeth north-north-east
and by east from the west corner of thy curious- knotted garden:
there did I see that low-spirited
swain, that base minnow of thy mirth…”
~William Shakespeare’s Love’s Labor’s Lost, Act I, Scene 1
In this scene, the fantastical Spaniard, Don Adriano de Armado, inserts himself into the Bard’s romantic comedy before […]
Clients repeatedly ask me about Zillow. For those who aren’t familiar with Zillow, it’s a website offering an opinion of a home’s value called a “Zestimate” and it is prominently displayed on each property’s listing page.
While that information is helpful for buyers and sellers, Zillow’s Zestimate can be […]
My background in investments had been my 401K and my personal stock portfolio. Thirty five years of my life was spent in the High Tech industry so that became the majority of my stock portfolio. I have seen my high tech stocks double, triple and then crash! It wasn’t […]
I know a young man who was recently visiting who needed to pick-up two weeks of work in order to earn money to return home. When the time came for him to be picked-up and taken to the job, he became flustered because he couldn’t find his […]
Last May, the Southern Oregon Historical Society accepted the donation of Ashland’s “Amphibious Fire Engine” from a Medford family. The engine acquired its curious nickname in the 1948 Ashland flood. As it prepared “to pump out the basement of Weitzel’s department store on the Ashland Plaza, a bridge collapsed […]
With women today finding their voices and power by sharing their experiences, organizing, marching, demonstrating, and seeking political office, a look at some powerful pioneer women seems in order.
A woman’s role was considerably different in the 19th Century. It was a “man’s world.” But while subject to male dominance, women usually […]
JACKSONVILLE, OR — Britt Music & Arts Festival announces its first group of concerts in 2018 season lineup, coming to the outdoor amphitheater on the Britt hill in scenic Jacksonville, Oregon this summer. The first of three scheduled season announcements presents a wide variety of musical artists, including the funk-rock of Primus, a capella choruses […]
“The short-term, dopamine-driven feedback loops we’ve created including the hearts, likes, and thumbs up of various social media channels are destroying how society works. There’s no civil discourse, no cooperation; only misinformation, mistruth.” Chamath Palihapitiy, Former Vice-President for User Growth, Facebook
There it is. Straight from the dragon’s mouth. New-tech minds exploiting the most vulnerable elements […]
I read the other day the difference between having cancer or not is just one radicalized cell…out of billions. Makes me rethink the microwave.
The difference between driving safely down the highway and a horrific head on collision is one ill-timed text or hot coffee spill. Maybe extra hot to […]
Science now shows us that there is more to a healthy heart than just diet and exercise. A study led by author and cardiologist Ilan Wittstein, M.D showed that, “sudden emotional stress can also result in severe but reversible heart muscle weakness that mimics a classic heart attack.” The challenge is […]
This “Sensational Seniors” article features the engaging personality of Paul Parker, who celebrated his 95th birthday on December 21, 2017. Paul resides in Pioneer Village and is a Jacksonville treasure, and is one of our few surviving World War II veterans. Paul has a story to tell, beginning with his birth […]
Coffee is a beverage which the whole world consumes. Roasting, grinding, and serving are subjects that could be discussed at length, but I want to focus on grinding.
When coffee was introduced as a beverage in the 1200’s by the Arabians, small amounts of beans were roasted at meal times and […]
February is when many people start to wonder if it’s time to put their house up for sale. It’s not a bad idea to start thinking this way, as spring marks the beginning of the busiest home-selling and home-buying season in most areas. With warmer weather, more daylight, […]