I will be blunt. Before I became a real estate broker, I didn’t think all that highly of the profession. I had been working as a city land use planner and had many occasions where buyers and their agents didn’t do their due diligence until after the property […]
2018 started out with a bang and we saw the median price of a home in Jackson County increase to $285,000—up from $194,500 in 2013. This means the average home has seen its value increase $18,000 a year. The number of homes sold has also increased this year by […]
It’s here! The Southern Oregon Historical Society hosts its second annual music festival Saturday, September 8, at Hanley Farm, the “Bluegrass Promenade.” Rainy & the Rattlesnakes, Siskiyou Summit and Waking Hazel perform music that blends Irish, Scotch and English folk traditions—the very best of bluegrass classic and contemporary sounds.
Music […]
On September 22, 2018, the Friends of St. Joseph’s are hosting “A Bid for History”—a dinner and auction to support the ongoing care and preservation of Jacksonville’s classical 1868 Catholic Rectory, a significant piece of local history. However, it only became the Catholic Rectory in 1875 when Reverend Francis Xavier Blanchet […]
As your Mayor, I’m always ready to take responsibility for my actions. Screw Up—‘Fess Up is my rule. So imagine my surprise when confronted with accusations of sponsoring the meals tax initiative on this November’s election ballot. Evidently the assumption was made on the part of some, […]
MEDFORD, OR — The Britt Music & Arts Festival is happy to announce the return of Britt Orchestra performances to the Britt Pavilion in Jacksonville for its final weekend of concerts on Friday, August 10 and Saturday, August 11. Rehearsals scheduled for Tuesday through Saturday, August 7 – 11, will be held at the Britt […]
Early settlers recognized the Rogue Valley’s potential for grape and wine production long before the World of Wine, now the Oregon Wine Experience, began celebrating the award-winning varietals being produced in the region’s many micro-climes. As early as 1854, Peter Britt, the father of Southern Oregon’s wine industry, planted his first […]
MEDFORD, OR — Due to continued rehearsals and performances located at North Medford High School, the Britt Orchestra has released a revised rehearsal schedule. Some rehearsal times have changed to accommodate transportation of musicians. Closed rehearsals require a pass for entry:
2018 BRITT ORCHESTRA Rehearsal Revised Schedule – Updates for weeks 2 & 3
(All times except […]
The Jville Market was fluttering with excitement Sunday, July 8, for the Jacksonville Pollinator Society’s (JPS) 2nd annual Pollinator Appreciation Day Event.
JPS team members chatted with visitors while the children’s booth, run by our youth advocates, was abuzz with activity. Pollinator Project Rogue Valley (PPRV) educated folks about Nontoxic Rogue […]
Before you go camping this summer, stop in to Pickety Place, pick up some vintage items and then go “old school” camping.
Take a 3 or 5-gallon crock instead of a cooler to keep your items cold. It might be heavy, but if you are near a very cold mountain stream, […]
I am sitting in my camper at Lake of the Woods as I write this article, reflecting about life. I usually write about land use or real estate issues, but summer is upon me and I want to talk about this wonderful Rogue Valley we call home. The […]
We’re planning a wedding. Our youngest found her soul-mate. He is one very fortunate young man. It’s a good thing I really like him. It would have been an uphill battle all the way, spoken of course in the narrative of the “father of the bride.”
The toast is being […]
Southern Oregon has attracted retirees for years with its four seasons, culture, wine industry and outdoor activities, all combined with great healthcare and affordable housing. For the last sixteen years, we have been helping hundreds of people find their perfect retirement home and along the way we have learned […]
Summertime and the livin’ is easy…
Fish are jumpin’ and the cotton is high
Those lyrics Ira wrote to his brother George’s music seem very appropriate as we head into August and the heart of summer. Summertime! The mere word brings thoughts of picnics on the lawn, blankets on the beach and boating on the lake. For […]
MEDFORD, OR — Britt Orchestra Music Director Teddy Abrams and management have announced changes in the remaining four concerts in the 2018 Britt Orchestra Season due to possible continued performances at the North Medford High School Auditorium. Logistical challenges prevent the orchestra from performing Mahler’s Symphony No. 6 at the temporary venue, which was originally […]
MEDFORD, OR — Due to continued unpredictable air quality, Britt Music & Art Festival plans to present the Friday, August 3 and Saturday, August 4 Britt Orchestra concerts at the North Medford High School Auditorium. All rehearsals are scheduled to continue to be held at North Medford High School, located at 1900 N. Keene Way […]
MEDFORD, OR — Due to the extreme smoky conditions prevailing in the region, the BrittKids Koncert series has been relocated until further notice. The free morning concerts for kids will now be held at the Oak Grove Elementary School gymnasium. Doors will open at 9:30 AM and the concerts will begin at 10:15 AM as […]
The SOHS “Roots 2018 Music Festival” is just around the corner. On September 8, Hanley Farm will come alive with the music of banjo, fiddle, guitar, mandolin and bass as music ensembles perform in small groups on the lawns, the main stage and the dance pavilion. This year’s “Bluegrass […]
The “Sensational Senior” candidate for this month is arguably Jacksonville’s best known and loved citizen, who through 51 years of teaching has positively impacted thousands of young lives. As always, my approach is to start from the beginning, and in Larry’s case, his was on July 3, 1940 when he and […]
This August 25th marks the 100th anniversary of illustrious composer/conductor Leonard Bernstein’s birth.
And this column in the august August Jacksonville Review marks our 100th contribution as your ever-faithful Unfettered Critics. As CE3K’s Roy Neary said to his bewildered family: “This means something.”
Or not. Maybe it’s just mashed potatoes.
We often struggle […]
Everyone loves a love story and this one is so special that we have decided to reprint excerpts from a previously-published story. It began back in 1972 (not long after Britt began), when two Pan Am crew members staying in the same hotel on a stopover in London discovered […]
MEDFORD, OR — Due to the extreme smoky conditions prevailing in the region, the Britt Orchestra performances scheduled for Wednesday, July 25, Friday, July 27 and Saturday, July 28 will now be held indoors at the North Medford High School Auditorium. Doors will open at 6:30 PM and the concerts will begin at 7:30 PM […]
Teddy Abrams and the Britt Orchestra will perform a new orchestral work for soprano, vocal trio, and orchestra entitled emergency shelter intake form on July 27 at 7:30pm. Co-commissioned by Britt and the Oregon Symphony from composer Gabriel Kahane, the piece tackles issues related to the twin crises of housing insecurity and homelessness in our […]
“Nature, Mr. Allnut, is what we are put into this world
to rise above.”
~Katherine Hepburn to Humphrey Bogart in
The African Queen, 1952.
I allocate a certain amount of time every month to visit the coffee aisle in our area’s grocery stores. It’s amazing what the shelves reveal about the mind […]
Linen is a textile made from the fibers of the flax plant. The word linen derives from the Latin “linum.” Linens have become the title we give generically to our domestic “textiles.”
That all-encompassing word, regardless of the fabric from which they were made, can include a wide selection of vintage […]
Making the decision to sell your home is often the easy part. What can be more challenging is getting your home ready to sell, and a big part of that is being prepared for a home inspection. A home inspection is a big factor in getting your sale […]
It was a great day at the farm! Our first open-house Sunday featured the Rusty Relics, who answered questions and explained restoration techniques they used to restore the antique tractors on display. Docents conducted house tours throughout the historic Hanley House while visitors toured the Shakespeare Garden—the newest addition […]
One song I remember growing up was sung by a very sincere June Allyson in a movie called Good News. The song was The Best Things in Life Are Free. The words went…
Ah the moon belongs to everyone
The best things in life they’re free
Stars belong to everyone
They […]
Among the Rogue River Valley’s early settlers, there was no more extensive land owner than William Bybee. According to the 1904 Portrait and Biographical Record of Western Oregon, Bybee could claim “the distinction of having owned at different periods more than half of Jackson County” and his interests were characterized as […]
My Sensational Seniors feature for this issue of the Jacksonville Review, Linda Graham, just gets under the wire as a senior, but she had a compelling story to tell. A native Oregonian, her life began on April 7, 1956 at the old Sacred Heart Hospital in Medford. Her parents were Jim […]
The saga began like this: In 1958, actor Peter Lawford shared a story told by a gas station attendant with buddy Frank Sinatra. Lawford thought the fanciful caper about robbing five Las Vegas casinos in one night would make for a fun movie project. Sinatra playfully upped the ante: “Forget […]
Can you imagine a world without art and music? Who would want to? You probably have seen children dancing and bouncing to music or seen toddlers banging on pots and pans. Because children are natural musicians, this musical interest comes easily and can be cultivated. Who will be our […]
With our warm, dry summers and mild winters, lavender (Lavandula) grows well in gardens in Southern Oregon; indeed, some local farmers have made lavender their principle crop. So it is that during the months of June and July, residents and visitors experience the aromatic and visual delights to be found along the Southern Oregon Lavender […]
Our busy lives are full of tension and stressful events. Some are fun, while others are more challenging. Though situations and emotions can cause us to feel stressed, they are not necessarily the cause of stress in and of themselves. How we engage and choose to cope with them is the real cause of stress. It’s not what […]
Experience an authentic Civil War encampment and tour the […]
Although you may be experiencing pain or discomfort in various parts of your body, many conditions that cause the symptoms of pain stem from autoimmune conditions that start with chronic inflammation in your gut. Autoimmune conditions range from chronic fatigue, thyroid disease, Crohn’s disease, IBS, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, allergies and […]
#1: After careful deliberation in the wake of last fall’s City Council meeting in which only 50% of the councilors showed support for Jacksonville’s Bee City Certification, the Jacksonville Bee City committee has reorganized and changed our name to the Jacksonville Pollinator Society. The team is growing, and we are […]
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 […]