Some readers may remember a column years ago about my falling and then riding in an ambulance to the ER. It struck me as humorous how repeatedly I was asked my birthdate… 11-14-29. However, I annoyed a couple of readers who mistook my humor […]
In July, Pioneer Profiles highlighted Peter Britt’s renown as photographer, artist, and documenter of pioneer life in Southern Oregon. However, Britt was also an avid gardener and is considered to be the father of Southern Oregon’s commercial orchard, wine, and ornamental horticulture industries. Britt Park, now the Britt Festival […]
Summer Sundays at Hanley Farm—Have you been looking for ways to spend a Sunday afternoon? Look no further! Every Sunday, the farm is open from noon to 4:00pm for family fun, afternoon picnicking and children’s heritage games, docent-led house tours, and self-guided farm and garden tours enhanced […]
Thank you!—It’s been a very busy summer and much has been accomplished and projects taken off of our “to do” list. The metal bollards on either side of the Cemetery entrance gates have been painted black to match the gates and archway, and have had decorative tops added to them. The support posts […]
Jacksonville is proud to present its ArtWalk on the Second Saturday of each month through October. Art changes everything, improving creativity, critical thinking, communication and academic performance.
Participating venues will treat you to unique pieces that will amaze and delight you, and there will be wine and music. This is such a great way to […]
The subject of the August “Sensational Seniors” article, Carolyn Kingsnorth, has the most extensive and varied career resume of anyone I have ever met. I will only be able to touch on some aspects of her vita; hopefully, it will give the flavor of this statement. Carolyn was […]
Back in early July, I spent a Saturday afternoon enjoying a wonderful reception and book signing at Art Presence Art Center. As I stood in line to purchase three of Debbie Earley’s creative little glass mushrooms, I flipped through Ken Gregg’s beautiful new book, A […]
“It is what it is.”
My husband introduced me to this phrase. He uses it all the time and to be honest, it used to annoy the bejesus out of me. I’d get all snarky and retort, “What does that mean? It means […]
In the last month, several people have come into the shop requesting an appraisal of their valuables. None of us here at Pickety Place are appraisers per se, but we do know how to find, for the most part, a current market value for items.
Hanley Farm is pleased to welcome the Rogue Eagles RC model airplane club, “one of the largest and oldest clubs in the State of Oregon.” On Sunday, July 7, from noon to 3:00pm, club members will demonstrate radio controlled airplanes and drones. A perfect day for […]
As I write this article, it is Memorial Day and we are remembering and honoring all those who served our country, many of whom made the ultimate sacrifice. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the volunteers who set aside time to help clean-up the grounds, place the 400+ American flags that mark the […]
It’s Britt season, so what better subject for summer’s Pioneer Profiles than Peter Britt, whose pioneer homestead is now the site of Britt Festivals, the Britt Gardens, and portions of Jacksonville’s Woodlands Trail System. Perhaps best known as the pioneer photographer who documented Southern Oregon’s people, activities, and landscapes […]
Celestial Journeys, our show of art in a cosmic theme by Art Presence member artists, opens in the main gallery on Friday, July 5. Our guest exhibit for July is Jacksonville City Council member Ken Gregg, who shows images from his newly published small coffee table book, “A Year in Jacksonville, A Story in Photographs.”
My interview with the July “Sensational Seniors,” Steve and Susan Casaleggio, took place at their Jacksonville home off Third Street. It was emblematic of their high energy, for one would make a statement and then jump up to ponder the next thought while the other took over and […]
What you might be missing…
Oh my, it’s July! The epicenter of summer and picnic weather. We kick-off July 1st and 2nd with blockbusters, Kris Kristofferson and Michael Franti. And who doesn’t know the masterful work of Dwight Yoakam, the iconic band […]
We kept this big guy. Look at that face. How could we not? Mary calls him Happy. That’s fine for a house pet but not for a hunter. I’ll call him Happ when he’s in the field. It works.
I used to ride a wonderful horse named Sam. Sammy was an Arabian, which means that Sammy liked to bolt. If a bird startled him, or the wind blew, or a fly went by, he would react. He could go from standing stock still to galloping hell […]
Every day we get compliments that our colored glass display window is one of the best windows in town. We have arranged the color scheme so the colors flow into each other. Viewing from the outside or the inside, the rainbow effect is indeed quite striking. Each […]
If you just finalized your 2018 tax return and you’re now focused on how to “legally” lower your tax rate for 2019, you should read on. There are lots of tax benefits of being a landlord, most expenses are tax deductible, from finding tenants to […]
Ah! Summer! That long-awaited season of warm sun, balmy winds, and blue skies. Just as Mr. Gershwin wrote:
Summertime, and the livin’ is easy
Fish are jumpin’ and the cotton is high
Let […]
ArtWalk is BACK-—The NEW Second Saturday Jacksonville ArtWalk starts on June 8, from 5:00-7:00pm! Our survey of downtown business owners came back with an overwhelmingly positive response to the return of the artwalk. Therefore we are moving forward with a second Saturday artwalk each month, with music, wine tasting, and art demonstrations throughout the downtown area. Just look […]
Part of being human is to identify things by naming them so that we can relate to them, personalize them, own them if you will. My parents named me Carolyn. To distinguish me from my mother, family members called me Lynn. To long-time friends, I’m Fox or […]
Historic Hanley Farm, established in 1857, is a picturesque working farm just outside of downtown Jacksonville. Owned and operated by the Southern Oregon Historical Society, the farm’s mission is to preserve the history of the people who settled the land and their contributions to the agricultural […]
The Board of Directors of the Friends of Jacksonville’s Historic Cemetery, is truly honored and pleased to announce the receipt of a very special memorial gift. This amazing gift was made to the FOJHC by Catherine Steigerwald, in memory of her husband, Hermann E. Steigerwald, who passed away in 2015.
Catherine, who has been a […]
This month’s “Sensational Seniors” article focuses on four retired men who dedicate hours each week doing “hands on” work at Jacksonville’s Forest Park, a 1,460-acre gem one mile out of Jacksonville. This hardy foursome, made up of a miner and three retired school teachers, acknowledges their senior advisor, […]
Using the recent words of our new Facilities Operation Manager, Andrew Mustain, “It was Rob Buerk’s generosity and leadership that we owe gratitude to for overseeing the removal of the old picnic tables and installation of the new picnic tables. The Britt Experience has always been […]
I’m completely over the puppies-experience. By week two of eight, my decision-making paradigm was under major assault. In winter-time, one puppy can be a full-time job if your set up is flawed…eight puppies test the outer-limits of what’s humanly possible assuming hygiene and thoughtful care are […]
By the time you read this, school will be back in session and I will be celebrating the end of another spring break “staycation.” Two weeks without the benefit of an entertaining trip to an exotic locale—or even a lousy locale—is about ten days too many. (Okay, we […]
The glory of antique furniture, be it a piece from the Federalist period, the Victorian era, mid-century Modern, English or American, it’s all about the wood. You identify wood by its grain. Wood can be stained any color, so it’s important to know what you’re looking at.
A new, warmer season has arrived, and with it comes a chance to return to the joy of outdoor living. Many would say that this time of year is the best season, and I’d have a hard time disagreeing. It’s such an exciting time to bring […]
The Southern Oregon real estate market has seen some bumps and bruises since the west coast erupted in fires last summer. We began this year with a very slow and weak market and then it exploded. Here is a quick review of the Good, Bad […]
Recently, I was having lunch with some leading citizens when one of them, Linda Kestner, spoke about her deep love for our little town. You may recall that Linda was a recipient of our Citizen of The Year award, and if anybody can […]
With the Britt Festival’s new season just around the corner, we find ourselves jittery with anticipation. “Music,” they say, “hath charms to sooth the savage beast.” We agree, but that suggests music of the hear (see what we did there?) and now. So what, we asked ourselves, […]
May—definitely a busy month at Hanley Farm! Put Sunday, May 26, 1:00-3:00pm on your calendar for the first event in our Sundays at Hanley Farm summer series, “Growing and Propagating Heirloom Plants.” Learn from the experts—Chris Hardy, of Hardy Seeds, will speak about the importance of growing and saving heirloom, bioregionally-adapted seeds; Brad Smith of Feral Seeds discusses plant […]
As the weather warms up, so does the list of events, activities and projects for the FOJHC and our volunteers. As of this writing, the concrete slab for our new Cemetery Kiosk pavilion has been poured with construction on the pavilion itself expected to be completed in late April or early May. Please look for more details […]
The May “Sensational Seniors” article features Stan and Judie Lyon. Both native Californians, Stan was born in San Diego on April 15, 1939. Stan’s mother oversaw the home while his father had a long career as an electrician with Rohr Aircraft. Stan and his younger brother were especially […]
Whether you were a teenager in the 1960s, or born in 2001, Britt is the place to be this summer. Diverse, varied, and assorted, were all words used to describe the 2019 Britt Line-up at our April 11th Season Announcement Party, where our Britt family […]
An Art Walk Ahead?—Art Presence Art Center, Miner’s Bazaar, and more are working toward an Art Amble revival! We still have details to work out, but most California Street business owners are on board. We expect the new Jacksonville art walk to take place from 5:00-7:00pm on the second Saturday of each month.
We recently saw the movie Captain Marvel.
Hold that thought—we’ll get back to it in a minute. But first: a few words about “comic book superhero” history. It’s complicated. Convoluted. Confusing.
And you thought it was just kid stuff!
In the 1930s, “pulp magazines” (named for the cheap wood pulp paper they were […]
Up and Away!—Our March-April show of uplifting art and guest exhibit of paintings by Zoe West continues through Sunday, April 28.
April is National Poetry month!—People had such fun last time that Art Presence unleashes Poets on the Loose for a second year. On Saturday, April 13, you can expect to find poets and poetry enthusiasts […]
The Britt season goes on and on thanks to the 90 volunteers who show up on the Hill night after night. These volunteers are all members of the Britt Society, a separate non-profit organization with their own Board of Directors and 300 fantastic and active members. Recently two such […]
Spring is fully upon us and the wildflowers sing out to their admirers. After a long, cool winter, where the warm days seemed hesitant to ever re-appear, we are now in full stride toward a beautiful spring. The trails beckon.
Ample moisture this past winter should produce an abundance of plant growth […]
“Where you stumble, there lies your treasure.” ~Joseph Campbell
Pop Quiz: A big rock drops in the middle of your life—illness, loss, divorce, financial trouble. Do you view it as:
or, B) An opportunity, a part of your path?
Your answer to this question is all […]
Attracting desirable birds to your landscape can be a simple and enjoyable job with spectacular results. There are several easy steps you can take to create an environment in your landscape plan where birds will frequent and gather.
The first consideration is planting specific trees, shrubs, ground covers and perennials that […]
An “antique” is an item of value that is at least 100 years old. A “collectible” is termed vintage to reflect the era or decade from which it comes.
With the insurgence of reproduced antique and vintage items flooding the area, it feels like the “real thing” is being ignored, pushed […]
Trees play an especially important role in enhancing our quality of life. They provide screening from structures, privacy, are an effective sound barrier and can limit noise pollution. Trees improve air quality by acting as natural air filters removing dust, smoke and fumes from the atmosphere by trapping […]
Oregon enacted the nation’s first statewide rent control measure on February 28th, 2019, handing a victory to those who say low-income people are squeezed by the housing crunch in many major US cities and believe rent control is the answer.
On the other hand, landlords and developers argued that rent […]
Why is it, the older one gets, the more difficult it is to remember recent events while the easier it is to remember something in the distant past? I guess this is true for almost everyone except maybe politicians who, when faced with questions about the present […]
This edition features longtime Jacksonville city official, Jim Lewis, whose dedication to service is a model for us all. Jim was born in Wray, Colorado on May 8, 1945; his father was a career Naval officer and a decorated World War II, Korean War and Vietnam War veteran. Jim’s mother was […]
Southern Oregon Historical Society presents Hanley Farm’s annual Heritage Plant Sale on April 27 and 28, from 10:00am to 3:00pm. Earlier this year, SOHS volunteers propagated starts from as many as 70 different varieties of plants from the farm—available for you to purchase and bring a bit of history […]