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 […]
I am pleased to report that plans for our Cemetery Kiosk project continue to move forward. A contract has been signed to have a concrete slab poured which will serve as a foundation for the new pavilion. This work should be completed in April at which time construction of the pavilion can begin. We are […]
All classes begin at 10:00am and are located at Shooting Star Nursery unless indicated otherwise. Space is limited, so please be sure to register at www.roguevalleynursery.com/class. A minimum of 5 attendees is needed for a class, otherwise the class may be canceled. See ad this page.
March 9, Spring Cleanup in the Garden—We like to leave […]
Buttons have played a part in all of our lives since before we can even remember. One of the first dexterity tests we are given as small children is buttoning our own clothes, along with zipping our zippers and tying our shoes. Remember those cloth books we had […]
A lot of outdoor enjoyment was lost last summer due to the smoke-filled skies in our valley, but what is noteworthy is how few homes have been destroyed by forest fires in Southern Oregon compared to the homes lost by fires in California. Every summer, we have many lightning-caused […]
This year, we are delighted to announce that The First Tuesday Pub Talks will continue and that Hanley Farm welcomes “Sundays in Spring,” hosted by the Family Nurturing Center’s Farm and Food Programs.
The Pub talks are free monthly historical talks sponsored by the Southern Oregon Historical Society, and are held at 7:00pm on the first […]
A Busy Year Ahead—We have a pretty full schedule lined up for 2019 which includes our History Saturday in the Cemetery program, our Tuesday Evening Cemetery Strolls and our Memorial Day programs, along with our Meet the Pioneers Living History Tours. Each of these programs provides an opportunity to share the rich history of the […]
“Aunty” Zany Ganung is a Jacksonville legend. According to that legend, Zany returned to Jacksonville in May of 1861 after an “all-nighter” nursing one of her physician husband Lewis’s patients. What did her weary eyes behold but the Confederate Palmetto flag hoisted on a California Street flagpole across the street from […]
The Southern Oregon Laboratory of Anthropology (SOULA) is celebrating the Year of the Pig by revisiting some of the archaeological findings made at their 2013 dig of the burned dwelling along Main Street in Jacksonville’s Chinese Quarter. Those who have read previous articles may recall the discovery of thousands bones at […]
There’s a popular book out by Gabrielle Bernstein titled, The Universe Has Your Back; I gotta say, it doesn’t always feel that way. There are times when things are definitely not going my way and the Universe just doesn’t seem to give a rip. But then, just when I’m about to […]
The women seen dining here are members of the “Jacksonville Belles and Beaus Old West Society.” They celebrate history by donning costumes for almost any era dating back to the Civil War—but with an emphasis on the Victorian days. You’ve seen them in Jacksonville’s Christmas and Chinese New Year parades; at other times strolling sidewalks […]
“Jacksonville is such a delightful place to live. Good people come here to live and then do great things for our little town.” This was how my interview started with long-time Jacksonville resident, Lyn Boening, this month’s “Sensational Senior.” Like all Sensational Seniors, Lyn has an interesting life story to tell […]
Think classical music is old, stale or boring? Been there done that? Or never wanted to? Well come and see how exhilarating, relevant and FUN orchestral music can be for adults and children alike. The entire season beginning July 23 will highlight music inspired by our natural environment and […]
“There is a notion that artists are born with the ability to draw. No one arrives in this world with that gift! Drawing is a skill that must be learned. It is not hard, but requires mental discipline.
“Drawing will develop a cooperative process between your mind and your eyes. The mind must relinquish the role […]
Our unfettered readers often ask, “How do the two of you write together?” Our stock answer is that one of us starts the piece, then gives it to the other, saying, “This is finished.” The other reads it, usually yelling, “This is terrible. It has to be rewritten from word […]
All classes begin at 10:00am and are located at Shooting Star Nursery unless indicated otherwise. Space is limited, so please be sure to register at www.roguevalleynursery.com/class. A minimum of 5 attendees is needed for a class, otherwise the class may be canceled. See ad this page.
Saturday, February 2, 10:00am, Promoting Privacy with Plants,with Bonni—Feeling the […]
Someone once told me no one cares how much you know until they know how much you care. Think about it. Successful politicians mastered the counterfeit of empathy by kissing babies and patiently listening to hard luck stories from potential voters but they can’t fake the real thing for […]
Why did Britt change the announcement schedule and membership benefits? “For the times, they are a changin’.” ~Bob Dylan
As the year 2019 begins, it might help some people to be reminded about changes made in our announcement schedule last season—one that we plan to continue this year. In 2018, […]
For being so cold and bleak, February is a pretty darned happy month. There’s the lunar new year—with its joyful celebration of new beginnings and opportunities for success—and Valentine’s Day, stirring thoughts of the heart (it also stirs groundhogs, but I’d like to focus on the heart—if you love groundhogs, then […]
February marks the end days of those dark dreary dawns of winter. It’s a time of shortening shadows and greening hillsides. Warmth begins to reclaim its hold on our forested areas and brave blossoms begin peeking through the forest litter of last fall’s leaf drop. If we’ve been blessed with a […]
February weather in Southern Oregon doesn’t always seem like spring but this is the time that many people start to think about the real estate market again; spring marks the beginning of the busiest home-selling and buying season. With warmer weather, more daylight, and the motivation to get […]
From the dawning of the locomotive age came the love of toy trains that followed. Children and adults alike fantasized about traveling down a narrow track to distant places and to experience unknown adventures. Generations of travelers with volumes of stories, and the longing that a train whistle evoked, were […]
As we look at the year-end housing numbers in Jackson County, they look very strong but they don’t necessarily tell the whole story. We ended 2018 by increasing the median price on existing home sales by approximately 6%, new home prices approximately 11%, rural home prices rose about 5% […]
2018 was a busy year for us with free guided tours of the SOHS Library Research Library archives which will continue in 2019. Every Saturday, enrich your Library visit with a tour of the archive, one of the largest archival repositories in the State of Oregon. Library hours are […]
Happy New Year and thank you to all who volunteered, attended our events, or made a monetary donation in 2018. We could not do what we do without our volunteers and your support, so thank you and please know we sincerely appreciate each and every one of you.
Despite a summer of smoke that not only […]