THROUGH OUR amazing powers of anticipatory perception, Dear Readers, we already detect you muttering, “Hey, Critics—haven’t you talked about television food shows before?”
Well, yes. But in our defense, please note that we’ve only mentioned food shows in passing while filling column inches about other stuff. We’ll be more specific this […]
THE PURCHASE AND RENOVATION of the historic U.S. Hotel by the BRITT Music & Arts Festival organization has seen great local interest and much conjecture. In the coming months, you will see the changes that accompany the renovation of a historic building. These will take form in […]
AS EARTH WIND & FIRE recently sang on the Britt stage, We’re dancin’ in September with new artists and a bunch of fun and educational events as the days cool. First, we’re holding a special “Y’art Sale” for a great cause.
Y’art Sale: September 20th—We’re holding our […]
AS BRITT PREPARES to wrap up for the season, community is on my mind. For the last several months, we’ve welcomed tens of thousands of patrons to over 40 concerts and events, representing a wide demographic of ages, backgrounds, and interests. On nights when the stars shine and the […]
AS THE SUMMER ROLLS ON, the Chamber of Commerce continues to focus on promoting our unique, historic town to the Rogue Valley and throughout the Pacific Northwest using social media and our new website. Our marketing and advertising focuses on Jacksonville as a destination with “must-do activities” when visiting Southern Oregon. […]
AUGUST IS HERE, and it’s time to crank up your creative vibes at Art Presence! We’ve got a whole garden of artistic awesomeness waiting for you, from dazzling textile art to hands-on classes and even a super cool “Y’art Sale” for a great cause.
Your Old […]
IN A PAST LIFE, I was very active in the Arts Council of a small Northern California city. When asked why I was so involved, it was easy to answer. Art is an expression of life! Art is all around us, sometimes we don’t even notice it, […]
AUGUST IS UPON US, and with it 15 Britt shows and our fundraising gala to support the US Hotel capital campaign. It’s a big month! As always, there’s truly something for everyone this month, but there are a few highlights I want to share.
The August 8 show, Waxahatchee, is […]
THE PROTECTION of historic buildings is important to save history for future generations. Experiencing a space where history happened is crucial for fostering the shared connection that builds a stronger community.
Jacksonville is one of the best-preserved historic towns on the West Coast, designated as a National Historic Landmark […]
Summer is in its crescendo here in Jacksonville. The harmony between the magic of Britt and the timeless charm of our landmark town swells with vibrant energy. There is a happy synergy bringing residents and visitors into shared celebration.
The impressive line up of 15 Britt shows this August provides countless opportunities […]
ON A BEAUTIFUL summer morning in June, the Friends of Jacksonville’s Historic Cemetery hosted the second installment of this season’s History Saturday series, “Scandalous Stories in the Cemetery.” Presented by local historians Carolyn Kingsnorth and Steve Carolis, the talk reminded us that the Victorian Era was a time dictated […]
AS THIS lonely monologue creeps forth from that quiet place that all trail denizens know so well, our summer doldrums are written largely across the land. We’ve had another spring season when the life-giving waters of the sky were again shut off at the spigot. Unseasonal warmth has decimated the plentiful […]
AS DEDICATED Entertainment Geeks, we’ve reviewed movies, music, plays, weather, books, dogs, and, of course, TV. It seems the only topic we haven’t appraised is TV commercials.
Until now.
The commercials that (unfortunately) stick with us the most come from Big Pharma, possibly because they shell out Big Bucks to create jingles […]
THAT FEELING we get that something or someone is watching us seems to be a residual reaction from our cell memory of living a much more tenuous existence. But it also gives rise to our inherent ability to take in clues from our environment that allow us to develop a strong […]
AS MORE BUYERS consider rural properties for privacy and a slower pace of life, some encounter a common but unfamiliar feature: the private well. Unlike municipal water systems, private wells are managed by the homeowner—and that means buyers need to be proactive when it comes to understanding water […]
NEARLY ALL the businesses operating in Jacksonville are small businesses. That’s not unique—in fact there are over 33 million small businesses in the U.S. that employ roughly 60 million people (and account for 99% of the firms in the country!). Many business owners pour everything into their business and […]
WE KICKED OFF our 2025 summer season on Saturday, May 10th, with an informative and entertaining History Saturday presentation on the Chinese in Jacksonville during the 1800’s thru the mid 1900’s. Our speakers were Lynn Ransford and Anne Peugh, beautifully dressed in period costumes, who […]
ONE OF THE (possibly weird) things I adore about running arts organizations is flyby problem-solving. I often joke that we should gather arts administrators together, open a couple bottles of wine, and set out some of the world’s “unsolvable” problems. My bet is that at least one of them […]
SUMMER HAS ARRIVED and historic Jacksonville is buzzing with energy, offering everything from thrilling Britt concerts to charming wine trolley tours and unique downtown shopping experiences. But the real heart of the action? The Art Presence Art Center, where a non-stop celebration of creativity awaits!
Guest Artist: Diana Rasmussen, […]
THE JACKSONVILLE MASONIC LODGE, aka, Warren Lodge #10, is the oldest continuous fraternal organization in Jacksonville. As such, the lodge is intricately tied to the early history of Jacksonville. Many of the early settlers in Jacksonville had been members of a Masonic lodge before arriving and wished to continue this association. […]
THE PANDAMMIT OF 2020 changed the world of entertainment. It was a tedious period, during which we stopped visiting Places and Events that we’d long relished: Restaurants. Movie theaters. Music festivals. Backyard barbecues. Family gatherings. And, of course:
OSF: The renowned Oregon Shakespeare Festival located a mere half-gallon of gasoline down […]
THE MONTH OF JULY in Jacksonville is always eventful. Our town is filled with visitors, annual activities, and school kids have been out and about for almost a month. The temperature keeps climbing, and fire season is upon us.
A favorite town activity is our Annual Mayor’s Hot […]
JUNE 20th marks the official transition from what has been a beautiful spring to what will likely be a warm (but hopefully not too hot or smoky) summer season.
To help prepare the cemetery for summer visitors, the Friends of Jacksonville’s Historic Cemetery held our second clean-up of the season on May […]
MAGGIE BARKED just the one time. This was unusual; if there were other hikers or dogs ahead of us, we’d expect a bit more of a serenade. An early morning walkabout on Steep Canyon Rangers’ Trail in Jacksonville’s Forest Park was always a great way to start the day. Seldom did […]
EVEN BEFORE THE CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES last January, more homeowners were having difficulty finding insurance or facing extremely high costs. Homeowners across the country have been receiving non-renewal notices from their insurers, sending them scrambling to find new policies, usually at a much higher premium.
In Oregon, […]
WITH SUMMER’S ARRIVAL, things are ramping up here in Jacksonville! The Britt Festival is in full swing, and California Street will be lined with tourists. But even as life gets a little busy, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t plan ahead—especially when it comes to retirement. One tool we work […]
WE’RE GETTING TO THAT TIME of year when the Britt Festival is about to kick off—which means it’s prime time to discover the best spots in town for a drink or bite before the show. If you have kids (or not), The Miners’ Bazaar is a hidden gem […]
FEELING THE ENERGY? We sure are. June is bursting with creativity and exciting events at Art Presence Art Center. From incredible guest artists to hands-on workshops and a whimsical Gift Gallery theme, there’s something for everyone to discover and enjoy. Come by our wonderful art […]
ANOTHER SEASON BEGINS this month, and I couldn’t be more excited! There’s a lot to look forward to, starting with The Hill is Where the Heart Is annual kickoff party on June 6. As always, this admission-free event is not only our thanks to you, our neighbors, but is […]
“God help us, we’re in the hands of engineers.”
~Dr. Ian Malcolm, Jurassic Park
In Living in Wonder: Finding Mystery and Meaning in a Secular Age, journalist Rod Dreher argues that we are living through a profound ‘disenchantment’ of life. Whereas ancient cultures once gazed upward at the nightsky and beheld the […]
YOU, DEAR READER, have little reason to concern yourselves with the whims that flutter aimlessly through your Unfettered Critics’ brains at those rare moments when they’re not engrossed in pictures moving across a screen, big or small. Nevertheless, we’re audaciously going to pretend that you are interested, […]
COVID-19 WAS CHALLENGING, including the tragic deaths of so many people, the basic shutting down of our nation’s economy, and the two-year loss of education for our school kids. Also, hard hit by the pandemic were service clubs, and the Jacksonville Lions Club was no exception. Long-time member Jim Davidian relates, […]
WE SUPPOSE AT TIMES that it’s the unexpected that catches our attention. On a recent Spring day, as folks in camouflage spread across the grassy hillside, the juxtaposition of urban grays, navy blues, and desert beiges against the backdrop of Spring’s new growth was startling. We’d come to view the wildflowers, […]
Editor’s Note: At press time Oregon Legislature has passed SB 83.
AS OF THE WRITING OF THIS ARTICLE, a bill intended to repeal Oregon’s controversial Wildfire Hazard Map and related property regulations was unanimously voted by the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Wildfire to eliminate the Map and […]
MAY BRINGS MANY EVENTS—After an unusually cold and wet winter, it’s time at last for a busy season of outdoor events at Jacksonville’s Historic Cemetery! Our recurring History Saturday in the Cemetery and Marker Cleaning Workshop programs, plus the annual Pre-Memorial Day Community Cemetery Clean-up and Flags for our Veterans events […]
AS I SIT DOWN TO WRITE my May Column for the Review, I am reminded how grateful I am to live in Jacksonville. My husband, Clark, and I recently returned from a trip to the Southwest…places we have been to before, many times, and enjoyed. We had […]
MAY AT ART PRESENCE ART CENTER is buzzing! Opening Receptions are packed, Messy Hands classes are expanding with new activities, and the After School Art Club is filling up. This month, a Jacksonville-themed open call showcases diverse artists. Join us for the Opening Reception on May 3rd.
Guest Artists […]
WHO DOESN’T LOVE a “cozy?”
Cozies, as mystery lovers know, involve crime-solving in a charming setting (like a historic mansion), with minimal graphic violence (so the initial crime likely happens “off-stage”). Agatha Christie, among many others, deservedly became famous for her cozies. They make great reads on […]
WHEN WE FIRST MOVED to Jacksonville, it took 40 days for our moving van to arrive from Florida. Yep—forty. That meant we were living super minimalistic for about a month and a half. With two young kids at the time and not much to do in an empty […]
THE ROTARY CLUB OF JACKSONVILLE-APPLEGATE was chartered on March 4, 1989, with twenty-seven male members. A core number of the members of the new club transferred from Central Point. It was initially formed to establish a male-only club as Central Point had begun adding female members, creating a division within that […]
WITH BRITT SEASON right around the corner, the Hill is coming to life this month. Load in has begun, and our grounds and production crews are hard at work painting, sanding, improving electrical, installing equipment, and so much more. Preparing for the summer ahead is no small task. There’s […]
May brings us a month brimming with celebrations. We honor mothers on Mother’s Day, raise our glasses for Oregon Wine Month, showcase our history of hospitality during the festive Parade of Inns, and toast to our local wineries via the Jacksonville Wine Trolley throughout this celebratory time of year.
The Third Annual […]
WITH ANOTHER merry spring upon us, we’re wise to consider the simple message from Melanie Safka. She writes, “sometimes when we feel as big as the land and we lie back with the velvet hill in the small of our back and our hands are playing in the sand, and our […]
SPRINGTIME in Southern Oregon is a season of rebirth and renewal. The orchards, which lie dormant under the winter snow, burst into bloom as the days grow longer and warmer. The sight of pear and peach trees in full bloom is nothing short of magical. These trees, laden with delicate […]
FOR MOST OF US in Jacksonville, stocks and real estate are our biggest investments. Real estate is typically held as the value of your home. Traditionally thought of as the road map to the American dream, homeownership is largely made possible through bank financing. Stocks are a different story, […]
SPRINGTIME in the Jacksonville Historic Cemetery will be especially beautiful this year thanks to the hundreds of daffodil and crocus bulbs planted in the cemetery as a joint effort by Judy and Jim Finses and the Jacksonville Garden Club!
The “planting party” took place in early November and, funded by the Jacksonville […]
OREGON’S HOUSING production is not keeping pace with demand. This lack of housing is impacting affordability. As affordability becomes more problematic, people drive longer distances between a home that is affordable and where they work, or double up to share space, both of which reduces quality of life […]
DOCUMENTARY/ is the first line of a poem/ known as a haiku.
Really.
It has the required five syllables. Also, it allows us to put a five-syllable word into this Lifestyle Magazine (upping the I.Q. factor). Plus, we know that by watching documentaries, we’ll be distracted from the incessant drone of “news” […]
THE MARCH 4TH Jacksonville City Council meeting was high-spirited. After our regular agenda items, the fun began. I was very pleased to announce the 2024 award recipients for Jacksonville. Mike McClain received the 2024 “Lifetime Achievement Award,” and Belita Palu-ay received the 2024 Jacksonville “Citizen of the […]
THE FOUNDER of the Jacksonville Boosters Club, Robbie Collins, had a simple adage: “It does not matter who gets credit as long as the work gets done,” and indeed the work of the Boosters Club continues to be impressive. Collins was the main force in what some refer to as “the […]