SOME THOUGHT-PROVOKING agenda items were on a lengthy City Council Meeting, held on April 2, 2024. I felt this Council meeting showed the City Council, and the audience members who spoke that night, at their best. Reasoned, measured, and respectful comments were offered by all.
The first item […]
ART PRESENCE IS DELIGHTED to present a special collection that captures the historic soul of Jacksonville. Our latest exhibition is a selective showcase, featuring pieces chosen from a wide array of local artists, each bringing their unique perspective.
During the open call held in March, any artist within the […]
IT’S A SPRING SYMPHONY in the woodlands surrounding Jacksonville. The string section—Douglas firs, Ponderosa Pines, flowering big leaf maples, and the majestic madrones—swells around us with a fresh wash of greenery. Oregon grapes, hazelnuts, wild roses, snowberry sword ferns, miner’s lettuce, and white flowering buck brush comprise the lush […]
April welcomes back the much-anticipated arrival of spring and delivers vibrancy of color and possibility. Artist and Gardener, on the corner of Main and 3rd Street similarly welcomes all seasons and visitors with a delightful display of colorful local art, a wide range of tastefully-curated gifts and an absolutely lovely hidden […]
“THE ONE WHO PLANTS TREES, knowing he will never sit in their shade, has begun to understand the meaning of life.” (author unknown) We take this to heart because of recent feedback about fuels reduction on city-owned land. Some concerns that were raised include the spread of invasive weeds, potential erosion, […]
This handy make-ahead recipe works as a delicious brunch item or if you’re looking for an easy supper, you can simply add some shredded chicken to the party. This is even more scrumptious if you put it together the day before you bake it. For all of […]
JUST ABOUT ANYONE will tell you that there is not enough housing in Oregon, which drives up the price of everything. Oregon’s Governor Tina Kotek has said addressing that problem is a big priority for her, and now, the Oregon Legislature is delivering.
In January 2023, Governor Kotek issued […]
I HATE TO SAY IT, BUT the era of last-minute travel deals as a cost-effective option is pretty much over. In today’s travel landscape, booking in advance is a smarter strategy to grab better deals and ensure you get the vacation you really want.
Whether planning a cruise, booking a hotel, […]
AS YOU THINK ABOUT planning your retirement expenses, Medicare plays an essential role. This US government healthcare plan, established in 1965, serves as the insurance plan for over 65 million Americans. Medicare can be very confusing, with significant penalties for missed deadlines. For those who have not yet signed […]
THE HISTORIC TOWN OF JACKSONVILLE has become the undisputed leader of the Music Scene in Southern Oregon. This tiny town established the birth of the Southern Oregon music scene with the Britt Festival, but today, live music can be heard in establishments all over town and at the wineries and […]
“APRIL IS THE CRUELEST MONTH,” T.S. Elliot wrote in The Waste Land. He was right, at least about the month’s first day, abused as “April Fool’s Day.” We’re not big fans of the all-too-common practice of jokers attempting to draw attention to themselves by playing foolish pranks upon any and […]
APRIL IS A QUIET MONTH in the cemetery but also one of anticipation and transition from the cold of winter to the blooms of spring and, eventually, the warmth and long days of summer. By the time you read this, we will hopefully have completed our first Community […]
ON A RECENT TRIP to the southwest, I realized that post-COVID, I had forgotten how much I missed traveling. I love exploring new places, visiting old favorites, enjoying the wonderful cuisine of different areas, and having adventures I don’t normally experience at home. I was amazed by […]
April Guest Artist: Andre Satie – Tiny Pictures and More—April showers bring local painter and former Member Artist Andre Satie to the Art Presence Gallery with a retrospective of her career. She loves creating “Teeny Tiny Paintings” and works at larger sizes, presenting a unique […]
BRITT IS ONLY DAYS AWAY from its final announcements and presale. I love this time of year—not least because I can finally stop keeping the amazing secrets of our lineup! The work that happens behind the scenes to book a Britt season starts around a year in advance, so […]
CARTOONIST DAVID SIPRESS NAILED IT with his recent illustration in the The New Yorker, titled “Two Baby Boomers Watch the Grammys.”
Two old geezers (Hey, that’s us!) sit on a sofa in front of their telly, watching the festivities. The individual thought bubbles above their heads read, “Who?” “Who?” “Who?” And […]
SPRING IS IN THE AIR and winter’s wandering thoughts of last year’s memorable hikes will soon to be replaced by the new stories our wandering feet will create along nearby trails. As the wildflowers burst forth to share the stage with the rambunctious chorus of so many spring birdsongs, one would […]
I was chatting with a friend in my shop recently about Easter dinner ideas and he mentioned lamb and how intimidating it is to prepare. Huh? It is? I’m here to tell you there is nothing easier or more elegant than a gorgeous rack of lamb. And […]
WHETHER YOU’RE THINKING OF SELLING in the next six months or a few years down the road, remodeling with return on your investment in mind is a smart financial move. Few investments recoup more than 100% of their cost, but collectively, there are several inexpensive home improvements that […]
2023 IS NOW BEHIND US and what a year it was. Jackson County saw the lowest number of homes sold since 2014. Will 2024 be different? Will home sales continue to drop, or will 2024 be the beginning of the Real Estate Recovery?
Jackson County saw a total of 2,650 […]
DURING PUBLIC COMMENT at the February 6 City Council meeting, Belita Palu-ay announced that she had been appointed as the Executive Director of the Chamber of Commerce and will be working with Julie Baker who will run the Visitor Information Center. Belita will also continue in her role as Associate Editor […]
IF THERE IS ONE THING that keeps our clients up at night, it is the question, “What will my health care costs be in retirement?” Of course, the answer to this question depends on the health and longevity of each individual client, but we can use actuarial estimates to […]
JANUARY 14, 2024, brought a well-received event to Jacksonville, in the form of Chamber Music when Jacksonville Oregon Friends of Classical Music presented the first of three world-class winter chamber music performances scheduled this year. It was former Mayor Paul Becker’s dream to bring musical performances to […]
THE CROCUS ARE POPPING and life is beginning to return to nature as we reflect through our featured artists this month. Both artists focus deeply on nature and its workings through amazing digital compositions and paintings. Get out and enjoy the beautiful days when they happen and stop […]
ONCE AGAIN, I’m happy to report that we’ve come through another cold, dark and (mercifully) wet winter and, depending on when you read this, spring is either here or about to be!
With Easter coming a bit early this year, we’ve scheduled the Friends’ Spring Cemetery Clean-Up for Saturday, March 16th, just […]
MARCH IS WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH! This year, the Britt Festival Orchestra is proud to present several extraordinary women on our stage. I’m grateful to live in a time and place when orchestras are finally taking note of the many women who have performed and created extraordinary works for orchestra. […]
AS A RESTAURANT OWNER, I have the privilege of conversing with several individuals, including married couples. My other business, Elsewhere Travel, often comes up in these discussions, leading to a topic that I find quite interesting—the differing travel preferences between spouses.
In my conversations, I have noticed […]
ARE YOU FEELING THE WINTER BLUES and craving a warm getaway? Luckily, there are plenty of destinations you can visit that are just a flight or two from the Rogue Valley that offer sunshine, warmth, and a chance to relax. Here are some of my top […]
Egg Foo Young has been a popular item on Chinese menus in America since the mid-1800’s yet some have argued that it’s really not a Chinese creation at all. Well, that’s just crazy talk because history tells us otherwise and our little town of Jacksonville might have […]
WHEN WE HEARD that actor/writer/director Bradley Cooper was planning a bio-pic about Leonard Bernstein, we were stoked. Bernstein stands as perhaps America’s greatest conductor/composer, listed historically and globally among icons such as Mozart and Beethoven. As for Cooper, we praised his abilities in this column in 2018, for his work […]
THERE’S BEEN SOME CHANGES to our woodland landscapes near Jacksonville. A couple of major fuels reduction projects have rendered our nearby hillsides more open, and hopefully, less prone to catastrophic wildland fire. Too much vegetation removed? Too little? It depends on whom you ask.
Southern Oregon is a landscape shaped by fire. […]
FOR BEING SO COLD AND BLEAK, February is a pretty darned happy month. There’s the lunar new year with its 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 […]
OREGON’S WORK TO ADDRESS CLIMATE CONCERNS has been in progress for over a decade, starting with the establishment of greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets by the legislature in 2007. In the State of Oregon, the primary source of greenhouse gas emissions is from transportation. To help reduce greenhouse […]
AS WE BEGIN A NEW YEAR, we can’t help but ask if 2024 will be the year that everything finally feels “normal” for investors. Stocks and bonds have been trying to escape the shadow of the pandemic, but lingering inflation has been a reminder of the lasting impacts of […]
2023 REPORT CARD & LOOKING AHEAD—We hope you enjoyed the holiday season and found some quiet time to reflect on what’s right in our increasingly hectic world. For the Friends of Jacksonville’s Historic Cemetery (FOJHC), the past year was one of transition, and we’re grateful that, with the help of our […]
WELCOME TO 2024 EVERYONE. It’s always a bittersweet moment saying goodbye to the old year and welcoming the new. We are another year older, but hopefully starting the next twelve months fresh and renewed. 2023 was a quiet, but a busy year. I would like to briefly […]
GREETINGS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM ART PRESENCE, Jacksonville’s own nonprofit art center! I’d like to introduce myself as the new column composer and board member for the gallery: I’m Mike Gantenbein. Many readers may know me from my years as the marketing director for Britt, […]
IT’S FEBRUARY! The days are getting longer, and there’s plenty of news to share from the Britt hill.
You might have noticed that we’ve been announcing shows in a different way this year. After talking with plenty of you about the desire to organize […]
As this is written, our Grayback Forestry crews continue the fuels reduction work in Forest Park. The contracted work will continue well into the winter, and visitors to the park are expected to respect all trail closures. The closure of trails is necessary for public safety as well as the […]
After Mountain Iron Works recently put the finishing touches on the installation of custom iron fencing to replace the original surround of the Pape/Prim block (Masonic 273) that had been stolen, some new details came to light. First, while the Friends of Jacksonville’s Historic Cemetery contract with Mountain specified a […]
Easy Recipes from the Pot Rack – Dec 2023/Jan 2024
If you’re the kind of host who likes to serve your guests something special but you don’t have the time required to spend hours in the kitchen, this fabulous, easy dessert is for you! It looks stunning but doesn’t require a pastry chefs degree. And the […]
News from Britt Hill – Dec 2023/Jan 2024
I can’t believe it’s the holiday season already! Wasn’t it just summer on the Britt hill? Yet here we are in the season of gratitude, giving, and—if your traditions are anything like mine—eating.
There’s so much on my list to be grateful for: this extraordinary community, our beautiful venue, […]
Jacksonville has seen many changes since the pandemic and we’re about to see more. While other cities have emerged from the pandemic weaker, with the loss of residents, retailers and restaurants, Jacksonville has emerged intact, stronger, and more desirable to both locals and tourists alike. Jacksonville is changing […]
Winter is arrived, wrapping us in deepest darkness. The sun sits suspended on an invisible threshold, its solstice marking both an end and a beginning, a tipping point. The power, the crisis of this moment, was keenly felt by our ancestors. The myths and ritual celebrations surrounding the return of […]
My mother, Amy Todd Kranenburg, is amazing. This month, I want to share just a few examples of why my mother is such an important part of my life. If you have not already been into the Happy Alpaca toy store on California Street, my mom’s toy store in Jacksonville, […]
I love this time of the year in Jacksonville. We have enjoyed our beautiful show of fall leaf color from our deciduous trees, fire danger season is past, and I’m looking forward to enjoying the winter holiday season with family and friends.
The City of Jacksonville has […]
We have good news and bad news. Or, more accurately, good news and sad news.
We’re wildly happy that Jacksonville is home to the Britt Music and Arts Festival, and felt thrilled throughout the recent season as Executive Director Abby McKee handily demonstrated her prowess at the helm. Yet there’s […]
Winter is the time when there is a hush of solitude…whisperings of a winter mind. The weather is cold, the ground hard, bears hibernate, and the natural world has pulled in for a winter’s nap. The season of chill and darkness is upon us and […]
By now, everyone knows that the demand for housing has been in a slump as homebuyers wait, hoping the market will become more affordable. Home prices are still near all-time highs, and recently the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate hit a 23-year high. Despite this, there are […]
Taxes are something that are always on investor’s minds. With record-high fiscal deficits and the “sunsetting” of the Trump tax cuts after 2025, a lot of people have raised concerns that their future tax rates will be going up. Last month we tackled the subject of gifting and […]