The Britt summer concert season has ended. From the outside, it might seem that we’ve gone into hibernation. But these winter months are far from fallow—Britt Education & Engagement continues at full speed, focusing on school residencies.
Residencies serve our school kids all year. In October, Britt presented an education […]
Autumn is the traditional season of bounty, but it can also be a time to reflect on the coming season of transitional change. As artists and writers, we often find this a golden time for reveling in the beauty of nature’s most dramatic costume change. We welcome a bittersweet harmony to our lives as we […]
As Realtors in Southern Oregon for over 20 years, we have met hundreds of families moving into our area from out of state. We quickly become their “go-to” for advice on where to go, what to do, and how to enjoy our great outdoors. We quickly realized that our […]
After a devastating fire on September 26, a long-time restaurant, Las Palmas, was rendered unusable. It was by chance that the fire occurred when no one was in the building. Two neighboring businesses were also impacted with smoke damage, causing the inventory of Country Quilts and Trotting […]
I’ve been sharing a lot recently about some personal transitions I’m experiencing, but I’m keenly aware that we are all going through major cultural, political, economic and social transitions, writ large. There’s a whole lot of shakin’ going on these days.
Given this, it’s amazing to me how the impact of these […]
Although sales of existing homes in Jackson County only fell 1.8% overall for the year (per the Rogue Valley Association of Realtors), inventory of all homes on the market increased about 60% from this time last year and pending sales for the year have decreased by 5%—so it […]
To help combat persistently high inflation rates coming out of the pandemic economy, the Federal Reserve has increased the short-term lending rate from essentially 0% to 2.25% this year. Even more rises are anticipated, with the majority of future bets currently predicting that we will end the year with […]
Well, it’s fall in Jacksonville with the return of Meet the Pioneers on the hill overlooking Jacksonville where many of the stories we have featured over the years took place. The program which was first presented in 2006 has shared the rich history of Jacksonville, the Rogue Valley and Southern Oregon in approximately one-hundred and […]
The influence that artists exert on each other is like a physical force, the pull of gravity of attraction or repulsion. An artist may be influenced by another artist’s technique, choice of materials, or subject matter. But when it comes to day-to-day inspiration, all artists draw from the same limitless catalogue.
Art Presence Art Center […]
It’s official: Britt has wrapped its 2022 season! What a season it was. We hosted 34 main stage concerts and 10 BrittKids Koncerts. Over 60,000 people were served through our live events. 16 Britt Presents performances were sold out—an all-time record!
It takes hundreds of people to make this happen […]
Poison oak. An interesting plant. Actually, quite pretty, as plants go. Often sprouting brilliant scarlet and purple leaflets in the Spring, it matures to a rich verdant green as Summer arrives. The blossoms are quite delicate and even fragrant, attracting a multitude of pollinators, some as delicate as the smallest midge […]
In these modern times, many of us have found that our capacity to experience that which used to inspire has been lessened. The exaggerated “this and that” with the daily hyperbole of all that the internet can bring has taken a toll on our ability to be impressed. It is perhaps for that reason that […]
Risotto used to scare me. The ingredients are simple enough but the love needed to create a proper risotto means you have to give it your full attention. So I make my risotto the star of the show, not a side dish. When you take your time […]
Thank you and our sincere gratitude to all our volunteers who contributed 140 hours of volunteer labor in the month of July 2022. The hours include: cemetery fixture restoration, marker cleaning, conducting tours, and general cleanup and maintenance items. Add to this number the many hours contributed by our Adopt-A-Block workforce who do so much […]
The first and most important thing of all for an artist is to have a real love of the visible world. The feelings which this evokes are the main motivation for putting brush to paper, composing images in cameras, writing a poem full of images for the senses. Making an object look like what an […]
Last month we introduced you to William T’Vault, or Tevault, or Teevault—depending on the when and where—inasmuch as this pioneer regularly reinvented himself. We traced him through an early legal career; a marriage to the “granddaughter” of Daniel Boone; a jail break following charges of murder and rape; an arduous trek […]
This summer has been a particularly fecund one for birds in my world. We’ve been surrounded by nests of blue jays, robins, and spotted towhees (which I call grackles—I can’t tell you why, but I like the name quite a lot). The bird babies are fledging now, which is a perfect, […]
There’s no feeling quite like the hot summer air cooling as the sun sets behind the madrones and ponderosa pines. Friends, both longtime and new, laugh and chatter until the applause swells to welcome an artist to the stage. We experience the music together, accompanied by crickets and birds […]
Cole Porter had it right. It’s too darn hot… to sup, fill the cup, or engage in any of the usual (ahem) shenanigans with your honey during this hot, hot, hot summer.
Our suggestion: boost the air conditioning, and stream, baby, stream—on the web, that is. Whether it’s a movie you […]
In last month’s Jacksonville Review, I wrote about Senate Bill 762, which makes extensive changes to Oregon wildfire policy, affecting how the state responds to wildfires and potentially requiring property owners make modifications to their property in order to lower their wildfire risk. The draft Wildfire Risk Maps […]
Say goodbye to the days of a “sellers’ market” and hello to a new, more balanced real estate market. 2022 has been quite the year; the US gross domestic product contracted in the first and second quarters, the stock market has been tumbling, inflation is stubbornly high, the Federal […]
One of the most talked about topics over the past month has been Senate Bill (SB) 762. What is it? What does it mean? How does it affect my property? What should I do? Many Jacksonville property owners were shocked to receive form notices from the Oregon […]
Years ago, we reviewed the environmental impact of hemp farms. We all found it wanting. They were ugly. Plastic littered the fields and greenhouses. Many were unkempt and an obvious eyesore to neighbors. Few wanted to live next door.
We identified several areas in which we thought we could improve. The first […]
Since I was born with two perfectly functional legs, my choice has always been to use them as my first option for travel. I enjoy being upright as Nature intended, and with alliteration intended, with my head held high above the madding masses of immobile minions caught up in their frenzied […]
Coctel De Camerones! Mexico’s delicious invention where you can eat chilled shrimp with a spoon! Seriously one of my favorite Mexican dishes and I especially love it in the heat of summer. It’s like eating a chilled Gazpacho but better. There are many recipes out there that […]
One of the most important bills passed by the 2021 Oregon legislature was Senate Bill 762, which makes extensive changes to Oregon wildfire policy, affecting how the state responds to wildfires and potentially requiring property owners make modifications to their property to lower their wildfire risk.
Unlike before, where […]
A recession is not “officially” determined by two straight quarters of negative Gross Domestic Product (GDP) readings, but that definition has been used for so long that is has become accepted as fact. And after one of the worst starts to the year in history for stocks, the debate […]
We are not currently experiencing a water shortage, but it is a situation we hear a lot about and discuss amongst ourselves. The hot, dry conditions of fire season bring thoughts of drought too close to home. Why is it important to know about drought and how […]
Thank you and much appreciation to our volunteers who cleaned headstones in the Jewish section of our cemetery during the months of May and June. On May 21 volunteers cleaned thirty-seven headstones and on June 18, another twenty-nine were cleaned. In total sixty-six headstones were cleaned with volunteers contributing seventy-seven hours in volunteer labor.
On June […]
Prior to 1859, individuals seeking the opportunity, riches, and promise of the Oregon Territory were literally leaving the United States. They were also leaving behind their former lives, providing them with a chance to reinvent themselves.
This “reinventing process” might even include a name change; it appears to have occurred often enough […]
We thought it would be easy. We’d drive to the theater, watch Elvis, and write a review. We already knew so much about the legendary singer, we figured we could write a worthy column even without seeing the movie. The title, after all, is “Elvis,” so it’s about Elvis—right?
Well, as […]
I have a good friend who has a PhD in Color Theory. This seemed impossible to me, thinking there just couldn’t be that much to absorb, until I studied with him and learned that color is its own divine language, creating meaning through combinations and arrangement.
A certain positioning of complimentary colors can fool the eye […]
I love the performing arts. This isn’t a secret—I chose it for my career! I think the arts have so much to teach us: how to feel, how to express ourselves, how to engage our creativity in joyful ways.
The arts can also teach us how to exist alongside other […]
The taste of summer for me always includes juicy tomatoes and fresh cut herbs from the garden, especially basil. This savory pie is light and delicious and perfect for a summer luncheon or supper and you can serve this fella both warm and cold. Make it ahead […]
Recent data shows home sales have slowed as higher mortgage rates and still-rising home prices have made purchasing a home no longer attainable for some buyers. All eyes are now on indicators of supply and demand to see whether those conditions will last. Several data points can help […]
After first quarter US Gross Domestic Product shrank 1.5%, and with second quarter GDP trending toward 0%, recession concerns are appropriately on investors’ minds. A recession is typically defined as “two quarters of negative growth,” and whether or not the US officially meets these numbers—unofficially, things sure feel that […]
In this long period of uncertainty over the last few years, I often hear about the worry and anxiety people feel about the future. In today’s world, it can be hard to find hope. It is difficult to know how to find the resolve to make positive […]
My sincere appreciation to all our volunteers who put in so many hours of work in helping to prepare the cemetery grounds for the Memorial Day holiday. Thank you to our city employees who went all-out to help us in this endeavor. While we were unable to get to all areas of the cemetery, we […]
When we left the “George and Gracie show” last month, George Merritt had his divorce; Grace Wick Merritt had $30 a month in alimony and custody of three cats.
To bring readers up to speed, George was the only grandson of Jacksonville pioneer icon Jane McCully. He had been raised by his […]
Summer is here and we are excited to be open and welcoming visitors to Jacksonville!
For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Amanda Moreira and I am the Director of the Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Information Center. I have been with the Chamber since October 2019 and am eager to put […]
It is clear that there are similarities between the worlds of the writer and the artist. Painters exercise some of the qualities essential to good writing—the incredible power of the visual imagination, creating images—while writers use their words to create images, constructing form and color, texture, perspective, and composition. I find myself envying them as […]
It’s easy to forget that the Britt Music & Arts Festival is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. On concert nights, the thriving energy looks like any other major concert venue, and we’re proud of our professionalism. At the same time, our mission is to create a sense of discovery and […]
Ten years ago, I slid off the Gary West Meats roof during a December storm. Each surgery confirmed it was not my best decision. That fall still impacts our family’s path. At the time, opioids were still the go-to for chronic pain. I attempted to work a month after leaving the hospital. But pills left […]
As Realtors in Southern Oregon for over 20 years, we have met hundreds of families moving into our area from out of state. We quickly become their “go-to” for advice on where to go, what to do, and how to enjoy our great outdoors. We realized that our job […]
It’s springtime in the Applegate and there is a blush of new growth on the lavender. It starts slowly as the green shoots tentatively reach through the grey and brittle sticks of the seemingly lifeless plants. Over a week, perhaps two, the ocean of grey gives way to a green hue that you only catch […]
If you’re in need of a fresh idea for salmon tonight, give this tasty dish a chance. It’s a gorgeous little bowl of goodness that is so simple AND flavorful, you’ll be revisiting it all season long. Makes 4 bowls.
Ingredients:
16 oz piece of skinless salmon […]
As I write this, Mother’s Day is here, and as you are reading this, my son, Aidan, will be a newly-minted, high school graduate, tentatively stepping into the beginning practicum of becoming an adult. It’s a passage I’ve anticipated and wished to forestall since his arrival on a meltingly hot summer […]
What a delightful spring season we’re having. The cool, damp weather has made our walk-abouts so much more pleasant, and our wildflower season has been prolonged. It’s such a pleasant surprise to enjoy the calypsos (lady-slippers) along the trail, then stroll around the corner and see a late-blooming lamb’s tongue (fawn […]
Your credit score determines a lot more than the loans you can get and the interest rate you pay. Landlords use credit scores to decide who they will rent to. Insurers use them to set premiums for auto and homeowners’ coverage. Credit scores determine who gets the best […]
There are a lot of free tools out there to help with financial planning. Most real estate websites will have a mortgage calculator. With rising mortgage rates, knowing what is affordable is essential for a prospective homebuyer. Another common tool asks, “Have You Saved Enough for Retirement?” If you’ve […]