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 […]
Easy Recipes from the Pot Rack – November 2023
You may have noticed from this column that I’m not much of a baker. I’m more of a savory kinda gal. But this simple cookie is one I love because it’s easy and perfect for any holiday celebration. It’s also lower on the sweet scale with a […]
The Douglas firs are dying. Numerous articles in a variety of publications have covered this phenomenon and, sadly, our local woodlands are no exception. Forecasts of 80% mortality of large firs in forests below 3000’ elevation in the next decade have been proposed, and one only need look at the yellowing […]
Buying a new home is exciting, but also one of the biggest investments a person will make. While some costs like property taxes, insurance and maintenance are often considered by many home buyers, there are other costs that should be considered. And it’s important to consider how some […]
It’s that time of year when Jacksonville lights up in all its holiday splendor. And as we approach year-end, many of us will be thinking about gifts. Perhaps for you this means buying gifts at one of our California Street boutiques. But for some, it may also mean giving […]
On October 3, 2023, City Council voted to enter into an Intergovernmental Agreement with the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department and directed staff to come up with a timeline to rebuild our police department staff. The purpose of the agreement is to provide police services to the City […]
“This is dedicated… to the one I love…”
Or, more accurately, the ONES WE love. We’re thinking about “the girl groups,” teenage vocalists that had as much to do with the birth of Rock ‘n’ Roll as Elvis Presley, or as the Sears catalog’s guitar page.
You know of whom we speak. […]
New Fences and Faces!—We recently highlighted phase 1 of the FOJHC’s restoration of the Pape/Prim block (Masonic 273) … but there’s more to the story! The block was once surrounded by an iron fence atop the sandstone curbing and between the bollards, with a matching gate at the entrance. With no known photographs showing the […]
The American West—Sweeping plains, dusty wooden steps, tumbleweeds tossing across arid soil, hot colored sunsets, and the sound of hooves galloping all conjure up romantic images known as the American West. There’s a saying that cowboys don’t bathe, they just dust off. The cowboy is a folk hero. He tips his Stetson to the golden […]
With the fall season upon us, The Atrium Foundation is rejoicing in its 2023 accomplishments. This year, we:
It’s soup season! This year I present a personal favorite of mine—Mulligatawny soup. It’s a yummy, curry-flavored cream soup with so much complexity that your family will think you slaved for hours. And yes, there are a fair amount ingredients, but don’t let that scare you. The […]
Onion Springs Trail. Wickiup Trail. Hemlock Lake. The Oregon Skyline Trail from Devil’s Peak Saddle to Sky Lakes. Puck Lakes Trail. Solace Cow Camp. Gopher Ridge to Lake Ivern to Ranger Springs. In the Sky Lakes Wilderness of Southern Oregon, these are all trails that were abandoned during the federal government […]
Early October is normally the time “a small army of volunteers” is working non-stop to put the finishing touches on stories, costumes, and logistical details for another chapter of Meet the Pioneers, our special Living History program where costumed Players share the rich history of Jacksonville and the Rogue Valley on two evenings of one-hour […]
Well my friends, here we are. As I write this in early September, the light has taken on that warm, melancholic hue that signals the end of summer. Every year at this time I find myself in a reflective reverie and this year has not a little bit to reflect upon: […]
Well. I think we all experienced it: the end of August was a real doozy.
I think by now, everyone has heard that Britt canceled four shows due to smoke. What a heartbreaker! We had a gorgeous season, but those four shows constituted 10% of our total programming. Like all […]
You know that television commercial that seems to get recycled every few years? The one where the old lady pitifully moans, “Help! I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!”
This isn’t about that. Although it might as well be.
Our personal pitiful moan this month is: “Help! We’ve traveled and we can’t […]
Fall is the time of year when pumpkins and squash are harvested, ciders are brewed, and the leaves turn from green into a beautiful array of vibrant reds, warm oranges, golden yellows, and rustic browns—making the landscape look like a painting. October and November are a delight to our senses […]
As homebuyers adjust to mortgage rates that have climbed to their highest level in more than two decades, it has led to some real transitions in the housing market. Home affordability has emerged as a major issue due to low inventory and increased borrowing costs. Although average home […]
The broader US economy is built upon the successes of small businesses. In fact, there are nearly 27 million small businesses nationwide! And Jacksonville is no exception. As anyone can tell from walking down California Street, small businesses are the lifeblood of our community. As an entrepreneur, you work […]
At the end of the September 6 City Council meeting, I left the building with a heavy heart, after the Council had to vote on a difficult agenda item. At this meeting, your City Council had to make yet another decision regarding our current Tennis/Pickleball courts at […]
Welcome Autumn—Like a sundial between seasons, there is something about autumn that resonates deep down within our hearts. A kaleidoscopic sphere of color emerges, crisp air tingles our cheeks, and the rustling of leaves reminds me we are all just dancing in the wind. Since ancient times, October has been viewed as the veil between […]
In each of my eighteen summers in Jacksonville, there has always come a morning sometime in mid-September when suddenly there’s a slight crispness in the air, and it becomes clear that our typical hot summer days will soon be giving way to the cooler weather of early fall.
September also marks this year’s final sessions of […]
The cooler weather that’s promised to us every summer should be somewhere below the horizon. We can only hope. Maybe it shows the age of your correspondent, but our summers seem to start earlier and last longer. And with such a short spring this calendar year, we find ourselves yearning for […]
Charcuterie is raging these days and we’re often presented with large, gorgeous, over-the-top boards brimming with tasty nibbles. As a host you may be tempted to create a charcuterie platter that could feed an army when all you really need to do for a simple occasion is […]
As you read this, another Britt season is drawing to a close. It’s been an incredible summer of performances: The Princess Bride with the Britt Festival Orchestra; Diana Ross; Ringo Starr; Kelsea Ballerini; Tig Notaro; Ashley McBride; Buddy Guy; and so many more We’ve welcomed almost 60,000 people to […]