Well, fall is here and as things start to slow down a bit, we look back at what was a very successful summer, filled with events and activities that were well-attended and very popular. Our new Tuesday Evening Cemetery Strolls proved to be very popular and brought in many new first time visitors to the cemetery. Our History Saturday in the Cemetery series also continued to be popular and well-attended. Our dedicated volunteers turned-out each month for our Marker Cleaning Workshops and helped preserve more cemetery fixtures for future generations. Our volunteer docents did an outstanding job providing groups with fun, informative and interesting tours—especially designed for the group’s interest and age bracket. Additional information and details regarding number of visitors, programs, markers cleaned and repaired will be provided in our year-end report in the Jacksonville Review in a later issue. In the meantime, we have a Community Clean-up Day and our only major fundraiser of the year coming up that we hope you will attend and support.

Community Clean-up Day, Saturday, October 1, 9:00am-noon—Please join us along with other community organizations and volunteers for our fall clean-up of the cemetery grounds on Saturday morning, October 1. Bring gloves to wear along with eye and ear protection, leaf rakes, brooms, pruners, and gas-operated blowers as we clean-up and get the cemetery ready for winter. Freshly-brewed coffee and morning refreshments will be provided along with our appreciation for helping care for one of Jacksonville’s historic treasures.

Spoon River Anthology Fundraiser, October 7-9, 14-16, 21-23—As many of you know by now, the Friends of Jacksonville’s Historic Cemetery is taking a year off from its annual October “Meet the Pioneers Tours,” with full intention of bringing the program back in 2017. We are fortunate that while looking at other options for raising funds, the Madrone Theatre Company came forward with their extremely generous offer to present nine performances of “Spoon River Anthology” from the works of Edgar Lee Masters. We feel this is a perfect fill-in for our very popular and successful Meet the Pioneers tours. This unique adaptation will be directed by Ron Danko, one of the actors and a Jacksonville resident. Another Jacksonville resident and acclaimed musician and singer, David Gordon, composed the original music for the show. The program, which runs approximately two hours, including a 15 minute intermission, will feature a “Tasty crème de la crème” selection of fifty monologues especially chosen by the cast along with music and song. In addition to Mr. Danko and Mr. Gordon, the other cast members include Constance Jesser, Jois Harkness and Lea Worcester, all from Jacksonville, plus Rob Hirschboeck of Ashland and David Sours of Talent. Director Danko explains that Spoon River is about love, betrayal, politics, hope and failure and that this amazing cast is very effective at bringing Spoon River to life. What a wonderful way to not only support a Jacksonville-based non-profit but, to see and hear absorbing, moving and beautiful theater. We are so very excited about this program and sincerely grateful to Ron Danko, David Gordon, the entire cast, Wayd Drake-Lighting Design, David Gibb Photography and Rogue Community College for making this special fundraiser possible. All proceeds from the event will go towards ongoing restoration and preservation projects in the cemetery, one of the oldest and largest in the state of Oregon.

Tickets can be purchased on our website at: www.friendsjvillecemetery.org or by calling 541-826-9939. Tickets will be available at the performances on a first-come-first-served space available basis. You may call 541-826-9939 on the day of the performance to check on available seats. The performances will take place at Rogue Community College Performance Hall in Medford at 130 E. 8th Street at 7:30pm on Fridays and Saturdays, and at 2:00 pm on Sundays. Adult tickets are $20 and Students are $12. See ad this page.

Thank you for your continued support and for your volunteer hours in helping to preserve our beautiful Pioneer Cemetery in the heart of Jacksonville.