Volume 4, Issue 17 // August 17 - August 30, 2017 Up In The Sky . It’s The Eclipse Issue! BEER Radler Me This! The Sweetest Taste of Summer | pg 22 C U LT U R E There’s Painting in the Streets | pg 24 SPORTS Downhill Biking | pg 26 2 / WWW.ROGUEVALLEYMESSENGER.COM KIFF2017 KOREGONLAMATH & NORTHERN INDEPENDENT CALIFORNIA FSHORTSILM F &ESTIVAL FEATURES OPENING NIGHT GALA DINNER AND DAVID BYARS’ MALHEUR WILDLIFE REFUGE OCCUPATION DOCUMENTARY SHORTS FROM THE ANIMATORS OF OSCAR-NOMINATED THELAIKA STUDIO BEHIND ENTERTAINMENT PARANORMAN, CORALINE, THE BOXTROLLS, NOPRODUCED BYMAN OSCAR-NOMINATED’S FILMMAKER LAND MORGAN SPURLOCK AND KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS AND WITH40+ FILMMAKER SHORTS PANELS AND AUDIENCEFEATURES Q&A SPECIAL THANKS TO: AND: OREGON GOVERNOR’S OFFICE OF FILM & TELEVISION KLAMATH COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE KLAMATH TECHNOLOGY SERVICES SEPTEMBER 15 -17 2017 VISIT klamathfilm.org/festival FOR MORE INFO, OR CONTACT [email protected] ALSO ON FACEBOOK AT facebook.com/klamathfilm AUGUST 17 – AUGUST 30, 2017 / THE ROGUE VALLEY MESSENGER / 3 The Rogue Valley Messenger CONTENTS PO Box 8069 | Medford, OR 97501 541-708-5688 page page roguevalleymessenger.com FEATURE GO HERE [email protected] The eclipse has, well, While farther north is a THE BUSINESS END OF THINGS eclipsed all else this more ideal place to see 26 9 BUSINESS MANAGER Blake Helmken summer in terms of the eclipse in its totality, SALES REPS Coleman Antonucci and Sydnie Gilinsky chatter and travel. We sit there are still several WEB MASTER Tammy Wilder down with local experts, locations in the Rogue OUR FINANANCIAL WIZARD Sara Louton, Advanced Books from gurus to scientists, Valley to watch the moon DISTRIBUTION Olivia Doty to understand what’s the cross in front of the sun. OUR WORDSMITHS big deal about a couple Like the moon said to the minutes of darkness. sun, we have you covered! PUBLISHER & EDITOR Phil Busse ASSOCIATE EDITOR Sara Jane Wiltermood MUSIC EDITOR Josh Gross PRODUCTION MANAGER Katie Ball CALENDAR EDITOR Jordon Lindsey ART CRITIC Jordan Marie Martinez page pagepage OUTDOOR EXPERTS Jeanine Moy, Mike Dickenson SOUND SCREEN COLUMNISTS Rob Brezsny, Shannon Wheeler, With a film project part-art, Deborah Gordon, Dan Smith Our Music Editor Josh FREELANCERS Gross is no fan of 20 part-documentary about 27 Tyrell Trimble, Tuula Rebhahn, x Melissa Haskin, Julie Gillis, Charles Fischman, Anna emo. He likes it a bit climate changes’ impact Diem, Josh Davis, Christopher Lucas, Jacob Scheppler on the Louisiana Gulf and Catherine Kelley rougher. But softens up for the new release Coast, and with a newly appointed teaching position GET IN TOUCH from Motions, a self- described emo/indie Christopher Lucas is a busy EMAIL [email protected] group from Medford. man. But not too busy to sit MUSIC [email protected] down and talk with us! EVENTS [email protected] ADVERTISE [email protected] SALES DEADLINE: 5 pm Thurs EDITORIAL DEADLINE: 5 pm Thurs Don’t Shoot the Messenger 4 Culture 24 CALENDAR DEADLINE: 12 pm Thurs CLASSIFIED DEADLINE: 4 pm Thurs Letters 5 Sports & Outdoors 26 Deadlines may shift for special/holiday issues. Feature 9 Screen 27 Our Picks 13 Wellness 28 ON THE COVER: Live Music and Nightlife 14 Free Will Astrology 29 Katie and Molly Oldread test driving Events 17 Weed Garden 30 eclipse glasses. Photo by Phil Busse Sound 20 Rec Room 31 Food & Drink 22 Residential & Commercial Solar Made Easy Call us today for a free consultation 800.947.1187 | truesouthsolar.net 4 / WWW.ROGUEVALLEYMESSENGER.COM DON’T SHOOT THE MESSENGER Veto Governor Brown’s Veto For the past few years, the Holly Theater in Medford has been raising funds, with the looming promise to restore a grand theater back to glory— and then some. Early last week, that promise seemed to continue to inch towards reality, with a Walk of Fame style event recogniz- ing their major donors and supportive celebrities like Jim Belushi. But by mid-week, like a pin to an inflated party balloon, that reality was called into question. The leaders and supporters of the Holly The- ater had been particularly encouraged by a $1 million pledge from the State of Or- egon during the past legislative session to help pay for the venue’s renovations. It seemed as if the elegant theater—which was opened in 1930, shortly after the start of the Great Depression—would finally have its heyday, and completely fulfill a promise to add cultural vibrancy to the region, as well as bring an influx of tour- ism and revenue to Medford, a city that needs those funds and active, and whose revenue budget has never enjoyed the same economic buoyance that nearby towns have; Ashland with its robust Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Jacksonville with Britt Fest, and the outlying region with its wine and weed tourism. The Holly Theater was—and is—slated to be a 1000-seater venue for well- known musical acts and adding to the diverse programming at nearby Craterian Theater; hence, creating a one-two cultural punch for Medford that both gives residents a level of cultural performances often lacking in the region as well as a big economic shot in the arm. In its economic analysis, leaders at the Holly The- ater show how its opening will bring $3 million more to the region each year, and help create 90 jobs, with some additional 10,000 visitors to the region each year. That’s no small potatoes. But last week, Governor Kate Brown, out of the blue, declared that budget item would not happen. It was her first round of vetoes ever since taking office in 2015. The news was both disturbing and frustrating on several levels. First off, there is little explanation why this funding was removed. The gover- nor’s office has been reticent about the veto, brushing away inquires by saying that other funding requests had not received the same opportunity for debate by the state legislature. Second, the veto seems to violate an agreement between Rep. Sal Esquivel from Medford and the governor’s office. As part of the routine horse-trading that happens at state capitols, the Republican Esquivel has explained that he gave his critical vote to pass one of the governor’s top priorities this year—a $550 million tax plan to fund the state’s Medicaid program—for her support of the funding for three projects in Medford. (Also vetoed by Gov. Brown last week were $750,000 for the Harry and David Field ballpark in Medford and $1.9 million for the Brad- shaw Drop Irrigation project in Medford.) There is already a theme of distrust between southern Oregon representatives and residents, and state officials, one that often falls along conservative and liberal lines, and urban and rural differ- ences. Although the governor also vetoed spending for a transportation project in Portland, her action to veto three funding projects for Medford only can add fuel to those perspectives and divisions. Third, funding for the Holly Theater is exactly the type of investment that the state should put its tax dollars. The Holly Theater isn’t idly asking for a hand-out. They have actively been fundraising for the past several years. They have attached big and small donors, and steadily gathered enthusiasm. It is difficult to imagine a more strategic, long-term, involved and sustainable fundraising scheme. This final injection of money was much-deserved and needed, as well as a vote at the state-level to endorse economic growth and strategies in southern Oregon. Fortunately, the Holly Theater didn’t take the veto laying down. A few days after the news, they rallied nearly 300 residents to write letters for the governor to reconsider and restore the $1 million investment in the Holly Theater. And, moments before we sent this newspaper to the printer, Gov. Brown re- leased a press release that because of the outpouring of concern, she will not veto the $1 million funding for the Holly Theater. Well done, southern Oregon! AUGUST 17 – AUGUST 30, 2017 / THE ROGUE VALLEY MESSENGER / 5 LETTERS HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY? Send your thoughts to: [email protected] Letters must be received by noon Friday before next print date for inclusion in the following week’s paper. Please limit letters to 250 words. Submission does not guarantee publication. RE.: WEED LAWS RE.: STARBUCKING THE WEED INDUSTRY Vice laws are, in general, dumb, good for nobody, and strips liberty from people Hey Messenger, As a life-long enthusiastic pot smoker and long-time home- that are supposed to be “free.”. steading micro-scale marijuana cultivator, I’ve never had much taste for “weed - Demetri Stewart culture” and the uncritical superficiality that often comes along with it. Yes, the flower saved me from becoming a career-driven corporate d-bagger. It encour- With Session as AG, I wish them the best of luck. He’s returning us to the 80s aged my creative and explorative impulses while empowering me to savor each ‘Just Say No’ days. While it’s legal here for now, I wouldn’t tell your dealer to piss moment. But now, here in the Rogue Valley, it has become just one more money- off quite yet. driven success story for those who already have the cash and for those who per- - Jeff Moffatt petually chase it….at the expense of the small-time mom and poppers tryin’ to survive in this beautiful valley without bein’ too much of a slave to the system. RE: RESPECT FOR OUR VISITORS Why are y’all embracing this? In a world that seems more shallow and vacant by I became acquainted with two Pacific Crest Trail hikers, one from Germany the minute, the marijuana industry and culture is just one more capital-motivat- and one from the Czech Republic, and arranged to serve as their trail angel when ed fad and the latest trend towards hipster elitism.….and this barely scratches the they passed through Ashland.