Remembering Jeff

Jeff Miller would have liked Saturday.

He would have liked it a lot. He would have liked to see the crowds of people in the downtown. He would have liked the street performances, the food trucks and most importantly the laughter and joy of those attending Grass on the Black.

It is just that kind of event that Jeff envisioned years ago when as a leader in the Friends of the Downtown he advocated for events to bring people into the downtown and show its relevancy and vibrancy.

Tragically, Jeff didn’t get a chance to take in the music, food and fun of last weekend’s festival. Jeff passed away last week, taken from the community at far too young of an age.

Jeff was instrumental in laying the groundwork for the ongoing resurgence in the downtown area. For years he worked with, and occasionally butted heads with, city offi cials advocating for the downtown and for ways to help build up the community’s historical core.

Jeff was passionate and worked tirelessly on events which helped bring the community together. Annual events such as the Chair Affair are his living legacy.

In a sense, his legacy can also be seen in the transformative efforts underway to bring new life to vacant spaces downtown and use other spaces in new ways. With remodeling underway for the opening of Lake 11 Brewing, the renovation of the long-vacant Brucker Building taking place, plans for a downtown pavilion, the recent move of Borealis Wellness Clinic into the professional building and Dale Baumann’s work to transform the former Medford Cooperative building into a dining and entertainment venue, are all part of an organic revitalization effort of Medford’s downtown area.

Jeff would have liked to see that. As I was walking through the downtown taking pictures on Saturday afternoon, I like to imagine that Jeff was there in spirit taking in the music and enjoying the party-like atmosphere.

Many people go through their lives with their heads down, just trying to make it through to the next day and the day after that. There are others, such as Jeff, who go through their lives impacting those around them. People who are not afraid to dream big dreams and who do the herculean task of setting in motion great things even if at the time it looks to the outsider like something relatively minor. Much like shifting the pebble that causes the avalanche.

Jeff will be missed.

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You need to go see “The Fox on the Fairway” this weekend.

I got a sneak peek at the Medford Area Community Theater summer production on Monday night when I stopped to get pictures of their dress rehearsal. The play is a fast-paced farce about golfing and human shortcomings that will leave you laughing loudly.

There is something special about live theater. Seeing actors bring characters in a script to life and inject them with their own personalities is exciting. This is amplified in community theater where you see your friends and neighbors step outside their comfort zones and show off talents you didn’t know they had. I give credit to anyone willing to take part in theater.

As I was waiting for rehearsal to start Monday night, I was talking to Al Leonard who along with his wife Stacy have prominent parts in the show. Al talked about how the show came together from the first script readings through rehearsals and the pieces clicking into place. All that work comes to a head this week with the opening night on Thursday and shows on Friday and Saturday night.

In any community there are people who complain that there is nothing going or nothing to do. There are others who task the risk, step out on the spotlight, and who make things happen.

The cast and crew of Medford Area Community Theater are solidly in this second group and deserve a round of applause for stepping up to keep local theater strong.

Brian Wilson is News Editor at The Star News.

Brian Wilson