Barry Vitcov

By Barry Vitcov On this date, September 8, six years ago, the Almeda Fire roared through Talent destroying the historic Malmgren Garage. On June 4, 2024, the garage was reborn from those tragic ashes as The Talent Gallery. It has become a cultural hub in Talent, featuring the work of a wide-ranging group of founding and associate artists. The Talent Gallery also holds poetry events where local poets are invited to select a piece of art and write a poem inspired by that art.

By Barry Vitcov The Klamath River experienced the construction of four dams, beginning with Copco No. 1 completed in 1918 and ending with the Iron Gate Dam in 1962. The largest river restoration and dam-removal project in U.S. history was completed in October 2024 with the removal of all four dams. The river is now in a free-flowing state for the first time in over a century. The river’s recovery has been marked by dramatically quick changes in fauna and flora.

By Barry Vitcov Southern Oregon is a haven for retirees. There are many reasons why the region attracts so many of a certain age: the arts, the outdoors, thriving retirement communities, and great opportunities for lifelong learning through the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI at SOU), or other formal and informal groups. This week’s poems celebrate two different forms of retirement and their ensuing “discovery” of a sky not noticed for a while.