Each year, the Messenger asks its readers to vote for their “besties,” their favorite businesses and personalities.  Our Bestie issue is currently on the stands.  A small sampling. Best Cannabis Dispensary BESTIE (tie)               Breeze Botanicals (Ashland) BESTIE (tie)               Madrone Cannabis Club (Ashland)   Best Local Cannabis Strain BESTIE                      Gelato (Madrone

In last year’s Besties, Josh Gross was the Honorable Mention for our readers’ favorite local author category. Over the past year, he has completed his latest novel, Summer of Smoke. Taking a page from rock bands, Gross, the former Music Editor for the Messenger, will release off his book with

HIGHLY, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED: A Kaddish for Bernie Madoff (Available April 24-25) It is not a Hollywood movie pitch: “A chamber-rock opera about the intersection of finance and spirituality.” And, oh yeah, at the center of the story is disgraced financier Bernie Madoff and his decade-old con job. Perhaps not a

HIGHLY, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED: Teddy, Out of Tune (Available April 26-27) Noted for its gentle assessment of individuals on the fringe of the American west, the feature film Nomadland has received far-reaching applause and accolades—and a few Oscar nods. Teddy, Out of Tune deserves just as much. A film that is

Anchor Point (Available April 19-20) The tone for Anchor Point is not incendiary, although the subject-matter is: Fighting forest fires and, more specifically, the challenge of two women to fit in—or not—to the male-dominated culture and policies of the U.S. Forest Service. To examine those (burning) questions, the documentary shadows

Impact (Available April 26-27) One of the strongest features for this year festival is exploring local issues and individuals—and this film is no exception: At the core of Impact is Medford-based Troy Wohosky, who was once a top junior boxer in the country (as in, number three, and an Olympic

HIGHLY, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED: American Gadfly (Available April 27-28) When first reading the briefing for this film, I assumed it was the premise for a Seth Rogen comedy: A group of daring teenagers recruit an 89-year old sharp-tongued former U.S. Senator out of his mothball retirement for an underdog bid for

Trammel (shown as part of the “Short Stories & Documentaries: Outsiders,” available April 15 – 29) “Trammel” both means to restrict one’s freedom, and also can refer to a tool that consists of two fixed points. It is also the title to a short film about one man, Dale, and

Voted “Bestie” band in the Messenger’s last survey of our readers favorites—the very last print issue we were able to produce in March 2020 before shutting down presses for a year—The Brothers Reed are an active and beloved group of, yes, family members.  Half of the duo, Aaron Reed talked

Julie Akins is a known commodity in southern Oregon. A former reporter for the Mail Tribune and Daily Tidings, and a former manager for KOBI, she had a front row seat to learn about local issues, taking a particular concern for homelessness. For Akins, her observations about homelessness translated to