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48 °F Forecast | Road Cams Thursday, January 27, 2005 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Real Estate Guide Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People Volunteer Opportunities Moving to Southern Oregon? MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend October 24, 2004 A poem hangs from a tree in Vogel Plaza, Medford. Members of the local Calligraphers Guild are hanging the �weathergrams� to showcase calligraphy throughout the winter months, culminating with Art in Bloom in May. Mail Tribune / Jim Craven Trees sprout a brief message Paper ‘weathergrams’ hang in Vogel Plaza By MEG LANDERS Mail Tribune There’s poetry in the trees."Music makes my heart sing," reads a small rectangle of brown paper hanging from a downtown tree limb. "Weathergrams!" exclaimed Karen Poletto upon learning Friday that the trees outside of Sonny’s Downtown Caf� had several poems handwritten in calligraphy hanging from them. Poems appeared in the red and orange-leafed trees in Vogel Plaza in downtown Medford this week, thanks to the local Calligraphers Guild. Guild member Hope Tilton said the weathergram is a very short poem of 10 words or less, meant to be read quickly. The idea is to put them on biodegradable paper, like that from a brown paper bag, leave them hanging on tree branches and let them be weathered by nature till they eventually dissolve. Weathergrams were developed in the mid-1920s by Lloyd Reynolds, who taught writing and calligraphy at Reed College near Portland. Advertisement In Medford, a small number of weathergrams will hang over the winter months, culminating in an explosion of weathergrams during the Art in Bloom celebration May 7-8, Tilton said. The group received permission from the Parks and Recreation Commission for its project. "Bright curled leaves now gray & beaten flat by rain," reads another poem. Poletto, former owner of Sonny’s, said she had hung weathergrams from trees when she took a calligraphy class in Eugene and had fond memories of the project. "You get to practice your calligraphy, which is a very artistic experience," she said. Jo Beckman, the new owner of Sonny’s, said she was confused when she first saw them. "We noticed but we just didn’t understand," she said. She and her daughter, Dawnn Pierson, regarded the paper messages in the trees with suspicion and wondered whether the weathergrams were making some political statement and should be cut down, she said. Once she learned what they were, she thought they were a good idea. "Maple leaves are turning. Some trees are early some trees are late," reads another weathergram. Tilton said people are welcome to read them, or even take them if they’d like. Cafe next to plaza has new owners Sonny’s Downtown Caf� has new owners and will soon have a new name. Jo Beckman and her daughter, Dawnn Pierson, purchased the restaurant at 201 E. Main St., next to Medford’s Vogel Plaza, from Denis and Karen Poletto. The ownership change is being processed. The Polettos bought Sonny’s in January 2003. Karen Poletto, who was still running the business Friday, said the new owners are not planning to change the menu but will gauge needs by customer demand. Beckman said within the next couple of weeks, the name will change to Vogel Plaza Caf�. Reach reporter Meg Landers at 776-4481 or e-mail [email protected] . Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities Student Loan Consolidation Conference Calls - $50/Month Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker, Trunk, Footlockers