MEDFORD — As local artist Anthony Vella puts the final touches on his four vibrant murals that are set to bring swaths of color to a parking garage in downtown Medford, he said he hopes people look at the artwork and feel inspired.

“And to just pay attention to the nature,” he added. “I would just like for people to just like, listen to the birds talking to you.”

After being swept by North Medford last month, Grants Pass turned the tables on the league-leading Black Tornado on Thursday, rolling to a 25-20, 25-21, 25-18 Southern Oregon Conference volleyball win at Heater-Newman Memorial Gymnasium.

“One of our goals coming into tonight was keeping them from running their offense,” Grants Pass coach Ashley Gerard said after the match. “We did that with some strong serving.

When we stopped for a bus picking up elementary school students one morning this past week, the sight of smiling young pupils heading off to class brought back memories of my misspent school daze, er, days.

Never mind it was 69 years ago in the fall of 1957 that this long-of-tooth codger was a mischievous urchin climbing aboard a bus stopping at Waters Creek in Wonder en route to his first grade class at Wilderville Elementary School.

Local artists are invited to submit artwork for the December exhibit at Art Presence Art Center in Jacksonville.

The small-format exhibit, “Moments of Joy,” will showcase 100 images of people, places and things that bring joy and that enlighten and uplift viewers’ hearts.

The gallery will supply artists with one or two 5-by-7-inch canvas boards on a first come, first served basis.