Deborah Costella’s love affair with cooking goes back to childhood, and in 1999 she parlayed that into a business called Kids, Cookies & Caviar, based in Las Vegas. That has now segued into Cosmic Muffin School of Cookery (296 E. Main, next to Bloomsbury), which she opened last year.

It’s good to see some stability in downtown Ashland, and as The Black Sheep (upstairs on the Plaza at 51 N. Main) celebrates its 30th year in business, it has gradually become an institution. Owners Clarinda and Jon Merripen, who bought the popular British-styled pub in 2017 from Susan Chester, have kept the tradition going with the same great food served in a bar-like atmosphere with a TV in the corner and plenty of events that make it a fun place for the entire family.

It’s been a long and winding road for Tim and Kathy O’Leary, owners of Long Walk Vineyard on the grounds of Valley View Orchard at 1800 N. Valley View Road. The couple met at Stanford University while pursuing individual careers and sharing lifelong interests in sports, music, wine and travel, and they got married in 1989. Their two children, Brian and Margaret, followed in 1991 and 1994.

Thank you, friends, and neighbors, for your patience with the recent construction activity around Beach Creek. It’s been a long two-year endeavor, but the comprehensive effort of “smart development” takes time and lots of patience, but we believe it’s worth the effort. Beach Creek will be not only an asset to our community, but a very livable and sustainable community for generations to come.

When Jason and Anne Robison moved to Ashland from Seattle in 2001, their goal was to open “a unique and inviting jewelry store while selling things that have meaning behind them.” With The Crown Jewel (266 E. Main in Ashland and 165 E. California in Jacksonville), they have succeeded beyond their wildest dreams.