Quality Comes First at Plaza Sewing Center

It was July 1986 when I walked into Plaza Sewing/Quilting & Vacuum Center to try and sell an ad for the first issue of the Sneak Preview. Staff told me to talk to co-owner Rick Chapman, and I was directed to his inner sanctum where he was laboriously working on a vacuum cleaner. It turns out we both recognized each other from our softball playing days,

Great Tradition at the Bistro Continues

When I came through Grants Pass for the first time in February 1976, the first place I visited was The Bistro, located at 1214 NW 6th Street. The restaurant was opened in 1975 by two college buddies of mine from Indiana, whom I'd stopped by to see while on a tour of the West Coast. Before opening, they even called a restaurant in Bloomington to get their secret recipe for the sauce to their Stromboli sandwich, which we all loved.

Here it is 36 years later, and the Bistro now has its fourth owner. In June of this year Ryan Clark, born and raised in Grants Pass, bought the restaurant with the intention of continuing in the family tradition that the Bistro is known for.

R-Haus Celebrates Forty Years on the River

My greatest memory of the R-Haus, a river-side restaurant located at 2140 Rogue River Highway, is sitting in their bar upstairs in 1987 and watching my team, Indiana University, beat Syracuse for the NCAA championship.

For owners Danny and Carol Walters, they and their family have forty years of memories at the restaurant, starting in 1972.

“My mom always wanted a restaurant and my dad, Russ Walters, had a vision of the family working together,” Danny said. “We will be ever grateful to my dad for getting us into the business, and we’re wishing him a quick recovery.”

The Livin’ Is Easy at Westlake Village

When it comes to manufactured home communities, Westlake Village (just outside Grants Pass at 936 Kings Way) is a success story. Owner Paul Brewer is a home-town boy who learned the business in Southern California after graduating from Southern Oregon College in 1975.

He returned to Grants Pass in 1986, and two years later bought a large parcel of land next to Rogue Lea Estates, including a 5-acre lake. "At the time there was no clubhouse, no manager's home, no gazebo/water features, and only basic and limited amenities," Paul said. "Local contractor Bob Repine built the clubhouse in 1994/95, and the manager's home was built by Dave Adams in 2004.

The Best in Flooring & Window Coverings at Colonial

When it comes to buying the exact right flooring or window covering for your home, it sometimes pays to consult with a professional. At Colonial Decorators (545 Westbrook Way), owners Tim and Kerry Prulhiere have many years of experience, learning the business from their father Leonard, who had the same type of business in Akron, Ohio, before moving the family to the Rogue Valley in 1958.

"My parents moved here for the outdoor activities, beautiful scenery, and friendly people," Tim said. "Kerry and I installed flooring for approximately fifteen years. We purchased Colonial Decorators from our father when he retired in 1978. It is a family run business. My wife Joan manages bookkeeping, while the accounting is taken over by my daughter Crissy King. The sales and management end is handled by Kerry's son Scott."