ASHLAND — Sometimes taking a step back from the constant news grind, politics and crime is a must.
When we do, often the people who make up your life come into focus. That’s what we hope Neighbor Spotlight does for you.
Each month, we’ll shine a light on someone in your neighborhood of Ashland County. The story could be about someone doing something unique. Someone doing something mundane really well. Someone celebrating a win. Someone in need of a win. Someone.
We hope their stories offer you a few moments to step back and examine. Get to know a person a little closer. You might just find this person’s story strengthens your ties to your community. Let these stories inspire you.
To kick things off, I need your help deciding who to write about first. We have four names for you to choose from — some of them you might already know, some might be totally new. Maybe you’d like to just get to know one of them a bit better.
The candidates include Zach Burgess, a hot air balloon pilot who recently returned to his hometown of Ashland after living in Monroe, a city between Cincinnati and Dayton. He flies balloons shaped as a crab and a rocket.
There’s also Mistie Poorbaugh-Hray, the non-grandpa owner of Grandpa’s Cheesebarn. This Ashland County native followed in her parents’ footsteps when she opened a Cheesebarn location in Norton and Fairlawn, expanding the company’s footprint of imported, domestic and local cheese varieties.
Next up is Chad Marsh. He left a career in researching soy bean genetics for companies like Monsanto and Dupont for winemaking and never looked back. He now owns Ugly Bunny in Loudonville and continues to expand operations.
Finally, Stephen Yusko is a studio artist, a sculptor, a metal worker and a 1983 Ashland High School graduate. He now lives in Cleveland and his industrial-inspired art can be seen there, in Mansfield, across the country and globally. Click here for some images of his work.
Vote for the first person you’d like to read more about in the poll above, and we’ll get to work on writing a snippet of their story.
Look for the first Neighbor Spotlight profile in August.
And if anyone floated to the top of your mind while reading this column, please let us know. You can do so by submitting a candidate in the form below. Just include the person’s name, a bit about them and a way to get in touch:
