Around Town: May 14th, 2025

By: Ernie Wren
This past week we celebrated “National Small Business Week,” which made me think about how our community has been blessed with small business owners who started here in this community. This is true for both previous years and the present.

I remember “way back when” Stacy Salter started his one-kid operation with a trailer and a mower, which eventually became the present-day Salter Lawn Service. I admire the success he has achieved!

Izzy Smith was a great kid growing up here and is now a leading realtor with Izzy Smith REMAX Boone Realty. She is tremendously active in community betterment.

Brandon Glascock was a top-notch lifeguard at our Optimist Community Pool and is now the powerhouse in the family business at South County Realty.

My son Isaac Wren, who was an all-state soccer goalie, now owns Bluebird Custom Painting, LLC.
Current high schooler Bryson Slinker, who is a FFA entrepreneur award recipient, also owns and operates the food truck “Bry’s Backyard Eats.”

Of course, my niece, Tara Blue, owner of the Boone County Journal, has taken it to new levels of success since she took it over.
We’ve seen a lot of small businesses recently coming to town, such as “Yummy’s Donut,” and others continuing to grow, such as Legion Martial Arts. It’s great that we take a week to celebrate our local businesses, let’s be sure and support them throughout the year as they have supported us.

The Ashland Optimist Community Pool will be opening Memorial Day Weekend. There will be an open house and free swim on Friday, May 23rd, celebrating the many Optimist opportunities for youth in the community such as academic scholarships, pool passes for foster children and those in need, and many other programs in which the Optimists fill a community need. The celebration will be from 6-8pm, with regular hours starting on Saturday, May 24th, 12-6pm. Stop by for a free swim and find out how you may become a “Friend of Youth” by joining the Ashland Optimist Club. For more information on the pool pricing and hours, go to www.ashlandoptimist.org. You can also email me at erniewren@gmail.com for more information.

Speaking of parks, Elisabeth Sobczak, Chair of the Park Board, spoke at the Optimist meeting this past weekend, and shared many insights into future parks plans. The recent city survey of over three hundred residents helped provide the blueprint for park improvement planning. While the costs and recommendations are not absolute, they do provide a guide for organized growth. Please consider attending a park meeting if you’d like to share your thoughts and suggestions.

With all the events and discussions being hashed out on social media, I am often reminded of this Polish Proverb: “Every time you feel yourself being pulled into other people’s drama, repeat these words: Not my circus, not my monkeys.”