This spring, Josh Dorcak, the creator of MÄS and Nama, will unveil Kandō, an exclusive, members-only lounge perched in a sleek penthouse above the two high-end restaurants.
Ashland’s Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker, with a succession of previous owners and operations across multiple locations, may have reached its final destination after being acquired last year by 1-800-Flowers.Com, Inc., parent company of Harry & David. Joseph Rowland, group president of Gourmet Foods & Gift Baskets, Harry & David, said the company has no plans to move Scharffen Berger’s production into the Harry & David campus in Medford.
Attention, chocoholics: Your favorite time of year is back, and your sweet tooth is about to be very busy. The 21st annual Oregon Chocolate Festival returns to Ashland Hills Hotel and Suites March 7-9, featuring a chocolate brunch, a chocolate product competition, a costume contest, family activities and demos and presentations from world-renowned chocolatiers, sommeliers and chefs.
It’s in the name: Cultural and economic revitalization of Ashland is at the heart of a three-year program proposed by a new nonprofit organization — the Ashland Cultural & Economic Alliance. Co-founders Matt Hoffman, Jim Fredericks and Lloyd Matthew Haines hosted a launch event attended by about 70 business, cultural and civic leaders Saturday evening in Meese Hall at Southern Oregon University to announce the formation of ACEA.
A crowd gathered outside the psychedelic entrance of the Shrooms Cafe in downtown Ashland Friday night, Feb. 7. They were among the first visitors to climb the long flight of stairs that lead to a large open room filled with music and colored lights. It was opening night at Shrooms Cafe at 139 E. Main Street, next door to O’Ryans Irish Pub.
The new Talent Travel Center has begun round-the-clock operations that aim to attract locals, travelers and truckers. Located off Interstate 5 at Exit 21 on West Valley View Road, the business replaces the old Talent Truck Stop, offering some big rig fueling services beginning in 2018.
For the 11th time, MovieMaker Magazine has named Ashland one of the best small towns in the U.S. and Canada for filmmakers — landing at No. 7 on the 2025 list and proving once again that this artsy mountain town is a cinematic gem.
Stephen Bacon has been proprietor of Bellwood Violin on Hersey Street in Ashland since 1985. He just wrapped up 40 years of service to the community on his 70th birthday by selling his business to employee Will Scharen, a professional trombonist who is quickly learning the strings trade.
A former Ashland movie theater that has sat vacant for four years might become a Grocery Outlet, potentially injecting more retail life into the Ashland Shopping Center at 1658 Ashland St. City planning officials have been in discussion with Grocery Outlet about a potential move into the former Ashland Street Cinema, a building that was formerly a Ray’s Sentry Market in the 1990s.
Talent-based eatery Pump House 2.0 will close next week, bidding farewell to the community after some starts and stops at a busy downtown corner. Announced Jan. 2, Pump House 2.0 will be open for its final day Saturday, Jan. 18.
Obituary: Over her career teaching in Ashland, Rita Katherine Mahoney taught in four different elementary schools and spent a year at SOSTIC. She loved teaching and possessed a kindness and empathy for children, especially those with special needs.
One of Southern Oregon University’s most elite programs – its Honors College – is on its way out as part of $10 million in cost cuts detailed in the Resiliency Plan approved by the Board of Trustees in September.
Trisha Vigil: While closing the government may seem a national rather than a local issue, to Rogue Valley residents, it is clearly a local issue.
A proposed ballot initiative to eliminate Oregon’s estate tax is moving forward, even as the state braces for a massive loss in federal funding due to cuts related to Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill. The estate tax generated $423 million for Oregon in 2024-25, a critical revenue stream as the state faces an estimated $15.1 billion in federal cuts, primarily from two programs that benefit low-income Oregonians: Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
The art exhibition of a renowned American artist living in Ashland has opened at the Langford Art Gallery in Phoenix. The exhibition “Beneath the Surface” features dozens of paintings by artist Abby Lazerow. The artist describes her work as “the search for human connection.”
Ashland’s 15th annual SOPride Festival brought together students, educators, activists and dozens of local groups on Saturday, Oct. 4 for the event’s parade in downtown Ashland.
(It’s free)
