Starting over

Ridge business owners have had to do some serious soul-searching post-Camp Fire. For those whose enterprises were lost or damaged in the mega blaze, among the biggest decisions has been whether to re-establish in the area.

For our annual Business Issue, we set out to meet folks with divergent recovery stories. You’ll read about well-known local musician Maurice “Big Mo” Huffman and his quick work to get Swiss Link Military Supply up and running in Chico; meet deeply rooted Ridge residents Vince and Kristina Clarkson, the duo behind Hudson’s Appliance Center, who just reopened their store on Pearson Road; and get introduced to Nicki Jones, the dynamo owner of Bobbi’s Boutique and Nic’s, a new deli and bar that’s quickly established itself as a favorite Paradise hangout.

We hope readers are inspired by these stories of resiliency and that they serve as a message of hope in the ongoing recovery process.