It’s not easy to run a business in any economic climate.

It’s especially hard to do so on the slow climb out of a Great Recession and then to maintain during a once-in-a-lifetime global pandemic that ground much of the world’s commerce to a halt.

Yet, as News Lifestyles Editor Darby Hinkley reported recently, the Black Sheep Pub has done just that, celebrating its 10th anniversary this year.

To that, we say, “Cheers,” and congratulations to all Northeast Michigan businesses that have made it through the COVID-19 pandemic so far.

Credit goes to the entrepreneurs, whose ingenuity and stick-to-itiveness have kept their operations operating.

Credit goes, too, to every Northeast Michigander out there who opened their own overstretched wallets to support a local business in need.

We’re not out of the woods on this pandemic, yet, but things are improving, and things like 10 years of the Black Sheep give us hope for the future.

(THE ALPENA NEWS)