Thursday, January 24, 2008

1/25/08 Casino Night, Comp. Plan, Jerome Bridges to perform at RMC




There is still time to get your tickets to St. Ann's Casino Night this Saturday. The party starts at 6:30 p.m. in the Parish Hall on S. Snead St. The theme for this year's event is “Hollywood”, so come dressed as if you were walking the red carpet and enjoy an evening of decadent food, fabulous prizes, and all the fake gambling you could want. You don't have to be a Catholic to attend., and I'm sure you'd see many of your friends there. Call the church at 798-5039 for more information.

Tonight the Randolph-Macon Women's basketball team will play Roanoke College here in Crenshaw Gymnasium at 7:00 p.m. It's a great opportunity to see some first class athletes without leaving town.

Register now the the 30th running of the Ashland Railroad Run to be held early this year, on Saturday, March 15th. The 10K course is one of the best around, and you will avoid all of the crowds that they get downtown on Monument Ave. This race started as an RMC event, and used to loop across the train tracks. Several years ago, the course was changed to avoid that tricky crossing, but now “I had to wait for a train” can't be used as an excuse for a slow time! Go to www.hanoverarts.com to register or call Faith Boyle at 798-2728 for more information.




Do you know how Ashland got to be 150 years old and still such a great place to live? Planning! (O.K., maybe a little luck, too.) By coincidence, but appropriate none the less, Ashland will be updating its comprehensive plan as we celebrate our 150th birthday this year. A kick-off meeting for interested members of the community will be held Monday, January 28th at 7:00 p.m. in the Town Council chambers. Even if you don't have a speech planned, you should try to attend to hear what others have to say. As the development of Rt. 1 inches closer and closer, what do our town planners envision for that road? How do we want downtown Ashland (Railroad and Center St.) to look 15 years from now? How do we market our town to visitors without selling our souls? These and many other interesting questions will be answered in the coming months.

Mark your calendars now for February 8 and 9 at 7:30 p.m., when Jerome Bridges comes to town to speak at Blackwell Auditorium (RMC Campus). With his exceptional story-telling ability, Mr Bridges will give us first-hand stories of pre-Civil War slavery and Civil Rights activists. Accompanying Mr. Bridges with spirituals and gospel songs from these historic periods will be the George Crawford Memorial Choir from the Providence Park Baptist Church and a Community Chorus including over fifty voices from local church choirs. This event was created and is sponsored by the Hanover Arts and Activities Center (HAAC), with the local Hanover AARP Chapter as co-sponsor, and supported by Dominion Power and Randolph-Macon College. For more information please call Ragan Phillips at 798-9721 or Buddy Kelly at 798-8782.

Happy Birthday to Amy Flagg on January 30. Did you know she's only 25?




I wouldn’t mind these cold gray skies of January so much if there was some snow falling from them. Flurries are pretty, but I want enough snow to cover the ground, with not one blade of grass showing through. Our snow boots are collecting cobwebs, and the snow shovels are being used to hold up a roof in the kid’s clubhouse. I don’t think we even own a scraper for the windshield anymore. I’m hoping that since we are now unprepared, that the snow will come. I want melted snow on my kitchen floor, kid's gloves drying on an open oven door, and the quiet, quiet nights of a blanketed town. Does anyone remember what it's like at night when there's snow on the ground? The moon's reflection is so bright that it's a perfect time for a walk if you bundle up. What's the biggest snow that you can remember? Let me know- I love to hear people's stories. (804) 310-5320, ashlandnews@gmail.com. You can find a complete archive of these columns at www.ashlandnews.blogspot.com. Have a wonderful week.

It's a shame we didn't get any snow this winter...

Especially since we're building this new town ski lodge.  I mean, I guess it could potentially bring in tourism dollars, if we ...