Thursday, June 18, 2009

6/11/09 Children's Theater Camp, Tiger Trot 09, Info on AMSA

We had another beautiful weekend in the COTU. The rain went away and the weather was perfect for the Strawberry Faire. Do you remember how hot it was last year? Everyone arrived early and was gone by noon because it was so sticky and humid. This year the crowd never seemed to dissipate, and people were eating strawberries until the very end.

I’ll do a bit of fussing and then move on… If there’s one thing I can’t stand, it’s complacency. Whether it’s taking someone or something for granted, or being too self-satisfied, complacency has no place in Ashland. We love our town and the relaxed life we have here, but that doesn’t mean that we should let our guard down. If your door (home or car) has a lock on it, lock it at night. There has been a “staggering” increase in theft from un-locked cars in town.

If you see Jo Ann Hunter, ask her how her birthday was on Tuesday, June 9th. Did you know that Jo Ann is training to run in the Richmond Marathon in the fall? I hope she got lots of presents!

A cool place to be this summer is the Ashland Library. On Thursday, June 18th, the Barefoot Puppets will present some Australian Aboriginal folk tales entitled, “Dreamtime: Tales from Down Under”. This fun event is sponsored by the Friends of the Ashland Library.

If your kids are a bit older, bring them over to the library for Duct Tape Art Workshop for Teens on Thursday, June 25 at 6:30 p.m. Snacks will be served.

Children's Theatre Camp returns to the Hanover Arts & Activities Center this summer. On July 1, 2009, there will be auditions for Peter Pan from 1-3 pm and 6-8pm at the Center. Camp starts July 6 and continues through Aug. 6, 2009 Mon. - Thursday 3 - 5 pm. Please visit www.hanoverarts.org for more information and a registration form.

Registration is now open for the 2009 Tiger Trot benefiting Henry Clay and John M. Gandy Elementary schools. This year the race will be held on Saturday, September 19th. The kid's races begin at 8:00am and the 5K begins at 9:00am. You can register online at https://www.raceit.com/Register/?event=506. This is a lovely race and does so much to help out our local elementary schools.

Charlotte Reynolds came home last week, and is recovering well from her latest surgery. There will be a Home Business Bazaar fundraiser for her on Sat, June 27th from 10-2pm at St. Ann’s Church. Some of the many vendors attending include: Avon, Arbonne, Pampered Chef, and Creative Memories. You can read about Charlotte at http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/charlottereynolds.

Lunch on the Lawn continues this week on the front lawn of the Ashland Town Hall. Come out every Wednesday and have lunch with your town! This event is sponsored by the Ashland Main Street Association. Through the months of May and June, before it gets too hot, bring your lunch and picnic from noon to 1:30 pm.

You’re going to hear me talk a lot about an organization called AMSA, which stands for “Ashland Main Street Association”. AMSA is a non-profit group comprised of community volunteers representing businesses, civic organizations and residents of the “Center of the Universe.” Their mission is to enhance and promote Ashland’s Downtown Main Street District, which includes England Street from Route 1 to the other side of the railroad tracks and the business district along the tracks. AMSA is currently gathering input from businesses and residents about four areas: landscaping, lighting, sidewalks, and signage in the downtown district. Surveys and information are available at www.mainstreetashland.org.

School ends this week, and another delightful summer awaits us. I hope you have as many lazy days as you need to relax, and as many parties and events as you need to make you laugh. Spend some time hanging out at the Ashland pool- that’s my favorite spot to be. Call me with your news, and stories of our Ashland kids graduating: 310-5320, ashlandnews@gmail.com. Have a lovely week!

6/4/09 Strawberry Faire, Updated Town Plan, Summer Reading Program

I am having a very hard time coming to work Monday mornings. The weekends are just too pretty, and there are too many fun things to do. This weekend is no different. The Strawberry Faire will be held on the streets around Randolph-Macon from 10am to 5pm this Saturday, June 6th. I would advise you to bring a wagon, because you’ll need it to help carry all the plants, crafts, and beautiful strawberries. There will be music, food, crafts, including Sunny Girl Signs and Locust Farm Windsor Chairs.

Happy Birthday to Katelynn Brown who will blow out eight candles on June 8th! Katelynn is one of the newest team members of the Richmond Kickers U9 Girls Travel Team. Ahem, maybe she deserves some extra presents, Tracy.

Your Ashland Town Planners have worked hard on integrating all your comments and suggestions for the updated comprehensive plan, and will have an open house to show the final plan on Thursday, June 4th from 6- 9pm, and Saturday from 9:30am to 12:30pm. You could stop by Town Hall before you visit the Farmer’s Market, or the Strawberry Faire.

Lunch on the Lawn continues this week on the front lawn of the Ashland Town Hall. Come out every Wednesday and have lunch with your town! This event is sponsored by the Ashland Main Street Association. Through the months of May and June, before it gets too hot, bring your lunch and picnic from noon to 1:30 pm.

Charlotte Reynolds’ surgery went well this past week, as did a following MRI that didn’t show any growth of the tumor into other areas. By the time you read this, this sweet little girl will have started another round of chemo, or maybe radiation this time. I am so impressed with her strength and stamina- what a fighter. You can read about Charlotte at http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/charlottereynolds.

There will be a series of Thursday night concerts at the Virginia Center Common’s Chick-fil-a beginning June 11th with The Taters and Chris Mottley. The music starts at 5:30 in the parking lot of Chick-fil-A, with donations being accepted for the VA Food Bank and Charlotte Reynolds.

Happy Birthday to Lisa Funk who will celebrate her birthday on June 7th!

The Summer Reading Program at the Ashland Library will kick-off next Saturday, June 6 from 10:30 a.m. to noon. Come sign your kids up for the Summer Reading Program, make bookmarks & other crafts, have your face painted, and listen to stories.This event is sponsored by the Friends of the Ashland Library.

Watch out, I’m standing on my soap box and yelling really loud: “Look around at this wonderful town we have here! Good grief, are we lucky to be living here!” There is so much to do, that I’ve decided that I’m going to stop sleeping. It is just a waste of time, especially since the night is so beautiful around here. At 5 am on a Sunday morning, it is so quiet- no train noise, no “hum” from 95, and the birds aren’t awake yet. I would highly recommend the early morning hours. At the end of my life, will I wish that I had spent more time with my sweet town? More early morning hours, more middle-of-the-afternoons, and less time cleaning my kitchen floor? Call or email me with your Ashland news, 310-5320, ashlandnews@gmail.com. Have a wonderful week!

5/28/09 Lunch on the Lawn, Ballet at HAAC, Update on Charlotte Reynolds

I hope your Memorial Day weekend was lovely! The pool was a popular place to be, and the water didn’t seem that frigid. The Ashland Pool will be open on the weekends now until school gets out. Call the Town for more information: 798-9219.

Happy Birthday to Darcy Inge who celebrated last week with much fanfare!

Congratulations to Ross Luck who answered correctly one of the two questions last week- What do the initials "AC" stand for in AC Bruce's name", and "How did Buddha Morris get his nickname?". Apparently Ross would have had to have gone to middle school with Buddha to understand it, but I'll give him a prize anyway. Ross wins an autographed map of Ashland, with some adjustments made to southern boundary lines to include a blue house by the tracks.

Charlotte Reynolds and her parents are home from their big trip to the MD Anderson Clinic in Houston, TX. When you read this, she will have had another surgery on Wednesday to remove more of the brain tumor and chemotherapy could begin again soon after. The fundraiser this past weekend at Ashland Coffee and Tea was a big success, and so important because while the Reynolds have health insurance, there is a lot that is not covered (like the visit to the clinic in Houston). Watch this space for news on the next fundraiser, and keep up with Charlotte’s fight at http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/charlottereynolds.

The Summer Reading Program at the Ashland Library will kick-off next Saturday, June 6 from 10:30 a.m. to noon. Come sign your kids up for the Summer Reading Program, make bookmarks & other crafts, have your face painted, and listen to stories.This event is sponsored by the Friends of the Ashland Library.

Lunch on the Lawn continues this week on the front lawn of the Ashland Town Hall. Come out every Wednesday and have lunch with your town! Through the months of May and June, before it gets too hot, bring your lunch and picnic from noon to 1:30 pm.

The Hanover Arts and Activities Center is sponsoring two performances of the ballet, Peter and Wendy, based on the story of Peter Pan. This is a brand new performance of the Storybook series of the Concert Ballet of Virginia. The two performances will be held at the Hanover Arts and Activities Center (500 S. Center St., Ashland) on Sunday, May 31st at 1:30 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. Ticket prices are $3.00 for adults and $2.00 for children ages 12 and under. For ticket reservations, please call 804.798.2728. Seating is limited, so advance purchase is recommended.
Good luck to all the Randolph-Macon graduates! I hope you’ll think of Ashland as a home in the years to come. We have all enjoyed you being here. Call or email me with your Ashland news, 310-5320, ashlandnews@gmail.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 ...