6/3/10 Strawberry Faire, Farmer's Market Contest, R-MC Graduation, Officer of the State

Did you have a nice Memorial Day weekend? I hope that you were lazy and took a nap on the back porch. I hope that you were thoughtful and remembered our veterans who fought to keep our country free. And I hope that you were social and spent time with friends and family. The Ashland pool was sparkling,full of happy children, and a good time was had by all.

The Ashland Strawberry Faire is this weekend! From 10 to 5pm, come stroll the shady streets of the Randolph-Macon campus and eat your fill of fresh strawberries. As always, there will be lots of music, food, and great vendors. Visit the website to learn more: http://www.ashlandstrawberryfaire.com/.

The Ashland Farmer's Market is having a bumper sticker design contest. There will be information available at the manager's table this Saturday, and entries will be accepted until July 10th. On July 17th, all of the entries will be displayed and votes will be taken for a winner! Your artwork could be on the back of every car in Ashland. All ages are eligible to apply.
Next week, the Ashland Library will welcome Tom Cervenak, marketing manager with the Virginia State Parts to tell us about all the summer fun that can be had right in Virginia. He'll have giveaways and prizes for everyone. Stop by on Wednesday, June 9th at 7:00 pm.

Teen Movie Night will be next Friday, June 11th from 6 to 8pm. Pizza will be served. Please call the Ashland Library if you'd like to attend: 798-4072.

I heard that Randolph-Macon's graduation was wonderful, and that the speaker, Dr. Benjamin Carson, Directory of Pediatric Neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins, was incredibly inspiring. Congratulations to all the graduates! We hope you thought of Ashland as your home while you were here.

Very big congratulations are in order for Dave Klisz, who you'll remember was chosen as the Hanover County Officer of the Year by the Sheriff's Department. Dave was recently awarded the honor of Officer of the Year for the entire state of Virginia. Can you believe that? It actually doesn't surprise me. Our sweet town contains a large proportion of exceptional people. Well done, Dave.

Congratulations to Paige Christy who welcomed her first grandchild this past weekend! Mark and Kelly Curtis are pretty thrilled, too, at the addition of their little boy. Will he make an apperance at our July 4th event? Paige is the coordinator this year, and it's gearing up to be a wonderful event.

Our COTU summer is here, I believe. School is almost over, the shade has returned, and there is a hum of lawn mowers all over town. Lightning bugs are out in the evenings, and children have a hard time laying their heads down to sleep. It is a wonderful time of year to live here. Fing a falling star and wish that you never have to leave.

Call or email me with your COTU news: 310-5320, ashland news@gmail.com. Have a beautiful week!

5/27/10 Summer Almost Here, Farmer's Market, Firehouse Theater, Contest

Do you realize that June starts next week? Have you cleaned off your porch? Do you have a good place to sit and listen to the cicadas when they arrive? There is no time to lose, Ashland. We need to hurry up and be lazy.

Congratulations to Lorie Foley who figured out that our local pet store, Fin and Feather, was the mystery business in our Ashland Column Contest! Lorie got a $10 gift certificate for understanding that the clues ("this store has food, but you can't eat it"), and that the secret word, "Doolittle", were a direct path to Mark Maphis and his wonderful store. See below for this week's contest.

Happy Birthday to Anthony Morris! Our sweet Buddha blew out the candles last Saturday, and we heard that he got lots of wonderful presents.

News of our Farmer's Market has spread and as the customers have increased, so have the vendors. Come out and sample all the local fruits and vegetables! Bring home gorgeous flowers for your kitchen table! Buy homebaked breads and farm-raised eggs! You will be eating healthier, and your life will be enriched by the conversations that you begin. The Market is open on Saturday from 9 to Noon behind Town Hall.

You must come to the Ashland Firehouse Theater this Saturday night! Do you know what they're playing? "Raiders of the Lost Ark!" Come see a studly Harrison Ford take down those Nazis. The movie starts at 7:30; tickets are $6 for adults and $3 for kids. The Firehouse Theater is located in the old firehouse across from Town Hall.

Randolph-Macon's Softball Camp is gearing up! Sign up your daughters, aged 5-14, for this great camp held on the RMC campus. Coach Kevin Proffitt will instruct and entertain for the week of July 12th from 9am to 3pm with daily swimming in the Brock Center Pool. The cost is $220 which includes a camp t-shirt and visor. You can contact Coach Proffitt for more information: kproffitt@rmc.edu or 752-3611.

We're really lucky to have some beautiful state parks in Virginia, and on Wednesday June 9 at 7:00 p.m. at the Ashland Library, Tom Cervenak, Marketing Manager for VA State Parks, will share all about camping, hiking, swimming, biking, horseback riding, canoeing, and other fun things you can do this summer at our parks. Tom will have giveaways & prizes for everyone, and refreshments served. Sponsored by the Friends of the Ashland Library.

OK, this is going to be an easy one. Although this business resides in a little cottage, they create big flavor inside. The secret word is (forgive me) "Wilbur". If you think you know what business I'm talking about, be the first person to walk in their door, say the secret word, and you'll get a $10 gift certificate. Good Luck!

Call or email me with your Ashland news: 310-5320, ashlandnews@gmail.com. Have a beautiful week, and a relaxing Memorial Day!

5/20/10 First Street Party, Chalk Walk, Farmer's Market, Firehouse Theater

We had a wonderful Street Party last weekend. We have been charmed these past few years with beautiful weather at almost every outdoor party behind the library. The Chalk Walk drawing sponsored by Main Street and created by COTU artists were incredible- I only wish they were more permanent, but maybe that's part of the beauty- that it's fleeting. Lovers danced, children laughed, and the music echoed over our sweet town.

After all the news this week about pesticides on our food, there is no better time to visit the Ashland Farmer's Market! Locally grown food are just safer and healthier. Come fill your basket with fresh lettuces, herbs, onions, rhubarb, free-range eggs, and grass-fed beef & pork. You'll also find native perennials, and delicious muffins, scones, cakes & brownies. Music this week is provided by Harper & Company- a bluegrass trio! Make the Farmer's Market part of your Saturday routine!

The movie at the Firehouse Theater this Saturday features a Virginia boy: Joseph Cotton, born in Petersburg, stars in "The Third Man" with Orson Wells, Trevor Howard, and Alida Valli. Suspense and intrigue in Cold War Europe are on order for us; the movie starts at 7:30 pm, tickets are $6 for adults and $3 for kids under 18.

Randolph-Macon's Softball Camp is gearing up! Sign up your daughters, aged 5-14, for this great camp held on the RMC campus. Coach Kevin Proffitt will instruct and entertain for the week of July 12th from 9am to 3pm with daily swimming in the Brock Center Pool. The cost is $220 which includes a camp t-shirt and visor. You can contact Coach Proffitt for more information: kproffitt@rmc.edu or 752-3611.

Our fingers are crossed for some clear weather this weekend as AC & Ann Bruce help celebrate the marriage of their son, Ash, and his fiancee, Amanda Patterson! We wish them a long and happy life, which they'll inevitably have- look at their role-models!

We're really lucky to have some beautiful state parks in Virginia, and on Wednesday June 9 at 7:00 p.m. at the Ashland Library, Tom Cervenak, Marketing Manager for VA State Parks, will share all about camping, hiking, swimming, biking, horseback riding, canoeing, and other fun things you can do this summer at our parks. Tom will have giveaways & prizes for everyone, and refreshments served. Sponsored by the Friends of the Ashland Library.

Have you stopped by Cross Brothers lately? They're celebrating their 98th anniversary this year- imagine the party we'll have to have in 2 more years! Local strawberries are available, as well as all those incredible hand-cut meats.

And speaking of grocery stores, I haven't been in Martin's yet and don't know if I can. I'm taking it very personally that Ukrop's left, especially since I didn't just go there to buy groceries. When we moved back here from our year in Massachusetts, the first place that I went was to Ukrop's. It was part of my Richmond, my childhood, my life. I liked saying the name to out-of-towners, I liked bringing visitors to shop there. I liked getting a glimpse of the senior Ukrops when they would visit the stores, and I didn't mind at all that they were closed on Sunday. I don't know what to do with my UVC card, and I wish I has a few of those old aisle signs to hang on my wall. Going into Martins now will be like visiting the house that you grew up in, after someone else has moved in. I would like to remember it the way it was.

So, you can write and tell me how nice Martin's is, and how low the prices are- but I'm too senitmental. I just can't do it.

Call or email me your Ashland news: 310-5320, ashlandnews@gmail.com. Have a great week! Keep your feet dry!