11/23/2011 Thanksgiving, Deck The Halls, Ashland Runners

Well Ashland, I hope that you have safe travels if you’re leaving town for Thanksgiving, and if you’re staying home, I hope that you have a wonderful day with your family and friends! Eat, drink, and be merry.

The Ashland Holiday Parade was a great success; many thanks to everyone who watched and clapper, everyone who waved from a hay bale on the back of a float, and everyone who made music fill the air.

The 7^th annual Deck the Halls event is right around the corner- December 4^th from 12:30pm to 5pm. Tickets are $25 for adults and $10 for children ages 5 through 12. Included in your ticket are all the supplies you need to create holiday decorations for your home: fresh-cut greenery, ribbons, wire, wreath forms, gloves, etc. Tickets are available at http://www.hilliardhouse.org/ or by calling 798-9131.

There is no movie at the Ashland Firehouse Theater this weekend, but mark your calendars for the following Saturday, December 3^rd and “My Cousin Vinny” with Joe Pesci, Marisa Tomei and Ralph Macchio. Remember, all tickets are FREE!

I can’t believe that last week I forgot to mention all the Ashlanders who ran in either the marathon, the half-marathon, or the 8K in Richmond on November 12^th! Running in the 8K were Emily Parris, John Hodges, and Kevin Proffitt. Half-marathon finishers were Jackie Plank and Dennis Hansen. Marathon finishers were Tamra & Rodney Bardwell, Susan Spence, Tracy Brown, Amy Rutherford, Patricia Reagan, Tom Grant. They were supported by some very enthusiastic home-town cheering squads!

The town is still this week. The Randolph-Macon students are gone, and the school buses are quiet. Take some time to walk through your beautiful streets and jump in a pile of leaves.

Call or email me with your Ashland news: 310-5320, ashlandnews@gmail.com. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

11/10/11 NYC Marathon Runners, Firehouse Theater, RMC vs. HSC

Here they are, those beautiful fall colors that grace our sweet town every year. It is simply stunning and it is easy to forget about our crazy mid-Atlantic weather when we watch this fashion show outside our windows.

Happy birthday wishes went out last week to Madison Brown who blew out thirteen candles on her cake! Good grief, she’ll be off to college in the blink of an eye.

Some really big congratulations are in order for the two newest members of the New York Marathon Club: Jo Ann Hunter and Craig Hatz! These two runners began with just a mile or two on the flat streets of Ashland, and now they’ve run in the world’s largest marathon. We are very, very proud.

This Saturday, November 12^th, the Ashland Firehouse Theater will feature its second foreign language film: “The Motorcycle Diaries” from Brazil. Produced by Robert Redford, this movie is based on the true story of Che Guevara’s motorcycle adventure across Latin America. Remember, all tickets are FREE! The curtain goes up at 7:45pm- put it on your calendar.

There are two great classes coming to your friendly local library next week. A computer basics class will be held on Monday November 14th at 6:30 p.m. This is a great class for someone who’s interested in learning the basics of using a computer. Find out about the parts of a computer, learn how to use a mouse, begin to explore & search the Internet, and set up an e-mail account. Call 798-4072 to register for the class.

Then on Tuesday at 7pm, come hear local gardening and author, Nancy Hugo, talk about her newest book, “Seeing Trees: Discover the Secret Lives of Everyday Trees. A book signing and refreshments will follow the presentation.

You do know what happens this Saturday, don’t you? The place to be is at the Randolph-Macon stadium for the last game on Day Field: our fearless Yellow Jackets against Hampton-Sydney! Kick-off is at 1pm, but it will be packed, so get there early. Please, please, please- knock the ties off those HSC boys. Go Jackets!

Call or email me with your Ashland news: 310-5320, ashlandnews@gmail.com. Have a wonderful weekend- visit your local farmer’s market!

11/3/11 Halloween Fun, COTU Runners, Gallery Flux

Oh, we love a good holiday, don’t we Ashland? We love to have a reason to dress up, decorate, visit with friends, and listen to some wonderful music. The sidewalks of our town were packed with little princesses, zombies, and witches. We especially liked Alan Funk’s “Center of the Universe” costume!

Hopefully you got a chance to stop by the Hanover Arts and Activities Center to listen to the Hanover Concert Band play their spooky music. Visit their website to learn about some fun, and free, craft classed for kids over Christmas holidays: www.hanoverarts.org.

This Saturday, November 5^th, the Ashland Firehouse Theater will debut its first foreign language showing of the season with the Belgium film, “The Chorus.” A new teacher at a strict boarding school attempts to bring music into the lives of the students. Remember, this movie is FREE! The curtain goes up at 7:45pm- put it on your calendar!

We have our share of Halloween babies in Ashland: Parker Marchetti, Renee Maier, and Bob Brown all celebrated their birthday with ghosts and goblins.

Congratulations to the COTU runners who recently ran in (and finished) the Marine Corp Marathon in Washington, D.C.: Susan Spence, Jill Voekler, and Rodney Bardwell. They all ran very fast, despite the freezing temperature and some snowflakes at the start!

Congratulations are due to Ashland District Chief Benjamin P. Murray who was recognized as Firefighter of the Year by the Doswell Ruritans. Chief Murray was honored for his experience and excellent leadership skills, and the countless hours he dedicates to public safety in Hanover. We are fortunate to have such dedicated public servants in our sweet town.

Have you heard about the new art gallery in town? Gallery Flux will have it’s grand opening on Saturday, November 12^th from 7 to 9pm. Come pretend you’re in a Manhattan art gallery and see some of the incredible art created by our local high school students. Gallery Flux is located in the brick building behind Jessica Roberson’s new photography studio at 301 England St. You can’t miss the great sculptures outside!

Call or email me with your Ashland news: 310-5320, ashlandnews@gmail.com. Have you turned on the heat yet? Have a wonderful week!

12/08/2011 Firehouse Theater, Recycled Art Auction, Teen Movie Night, Distracted Driving

The decorations are spreading around town! If you really want a treat, drive down Center Street one evening and look at all the lights- there are some for everyone’s taste.

The Ashland Firehouse Theater has another free movie for you this weekend. “High Noon” staring that dreamy Gary Cooper will be shown on Saturday, December 10^th at 7:45 pm. Just enough time to go out to dinner before the curtain goes up- especially if you have dinner in town.

Hurry, Hurry: the Arts and Activities Center has brought back its online Recycled Art Auction just in time for Christmas, BUT the auction ends Thursday, Dec. 8^th at 3pm. Visit http://www.hanoverarts.org/ and bid on all kinds of beautiful creations. If you miss it this year, sign up to be on the email list for the Center and come back next year.

This Friday, December 9^th, is Teen Movie and Pizza Night at your friendly neighborhood Ashland library. Call 798-4072 for more information.

If you see Rebecca Cline, wish her a happy birthday! She blew out candles on December 7^th.

The Ashland Police Department is joining the fight against Distracted Driving by hosting an educational event this Saturday, December 10, from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. The event will be held at the Ashland Junction Shopping Center and is open to all ages regardless of driving ability. This sounds like a wonderful opportunity for our young drivers out there!

The lights were on in the Ashland Movie Theater a few days ago- what a tease. Lights on or lights off, please; I keep getting my hopes dashed.

Call or email me with your Ashland news: 310-5320, ashlandnews@gmail.com. I hope the Christmas spirit has found you and you’re spending your evenings hanging tinsel and humming carols. Have a wonderful weekend!