Local News

Ashland Memorial Day Information

Joe Lyons • May 13, 2023

Featured speaker at the City of Ashland Memorial Day service at Ashland Cemetery May 29 is Colonel (ret.) Christopher E. Keller, a native of Somerville, Ohio. He joined the Ohio National Guard in March 1985 as an enlisted Soldier. Upon completing Officer Candidate School, he was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the Ohio National Guard in June 1989. He returned to active duty in August 1994 as a Captain in the U.S. Army Veterinary Corps. He retired at the end of September 2022 after 37 years of military service that includes deployments during Operations Desert Shield/Storm, Joint Guard/Forge and Enduring Freedom.

Master of Ceremonies will be E. Wayne Risner and vocalist will be Melanie Miller, singing the national anthem and God Bless America. Chaplain will be Jerry Shearer. Flower representatives from the area veterans organizations will place bouquets of flowers at the monument during the service.

The parade will kick off at 10 a.m. and will proceed down Union Street to Main Street and disband at Ashland Cemetery, where the service will immediately begin. Parade lineup begins at 9 a.m. on Fourth Street.

Parade marshals will be the Ashland Veterans Honor Guard. The Ashland Veterans Honor Guard is comprised of volunteers from the Veterans Organizations in Ashland. They participate in many parades, events and ceremonies. The most common service they provide is at funerals of fellow veterans, where they perform and fold and present an American flag to the next of kin, perform a 21-gun salute and play “Taps.” They will be honored during the service at Ashland Cemetery.

The entry process for the parade is now open for residents, churches, businesses and organizations that would like to participate. Every person/group in the parade should focus on patriotism.

The parade has always been about recognizing all the men and women that have served in the United States Armed Forces. Memorial Day is a holiday for honoring and mourning the military personnel who have died while served in the Armed Forces.

Parade rules are as follows: No candy throwing or handing out candy to the spectators; floats and vehicles must be patriotically decorated and display the American flag; no political or controversial groups, organizations or advertising will be permitted; no “for sale” signs allowed on any vehicle in the parade. The parade committee reserves all rights to reject any proposed entry.

Those interested in being in the parade is asked to contact Mary Ann Dull at 419-651-0156 (leave message or text) or email at alamadlady54@yahoo.com. Deadline is May 23.

Flags at Ashland County Memorial Park will be placed May 22 and Ashland Cemetery May 24, both at 5 p.m. Flags will be taken down at Ashland County Memorial Park June 17 at noon and Ashland Cemetery June 21 at 5 p.m. Volunteers are need to help.

***Photo’s From Previous Years***

County Road 1575 in Montgomery Township will be closed

Joe Lyons • May 11, 2023

A portion of County Road 1575 in Montgomery Township will be closed Monday, May 15th through Friday, June 16th for a bridge replacement.

The road will be closed between Township Road 655 and Township Road 1500. More specifically between House # 1508 and House # 1523.

It is anticipated that the road will reopen on Friday, June 16th.

AU T-shirt seen on “Ted Lasso” keeps Campus Store buzzing

Joe Lyons • May 11, 2023

The 2023 spring semester and commencement have come and gone, but the Ashland University Campus Store is as busy as ever, according to Amanda Brown, director of the campus store.

Normally a quieter time of year for the store, its Eagle Custom Design screen-printing machine is running red-hot—or more like purple-and-gold hot—ever since an AU T-shirt was spotted being worn by a character on the hit Apple TV+ show “Ted Lasso.”

When viewers noticed journalist Trent Crimm, played by veteran actor James Lance, sporting a familiar-looking AU T-shirt under his blazer during the seventh episode of season three, released April 26, Brown’s phone started blowing up. A fan of the show, Brown quickly verified with her own eyes that what they were seeing was indeed an authentic AU T-shirt and sprang into action.

Staff at the store replicated the design, Brown added the shirt to its online store, ashlandbookstore.com, with the slogan “as seen on Ted Lasso” and the orders started rolling in from eager students, faculty and alumni. Once all of the supplies were on hand May 1, the printing and shipping commenced. Now, it’s just a matter of keeping up with all of the requests.

In less than two weeks’ time, the AU Campus Store has processed more than 500 orders and shipped the T-shirts all across the United States and even one to New Zealand. They haven’t quite reached all 50 states yet, but it may just be a matter of time. They have been sent to Alaska and Hawaii, as well as Arizona, Colorado, Montana, Oregon, Utah and throughout the eastern and southern parts of the country.

“I’m excited we’ve been able to jump on it. Within an hour of knowing about it, we were up and running. And, the following Monday online purchases started and they haven’t stopped since then,” said Brown, who holds two degrees from AU – a bachelor’s in accounting and an MBA in project management.

The shirt was originally designed in May 2017 by Jill Hiltner, a 27-year employee of AU and current assistant manager of the campus store. Two hundred eighty-eight were printed for Summer Orientation that year for new students and their families and they sold out.

Little did Hiltner know that her design would catch the eye of a London-based costume designer six years later. Brown reached out to Jacky Levy, the show’s costume designer, who revealed she found the shirt at a vintage shop on Brick Lane in London and simply “loved the color and everything about it for Trent Crimm’s wardrobe. It just seemed to suit his style so well.”

Hiltner remains unfazed by her 15 minutes of fame. In fact, she has not yet seen the show, (other than the clips with her designed shirt in it), but does plan to start watching it soon. She is simply grateful to have helped generate some buzz for a place that she loves.

“I think it’s great for the university. That’s the main thing,” she said.

Brown agrees and added that she can even envision Trent Crimm having graduated from AU’s journalism and digital media program.

“It’s cool to see (the shirt) represented by someone in a skilled trade. Trent is very eloquent and wrote for The Independent, a prestigious newspaper. I could see it in the character’s backstory that he could’ve studied journalism here,” said Brown.

Brown also thinks it is appropriate for the AU shirt to have landed on a feel-good show, such as “Ted Lasso.”

“They discuss real issues, but in a light-hearted way. When I think of Ted Lasso, I think of those popular posters with inspirational quotes from elementary school. They address struggles in a way that is very relatable. And, it’s really funny,” she said.

“Ted Lasso,” starring Jason Sudeikis as an American football coach leading a British soccer team, has won 11 Emmy® awards, including for Outstanding Comedy Series in 2021 and 2022.

A Memorable Day at the Park

Joe Lyons • May 11, 2023

Tri-County Educational Service Center, that serves Ashland, Holmes, and Wayne Counties, led a field trip with Ashland’s group, at two of the Ashland County Parks, Byers Woods, a 215-acre park, at 675 County Road 1754, and Tom Kruse Wildlife Conservation Park, at the intersection of State Route 60, and County Road 1754.

Enjoy the video

Coburn Art Gallery hosting summer art camp for middle school children

Joe Lyons • May 10, 2023

ASHLAND, Ohio – Ashland University and the Coburn Art Gallery are hosting “Digital Dots,” a creative and intensive one-week summer art camp for young artists (ages 8-12). It will be held June 19-23 from 9 a.m. to noon each day.

Students will explore art and technology through the lens of various media, including stop motion animation, printmaking, photography, digital art, video and ceramics. They will also develop cultural appreciation and aesthetic awareness by learning different art forms, as well as developing their own talent for self-expression.

The fee for “Digital Dots” is $90 per child. All art materials are provided plus a handcrafted t-shirt. Enrollment is limited, thus registration and payment are required in advance.

For more information or to register, email cpetry@ashland.edu.

County Road 775 in Green Township will be closed

Joe Lyons • May 10, 2023

UPDATE:
From the Ashland County Engineer’s Office “This road closing is being POSTPONED to a later date-middle to late June.”

A portion of County Road 775 in Green Township will be closed Monday, May 15th through Wednesday, May 17th for a culvert replacement.

The road will be closed between County Road 2175 and County Road 2256. More specifically between House # 2314 and House # 2284.

It is anticipated that the road will reopen on Wednesday, May 17th.

The Salvation Army Kroc Center Summer Food Service Program is Back for Congregate Meals in 14th Year

Joe Lyons • May 9, 2023

ASHLAND, Ohio – The Salvation Army Kroc Center in Ashland is delighted to announce that it will operate its Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) this summer with the support of the United States Department of Agriculture. This will be the Kroc Center’s 14th consecutive year serving as an SFSP site and assisting families whose children receive free or reduced-price lunch in school during the summer. The program is open to all families in Ashland County.

“We are so happy to have the kids be able to eat together again this year and mid-summer they will be able to also enjoy the opening of the New Spray Park,” said Jen Washock, Director of Social Services.

The Kroc’s Summer Food Service Program begins June 12 and operates until August 11. It is open on weekdays from 12:15pm to 12:45 p.m. to children ages 1 to 18. No registration is required. Each week brings different themes for kids to engage in throughout the summer in conjunction with the meals.

Meals will be served at the picnic pavilion located behind the building. Guests may enter through the gate in the West parking lot.

In addition to the SFSP program, and as during the rest of the year, the Kroc Center will continue to provide congregate community meals from 11 to 11:30 a.m., as well as operating our food pantry each weekday.

For up-to-date information, check out @AshlandKroc on Instagram and follow Ashland Kroc Center on Facebook