May Is National Egg Month

Grace Phillips

Ashland Beacon

It is the age-old question…which came first the chicken or the egg?  Well of course, it was the chicken…right?  Without the chicken, you couldn’t have an egg.   Oh, WAIT!  Since chickens are hatched from an egg it had to be the egg…pure and simple.  While we can debate this question for hours, and I am sure I know the real answer, I would rather just talk about the egg.  

May is National Egg Month, which has been observed since the 1960s with different months sharing the honor.  In the 1990s, the National Egg Board established May as the month to bring attention to all the benefits found in eggs. 

The average person in the United States consumes approximately 279 eggs per year.  That’s a whopping 95 million eggs nationwide per year!  Whether fried, sunny side up, well done, scrambled, hardboiled, poached, or in omelets, eggs are full of protein and health benefits.  Here are a few surprising facts about eggs.

Eggs contain all the nutrients our body needs except for vitamin C, and they are one of the few foods that naturally contain vitamin D.  We all have been told that carrots are good for your eyes, but so are eggs.  They contain lutein that prevents cataracts and muscle degeneration. 

Eggs are high in cholesterol.  Trans fats and saturated fats are bad for people with high cholesterol; however, it is now known that cholesterol from your food does not affect cholesterol levels in your blood. The American Heart Association has revised its guidelines on eggs because there are NO trans fats in them.

I conducted a totally unscientific survey for this article with some surprising results. When asked the question: How do you prefer your egg and given the choices of scrambled, fried over easy, fried hard yolk, hardboiled, or in an omelet, scrambled was overwhelming the egg of choice coming in at 48%.  Fried over easy was next with 22% while hard-boiled and fried-hard yolk came in at 11%.   Only 8% of those answering preferred them in an omelet. 

At the first of the year, egg prices had soared to $7 or more per dozen.  Many people decided they would get their own chickens, so they didn’t have to depend on the fluctuating market prices.  Sounds like a great idea, but is it really that simple?

Sherry Risner has been raising chickens for a few years now, so I asked her some basic questions.   She told me that a chicken begins laying eggs at about 5-6 months old.  Each chicken will lay an egg each day.  So, a person is not going to buy baby chicks and have eggs in just a short time.  You also have to have quite a few chickens to provide the eggs you will need each week since they only lay one a day.  Risner has enough chickens to supply her family’s needs and is also able to sell eggs to family and friends.   

I asked if her chickens all laid the same color eggs.   “I have chickens that lay brown eggs and ones that lay white eggs.  It depends on the chicken breed as to what color the shell is.”  Risner continued “I’ve heard people say that brown eggs are healthier, but the truth is they have the same nutritional value whether the shell is brown or white.”

When asked if it was really worth all the trouble to raise your own chickens she said, “That is a difficult question to answer.  It depends on a person’s definition of “worth.”  Feed has increased in price and to lay well and have good shells you need to occasionally give them oyster shells...you can sell the eggs for about $3 per dozen.  Overall, raising chickens for eggs is beneficial because they are richer and just taste better than store bought.  By the time you buy feed and care for them, you really don’t make a profit, but it is definitely worth it for me to have country eggs!” 

Have you ever wondered if you can still safely eat an egg after the expiration date on the carton?   Eggs are porous.  As they age, they take in more air, and an air pocket forms.  Simply get a cup of water.  Place the egg in the water, and if it floats, it has a large air pocket and is old.  You should pass on eating it.  If it sinks to the bottom and stays, generally it is safe to eat.   

A few more fun facts about eggs— 

The older a chicken is, the larger eggs she lays, but also the thinner the shells are.  Younger chickens lay eggs with thick shells. 

If you drop an egg and break it on the floor, pour a heavy amount of salt on it and cleanup is easy. 

Speaking of dropping an egg that is raw…exactly how can you determine if you have a raw egg or a boiled egg?  Simply give the egg a spin.  A hardboiled egg will spin quite easily, but a raw egg will just wobble. 

“The incredible edible egg” was a marketing slogan from the American Egg Board in 1974.  Who knew that such a simple food as an egg could benefit our health in so many ways and still taste so good?  Enjoy the rest of National Egg Month, and cook up some “egg-citing” dishes for your family. 

For more information on eggs, their nutritional value, recipes, and incredible egg trends, visit the American Egg Board website at incredibleegg.org.

Around the Diamond: May 16, 2023

James Collier

The Ashland Beacon

64th DISTRICT

ASHLAND 16-19

   Ashland went 2-1 to close the regular season with wins over Russell and Greenup County and a loss to Lawrence County.

   Ashland defeated Russell, 8-3 in the Morehead State Showcase. Ryan Brown struck out five over three innings to earn the win. Kyle Cordial recorded the save allowing only one hit and no runs over the final four innings. LaBryant Strader went 2 for 3 and drove in four behind a dou-ble. Sawyer Edens blasted a two-run homer.

   Ashland defeated Greenup County, 16-6 in six innings. Brady Marushi, Strader and Edens all had three hits. Marushi and Strader drove in four. Strader and Edens doubled and Brown added a triple.

   Ashland closed the regular season with a 15-8 loss to Lawrence County. Cordial and Brown led the way with two hits each and a double by both. Strader knocked in three runs and Cordial two.

   Ashland awaits the winner of Boyd County and Fairview in the 64th District tournament championship Tuesday night at 6 p.m.

BOYD COUNTY 20-7-2

   Boyd County closed the regular season with a win over Ironton and a loss to East Carter.

   Boyd knocked off Ironton, 11-1 in five innings. Brody Biggs allowed only one hit over four innings and struck out three. Alex Martin went 2 for 3 with a pair of doubles and drove in four. Josh Kelley and Gunnar Gerahart added doubles as well.

   Peyton Jackson went 2 for 3 but the Lions could not overcome a 2-1 loss to East Carter. JK McKnight fanned four over three innings. Jackson struck out the side in his inning of relief.

   Boyd will play Fairview Monday night at 7 p.m. to open the 64th District tournament at Ashland.

FAIRVIEW 15-12

   Fairview went 2-1 to close the regular season with wins over Green, OH and Elliott County and a loss to South Point.

   Fairview fell to South Point, 4-3 in eight innings. Jeremy Harper worked seven innings and struck out four while allowing only one earned run. Tamel Smith and Izaac Johnson went 2 for 4. Tanner Reihs added a double.

   Blake Hall tossed a complete game and struck out nine to lead Fairview to a 6-3 win over Green. Reihs had a 2RBI double.

   Fairview defeated Elliott County, 17-0. Cameron Harper went 2 for 2 with a double and 3RBI. Xavien Kouns doubled and drove in two. Tanner Johnson tripled. Jeremy Harper added a three-run homer.

   Fairview will meet Boyd County Monday night in the opening round of the 64th District tournament.

ROSE HILL 7-11

   Rose Hill went 2-2 this week with wins over Elliott County and Elk Valley Christian and losses to Elk Valley Christian and West Carter.

   Rose Hill knocked off Elliott County, 17-2 in three innings. Jacob Tyler went 4 for 4 and drove in a run. Cody Hensley went 2 for 2 with 2RBI. Kyle Hensley went 2 for 3 and drove in four. Joe Barber and Christian Blevins doubled.

   Rose Hill split a twin-bill with Elk Valley Christian, winning 12-11 and falling 4-2. The Royals lost to West Carter, 8-0. No stats were reported.

63rd DISTRICT

RACELAND 20-9

   Raceland went 1-1 to close the regular season with a win over Bath County and a loss to Lawrence County.

   Raceland rode Brayden Webb and an 11-hit offensive outburst to defeat Bath County, 14-0 in five innings. Webb allowed only three hits and fanned 10. Eli Lynd went 3 for 3 with a pair of doubles and 2RBI. Parker Fannin was 2 for 3 with a double and three driven in. Clay Coldiron and Parker Ison added a pair of hits.

   Raceland fell to Lawrence County, 3-2 in eight innings. Kadin Shore fanned eight over six innings in the no decision. He and Ison provided the only two hits for the Rams.

   Raceland meets Russell Monday night at 8 p.m. in the 63rd District Tournament in Vanceburg.

RUSSELL 11-16

   Russell fell to Ashland, 8-3 in the Morehead State Showcase. Jayden Frasure and Kyle Mokas doubled in the losing effort. Nathan Totten added a triple.

   Russell meets Raceland Monday night at 8 p.m. in the opening round of the 63rd District Tournament in Vanceburg.

GREENUP COUNTY 17-17

   Greenup County went 1-1 this week with a win over South Webster and a loss to Ashland.

   Carson Wireman fanned 12 in a complete-game shutout of South Webster, 6-0. Cade Hunt, Bradley Adkins and Wireman each had a pair of hits. Wireman doubled and homered.

   Greenup fell to Ashland, 16-6 in six innings. Hunt, Adkins and Wireman went 2 for 3 and all doubled.

   Greenup meets Lewis County Monday at 6 p.m. in the 63rd District tournament in Vanceburg.

Fastpitch Highlights: May 16, 2023

James Collier

The Ashland Beacon

64th DISTRICT

ASHLAND 7-20

   Ashland went 0-5 this week with losses to Russell, Greenup County, Lewis County, Montgomery County and Dixie Heights.

   The Kittens started the week with losses to Russell, 7-3 and Greenup County 15-14 in eight innings. Erin Patrick and Addi Laine each had three hits and combined for five RBIs,  Aubrey Foster scored four runs and Ashland slugged 16 hits against the Lady Musketeers.

   Ashland lost 15-2 in five innings to Lewis County. Erin Patrick collected the only hit for the Kittens.

   Ashland fell to Montgomery County, 13-1 and 12-3 to Dixie Heights..

   Ashland meets Fairview Monday night at 5:30 p.m. in the 64th District tournament at Boyd County.

BOYD COUNTY 22-8

   Boyd County went 2-3 this week with wins over Lexington Dunbar and Belfry and losses to Raceland 10-0, Lawrence County 9-5 and Johnson Central 9-5.

   Boyd County snapped a three-game losing streak with an 11-1 win over Dunbar. Jaycie Goad, Kyli Kouns, Maddison Badgett and Reagan Robbins had a pair of hits each. Boyd County hammered out seven doubles. Goad drove in three.

   Boyd defeated Belfry, 10-0. Sara Bays went 3 for 3 with three doubles and 3RBI. Savanna Henderson added a double.

   Boyd County awaits the winner of Ashland and Fairview in the 64th District tournament championship Wednesday night at 6 p.m.

FAIRVIEW 15-11

   Fairview went 1-1 this week with a win over Morgan County and a loss to East Carter.

   Fairview defeated Morgan County, 11-7. Annabelle Menshouse went 3 for 4 with a double. Zoe Grant drove in two. Kailyn Adkins added a double and drove in three.

   Fairview fell to East Carter, 15-0. Carole Shannon and Menshouse had to only two hits for the Eagles.

   Fairview meets Ashland Monday at 5:30 p.m. in the 64th District tournament at Boyd County.

63rd DISTRICT

RACELAND 18-13-1

   Raceland went 1-1 this week with a win over Boyd County and a loss to Bath County.

   Davanna Grubb held Boyd to five hits to lead Raceland to a 10-0 win over Boyd. Baylee Burney and Kali Vance went 2 for 3. Burney had a pair of doubles and Vance homered and drove in four.

   Raceland fell to Bath County, 13-3. Makenzie Bradley, Peyton Mackie and Vance combined for the lone three hits for the Rams. Vance homered.

   Raceland meets Russell Monday at 6 p.m. in the 63rd District tournament in Vanceburg.

RUSSELL 13-18

   Russell went 1-2 this week with a win over Ashland and losses to Lewis County and Symmes Valley.

   Raegan Osborn went 3 for 4 with a double to lift Russell to a 7-3 win over Ashland. Paige Hutchinson went 2 for 3. Haylee Thornsbury and Audrey Patel doubled.

   Russell fell to Lewis County, 5-1. Osborn went 2 for 4.

   Russell came up short to Symmes Valley, 6-4. Lili Smith went 2 for 3 with a double and 2RBI.

   Russell meets Raceland Monday night at 6 p.m. in the 63rd District tournament in Vanceburg.

GREENUP COUNTY 17-10

   Greenup County went 2-0 this week with wins over Rowan County and Ashland.

   Greenup outlasted Rowan County, 5-4 in nine innings. Skyler Lawrence and Laela Matthews went 2 for 3. Matthews doubled.

   Greenup outslugged Ashland, 15-14 in eight innings. Kennedy McCoy, Maddy Steele and Skyler Lawrence had three hits each and drove in two. Skyler and Kaylie Lawrence both homered. Josey Kegley added a triple and Laela Matthews delivered in the bottom of the eighth with a walk off single.

   Greenup meets Lewis County Monday night at 8 p.m. in the 63rd District tournament in Vanceburg.

Dream Turns into a Fun Reality for Retro Cuts

By Gary Newman

Ashland Beacon

It all started with a dream.  It wasn’t a vision for the future but a dream and it would take root and grow into one of the most exciting and fun places in the South Ashland uprising.  Kevin Steele, the owner of Retro Cuts, is creating a new culture that replaces the norm with a comforting and easy to love environment where haircuts are only a part of each visit.   The space on 29^th Street has the owner’s cartoon face logo on the front windows, graffiti-style lettering inside and out, toys and trinkets on display from the 80s and 90s, stand-up arcade games, and many Star Wars references everywhere.  The music inside is 80’s pop (or some other fun decade, dictated by mood).  If there were no haircuts going on, it would still be a very fun place to be. 

It really all started as a dream.  Kevin woke up and started writing down all the details where everything had the 80s and 90s vibe inside.  “I was like, I’m making that happen so I woke up and started writing everything down,” Steele recalled, “I grabbed pen and paper and started writing every detail I could remember. My brain was just going crazy, so I started adding stuff and ideas.” 

From those frantically jotted down notes after a very detailed dream, Retro Cuts was born.  The business, which opened in November and has 4 employees, has taken seriously Steele’s vision where he knows exactly what he wants it to be.  “I want fun here.  I don’t want only us to be here working,” Kevin shared, “I want us to have fun.  That’s what I want the whole vibe to be.” The employees do have fun and it shows, and it transfers to those who come in. 

One of the most intriguing things, when you enter Retro Cuts, is the presence of stand-up arcade games in the waiting area.  “Kids love the arcade games.  They cry when they leave,” Steele recalled, “When they come in, and we take them straight back, they’re a little upset that they don’t get to play the games.”  It’s not just the kids, though. Grown men sometimes come in and play for anywhere between half an hour to two hours.

Recently, on May 4^th, a celebratory day for all Star Wars fans, employees cut hair dressed as Star Wars characters and even gave a discount when customers dressed up, too.  Kevin Steele even made lightsabers for the kids as a part of having fun. “I wanted to bring something that people can enjoy coming in,” the owner shared, “The workers enjoy being here.” 

“It’s nice to work for someone that has actually done what we’re doing,” Karissa Willett explained of Steele, “He’s tried to make it more comfortable for all of us working here.  It’s easier to not fall into the downsides of the business. We’re all friends; we’ve known each other for a long time.”  Willett added, “We’re passionate about what we do and who we do it for. It’s great coming into work knowing I’m hanging out with my friends doing something that’s fun.”

The original business goal was doubled in the first month.  Through word of mouth and an ever-growing Facebook presence, Retro Cuts continues to exceed expectations. The commitment to excellence is a high priority.  “They’re coming into a safe, fun environment to get the top-notch haircuts that they deserve,” Steele shared, “We’re all highly experienced.”  He has been in the business for 14 years, and up until now, he commented, “Everything else has been the same, or copied off of something else.” This is different, and growing fast. 

 Expansion could be in the future for Retro Cuts, and Steele wants that, but he’s also excited that they are working toward their next ‘themed day’, which will probably be 80s or 90s in nature. Additionally, he has other plans to continue to introduce the community to the contagious nature they share day in and day out.   “Here in the next few months, I want to rent out the roller rink for a few hours and have a throwback 80s 90s retro to hang out with all of us,” Steele envisioned, “and have some local businesses (small business supporting small business) and we’ll be dressed like characters so kids can skate with the Mandalorian.”

It would probably be difficult to find someone who has a grumpy attitude in Retro Cuts since the very nature of the place has been richly developed in and nurtured with fun.  Speaking of grumpy attitudes, Karissa offered, “You can come in with one, but we hope you don’t leave with it.” She continued, “We don’t have clients or customers, we have friends.”

That’s a philosophy that will bring people back again and again. 

Steele concluded, “I grew up in the stage of watching video games and technology growing up. Just going back to seeing everything in here that I was just so happy about in life, it’s a feel-good, the memories all over again.  You cannot go wrong with retro.”

You can experience Retro Cuts for yourself at 2040 29^th Street or check out their unique culture on the Facebook page.