12 Years of Christmas

Charles Romans

The Ashland Beacon

Local man Derrick Bishop has been helping those in need for years…12 years to be exact. And though Bishop might not provide anything as fanciful as Eleven Lords a Leaping or Five Golden Rings, he does his absolute best to raise money and awareness of the need that many families and children experience more acutely during the holiday season. “No child should have to do without,” Bishop said. “Especially at Christmas.”

Bishop at one point has been able to brighten the holidays for over 50 children. He said that most of the help he receives on his mission to brighten the holidays comes through his Facebook page, where anyone interested in donating or helping in any other way can feel free to contact him. Bishop said that being able to help so many children over the years has been a blessing to him as well as those whom he and his network of friends have been able to help.

“There is unfortunately so much need in our area and pretty much everywhere,” he said. “And, it goes beyond just having toys for Christmas,” he added. “Toys are wonderful,” he said. “But, so many kids need things like warm coats for winter, and shoes and other necessities.” Bishop said he makes sure that each child he helps also receives staple clothing items like socks and undergarments. The goal is to warm not only their hearts but their bodies as well; and though toys might bring more immediate joy, the other necessities last throughout the year.

And perhaps beyond their use as well, because Bishop said that several of the children he had previously helped are now helping him give to others in need. Seeing others reach out is all the reward he will ever need, he said.

“We can always use the help,” Bishop shared. “You could of course donate money, but if you would like to purchase the items yourself that would be great too.” All donated items are delivered to those in need before Christmas, and though in the early days Bishop made all of those deliveries personally, he now has some much-needed help. “There are some really wonderful people standing in as “Elves,” Bishop stated. Many of these elves are local social workers who have stepped up to further help those they already serve.

Bishop said he encourages everyone to help in any way they can, even if they choose to donate to another charity or group. “Especially in today’s economy, people need help,” he remarked. “And, it doesn’t have to be a lot. But if everyone gives a little, then a lot gets done.”

Doors Open to Discovery at the Highlands Museum

Gwen Akers

The Ashland Beacon

A community effort has finally come to fruition with the Highlands Museum opening its new Clark Family Discovery Center.

Sprawling the entire 2nd floor of the museum, the new discovery center features 15 interactive exhibits with even more improvements on the way.

“I'm hoping that it brings something to our community for our children. Previously, before this opened, you had to travel two plus hours to receive the same experience at Cincinnati Children's Museum or COSI or somewhere like that, and so it [The Clark Family Discovery Center]  brings it closer to home so it's more accessible to more of our local population, but then it'll also bring in people from further out,” expressed Chelsey Mayo, who is the Director of the Clark Family Discovery Center and Education.

The Clark Family Discovery Center has been in the works since its reveal at the 2019 Dancing with Our Stars fundraiser hosted by the museum. Since then, the museum has been working diligently with community partners, donors, and others to bring this dream to light. Several exhibits have been sponsored by their respective companies, and the goal is to encourage children to learn about their heritage, local traditions, and simply what makes Ashland so bright.

“There have been really generous and private individuals who have helped us,” said Kim Jenkins, Director of the museum.

The crowd for the opening on Saturday was filled with smiles, as so many loves to support the museum and the opportunities it presents for our children.

“Well, we love that there is a place in the community to bring families together, contribute to the history of Appalachia and highlight a lot of the interesting history of the area, yet also be a place for kids to have a creative outlet,” expressed parent, Jamie Lima. 

Updates are still being made to the Clark Family Discovery Center, as new grants such as the Abandoned Mine Lands Economic Revitalization (AMLER) grant will provide updates to new exhibitions and two interactive classrooms on the 2nd floor. This will enable the museum to move forward on projects such as developing the third floor, a climate-controlled storage space for museum artifacts and a second functional elevator.

The Clark Family Discovery Center will also be evolving, changing monthly to keep the exhibits fresh and exciting. 

“You will have changing exhibits monthly, and then we have tons of other features in our Discovery Center that are made to be changing whether it's weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, just so that it stays fresh for all of our local visitors to where we hope they come back every week,” detailed Mayo.

With a huge thank you to all of their donors, sponsors and the community, the museum hopes to move forward with new plans and additions into 2024.

 “I’m over the moon,” detailed Jenkins. “I know Chelsey is just going to do a spectacular job. She's a wizard, and so naturally gifted at what we need to do for kids to keep them engaged and help them remember how to play and really make this their place.”

The Clark Family Discovery Center is open now. Go and see it for yourself!

Crafting Creativity:  Ashland Celebrates its First Artistic Salon 

Deidra Bowling-Meade

The Ashland Beacon

Picture a grand room in old Paris adorned with rich, colorful tapestries hanging on the walls. Large, ornate chandeliers hang from the ceiling, casting a warm glow over the scene. The air is filled with the soft murmur of voices engaged in lively conversation. Elegant furniture, often with intricate carvings and plush upholstery, is arranged in small groups, creating cozy spaces for guests to gather. This was the scene back in the 17th and 18th centuries when special gatherings known as salons brought artists, writers, and thinkers together to talk about exciting ideas. These gatherings in Paris changed the way people thought about art and culture.

Inspired by the renowned Parisian salons, Karen Van Kirk, a retired librarian from Ashland Independent Schools, aimed to cultivate a salon ambiance in early Dec. to celebrate her husband John Van Kirk's birthday. John, a professor at Marshall University and a writer, was the focal point of this celebration, with the added intention of providing a platform for local artists to showcase their work. Broadway Books and The Mill were the perfect locations to set the stage.  

Van Kirk shared, “We wanted to celebrate the arts, artists, authors, and philosophers, as well as introduce local authors to the terrific people at Broadway Books. When I read I Have Always Loved You by Robin Oliveria, I was mesmerized by the Salons in Paris. They seemed elegant, enchanting, and important exhibitions and conversations about the arts.”

The five-hour event featured an evening where attendees first gathered at Broadway Books to share their work followed by dinner, music, and dancing at The Mill. The invitation read: “Flaunt your ART: bring a poem, paragraph, painting, display, dance, idea, creation, or 500-word excerpt from any work you would like to share.” Just like the salons of Paris, the setting in Ashland became a canvas, a space where art, culture, and ideas seamlessly intertwined.

Twelve people shared works of art, poems, short stories, and music. Several authors donated copies of their books to Broadway Books to sell including:  Liz Prather, John Van Kirk, Rajia Hassib, Marie Manilla, Mary B. Moore, Rachael Peckham, and Anthony Viola. It’s a wonderful time to shop and support a local business and authors.

Bex Hall, who is a local artist and writer, attended the Ashland Salon and described the impact of the event: “This had a purpose. It was a chance to bring together in one room people who are actively working on their craft and to share what they are working on in order to stir the pot of creativity. Two great ideas tapped me on the shoulder that night.  Had I not been there, I don’t think the thought would have entered my mind. Creativity feeds creativity. There was an energy that just flowed. As the saying goes, ‘Put yourself in the way of beauty.’ Associate with people who radiate and live their gifts.” 

Hall felt blessed to be invited to the salon event and stated that it touched people in a way they wouldn’t expect.  Hall continued, “To have the platform or the space to have conversations and connections is priceless. It’s all about art and creativity.  There aren’t a lot of arenas to celebrate that. I would do it again in a heartbeat.  I wish we could have it every month!” 

Van Kirk commented, “With the murals, statues, galleries, bookstores, and shops in Ashland, it seems that this community also sees the benefits of creating beauty, whether it is with words or color or poems or quilts; Paris isn’t the only city that celebrates ART.”

Plans are already in the works for Ashland’s second salon event to be held Feb. 29 at Broadway Books and The Mill. Expect to uphold some of the Leap Year traditions with Ladies Privilege and share an apple with the one you love. Whether you're an art enthusiast, a lover of stimulating conversations, or someone seeking to immerse yourself in a dynamic cultural atmosphere, the salon promises an evening of inspiration and connection. Be part of a gathering where diverse minds converge, ideas blossom, and local talent takes center stage. Come share in the magic and create lasting memories together.

Lora Parsons

The Ashland Beacon

I love words!  Writing them, sharing them, trying to write them pretty on packages and notebook covers.  I love thinking about them, using them, and experiencing them with students through shared book experiences and writing exercises.  I also like to really think about the underneath meanings of them that we sometimes just gloss over in using words everyday.  Because I love the way words can build pictures and emotions and worlds in one’s mind, I ALWAYS put too many of them in anything I write.  Articles for The Beacon are always too long.  I have to pare them down, shave off unnecessary words even if I love the way they sound.  Cards to people are always scrawled on from every angle.  Even when I think I’m not going to have enough to say and start on the “right” card face, I end up filling up all the empty spaces and have to add in arrows and numbers so the recipient knows what order to read things in.  My favorite professor at Georgetown, Dr. Gwen, whose Creative Writing class I loved the most, frequently advised in my margins:  “Boil it down.”  It was her sweet way of encouraging me to “get to the point, already!”  I intended this introduction to be maybe two sentences that I could use at the beginning of every “Just One Word” column, but turns out--surprise--it’s too long for that!  My other thought for this running column is that it would be a good opportunity to share Jesus with you by looking at the words we use in a church setting that might feel strange or foreign outside of the church building.  Carefully selecting meaningful words might give me lots of different opportunities to tell you that God loves you.  So, my purpose is really two-fold:  to focus on one word and to connect that word to Jesus in a way that helps bridge the gap between us and Him as we try to navigate life on this side of Heaven.  Let’s see if I can do that with “Just One Word.”

Since I’ve already started down the rabbit hole of my own word usage, maybe focusing on the word “word” is a good place to begin.  I looked up “word” in an online dictionary and found that it means “a single distinct meaningful element of speech or writing.”  The definition went on to say that it’s often followed on each side by a space.  The first part of that definition didn’t stand out to me as particularly insightful.  Of course, a word is an element of meaning used when communicating.  The word “single” stood out to me, though, in that it evoked a sense of loneliness, of striving to do something alone, of tackling a feat by oneself.  A single dollar bill won’t buy you much in this world.  A single drink of water doesn’t do much to quench one’s thirst.  One just isn’t much by our standards.  Even with our language, we pack a lot of different meanings into one single word.  “Word” can be used to refer to the things I’m typing on this page, the things you’re reading now--nouns.  But, it can also mean the way we put a phrase or string of words together--to word something a certain way, making it a verb.  It also can be used to express agreement when used alone in response to something someone has said.  Dad says, “That sweet potato casserole was great,” and his adult son replies, “Word.”  Few words in our English language have one single meaning.  They’re full of potential ways to express ideas.  While a word may be a single unit of communication, it’s in reality anything but single in what it can possibly express.

Another part of the definition stood out to me besides the single-ness of “word.”  To figure out the meaning intended in any word, it’s necessary to look beyond it…to examine the word beyond the spaces on each side of it.  The emptiness that surrounds the physical space a word takes up on a page leads you to its meaning.  We can’t dig into the meaning of the word itself without first navigating the empty spaces on each side.  The Bible tells us that when Jesus came into the world, He was the very Word of God.  John 1:14 says:  “The word became flesh and dwelt among us.”  When Jesus was born of Mary, we had God’s actual living, breathing Word for the first time, walking the Earth with mankind.  We could speak to God, hear Him audibly speak to us.  His words, through Jesus’ mouth, came to earth.  Those single elements of speech could be shared with human lips, rest on human ears, be interpreted by human minds, and be stored in human hearts.  The space that existed between God and man was navigated by Jesus being born into a physical body.  We had access to the heart of God in a new way because His word became flesh; He lived, breathed, and used words in the same ways we do here on earth.  The empty spaces in our lives are what He came to fill.  Jesus is the living, breathing Word of God, and His coming to earth navigates for us the space between God and man.  He is the single source of meaning for all of mankind.  Sometimes our words fail us; they fall short of offering what we intend for them to offer.  They can provide a semblance of peace or comfort or the magnitude of our love for others, but they can’t give actual peace or comfort or love.  But, Jesus can.  This Christmas season, celebrate the word became flesh:  Jesus.  He came to close the space between each of us and our loving Heavenly Father, to give us meaning and purpose, to love us when we are the least lovable.  Jesus is the Word we all need.  And, He is Just One Word.