Ashland Town Center Brings Holiday Cheer Through Family-Friendly Events and Activities

 

   Ashland Town Center is helping tri-state shoppers get into the holiday spirit with Santa’s Arrival, Sensitive Santa, Paws & Claus and Cookies with Claus.

   “We are excited to bring back our guests’ most-loved holiday events and activities to Ashland Town Center to help provide a memorable shopping experience this season,” said Vicki Ramey, General Manager of Ashland Town Center. “Santa Claus will take center stage, with plenty of opportunities for kids and families to interact in-person. From Santa’s Arrival to Cookies with Claus, we look forward to being a spot to make holiday memories. And, thanks to our diverse mix of retailers, Ashland Town Center is the ‘one stop shop’ to find everything on your holiday gift list.”

 

Sensitive Santa

   Sensitive Santa®, held on Sunday, December 4 from 9:30-11-a.m., provides a sensoryfriendly experience that welcomes guests with sensory sensitivities to enjoy a magical morning with Santa before regular center activities begin. Sensitive Santa will include healthy snacks, alternative seating options for photos with Santa, and inclusive crafts and activities. Guests will have the opportunity to donate to Autism Speaks during the event.

 

Paws & Claus

   Four-legged friends will take center stage at Paws & Claus on Monday, December 5 from 5 to 7 p.m. Ashland Town Center. In addition to the opportunity to snap a photo of the family pet with Santa, Paws & Claus will feature Ashland Animal Rescue Fund and Earthwise Pet.

 

Cookies with Claus

   Children can spend some quality time with Santa on Tuesday, December 13 during Cookies with Claus. The event, held from 6 - 7 p.m. at Ashland Town Center, will feature cookies and milk while Santa reads aloud “How the Grinch Stole Christmas!” We will also have lots of Grinch themed games, activities and prizes. Children should also be on the look-out for a possible Grinch appearance!

   In addition, Ashland Town Center will offer gift wrapping services provided by a variety of nonprofit organizations from the tri-state area. Gift wrapping will be located behind the big Christmas tree at the main entrance from Black Friday thru Christmas Eve.

   While here, shoppers can also visit the CAReS Giving Tree, and pick from over 220 names of children from Boyd and Greenup County, who are in need of a good Christmas this year. They are located right outside of Ulta Beauty and will be at Ashland Town Center now thru December 9.

   The variety of in-demand retailers at Ashland Town Center make it a destination for tri-state families’ holiday shopping. For more information on holiday events at Ashland Town Center, visit www.facebook.com/ashlandtowncenter OR www.ashlandtowncenter.com

 

About Ashland Town Center

   Ashland Town Center, Ashland’s premier indoor shopping destination with popular stores including Belk, JCPenney, TJ Maxx, American Eagle Outfitters, Aerie, Bath & Body Works, Five Below, Ulta Beauty, and Victoria’s Secret. The family friendly mall also features food options such as Charley’s Grilled Subs, Great American Cookie Co., Panera Bread, Slim Chickens and Sbarro Italian Eatery, as well as a Cinemark movie theater. Located at 500 Winchester Avenue, Ashland, KY 41101, Ashland Town Center’s regular hours are 11 a.m. – 8 p.m. Monday – Saturday and 12 p.m. – 6 p.m. on Sundays. 

Generations as Strong as Steel: The Love for Armco Runs Deep Throughout Area

 

Deidra Bowling-Meade

The Ashland Beacon

 

   In 1986, Eastern, Kentucky country artist Dwight Yoakam recorded and sang Readin', Rightin', Rt. 23 that every steel worker who worked at ARMCO Steel in Ashland, Kentucky could relate: 

“They learned readin', writin', Route 23

To the jobs that lay waiting in those cities' factories

They learned readin', writin', roads to the north

To the luxury and comfort a coal miner can't afford

They thought readin', writin', Route 23

Would take them to the good life that they had never seen

They didn't know that old highway

Could lead them to a world of misery…

 

Have you ever seen 'em

Put the kids in the car after work on Friday night

Pull up in a holler about 2 a.m.

And see a light still shinin' bright

Those mountain folks sat up that late

Just to hold those little grandkids

In their arms, in their arms

And I'm proud to say that I've been blessed

And touched by their sweet hillbilly charm”

 

   Those who have worked in the steel industry know that it’s not an easy job, but it is one to have proudly served.  Men traveled to Ashland, Kentucky to be part of the growing industry.  Some left their families for work while others brought them here for a better opportunity.  Ashland has been a part of the steel industry since the 1920’s that became named ARMCO Steel Corporation on April 17, 1948.  It was a fully integrated mill and the first continuous rolling mill in the nation. Working at the steel mill has been passed down through the generations. The Ashland community has seen growth and loss from the steel industry, yet its history will continue to be shared for years to come.

   Boyd County native, Tim Meade, started working at ARMCO when he was 19 years old and worked there for 41 years.  He started working as a labor operator in 1976 and retired in 2018 as Senior Maintenance Technician Electrician.  His father, RC Meade, also worked at the plant for 42 years.  His family moved from Magoffin County for better job opportunities, which is how he came to Ashland and later worked at ARMCO.  Meade proudly showed mementos from the days of working at ARMCO:  a sample of pig iron from the Amanda Furnace, his father’s 10k gold plated ARMCO Veteran Service Pin when he reached 35 years of service, and his father’s ARMCO ID keyring, which was used to enter the mill and collect his paycheck every Thursday.  Meade loved working at ARMCO because everyone took pride in their work.  One of the slogans by George M. Verity, who was the founder of the American Rolling Mill Company in 1899 stated, “ARMCO spirit is a comprehensive vital force which finds expression in the practical application of policies built on a platform of Christian principles in which selfish purpose has no place.”  That selfless mentality and attitude was key to establishing a strong work foundation. Meade shared, “The workers all turned out to be family due to spending so much time together.  The mill was open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  Work didn’t stop because of a holiday, snow or flood. ARMCO was self-sufficient; we did whatever it took to keep it running.”    

   Keith Holbrook also had family ties to the steel industry.  His father, two grandfathers and mother-in-law all served the Ashland area.  His grandfather was one of the first ones working at the Ashland steel plant.  His father worked from 1950-1986.  His mother-in-law, Gertrude Rice, signed every requisition to build the Bellefonte Furnace during the war.  Holbrook worked for 35 years from 1970-2005.  He worked 10 years in the blast furnace department and then started working maintenance in 1980.  Holbrook described the experience as being “raised from a shovel to a bigger field. We were always shoveling something.  It was hard work, but the pay was decent. I got to work with a lot of characters.  We mostly knew each other by nicknames instead of real names.  We always tried to have a good time and have lots of laughs and good stories to tell.”   

   Little remains of ARMCO Steel now; however the mill’s legacy will not be forgotten.  Fortunately, in 2019, worker Mel Smith, found the two original ARMCO signs that originally were placed at the steel mill entrances.  Orville Smith, who is the brother of Mel Smith, just celebrated his 30 year anniversary of retirement from the mill.  Smith worked as a combustion engineer for 30 years. He attended meetings with his brother pleading for the ARMCO sign to be restored. It was through the work of Judge Executive Eric Chaney and the current commissioners that the sign now is proudly displayed at ARMCO Park.   

   Chaney worked with local businesses Ashland Fabricating & Welding and Young Signs to get the best pieces of the original signs combined to make a new sign. Steve and Brandon Layman fabricated the steel structures for the sign.  Young Signs repaired the signs by buffing and sanding the letters, as well as digging the footer and setting the concrete and steel for the sign to be displayed at ARMCO Park.  Young Signs was actually a part of painting the original ARMCO signs, so it meant the world to be asked to help restore the sign for the Ashland community. W.B. Young, who started the Young Signs company in 1930, previously worked for the American Rolling Mill in the 1920’s. His son, David Young, now runs the family sign business, and shared stories his father told him about his days at the mill.  Young reminisced, “Dad was a passer and catcher of the metal when it came across different stations on the roller.  It was a back and forth rough job.  Dad talked about having to stop sometimes to resole his shoes because of the heat from the fire.  Dad was a hard worker because he knew he had to provide for his family.  He was talented, skilled and disciplined.” Those characteristics carried over when he started the Young Signs company; he didn’t go to school to learn the craft.  Young learned the painting business from his father.  He recalled being in his twenties and helping his father paint the sign for the ARMCO Steel signs and hang them at the entrance locations of the mill.  Young also did the water tower painting tower when the mill changed to AK. Young felt that everything came full circle for this final project involving the ARMCO signs.   

   The ceremony held at ARMCO Park on Monday, Nov. 14, 2022 for the sign unveiling brought a crowd of Ashland supporters and former workers from the mill. Orville Smith was elated with joy seeing the sign placed at ARMCO Park. His sister even drove from Louisville to attend the ceremony.  ARMCO holds dear significance to his family as four generations of the family worked there at some point in their lives.  Smith’s grandfather, father, brother and son all worked there.  Smith recalled his son, Steve Smith working there in the summer and bringing his roommate in to see the coke plant. Steve would say, “Right there is the reason I’m staying in college.”  For Smith, ARMCO will always be “well-remembered.  It was appreciated by the county and well supported.”   

   Boyd County native, Rick Potter, who worked at the plant for over 20 years, attended the ceremony for the sign’s unveiling.  Potter declared, “I believe the sign is at home now. ARMCO Steel is the reason why this park exists.  I remember seeing that ARMCO sign as a kid going to visit my grandparents, who lived in Russell.  I wanted to see it again because it brought back memories.  I’m thankful for Judge Executive Eric Chaney and the current commissioners for saving this sign forever.  ARMCO was the base industry that built this community and the city of Ashland.  Ashland’s population went from around 6,000 people to 32,000 with ARMCO as the leading industry. The steel mill will forever be missed.”     

   Sadness and disappointment were felt among Ashland residents upon the mill’s closure.  The steel industry provided the commerce and growth of the city. Judge Executive Eric Chaney discussed how the placing of the ARMCO sign in ARMCO Park was a great community effort.  Chaney stated, “It was very touching for me personally because Boyd County has always been known as industrial and to watch it dwindle was difficult. Seeing that sign raised overhead by the crane was unbelievable!  That was a full circle experience watching the sign brought home. Mel Smith was the key stone of that project, and I’m thankful to have had a small part of it.”  Chaney continued, “We should never forget where we come from and our roots.  The only way the future can remember the past is for us to find ways to document it.  There is more to come!” 

   Chaney hinted at another project in the works at ARMCO Park, which involves the placing of items from ARMCO and AK Steel around the area where the new Shelter House No. 3 will be built.  Mel Smith and his brother Orville are passionate about keeping the history of the mill alive and will likely work closely with Chaney on this project.  Orville Smith is also wanting to work on a restoration of the monuments from the steel mill down at the Ashland Riverfront.  He has a Facebook group for anyone who wants to join to learn more about the days of ARMCO.  Members can post memories or photos regarding their memories with the steel mill.  The group is Ashland ARMCO Pre AK.  

   Even after the passing of the steel mill and the jobs lost, the workers and community still stand strong. Artist Andy Warhol stated, “The idea is not to live forever, but to create something that will.”  We will never forget; the spirit of ARMCO will forever stand.

Remembering the First Thanksgiving with Gratitude

 

Deidra Bowling-Meade

The Ashland Beacon

 

   The Peanuts character Charlie Brown gives us food for thought: “What if today, we were just grateful for everything?” We often take what we have for granted, such as our home, food, health, friends and family.  Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on our many blessings.  Holy Family School’s kindergarten class taught by Brandi Cumpton has been learning about giving thanks, as well as experiencing the first Thanksgiving.  It’s been an experience the students will never forget.   

   Cumpton first reads a fiction book from the Magic Tree House series titled, Thanksgiving on Thursday by Mary Pope Osborne, to launch the unit.   The two main characters of the book, Jack and Annie, are whisked back to 1621 on the first Thanksgiving Day. The Pilgrims ask them to help get things ready. But whether it's cooking or clamming, Jack and Annie don't know how to do anything the Pilgrim way. Nonfiction texts, such as Giving Thanks: The 1621 Harvest Feast by Kate Waters and Pilgrims A Nonfiction Companion to Thanksgiving on Thursday by Mary Pope Osborne and Natalie Pope Boyce are also included to provide extension of understanding. These resources helped give an in-depth picture of what life was like for the early settlers.  The students were then given the opportunity to experience life as a Pilgrim as they prepared a Thanksgiving feast celebration. 

   Cumpton described the celebration, “We try to recreate the Pilgrim tradition and feast as best we can with adult supervision.  Students prepare and cook the food, serve one another, and clean afterwards.  The students sit on the floor to eat like the Pilgrim kids had to during that time.  They used seashells to eat their food.  Foods included items we know they had at the First Thanksgiving:  deer meat, potatoes, carrots, corn on the cob, nuts, berries and water.”  Kindergarten student, Mack Meade, smiled with excitement as he placed the deer meat in the pot to cook.  Meade exclaimed, “It was raw and bloody! It was cool to cook and try to eat it.  I ate five bites of a deer leg; it was good!”  

   The students also shucked corn, peeled potatoes, cut carrots and washed fruit.  Kindergartener Waylon Haywood commented, “I’m thankful I don’t have to work as hard as the Pilgrim kids!”  Cumpton enjoys watching the students work most of all because “it paints a better picture of how hard the pilgrim children worked and how much involvement they had with the daily responsibilities.”  The students learn to be grateful for their daily blessings.  

   Allison Salem said she was thankful for the feast food and her cousins.  Maria Peacock stated she was thankful for her family and house.  Callie Bowling shared, “I’m thankful for my toys because the Pilgrim kids didn’t have any on the boat.”   

   Cumpton has shared the Thanksgiving feast with her students for 10 years.  Several parents have discussed how valuable the experience is for their children.  Kristin Haywood is a 4th grade teacher at Holy Family and mother of Waylon Haywood.  Haywood teased, “I was dying to try some deer meat, but the boys ate it all!  It smelled delicious!”  Haywood continued, “I was happy to hear that the students in kindergarten were already learning about and getting to re-create some of the things they learned about all week leading up to the feast.  Waylon would tell me facts daily that he had learned about the First Thanksgiving.  He quickly realized it’s not as simple as it is at home.  He didn’t want to live like a pilgrim but definitely loved to cook and eat like one!”  

   Kelly Marcum, who teaches religion and also works with the kindergarten class, enjoys the Thanksgiving feast the most.  Marcum proclaimed, “It’s my favorite event of the year!  I learn something new every year.”  The hands-on experience for the students puts everything into perspective and is a bonding experience they will always remember with gratitude.

Supporting Those Who Support Us: Shop Small Business Saturday Nov. 26

 

Sasha Bush

The Ashland Beacon

 

   With Christmas right around the corner, holiday shopping is in full swing. Many local businesses are gearing up for Black Friday sales in anticipation of what is easily known as the biggest shopping day of the year. What you may not realize is that there is another shopping day that is equally, if not more important than Black Friday. Small Business Saturday kicks off on November 26, the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Small Business Saturday is a day set aside for locally owned small businesses to step into the spotlight. Most small businesses will be offering some type of special sale or promotion at this time. So, you might be asking yourself… “why do I need to support small businesses?” The answer is simple… because they support you! 

   Small businesses are often the ones that donate to your local charities, sports teams, and other causes. Just take a look around the next time my are at a ballfield or gym, and you will notice all the banners and signs up that has donated hard earned money to support our kids dreams. That’s locally owned small businesses supporting their community. Without the generosity of these locally owned businesses many of our youth’s programs, fundraisers, and sports would be doomed to fail. If these small business owners are willing to help support the dreams or our children, then we should be willing to support their dreams as well. 

   Without locally owned small businesses, a town would just be a neighborhood. It is the “mom and pop” shops that are truly the backbone of our communities. Local stores employ local people, who then spend money shopping locally, which in turn helps to create a thriving economy for the entire community. Why wouldn’t you want to support the small businesses around you? You don’t see big corporations chomping at the bit to sponsor your son or daughters’ baseball team or softball team or donate a portion of proceeds from the day to your school, or help those in need during their darkest of days. 

Shop Small Business, A5

This Saturday, November 26, is your chance to help support those who support you by shopping local. Just check out this list of amazing deals, promotions, and vendor fairs from just a few of the locally owned shops/individuals that we all know and love.  

   Local Mercantile, located at 2030 29th Street, has some of the cutest clothing around and if shoes are your thing then you definitely don’t want to miss out on shopping at this unique boutique. They will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Door busters will be going on throughout the day, certain purchases will be eligible for giveaways, and for every $50 gift card purchased you will get a free $10 gift card. The Trinity Boutique will also be set up at Local Mercantile with its surprise sales and promotions.

   Melanie’s Bowtique is the place to be for the cutest children’s clothes around. They will be offering a free holiday reusable tote bag to the first 30 shoppers, and for every $50 spent before tax you will get $10 off your purchase. Melanie’s Bowtique is located at 1536 Winchester Avenue, Suite 2 inside the historic Camayo Arcade. Bluegrass Collectables and Amy’s Art will also be set up at the Camayo Arcade on Small Business Saturday. 

   Pretty and Poised, located at 1601 Winchester Avenue, will be open from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. and will be offering door prizes and hourly giveaways throughout the day. Get 30% off sweaters, jackets, and dresses from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and draw for 20%-40% off your purchase. The first 10 people will receive a free gift with purchase plus the first 30 people will receive Chery’s cookies.

   Stop in at 1505 Winchester Avenue to find Christian Alexander Home for some great deals on some of the most gorgeous home items around. Get in there from 11 a.m. – noon you can get 30% off your purchase, from noon – 2 p.m. you can get 25% off your purchases, and then from 2 p.m. – 4 p.m. you can get 20% off your purchases. Don’t forget to hop on over to Merle Norman and check out the amazing deals that they will be offering.

   Holly B’s Jewelry & Gifts, located at 121 16th Street, offers custom made items perfect for those gifts that you want to have a more personal touch. You can also find some of the cutest jewelry around. Holly B’s will be offering 20% off your entire purchase during their Shop Small Business Saturday event. 

   The Lemon Frog Boutique is located above the Greenup Avenue Giovanni’s and offers a wide variety of high quality, unique, and affordable boutique clothing in sizes XS-5X. The Lemon Frog will be offering special promotions and giveaways throughout the day and will feature sales all throughout the store with up to 70% off. In addition to amazing prices the Lemon Frog Boutique will also be applying bonus amounts to all gift card purchases.

   If vendor fairs are your thing, then you have plenty of opportunities and places to visit on Saturday.  The Cinema at Camp Landing will be hosting a Small Business Saturday Craft and Vendor Fair featuring some of the areas most popular vendors. This event will be from 2 p.m. – 6 p.m. Door prizes and giveaways will be happening all throughout the day, gift card specials will be available for some of the most popular stores, and if you have your little ones with you, they can stop by and partake in some fun crafting time with Mrs. Claus. 

   The Edge Business Center, located at 1100 Our Lady’s Way in Ashland, will be hosting its 2022 Shop Local Holiday Market. This festive holiday event will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and will feature more than 60 local vendors for you to shop from. You are sure to find something for everyone on your list. Admission to this event will be $5. 

   No matter what your needs and wants are, chances are you will find the perfect gift this holiday season when you shop local.

The Tale of Two Turkeys That Nearly Killed Us All

 

Sasha Bush

The Ashland Beacon

 

   Thanksgiving is such a wonderful holiday. It is a time for us to gather with our families and reflect on what we are most thankful for. In a perfect world Thanksgiving dinner would go off without a hitch and everything would turn out just right. But we don’t live in a perfect world and if something is going to go wrong, it tends to happen when we really don’t want it to. But, that’s what makes life such a wonderful and intriguing experience. It is the times that things seem to go awry that are often the times that stand out in our memories the most. Let’s face it: when we are getting the entire family together there is bound to be something hilarious happen. For my family this seemed to be a normal occurrence year after year. There was always some dramatic event that would leave us all in laughter.  However, one particular Thanksgiving Day will forever stand out in my mind. 

   When I was around five years old, I remember watching my grandmother frantically run around the kitchen preparing our annual Thanksgiving feast. I was always trying to help out, but most of the time I would just be in the way. However, that never stopped my grandmother from trying to include me… even if that meant telling me that she needed me to go cook my own Thanksgiving feast, so she didn’t have to cook so much. So, that’s exactly what I did. I went to my “kitchen” in my bedroom and began preparing my own dinner. Then it hit me! What if I could make both dinners so much better by combining them?

   I quickly grabbed my plastic toy turkey, fake stuffing, and a fake ear of corn and ran to my grandmother’s kitchen. While she wasn’t looking, I decided that the best way for me to accomplish this goal of combining our dinners was to stuff my “food” into the actual turkey. So that’s what I did. I shoved all three as far back into the turkey as I possibly could. Shortly after my grandmother stuffed the turkey with her famous homemade stuffing and popped it into the oven. I was so proud of myself because I just knew that this was going to be the most unforgettable Thanksgiving Day dinner ever. I mean, how could it not be? Here you had my perfectly prepared plastic dishes added to my grandmother’s already perfect stuffing. I just knew it had to be a winning combination. Hours passed and it felt like days. Finally, the time had come to set the table. We all took our places around the tables. It was customary for the adults to sit at the big table and the children would sit at their own table off to the side. 

   Shortly after grace had been said, it wasn’t too long before everyone discovered my “added” ingredients. As the stuffing was being distributed it was mixed with hardened stringy colors of brown, yellow and orange. It also had a smell coming from it that was quite awful and one that I will never forget.  I was so excited to let everyone know that I was the reason the stuffing looked so “good” this year. However, that excitement was short lived once my grandmother along with everyone else at the table deemed our beloved turkey in-edible. I was so upset that they didn’t share in my excitement. My only response to them was, “how rude!” To add insult to injury, it was later discovered that one of my aunts’ earrings had fallen off into the mashed potatoes during the preparation stage. It was unfortunate that one of my cousins who had a loose tooth was the one that found it. But on the bright side, he did get a visit from the tooth fairy that night.

   That was one of my most favorite Thanksgiving memories I had as a child. It was one of the few times that we were all together. After getting married and having kids of my own, I began cooking my own dinner for my family. It was clear after our first Thanksgiving that I was keeping the tradition of hilarious holiday mishaps alive. The first turkey I ever cooked, much like my grandmothers, turned out to be in-edible. Of course just like that Thanksgiving day when I was five, the extent of my mishaps wasn’t discovered until the table had been set and we began to serve the food. 

   You see… in the middle of preparing my mashed potatoes I realized that I had forgotten to buy milk and we didn’t have any in the fridge or any cream I could substitute it with. Well, one of my “bright ideas” came to mind and I decided that since I had all this baby formula on hand that I could just use that in place of the milk. So I quickly went to work mixing in my “milk,” butter, salt and pepper. About the time that I had finished that, the oven bell went off. The turkey was done! I began setting the table. Once I uncovered the turkey I  realized it had an absolutely disgusting smell coming from it. It didn’t take long for us to find out why.

   I had unknowingly left everything inside the turkey. Yup… that’s right! I left the bag of giblets, heart, liver, gizzard and neck inside the turkey. The bag that held the everything had melted and fused to the turkey and produced the most horrid of smells.  Needless to say, that turkey was quickly trashed. Thankfully I had cooked a small ham and we had all the other great side dishes, which included my mashed potatoes. I was the first person to take a bite of the mashed potatoes prepared with Similac baby formula. I was also the last because the potatoes quickly joined the turkey in the trash can. 

   So here I am with a turkey that was trashed and now the mash potatoes that could not be eaten. Again, to add insult to injury, I then discovered that the ham had not cooked all the way through and was cold in the middle. At this point I was done. I was devastated. All the sudden my husband started laughing hysterically. It was at that point that I realized that even though our first Thanksgiving seemed to be ruined in my mind, it would in fact be a day that we would talk about for years to come. I may have not created the best Thanksgiving Day feast on that day but what I did create was far more substantial. I created memories that I will cherish for a lifetime.