Around Town: February 5, 2025

By: Ernie Wren
The city government has several new fantastic initiatives going on. In last week’s column, I mentioned the city’s new website, which is now more user-friendly and intuitive.

The city has also renewed the employment contract for City Administrator Kyle Michel for another five years. I have been impressed overall with Kyle and how he has grown into the position. He has his thumb on all city operations and has centralized consistent communications to the public.

I was also pleased to see Mayor Dorise Slinker following through on some of his campaign priorities; namely open communications between citizens and city hall, and steps towards improving support for local businesses. In continued support of all these initiatives, the city is also hosting a new quarterly “Coffee with the City” to invite further input. I received the following statement about the event:

“The ‘Coffee with the City’ initiative is aimed at fostering open communication and collaboration among residents, city officials, and local leaders. Led by Dorise Slinker, this program encourages community members to join Mayor Dorise Slinker, City Administrator Kyle Michel, and/or one of the following City Staff members; Police Chief Scott Young, City Inspector Darren Ratterman, and Public Work Manager James Creel, for casual conversations over coffee or soda. Our goal is to create a welcoming atmosphere where citizens can share their thoughts, concerns, and ideas to improve our city. By working together, we can shape a brighter future for our community and ensure that everyone’s voices are heard. We invite you to attend these events and join us in this effort to make our city an even better place for all.”

I have witnessed many councils, mayors, and city administrators come and go, and citizens have consistently expressed the same desire, to be listened to in a transparent environment. So, kudos to Mayor Dorise Slinker for making it happen.

The Ashland Police Department is now fully staffed! Police Chief Scott Young now has a department that is staffed to patrol all city areas and has the respect of the citizens. I know the department is also appreciated by the youth in our community, which is a goal that the department has been working toward through interactive visits/presentations and providing a clear presence at community events.

If you enjoy trivia events, something my wife and I try to support, then you may want to get in on the Ashland Betterment Coalition’s “Trivia Night,” Wednesday, March 26th, 5:30pm to 9pm, at Woody’s Pub & Grub. A table of eight for $175 includes a FREE large, one-topping pizza. Register or sponsor by February 15 by contacting Christine at River Region Credit Union (400 E. Broadway, Ashland, MO 65010).

Reminders: If you are interested in what is going on with the Ashland City Park, you might want to attend the Monday, February 24th “City Park Master Plan Presentation” at 6pm, at City Hall (101 W. Broadway) in Ashland.

Well, on Sunday, Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow and unfortunately predicted six more weeks of winter. The first statewide celebration of Groundhog Day, which takes place on February 2nd each year, occurred in 1887.

The tradition of using the weather to predict the end of winter dates to Candlemas Day, an early European Christian holiday that marked the halfway point between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. During the celebrations, if the weather was bright and clear, it was believed that the remainder of the winter season would be arduous. Spring was right around the corner if it was a dull, cloudy day. The Germans embraced the tradition and added the legend of a hedgehog and its shadow to help predict how the rest of the winter season would go. When the Germans settled in America, they opted for a groundhog instead of a hedgehog. (Newsweek.com/groundhog).

On the plus side, Phil’s predictions have only been accurate about 30% of the time over the past ten years. So, here’s hoping for an early spring and the onset of camping season!