Around Town: March 13, 2024

By: Ernie Wren
In last week’s “Around Town” I discussed the need for more in-depth questions to be asked of our political candidates, and I’m pleased to report that both Mayoral candidates contacted me regarding those questions. They also volunteered information as to other important issues impacting the City of Ashland.

This is exactly what I had hoped for. I’m also happy that the communications occurred early enough in the election cycle to disseminate the answers to the public with plenty of discussion time before the actual vote. Mayor Dorise Slinker and Alderman Loren Plank have both committed to providing me with written responses for the Journal next week.

THANK YOU to both candidates and look in next week’s edition for answers.

I have not yet heard from any of the school board candidates, but if they would like to email me at erniewren@gmail.com, I’d be happy to include their thoughts as well. There are a couple of specific questions I personally would like for school board candidates to answer. Where do they stand on open enrollments, which allows students to transfer between districts that have opted in? Where do they stand on standards-based grading?

I’m very excited that the Ashland Betterment Coalition is hosting a “Trivia Night” at Woody’s, Wednesday, March 20th, with the doors opening at 5:30pm and trivia starting at 6pm. They are limiting the event to a total of seven tables with a first-place prize of $400 and a second-place prize of $200. I’ve already registered my team, hope to see others signing up! It will be a fun night with a pizza included for every table. Check out the Ashland Betterment Coalition’s Facebook page for registration information along with some of the great things ABC is doing for the community. Speaking of trivia nights, The Burg is opening back up for weekends starting this Thursday and I hear from reliable sources that there might be trivia there soon as well!

Please don’t forget to attend and support the “Fundraiser to Knock Out Student Lunch Debt” to be held this Saturday, March 16th from 11am to 6pm, in the Southern Boone School District’s middle school cafeteria. What a great opportunity for a spaghetti dinner and helping support a good cause!

I see a lot of friends and folks around town buying campers and RVs, something my wife Danna and I are new to as well. Don’t forget to take a copy of the Journal with you on your travels and provide a picture for inclusion in the paper. And if anyone, or organization, has stories and/or events they’d like me to put in “Around Town”, email me at erniewren@gmail.com and I’ll see what I can do.

“Spring is the time of plans and projects.”
–Leo Tolstoy