Strong Bonds and Musical Ties

Boyd County High School Band Celebrates Alumni Night

By Pamela Hall

The Ashland Beacon

Learning to play a musical instrument can be a difficult task; however, starting that endeavor as a child within a school system music program makes the task so much easier. In addition, there are academic benefits for those students who are involved in music. There have been many clinical studies conducted where research shows that music students usually score better academically, especially in math and science. In fact, according to www.sciencedaily.com, students who continue music studies in high school are likely to be up to one academic year ahead of other students.

This certainly proves the importance of having a strong music department in our school systems. It also proves that there can be great benefits, as well as great fun, in learning to play an instrument and being a member of the high school band. Yet sadly, most people who play in their high school band rarely pick up their instruments after graduation. Often, this is due to the lack of available opportunities to play unless their skill is at a professional level. Of course, most of us are not at that level, yet we still enjoy playing.

Boyd County High School Band Director, John Johnson, recently gave previous students an opportunity to once again be a part of the high school band. Boyd County Alumni Band Night occurred at the Boyd County vs. Ashland football game earlier this month. Former students were invited to be a part of the pre-game show, as well as play in the stands during the game.

“We had a great turnout this year with about 40 alumni participating,” Johnson said. “We had participants that were band students ranging from the years of 1967 to 2023.”

In addition to the alumni musicians, Johnson also had a former band director to participate. Carl Taylor, who also previously taught vocal music at Boyd County, conducted the Fight Song during the pre-game show.

 Taylor remarked, “A highlight of returning to BCHS for the event was seeing former students again after many years and hearing about what has been happening in their lives during those years.”

Johnson started having Alumni Band Night the first year he came to Boyd County in 2006. It was so successful that he has had it every year since then.

Johnson recalled, “When I attended Morehead State University, there was always a game for alumni band members to participate. When I came to Boyd County, I decided to do the same thing. It has been very popular.”

It has been so popular, in fact, that Johnson added an Alumni Band Night during the basketball season as well. This gives former band members yet another opportunity to participate and play.

“Band members have a special bond,” explained McKensie Johnson, a 2018 graduate who participated this year. “No matter how far or close we are, we still manage to get together and make a special moment.”

It was indeed a special moment for the alumni to be able to march out on the field and perform once again.

“It was great to be on the field again,” said Andrew Hall, a 2014 graduate and former Drum Major for the band. “I was also a vocal student under Mr. Taylor so having him conducting the Fight Song was very special to me as well.”

“It's hard to imagine how many lives the Boyd County Band Program has impacted,” Johnson said. “The band program is outstanding because of all of the wonderful people past, present, and future that have been a part of it.”

There’s no doubt that music leaves an impression and has an impact on people’s lives whether it be from feeling emotional or recalling good memories from just listening to music, the feeling of being a part of a group that makes up a band or choir, or even from getting better test scores as students.  Only one conclusion can be drawn…music makes a difference!

Halloween House on Hampton Collects Donations for AARF

By: Sasha Bush

The Ashland Beacon

            To most people, Oct. 31 represents a night of sweet treats, dressing up in costumes, and running the streets with friends and family. However, for one South Ashland couple, Halloween is a day neither of them will ever forget.  Kelley Ingram-Lewis and her husband Jeremey Lewis have always held a special place in their hearts for the ghostly holiday. Kelly Ingram-Lewis shed a little light on the subject, “On Halloween 2019, Jeremey and I got married in our home just before trick or treat was set to begin. We just wore regular clothes to get married and then immediately got into our costumes. He dressed up as an executioner, and my costume made me look as if he had cut off my head.  We will both never forget what day our anniversary is because it’s always on Halloween.”

            So, what started this love of Halloween? Ingram-Lewis shared, “I’m not sure what started my love of Halloween. It’s such a fun time of year, and the fall weather makes it nice to be outside for the most part. My sister is a big fan as well. She loves all the pretty and fun things. I always loved the scary and creepy side of Halloween such as haunted houses, scary movies, etc. Jeremey likes scary movies too, but we don’t try to do too scary in our yard. I don’t want to scare the little kiddos too much. I always loved dressing up as a kid to go trick or treating, and I guess I just never really outgrew that phase.”

Naturally, if one has a love of Halloween as much as the Lewis couple does, then it’s a no-brainer that you have to find the perfect house on the most perfect street for trick or treating.  Ingram-Lewis shared, “When we started looking at houses together in 2016, I found this house and knew it was a prime location for trick or treating. I was already buying Halloween decorations on clearance a few weeks before we closed on our house in November of 2016.”

Luckily, Lewis’s husband is quite the handyman and is always up for whatever task his wife throws at him. “Jeremey just goes along with my hair brain ideas and makes them come to life. He’s super handy,” noted Ingram-Lewis.

            It wasn’t until October of 2017 that the Lewis family got to experience what Halloween on Hampton Street was all about. Hampton Street has always had the reputation for being the place to go for the best trick-or-treating experience. Year after year Kelly and her husband continued to upgrade their Halloween game until eventually, they earned a nickname for their house at the corner of Hampton and Ashland Ave… “The Halloween House.” “We like to try to go a bit bigger every year,” shared Lewis.

            This year is no different. Halloween House on Hampton is all set for this year’s Halloween festivities. This year they decided to add something a little different to the Halloween setup. “I told my husband I needed a spooky doghouse that I can put in the yard and make it a drop-off spot for supplies. He had it built out of a pallet in about 20 minutes,” Ingram-Lewis explained. She wanted to use the doghouse her husband had built to help out the Ashland Animal Rescue Fund with some much-needed donations. “Since we can generate some traffic on the weekends, we decided to put that to use and offer to collect pet supplies. We did a food drive for the Ashland schools in ‘21 and had good results, so I’m hoping for the same for AARF. We are animal lovers, and I’m a big advocate for adopting over buying a pet.”

            Donations will be collected until the end of the month. “We are accepting donations now through October 31. The decorations won’t come down until Nov. 4, so if anyone wants to drop off after Oct. 31 then that will be fine,” shared Ingram-Lewis. Currently, the following items are needed to send to AARF: Purina Dog/Puppy Chow, canned cat food for both cats and kittens, canned Pedigree dog food, paper towels, laundry detergent, Dawn dish soap, slip-lead leashes, and gift cards.

            You can drop all donations off at the Halloween House located at the corner of Hampton and Ashland Ave. If you would like to make monetary donations, you can do so by sending them directly to PayPal.com/aarfky. To pay funds directly to a specific vet bill, you can call 606.673.1144. Please mail all checks to AARF, P.O. Box 2061 Ashland, KY 41105.

Frightful Fun at Flatwoods Fun House

Kathy Clayton

The Ashland Beacon

                It’s frightfully fun in Flatwoods every weekend at the city park Fun House through the first weekend in November.

                “You will see a lot of clowns,” said Josh Joseph, chairman of the Flatwoods Parks and Recreation Board. “Scary clowns, but they’re basically circus clowns. This is a family-friendly event. If you let us know ahead of time that your little ones are scared, we can take it down a notch.” If your children are 10 and under, the staff and performers will be less scary.

                The event is a fundraiser for the parks board with the money going toward offsetting the cost of putting on various festivals and events throughout the year. Admission is $10, and the event is open from 8 until 11 p.m. every Friday and Saturday through Nov. 4.

                “It’s designed to look like a circus funhouse,” Joseph explained. “Visitors will see what looks like a circus tent at a house next to the park on Reed Street in Flatwoods.” Joseph said the show resembles an “old-school carnival and freak show.”

                The actors are high school students from Russell and Greenup County Key Clubs. Joseph declared, “We have so many great volunteers who help us put on these events.  It is really a blessing.”

                “The parks board is grateful for the city leadership,” Joseph said. “We have a wonderful mayor and city council and we appreciate having that connection and support from them, allowing us to present different events.”

                Parking is available at the Flatwoods City Building lot next to the park.

                The Parks and Recreation Board also sponsored a Fall Festival on Oct. 21 at the park, with a large lineup of vendors, food, entertainment, and competitions such as a corn-shucking contest and pie eating contest.

                Flatwoods Parks and Recreation Board continues to grow the list of activities to support the community. To keep up-to-date with the latest events, visit their Facebook page for all the latest information.    

Ashland Middle School Students Receive Grant From Marathon

Lisa Patrick

The Ashland Beacon

        Ashland Middle School’s STEM classes have done a lot of great things in the past few years, and they have big plans this year too. Marathon recently made it a little easier for them to pull off some of those plans by presenting them with a check for $15,000.

        On Oct. 11, Sheila Fraley and Ben Tibbetts from Marathon came to Ashland Middle School to present the check to Principal Rebecca Howell, teachers Mark Harmon and David Sparks, and a group of students from the STEM classes. The check is from a STEM grant that Marathon presents to local schools. Marathon has been involved with Ashland Middle School’s STEM program for several years and has also helped them “develop some of the projects that they’ve put on in their competitions,” remarked Fraley.

        Marathon “focuses on education, thriving communities, and, in this case, workforce development,” said Fraley, “because someday these great kids will come and work for Marathon.” Fraley said that when Ben Tibbitts brought the students’ plans to the committee at Marathon, they looked at it, and, knowing “the results they’ve had in the past,” we all “really felt like it was something that we should support.”

        STEM teacher David Sparks remarked the “STEM program at Ashland Middle School is pretty large and vast.” They cover 3D printing, computer science, space science, electricity, electronics, game design, and “you name it, we do it in some way, shape, form or fashion.” But, what AMS really tries to “focus on with our classes is problem-solving and community outreach.” Sparks stated that “the things that our kids learn through doing community outreach projects” are things that “they’re not going to get just sitting in a classroom. The only way for students to get these skills is by getting out there and utilizing the skills that you learn.” Sparks also mentioned, “These are also skills that are sought after by employers.”

        12-year-old seventh grader, Sebastian Tibbetts, is excited to be able to use some of the equipment that the grant is going to pay for such as a new 3D printer. Sebastian said there is a program that sends out “subscription boxes for kids who are interested in engineering, but some kids can’t afford them.” He and another student in the STEM program are going to “make one of those boxes.” Sebastian commented that the box “will be kind of cheaper but will still have the same quality of materials.” With the help of the STEM grant from Marathon, he hopes that they can get even more materials to go in the box. He said the 3D printer that the classroom will be getting “will help us with making some of the parts.” What Sebastian likes most about the STEM program is being able to present the project and show the judges all of the details. He hopes some of the projects he has helped with will get other kids involved and thinking, “Hey, maybe that could be me” because he hopes to get kids “more involved in the engineering process.”

        Sparks stated, “We pride ourselves in being able to offer our kids many different outlets” and with the way “the cost of everything has gone through the roof, we seek any and all things that we can get to better our program for our kids.”