September/October 2025
Ashland couple brings music education to youth
WV business grows mushrooms in an old tunnel
PUBLISHER
Joe Imel
EDITORIAL
Heath Harrison, Editor
Mark Shaffer, Staff Writer
Amanda Larch Hinchman, Contributor
Dawn Nolan, Contributor briefs@irontontribune.com
ADVERTISING
Christie Coleman, Sales Consultant christie.coleman@irontontribune.com
PRODUCTION
Kandi Thompson, Design
PHOTOGRAPHY
Blair Burns, Contributor
Summer is nearly over, but there is no shortage of events taking place across the Tri-State over the next two months as we transition into fall:
• The annual Poage Landing Days will kick off the fall in downtown Ashland, Kentucky, featuring vendors, artisans, children’s activities, a pageant, live music (including this year’s headliner Asia, featuring John Payne).
• The annual Healing Appalachia concert makes its move to the Boyd County Fairgrounds in Ashland, Kentucky, from Sept. 19-20. The event began in 2018 and, each year, features several notable artists from the Appalachian region, with proceeds benefitting nonprofits focused on addiction and recovery issues. This year’s show is again headlined by Tyler Childers, with the lineup also including Chris Stapleton, Molly Tuttle, Remi Wolf and others.
• The Lawrence County Honey Fest will return for its second year, at the Wilson Family Farm in Willow Wood, Ohio. Featuring multiple beekeepers, the event will allow attendees to sample locallyproduced honeys, as well as to visit crafters and artisans with products created from honey, ranging from candy to lotions to baked goods.
• The Lawrence County Museum will host their annual Historic Cemetery Walk at Woodland Cemetery in Ironton on Sept. 27. The event features portrayals of the notables interred there, such as famed author and illustrator Edward Gorey, World War I flying ace Col. William Lambert and Waterloo Wonders coach Magellan Hairston
• One of West Virginia’s most popular events will take place on Oct. 18, with Bridge Day at the New River Gorge Bridge, near Fayetteville, West Virginia. The event gives attendees the once-a-year chance to walk across the 876 feet-high, 3,030 feet-long steel arch bridge, while BASE jumpers parachute to the river below.
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close p. 8
Nonprofit amplifies kids’ music education by reviving a historic Ashland home
Story, Photography Heath Harrison
nd that is called rocking out!” Art Lima said to the crowd of students at Oakview Elementary School in Ashland in May.
The group of about 25 children had just run through a cover of AC/DC’s “T.N.T,” playing along on guitars and drums with Art and his wife Jamie, as part of Let Them Rock’s afterschool program.
The nonprofit music education organization is a community partner with Oakview, providing seasonal workshops and Summer camp sessions.
“What we do is introduce students to the basic concept of playing together as a band by way of popular music,” Art said of the sessions, which last up to
He says, rather than using traditional methods like starting out by learning scales, they prefer to immerse the children immediately into
Jamie says this kind of “instant gratification” helps to motivate the children and spur a continued interest in music.
“I’ll be able to get kids playing as a band, popular rock songs, pop, classic rock songs, new rock songs — whatever appeals to them,” Art said.
“But I like to start with the classics and introduce them to how instruments work and, eventually they’ll gravitate toward understanding the theory
behind the instrument.”
The Limas said they have been regular visitors to Oakview since being invited there by Shanye Sigmon, a teacher who oversees the program and serves as program director for the 21st Century Community Learning Center.
He said he met the Limas through another teacher at the school and they have since made multiple appearances at the school as part of the program, which is funded through a federal grant.
Sigmon said the program already had a music education component, and they had some instruments and gear and the Limas were a natural fit.
“They really bring a rock and roll vibe to the school and the kids really enjoy it,” he said. “They’re sort of amazed at first.”
Sigmon praised the Limas for the enthusiasm they bring to teaching in the program.
“It’s been great working with Jamie and Art, and a great experience all around,” he said.
It is one of many school programs the couple conduct throughout the Tri-State, as part of the Let Them Rock nonprofit, a 501c3 organization, dedicated to “enriching lives through providing performance-based music education opportunities.”
Jamie is a Lawrence County, Ohio native and she and Art met at an event in Georgia over 20 years ago.
The origin of Let Them Rock began in the Northeast, founded in Philadelphia, along with School of Rock, and serving the New York Metro area, where the Limas owned franchises of School of Rock, which they sold in 2022, when they moved to Ashland, Kentucky.
They now operate as a satellite location of Let Them Rock, through their home, overlooking Ashland’s Central Park.
The couple has breathed new life into the historic Ashland home, transforming it into the headquarters of Let Them Rock Appalachia, dedicated to providing music education opportunities to underserved youth.
“From our roots in a historic building on Rittenhouse Square Park, Pennsylvania, where School of Rock was also launched, to our inspiring work in the Tri-State area from the historic Music Manor at Central Park, Kentucky, we are expanding our reach and transforming lives through
performance-based music education,” School of Rock founder Dr. Joe Roberts says of the Limas’ work.
Art has been playing music since age 9.
“I started out on trumpet, then went immediately to guitar and studied both instruments” he said, “Then I focused solely on guitar. I’m self taught as a drummer, as well as bass and I dabble on piano. I’ve been in touring bands and playing professionally for 35 years.”
Jamie said she got into music at 9, starting with formal piano and saxophone lessons for five years, when she picked up guitar.
“In college, at University of Kentucky, I began singing and playing in bands, and finding other musicians,” she said. “I bought my first guitar and began songwriting and playing locally in Lexington. About that time, I met Art. He was already in a band based out of Philly.”
They have been performing live together nationally for two decades, and they have recorded an album under
the name Fate28, which was featured in Guitar World magazine in March 2012.
“We released a self-produced LP, ‘Experimental Tendencies,’” Art said. The album was mixed and mastered by two-time Grammy award-winner Kevin Crouse, who also engineered projects by Blondie, Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson.
Jamie shared that Fate28 regularly plays benefit concerts, such as a recent one for the Elks lodge, and for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, for which she serves as director for the state of West Virginia.
“We love to rock for a good cause,” she said.
The Limas reside and run their nonprofit from a historic center hall Colonial style home in Ashland, Kentucky, which was built in 1905, dubbed “Music Manor.” They recently hosted a 120th anniversary celebration for the estate with the local Chamber of Commerce.
“It was one of the original homes in this area,” Art
said. “It has been maintained by prominent families in the community over the years. We are the fifth owners of the manor and are excited to contribute to its legacy with a positive purpose.”
Art notes that two gazebos, open to the public in South Ashland, one of which is on 29th Street, used to be located on the grounds of the home, but a previous owner donated them to the city when doing renovations.
“Both gazebos used to reside here on the property,” he said.
The grounds of the home feature modern metal sculptures, music themed, made locally by Advanced Metalworks.
“We were inspired by the ones we saw in downtown Ironton,” Jamie said of the pieces created by Collins Career Technical Center in collaboration with Third and Center nonprofit. “CCTC referred us to a graduate, Brad Matney, who owns Advanced Metalworks and created our custom versions.”
The sculptures feature murals, done by local artist Madeline Tipton of Tipton Creative, which incorporates elements of the home’s stories as well as that of the Limas.
“Madeline sat with us and we shared our story,” Jamie said. “‘Central Park’ is painted on the mural — we were married in Central Park in New York, and now we live on Central Park in Ashland. Our first Let Them Rock show was in Times Square, NYC, so to also represent New York the mural features the Statue of Liberty, but with a rocker hand as a fun customization.”
She explained the symbolism on one of the sculptures as well.
“Our move-in date to the home was Oct. 9, which is John Lennon’s birthday,” she said. “There is sheet music of ‘Imagine’ painted on the sculpture of ‘Imagine.’ We’re big Beatles fans and, when we were married, we made sure we had a view of the Dakota building, where John and Yoko lived, and we were near the famous Imagine circle.”
She explained other elements of the piece.
“There are daisies — our daughter is named Daisy. And there are roses, for Kentucky Derby — Run for the Roses. And ivy from the Let Them Rock logo. There are a lot of dual references.”
In addition to their afterschool programs at Oakview, the Limas hosted other school events in the spring, such as Preschool of Rock, through Dawson-Bryant schools in Coal Grove.
“It was an introduction to music and rock band instruments,” Jamie said. “We brought a guitar and bass and let them strum each string to see how they vibrate. And they got to make some noise and sing along to some fun songs with us.”
Art served in the house band for the Paramount Players production of “Rock of Ages” the musical in June. Let Them Rock also partnered with Paramount Arts Center this Summer and hosted a one-week rock
performance camp in July at the Paramount.
“The camp is one of a kind for this area!” Matt Hammond, education director for the Paramount, said. “It’s time to give kids the opportunity to be exposed to rock music.”
The camp concluded with a show of the sevenmember student band, performing live for an audience at the camp’s wrap-up show on the Paramount stage.
The band covered songs by The Beatles, AC/DC, Black Sabbath, Joan Jett and others, with the students playing multiple instruments and rotating duties. The performance earned them a standing ovation from the crowd.
One of those students who took part in the Paramount camp was Lilly Raney.
“The adrenaline of being on stage is crazy fun!” Raney said of her camp experience. “I learned to love and appreciate songs I’d never heard before, like “Baba O’Riley.” Ms. Jamie taught me how to do hair spins for my
signature move and how to project my voice. I can’t wait for our next show!”
Art said their goal is to emphasize “fun” in their approach to teaching music.
“And that’s a result of how we dive right into teaching songs,” he said.
He and Jamie said seeing the students become enthused about playing music is what motivates them to want to continue learning.
“It’s incredibly fulfilling to witness a student’s joy the first time they play a song they love — that look of accomplishment is unlike anything else,” Art said. “We just want to keep them inspired and nurture their love for music.”
Let Them Rock is now enrolling students for fall/ winter season.
For more information, visit www.letthemrock.org, as well as Let Them Rock on Facebook. Email jamie@ letthemrock.org for enrollment inquiries. a
Tri-State Living up close p. 14
Huntington’s Old Lady on Sixth offers an eclectic selection of antiques, original art.
The three-story red brick home at 412 Sixth Avenue in downtown Huntington can seem rather unassuming, at least, from a distance.
If you’re passing by, you may notice some of the whimsical decor and the handwritten yard sign with the words “The Old Lady,” “stained glass windows,” “Blenko,” “gifts,” “pottery,” “classes” and a phone number scrawled on it.
If you stop, however, you’ll quickly find out that the eclectic gallery and studio, owned by artist Ted Taylor,
has all of those things and much, much more.
“Almost everybody that’s been in here has said that they’ve never seen a place like this before,” Taylor said.
Taylor, a Michigan native and former Florida resident, and his husband bought the 100-plus year old home almost a decade ago to be closer to their grandchildren. They coined the house “The Old Lady” because of its age.
“We always tend to name our houses,” Taylor explained. “In Florida, we had ‘The Lazy Lagoon.’ It was a Key West style house on the canal that was all painted.
Since this house was so old, we just started calling it ‘The Old Lady.’”
As luck would have it, he even found an antique portrait of a woman that he purchased from a sale at the Huntington Museum of Art that he deemed the gallery’s mascot. It hangs prominently inside the home on a wall near the main staircase.
Taylor officially opened his gallery, The Old Lady on 6th Ave, in August 2021. A creative since childhood, he does a lot of sculpture, glasswork and other upcycle projects.
“I like to take something and make something else out of it,” Taylor described.
The Old Lady’s brightly painted rooms are filled with his original pieces, which can range from a lamp made from an old hair dryer, mobiles created with dishes, his signature sculpted trophy hooks, wall decor composed of scrap pieces of Blenko glass, old keys, buttons, marbles, shells, broken jewelry and other random odds and ends.
“Most of what you see I’ve made [Taylor’s friend, Michelle Horan, also has a few pieces on display], and pretty much everything is for sale,” Taylor described. “Anything I make is one-of-a-kind. I don’t duplicate. I like to experiment, and everything tends to have its own personality.”
Taylor also offers the opportunity for others to be creative. Individuals and groups (6-8 people) can book glass window classes by appointment. The cost is $75, and finished pieces can be picked up within a couple of days.
“I give them all the materials, and then I give them some suggestions and whatnot,” Taylor explained. “It’s amazing what some
people come up with, especially the ones that say that they aren’t creative. Those are usually the best ones, and they come up with this awesome, cool looking window that they love.”
Being able to share his work and space with the local community has been a positive experience for Taylor in his retirement.
“It’s fun to hear the feedback. I enjoy it when people come to visit and can appreciate what they see,” he said. “I’m really blessed to be able to be here and do this; not everyone has that opportunity.”
The Old Lady on 6th Avenue is located at 412 6th Ave. in Huntington. Hours are typically Tuesday-Saturday from 10 a.m.-5p.m. For class signups or more information, call 772.913.5606. Check out The Old Lady on 6th Ave on Facebook @ TheOldLadyOn6thAve. a
Story Amanda Larch Hinchman | Photography Blair Burns
The Memorial Tunnel stands guard over the West Virginia Turnpike.
Some may remember when it was a functional part of the interstate system, or utilized more recently by the West Virginia National Guard for training, but today, it’s home to Hernshaw Farms, a successful mushroom agriculture business.
On an overcast yet warm day, I’m meeting with George Patterson, owner of Hernshaw Farms, for a tour of the tunnel and operations space. It’s chilly inside the tunnel and a little spooky at first when the lights are dim, but the equipment, machinery and inventory housed here serve a great purpose, creating jobs and benefiting the environment.
Patterson explains he moved his business to
the Memorial Tunnel, located in rural Kanawha County, in 2022, thanks to support from the West Virginia Economic Development Authority.
“I called everybody and anybody that would talk to me and said, ‘I’d like to grow mushrooms in the Memorial Tunnel,’” he says. “The state has been super supportive. Why not use it? That’s the mentality of West Virginia. It’s awesome that we’re able to utilize it further and make sure that that infrastructure keeps on going.”
In 2018, Patterson began Hernshaw Farms while living on a reclaimed strip mine; the business evolved from his time in college at William & Mary, where he developed a passion for water treatment and transforming abandoned mine sites into green spaces. These early experiments inspired him to pivot to mushroom farming.
“My whole college thesis was what to do on mine sites and maybe putting greenhouses there,” he says. “Then I started learning about how to grow mushrooms, and my dad said you can do two things when you graduate college: go to business school or start a business, and I started a business. I didn’t think it’d last this long, but it has.”
He began selling his product entirely locally before the pandemic shifted the business model online, which now has afforded the company a nationwide presence and ever-growing customer base.
One of Hernshaw Farms’ biggest sellers and most popular items are the substrate mushroom grow blocks, something they learned to produce themselves after initially purchasing blocks from another supplier, enabling them to develop their market locally.
“We learned to make the blocks, and that enabled us to exist,” Patterson says. “If I had done it the other way around and learned to make the blocks first, it would have failed, but I had good advice. Now I help other farms do that, where they use us
to supply their blocks and get started.”
From its inception, sustainability has been at the core of Hernshaw Farms. Grow blocks consist of donated medical cannabis waste, coconut fibre, sawdust, soybean hull, wood pellets and nutrients; this plant waste and green matter mixture provides two essential elements for nourishing mushroom growth: carbon and nitrogen. Blocks can be used for at-home inoculation; with proper conditions, each can yield more than three pounds of mushrooms across multiple flushes.
“When I was living on the strip mine, the most blocks we ever had in inventory was 1,500, and that’s less than the number we made last week — 1,800 — which is kind of crazy,” Patterson says.
Inoculated mushrooms begin growing in the blocks and are stored inside the tunnel, after going through a steam sterilizer and cooling process in the facility’s recently upgraded laboratory. An ISO 6 cleanroom, the
lab is complete with laminar flow filters that push air in straight lines, “like how you’d see in a stream when the water is so perfect and moves so still that it looks frozen but isn’t,” Patterson says. “That’s what this does to the air, which creates a beautifully microbial free environment to inoculate and work.”
The Memorial Tunnel is ideal for colonizing mushrooms, due to its cool temperature, and, after it rains, there’s sufficient moisture so no extra watering is needed.
“The tunnel keeps the temperature down naturally, and a huge expense for a mushroom farm is cooling,” Patterson says. “That’s naturally utilizing what’s right here, and we’re lucky to say West Virginia allowed us to do that as a huge advantage for growing. We really only have to control humidity right now.”
In addition to substrate blocks, Hernshaw Farms offers wholesale fresh and dried mushrooms, clothing, apparel,
accessories and more, as well as grow kits for a variety of species including oyster, chestnut, lion’s mane, reishi, turkey tail and shiitake.
“No one else in the country without a lot of air conditioning could grow those all year round, so we have a cool advantage with that,” Patterson says.
Hernshaw Farms also supplies local restaurants with edible mushrooms, like oysters and chestnuts, and these culinary partnerships are another key component of the business model.
“Restaurants that buy consistently and will have mushroom specials means a lot,” Patterson says. “We grow 200 pounds a week of what we sell to the restaurants.”
Wholesale orders are shipped worldwide, and supplement companies and distributors are major clients. Reishi has medicinal properties beneficial for blood flow and circulation, and lion’s mane, available dried and in
capsules for easy consumption, is beneficial for the brain and helps prevent Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.
“That hits close to home, and we have an answer that’s affordable,” Patterson says. “There’s a huge market for the capsules, but I think the best way to do it is to buy the fresh dried mushrooms we sell. If you don’t like mushrooms, you can blend the dried and put a little in your coffee. Then you know what you’re getting. Each batch of the mushrooms we grow gets lab tested.”
Hernshaw Farms grows between 20-30 mushroom varieties, and Patterson says chestnuts are his favorite for their beauty and taste. He’s also working to cultivate tremella mushrooms, which are often used in skincare.
“We’re trying to be one of the first in the nation to grow it,” he says. “It’s parasitic, so it requires a host to grow. There’s not anybody in the U.S. really growing that at scale.”
Hernshaw Farms benefits West Virginians and
Hernshaw Farms | feature
the state’s economy, with one employee originally from Pennsylvania making the move to the Mountain State for the job. For another, it means the world to work in his hometown and make a big difference for the area. What all employees have in common, and what Patterson looks for when he hires someone new, is a love of nature.
“We help increase the population in rural West Virginia,” Patterson says. “We’ve already created four jobs. We’re probably going to need a fifth if we keep selling mushrooms at this rate. I hope to grow it to 20 to 30.”
As online orders continue to increase, they’re planning a new shipping room on the property, and their next goal is to get recertified with the USDA’s mushroom good agricultural practices program and roll out with a distributor, something they’d achieved right before the pandemic.
“We got the certification to do distribution literally the week the pandemic started,” Patterson says. “We worked so hard to get there and then all of a sudden, my whole business model changed. Now I’m so glad we’re able to get back to producing and growing fresh mushrooms again because that’s what we want to do.”
Above all else, Hernshaw Farms believes in second chances: for the earth, for its employees, for the Memorial Tunnel.
“We started locally, and we’re proud that we’re all over the country now,” Patterson says. “We can’t be thankful enough for where we are. I always wanted it to be like this. That was my vision the whole time. I didn’t expect it to be here, but I wanted to fill a whole strip mine with it.”
Patterson says when he started Hernshaw Farms, his was one of the only mushroom farms in the state.
“Now there are others, which is wonderful. I love to see that growth,”
Patterson says. “I think that has a lot to do with Appalachia and the culture, but, also, I think people see what we’re doing and they’re inspired, which is cool.
“Our state’s really in a great position to help people and startups and companies grow,” he continued. “I’m seeing a renaissance of West Virginia. We have new industries moving in. We have larger demand than we’ve ever seen.”
Hernshaw Farms is located at 100 Memorial Tunnel Pl., Gallagher, West Virginia, and all products are available for purchase online at hernshawfarms.com/. a
South Point business bakes up tasty treats.
p. 34
South Point business marks 2 years of popular baked goods
Story Amanda Larch Hinchman
LFor most of her career, owner Maria Chapman worked in the restaurant industry alongside family and friends, many of whom owned well-known and muchloved local businesses, too.
“I’ve always wanted to be in business by myself,” Chapman says. “My grandma and grandpa owned Time-Out Pizza in Coal Grove, and my cousin and aunt owned the Dairy Bar in Franklin Furnace. That’s what got me started.”
Dreaming of opening a bakery of her own, Chapman began dabbling in homemade creations.
“I started on cream horns, because
that was a childhood favorite, so I started making them at home,” she says.
Celebrating its second anniversary this September, Maria’s Junk Food Junkies specializes in sweets — what else? — as well as daily lunch offerings.
Cream horns are the top sellers and celebrated so much that her business card logo includes a cartoon figure of Chapman flaunting them. Though as the card’s slogan suggests, there’s so much more than cream horns at Maria’s. Display cases are filled with baked-fromscratch goodies like small pies, donuts, cinnamon rolls, turnovers, Texas sheet cake and honey-drizzled baklava, with some sugar- and gluten-free desserts also available daily. Chapman has even tried her hand at the popular Dubai chocolate trend, creating pistachio-filled brownies and chocolate bars.
Aside from cream horns, which can be made in any flavor, the jumbo filled cupcakes are another big hit with customers, Chapman says.
“The cream horns are the ultimate seller,” she says. “That overtakes just about everything else, but everybody loves my cookies, too, and my cupcakes. They’re all cream filled on the inside, unless somebody specifically says they don’t want it, and then buttercream topped.”
Chapman takes special order requests for whatever flavor or pastry a customer could want. Those with custom
requests can simply message the business Facebook page, @mariasjunkfoodjunkies.
“All they have to do is message,” Chapman says. “Before I put them down, they have to come in and prepay, but besides that, just message me and I’ll be right there. I can make whatever anybody wants, any kind of flavor. Any recipe you give me, I can pretty much do it.”
Lunches have included pork ribs; biscuits and gravy; chicken and dumplings; taco bowls; and chicken salad, bologna and pulled pork sandwiches, as well as hot dogs with Chapman’s signature homemade sauce. Everything, sweet or savory, is her own recipe or a modified family recipe.
“That was just a thing that our family used to do, make our own sauces and stuff,” she says. “My cookies are my own recipe. I love making all my own creams for all my fillings myself. I make all kinds of different pastries.”
Maria’s Junk Food Junkies is a labor of love for Chapman, and she has goals of selling her trademark cream horns in stores and shipping them.
The community support has meant a lot to Chapman since Maria’s opened in September 2023.
“The Tri-State area as a whole has helped me out tremendously,” Chapman says. “I’ve got people coming from Lavalette, Huntington, Portsmouth, Proctorville — all over the place.”
“I want to actually sell my cream horns in stores,” she says. “I’m hoping to be able to branch out and hopefully ship maybe in the next couple months or so. Shipping would be a great aspect for me because I’ve got this little space, but it goes a long way; I’ve had this whole room packed.”
Working for herself and being her own boss and the face of the bakery is Chapman’s favorite aspect of owning Maria’s Junk Food Junkies, she says.
“I get to make my own hours,” she says. “I get to pretty much go at my own pace, and I love that people come in and they want to see me. They don’t want to see anybody else, so that boosts my confidence a little bit, too.”
With her skills and experience, Chapman has taken on cake orders for other bakeries or stepped in to assist at area restaurants, like Casa Grande in South Point,
building key relationships with others in the industry, who are always eager to return the favor if need be.
“I jump in,” she says. “I love being present for people that need people; if you need me, I’m there. That’s how I like to be in a business — you have to be like that. We’re community involved. I’ve been in the food industry for so long that I’ve seen pretty much everything.”
Chapman says she feels she is carrying on a tradition and legacy in the 100-year-old building. One wall of the space is dedicated to pictures and other memorabilia of the businesses that previously called it home, such as the Pointer Grill, a candy shop, lawyer’s office, flower shop and more.
“It’s been a nice little gem for me, and there’s a lot of history in this building,” she says. “It’s been so many things that I’ve watched since I’ve grown up. Everybody stops by here. It’s amazing. This is all of South Point’s history and I felt like this holds a special place in people’s hearts, and it’s one of the select few that still remains.”
Maria’s Junk Food Junkies is located at 106 4th St. W. in South Point, Ohio, and its hours are Wednesday-Friday, from 8 a.m.-4 p.m., and Saturdays, from 8 a.m.-1 p.m.
“I’m pretty much self explanatory, I feel like an open book, really,” Chapman says. “I just love making food.” a
• 2 flatbreads
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 clove garlic, diced
• 4 chicken tenders, cooked and cubed
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 1/2 cup ranch dressing
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chipotle seasoning
• 2 tablespoons cilantro leaves, chopped
Preheat oven to 375˚F. Place parchment paper on baking sheet and add flatbreads. Sprinkle cheese on flatbreads. Top with garlic, chicken and tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bake 16 minutes until cheese is melted.
In small bowl, mix ranch and chipotle seasoning. Drizzle ranch dressing on flatbread and sprinkle with cilantro leaves.
ome of the best decisions I’ve ever made didn’t come with a paycheck, but they’ve paid me back in ways I never expected.
Over the years, I’ve come to believe that giving your time and talent is how trust is built. It’s how communities grow roots. And, if you let it, it’s how you find yourself.
These days, you’ll find me somewhere between Kentucky and Ohio, serving Ironton Kiwanis, NEKY Young Professionals, the Youth Leadership Program, United Way NEK, Ashland Rotary... well, you get the point.
Working in the groups mentioned started shaping not just how I spend my evenings and weekends, but how I see my future. The more time I spent in rooms where change was happening, the more I understood I didn’t just want to support those efforts, I wanted to lead them. That’s partly why I decided to pursue a master’s degree in public administration and leadership last year. It’s about being better equipped to serve, to build stronger partnerships, and to make sure good ideas don’t stay stuck in the idea phase.
Networking gets a bad rap. People hear that word and picture suits, handshakes and awkward elevator pitches. But in reality, it looks like helping someone tear down a tent at 10 p.m., sponsoring a student’s first real opportunity or sitting next to someone at a meeting and realizing, “Wait, we could pull this off together.”
That’s where the magic is, in the little things. The side conversations. The shared tasks. The quiet showing up. People notice, because someone once noticed me, and now I notice, too.
Through this work, I’ve met leaders, small business owners, teachers, retirees, students and some of the most creative, generous, hard-working people you’ll never hear about on the news, but who keep this region moving
forward anyway. That’s what keeps me coming back. And, let’s be honest, the word no is my last option.
If you’re wondering where to start, here’s my advice: Go to the meeting. Say yes to the next event. You never know who you’ll meet or what you’ll learn, not just about your community, but about yourself. That mindset led me to speak at a graduation, nomination to Leadership Kentucky and a Kentucky Colonel and even writing this article.
We don’t need perfect people. We just need present ones. It won’t show up on a paycheck, but it might just be the change you’re looking for.
From weekend warriors to everyday heroes, joint pain and injuries shouldn’t slow you down. Marshall Health Network offers advanced treatments, minimally invasive surgery options, and personalized care plans to help you heal faster and move better.
• Joint replacement & reconstruction Sports medicine & injury recovery
• Problems of the hand, foot, wrist, arm, leg or hip
• Torn ligaments, sprains & strains
• Fractures & dislocations
• Pediatric orthopedic conditions, including scoliosis
Discover more – discover what’s possible with orthopedic care at Marshall Health Network.