ashland – The Coal Speaker

July 7, 2021 THE COAL SPEAKER

THE HI-WAY DRIVE IN: The forgotten passion pit on Route 61

People driving through Fountain Springs during the 1980s and 1990s may recall some old graffiti.. Some scorned lover at the time used the old Hi-Way Drive-in sign along Route 61 to advertise his (or her?) love for Sandy.. To this day we don’t know who painted it.. we don’t know who Sandy was. And we will maybe never know if it was a match secured, or love lost.. Just photos remain now, with all remnants and memories of this once amazing drive-in forever forfeited to history.

This is the tale of the passion pit on route 61.

October 23, 2020 THE COAL SPEAKER

Skooky Things Episode 5: The ghost of the Miners Hospital

The Ashland hospital has long gone dark.. hopefully the spirits of the past have found a new home.

December 2, 2019 THE COAL SPEAKER

The ghosts of Ashland PA Christmas trees past

In the case of the Ashland PA Christmas tree, perhaps we can look to that tree as a good thing.. after all it could be worse!

On December 3, 1986, fierce winds that rolled through the area actually blew down the town Christmas tree. One hundred of the light globes got damaged as well.

September 16, 2019 THE COAL SPEAKER

Trunk dunk! Ashland calls off ‘trick or treating’ in favor of trunk event

Proponents point out that there are few houses who have keep front porch lights on.. While Centre St may be busy, side streets remain relatively quiet … So why not trunk? It’s safer.. it’s filled with candy.. and filled with fun.

Opponents are fighting a losing battle. Halloween has changed a number of times in history. And lately. Modern society, post-war and post-9/11 have been unkind to the traditional trick or treating.

Is it more boring..? Maybe.. Is it really waving the white flag? Maybe.. But is it realistic to imagine this replaces trick or treating in dying towns? Absolutely.