ASHLAND — What does a better Ashland County look like? Do you have an opinion on your community’s future?
If you do, then Ashland Source invites you to join us from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday, January 27 at the Ashland YMCA’s banquet hall (entrance located in the back of the building) for a community conversation led by the statewide nonprofit Your Voice Ohio. It’s free, but registration is appreciated.
The conversation revolves around this: What will it take to make life better here, and how can we make that happen?
We’ll ponder: What should leadership do — whether its county leaders or those in Ashland, Loudonville, Hayesville, Jeromesville, Perrysville and everywhere in between? How can reporters undercover what matters and initiate valuable discussions through fair, accurate stories that are truly reflective of their communities? What can citizens do to make our place, our livelihoods better?
Over casual food and drinks, we’ll hold open table conversations about what people in Mid-Ohio need to improve life in this mix of historic industrial, picturesque recreational and robust agricultural communities.
We think conversations like this need to happen in Ashland County. We think leaders, reporters and everyday people need to listen to one another more than ever and work together towards common goals.
Your Voice Ohio has held these community conversations in Akron, Dayton, Lebanon, Athens, Trotwood and elsewhere, and those places have learned from the experience and identified solutions to a better life — often in ways that have differed from public policies enacted at the local and state levels.
The listening events are part of the nonprofit’s media project, in which local journalists and leaders sit among residents of their communities to better understand and represent the people in the 2020 state and national elections — before candidates come to town and define issues the way they want. What journalists have learned in the last two years listening to more than 1,200 people discuss addiction, the economy and the future is that people and candidates can have very different ideas.
For the conversations, participants can be from anywhere in Ashland County or the surrounding region.
Because food will be served, please register online.
Ashland session: 6 p.m. Monday Jan. 27, The YMCA of Ashland, 207 Miller Street, Ashland.
Another session will follow at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 28 at Idea Works, 40 West Fourth St. in Mansfield.
Median Household Income (Inflation adjusted, 1969 Census and 2017 American Community Survey five-year average)
Ashland County
1969: $50,404
2017: $50,893
Richland County
1969: $54,186
2017: $44,138
Ohio
1969: $55,004
2017: $52,407
United States
1969: $50,303
2017: $57,652
Education
Percent of population without a four-year college degree or more
Ashland: 80 percent
Richland: 84 percent
Ohio: 74 percent
United States: 70 percent
Source: American Community Survey
