A Letter from the Ashland Gazette....
February 12, 2007

Everyone experiences prompts that suggest a "spur of the moment" acitivity but usually additional thinking convinces you not to follow rash decisions. In this case, we followed that prompt and it resulted in a wonderful visit to an area we grew up in and once called home, Ashland County.

Seeing a small blurb in the online version of the Times Gazette reporting a bluegrass musical program at the Haysville Opera House (I didn't even know there was an opera house in Hayesville), we decided to take a road trip back in time. We were not disappointed.

As we climbed the stairs of the old opera house, the smell of fresh popped popcorn waifed around us. Entering the auditorium, the first thing to catch our eyes were the old painted canvas back drops hanging over the stage. Wooden theatre seats filled the room. We were convinced it would be a fun evening and we were not disappointed.

The audience was made up of all ages, from small children to white haired adults and several teenagers in between. The auditorium was nearly full when the show began. Considering the temperature outside, this was a feat in it's own. The music was fantastic and we left the theatre several hours later with that warm afterglow you gain from doing something fun. The three hour drive from Michigan was well worth it! If you haven't had the opportunity to visit the Haysville Opera House, you should add it to your things to do. There is a group of local residents working hard to maintain and restore the Opera House. Your ticket purchases to the events keep this endeavor moving forward or maybe "back in time". Our "homecoming" will stay with us for a while and we will be back. Thanks to the Haysville Opera Hours for the memories!

Dan Bowles and Pat Loveday
Jasper, MI