ASHLAND — Are you ready for another 21-name salute? Away we go.

Congratulations to Phil Stewart (1) and the Poage Landing Days committee for what many are calling their best festival yet. The weatherman cooperated with three picture-perfect days but the entire experience was a good one for those who attended.

It’s another example of something good happening in Ashland. Poage Landing Days has gone from a ho-hum event to a can’t-miss event since Stewart took over leadership of the festival.

I know his committee works hard to make the downtown festival better and better each year.

Just thinking outside the box a little, but would the festival be just as good on the underutilized riverfront? Some downtown businesses might like to see that considered. Others who enjoy the downtown venue would say if it’s not broken, don’t fix it.

Nevertheless, wherever it takes place, those kind of events fit right into what mayor-in-waiting Chuck Charles (2) has in mind when he tries to make Ashland a city of choice and destination.

Several other fun events are coming up including Saturday’s Bowls of Fire Chili Fest Cookoff beside the Paramount Arts Center. Cheryl Spriggs (3) has made this another can’t-miss event in downtown every September.

Much like Poage Landing Days, the chili cookoff seems to grow bigger and better every year.

Proceeds from this event benefit the PAC’s women’s association.

I know from speaking with Cheryl that it’s her idea to have something big in Ashland every weekend if possible. I like that kind of thinking. It seems that we at least have something good well into October.

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A week from Saturday, the Rotary Club of Ashland will have its second annual Roof Top Party and Barbecue at the Skytower Parking Garage.

Last year’s went off despite chilly temperatures and rainy skies.

The event is open to the public and is a fundraiser for the Rotary Club. Cost is $50. Music will be provided by Danny Craig (4) and Angy Hall (5), better known as Sister Reddenhair, and the barbecue comes from Andy Moore (6).

So the hits just keep coming.

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Let’s move on one more Saturday to Oct. 6 when the Boyd County Old-Timers Breakfast will take place at the Elks Lodge at 9 a.m.

Local attorney John Vincent (7) is the committee chairman for the event and he has lined up Joe Bonsall (8) of The Oak Ridge Boys to speak to the group. Bonsall has received high marks for his patriotic speeches.

I attended my first old-timers breakfast last year and it was a blast. Unfortunately for me, I’ll be out of town for this one.

But if you can make it, you won’t be disappointed.

Tickets are $10 per person and are available at Ashland Sporting Goods, 2007 Carter Ave. and Martin and Vincent, 431 16th St.

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Longtime Lewis County High School coach and athletic director Gary Kidwell (9) will be inducted into the National High School Hall of Fame next summer in Des Moines, Iowa.

He was nominated through the Kentucky Coaches Association by Jimmy Reed (10).

Last year, Trinity coach Dennis Lampley (11) was inducted.

Kidwell has been in coaching or in administration at Lewis County since 1967. He also is host of morning radio show on WKKS for the past 35 years.

Kidwell currently assists Lewis County AD Joe Hampton (12) and Josh Hughes (13) at the school.

Kidwell was named the state AD of the Year in 1995 and was a national finalist for AD of the Year that same year.

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Ashland High School class of 1962 will be going back in time a week from Saturday.

During the 50th annual reunion of the class they will be touring the old high school building on Lexington Avenue, said David Payne (14).

Payne said anyone not in the class who would like to take the tour can join them at 2 p.m.

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It’s hard to contain my excitement about the Cincinnati Reds, who are closing in on their second National League Central title in three years.

As of Wednesday night, the magic number stood at four.

Manager Dusty Baker (15) worked his 3,000th game as a major league manager on Tuesday night against the Cubs.

I’m not a big fan of Baker’s managing but he does have the Reds with one of the best records in baseball. So he must be doing something right.

It will be interesting to see how the Reds handle the 25-man postseason roster.

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You have to feel a little bit sorry for Joker Phillips (16), the embattled University of Kentucky football coach.

UK’s loss to Western Kentucky University at home on Saturday would seem to signal the end is near for Phillips. He reminded writers the other day he was on an 0-10-1 UK team that bounced back to a 9-3 record a couple of years later.

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It seemed a little strange last week at the Ashland-Ironton football game not seeing Bob Lutz (17) and Mike Burcham (18) stalking the sidelines for the Tigers.

Lutz and Burcham are iconic figures in Tiger Town and deservedly so. They were at the game, but not on the field.

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Congratulations to G. Sam Piatt (19), a former colleague here at the newspaper, on his first book, “Men of Valor.”

It was published through the Jesse Stuart Foundation.

Piatt’s book is a collection of articles he wrote for The Portsmouth Daily Times about soldiers from southern Ohio and northeastern Kentucky.

Jim Gifford (20), the CEO of JSF, is happy to add Piatt’s book to the collection.

It’s sure to be a winner.

Copies are available at JSF, on the corner of 17th Street and Winchester Avenue.

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I love hearing from my good friend Sam Spears (21) every week or so. Nobody reads the newspaper like he does and he gives me valuable critiques, both good and bad. The good thing is, he loves reading the newspaper from cover to cover.

He even caught me in a math mixup the first time I did a 21-name salute when I’d left out No. 20. Never trust a journalist with math.

We need more readers like you Sam. I’m giving you the “honor” of being No. 21 this week.

MARK MAYNARD can be reached at mmaynard@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2648.