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3 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Ashland councilor was in Paris during Friday's attacks ... One of the 'Brilliant 10' ... Mail Tribune 100, Nov. 17, 1915 ... Ashland councilor was in Paris during Friday's attacks ... One of the 'Brilliant 10' ... Mail Tribune 100, Nov. 17, 1915 ... Ashland councilor was in Paris during Friday's attacks By John Darling for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By John Darling for the Mail Tribune Posted Nov. 17, 2015 @ 9:49 am By John Darling for the Mail Tribune Posted Nov. 17, 2015 @ 9:49 am » Social News p bs:newslist StartDate="20121121" EndDate="p bs:datecalc Months="3"" DateSort="1" UseObjects="1" ObjectClass="81" Taxonomywords="2325,665" ExactTaxonomyMatch="1" Image="1" Count="4" --> Ashland City Councilor Pam Marsh and her husband, Diarmuid McGuire, were walking across the Seine River in Paris Friday evening when suddenly, the town lit up with police sirens and lights as first responders rushed to the scenes of terrorist attacks that killed at least 129 people. “We knew something big was amiss,” said Marsh, who flew home Sunday. “A guy came up to us on a motorcycle and said ‘dash!’ We were several miles from the attacks, so we were safe. We were going to our hotel. Another group told us there were attacks. Everyone was on cellphones. It makes you realize how much information people get on their phones. It was alarming, very upsetting.” The next day, Saturday, life was quiet on the streets, she said. They wanted to go to museums but they were all closed. The only thing open was bars, so that’s where they went. “Emotionally, what we felt was a great sadness for the people, but also a sense of how important it is to continue on with life and to align with the people who have been through so much. There were fewer people on the street and their mood was sober. People were upset and sad. It’s tremendously scary for that possibility to be in their lives.” People put up many signs, a main message being “NO MORE FEAR,” she said. “It’s important to be out on the street making statements, not going to sit at home.” As an Ashlander, Marsh said, “it puts things in context, what life in a big city is like, where violence is a possibility at any moment like that. It was sobering.” McGuire noted the “sense of sorrow on the streets, but the people of Paris are resilient. There was no panic and that’s notable, really important, because, while a few are killed, the only thing they can do is terrify people. They can’t destroy a civilization — and the people of Paris were not afraid. They were sad and angry.” McGuire said he felt disheartened but, as an environmentalist living on the Greensprings, “I have the perspective this is much bigger than the political clash of the Mideast. It’s related back to climate change. The environment of the Mideast and Africa is collapsing and people are flooding into cities. The vacuum is being filled by radical idiots who want to take us back to the Middle Ages.” Signs all over Paris advertise the global conference there in December on climate change, “and that’s the leadership we need, not to bomb the world and focus on radical Islam.” The two were in Paris as part of a tradition of traveling on each other’s birthday. Monday night, Marsh was back on the Ashland City Council, participating in study session deliberations. John Darling is an Ashland freelance writer. Reach him at [email protected]. By John Darling for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By John Darling for the Mail Tribune Posted Nov. 17, 2015 @ 9:49 am » Comment or view comments Terms of Service /* $( document ).ready(function() { // Jquery mobile is trying to style the button and leaving a blank gry button on top of a white button $("#viafouracoms .vf-comment-controls li.vf-right").html(' Submit '); });*/ » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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