Town Crier Articles

February is “Responsible Pet Owners Month”. So, let’s remind everyone what it means to be a neighborly and responsible pet owner in New Town. Keeping your pet healthy and happy is important. Equally important is controlling your pet’s behavior in a responsible manner. Be considerate of those living around you.

 

Always clean up after your pet - Your yard should not be filled with your pet's waste, nor should you neglect to pick up after your animal when going on walks around the neighborhood. Pet waste stations are available throughout New Town with disposable bags. Use them and encourage other pet owners to do the same with a gentle reminder pointing to the nearest area. Steer your dog to the mulched areas in our common spaces to urinate when possible. Thank those you see following the rules!

 

Leash your dog – Dogs and cats are naturally curious, so try to control where they explore and most importantly where they “do their business.”  Would you want your landscape damaged?  Recently, the Association received this complaint:

 

 

And another example:

 

Do I know your dog?  Always seek permission from another dog owner before allowing dogs to "meet" while passing on the sidewalk.  Some dogs are anxious, older or more fearful and a more reserved approach is warranted. 

 

New Town loves its pets, but they can damage property if not managed responsibly. Pet droppings, noise, unleashed dogs, etc.-all of these situations are addressed in the NTRA Master Declaration (Section 7.1(x)) and Rules (Section 11.1 – Animals).  New Town pet owners should familiarize themselves with these requirements including those for use of the common areas (sidewalks, parks, alleys, etc.) in New Town. Report problems to our management company, Chesapeake Bay Management. Repeated violations are subject to fines including any poor pet management from tenants to NTRA owners. 

 

In the spirit of being good pet neighbors (minimizing complaints and possible penalties), share this article with neighbors or dog owners especially tenants who may not be up to date on our rules. Print it and pass it around!

 

The first step you can take to prepare for a potential emergency is to keep yourself informed.  One way you can do this is to sign-up for JCC Alert.  

 

JCC Alert is a system through which you are informed of imminent threats to health and safety as well as informational notifications that affect your locations or work environments.  

 

System administrators will send notifications regarding severe weather, flooding, water outages, and more.

JCC Alert emergency notification calls will show as 757-564-2165 on your caller ID and emergency.management@jamescitycountyva.gov in your e-mail. 

 

For additional information and to sign-up for JCC Alert go to https://www.jccalert.org/.

Last year a group of New Town women organized several initiatives to “give back” to our James City County/Williamsburg community. Through residents' generous donations many bags of school supplies and more than 50 children’s winter coats were donated and provided to people in need. Thank you!

 

For the first quarter of this year, we will be holding a food drive -“Fill the Shelves”- to benefit those in need. Perhaps you saw the recent Virginia Gazette article outlining the challenges for those who are housed in locations without kitchens or appliances. https://www.dailypress.com/2024/01/24/helping-hands-volunteers-make-sure-meals-get-to-those-in-need/  It highlighted the reality of poverty in our area: “18.6% of people in Williamsburg are living in poverty, far exceeding Virginia’s statewide average of 10.6%.”  

 

 

Any collected non-perishable food will be donated to the House of Mercy and FISH for distribution. While all donations are appreciated, canned or packaged meat and fish (or other items providing protein) and grains (rice, cereals) are especially needed. We hope to have collection boxes accessible soon, but in the meantime, if you would like to contribute, contact Eden: edenaglenn@gmail.com or Gale: ladyhappy73@gmail.com.

 

On December 7th, New Towners started the holiday season at the second Holiday Bake-Off and Dessert Fest. They were greeted in the Legacy Hall lobby with a brightly decorated Christmas tree, and tables featuring holiday center pieces filled the room. The first part of the event was a juried baking contest with three categories:  cakes and cupcakes; cookies and bars, and a new youth category. 

 

Six New Town residents enjoyed serving as judges. About 70 attendees of all ages enjoyed watching the judging and applauded the winners.  

   

The second part of the event was the Dessert Fest during which New Towners got their sugar high tasting delicious samples from the Bake-Off’s submissions and also a wide array of other desserts from local bakeries. Sipping on coffee and tea, residents savored their desserts as they enjoyed conversation with tablemates and holiday music provided by Rick Richards.  

   

 

Join us for a Holiday Dessert Festival & Bake Off at Legacy Hall, Thursday, December 7, 6:00-8:00.  This event, which will help kick off the holiday season in New Town, includes a Bake Off and a Dessert Festival.  

 

The New Town Residential Association Activities Committee is seeking New Towners interested in competing in a baking contest featuring both holiday and non-holiday desserts. You don't need to be an outstanding baker to enter, just someone who enjoys baking.  On December 7 at Legacy Hall, Bake-Off participants will present their baked goods in three categories: bars/cookies and cakes/cupcakes, and a NEW youth category (bars/cookies/confectionary). New Town resident judges will pick winners, who will receive gift certificates.

 

New Towners who want to serve as judges or bake-off contestants need to pre-register on the NTRA website by tomorrow, December 2nd.

 

The entire community is invited to the Dessert Festival, where residents will have the opportunity to taste samples of the submitted baked goods as well as desserts from local bakeries. Coffee, tea and water will be provided in addition to the desserts, and there will be seating for attendees to relax with neighbors and new friends and enjoy the goodies. No registration is required to attend and sample! 

 

We look forward to another opportunity to gather with neighbors!  Remember, if you want to be a bake-off contestant or judge, make sure to register!

 

P.S. There will be a box at this event to collect any final donations for the Coats 4 Kids campaign (see related Crier story).

As winter approaches and the temperature drops, 53 children in the Williamsburg area will have new winter coats to keep them warm thanks to the generosity of New Town residents.  Since October, a group of New Town neighbors has collected new and like-new coats for children of all ages who are in need.  

 

How much need is there in our greater Williamsburg community? The poverty rates in the city of Williamsburg and James City County are 15% and 7%, respectively. This translates to nearly 8,000 individuals, many of whom are children. Recognizing this need, several New Town neighbors initiated Coats 4 Kids.  

 

Recently, an initial batch of donated coats was delivered to Williamsburg House of Mercy and FISH, Inc.  These organizations were selected because of their respective missions and their capability of distributing coats to those most in need.  Williamsburg House of Mercy (https://williamsburghouseofmercy.org) provides supportive and emergency services to individuals experiencing homelessness as well as to those vulnerable individuals struggling to maintain housing.  FISH, Inc. (https://fishwilliamsburg.org) is an all-volunteer non-profit organization that maintains a Food Pantry and a Clothes Closet that serve area families in need.

 

   

 

Both of these organizations were very appreciative of the coats donated through our Coats 4 Kids initiative.  Individual donations of food and clothing are also much appreciated throughout the year.  Additionally, there are opportunities at each organization for interested individuals to volunteer their time and talents. Please visit their websites for more information.

 

Thank you to everyone who contributed to Coats 4 Kids.  The final opportunity for New Town neighbors to make a coat donation will be at the December 7th New Town Dessert Fest.  If you are unable to attend this event, but still wish to donate a new or like-new coat, you can make other arrangements by contacting Gale Hyatt (ladyhappy73@gmail.com) or Eden Glenn (edenaglenn@gmail.com.)  

The season of giving and gratitude is upon us, once more, despite a year filled with uncertainty, unrest, and second-guessing for many Americans.  The world seems too political and too fractured to bear, here at home and abroad.  Finding things to be grateful for is a bit of a scavenger hunt; at best, but there’s a curious fact about scavenger hunts:  If you stick with one, you will be amazed at the haul you can make.  You just have to look a little harder, in times like these.  There are, indeed, blessings—often many and considerable—for which to be grateful.  Parts of our country have been victimized by devastating by fires, floods, and storms, these past two seasons, while Hampton Roads has enjoyed relatively peaceful and sound weather, thus far this year.  Many countries have suffered violent political unrest; but our local elections this autumn, while charged, took place as they always have, with dedicated opponents able to freely speak their mind on issues and concerns.  Fall colors finally arrived, and local merchants stocked their shelves with everything familiar for this time of year, both a comfort and a reassurance that the year’s cycle has come round, once more, and that we are all still here and all is well.  Perhaps you can celebrate good health, or the nearness of those you love. Perhaps a new companion, or a successful new job.  Perhaps you have been gifted with great abundance in some way and have been given the grace to share it. Happy is the grateful and giving heart—but it must be cultivated and nurtured.

 

Hopefully, you can tend to that garden, this Thanksgiving, and during the joyous holidays to follow.

 

 

Holiday Riddle:  What genre of music did Pilgrims like best?

 

Curious Thanksgiving Info:  The largest pumpkin pie ever baked weighed 3,699 pounds and measured 20 feet in diameter. The Guiness World Records holding pie was baked in 2010 by the New Bremen Giant Pumpkin Growers in Ohio. It included a whopping 1,212 pounds of pumpkin, 109 gallons of evaporated milk, 2,796 eggs, 525 pounds of sugar, 7 pounds of salt and 14.5 pounds of cinnamon.

 

Historical Thanksgiving Fact:   The first Thanksgiving was celebrated in 1621 over a three-day harvest festival, including 50 Pilgrims and 90 Wampanoag Indians. It is believed by historians that only five women were present. Turkey wasn't on the menu.

Holiday Quote:  For me, every hour is grace. And I feel gratitude in my heart each time I can meet someone and look at his or her smile.   Elie Wiesel                                                                                                                           

And listen as we pray.      Frederick W. Goadby

 

Holiday Hack:  Cooking with your Dishwasher.  Your dishwasher can steam your side veggies for the holiday. Take an airtight mason jar, add your vegetables, water, and seasonings, and you can cook them while washing a load of dishes.

For more holiday hacks like this, visit:  https://whatsupmoms.com/for-mom/thanksgiving-hacks-youll-wonder-how-you-ever-lived-without/

 

Recipe Easy-Breezy Corn Casserole Side can be made before hand and warmed at 300 degree F for 10-20 minutes the day of.  Can be frozen, as well.

Ingredients:   1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained 1 (14.75 ounce) can creamed corn 1 (8.5 ounce) package dry cornbread mix 1 cup sour cream ½ cup butter, melted 2 large eggs, beaten

Directions:   1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x9-inch baking dish.   2.  Mix whole and creamed corn, cornbread mix, sour cream, melted butter, and eggs together in a medium bowl until well combined. Spoon mixture into the prepared dish.   3.  Bake in the preheated oven until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes.

 

Black Friday Hack:   Create a strategic shopping plan to follow.  Itemize advertised deals before the holiday arrives and road map those stores offering the best coupons or offers. Then, shop early—and with a favorite buddy. Always makes for a fun time and a memorable event.

 

1. Keep the feast on the table—not under it. 
2. No pie or other desserts for your pets.
3. Yeast dough can cause problems for pets, including painful gas and potentially dangerous bloating.
4. Put the trash away where your pets can't find it.
5. Be careful with decorative plants. 
6. Quick action can save lives. Call ASPCA Poison Control Hotline (888-426-4435) or the Pet Poison Helpline (855-764-7661) if the unthinkable happens
7. Visitors can upset your pets. Be aware of potential confrontations.
8. If guests have compromised immune systems, advise them of your pets so they can be prepared.  Advise them if you have exotic pets to make sure they will be comfortable having them around.
9. Watch your exits.  Pets can easily escape during the festivities—and remember:  identification tags and microchips reunite families. Get your pets microchipped!
10. Monitor your pets around holiday decorations—especially lit candles and ornamental foods, for obvious reasons.

From:  American Medical Veterinary Association https://www.avma.org/resources/pet-owners/petcare/thanksgiving-pet-safety

                                                             

 

The New Town Residential Association Activities Committee is again sponsoring an old-fashioned fun-filled, free, fall event at the Village Walk neighborhood on the corner of Casey and Settlers Market Boulevard.  New Town adults and children as well as family and friends are invited.  Activities will include cake walks, pumpkin painting, and games including corn hole, croquet, and shark toss, races, an obstacle course, pie face showdown, and more.  New this year will be a Halloween “egg” hunt, which will kick off the festival at 2:15 across the street from the main venue.  

 

Guests will also enjoy cider and other goodies.  Come to participate or just share the good time and music.

 

Join us as we celebrate the fall season on Saturday, October 14 (rain date Sunday, October 15) from 2:00 to 4:00.  

 

We need volunteers to help run the Fall Festival.  If interested, please contact Liz Fones-Wolf at efwolf@wvu.edu.