Town Crier Articles

 

Do you yearn for the opportunity to have a conversation with someone – anyone – living in places from Austria to Zimbabwe? Are you dying for the chance to say hello to an astronaut orbiting the earth on the international space station?

 

It’s possible, you know, if you are an amateur radio operator, and advance to a certain level. Amateur radio operators are more universally known as “ham” radio operators. Catchy name, but that wasn’t always meant as a compliment.

 

In fact, starting in 1909 it was a pejorative term commercial and professional radio operators used for their amateur cohorts. But amateur operators turned the tables, embracing the word to the point where it became an accepted part of the lexicon.

 

Almost 800,000 Americans are licensed ham radio operators, a significant percentage of the estimated 3 million participants world-wide. While ham operating is in decline in other parts of the world, in the U.S. it continues to grow.

Williamsburg has a club – the aptly named Williamsburg Area Amateur Radio Club. It currently has about 150 members, most living locally, but also a few who moved away from the Colonial Capital but kept in touch.

 

About a half-dozen members reside in New Town, including club president Jack Espinal of Abbey Commons. A former teacher from California who spent eight years working in Washington, D.C., before coming to Williamsburg, Espinal said he grew up in the era of party (telephone) lines. If someone was talking on your shared line, you had to wait until they were done before making your call. Such circumstances helped his interest in ham radio grow.

 

“There are so many facets of ham radio that can take you in many different directions,” Espinal said. “One group even has the (special license) ability to talk to the astronauts on the international space station. We just have fun doing it.”

 

Like Espinal, Tom Nichols of Charlotte Park has long had an interest in electronics. He owned a Citizens Band (CB) radio in college. While anyone can be a CB operator today, ham radio operators need to pass certain tests to acquire their license from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). 

 

Passing the first test gives one a “technicians” license, which comes with access to VHF/UHF and is a great starting point for hand-held radios. Passing the second provides one with a “general” license. The reward for advancing past the third level is “amateur extra” status. The higher up you go, the more frequencies and operating privileges you enjoy.

 

“With my general class license, I can transmit and talk around the world,” Nichols said. “If I want to call someone in Argentina, talk to someone in Japan, I can do that.”

 

In the Fall and Spring, the Williamsburg club offers training for anyone interested in taking up the hobby. Members also attend three special events a year, in which they demonstrate what ham radio is all about. One is in Jamestown in the spring, tied to the anniversary of the settlement there. The second is in Williamsburg on July 4, celebrating the obvious. The third one is at Yorktown, commemorating the surrender of Cornwallis to George Washington, effectively ending Great Britain’s chance at winning the Revolutionary War.

 

“We’ll even let visitors use our ham radio to give them a feel for what it’s like,” Espinal said.

 

There’s also a serious, important component to ham radio. In the event of storms or other natural disasters, cellphones are frequently useless. The towers are down or compromised. On 9-11, it was virtually impossible for anyone in D.C. to call family or friends on their cellphones. In such an event, ham operators work with police and first rescuers to assist those who may be stranded without communication.

 

Espinal cites another example. In February 2021, storms in Texas brought about a major power crisis that resulted in shortages of water, food, and heat. More than 4.5 million homes and businesses were left without power, and at least 246 people were killed, directly or indirectly. Ham radio operators provided vital communication to the outside world.

 

In Williamsburg, the Amateur Radio Relay League holds an emergency “field day” on the last weekend of June, making sure that operations are in place to combat any emergency, such as an event at Surry Power Station. Meanwhile, the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) meets regularly to ensure that members’ equipment is working and to exchange information.

 

If you are interested in becoming a ham operator, or just want more information, Espinal says to phone him at (703) 946-5787, or email him at jespinal@jespinal.com. 

 

 

Welcome to our newest Board Member, John Ryan, a Chelsea Green owner. John was appointed at our July Board meeting for a position through December 2023. Mr. Ryan is a patent attorney and intellectual property counsel for a Virginia based corporation.  He has prior experience on HOA boards in New York City (where he served as condominium association President) and Vienna, Virginia.

 

The engineering contract for a Roper Park transition study was approved at the July Board meeting, along with the charter for a Roper Park Transition Working Group of residents. (See July Town Crier for more background).  At least one more volunteer for the working group is still needed.  Contact me at eplunsfo@gmail.com if you are interested in assisting the Association in identifying improvements needed to the common areas in Roper Park.

 

All exterior inspections of homes have been completed through the efforts of our Asset Maintenance Committee volunteers. Reinspections of homes with violations in Chelsea Green is complete and Charlotte Park’s reinspections will start soon. Be sure to respond to any violation notices that you receive.

 

Our last Lemonade and Listening session with individual neighborhoods will be Saturday, August 13th with Charlotte Park’s home owners (Roper Park was scheduled earlier). Thanks to all those who have joined us for a chat so far.

 

 

We appear to be slightly over budget at this point, but doing better than 2021. The biggest overage in our operating budget is late attorney fees for 2021 work (Town Management did not set aside funds for these monthly charges.) Similarly, pool skimmers and filter repairs approved in 2021 from replacement reserves and assumed to be completed, were only recently installed and billed. On the Village Walk operating side, the Board authorized hiring independent engineering and roofing contractors to conduct in-depth evaluations of the roof issues across Village Walk. This investment is already paying dividends in our discussions with Eagle Construction over how to correct this situation.

 

Some community members have asked about the lack of complete financial statements on the website; no balance sheets for 2022 have been posted, only income & expense statements for January-April.  There are 2 reasons for this:

 

 

Even without these full reports, we are continually able to monitor Association expenses. Chesapeake has a robust and transparent payables invoice processing system that remains operational, and NTRA has daily access to that system.  Spending data can be extracted from that system, but it does not contain internal charges like Chesapeake’s management expenses.  Chesapeake is also providing monthly bank statement copies, so checking and investment account balances and activity can be monitored. Bear with us and we will update the website when we are comfortable the data is solid.

 

 

The 2023 budget cycle started in July with the Finance Committee sending budget request forms to all NTRA committees. 

 

We are quite aware that the community does not like the assessment increases that were necessary for 2022.  Unfortunately, there is no way for NTRA to avoid noticeable increases again in 2023.  The major drivers are:

 

As a Board, we will work to control all discretionary expenses for 2023.  

 

Finally, editing the new Governing Documents is nearly complete and then we will move expeditiously to a Member vote.  Look for a Zoom community information meeting on August 17th to present the changes and answer any questions. (An in-person Q&A could be scheduled later in August as well.) Engage in the process and become advocates for us to move ahead.  

 

I know this is a somber ending to our monthly message.  If you don’t like what is happening, please consider the following:

 

 

National Night Out, Tuesday, August 2nd, will be a community-police awareness-raising event observed throughout the United States, and every New Town resident is encouraged to participate. Traditionally held the first Tuesday of August, the campaign began in 1984 with neighbors simply turning on their front porch lights and sitting in their front yards or on their front porches to enhance community relationships with each other and with their local law-enforcement agencies. The event is sponsored by the National Association of Town Watch in the United States and evolved from the participation of 2.5 million residents across 400 communities in 23 states that first year to 38 million residents in 16,000 communities across the United States by 2016. At its heart, National Night Out is meant to increase awareness about police programs in local communities, such as drug prevention, town watch, neighborhood watch, and other anti-crime efforts.

 

As one would imagine, the event is meant to be festive and fun with relation-building games and activities on the agenda.  Some communities even plan block parties and cook-outs with live entertainment. But it needn’t be elaborate. Planned games and activities such corn hole, lawn darts, and ladder golf will fit the bill and make for a fun get-together with neighbors known and new. Please consider joining in!

 

Favorite Books and Recipes Round-up!  Front Porch Chat is looking to highlight your favorite book and/or recipe in the months ahead, so if you have a beloved book—old or new—or a rave recipe you’d like to share with your New Town neighbors, send them on in!

 

To brighten your day: 

 

Quotes: When Life shuts a door, open it. It’s a door.  That’s how they work.

 

Historical Fact: Cleopatra wasn’t Egyptian.  She was actually Greek, a descendant of Alexander the Great's Macedonian general, Ptolemy.

 

Curious Happening: A woman named Violet Jessop survived not only the sinking of the Titanic, but also the destruction of both of the Titanic's sister ships, the Britannic and Olympic.

 

Household Hacks:   You can remove crayon marks from your walls with a hairdryer.  Just hold the hairdryer over that portion of the marked wall for a few seconds to soften the crayon's wax, then wipe away marks with a soft cloth.

 

PC Hacks:  Ctrl + Z is the ultimate hot key, however note that “undo” doesn't just apply to typing. If you accidentally delete or move a file, you can hit Ctrl + Z to bring it right back to where it was (Ctrl + Y will redo whatever you undid).

 

Pet Care:  Have a plan for your dog in place should anything happen to you. Make a list of important information about your dog’s lifestyle including how often they’re fed, how much they’re fed, medications, their vet’s phone number, etc. Give copies of this to someone in your life that could take care of your dog in the case of an emergency. 

 

Recipes:  

Shoe-peg Corn Salad 

Drain the following well:

16 oz of shoe peg corn

16 oz of Le Seur baby peas

16 oz of French-cut green beans

1 small jar of pimientos drained & diced

1 bunch of scallions trimmed & sliced thin (use green & white part of veggie)

1 quarter cup of green bell pepper, diced

1 half cup of celery thinly sliced

1 T of green parsley chopped

 

Vinaigrette Dressing:

1 third cup apple cider vinegar

1 half cup of salad oil

1 quarter cup of sugar

Half teaspoon of salt

Half teaspoon of black pepper

 

Step 1

In small saucepan, heat vinegar, oil, sugar, salt, & pepper. Stir constantly until sugar dissolves.

Cool completely. Combine all drained veggies when cooled.

 

Step 2

Pour cooled dressing over combined veggies. Mix well, cover, & marinate in fridge 1-2 hours.

Salad keeps for a week or more in fridge.

 

 

 

Do you yearn for the opportunity to have a conversation with someone – anyone – living in places from Austria to Zimbabwe? Are you dying for the chance to say hello to an astronaut orbiting the earth on the international space station?

 

It’s possible, you know, if you are an amateur radio operator, and advance to a certain level. Amateur radio operators are more universally known as “ham” radio operators. Catchy name, but that wasn’t always meant as a compliment.

 

In fact, starting in 1909 it was a pejorative term commercial and professional radio operators used for their amateur cohorts. But amateur operators turned the tables, embracing the word to the point where it became an accepted part of the lexicon.

 

Almost 800,000 Americans are licensed ham radio operators, a significant percentage of the estimated 3 million participants world-wide. While ham operating is in decline in other parts of the world, in the U.S. it continues to grow.

 

Williamsburg has a club – the aptly named Williamsburg Area Amateur Radio Club. It currently has about 150 members, most living locally, but also a few who moved away from the Colonial Capital but kept in touch.

 

About a half-dozen members reside in New Town, including club president Jack Espinal of Abbey Commons. A former teacher from California who spent eight years working in Washington, D.C., before coming to Williamsburg, Espinalsaid he grew up in the era of party (telephone) lines. If someone was talking on your shared line, you had to wait until they were done before making your call. Such circumstances helped his interest in ham radio grow.

 

“There are so many facets of ham radio that can take you in many different directions,” Espinal said. “One group even has the (special license) ability to talk to the astronauts on the international space station. We just have fun doing it.”

 

Like Espinal, Tom Nichols of Charlotte Park has long had an interest in electronics. He owned a Citizens Band (CB) radio in college. While anyone can be a CB operator today, ham radio operators need to pass certain tests to acquire their license from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). 

 

Passing the first test gives one a “technicians” license, which comes with access to VHF/UHF and is a great starting point for hand-held radios. Passing the second provides one with a “general” license. The reward for advancing past the third level is “amateur extra” status. The higher up you go, the more frequencies and operating privileges you enjoy.

 

“With my general class license, I can transmit and talk around the world,” Nichols said. “If I want to call someone in Argentina, talk to someone in Japan, I can do that.”

 

In the Fall and Spring, the Williamsburg club offers training for anyone interested in taking up the hobby. Members also attend three special events a year, in which they demonstrate what ham radio is all about. One is in Jamestown in the spring, tied to the anniversary of the settlement there. The second is in Williamsburg on July 4, celebrating the obvious. The third one is at Yorktown, commemorating the surrender of Cornwallis to George Washington, effectively ending Great Britain’s chance at winning the Revolutionary War.

 

“We’ll even let visitors use our ham radio to give them a feel for what it’s like,” Espinal said.

 

There’s also a serious, important component to ham radio. In the event of storms or other natural disasters, cellphones are frequently useless. The towers are down or compromised. On 9-11, it was virtually impossible for anyone in D.C. to call family or friends on their cellphones. In such an event, ham operators work with police and first rescuers to assist those who may be stranded without communication.

 

Espinal cites another example. In February 2021, storms in Texas brought about a major power crisis that resulted in shortages of water, food, and heat. More than 4.5 million homes and businesses were left without power, and at least 246 people were killed, directly or indirectly. Ham radio operators provided vital communication to the outside world.

 

In Williamsburg, the Amateur Radio Relay League holds an emergency “field day” on the last weekend of June, making sure that operations are in place to combat any emergency, such as an event at Surry Power Station. Meanwhile, the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) meets regularly to ensure that members’ equipment is working and to exchange information.

 

If you are interested in becoming a ham operator, or just want more information, Espinal says to phone him at (703) 946-5787, or email him at jespinal@jespinal.com. 

 

 

 

The green space behind Legacy Hall in New Town is named Sullivan Square. It is named for Tim Sullivan.

 

Tim Sullivan was the President of the College of William and Mary from 1992-2005. The late 1990’s was when New Town was conceived. The College of William and Mary was, and still is, a basic component of the fabric of the Williamsburg area. As such William and Mary was informed of the planning for New Town. After careful consideration, it was decided that William and Mary, through their real estate arm, would become an investor in New Town. 

 

At that time it was not common for colleges and universities to be directly involved in land use decisions for areas near their campus. Tim believed that New Town would have an impact on the future of William and Mary and that William and Mary should have a role in the development of New Town.

 

At the meeting when Tim signed the formal agreement between William and Mary and New Town, Tim spoke before he signed. He expressed the following - The College of William and Mary has excellence in faculty, staff, and students. If the College of William and Mary wants to have excellence in faculty, staff, and students in the future we must have excellence in lifestyle. He believed that New Town could help provide excellence in lifestyle.

 

Today faculty, staff, and students from William and Mary live, work, and play in New Town. After all, Life Happens Here. Sullivan Square was named after Tim to commemorate his impact on the long term success of the College of William and Mary as well as New Town.

 

 

Starting in mid-August, owners in the New Town Residential Association will be asked to vote on new governing documents – as a package. (We vote on them as a package because they all need overhaul and are interrelated. We need to keep them consistent with each other rather than have piecemeal governing documents from different decades or end up approving one document and not another possibly creating conflict among the different provisions.) 

 

These documents include: 

Why are these new documents needed? Our existing Governing Documents date to 2005, are antiquated, and do not reflect current statutory requirements. They also provide the Developer’s perspective and authoritative language, which no longer apply to our situation. Our new draft documents reflect the Association as it currently operates under Homeowner - not Developer - control, and as it should operate under Virginia law. They are streamlined and more user-friendly.  When an HOA turns over from the developer, experts unanimously recommend that governing documents be revised. Their purpose is two-fold: to live in the present and to prepare for the future. 

 

Several provisions of the 2021 draft documents caused concern within the community. The current Board of Directors has examined these concerns and is proposing revisions in several areas. Below is a summary of three key issues raised last year and how they were addressed. If one of these issues was your lightning rod/”cannot support”/hot button, please seriously consider the impact of rejecting any of these three revisions.

We recognize that not everyone will be happy with this outcome. As a whole, these texts are a big improvement, clearer and easier to administer than what is now in place. Compromise and recognizing the stake that each Member has in having a well-structured HOA will be key to the documents’ passage.  We need 2/3rds of all owners (close to 400 votes) to adopt these documents. For the greater good of the community and to help us move forward with a strong and current legal framework, we ask that you support the Board’s final proposal with your vote.  

 

ISSUE RESOLUTION

 

I.      Landscaping for fenced yards

 

2021 text (Supplemental Declarations 4.1 and 4.2):

 

“3.2 Landscape Services. The Association shall provide the following landscape services to be included in the Services Assessment component of the Annual Assessments as set forth in the Declaration:

(a) mowing, edging, and trimming of grass within portions of all Lots not located inside a fenced area (see Section 4.1 below).

(b) Trimming of shrubs, trees and bushes up to a height of fifteen feet (15’) within portions of all Lots not located inside a fenced area (see Section 4.1 below). 

(c) Other services as determined by the Board of Directors. 

(collectively, the “Landscape Services”).”

 

“4.1 Fenced Yards. The Association shall provide Landscape Services to any yard outside of a fenced yard, including, front yards that are not fenced. The Association may provide Landscaping Services as identified in Section 3.2 (a) (b) and (c) to fenced yards upon request, to be funded by Individual Assessments to the Owners of Lots that have fenced yards based on an annual average cost by home type as determined by the Board. “

 

2022 final draft:

 

“3.2 Landscape Services.  The Association shall provide annual landscape services to all Lots as determined by the Board and outlined in the Association landscape contract. The Board may determine that landscape costs to an individual Lot are a burden in relation to other yards due to fencing, large landscape beds or other conditions. In this case, the additional cost will be assessed as an Individual Assessment to the applicable Owners of Lots and announced as part of the annual budget process.”

 

Rationale: The new text simplifies and reduces the size of the landscaping portion of the document. It also gives the Board flexibility to address future landscaping issues when they arise based on contract costs and other changing factors. For example, we are awaiting bids for the 2023-2025 landscape seasons that will identify what requirements landscapers will impose to care for fenced yards This specific situation will be clearer in September. 

 

IMPACT OF YOUR VOTE: 

________________________________

 

II.     Village Walk Future Obligations 

 

2021 text: (Village Walk Supplemental Declaration 3.6)

 

“3.6 Future Obligations. Should the Association assume any of the obligations of the Supplemental Maintenance Agreement dated November 20, 2012 by and among FCP Settler’s Market, LLC, Wal-Mart Real Estate Business Trust, FCP Settler’s Market II LLC, previously applicable to the Parcel Developer, as set forth in the Acknowledgment and Assumption of Supplemental Maintenance Agreement dated March 14, 2014, the costs of these obligations shall be assessed equally against each Owner as part of the Services Assessment or as a Special Assessment as set forth in Article VI.” 

 

2022 final draft: Section deleted. 

 

Rationale:  This provision was carried over into the new documents because it represents a present “obligation” of Village Walk owners and the Association. Over the course of a year, the Association has been unable to obtain clarification of this commitment from James City County or the principals involved in the original “Supplemental Maintenance Agreement.”  To date, the Association has not received any communication regarding any obligation associated with the “Future Obligations” nor has it ever received any billing statement. We have decided to remove the language and if a future claim is made that the Association has some responsibility for any of the maintenance costs, the Board in place at that time will need to review and determine the obligation under these new documents (Common Areas funded under our General Assessment component).  

 

IMPACT OF YOUR VOTE: 

________________________________

 

III. Additional Area 

 

2021 text: (Second Amended Master Declaration 2.3)

 

“2.3 Member Approval to Subject Adjacent Real Property to Declaration. The Association may submit any real property which is contiguous or adjacent to or in the immediate vicinity of New Town (Adjacent Property”) to the provisions of this Declaration and the jurisdiction of the Association with the approval of the owner of the property to be added, and the affirmative vote of a majority of the Members at a meeting at which a quorum of thirty-three percent (33%) of the Members is present….”

 

 

“2.3 Member Approval to Subject Adjacent Real Property to Declaration. The Association may submit any real property which is contiguous or adjacent to or in the immediate vicinity of New Town (Adjacent Property”) to the provisions of this Declaration and the jurisdiction of the Association by approval of not less than two-thirds (2/3rds) of the Owners who are eligible to vote. The approval of the Owners shall be evidenced by written or electronic ballot at a duly called meeting of the Association.”

 

Rationale: Several commenters asked that this provision be deleted to limit any further expansion of the New Town Residential Association or that the approval threshold be raised. Although this section has largely been associated with the potential future development of Eastern State Hospital’s surplus property, it applies to any real estate within a 2-mile radius of current NTRA property, e.g. the empty lot in front of the Pointe Apartments. Therefore, rather than delete it, we raised the threshold to leave the possibility to accept additional development if the property owner can make a convincing case to the community for adding it. To permit this future flexibility, our final draft approval level would be the same as required to amend the Master Declaration itself-2/3 vote of all owners. To add property to the Association is a major change that should involve all Owners. 

 

IMPACT OF YOUR VOTE: 

 

 

The Board of Directors (BOD) has read and considered ALL comments submitted on the draft revisions to our NTRA governing documents. We thank those owners who took the time to read through the text and to point out areas for improvement. This week we will release the final drafts for your review, followed by a Member vote. There will be an informational Zoom meeting for all Owners on August 17, 2022 to help explain the changes.

 

Recapping the Comments

In September 2021, oral and written questions were received asking for explanations of the text. Many of these explanations were provided during the September 22, 2021 Town Hall video meeting (available on the NTRA website LINK) or afterwards in the Q&A response document (LINK).

 

During the formal comment period (September to November 1, 2021), 25 owners submitted written comments and/or suggestions for changes to the text. (After the comment period had closed, an additional 10 owners sent form letters in late March/April 2022 as part of a letter writing campaign to the Board. These messages all requested that the Board include landscape services for fenced yards in the new documents as part of regular dues.)

 

The table below summarizes the substantive (non-editorial) issues raised by more than one Owner during the comment period. Landscape services to fenced yards and the potential for assuming the Settlers Market LLC maintenance responsibilities in Village Walk received the most remarks. 

 

 

As you can imagine, comments were submitted in a variety of ways – in the body of an email directed to individual Board members or via the website email provided; by attaching pdfs (in one case an owner submitted 178 pages of comments with suggested rewrites) to emails, or by using the NTRA comment form in its Word format. It is not reasonable for the Board as volunteers to spend the hours needed to recompile all of these items into a single response document. (Owners who used the official email address provided for their comments will receive individual replies.)

 

Hopefully, you will see what we changed in the final text by looking for the same document section in the new searchable drafts. A general explanation of the top three issue resolutions is in a separate Town Crier article this month.   

 

 

 

With the recent launch of Chesapeake Bay’s new administrative portal, we have received some questions about which website application to use.

 

 

The Chesapeake Bay Management (CBM) Portal is for NTRA owners only. It is the source of information on your accounts as well as any violations or architectural requests you may have in process. In other words, if you have a money question or received a violation letter, you may personally communicate with Chesapeake through the owner portal.

 

The documents available on the portal are for ease of the user and largely relate to violations, e.g. governing documents, architectural forms, paint colors – as well as letters/eblasts sent from CBM. 

 

 

The NTRA website remains the official communications channel for our community. It is open to owners in both the NTRA and the New Town Commercial Association and provides certain access for New Town tenants. It is also the public face of the New Town Residential Association so some website features are public pages.

 

All official NTRA documents are on the NTRA website – Governing Documents, Committee agendas and minutes, policies, forms, calendar, etc.  While we had hoped that perhaps some of this material would transition to the portal, CBM’s system does not offer the robustness or capabilities that the NTRA website already has. Issue reports/tickets should continue to be submitted through the website “Report an Issue” feature. (Note – CBM’s May 2022 letter was a corporate letter sent to all HOAs and did not apply to our particular situation because Chesapeake had never managed our website.)

 

So how do we keep the website current and meaningful to users?  WE NEED MORE VOLUNTEERS. Our team of three website volunteers is down to one. This administrative workload is not a CBM responsibility. Luckily, the website software is intuitive and uploading documents/updating news is straightforward for anyone who works with Microsoft Office. You do not need to be a “techie” or have any programming experience to do this.  Best yet, you can volunteer from your own home/laptop. If you could help us to manage the website even if only for a few hours a month, please email: ntrawebsitecommittee@gmail.com.

 

Finally, to help minimize user confusion, CBM has updated its owner portal home page to clearly show these functional differences between the sites. As a general rule of thumb, start with the NTRA website unless you are paying a bill or trying to stay out of trouble by clarifying/responding to a violation notice! 

 

 

 

Named after his son, Christopher, owner Gary takes pride in being able to offer the very best produce at Christopher’s Produce Market right in the heart of New Town. Stocked full of seasonal goodies, you can be sure to get only quality produce when visiting Gary.

 

Gary knows the locals and they sure do love him. While visiting the stand, a New Town resident pulled right up, stayed in her car, and asked Gary for a “watermelon with a good thump.” Gary grabbed a big, beautiful watermelon, gave it a loud thump, and handed it off to the happy customer after ringing her up. THAT is the type of easy breezy quality customer service you can expect from the locals’ favorite produce guy.

 

You can catch Gary at the Christopher’s Produce Market set up Monday through Saturday from 9/10ish-4/5ish except for Wednesdays when he opens around 1:00pm. He’s “doing public service work” of visiting the folks over at Brookdale every Wednesday morning. What a guy!

 

And what great produce! Grab your favorite peaches, tomatoes, watermelon, and more right here in New Town between Iron Bound and Paul’s Deli. Hours may vary as the cooler weather sets in, but as long as quality produce is available, Christopher’s Produce Market will be set up through Halloween and hopefully even Thanksgiving!

 

 

We had a great turnout for the July Pizza Party at the pool with over seventy residents, including lots of kids. Guests enjoyed pizza and brownies along with sunning, swimming, splashing, and visiting with friends. The kids were super excited about the free treats, and adults enjoyed the music provided by volunteer Rick Byrnes. 

 

The Activities Committee’s next event is our second Poolside Social on Tuesday, August 16. Look for more details on the website and NTRA Facebook page. We look forward to seeing you there! 

 

 

·      August 6th – Be on the lookout for some members of the Fifes & Drums playing along Main Street 11am-1pm

·      New Town Tunes is RETURNING with a Fall Concert Series. Dates & details will be announced soon!

·      Run for the Hills & Walk to End Alzheimer’s are both returning to New Town this year. Registrations are now open! 

 

 

·      Keland’s Louisiana Seafood is NOW OPEN! Located between Pisco 51 and Axe Republic

·      Schwartzy’s Cat Cove (sister store to The Nautical Dog) is NOW OPEN on Main Street. 

·      Planet Fitness, Great Atlantic Hot Tubs, Swim Spas & Saunas, and Cox Communications are coming to New Town Shops on Main. 

 

Have you seen the New Town Promotional Video? You may see several of your fellow residents! Stay informed about upcoming events on the New Town Williamsburg webpage. https://newtownwilliamsburg.com/events-news/

 

 

 

I hope you enjoyed the fabulous second annual lemonade stand on July 4th managed by Josh, assisted by his sister Annabelle. Proud grandparents are Marie and Dave Gaydos! There was a choice of pink or yellow lemonade and the cookies were delicious and enjoyed by all. Thank you Josh and we look forward to the third annual lemonade stand next summer!

 

Enjoy a walk around New Town and see if you can find these flowers/bushes. Some are hidden down alleyways and in backyards but are visible from the sidewalk. Leave a comment below when you find them! Thanks to our resident gardeners who provide such attractive arrangements. 

 

 

From our files of useless information, Americans ate 1.3 billion – yes, billion – chicken wings during this past Super Bowl.

 

If you missed your chance to join the party, fear not. The original Wing a Ding Ding Festival is coming to our state capital on July 16 at Richmond Raceway on East Labernum Street. And you don’t have to sit through hours and hours of football and (mostly) lousy commercials to enjoy the goodies.

 

Event organizers promise they’ll provide more than 30 kinds if wings – Hot Nashville, Cajun Spicy, Crunchy, Southern Fried, Crispy Korean, Mild, Medium, Hot, XXXtra Hot, I-Been-To-Hell-and-Back Hot.

 

 

And that’s not all. There will be fried chicken aplenty, all of which can be washed down with your choice of craft beers, hard cider, wine or good ol’ fashioned soda pop. They might even have water. They say the food is prepared by top chefs and food vendors.

 

The festivities begin at 11:30 a.m. and run until 9 p.m. There are six different levels of tickets, ranging from $15 to $45.

 

Some finger-lickin’ history: Fried chicken wings have been a Southern staple for years and years. But the idea of smothering them in peppery hot sauce was born in Buffalo, N.Y., at the Anchor Bar, an establishment still going strong. In 1964, bar owner Teressa Bellisimo began cooking chicken wings as a late-night snack for her son and his friends.

 

How did she come by the wings? She ordered them by mistake, thinking she was getting chicken necks, which her husband used in making his spaghetti sauce. Trying to make the best of a bad situation, she began frying them after coating them in pepper sauce.

 

Hopefully, all of her mistakes turned out so well.

 

For more information on Wing a Ding Ding Festival, visit this website.

 

Welcome to the heat of summer! A song from the musical Oklahoma says “June is bustin out all over” and June definitely “busted out” the Board’s work plan as we tackled a variety of new challenges and actions.  

 

Two long-awaited projects have been completed. The Lydias Park Zoysia grass has been installed and the gutters in Village Walk have been cleaned.  A Request for Proposal (RFP) has been issued for a new 3-year landscape contract, and RFPs will be released shortly for the first phase of siding repairs and power washing/painting in Village Walk.

 

The Board completed its review of the November 2021 Member comments on the proposed draft revisions to our NTRA Governing Documents. In late July we expect to receive a revised set of documents from our legal counsel incorporating our agreed changes, and will be moving forward towards a Member vote likely starting sometime in August.

 

Upcoming this month, the final round of home exterior inspections will take place in mid-July in Village Walk. You will also see orange warning cones being installed where sidewalk trip hazards exist, until we have some repair action from VDOT. A VDOT concrete contractor assessed the condition of the sidewalks about 2 weeks ago and we are awaiting VDOT’s decision. Marking the most severe areas is the best we can offer at this time. Please continue to be mindful when walking. 

We are bringing back “tags” for trash can violations as part of our enforcement process. (This approach was last used in 2019.) If you see a yellow tag on your trash can, please take action to appropriately store your can inside your garage or trash enclosure to avoid a fine. Better yet, get in the habit of storing your trash can properly now and avoid seeing it tagged!

 

This month the Board responded to a request from Eagle of VA on behalf of ME Settlers LLC to start the conveyance process for the Common Areas in Village Walk to transfer to the NTRA. The Board has advised ME Settlers that there are numerous corrective actions that remain to be made in Village Walk, and we cannot accept the property in its current condition.  A photo inventory of the deficiencies has been sent to Eagle as well. Much of the information we have compiled is due to the hard work of Village Walk volunteers who served on a Village Walk Asset Acceptance work group in 2020. Many thanks to them for laying the groundwork for the Association’s position.

 

The County acceptance inspection process for Roper Park (Charlotte Park Phase 11) will likely start in the a few months. To help us assess areas needing improvement, the Board will task a working group of Roper Park residents to collect information on site plan discrepancies and needed improvements. Everett Lunsford will be our Board liaison for this group. Any Roper Park Owner interested in volunteering should contact Everett at eplunsfo@gmail.com. We also plan to hire Giles & Flythe for an independent engineering inspection of the Roper Park area.  

 

The Board has initiated a series of neighborhood listening sessions to provide Owners an opportunity to ask questions and share ideas. Our newest communities of Roper Park and Shirley Park were our first audience and although lightly attended, the evening was an opportunity for the Board to get input from some happy Owners – always a nice thing. Look for an email invitation when it is your neighborhood’s turn to chat!

If you can’t make your scheduled listening session, come to a monthly Board meeting. Members are always welcome to attend – see the NTRA website calendar for dates, generally the third Thursday of the month. 

 

So lots and lots of things are going on…What we did not accomplish in June is that we did not welcome a new Board member. There were no applications to fill the advertised vacancy on the Board for someone to serve until December 2023. I cannot stress strongly enough that the next 18 months are critical for setting the future path of the Association. Two more Board seats will open for election in December.  Joining the Board now will help put you ahead on the learning curve.

 

Please seriously consider helping us to tackle these challenges together by sending an application to the Board Secretary, Monique Stevens at ntra.secretary@gmail.com.

 

 

 

From the NTRA Activities Committee:

 

New Town residents enjoyed the first social by the pool this year! On Tuesday June 14, the Activities Committee hosted its first New Town Social at the community pool to celebrate the new season. The evening weather cooperated over old friends meeting new friends, and a good time was had by all. 

 

Our next event at the community pool will take place on Saturday July 16 at noon, and we hope all will join us to enjoy a slice of pizza. 

 

From the New Town Commercial Association (NTCA):

 

Summer Pop-Up Events Continue - 1st Saturdays of the month-- https://newtownwilliamsburg.com/events-news/

 

Join us on Saturday, July 2nd, for New Town's FREE, Ice Cream Social!

12-2pm

 

 

Beat the Heat with a Sweet Treat on us! Located by the Fountain in front of Regal New Town Cinemas.

 

by Patty Hancock

 

 

It’s July in Williamsburg, the hottest month of the year with average daily temperatures of 90 plus degrees; August is only a few degrees cooler.  With this hot, humid, sub-tropical climate the beating rays of the summer sun can scorch, burn, and ravage spring plantings.

 

What can be done to beat the unrelenting heat and its toll on gardens?  One easy answer is container gardening.  Containers can be picked up and moved to a shady spot on your porch, patio, or balcony when the sun is baking them.  Fill the planters up with sun-loving annuals that are prolific bloomers and with a little TLC they’ll bloom until the first frost (around Oct. 25).  We live in zone 7b, a gardener’s dream, since it’s easy to grow all but the most tropical plants here.  The trick is to choose plants suitable for this southeastern region.

 

I’m not an expert – only an enthusiast who is sold on big, full, container gardens.  These gardens bring nature to your front door with colorful flowers that attract butterflies, bees (for pollination), and nectar loving hummingbirds.  What a show!

 

After constant experimentation, along with living in New Town for a decade, I’ve discovered tips and tricks to keep full sun annuals blooming in this summer southern oven we love to call home. 

 

~ 5 Tips to Get Started ~

 

1.  Don’t skimp on the container.  The more soil the better the results.  Go Big!

2.  Provide adequate drainage – try small rocks, gravel, or packing Styrofoam peanuts to help keep drainage holes open.

3.  Fill the planter with good soil for big blooms.  My favorite is “Miracle Gro Potting Mix”. 

4.  Choose the right plants for our zone and location.  Full sun (6 hours) or shade?  Heat tolerant?  

5.  Slow and steady fertilizing.  Water with weaker doses of a water-soluble fertilizer every two weeks.  I use “Miracle Gro Soluble Plant Food”.   

 

~ Tips and Tricks/ My Top Sun-Loving Container Annuals ~

 

1.  Petunias - look for the Wave variety.  Showy blooms – trim back a little every week for continuous full blooms.

2.  Verbena – pretty clusters of color, a trailer.  They are pollinator friendly plants.

3.  Geraniums – my favorites!  (Along with Thomas Jefferson who helped these beauties gain popularity with his love of their blooms).  Tip; when it gets really hot move them to afternoon shade and pinch back spent blooms daily. Remember, moderate watering-hydrated not saturated… geraniums do not like wet feet. 

4.  Dipladenia – plop it in a container and walk away.  It’s that easy.

5.  Zinnias – attract butterflies and hummingbirds.  Easy to grow in the sun.

6.  Calibrachoa – little trumpets, look like tiny petunias on steroids. 

7.  Dragon Wing Begonia - just one suggestion for a SHADE container, it’s that special.  One and done!

 

There you have it.  Growing a lush, beautiful, sun-drenched planter until fall heads our way is not difficult.  Annuals are on sale just waiting for your green thumb; be creative, experiment, nurture, and most of all delight in your addition to nature’s bounty. 

 

 

By Landscape Advisory Committee

 

Last year Virginia Lawn and Landscape published a newsletter advising Owners that Rose Rosette disease was present in New Town and infecting numerous knockout rose bushes. Owners were asked to remove these plants as soon as possible, however, the Landscape Advisory Committee has found several infected bushes still within the community. This disease travels through the air by mites, so your disease is threatening your neighbors’ shrubbery. 

VLL’s explanation is provided below. 

 

Per Penn State Extension, here is how to remove your infected bushes safely:

“If symptoms such as those described above are seen on ornamental roses, the entire plant, including the roots, should be removed and destroyed. Either burn or bag for disposal. Take steps to reduce spreading mites during the disposal process. It is recommended that a bag be placed over the entire plant before removal. Cut the plant at ground level and tie the bag. Then dig out the entire root system and bag and dispose of it, too. Leaving any roots in the soil can keep the virus alive.”

 

Here are some photos (see original article on NTRA website for photos) of what the rosette disease looks like. If you are not sure whether your bushes are infected, submit a ticket through the NTRA website “Report an Issue” and ask one of our Committee members to drop by and advise you. Let us help you identify and eradicate this problem. 

                        

You may receive a “friendly” notice from us if we see this condition on your property. So spread the word and not the disease, and help us to root out this situation in New Town!

 

By Sarah Carey

 

Please welcome and introduce yourselves to our lifeguard at the pool.  Tahje Tulloch is from Kingston Jamaica.  He is your lifeguard every day except Friday, his day off. 

 

Tahje finds the community very friendly and nice. He enjoys listening to music and reading. His favorite dish from Jamaica is one his brother, who is a chef, created. It is a type of sweet and sour chicken and very delicious.

 

When the pool is  closed on Tuesday for cleaning and on Friday Tahje’s day off, you may see Kristoff Virgo or Ricardo Mowatt.

 

Answers to most resident questions about the pool can be found on our website:

Pool hours 

Other FAQs (Scroll down to "Pool FAQs")

 

By, New Town Commercial Association

In Celebration of 20 Years in James City County, we’re celebrating 20 Reasons Why We LOVE New Town! And don't miss the the New Town Promotional Video... you may see several of your neighbors!

 

 

1. Public Events (most of which are FREE!) - concerts, outdoor markets, family friendly pop-up events, community walks and runs, and lots more! 
2. A variety of walking and biking trails linking the entire community, inclusive of parks and inviting green space
3. The variety of restaurants and food types available 
4. Convenience to Busch Gardens, Water Country, Jamestown & Yorktown Parks and attractions 
5. Open-air Main Street Shopping Mall
6. The combination of residential options -  traditional homes, garden apartments, town & carriage homes, condominiums, live-work loft apartments all designed within a street grid pattern to foster community interaction
7. Lots of Entertainment - Axe throwing, a movie theater, billiards room, sports & live music at restaurants 
8. The ease of access to City & County Courthouse, US Post Office & other Government offices right across the street
9. A wide variety of salons, fitness centers, day spas and other personal services
10. The perfect setting for your private events - The ability to book a private event/wedding right at Legacy Hall & Sullivan Square for an indoor/outdoor celebration, or reserve a space at one of the many restaurants!
11. A nationally recognized pre-school in the community
12. Santa Claus comes to New Town for Free Visits & Pictures
13. The ease and access to so many medical and dental offices
14. 3 miles to Colonial Williamsburg 
15. Banks, Credit Unions and other financial institutions all within the community
16. FREE & Convenient Parking; Park in one place and do all of the above and more. If you live here you can do it all, and walk home on a well lit street with sidewalks.
17. Adjacent to the campus of The College of William & Mary
18. Electric Car Charging Station x2
19. The beauty and sound of the iconic fountain
20. Life Happens Here - A Welcoming Community for ALL TO GATHER!

 

By, Jim Ducibella

 

From our files of useless information, Americans ate 1.3 billion – yes, billion – chicken wings during this past Super Bowl.

 

If you missed your chance to join the party, fear not. The original Wing a Ding Ding Festival is coming to our state capital on July 16 at Richmond Raceway on East Labernum Street. And you don’t have to sit through hours and hours of football and (mostly) lousy commercials to enjoy the goodies.

 

Event organizers promise they’ll provide more than 30 kinds if wings – Hot Nashville, Cajun Spicy, Crunchy, Southern Fried, Crispy Korean, Mild, Medium, Hot, XXXtra Hot, I-Been-To-Hell-and-Back Hot.

 

And that’s not all. There will be fried chicken aplenty, all of which can be washed down with your choice of craft beers, hard cider, wine or good ol’ fashioned soda pop. They might even have water. They say the food is prepared by top chefs and food vendors.

 

The festivities begin at 11:30 a.m. and run until 9 p.m. There are six different levels of tickets, ranging from $15 to $45.

 

Some finger-lickin’ history: Fried chicken wings have been a Southern staple for years and years. But the idea of smothering them in peppery hot sauce was born in Buffalo, N.Y., at the Anchor Bar, an establishment still going strong. In 1964, bar owner Teressa Bellisimo began cooking chicken wings as a late-night snack for her son and his friends.

 

How did she come by the wings? She ordered them by mistake, thinking she was getting chicken necks, which her husband used in making his spaghetti sauce. Trying to make the best of a bad situation, she began frying them after coating them in pepper sauce.

 

Hopefully, all of her mistakes turned out so well.

 

For more information on Wing a Ding Ding Festival, visit this website https://allevents.in/richmond/cajun.

 

By, Mary Cheston

 

At its July meeting the Board of Directors will be chartering a working group to examine the condition of the Common Areas in Roper Park/Charlotte Park Phase 11. The developer, Atlantic Homes, expects to have James City County conduct its initial inspection of these areas in a month or two.

 

This Board action is consistent with Policy 5.1 Turnover or Acceptance of Assets. The group will be led by Roper Park resident and Landscape Advisory Committee Secretary Cathy Forestell, and we need 2 or 3 other owners to support her. The group’s role is to “compile and maintain a master record/list of all items and concerns to include such things as damaged concrete sidewalks, aprons and curbing, lamp posts, etc” as well as any items approved on site plans but not installed. Essentially these volunteers are the “eyes and ears” of the Association. 

 

The team's work would be intermittent – an initial inspection and effort to compile the inventory and then followup checks whenever Atlantic Homes completes some corrective action or conditions change in the neighborhood. (It can be several years from the start of the James City County acceptance process to the actual turnover of property to the Association.) As the focal point for the group, Cathy will work with Board liaison Everett Lunsford to communicate concerns to the County.  Any Roper Park owner who is interested in participating should contact Everett at eplunsfo@gmail.com

 

Similar working groups have been used for Charlotte Park Phase 10 and Village Walk to best represent those living and using these areas every day. Our independent engineering firm Giles & Flythe will also review the area especially its bioretention features. Hopefully, these viewpoints will better prepare us for the day when the Association must own and manage this acreage.

 

By, Patti Vaticano

 

Hello, New Town Neighbors!  This is a brand-new Crier column for our readers that I hope will be a fun and entertaining collaborative effort between us.  Emphasis on collaboration, as most importantly, it is a column intended to bring us closer as neighbors of New Town and fellow-residents of James City County, the second oldest county in the country, by the way, trailing by only 2 years after Eastville, Virginia in 1634.  

 

Before I introduce you to the concept of this feature, I need to write that its launching is a harbinger, of sorts, for NNO—National Night Out— which will take place throughout the country on August 2nd.  On that date, our local Police Department has invited all neighborhoods to join them in an evening outdoors to encourage community relations between neighbors and neighborhoods. Their direction is to turn off your TVs and “turn on your porch light.” You can read more about it at https://jamescitycountyva.gov/civicalerts.aspx?AID=5257.

 

As you can see, the column’s title is, “Front Porch Chat,” and that is what it intends to be:  a chat between neighbors sitting on their front porches of a summer’s evening or on a crisp autumn day when skies are tri-colored and the trees the same. It's that perfect front-porch setting in your mind where one can share neighborhood news, curious facts (current and historical, like the county fact above), recipes, household, auto and PC hacks, poems, funny stories, even songs with others--all geared to generate laughter, good-natured fun, and a sense of well-being and peace with one’s neighbors. Think small town America—‘cause that is what New Town really is, all of us neighbors, all of us connected, all of us “in it,” together.

 

A little hokey, you’re thinking?  Perhaps.  But if hokey, according to its definition, means “sentimental,” “good-natured,” “old-fashioned,” and even “corny,” well, why not? Harmless silliness that makes people smile or chuckle, or makes them think fondly of someone or something, imparts to them new knowledge perhaps sorely needed—or simply makes them grateful for what they have.   I think we can all do with a little of that.  I’m hoping you do, too. 

 

So, what can you contribute to our “chats” for this feature?  For the most part, anything well-meaning and sent with the best of intentions to impart knowledge, to inform, to give curious pause to thought, or simply to delight or entertain will be most welcome. 

 

Each month, I’ll be rocking on the front porch waiting for you to begin our “chat.”  Please send your contributions, big or small, to ntratown.crier@gmail.com for inclusion in next month’s Front Porch Chat! Be well!

 

Your neighbor,

Patti Vaticano

 

 

Jokes:  What is Forrest Gump’s email password?   1forrest1

 

Poems:                                                     

EARLY BIRD

by Shel Silverstein 

 Oh, if you're a bird, be an early bird

And catch the worm for your breakfast plate.

If you're a bird, be an early, early bird—

But if you're a worm, sleep late.

 

 

Historical Fact:   Ketchup was sold in the 1830s as medicine. Fifteen years later, it was sold as a cure for an upset stomach by an Ohio physician named John Cook. It wasn’t popularized as a condiment until late in the 19th century.

 

Curious Happening:  In 2014, Australian native Ben McMahon spent a week in a coma following a car accident. When he awoke, the English speaker instead spoke fluent Mandarin.  He had studied the language previous to his accident, but not with any serious intent.

 

Household Hacks:  Coffee grounds mixed with dish soap and boiling water will unclog drains. 

 

PC Hacks:  To fix a flashing battery light on your laptop, press Fn+H on your keyboard.  VIOLA!  No more flashing light!

 

Recipes:  Watermelon Ice Tea--Watermelon is a popular fruit of summer, and this tea recipe is a nice way to use up any extra melon you may have left over. It's very easy to make and requires that you blend the melon with a little mint and lemon to create a watermelon “aqua fresca (cooling waters)”.  From there, it's as simple as adding freshly brewed black tea.

 

Pet Care:  

 

To keep pets safe during firework demonstrations:

 

 

By, Jim Ducibella

 

We found Ken Fones-Wolf minding the pot of gold at the Spring potluck gathering at Chelsea Green Park.

 

OK, so the reality was he was minding hot dogs sizzling on a kettle grill. But he was helping his wife, Elizabeth, with the affair, underscoring Fones-Wolf’s desire to meet people in New Town – or elsewhere – via a variety of volunteer activities.

 

But first, some background on Ken and Elizabeth, both originally from the D.C. area.

 

They came to Williamsburg following 30-year careers in the History department at West Virginia University. Ken specialized in labor and social history, particularly the intersection of religious belief and working-class activism. Elizabeth, a former department chair, focused on different aspects of 20th century political, economic, and social history, especially the struggle between organized labor and business to shape the ideas and images that constituted America’s political culture.

 

Their co-authored work, Struggle for the Soul of the Postwar South: White Evangelical Protestants and Operation Dixie won the Organization of American Historians David Montgomery Book Prize, and was among numerous articles, books and editing works in which both were engaged.

 

In retirement, they were looking to settle in a place conveniently located to their daughter in Virginia Beach and their son in Northern Virginia. Having come from a college town, coupled with their interest in history and proximity to Colonial Williamsburg and William & Mary, made New Town an appealing option.

 

“We came down, and it just seemed like the perfect place for us,” he said.

 

Ken believes there is value in volunteering – for several reasons. There’s the obvious, contributing to the community in which you live. But it is also an excellent way to meet new people.

 

“We’ve always felt very fortunate in our professional lives,” he said. “But it made us aware that we wanted to give back – and (volunteering) helps us stay active, keep our minds going.”

 

In the past he has volunteered at the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation as a gallery docent and done archival work for the Yorktown branch of the operation. Last winter he traveled twice a week to Virginia Beach to help his daughter coach his grandson’s basketball team.

 

“That was a great chance to do something with my daughter,” he said. “I’d (previously) coached her in basketball, and she called and asked if I wanted to do this. I wasn’t crazy about driving to Virginia Beach twice a week, but it was a great experience.”

 

He’s also an avid participant in a senior softball league that plays twice a week, and once that season concludes he plans to volunteer at a local food bank.

 

“One of the guys I play softball with is involved in the House of Mercy,” he said. “His wife is, too. I’ve thought about that because there’s a real need. That was one of the things that surprised me because you walk around, and you don’t see much evidence of need.”

 

“You ask people what they do, and they say they play pickleball or they play golf. I love to play softball, but if that was the extent of what I did, I’d feel like I wasn’t giving much back. That would be hard for me.”

 

Six weeks ago, it was taking so long for us to do a load of laundry, we wondered if the neighbors weren’t sneaking dirty clothes into our home. In truth, our dryer was the culprit. We needed to run it three or four cycles just to dry a load that used to take one cycle. Being all too sadly familiar with planned obsolescence, we figured our 14-year-old appliance had hit the end of the road. But before we started shopping, we brought in a repairman.

 

He said the dryer was fine, then asked when had we last cleaned out the vent? We’d had it done; we just couldn’t remember when.

 

I took my shop vac and vacuumed both inside and out. I got a lot of lint, but the dryer still wasn’t right. The repairman had recommended calling Atlantic Vent Cleaning, though he added there were other good companies as well. We decided to take the first available appointment, which turned out to be the next day with Atlantic.

 

For a bit more than $100, the Atlantic technician used a 23-foot snake to completely empty our vents of lint (see photo for about half of what he got from the outside vent.) We were so impressed and relieved that we’ve already scheduled an appointment for this time next year. Why?

 

 

According to Dustdoctors.com, here are the negatives to a clogged dryer vent:

Here are some warning signs:

 

The annual Blackbeard Pirate Festival returns to Hampton from June 3 to 5 at Mill Point Park. The event features costumed re-enactors, cannon battles, mermaids, music, vendors, lectures, and fireworks.

 

On Friday night, the festival kicks off with a ‘Pirate's Parlay’ from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Mill Point Park. This free party is a family-friendly event featuring a performance by the Clan MacCool Band. The public is encouraged to show up in their finest piratical attire.

 

On Saturday, the festival runs from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and returns on Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

 

 

Events include:

 

Character vessels: Included is Blackbeard's sailing ship Adventure, Royal Navy vessels Jane and Ranger, and merchant vessels which engage in battles on the Hampton River Saturday and Sunday.

 

Character actors: Dozens of professional pirate re-enactors, and living history interpreters from all points of the compass will be in attendance, along with Helena the Mermaid, Fins and Seashells, Circus Siren Mermaid, and more.

 

Weekend performers include Mark Miller/Rusty Cutlass, The Brigands, Chaste Treasure, Press Gang, the Natterjacks, and Field Musick Virginia.

 

On Saturday from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., scholars Dr. Jamie Goodall, author of “Pirates of the Chesapeake Bay: From the Colonial Era to the Oyster Wars,” and Jeremy Moss, author of “The Life and Tryals of the Gentleman Pirate, Major Stede Bonnet,” will offer free lectures at St. John's Church, sponsored by the Hampton History Museum.

 

The Museum will also hold its annual Steam Punk Show Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. (also free and open to the public).

 

Fireworks over the Hampton River will be on Saturday, June 4, at 9 p.m.

 

The festival was previously named the third-best pirate festival in North America by USA Today.

 

For more information, visit the Pirate Festival website.  

 

In mid-May my husband Ric and I traveled to the Midwest ostensibly to visit three National Parks but more importantly to experience Tulip Time in Holland, Michigan. What a show it was - both natural beauty and human warmth.

 

Holland, Michigan is a mini-Dutch suburb, taking seriously its heritage and traditions. For 8 days each spring the entire city celebrates tulips. The streets and parks are lined with tulips. (Obviously their cold winters must discourage squirrels and rabbits.) Homeowners plant bulb displays and compete in the city’s floral show including great photography and themed floral arrangements. (Did you know that Holland claims that the author L. Frank Baum wrote “The Wizard of Oz” while vacationing on Lake Macatawa?) Naturally this year’s competition was a variety of Oz-inspired topics prompting creativity in many forms.

 

Besides a Dutch village recreation/children’s park, there is a spectacular display of tulips at Veldheer Tulip Farm (4 million bulbs) along with a wooden shoe and delft pottery factory. We hit the tulips at their peak - their brilliant colors were something to amaze even a non-gardener like me. 

 

Holland has a proud tradition of “klompen” - traditional Dutch dancing in wooden shoes which dates to 1935. The dancers were out in force performing on the downtown streets.

 

The parades associated with Tulip Time are both eyeopeners. Holland’s Kinderparade is filled with elementary schoolchildren in costume celebrating different aspects of Dutch culture and history. Then to close the festival, there is a larger Volksparade with floats and local bands and the pre-parade “street scrubbing” led by the Mayor.  Of course the Holland High School Band wore wooden shoes down the entire parade route. Several thousand visitors lined the streets to cheer on the festivities. Fireworks on the lake closed out the festival-their equivalent of the Fourth of July.

 

My true bucket list item is to visit Amsterdam and the Keukenhof spring garden. But Holland, Michigan was a lot closer (and cheaper) and certainly a wonderful surprise.  

 

P. S. Writing this article was inspired by Jim Ducibella’s April 2022 article on Gloucester’s Daffodil Festival, and this month's Pirate Festival - who knew!  The Communications Committee desires to broaden contributions to the Crier from throughout New Town. There are so many small town and city festivals - for example, has anyone attended the “Red Flannel” i.e. long johns, festival in Cedar Springs, Michigan? Do you have a favorite festival either in the area or elsewhere to recommend for residents to consider? PLEASE SEND IN A WRITEUP FOR OUR NEXT CRIER ISSUE-ntratown.crier@gmail.com.

 

 

Hello friends and neighbors. 

As I’m sure most of you know by now, inspections of home exteriors have been going on for several weeks and will resume mid-month in Shirley Park, Abbey Commons, and Savannah Square.  (Given vacations and other events, our schedule for the Village Walk inspections will await the completion of these other neighborhoods.)

 

Our Chesapeake Bay Community Manager, Anne Ingram, along with the members of the Asset Maintenance Committee have certainly been busy in May. The inspection process has been going fairly smoothly and I’m pleased to say that for the most part things are looking good! 

 

In the event you receive a letter of violation, we ask that you address the issue as soon as possible to avoid any further covenant enforcement actions by the NTRA. 

 

Once all of this home inspection work is complete, the Committee members will begin inspecting NTRAproperties.  These include our walking trails, common areas, walkways, etc.  

 

On another note I’d like to give a BIG shout-out to Alex Trent and her team of Activities Committee volunteers for the wonderful job they did with the Community Potluck on Friday, May 20th!  What a great turnout and what fun meeting new neighbors and friends!  If you missed this event, there are a few other parties being planned for the summer.  It’s a great way to get out, make some new friends and have fun!  Check your email and the NTRA website for notices on these upcoming events. 

 

Finally, Chesapeake Bay offers its employees summer hours as one of their employment benefits. Their office at 337 McLaws Circle will be closed on Friday afternoons starting at noon. Please be respectful of this great staff’s time and plan your appointments/calls accordingly [Monday thru Thursday  8:00 to 5:30PM;  Friday 8:00-1200.] 

 

Wishing you and yours a happy and fun-filled summer in New Town!

 

 

The NTRA Board of Directors (BOD) has accepted the resignation of Director Laura Loda who has stepped down due to personal circumstances. Laura wrote, “During my all too-brief tenure, I have found the Board to be an effective and dedicated group. I believe we have made some significant progress during the first half of the year, and I have no doubt that the group will continue to do so in the months to come. This is a simple case of competing priorities and limited time.”

 

I am personally very grateful to Laura for her calming presence and ability to cut to the chase. Laura took on the challenge of rolling out the new pool entry system for our 2022 swim season and our community is in her debt. Even with Laura’s departure the NTRA enjoyed 5 months of consecutive leadership since last December’s Board election - a record since the transition to homeowner control!

 

 

The Board is now seeking a volunteer to fill Laura’s remaining term which expires December 31, 2023 (18 months). If interested, please submit an application by email to:  Monique Stevens, Board Secretary - ntrasecretary@gmail.com 

 

Your application need not exceed one page and should include your: 

• Name, address, contact information 
• NTRA neighborhood (see below), and 
• Qualifications for Board membership (for example: prior NTRA Committee service or other relevant experience), any biographical or other information you wish to include.
• A short statement of why you are interested in serving on the Board of Directors.  

(See NTRA policy 1.0 “Vacancy in the Board of Directors”.) 

 

All applications received by June 22, 2022 will be considered for appointment.

 

As a reminder, our Bylaws (Article IV, Section 4.1) state “No more than two directors may be owners in the same neighborhood.” Current directors are Mary Cheston (Charlotte Park), Jack Espinal (Abbey Commons), Everett Lunsford and Glen Mitchell (Village Walk). However, as of mid-June, Glen is relocating to a home in Charlotte Park. So the Board can consider applicants from any neighborhood except Charlotte Park.

 

The Board is currently addressing a variety of significant issues and will be moving forward towards a vote on the Governing Documents revisions. Each Board member serves as a Board Liaison to one or more of the eight standing NTRA committees.  As volunteers we take on the responsibility to govern, budget, enforce, mediate, supervise operations and maintain grounds by working with vendors and our management company. Most Board work is done by email and monthly meetings. Other questions on what is involved? Please email Monique. 

 

Serving on the Board is a challenging commitment for anyone, but it also gives you direct impact and influence on how Association business is handled. We hope each NTRA owner will seriously consider stepping up to serve. We are building a strong foundation for the future of our community - join us!

 

 

While New Town is so lucky to have been home to The Corner Pocket for 20 years, in June, owner Lynn Allison will be celebrating 30 years for this amazing business! New Town is not the original location for this exciting restaurant/billiards hall, but we are so grateful to be their home now.

 

Lynn Allison came up with the idea to open The Corner Pocket in June of 1992 when the game of billiards was taking the country by storm. While Lynn herself, is not an avid pool player, she knew this business is something the Williamsburg community needed. When New Town developers gave the option for business owners to also own their land, she knew that would be a great opportunity, too.

 

The Corner Pocket is the very first business to have opened its doors in August of 2003 after breaking ground in July 2002. Lynn worked with Guernsey Tingle to create the unique design for the property and liked the idea of giving it a New Orleans-style architectural design. The design turned out so exceptional that The Corner Pocket won the “Best Architectural Design” award by Billiards Digest magazine in 2003. Along with its welcoming design style, The Corner Pocket is also home to the city’s biggest outdoor patio.

 

While strolling through New Town, a first-time guest might stumble upon The Corner Pocket because of the beautiful outdoor space, for which Lynn Allison credits her amazing staff’s efforts. The welcoming patio was not only helpful for their survival through Covid restrictions, but it's design was also strategic to draw more attention to the restaurant. “Not many people would give The Corner Pocket a chance for dining if they were not interested in the game of billiards,” Lynn says. The patio has people take a second look and is the restaurant's first chance to “wow” guests.

 

What really keeps people coming back to The Corner Pocket? Sure, they have 13 tables to enjoy shooting pool, but their exceptional food is what keeps the regulars loyal to this fan-favorite New Town eatery. The Corner Pocket menu features unique appetizers, classic salads, delicious burgers, and even some specialty items with a New Orleans slant (think: Corner Pocket Jambalaya!) Chef Jess is also quite a wiz with desserts. Cross your fingers that she’s whipped up something new to try on your next visit or be sure to save room for their regular dessert menu which features options like a Salted Caramel Pound Cake or Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Pie!

 

We could go on and on about all the reasons we are lucky that The Corner Pocket chose New Town for their new location 20 years ago, but we’ll just say this: if you haven’t visited yet, don’t wait any longer!

 

 

Six weeks ago, it was taking so long for us to do a load of laundry, we wondered if the neighbors weren’t sneaking dirty clothes into our home. In truth, our dryer was the culprit. We needed to run it three or four cycles just to dry a load that used to take one cycle. Being all too sadly familiar with planned obsolescence, we figured our 14-year-old appliance had hit the end of the road. But before we started shopping, we brought in a repairman.

 

He said the dryer was fine, then asked when had we last cleaned out the vent? We’d had it done; we just couldn’t remember when.

I took my shop vac and vacuumed both inside and out. I got a lot of lint, but the dryer still wasn’t right. The repairman had recommended calling Atlantic Vent Cleaning, though he added there were other good companies as well. We decided to take the first available appointment, which turned out to be the next day with Atlantic.

 

For a bit more than $100, the Atlantic technician used a 23-foot snake to completely empty our vents of lint (see photo for about half of what he got from the outside vent.) We were so impressed and relieved that we’ve already scheduled an appointment for this time next year. Why?

 

According to Dustdoctors.com, here are the negatives to a clogged dryer vent:

• House fires. Just under five percent of all house fires in the U.S. start in the laundry room, resulting in deaths, injuries, and hundreds of million dollars in damages each year. Of those fires, a third of them were caused by the homeowner forgetting to clean the dryer vent.
• Higher bills. Overheating can cause your equipment to break and need expensive repairs or replacement. Combine this with increased utility from an ineffective dryer, and the cost of a clogged dryer vent can really add up.
• Pests. It is something which many people never consider, but if there is enough build-up to push open the outside laundry flap, you are proving an easy way for pests like rodents to enter your home.

 

Here are some warning signs:

• It takes longer than usual to dry your clothes. A clog in your vent prevents the hot, moist air from escaping your dryer, which prolongs the drying time and leaves your clothes wet at the end of a cycle.
• You notice a burning smell. Lint and fabric fuzz are highly flammable, so it doesn't take too much heat to ignite a small piece. If you ever smell something burning when operating your dryer, turn it off and contact a technician immediately.
• Your clothes are hot to the touch at the end of a load. If you find it difficult to touch your clothes without burning your hand, your vent may be clogged, which prevents hot air from escaping.
• You can see lint or debris in the dryer hose or around the outside dryer flap. Once you can see a build-up in either of these two places, you know you are well past the time you should have cleaned your dryer ducts.
• You haven't cleaned your vents in over a year. In a typical household, the dryer vent should be cleaned at least once a year. Homes with more frequent loads of laundry need to clean out their vents more often.

 

 

NOTE: This article was originally written by NTRA Board Vice President Jack Espinal and includes responses from Brennan Raab and McLean Gordon of the Whitmore Company, who were provided an advance draft of the article for review. Responses have been slightly edited for clarity. 

 

The original James City County plan for the wooded lot behind Sullivan Square was for a fashionable, boutique hotel. For 19 years this property has remained vacant, and the New Town community was built up all around it. The lack of investors and a downturn of the hotel market in Williamsburg has forced the property owner to revise the planned use for this area. Instead of a hotel, the Whitmore Company plans to develop the property into a one- and two- bedroom apartment complex. These upscale, luxury apartment units and associated amenities will be designed to appeal to young professionals.

 

The Planned Apartment Complex. The Whitmore Company plans to construct four buildings on the site. Their plan places a four-story building with 54 apartments on Shannon Place adjacent to Sullivan Square. This building will house a lobby, administrative office, clubhouse, billiards room, pool, and fitness center for the use by Manor on the Green residents. 

 

Two additional three-story buildings will be constructed on the sides of the property. One of them will be located on Center Street and the other will be on Foundation Street. Each of these buildings will have 24 single-bedroom apartments. The fourth building, a two-story carriage house, will be constructed along Lydias Drive. It will contain four large, two-bedroom apartments built over multiple enclosed private garages. According to the developer, the luxury units in the apartment complex will provide an amenity-rich place for young, upwardly mobile professionals as well as for people opting to downsize from larger homes. 

All of the buildings in the complex will have elevators for access to the upper floors. One hundred and twelve parking spaces, “screened from public view,” for their residents’ use will be located in the center area between the four apartment buildings. The complex will be served by three entrances: one on Center Street another on Lydias Drive and a third on Foundation Street.

 

The Developer. The Whitmore Company has experience in building and managing high-quality, multi-unit housing in the Portsmouth and Hampton areas. They have specialized in both new construction and adapting older historic buildings for residential use. Once constructed, the Whitmore Company stays on to manage the properties for its investors. This business plan makes it less likely that the surrounding community will be left with unsolved problems after construction is completed. The Whitmore company has a good reputation for the management of its rental properties. They also provide on-site management availability 24 hours a day and include a daily valet trash pickup service for their renters.

 

 

 

 

The New Town Residential Association (NTRA) Board of Directors has several major concerns regarding the development of this property. Board representatives recently met with Whitmore Company management and have raised the following issues with the developer. 

 

Insufficient Parking. Parking for the residents is a major concern for New Town. As planned, the apartment complex will have a negative impact on parking in the surrounding community.  Street parking in this area is already in short supply. The current Manor on the Green plan provides only 112 parking spaces for the planned 106 residential units. It does not consider or address tenant families that will have more than one automobile, visitor parking, parking for development employees, and delivery/services parking. 

 

The plan also mentions the use of 36 street parking spaces located around the perimeter of the site as well as the use of other parking spaces in New Town for use by its apartment residents. Parking in the area around the proposed construction site is already scarce, especially at night, and will only be made appreciably worse when the apartment complex is occupied. While this plan may meet the James City County parking requirements for New Town, it would not be prudent to build this apartment complex without including additional dedicated parking for its residents. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stormwater Mitigation. Currently the stormwater that falls on the Manor on the Green site percolates through the soil where it is naturally filtered. However, this development will make the site largely impervious to water and create large amounts of runoff which will be directed into an already stressed stormwater management system.  The short- and long-term impact of this additional runoff has not been fully addressed in Whitmore’s conceptual plan.  Whitmore advised us that the current stormwater system was designed with a building in mind; however, they will research the condition of this existing infrastructure considering issues raised by the Board.

 

Sewer System Capacity. The sizing and capacity of the existing sewer system was developed to support a hotel and not apartments. Constructing an apartment complex in place of a hotel will bring two or three times more people into the area to use the existing underground infrastructure. The planned residential apartments will include 106 kitchens as well as 106 laundries that were not considered or included in the original plan for the construction of a hotel. This will create a significant increase in wastewater that must be handled by the existing sewer system. It is unclear whether the existing sewer capacity is sufficient to support the development of an apartment complex of this size. The Board has raised this concern with the developer. It should be addressed by the Whitmore Company and James City County prior to construction. 

 

Construction Impact on the Existing New Town Infrastructure. The tree clearing process, the site development, and the subsequent construction will create a large volume of traffic in and out of New Town.  Much of this additional traffic will include large trucks with very heavy loads. This heavy vehicle traffic will cause significant wear and tear on our roads, curbs, and walkways and has the potential for significant damage. The Whitmore Company monitors the before and after condition of their sites, in order to return any damaged roadway areas to good condition. However, this impact is not just immediately adjacent to the construction site but will also be along whatever arteries the construction traffic uses for access and egress. This wear and tear as well as any damage that may occur to our existing infrastructure during the construction phase will need further discussion among all parties.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Whitmore company is working on architectural renderings for the site.  The clearing of trees from the property will be an environmental loss to our community and we asked for their landscaping plans to consider maximizing greenery. Later this summer we expect that representatives will come to New Town to discuss their more detailed development plans with members of our community. We welcome this dialogue.

 

While we have always known that this property would eventually be developed, we must do everything we can to ensure that the development has a minimal impact on the quality of life for those currently living in New Town and reduce any negative impact on visitors who use the outstanding restaurants, retail stores, theater, and other facilities both during and after construction.  Having a vibrant rental option in our midst could help to keep our commercial businesses stable.  It is the Board’s hope that the Whitmore Company will work with us to satisfactorily resolve any issues that impact our community. 

 

 

 

The annual Blackbeard Pirate Festival returns to Hampton from June 3 to 5 at Mill Point Park. The event features costumed re-enactors, cannon battles, mermaids, music, vendors, lectures, and fireworks.

 

On Friday night, the festival kicks off with a ‘Pirate's Parlay’ from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Mill Point Park. This free party is a family-friendly event featuring a performance by the Clan MacCool Band. The public is encouraged to show up in their finest piratical attire.

 

On Saturday, the festival runs from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and returns on Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

 

Events include:

 

Character vessels: Included is Blackbeard's sailing ship Adventure, Royal Navy vessels Jane and Ranger, and merchant vessels which engage in battles on the Hampton River Saturday and Sunday.

 

Character actors: Dozens of professional pirate re-enactors, and living history interpreters from all points of the compass will be in attendance, along with Helena the Mermaid, Fins and Seashells, Circus Siren Mermaid, and more.

 

Weekend performers include Mark Miller/Rusty Cutlass, The Brigands, Chaste Treasure, Press Gang, the Natterjacks, and Field Musick Virginia.

 

On Saturday from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., scholars Dr. Jamie Goodall, author of “Pirates of the Chesapeake Bay: From the Colonial Era to the Oyster Wars,” and Jeremy Moss, author of “The Life and Tryals of the Gentleman Pirate, Major StedeBonnet,” will offer free lectures at St. John's Church, sponsored by the Hampton History Museum.

 

The Museum will also hold its annual Steam Punk Show Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. (also free and open to the public).

 

Fireworks over the Hampton River will be on Saturday, June 4, at 9 p.m.

 

The festival was previously named the third-best pirate festival in North America by USA Today.

 

For more information, visit the Pirate Festival website (https://www.visithampton.com/event/20th-annual-blackbeard-pirates-festival/2022-06-05/). 

 

 

 

In mid-May my husband Ric and I traveled to the Midwest ostensibly to visit three National Parks but more importantly to experience Tulip Time in Holland, Michigan. What a show it was - both natural beauty and human warmth.

 

Holland, Michigan is a mini-Dutch suburb, taking seriously its heritage and traditions. For 8 days each spring the entire city celebrates tulips. The streets and parks are lined with tulips. (Obviously their cold winters must discourage squirrels and rabbits.) Homeowners plant bulb displays and compete in the city’s floral show including great photography and themed floral arrangements. (Did you know that Holland claims that the author L. Frank Baum wrote “The Wizard of Oz” while vacationing on Lake Macatawa?) Naturally this year’s competition was a variety of Oz-inspired topics prompting creativity in many forms.

 

Besides a Dutch village recreation/children’s park, there is a spectacular display of tulips at Veldheer Tulip Farm (4 million bulbs) along with a wooden shoe and delft pottery factory. We hit the tulips at their peak - their brilliant colors were something to amaze even a non-gardener like me. 

 

Holland has a proud tradition of “klompen” - traditional Dutch dancing in wooden shoes which dates to 1935. The dancers were out in force performing on the downtown streets.

 

The parades associated with Tulip Time are both eyeopeners. Holland’s Kinderparade is filled with elementary schoolchildren in costume celebrating different aspects of Dutch culture and history. Then to close the festival, there is a larger Volksparade with floats and local bands and the pre-parade “street scrubbing” led by the Mayor.  Of course the Holland High School Band wore wooden shoes down the entire parade route. Several thousand visitors lined the streets to cheer on the festivities. Fireworks on the lake closed out the festival-their equivalent of the Fourth of July.

 

My true bucket list item is to visit Amsterdam and the Keukenhof spring garden. But Holland, Michigan was a lot closer (and cheaper) and certainly a wonderful surprise.  

 

P. S. Writing this article was inspired by Jim Ducibella’sApril 2022 article on Gloucester’s Daffodil Festival, and by the Communications Committee’s desire to broaden contributions to the Crier from throughout New Town. There are so many small town and city festivals - for example, has anyone attended the “Red Flannel” i.e. long johns, festival in Cedar Springs, Michigan? Do you have a favorite festival either in the area or elsewhere to recommend for residents to consider? PLEASE SEND IN A WRITEUP FOR OUR NEXT CRIER ISSUE-ntratown.crier@gmail.com.

 

 

In 2015 Phil and I retired to New Town and “village life” in Charlotte Park, specifically Ercil Way. It’s been wonderful. Alas, as in most neighborhoods there have been some problems. We have experienced the constant free flow of water down Ercil that causes slipping and sliding in the winter and some mushy yards in the summer. Drainage is a problem as are sink holes. Understanding what will happen when this section of New Town transitions from the Developer is very important to us.

 

The May 10th special meeting of the New Town Residential Association (NTRA) Board brought the community up to date on past concerns and the issues still needing repair in Charlotte Park Phase 10. There were about 20 residents in attendance. 

 

The Board had hired Giles and Flythe Engineering Company to assess the common areas. Zach Shephard, Regional Manager, presented open issues with recommendations from the January County and Giles and Flythe inspections. They were as follows:

• The continual problem of rushing water down Ercil Way. According to Board President Mary Cheston, James City County will have to approve an engineering fix to these foundation drain discharges which ABVA is preparing.
• Determine the cause of paint peeling on the Olive Drive fence along the wet pond. Recommendation: Secure a paint professional to evaluate proper surface type and paint the coating accordingly to maintain a coating on the Olive Drive fence with a one-year warranty. 
• Remove loose vegetation from wet pond along Olive Drive. 
• Repair cracked asphalt section at handicapped ramp at Olive Drive and Lucretia Way.
• Repair cracked curb sections along Lucretia Way and the curb inlet concrete section of Olive Drive and ErcilWay.

The Giles and Flythe report had estimated the cost of remaining repairs at approximately $59,000. ABVA, the Developer, reported via email that some of this work has been completed and the only two issues still needing attention are the Olive Drive fence along the wet pond and the seepage issue on Ercil Way.

 

From the community comments, there were other actions and/or recommendations for the Board:

• Obtain a letter from James City County (JCC) indicating structures were built according to County specs.
• Conduct camera imaging for the storm water system to see if the moving of water to BMP is functioning properly. It appears that JCC requires this for new areas, like Shirley Park, but not older developments. The Board will check into this.
• Understand what NTRA must do to properly maintain assets, especially these stormwater systems (Chesapeake Bay Act).
• Ask ABVA to sealcoat the alleys before turnover.

The Board is in the process of getting bids for the regular maintenance of all BMP/Bioretention ponds (including the Olive and Casey Blvd. wet ponds). Also, consideration of any sealcoating will await the resolution of the Ercil Way drainage situation since excavation may be required. 

 

Ultimately, the NTRA must make a determination that these areas are “in a condition acceptable to the Association.” (Section 4.9 of the Amended Master Declaration).

 

 

 

 

This year the temperature of the Atlantic Ocean and circulation patterns in the ocean look remarkably similar to the way they did in 2005 -- the year the category 5 Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans.  Consequently, we may anticipate a similarly active and devastating hurricane season this year.  

 

Hurricane season is June 1 until November 30 with peak hurricane season from mid-August to late October.  

 

Now is the time to initiate planning and preparations to help ensure the safety of our community and that of our families.    

NOAA will provide several days advance notice as well as the projected track of each major storm in the Atlantic. This gives us time for a possible evacuation or to prepare to weather the storm in New Town. 

 

Here are some tips to consider:  

 

• Photograph or video your home and belongings for possible future insurance claims.
• Familiarize yourself with evacuation routes so you are ready to leave New Town, if necessary.
• Plan to take your pet/s with you and identify where you will stay (friend, family, hotel) inland in case you evacuate -- the further you are from the ocean the slower the winds will be.  
• Build a Hurricane Kit for use if you stay or evacuate.  
• Keep your car’s gas tank filled.    

 

• Consider putting duct tape on windows to lessen flying glass.
• Secure outside items -- windblown objects create damage. 
• Fill your bathtub with water to use for toilet flushing.
• Move important items to higher floor.  
• Protect property from flooding and water damage by moving items to a second floor and protecting them with plastic bags.
• Plan on taking your animals with you if you evacuate.

Hurricane Kit - At a minimum consider including these items in your kit: 

• Extra cash (ATMs may not be operable)
• Keep batteries charged
• Flashlights and extra batteries
• Battery-powered radio with extra batteries (or a hand crank radio)
• Cell phone and charger
• First-aid kit 
• Tool kit
• Duct tape
• Utility knife 
• Medications (seven days or more)
• Nonperishable food for seven days or more
• Manual can opener
• Drinking water (7 gallons per person / a seven-day supply)
• Pet supplies to include food, water, medications, collar & leash, current photos, proof of vaccinations, etc.    
• Important documents (IDs, lease, passports, birth certificates, insurance policies, etc.)
• Toiletries and sanitation supplies
• Change of clothes
• Blankets

Prepare now and have peace of mind that you and your family are prepared when the weather forecast announces an approaching hurricane.  

 

 

On May 12, 2022, VDOT released the results of its traffic study of Casey Boulevard and Center Street.

“VDOT has reviewed the intersection for safety improvements needed and whether a four-way stop is appropriate for this intersection.  Based on the traffic volume disbursement between the two roads it was determined that a four-way stop is not recommended for this intersection.”

VDOT found that Center Street carries approximately 20% of the total volume of Casey Boulevard “which is not consistent with the guidance for a multi-way stop condition.”

 

The review did determine that the line of sight for northbound Center Street is obstructed.  As a result, “VDOT will be taking measures to help improve this situation by relocating the stop bar.” Chesapeake Bay and Virginia Lawn and Landscape have already taken steps to trim trees and/or remove shrubs blocking the line of sight in the intersection, per VDOT’s recommendations.  

 

In April, the Board of Directors also submitted to VDOT a detailed photo inventory of the damaged sidewalks throughout New Town in hopes of receiving repair attention in VDOT’s next budget cycle. Unfortunately, VDOT remains adamant, as reported at last year’s Annual Members Meeting, that their other traffic priorities will not permit it to address this situation. Tracey Lassiter, VDOT’s Williamsburg Operations Manager responded that:

“…all of our employees are currently providing traffic control along primary routes and have been for two weeks.  Please understand that we currently have 550 outstanding work orders. That means that I have 550 current unsatisfied customers.  Immediate roadway safety concerns are our first priority.  These are things such as potholes, dead animals in the roadway/right of way, vegetation causing sight distance issues, missing or damaged roadway stop/yield signs, drainage issues that cause water to flood the roadway, etc. I will have someone review the sidewalk concerns as time and priority allows.”

 

VDOT repeated that it will not take responsibility for sidewalks uplifted by tree roots.

“VDOT cannot be responsible for these types of repairs because it requires the removal of the existing sidewalk slab, the removal of the tree root (which may kill the tree), and the repouring of a new concrete slab. If the tree is not removed, the roots will very quickly push up the sidewalk yet again. Unfortunately VDOT does not have the resources for these types of potentially recurring problems. Should the tree be cut down/removed, VDOT could provide a repair or slab-repour.” 

 

VDOT also believes based on previous visits that some sinking slabs are being caused by home drainage systems, e.g."the homeowner's downspout/black pipe which was draining at the sidewalk location causing voids and settling of the slab.  If the homeowner removes the pipe, VDOT can then consider a repair. Sprinkler systems also cause sidewalks to settle/crack. Again, VDOT cannot consider a repair until the sprinkler system is removed.”

 

We will continue to keep the community informed if any progress is made with VDOT in the coming months. Expensive decisions may await the Association. Continue to watch your step when walking in our community!

 

 

Dog owners, what would you do for a year of free dog treats? 

 

Would you encourage your pet to do his business on the mulch instead of grass?

 

Would you pick up after your pet and deposit in the designated dog stations?

 

Would you show respect for your neighbors by not letting your dog trespass into flower beds and private yards?

 

Well, fortunately most of you do these things already without needing to be rewarded. If, however, you are one of a growing number of dog owners who are letting your dog roam on private property, damage the grass and seasonal flowers with urine, and leave poop for someone else to pick up, then this plea is for you. Allowing your dog to do his business in your neighbor’s yard, even if you pick it up, is not OK.

 

Please consider your neighbor’s property and our community’s appearance when walking your dog. You won’t be getting free dog treats, but you will earn much gratitude from the rest of us!

 

 

 

Our New Town neighborhood is a diverse community of individuals comprised of young professionals, students, families, retirees, and a growing number of Baby Boomers leading the way in the new “Unretirement Movement.” This is not a revelation, of course.  As a “planned community,” just such diversity was the vision and goal of New Town’s Developer, and almost from the beginning, the tie that bound New Town’s diverse neighbors together were social gatherings, community events, seasonal neighborhood activities—and special interest clubs and social committees. None of these events or entities are ever the main focus of a community’s HOA Board, to be sure; but a good HOA Board knows the value in nurturing these grassroots gatherings, clubs, and happenings among its neighbors. They are nothing less than signs of a thriving and happy community whose residents are committed to each other--and to the greater good.

 

At present, New Town has a number of clubs and small groups meeting regularly to talk, interact, and enhance ties within the community.  Listed below are the current clubs and their contacts.  All operate independently from the New Town Residential Association—and a good many more would be welcome.

 

The New Town community has three book clubs, to date, our newest of general topics and life in New Town, begun, last July, by resident Ginny Fisher. Sadly, none of them are actively open to new members at this time—but here is your opportunity!  Book Clubs can be generic or highly selective. Are you a Jane Austin fan? A devotee of Ray Bradbury? Is there a specific genre that you are drawn to? Sci-Fi- Fantasy, Southern Gothic, the Supernatural? Forensic mysteries? The same would serve for those who love poetry or folklore. Perhaps you enjoy discussion on contemporary works of a specific theme. The possibilities are vast, and any New Town resident is welcome to form a new book club—or any club--and recruit for it by contacting the Communications Committee via their email address at ntrawebsitecommittee@gmail.com.

  

A new gardening club has formed and is open to all residents of New Town. Beautifying our common areas with plantings is one goal, but other activities might include embarking on horticultural field trips, attending garden related educational events, or enjoying social outings, happy hours, or other forms of socialization and fun. Please email neverendinggardenparty@gmail.com or call Kelly at 757-713-5755 if you are interested in learning more. 

 

The Retired Men's Club meets for lunch on the fourth Thursday of the month to talk about what's going on in New Town and in the larger community. (Note: The group has been dormant during the Covid pandemic. Resurrecting it would be welcome.).

 

Meets for lunch on the first Tuesday of the month at a New Town restaurant for conversation and informal discussion of what's happening in our community. Contact Angela Lesnett at alesnett@verizon.net 

 

So, what club or committee might you add to the above?  Do you have an interest or a skill that you would like to promote or share with your New Town neighbors? Have you been toying with the idea of getting a group together to pursue a topic in depth via a small group that would be like-minded?  Below are some ideas for new community clubs and committees. Come and create those ties that bind! All you need do is put your thoughts together and reach out to your Communications Committee at ntrawebsitecommittee@gmail.com. The Committee is ready and willing to help you get the word out and the crowds in!

 

Club Ideas:

 

Film Club: Are you interested in vintage films or a specific film genre? Perhaps getting a Film Club going would be of interest to you, engaging others while enhancing your own enjoyment and knowledge of the medium. 

 

Photography Club: There’s no place like New Town for picture taking. Get a club going to exchange methods and ideas about the art—and to capture your neighbors and your community for posterity.  Your Communications Committee is always looking for “Life in New Town” pics to post.

 

Quilting/Crocheting Clubs:  Quilting is a great American art.  Quilters gathering together to share tips and innovations—and a mutual love for their craft—would enrich all involved.

 

Gym/Exercise/Walking Club: We all know the value of exercise—but not everyone is drawn to it, naturally.  Get some friends together regularly to cheer you on!

 

Breakfast Club:  Coffee, company, and little nosh is never a difficult thing to make a habit of.

 

Birdwatching/Wildlife Club:  Take advantage of our setting and our walking trails—and that old pair of binoculars gathering dust since you moved in. New Town wildlife is diverse--and regular trips with those like-minded to the Peninsula’s many parks and waterways can be a fun way to enhance your discoveries. 

 

Have the above club ideas got you thinking?  Once again, just reach out to your Communications Committee via their email address at ntrawebsitecommittee@gmail.com for support getting the word out. Create a new tie that, in goodwill and New Town fellowship, will help further bind us into the fun and socially committed community that we are. 

 

 

 

SUMMER FUN AT THE POOL:

 

The New Town Residential Association's Activities Committee has also been busy planning events at the Community Pool for New Town residents. 

 

Save these dates:

• Tuesday evening, June 14, 2022 - After Hours Social from 6 to 8 PM (BYO everything!)

• Saturday, July 16, 2022 - Annual Pool Party - 11 to 1PM (Pizza and drinks provided)

• Tuesday evening, August 16, 2022 - After Hours Social from 6 to 8 PM (BYO everything!)

 

Watch for more details in eblasts and via this NTRA website. 

 

And from the New Town Commercial Association:

Join us for a line-up of FREE, monthly pop-up events, to CELEBRATE 20 YEARS of New Town! 

 

Save the Dates for the first Saturday in June through August! These monthly public events will be located by the Fountain and down Main Street by the Gazebo, and are sponsored by the New Town Commercial Association.

 

Family Fun Day

June 4th, 11am-2pm

The Teeny Tiny Farm Petting Zoo, Bubbles The Clown, Face Painting & More!

 

Ice Cream Social

July 2nd, 12-2pm

Beat the heat with some ice cream! A sweet, summertime delight on us!

 

Live Entertainment

August 6th, 11am-2pm

Stay tuned for details on LIVE entertainment by the fountain!

 

 

 

It's not you, it's me. You're great... really. I'm just not looking for a commitment right now. Have you thought this about volunteering on one of our many New Town Residential Association (NTRA) Committees? HAVE I GOT A DEAL FOR YOU?! 

 

First, the benefits. A recent post on Indeed.com, Benefits of Volunteering: 10 Reasons to Volunteer summarizes some of the mood-boosting, purpose-providing benefits of volunteering in your community. Beyond adding to your sense of purpose and community, volunteering can help you meet new people, improve self-esteem, get you out of your comfort zone, and be FUN! 

 

You may be thinking, "sure, but volunteering simply doesn't fit into my spontaneous lifestyle. I can't be tied down." Introducing, the NTRA short-term, one-time, if-I-am-in-town, sounds-like-fun, volunteer assembly! This exclusive assembly will be contacted in times of need (e.g. community events that need additional support, help getting the word out about important news, etc.) 

 

One immediate and ongoing opportunity is to be a guest-writer for the New Town Crier! Have you taken any fabulous or unusual trips? Do you have a favorite festival to visit? Do you want to share interesting news about the community? Do you have great New Town photographs to share? You can write one article or several throughout the year; it's up to you! 

 

Commitment is hard; volunteering doesn't have to be! Contact ntratown.crier@gmail.com if you're interested.

 

 

The New Town Community Pool is now open through Labor Day. The pool is closed on Tuesdays and daily hours are posted on the NTRA website calendar.

 

To use the pool, residents must have a new electronic pass. ALL users must review the 2022 pool rules and sign an acknowledgement form before being eligible to receive a pass. 

 

Many, many thanks to our volunteer Pool Committee and our community manager, Anne Ingram and her admin staff for their efforts to organize, label and distribute about 800 passes so far. 

 

If you are an owner in the New Town Residential Association and have not picked up your pass, contact Chesapeake Bay Management (757) 706-3019 for an appointment to do so.  Tenants - work through your property owner or property management/rental company to obtain a pass. New Town condo residents should reach out to their property management company for information.

 

With the Covid-19 virus still circulating, please be mindful of others and keep your distance while using the pool. Let’s all make the lifeguard’s job easier by following the pool rules. Happy swimming! 

 

 

I heard it through the grapevine (as Marvin Gaye once said) that some folks are a bit tired of “festival” recommendations. Taking that to heart, here are four very distinct entertainment options, in four very distinct locales, any of which would make for a May to remember.

 

Lewis Black, May 5, Dominion Energy Center, Richmond: Like your comedy a little on the angry side? Washington, D.C., native Lewis Niles Black is your guy. If you don’t know, Black, 73, is an American stand-up comedian and actor whose routines often escalate into angry rants about history, politics, religion, or any other cultural trends. Lord knows he’s got plenty of material to choose from these days. For more information, visit https://www.stereoboard.com/lewis-black-tickets/richmond

 

Renee Elise Goldsberry, May 6 at Chrysler Hall, Norfolk: A gifted actress and singer, she originated the role of Angelica Schuyler in the Broadway production of Hamilton, winning the Tony Award and Drama Desk Award – followed by a Grammy for the cast album and an Emmy for the Disney+ live stage recording of this record-breaking hit musical. Goldsberry brings her golden voice to the Virginia Arts Festival, singing Broadway hits including songs from The Lion King and Rent, American pop standards, and soul classics. For more information, visit https://www.sevenvenues.com/events/detail/renee-elise-goldsberry

 

 

Chicago, May 14 at Atlantic Union Bank Pavilion, Portsmouth: The originators of some of rock and roll’s greatest hits, Chicago came in as the highest-charting American band in “Billboard” Magazine's Top 125 Artists of all time. As if that weren’t enough, Chicago is the first American rock band to chart Top 40 albums in six consecutive decades. Chicago recently received The Recording Academy’s Lifetime Achievement Award from the GRAMMYS, given to performers who have made outstanding contributions of artistic significance to the field of recording. For more information, visit  info@pavilionconcerts.com

 

Beautiful, May 17 at Ferguson Center, Newport News: The Carole King Musical tells the inspiring true story of King’s remarkable rise to stardom. Along the way, she wrote the soundtrack to a generation. Featuring beloved songs written by Gerry Goffin/Carole King and Barry Mann/Cynthia Weil, including “I Feel The Earth Move,” “One Fine Day,” “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman,” “You’ve Got A Friend” and the title song. For more information, visit https://www.fergusoncenter.org/events/detail/beautiful-the-carole-king-musical

 

By Jack Espinal, Vice-President

 

April has been a busy month on the landscaping scene.

 

 

The NTRA Board has approved a project to resurface the grass in Lydias Park with Zoysia sod.  This species of grass is known for its ability to stand up to the summer heat and heavy foot traffic. It produces a dense, beautiful lawn that requires little or no water once it is established. Zoysia is so dense that it literally prevents weed growth. Seeds from weeds and other grasses simply cannot penetrate the turf to germinate in the soil and grow. This eliminates the need for future application of chemical herbicides in Lydias Park and eliminates a future Association expense.

 

A warm weather grasses pilot project has been in the works for a couple of years after members of the Landscape Advisory Committee (LAC) experimented with Zoysia in their yards. They were pleased with the results and recommended that the grass be installed elsewhere in New Town. If the Association is pleased with the results of this initial installation, consideration will be given to planting Zoysia grass in other New Town locations.

 

Lydias Park was chosen from several  locations for this installation because of the condition of the existing grass and the associated underground sprinkler system which has not operated for several years and would be costly to repair. It also allows us to remove the sprinkler system from our reserve study and saves our Association from having to fund future system maintenance. 

 

The downside of Zoysia grass is that it turns brown when it goes dormant in the winter or when there is a severe drought. However, warm weather and a little water brings the green grass right back. While brown grass in the winter is a disadvantage, it will eventually create a more consistent appearance and most likely look better than many of the “spotty” lawns in New Town.

 

 

The LAC has also identified four highly visible areas of New Town that, with additional landscaping, will create a positive visual impact for our community. They researched and identified multiple species of perennial plants and evergreens that will provide changing colors and stay beautiful throughout the year. These Gateway projects are located around the community - in the Village Walk Clock Tower area, a new garden in a mulched area along Roper Park, plantings around the swimming pool sign, and refurbishing of the dog walk area near the swimming pool.

 

In April the Board approved these LAC recommended Gateway Projects. The LAC assisted by members of the newly established New Town Garden Club (also known as the Never-Ending Garden Party) will provide the labor for the installation, initial watering, and future maintenance of the four projects. These improvements will be made this spring.  If you would like to help with these beautification projects and/or join the New Town Garden Club, send an email to: neverendinggardenparty@gmail.com or call Kelly at 757.713.5755.

 

I thank the LAC for all of their hard work selecting sites for these projects, researching the perennial plants that will provide color throughout the year, and for volunteering their labor to perform the installation, watering, and maintenance. This effort will significantly improve the appearance of our community at a minimum cost to our Association.

 

 

The Board has also approved a conditional lease with Williamsburg Developers/Developers Realty, LLC for new space for Association meetings. This space provides two meeting areas - a large space for our Board meetings and a smaller conference area where Committees who do not have many members may choose to meet. Both rooms will be available for reservation. See related Town Crier article this month.

 

By Jim Ducibella

 

As part of my recovery from hip replacement surgery in 2009, my wife and I would daily drive over to New Town so that I could hobble, then limp, then finally walk around Foundation Square. Being the brains of the family, Sue frequently told me how impressed she was with New Town and how we should beat the baby-boomer crowd that was sure to flock to an area where they could walk to restaurants, doctors, the movies, and shopping.

 

As usual, she was right, and we have no plans to leave Charlotte Park until . . . well, you know.

 

Many others came -- and continue to come -- to the same conclusion. New Town celebrates its 20th birthday and is an ever-growing testament to the vision of people who were bound and determined not to settle for ordinary.

 

“We intentionally developed the land in phases, so that development could respond to changing market demands,” Larry Salzman, president of developer New Town Associates, recently told The Peninsula Chronicle. “The recession of 2008 caused many development projects to shut down. We were able to adapt some of our plans so that development could continue during that difficult time.

 

“New Town must continue to respond to changing times and adapt with progressive ideas to meet the needs of our residents, businesses, visitors, and the overall community.”

 

Salzman pointed to the electric car charging station in the lot across from Axe Republic as an example. In keeping pace with technological advances, Salzman said, a new, updated charger was recently installed (see, "New Town Gets an Upgraded to Electric Car Charging Station").

 

But that’s the future. Let’s take a quick look at the past, a complete timeline of which can be found if you visit this website https://www.ntrawilliamsburg.org/history/.

 

In 1996, the Carl Casey family sponsored a contest for a “new town plan” to be developed on 600 acres bounded by Ironbound Road and extending on both sides of what is now Route 199. The entry of Cooper Robertson and Partners was chosen.

 

In 2001, James City County Approves rezoning for the commercial district of New Town, which now includes the Bennington, Foundation Square, Abbey Commons, and Savannah Square.

 

A year later, New Town Associates was formed, and ground was broken on the first homes. A year later, construction began on the first two streets: Courthouse Street and New Town Avenue.

 

In 2004, the first business – The Corner Pocket – opened, and a year later, the first residents moved in.

 

Traffic hasn’t slowed since.

 

By NTRA Pool Committee

 

We have a new electronic entry system for the New Town Community Pool gate. This new system allows for easier and safer entry for authorized pool patrons. The new system uses proximity cards, similar in size to a credit card and only requires holding the card near the reader to open the gate. Each household in good standing will receive two pool passes this season after completing and submitting the required documents. 

 

The first thing an owner needs to do is to familiarize themselves with the updated 2022 pool rules. There is an acknowledgement form in the document that must be signed and submitted to receive your new passes.

 

NTRA owners in good standing in accordance with NTRA Policy must sign the acknowledgement form found in the 2022 NTRA Pool Policy and Rules.  To receive a new pass, this acknowledgement form must be submitted in advance to Chesapeake Bay Management either by:

·      Email (wbadmin@1cbm.com),

·      Mail (New Town Residential Association, ℅ Chesapeake Bay Management, 337 McLaws Cir, Ste 1, Williamsburg 23185), or 

·      In person - bring to the after-hours drop box outside the front door at the McLaws Circle address.  

 

NTRA owners with tenants in their property will be accountable for the passes. In addition to the 2022 NTRA Pool Policies and Rules acknowledgement form, owners must sign the form headed “For Owners with Tenants ONLY” and submit both forms to Chesapeake Bay Management along with a copy of the current lease page showing tenant(s) name(s), NTRA property address and the term of the lease. Either the owner or tenant may pick up pool passes once the owner has submitted these required documents.

 

New Town Commercial Association condo owners and tenants should contact their property manager for information on how to obtain passes.

 

Where Can You Get Your New Pass? 

Once you have submitted your form(s), three pass pick-up dates have been scheduled at the pool for NTRA owners/ tenants only:

 

 

If you are an NTRA owner and miss these dates, you must make an appointment at Chesapeake Bay Management company to obtain your new pass. Appointments may be scheduled by calling 757-706-3019.  All pool passes must be signed for in person - no passes will be mailed!

 

PROTECT YOUR PASSES! These new passes will be used in future years so protect them!  A lost pass will cost $25 to replace.

 

NTRA owners, look for a letter this week outlining these requirements! We look forward to a fun and tech-friendly swim season. 

 

 

By Kate Licastro

 

The first time Tara Stratton met with neighbors to discuss the New Town Pool, it was 2011 and the discussion wasn’t about entry systems or pool refinishing, it was to figure out how to get the pool built in the first place. Fast forward more than a decade, and Tara is once again working to make the New Town Pool a safe, enjoyable part of the neighborhood.  

 

There were only six homes built in Charlotte Park when Tara and her husband John, along with their two children, decided to take a chance on the neighborhood. Tara recalls the early days of all-neighborhood Easter egg hunts, island-planting parties, and of course, neighbors coming together to get a pool built. Over the last decade, John’s Air Force career relocated the Stratton family to England, Washington D.C., back to Williamsburg, and back to England. With John’s retirement from the Air Force, the Stratton’s celebrated their most recent, and hopefully final move back into their Charlotte Park home in the summer of 2021. 

 

So, what does our NTRA pool committee do, exactly? “The primary role of the pool committee is to make recommendations to the Board of Directors (BOD) on what is needed to improve the pool experience for residents,” notes Tara. “We work closely with the Management Company and the BOD to make the pool a pleasant place to be.” For example, the pool committee may recommend optimal pool hours based on resident usage and desires balanced with budget and staffing availability. 

 

A huge success for the 2022 season was securing the new entry system (see "2022 New Town Pool Season Requires New Pool Passes"), which required months of research, bid solicitation, and working with the BOD to allocate funds. Throughout the pool season, committee members monitor pool operations and facilities. Based on observations from previous seasons and resident feedback, the pool committee and Management Company recommended a supplementary cleaning company to enhance pool restroom and common area cleanliness, which the BOD secured for 2022. At the end of the season, pool committee members take inventory and note any repairs or maintenance concerns to address in the off-season. This year, committee members will conduct furniture evaluations to potentially add to and update the current available pool furniture.

 

Do you have suggestions or feedback you would like to discuss with the pool committee? “We always have time for input from the community at the pool committee meetings,” Tara shared. The schedule of pool committee meetings is available on the NTRA calendar webpage.  

 

By New Town Commercial Association

New Town is excited to announce that we are keeping up with the times! “Several years ago, when the “old” car charging station was installed, it was the first publicly available charger in James City County. In just a few years not only has the technology changed but today there are many more electric vehicles on the road. New Town has strived to be aware of innovative ideas that can benefit our community, and New Town has actively implemented changes that were needed. A new car charging station is another step in this progression, “says Larry Salzman, representative of the New Town Commercial Association.

 

The upgraded charging station is now available for public use.  The members of the New Town Commercial Association have been actively involved in keeping New Town moving forward since our groundbreaking almost 20 years ago. The all-volunteer leadership of the association has always been interested in new trends and has worked hard to be proactive in making needed changes,” Salzman shares. New Town is lucky to have active participants that keep us up-to-speed for our community.

 

Heading to New Town with your electric car? You can find the new charging station at 4935 Courthouse Street, located in the parking lot next to Axe Republic at 4919 Courthouse Street. And visit blinkcharging.com/drivers/blink-map/. 

 

We are hoping that in the not-too-distant future, New Town will be home to even more car chargers so that our guests can shop, dine, and explore New Town while their vehicles are being recharged. After all, this is New Town: Life Happens Here!

 

By Mary Cheston

 

We have moved into new space for New Town Residential Association (NTRA) meetings - hopefully for at least the remainder of 2022. Developers Realty has made the former Computer Concepts store at 5118 Center Street (next to Salon Vivace) available for Member use until such time as a permanent tenant leases the location. 

 

The space has two separate meeting areas that are reservable for Committees, with combined seating for 22 people.  (There is also a small office for our community manager to use when she is on site.) Reservations are through the NTRA website, and instructions for have been sent to all Committee Chairs on how to reserve and maintain the rooms.

 

Members of the Board cleaned and spruced up the area to provide a more presentable and safer meeting option. Many, many thanks to Glen Mitchell and Ric Cheston for their efforts in repainting two large areas. Let’s hope the space doesn’t look so much better that someone wants to rent it permanently!

 

Our thanks to Developers Realty for working with us to identify a usable location. Be sure to frequent our neighboring New Town businesses while you are in the area taking care of NTRA business.

 

By Mary Cheston, President, Board of Directors

 

At its April 26, 2022 Business Meeting, Supervisor Jim Icenhour requested that James City County staff revise the language regarding the Eastern State Hospital land use redesignation in the pending Comprehensive Master Plan descriptive text to remove references to “New Town.” He asked that staff propose new descriptive language to the Board of Supervisors (BOS).  

 

Planning Director Paul Holt confirmed via email that “when the Comprehensive Plan materials return to the BOS concurrent with a rezoning application, the updated name will appear (as Eastern State, Parcel C) in the documents for the Board’s consideration.” 

 

To date, this is the only official change to the Eastern State proposals that is under formal consideration. The Board took no action on the NTRA’s request for an official County commitment to no cut-through of Olive Drive and other items outlined in our April 8th letter, which will also likely await a formal rezoning application from ABVA.

 

 

When:

Tuesday, May 10, 2022

6:30PM

Stryker Center, Room 128 

412 N. Boundary Street, Williamsburg

 

Homeowners are invited to attend a briefing by Zach Shephard, Giles & Flythe Engineering on inspection results from the January 2022 inspection of Phase 10 of Charlotte Park. This area includes lower Rollison Drive, Ercil and Lucretia Ways (surrounding Christine Court), and the Olive Drive area. 

 

Mr. Shephard participated as New Town Residential Association's (NTRA’s) engineering representative in the James City County reinspection of this area. Mr. Shephard has been invited by the Board of Directors to share his findings and recommendations with the community. 

 

Per NTRA policy 5.1 Turnover or Acceptance of Assets, this meeting is to obtain resident input on items called for in the County’s-approved plans, prior to ABVA turning the common areas over to the NTRA.

 

A copy of the Giles and Flythe report is posted on the NTRA website. (Look under Committees - Other Information/Turnover Issues).

 

By NTRA Activities Committee

 

When: Friday, May 20th, 6 to 8PM

Where: CHELSEA GREEN - dining al fresco in the park!

 

Time to pull out the crockpot and your favorite summer recipes! On Friday, May 20th, join your neighbors between 6-8PM in the Chelsea Green Common Area (on Discovery Park Blvd) for a Community Potluck.

 

The NTRA Activities Committee is planning to fire up the grill and kick the summer off right - together! Bring your beverage of choice and something to share.

 

Do you have a summer salad recipe you like to share with a crowd? Do you always have the best chips and dips at your gatherings?  Is there a new cookie recipe you've been waiting to test? We look forward to seeing you there! Be on the look-out for more details as we get closer to the event! 

 

By Jim Ducibella

 

I heard it through the grapevine (as Marvin Gaye once said) that some folks are a bit tired of “festival” recommendations. Taking that to heart, here are four very distinct entertainment options, in four very distinct locales, any of which would make for a May to remember.

 

Lewis Black, May 5, Dominion Energy Center, Richmond: Like your comedy a little on the angry side? Washington, D.C., native Lewis Niles Black is your guy. If you don’t know, Black, 73, is an American stand-up comedian and actor whose routines often escalate into angry rants about history, politics, religion, or any other cultural trends. Lord knows he’s got plenty of material to choose from these days. For more information, visit https://www.stereoboard.com/lewis-black-tickets/richmond

 

Renee Elise Goldsberry, May 6 at Chrysler Hall, Norfolk: A gifted actress and singer, she originated the role of Angelica Schuyler in the Broadway production of Hamilton, winning the Tony Award and Drama Desk Award – followed by a Grammy for the cast album and an Emmy for the Disney+ live stage recording of this record-breaking hit musical. Goldsberry brings her golden voice to the Virginia Arts Festival, singing Broadway hits including songs from The Lion King and Rent, American pop standards, and soul classics. For more information, visit https://www.sevenvenues.com/events/detail/renee-elise-goldsberry

 

Chicago, May 14 at Atlantic Union Bank Pavilion, Portsmouth: The originators of some of rock and roll’s greatest hits, Chicago came in as the highest-charting American band in “Billboard” Magazine's Top 125 Artists of all time. As if that weren’t enough, Chicago is the first American rock band to chart Top 40 albums in six consecutive decades. Chicago recently received The Recording Academy’s Lifetime Achievement Award from the GRAMMYS, given to performers who have made outstanding contributions of artistic significance to the field of recording. For more information, visit info@pavilionconcerts.com

 

Beautiful, May 17 at Ferguson Center, Newport News: The Carole King Musical tells the inspiring true story of King’s remarkable rise to stardom. Along the way, she wrote the soundtrack to a generation. Featuring beloved songs written by Gerry Goffin/Carole King and Barry Mann/Cynthia Weil, including “I Feel The Earth Move,” “One Fine Day,” “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman,” “You’ve Got A Friend” and the title song.

For more information, visit https://www.fergusoncenter.org/events/detail/beautiful-the-carole-king-musical