Town Crier Articles

October 2022 Town Crier Articles - TEXT ONLY

Posted on October 1, 2022 5:30 AM by Town Crier Staff

Categories: General, Life in New Town, NTRA Business

BOARD BUZZ - October 2022

By Jack L Espinal

Thoughts of a “New” Board Member

I have two objectives for this month’s Board Buzz. First, to let you know what it’s like becoming a NTRA Board member and second, to update you on four critical issues facing our community that will have a significant impact on our future.

Becoming a Board Member. On a cold and rainy Saturday afternoon last December I decided to relax and read through the NTRA documents to prepare for my new volunteer job as a NTRA board member. I don’t like reading from a computer screen so I printed the documents to have them available for future reference. After using over a ream of paper and part of new toner cartridge I begin wondering what I had gotten myself into. Why were these documents so voluminous? But I began my reading anyway. I was familiar with many of the concepts from my previous experience on HOA boards. It was not long before I started noticing apparent contradictions about requirements that I had already read. I kept having to go back and reread items to understand what was really correct. I tried to do electronic searches to find the contradictions, but that wouldn’t work. The developer governing documents are just not searchable electronically. The only solution was to manually scan and then reread. Now I understood why there had been such a push to revise these obsolete developer documents over the previous year. I continued to read late into the night.

I concluded that I was going to have to juggle my time between dealing with normal day-to-day Association management issues, the ongoing task of working the homeowner suggested changes and additions into the new documents, and answering homeowner questions about the existing documents. I figured that when the revised documents were approved by the community things would get much easier. That day is not here yet, but I hope that it’s coming soon with the passing of the revised NTRA documents. It is also my hope that no other Board member will have to endure reading and researching the current developer-oriented documents. They are a real mess.

That said, I promised to address four of the recent day-to-day issues that your Board of Directors has been working on.

Landscaping. We are currently in the process of selecting a contractor to provide landscaping services to the Association for the next three years. Your Landscape Advisory Committee (LAC) took the first step by developing a Request for Proposal (RFP) based upon the Association’s needs and sample RFPs from other communities in the area. The LAC produced an excellent, well written document. The Board reviewed and edited it and then it was circulated to five landscape contractors in the Williamsburg area.

We gave interested contractor representatives a half-day tour through our New Town community pointing out the work that would be performed under both service scenarios. We visited each neighborhood and discussed their own unique requirements.

Four of the five contractors elected to provide proposals. The written responses to the RFP and cost data were then used to rank each of their proposals. Next, representatives from the top two contractors were interviewed separately. These companies will return their best and final offer to the Board soon based on our questions and expectations. The next step in this process will be the selection of a new three-year landscaping contractor. The Board will invite our new contractor to an information meeting with owners to share their company’s landscaping practices and expectations.

Common Area Acceptance. For developer-owned property to be accepted by the Association, that Common Area property and all its improvements must be in an acceptable condition as judged by the Association. The three neighborhoods that are candidates for future turnover have not progressed to the acceptance stage yet. Let me explain.

Charlotte Park Phase 11 has just begun the process of County acceptance that precedes any possible turnover. In September James City County conducted its initial inspection of the Roper Park limited to streets, curbs and gutters and drop inlets. Our Giles and Flythe engineer accompanied the inspectors and will be submitting a report on all items in these areas. This report will baseline the condition of the neighborhood for us. The Roper Park Working Group of residents will also walk the area in October to inventory and document their concerns. ABVA will be working on the items identified by the County, including curbs and patching. Given past timelines, it will likely be 2023 before the problems are corrected, reinspected, etc.

For Charlotte Park Phase 10, James City County is still working with ABVA on the drainage situation in Ercil Way, so that issue has not been resolved since our community meeting in May. No formal request has yet been made for turnover of this area.

Village Walk: Members of the Board have met with James City County executives to discuss the developer turnover status in Village Walk. We learned that although the County no longer holds the construction bonds for the Village Walk common areas, more work is needed to the streets for their VDOT acceptance. James City County must now absorb the cost of those road repairs.

While Settlers Market/Eagle has formally asked for the Association to accept the common areas (green space, walkways, etc.) within the residential area, the Board has not agreed to accept them. We provided a detailed list of issues to Eagle and based on lack of progress to date, anticipate it will be a drawn-out process. Regardless of the status of the James City County’s acceptance or the bond release, the NTRA still has the right and responsibility to ensure that the property is in an acceptable condition to the Association before it is accepted. The Board is looking after all owners’ interests in this process.

Construction Defects in Village Walk. The Board Is also dealing with roofing and siding installation deficiencies in Village Walk. Roofs are leaking and, in several cases, have had to be replaced after only four or five years of service. Fiber cement siding is cracking and coming off numerous Village Walk buildings. NTRA hired engineers to determine the cause of the failures and they determined that the issues are caused by improper installation and do not result from design features. Board members, representatives of Eagle Construction VA, and lawyers from both sides have met to work on an acceptable solution for these problems. Again, the Board is looking out for your interests in this area.

New Development. The Manor on the Green development is undergoing James City County site plan review. In anticipation that this apartment complex will move forward, the Board plans to develop a resident parking only system for our private roadways to help alleviate parking issues. Unfortunately, the Board does not have the same authority on the VDOT owned streets in New Town. James City County experts have asked the Manor on the Green developers to address a number of items including parking issues and stormwater retention concerns.

Final Thoughts. It is my hope that the New Town owners will vote “for” the revised NTRA documents so that the Board can direct its full efforts towards resolving the above problems and others like them for the benefit of our Association and its members. I have read both sets of HOA documents and have concluded that everyone, including a few current vocal detractors, will be far, far better off under the revised NTRA documents once they are approved. If the necessary two thirds vote of our membership is not received, the only winners will be the developers and the litigation lawyers. The losers will continue to be the property owners and residents of New Town.

This is a critical time for New Town and we really have only two choices to make: we can continue to operate under obsolete, convoluted, and developer-oriented documents with missing sections or we can move forward with simpler, shorter, and easier to read and understand revised documents. Our Association will be governed by this decision for a long time into the future. The passage of these revised documents is critical and will allow all future Boards to operate more efficiently and effectively dealing with the multitude of problems facing the New Town community.

Please vote in favor of approving the revised documents.

Amended NTRA Documents – Why Vote “FOR"

By Everett Lunsford, Treasurer

The basic reasons for updating our governing documents are:

Virginia law has changed since 2005 when the development of New Town began. The developer’s governing documents no longer comply with current law.
The current documents are very hard to follow and understand. Depending on your neighborhood, you have to read several supplemental declarations and determine which pieces of the declarations apply to you. The revised documents give you one shorter and simpler supplemental declaration that applies to your neighborhood.
There are errors in the current documents – various houses, services and streets were left out of the documents. The amended documents include all of the New Town Residential Association.
Items 1-3 have wasted much time and have caused significant legal expense in researching and responding to questions about the existing documents. The amended documents will reduce this expense and administrative workload for our community manager. We have important operational priorities to focus on instead.

A NO vote, or not voting (which is the same as voting NO), means the problems caused by the current documents continue.

One of the most emotional issues has been landscaping fenced yards. The current Supplemental Declarations clearly state that certain landscaping services will not be provided to fenced yards. A NO vote means that policy continues.

Although the Developer Board and Town Management provided landscape services to fenced yards, it was done in violation of New Town’s governing documents. When searching for a new management company, all the candidates expected New Town Residential to be following its documents. A quality professional managing agent is going to “follow the documents” and advise the Board accordingly.

Papers and emails are being circulated throughout the community claiming the revised documents do not guarantee landscaping. The revised HOA documents DO provide for landscaping services; but they do not spell out the specific details of those services. Each year’s services will be identified as part of the budget process. You will know what to expect. (Please recall that our existing documents only speak to mowing/edging of grass and pruning of shrubs and bushes, so no additional landscape services are guaranteed today either.)

The term “landscape services” was used to provide flexibility for adjusting the services based on needs, cost and contractor availability. A detailed list in the governing documents becomes a “must provide” requirement regardless of cost. We need to think about the future – what if we install more warm weather grasses or change the configuration of our Common Area green spaces? Lessons from the current landscape negotiations are that available services vary between contractors, and options like servicing fenced yards usually come with conditions. The Board has to balance what some residents want against whether the preferred contractors will do the services, whether any conditions are acceptable, and the costs are affordable for our membership. This revision gives any future Board the flexibility to control costs and HOA assessments. Our proposal is not a power grab or something nefarious. We are protecting homeowner interests and your pocketbooks.

Another claim recently circulated in an anonymous letter alleges the NTRA Board removed the BMP (retention ponds) reference from the amended Village Walk Supplemental Declaration in order to make all of NTRA responsible for the BMPs. This is simply not true! The reference was removed from the new documents because no one has found or provided documentation of NTRA/Village Walk’s legal responsibility for those BMPs.

The Board has recently sent a letter to all NTRA owners about this situation. To summarize, there are no documents recorded with James City County that require the Association to pay future maintenance costs for the stormwater retention ponds near Village Walk. These maintenance costs have not been shown to be a New Town Residential responsibility but are the responsibility of the developers/owners of this land. Scary cost figures for repairs to the walls of these ponds have been floated anonymously as well. Again, repairs are fully the responsibility of the owners and their James City County bonds will not be released until this work is done satisfactorily.

This is another example of how the errors and confusing language in our existing developer-created governing documents could serve the developer’s interests and have increased the Association’s legal costs. As the Association’s Treasurer I can advise you that the barrage of unsolicited emails and letters to owners affect your homeowner dues because of the unanticipated legal costs to review and reply to these owners.

Please – let’s stop the confusion and unnecessary expense – VOTE FOR the amended documents.

It's Volunteer Recruitment Season For 2023!

By Mary Cheston

This month, in addition to the announcement for Board election applications, it’s time to highlight the growing need for VOLUNTEERS to support our various committees. Committee members rotate off in December of the second year of their appointment. That means that several Committees are facing rebuilding efforts to maintain their operations in January 2023.

Here’s a snapshot of where your talents and time are most needed!

FINANCE COMMITTEE – There are 4 members rotating off at the end of this year. The work of the Finance Committee is critical to the NTRA budget and annual assessment process. Do you like working with figures? Here’s an overview of their work from November 2019 Crier.

COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE – HELP!!! Our website and newsletter are dependent on volunteers. In January, there will be at least 4 openings on this Committee. Here’s info on the work of the Communications Committee. Without a volunteer website administrator, the Association will be forced to hire someone – more $$ for your dues.

LANDSCAPE ADVISORY COMMITTEE (LAC) – This Committee oversees the condition of our property and makes recommendations for improving our Common Areas. In 2022 the LAC branched out with some gateway gardening projects. Compiling a five-year plan outlining the Association’s needs is one of their major projects.

POOL COMMITTEE – Like Communications, the Pool Committee has operated with multiple vacancies all year. Still, they accomplished great things like the launch of our new entry system. This is largely a seasonal commitment.

Here’s a past story on why other owners were motivated to step up and volunteer. Does that sound like it could be you?

There are eight NTRA Committees – (the others are Activities, Architectural Review, Asset Maintenance, and Emergency Preparedness - see related article in this Crier issue). Surely one of these teams would appreciate your involvement, even on an intermittent basis.

If you are curious but not sure, now is the time to visit a committee meeting and see whether you are a good fit for their work. All Committee meetings are published on the NTRA website calendar.

Interested or want more information? Send a quick email to ntrawebsitecommittee@gmail.com to be put in touch with the Committee chair.

In Case of Emergency...

By Kate Licastro

"It is the last thing on peoples' minds… until something happens," commented Tricia Byrne, the New Town Residential Association (NTRA) Emergency Preparedness Committee Chair, referring to an emergency or disaster. Byrne has always been interested in safety, leadership, and the welfare of those in her community. After retiring as an officer in the Marine Corps, she led and coordinated over 600 volunteers that staffed all the Smithsonian information desks in Washington D.C. Requiring strategic and careful communication and collaboration, her past experiences prepared her well for her current role in our residential association.

Byrne volunteered to helm the committee after the prior Chair, and also her husband, Jack Espinal, was elected to serve as the NTRA Vice President. She became interested in emergency response and preparedness after noticing an advertisement for the James City County (JCC) Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) She participated in the six-class training program and immediately felt more confident in her ability to respond to an emergency-- how to turn off the gas, effectively apply a tourniquet, and activate a fire extinguisher, among other skills. Perhaps most importantly, CERT training meets you where you are at. There is no commitment to serve as a community responder, and Byrne described several participants that didn't have the physical ability to practice every skill, but gained knowledge through observation. All are welcome.

The NTRA Emergency Preparedness Committee does not replicate CERT functions, but instead is designed to facilitate preparedness and spread information throughout New Town. The committee develops and maintains the New Town disaster preparedness plan and is activated to provide communication during an emergency or disaster. For example, the committee may post notices virtually or physically to help residents know where to find assistance, shelter, water, or first aid care. The primary goal of the committee is to ensure our community is prepared for a significant event, including how to find help in case of emergency. Committee members are not first responders; they help facilitate connections between their neighbors and those who can assist.

We need you! If you want to contribute to the continued safety of your community and neighbors, the Emergency Preparedness Committee is for you. There is room for at least three new members, with a relatively small time commitment. The committee meets just three times per year and members may be called upon to distribute information in case of emergency. If you want to get involved, but don't have a lot of hours to dedicate, this opportunity might be a perfect fit!

Speaking of emergency preparedness, follow these tips to keep yourself and your household safe in an emergency:

Read the Emails from the New Town Residential Association! These emails will be one of the first ways the committee sends emergency information.

Have three days of supplies on hand: recommended supplies include a gallon of water per person per day, non-perishable food or canned goods, manual can opener, required medications, battery operated radio, flashlights, extra batteries, a first aid kit, pet foods/medicines, and copies of important papers in a Ziploc bag.

If you know a storm is coming…ensure your automobiles are full of gas to be prepared in the event of an evacuation.

Quick Getaways - Fall Festivals

By, Jim Ducibella

It’s Fall in Virginia, time for an amazing array of festivals. Crab, apple, and pumpkin are the biggies, of course. But here are some others likely not as well-known but are within easy driving distance.

Suffolk Peanut Fest: It’s the 44th annual event, a four-day affair that features a parade, amusement rides and concerts. Here’s something you don’t see every day: A peanut butter sculpting contest. Times are 4-10 p.m. on October 6, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Oct. 7 and 8, and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Oct. 9. Festival grounds are at the Suffolk Executive Airport, 1410 Airport Road, Suffolk. Tickets start at $5. For more information, visit this website: suffolkpeanutfest.com or phone 757-539-6751.

Mac and Cheese Festival: No, seriously, there is such a thing. This version features more than 15 vendors serving more than 40 styles of every kid’s favorite meal (kids at heart, too). There’s a cheese fry bar, a giant beer garden, and an actual contest to see who does it better than the rest. Tickets start at $14.99. The event takes place from 2 to 8 p.m. on Oct. 8, on Norfolk’s Waterside Drive, 333 Waterside Drive in downtown. For more information, visit this website: tinyurl.com/macandcheesefest or phone 757-426-7433.

Oyster Fest: I’m not an oyster-eating guy, but I’m smart enough to realize I’m in the distinct minority. That makes the upcoming Oyster Crush Charity Fundraiser hosted by the Cape Henry Rotary Foundation a big deal. The menu includes oysters and barbecue, Orange Crush and beer. Dance the afternoon away to get rid of the extra calories. Tickets are $75; for people 21 and older. The event takes place Oct. 9 from 1 to 6 p.m. at Ballyhoos, 2865 Lynnhaven Drive, Virginia Beach. For more information, visit this website: oystercrush.com, or phone 757-412-4441.

Norfolk Fall Beer Fest: Noon to 5 p.m. on Oct. 8. at Cogans Pizza North, 4311 Colley Avenue. Tickets are $30. For more information, visit this website: cogansbeerfest.com or phone 757-627-6428.

Yorktown Market Days’ Fall Festival: The event takes place on Oct. 8, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the Riverwalk Landing, 331 Water St., Yorktown. For more information, visit this website: tinyurl.com/yorktownfallfest, or phone 757-890-5900.

Oktoberfest Celebration: The event takes place on Oct. 8 from noon to 9 p.m. at The Bier Garden, 438 High St., Portsmouth. It is an attempt at an authentic German beer hall, at least as authentic as you’re going to get in this neck of the woods. OK, yes, Busch Gardens, but that’s not the point here. Tickets start at $5. For more information, visit this website: tinyurl.com/biergardenfest, or phone 757-393-6022.

The Passion of One Enriches the Many: Amanda Wilbourne, Nautical Dog, and Schwartzy’s Cat Cove in New Town

By, Patti Vaticano

We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals. Immanuel Kant

Amanda Wilbourne received her first dog at the age of 18; and Roxy, a Welsh Corgi, soon became the love of her life. Roxy was the catalyst, and animals thereafter became a major focus in Amanda's life. In time, that focus became a drive, became a passion—a passion that has endured. At 20, she thought it would be fun to open a shop devoted to dog care and carried through with the idea by opening up a shop called Nautical Dog, riverside in Mattaponi. She eventually moved that shop to New Town, keeping the name, the focus, and the passion. That move was 14 years ago, and Nautical Dog, Main Street New Town, has, in every way, thrived--a testimony to Amanda's good will and dedication and to the community's love for its animals. New Town Main Street has seen many merchants and a number of big retail chains come and go over the years; but Nautical Dog, with unique pet items and healthy food choices, lovingly selected and well-priced, has remained. But more than remain, the store has gone through some amazing avatars that have endeared it even more to New Town, Williamsburg, and to the county-at-large.

Due to the great success of her venture, Amanda expanded her business in 2018, moving out of the store’s original space for larger quarters next door. Nautical Dog became Nautical Dog Pet Market and Dog Wash, adding an area equipped with indoor washing stations, where resident dog and cat lovers could come and wash their fur babies in a safe and loving environment. The washing stations were and are a big hit with locals; but in truth, the business success of Nautical Dog has become the lesser story, because Amanda’s vision was even greater. Her desire to "give back" to the community by helping those animals without loving owners--the disabled, the challenging, the overlooked—was very strong; and the Dog Wash became a means to satiate it. Now, every 3rd weekend of every month is "Clean for a Cause Weekend" at Nautical Dog, with $5 from every self-serve dog wash going to an animal charity. The store holds food drives throughout the year for different animal rescues as well, such as the pumpkin and gourd collection after Thanksgiving, last year, the drop-offs going to a local farm animal rescue—and now, on the 2nd Saturday of every month, Nautical Dog hosts on-site pet adoptions with The Heritage Humane Society.

But Amanda’s heart is large and her vision ever growing with regards to meeting the needs and securing the well-being of animals. A remarkable reality, given she is a very busy wife and mother of two young children--Aidan, 6 and Charlee, 3--as well as being an amazing entrepreneur. Oh, yes, and Amanda brings her work home with her. She is also mom to 11 animals, at present, 5 dogs and 6 cats, all of them rescues and one a hospice foster dog. She has a true heart for rescues, especially senior and hospice-care animals; so, it’s not surprising that her desire to help animals has not ended with the dog wash, site adoptions, or food drives. Welcome Schwartzy’s Cat Cove!

The most popular pet in America today is the dog, followed by the cat, followed by the domestic rabbit. Surprisingly, given the ease of its care and how unobtrusive a pet it can be in the life of its owner, the cat is the most abandoned animal in American shelters and rescues today. (The runner-up is the domestic rabbit.) When the space that housed the original Nautical Dog became available, Amanda envisioned that adjacent space becoming a haven to take in adoptable cats, to showcase them to patrons who, perhaps via a loving impulse, would take them home and love them forever. Named after Amanda’s first store cat, Schwartzy, Schwartzy’s Cat Cove, playing on the nautical theme, opened on July 16th of this year, marvelously recreating for patrons an undersea kingdom thanks to Amanda’s clever design and the construction talents of her husband, Kyle, owner of KMW Construction in Toano. To date, the Cove has found loving homes for 54 cats. In every way, the dream has been realized and New Town and Greater Williamsburg are all the better for it. The Cove kitties are provided by Heritage Humane and remain at the Cove until their new owners find them. “By taking in cats from Heritage Humane, Heritage is then able to take in animals from other shelters, elsewhere.” Quite simply, it's a lovely domino effect. Amanda’s great kindness just keeps on giving.

Cove kitties come and go every week, and there are usually anywhere between 8-15 cats at any given time at The Cove. They are silly and sweet, adorable—and waiting. Stop by to visit. It’s a magical place that has truly enriched New Town —and you never know, a new friend may be waiting there for you.

The Casey Family Farm-Turned New Town

By, New Town Commercial Association; Mason & Markwith Media

New Town is built on land which was mostly owned by the Casey family. The largest portion of it was covered in woods, but it was or had also been the home to a pecan grove, an apple orchard of more than 300 trees and farmland on which with such crops as corn, wheat, oats and soybeans were grown.

When Williamsburg and James City County had to find a location for a new courthouse, they settled on the Casey property provided that the courthouse would not be located in the woods or in the middle of a field, but in a new pedestrian friendly community with both residential and business spaces. What a perfect idea! From plenty of planning, including nationwide contests in search of a designer for New Town and an architect for the courthouse, New Town was born. Fun fact: even a firm from Rome entered!

Robert Casey, one of the three brothers who then owned the land, reflected on what the family hoped for New Town and what it is today. “When we were growing up in Williamsburg, most of the major businesses and professional offices for the area were concentrated on Duke of Gloucester or Prince George. But with the population growth, space in downtown became too limited. Businesses and professional offices scattered. We hoped that New Town would not only be large enough to conveniently provide most of the amenities for those who live there, but would be large enough to serve the greater community. I believe that we have come close to fulfilling that dream. Most of those who live in New Town are able walk in less than 20 minutes to shop, eat out, go to the theater, etc. And if they are unable to walk, they can easily find parking. And people from all over the area come to New Town to enjoy those same benefits and experiences.”

From growing up in Williamsburg, attending Matthew Whaley School, Asbury College, Emory University, being an active United Methodist minister for more than 43 years, married for 65 years with two children and six grandchildren, Casey now enjoys the retired life which includes frequent visits to the restaurants, bookstore, theater and other places in New Town. What a treat to celebrate what New Town has accomplished with the Casey family land!

News from the New Town Commercial Association

UPDATE: General Election Voting Information for New Town

SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION FOR THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS ELECTION

By, NTRA Board of Directors

Applications are now being accepted for the 2023-24 Board of Directors of the New Town Residential Association (NTRA). There are two vacant seats.

Strong leadership is critical to the success of our homeowner association. Please submit an application by sending a one-page Word or PDF document to ntrasecretary@gmail.com by November 4, 2022 (5:00PM).

Your one-page application should have the following information:

Name

Address

Email address

Name of neighborhood

A brief bio showing your qualifications for being a Board Director

A short statement of why you want to serve on the Board of Directors

Candidate information will be posted on the NTRA website through the election period.

Candidates will be asked to attend a candidate forum with the community.

The election will be held electronically beginning after Thanksgiving weekend, November 28 – December 13, 2022.

_____________________

NOTE:

All nominees must be NTRA owners in good standing.

Term of service is 2 years.

No more than 2 Directors may be elected from any single neighborhood. (Incumbent members of the Board for 2023 are from Abbey Commons, Chelsea Green and Village Walk.)

What is involved in serving on the NTRA Board?

Our Board of Directors is comprised of homeowners who have volunteered to stand for election to leadership in our community. Board officers and members serve the community by making and enforcing the association’s rules and policies, collecting dues and ensuring its facilities and common areas are well managed, maintained and attractive. The Board holds regular meetings (currently monthly).

UPCOMING New Town Fall Festival & Community Potluck Review

By, NTRA Activities Committee

SAVE THE DATE: Fall Festival - Saturday, Oct. 15, 2 - 4 pm (Village Walk)

The New Town Activities Committee is sponsoring an old-fashioned fun-filled fall event for New Town at the Village Walk neighborhood on the corner of Casey and Settlers Market Boulevard. Everyone, adults and children, are invited. Among the activities will be cake walks, pumpkin painting, and games including corn hole, shark toss game, races, pie face showdown, and more. Guests will also enjoy cider and other goodies. Come to participate or just share the good time and music.

Join us for this exciting, inaugural event as we celebrate the kick-off of the Fall season on Saturday, October 15 (rain date Sunday, October 16) from 2:00 to 4:00.

We are also seeking volunteers to help run the event. If interested in helping, please contact Liz Fones-Wolf at efwolf@wvu.edu.

Community-wide Potluck – Friday, Sept. 16 in Lydias Park (Abbey Commons)

The NTRA Activities Committee sponsored this picnic, during which we enjoyed beautiful weather, fun music, yummy hotdogs and a wide variety of delicious sides and desserts. Best of all was meeting new neighbors, and catching up with friends that we haven’t seen in a while. Two $25 gift certificates, donated by New Town’s Commercial Association, were awarded to the lucky winners of the drawing.

Front Porch Chat

By Patti Vaticano

I thought I would devote the Front Porch Chat introduction, this month, to something crucial to all of us here in New Town: Owner voting to approve our New Town Residential Association revised Governing Documents. I am hoping highlighting the campaign may motivate those who are yet uninterested—and caution those who may think otherwise—that this is a hugely important step in New Town homeowners taking full-ownership of their community and homes.

We have this one moment in time to (1) rectify the outdated and misleading language of our developer, (2) level the playing field to make home assessment fair and equitable, (3) consolidate the documents for easier access and administration, (4) clarify the applicability of our documents to all lots by correcting errors and omissions affecting our neighbors and the services they are entitled to, and (5) limit the Commonwealth of Virginia from directing how we operate our community in the absence of our own requirements. On or preferably before October 18th, please take advantage of this opportunity to VOTE FOR the revision of our Governing Documents. Carpe Diem. Seize the day! It will not come again in quite so advantageous or palatable a way.

Some spooky entries with the last day of the month in mind

Curious Happening: In Edgar Allen Poe's 1838 novel, The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket, a four-man crew is shipwrecked and lost at sea without food or water. Ultimately, the team decides that they must turn to cannibalism to survive, and they draw straws to decide who will be sacrificed so that the rest may live. The character chosen (and subsequently eaten) was the cabin boy, Richard Parker.

In 1884, a real ship was shipwrecked, the Mignonette, an English ship bound for Australia, and one of the mates—the cabin boy, also named Richard Parker—became ill after drinking sea water. The rest of the crew decided out of desperation to kill and eat Parker, before he became too tainted by disease. The remaining men were saved, but charged with murder upon their return to shore.

Poems: A Vagabond Song by Bliss Carman

There is something in October sets the gypsy blood astir;
We must rise and follow her,
When from every hill of flame
She calls and calls each vagabond by name.

Historical Fact: Some scholars believe the werewolf made its debut in The Epic of Gilgamesh, the oldest known Western prose, when Gilgamesh jilted a potential lover because she had turned her previous mate into a wolf.

Halloween Riddle: The person who built it sold it. The person who bought it never used it. The person who used it never saw it. What is it? (Answer below; don’t peek.)

Spooky Quote: Shadows mutter, mist replies; darkness purrs as midnight sighs. -Rusty Fischer

Holiday Hack: Tired of carving the classic jack-o’-lantern? This year, carve a pumpkin with Halloween-themed cookie cutters, instead. Empty the pumpkin in the traditional way, then use cookie cutters—cats, ghosts, witch’s hats—to carve out the spooky silhouettes you enjoy best. Tap them in and pull out their centers. Viola! A carved pumpkin ready for your front porch!

PC Hacks: Use Halloween Ambiance tapes on YouTube to make your house even more spooky, this year. Find one and run it on your TV or laptop for hours of spooky images in your home. Try this one out!

Recipes:

Bat Cupcakes!

Ingredients:

Chocolate Cupcakes

Vanilla Buttercream

Gel food coloring, to color frosting

Chocolate peanut butter cup minis (such as Reese’s)

Chocolate Sandwich Cookie Thins (such as Oreos)

Royal Icing

Candy eyeballs

Toothpicks

Directions:

Bake cupcakes as directed and let cool. Prepare buttercream and tint to desired colors.

Gently skewer chocolate peanut butter cups with toothpicks, one on either side of the cup and one to affix it to the cupcake. Twist chocolate sandwich cookie thins in half; scrape off and discard the cream. Cut each cookie in half, then use royal icing to attach the cookie “wings” to the toothpicks and the candy eyeballs to the chocolate peanut butter cup “bat bodies.”

Recipe and photo: 60 Scary Delicious Halloween Desserts to Serve at Your Extra Spooky Party--Good Housekeeping, Halloween, 2022

Pet Care: Pre-Halloween and during trick-or-treating, keep candy safely stashed in a high cabinet secured with a lock or child-safety latch. Many foods, such as chocolate, gum and xylitol (a sweetener used in many foods) are hazardous to pets. Monitor your children! They may make the harmful mistake of sharing their loot. Make sure they know the difference between a treat for them and a treat for their four-legged friends.

Riddle Answer: A coffin.

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Quick getaways -- The Nature Bus

Posted on September 1, 2022 5:58 AM by Jim Ducibella

Categories: General

The operators of The Nature Bus don’t mince words when it comes to their mission. They aim to be “a vehicle for transformative, shared nature experiences... To nurture peoples' affinity for the natural world.”

They do it in a couple of different ways. They offer private tours of a variety of nature options for groups of 10 to 16 people. Tours can last a half-day, full day, or two days.

They also offer Saturday tours that are open to anyone – singles welcome -- at what seems like a reasonable price. For example, a local artist will teach you how to paint nature ($30 per person), or you can go on an intimate tour of Virginia Beach, led by a historian (also $30 per person).

There’s yoga on the beach, a naturalist guided tour through a forest, bird watching, even a trip to Back Bay Wildlife Refuge where you can peer at the stars in the sky through a telescope, led by a local astronomer ($25 per person).

Most Saturdays, the tours leave from the REI Co-op shop, 350 independence Boulevard in Virginia Beach.

“The purpose of the bus is to connect people of all ages with all of the possible nature settings and nature experiences one can imagine,” The Nature Bus owner, Suzanne Moss, told The Virginian-Pilot.

According to their website, when Moss’s daughter Mariah) was 5 years old they started a little “nature club” together. A few years ago, they expanded the club, partnering with the Master Naturalist program, to create what is now known as the Virginia Junior Master Naturalist Program.

With many years of experience, Suzanne wanted to offer nature experiences to the public at large, all ages, not just children. So, she purchased a bus, allowing her to organize nature experiences that include both local (Southside Hampton Roads) and distance destinations across all of Virginia.

As she writes, “there are countless reports and research studies online that disseminate all of the health benefits of connecting to nature.”

For a full report on what The Nature Bus is, and a complete guide to what it offers, visit the website https://thenaturebus.com/, and follow the appropriate links. You can also reach Moss by email or phone: info@thenaturebus.com and 757-288-9595 (text only).

Images courtesy of The Nature Bus and Dafna Sonnenthal

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Front Porch Chat: The End of Summer

Posted on September 1, 2022 5:50 AM by Patti Vaticano

Categories: General, Life in New Town

The end of summer is always poignant and sad. The beach trips and backyard camp-outs end; corn-on-the-cob and s’mores ingredients in local markets become scarce; water shooters, pool noodles, and slip’n sides get consigned to the garage—and the dreaded (for your child, at least) notebook and backpack displays pop-up in every store in the area. But the end of summer also begins the cooler days of fall and our hopes for the holiday season to come. One of my most beloved books is Something Wicked This Way Comes by the author, Ray Bradbury. I hope quoting the opening here, which beautifully anticipates the charms of arguably autumn’s seminal festival, will ease the going of summer in our hearts:

First of all, it was October, a rare month for boys. Not that all months aren’t rare. But there be bad and good, as the pirates say. Take September, a bad month: school begins. Consider August, a good month: school hasn’t begun yet. July, well, July’s really fine: there’s no chance in the world for school. June, no doubting it, June’s best of all, for the school doors spring wide and September’s a billion years away.

But you take October, now. School’s been on a month and you’re riding easier in the reins, jogging along. You got time to think of the garbage you’ll dump on old man Prickett’s porch, or the hairy-ape costume you’ll wear to the YMCA the last night of the month. And if it’s around October twentieth and everything smoky-smelling and the sky orange and ash gray at twilight, it seems Halloween will never come in a fall of broomsticks and a soft flap of bedsheets around corners.

Favorite Books and Recipes Round-up! Front Porch Chat is still 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! No takers on our BBQ Recipe request, so here’s a little ditty from resident, Angela Lesnett, along those lines:

2 Hot 2 ‘Q

If temps are way too high today

Try “Pierce’s.” It’s the best, I’d say.

Honorable Mentions: Old City Barbeque and Matchsticks BBQ Co.!

To brighten your day:

Jokes: What do you call a boomerang that doesn't come back? A stick.

Funny Quote: People say money is not the key to happiness, but I have always figured if you have enough money, you can have a key made. —Joan Rivers

Poems:

To keep your marriage brimming
With love in the loving cup,
Whenever you’re wrong, admit it;
Whenever you’re right, shut up.

—Ogden Nash

Historical Fact: There were female Gladiators in Ancient Rome! A female gladiator was called a Gladiatrix, or Gladiatrices. They were extremely rare, unlike their male counterparts.

Curious Happening: Aeschylus, Greek “Father of Tragedy,” lost his life when a hungry eagle dropped a tortoise on his head so the shell would break and the eagle could eat the meat. Apparently, the eagle mistook his bald head for a rock.

Household Hacks: Hot water and an Alka-Seltzer tablet for 15 minutes will clean away stubborn messes in your frying pan or skillet.

PC Hacks: Alt-Tab will display all your open windows at once. Tab to the window you want—and simply lift your finger off to get to your destination.

Recipes:

Sesame Date Rolls—thank you, resident Miranda Saumier!

8 ounces chopped dried dates-- hot water as needed

¼ cup toasted sesame seeds, divided

¼ quarter cup chopped walnuts

½ cup whole raw almonds

½ cup unsweetened, shredded coconut

1 tablespoon coconut oil

¾ teaspoon ground cardamon

¼ teaspoon of cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 pinch of salt

Place dates in a small bowl and completely cover with hot water. Allow to soak until softened, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain, but reserve soaking liquid.
Combine soaked dates, 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds, walnuts, almonds, coconut, coconut oil, cardamom, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt in the bowl of a large food processor. Pulse several times until mixture comes together to form a soft "dough," scraping down the sides as necessary. If mixture is too dry, add in some of the reserved soaking liquid, 1 tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency is reached.
Turn out dough onto a piece of parchment paper. Roll into a 10-inch long by 1 1/2-inch wide log using lightly greased hands. Sprinkle remaining toasted sesame seeds evenly over the log on all sides, pressing them in gently. Wrap the log in parchment paper, and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 to 2 hours.
Remove log from fridge, and cut into about sixteen 1/2-inch thick rounds. Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Pet Care: If your dog or puppy is a super-fast eater, place a tennis ball in the bowl with the food. It will slow pup down, as it will cause he or she to work around the inedible obstacle to eat what is.

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September 2022 Town Crier Articles - TEXT ONLY

Posted on September 1, 2022 5:49 AM by Town Crier Staff

Categories: General, Life in New Town, NTRA Business

BOARD BUZZ - September 2022, by John Ryan – Director

As your newest Board Member, I want to thank the many community members who have reached out to me to express their appreciation that the vacant Board Member position has now been filled. (In fact, I even had one gentleman offer to take me out to lunch at his expense so he could personally bring me up to speed on the problems in the community.) Having served on two prior Boards for Associations in the past (New York City and Vienna, VA), I can certainly appreciate the amount of time and effort it takes to help out in the community … and with many of us having full-time jobs and families, it is not always an easy task to undertake. But I stepped up to help in whatever capacity I can, and I encourage all of you to find ways to volunteer and do your part.

As you know, the Board has been working for the last year on the new governing documents. The Board is required by Virginia law to follow the Association’s current documents (regardless of whether the Developer Board followed them). These documents are old, overly complex and contain errors and omissions. It’s past time for their overhaul.

We recognize that the new governing documents may not meet with 100% approval from all members – but we believe the new governing documents are a big step in the right direction and will benefit the community. If these revised documents are not approved by 2/3 of the community, the current Developer documents remain in force – and keeping the current documents in force will continue to balloon our legal expenses, complicate our assessment calculations, and limit lawn service to fenced yards.

On Wednesday evening August 17, the Board had a Zoom Informational Meeting for NTRA owners. Several valid questions were asked and answered regarding the new governing documents – and others were submitted via email and responded to. The slides from this meeting are available on the NTRA website along with a summary of the Board’s response to specific statements that had been widely circulated to owners. The Board posted this document to correct misleading and incorrect information. Read our explanations and form your own opinion.

One question in particular that seemed to create a lot of confusion at the Informational Meeting was the threshold for calling a Special Meeting of Members. Although our legal counsel recommended a change to 20% to conform with the majority of other associations in the area and for a number of valid reasons, e.g., expense, time, etc., the Board decided to revise this proposal and keep the Special Meeting threshold at 10%.

We are happy to report that the Association will not need your mortgage holder information after all. We learned of this after the Zoom meeting. So your mailed packet for the upcoming vote will only contain the Special Meeting Notice and absentee/paper ballot.

The proposed documents are being finalized and EzVote links will be sent soon. Vote yes for progress and affirm that we are one community in New Town.

More positive steps… We have now received our spring financial reports from Chesapeake Bay Management – you will recall this was a problem noted by our Treasurer, Everett Lunsford last month. The May and June reports are posted on the website, and the Board is reviewing the July data. This leaves only the reconciliation and audit corrections to our 2021 year-end records.

As to the financials, please keep in mind that all expenses and invoices are increasing with inflation, labor, and supply issues. For example, a recent bill for the proposed winterization of our pool has increased by 15% in one year! Which reminds me that during August we had an After Hours Social at the pool where I donated $120 to cover the NTRA cost of one lifeguard!

I see this Board working really hard to keep people happy…I look forward to meeting other New Town owners and appreciate your support as I work with my fellow homeowner Board Members to improve the community.

Quick getaways -- The Nature Bus

By, Jim Ducibella

They do it in a couple of different ways. They offer private tours of a variety of nature options for groups of 10 to 16 people. Tours can last a half-day, full day, or two days.

Most Saturdays, the tours leave from the REI Co-op shop, 350 independence Boulevard in Virginia Beach.

As she writes, “there are countless reports and research studies online that disseminate all of the health benefits of connecting to nature.”

Applause for Pool Season 2022!

By, NTRA Pool Committee

Whether hearing from a pool new-comer or a season regular, the feedback about pool season 2022 has been very positive! Several key improvements have added to the overall enjoyment for New Town residents. Top on the list is the great team of lifeguards we’ve had this year! Roswitha, one of the daily pool users, describes this year’s lifeguards as friendly, kind and patient while still being punctual with the break times and effectively explaining pool rules to swimmers and parents.

One of the favorite lifeguards, Fatih “Mike”(pictured under the umbrella) is originally from Turkey, but is currently attending university in Italy, majoring in Special Education with an emphasis in Autism. Fatih actually rotates among 7 pools in the area but says that the New Town pool is his favorite because of the friendly and supportive pool patrons here. Another favorite lifeguard, Tahje (pictured with the big smile) came to us from Jamaica. He is studying Physical Therapy at the University of West Indies. In these last few days while being at the pool, take a minute to thank these young men for the fine job they have done for us. Notice the lifeguard chair, newly provided this season, giving a very professional impression!

This year’s major improvement of the key card system provides greater security than ever before. Another, very appreciated improvement has been the addition of the cleaning service for the bathrooms and pool deck, provided by Archie Jefferson’s Perfection Cleaning. The umbrellas and other pool furniture were in good condition for the summer, but more loungers are already ordered for next year!

A wonderful diversity of family configurations, ages and generations can be found enjoying the pool. Gayle (pictured) expressed how much she appreciates that she and her husband - great grandma and great grandpa - have a clean, safe place to bring their great grandson, always creating a fun time!! Fifteen-year-old, Jack (pictured) takes advantage of an opportunity to help his neighbor, Mary get to the pool so she can do her laps. She says she’s not sure that it’s effective physical rehab as much as it is just great, relaxing time in the water and the sun!

Parents have found the pool and gazebo to be the perfect birthday party venue, while young working individuals and students find the late pool closing hours of 7:30 or 8:30 to create a great gathering spot. Pool time, at any time, brings neighbors together and is the best place to make a friend connection and learn about the New Town community.

There are always questions and suggestions, most of which are addressed by the FAQ page on the NTRA website. Feedback is welcomed. A lot of effort, dedication and time goes into the three months of safe and fun pool days for the residents of New Town. Applause for the Pool Committee, the lifeguards, Continental Pool Management Company, Perfection Cleaning and the Association manager, Chesapeake Bay Management Company for a terrific pool season!

Fun and Fellowship at the Pool Social

By, NTRA Activities Committee

The New Town Residential Association Activities Committee hosted a social at the community pool on the evening of Tuesday, August 16th which drew a variety of residents. We played "Get To Know Your Neighbor" which enabled children, students, professionals and retirees to strike up conversations with one another about their pets, neighborhood, favorite team, place of origin, etc…

We ate a variety of delicious hors d’oeuvres and desserts, enjoyed sunny weather with low humidity, all this with great music playing in the background (provided by Rick Byrnes.) Gift certificates from Harris Teeter were awarded to winners Ellen Morgan and Mary Mitchell. We've enjoyed our socials this year and look forward to future opportunities to come together socially. If you have ideas for additional neighborhood activities, let us know in the comments!

Homeowner Inspections Completed and Grades Are In

By, Jim Ducibella

The results of the 2022 home inspection by the Asset Maintenance Committee of the New Town Residential Association are in. As is the case with any statistic, whether the results are positive or negative are in the eye of the beholder.

In all, 535 homes were inspected by the team, none of whom lived in the subdivision they evaluated. The total number of homes with no deficiencies, large or small, was 247.

That’s 46.2 percent.

Encouraging, or disturbing?

“I think that percentage is good, considering the pandemic,” Asset Maintenance member Ed Lacy said. “I say that because before the pandemic, there was a lack of consistent evaluations. People got used to not maintaining their property as they would or should.

“Also, with the pandemic, there were things that people would have done but they couldn’t get contractors. There were no inspections. That also includes assets that NTRA manages. You’ve got to ‘Walk the Walk.’ I mean literally walking through New Town, the pool, walking trail, the fences we are responsible for, and evaluate their condition. It’s also about holding ourselves accountable. We must take care of our business.”

Charlotte Park, with 93, had the most homes cited. Then again, Charlotte Park is New Town’s largest, with 198 homes.

The rest of the statistics: Abbey Commons (104 homes, 43 with no deficiencies), Chelsea Green (69 homes, 12 with no deficiencies), Savannah Square (42 homes, 13 with no deficiencies), Shirley Park (23 homes, 8 with no deficiencies), and Village Walk (99 homes, 66 with no deficiencies).

Lacy’s experience – and he points out that he and fellow team members Charlie Olander, Bob Jeremiah, and David Magnant all have lived in New Town for only about two years – found the following deficiencies most obvious. Start with pressure washing, and mailbox and mailbox post maintenance. Then there’s paint needed for widow trims, door frames, soffits (mostly observed with peeling or very faded paint), and missing vent covers.

Other deficiencies include unapproved door colors, unapproved signage, and misplaced trash cans).

“Most residents were very receptive,” Lacy said, “although some were a little wary. Overall, I felt very positive.”

Magnant, who observed Village Walk, cites BBQ grills on unstable footing, plantings -- which suffered after sale of a home to someone not as skilled in plant care – and pressure washing and paint.

Magnant observed that the size of trash containers might present an issue for owners. Recycling cans come in two sizes, 65 and 95 gallons, and he suggests it might do well for VW residents to request the smaller ones, should they be available from Bay Disposal.

“Overall, I thought the area represented well,” he said.

Lacy observed that some guidelines were established to achieve consistency amongst different committee members, and across neighborhoods. And, as always, the committee welcomes volunteers.

Board Briefs Owners on Proposed New NTRA Governing Documents

By, Sarah Carey

The August 17, 2022 Zoom meeting began with the Board introducing themselves. The purpose of the meeting was to promote an understanding and explanation of why changes need to be made to all of the Association’s governing documents.

The current documents were written between 2004-2007 for Abbey Commons, the first residential development in New Town. The documents were drafted from the Developer’s perspective, include significant errors, and outdated Virginia statutes. The Developer had 15 years to correct the governing documents, but failed to make changes. The current governing documents are complex, outdated, not legally compliant and must be revised by our newly owner-controlled board.

The Board of Directors has made it a priority to give the community time to review and understand the proposed revisions. Electronic (through EZ vote) and absentee voting will begin in September, and there is a Special Meeting for the Member vote on October 18, 2022 at Legacy Hall.

Following the presentation by the Board President, Vice-President and Treasurer, about 15 participants asked questions. These questions and answers dealt mainly with landscaping issues. The current documents prohibit mowing and pruning within fenced yards and this will not change if our documents are not amended. Landscape services will be available to all lots if the new documents are approved. (The new documents allow but do not require the Board of Directors to charge an additional fee if they determine any landscape service is more costly than to other similar yards.) Under the new documents, residents cannot opt-in or opt-out of specific landscaping such as pruning, but rather must opt-out of all services. The current system of informal full or partial opt-outs has not worked and is problematic for the landscape crews.

There was a question about reserved parking which the Board of Directors has agreed to research. Another question discussed was the change in the threshold for number of Members required for owners to call Special Meetings. The Board of Directors agreed to discuss the matter with legal counsel and include the final decision in a future Q&A. (NOTE: At the Board’s monthly meeting on August 18th, the Board did vote to keep the current 10 percent threshold for Member called Special Meetings.)

The Board concluded by reminding owners that these changes are for the whole community, better represent the needs of our community, and will be easier to amend if needed in the future than our current documents. Please consider the whole picture and vote to approve.

Why Should I Vote to Approve New Town’s Revised Governing Documents?

By, Jack Espinal

Homeowners in the New Town Residential Association (NTRA) are facing the most important decision that they have had to make since the day they decided to purchase a home in New Town. Over the last 18 years we have been governed by documents written for and favoring the New Town developers. There is absolutely no reason why we should continue to use those documents which consist of 27 separate, developer oriented, confusing, and contradicting governing documents that are contained in 4 ½ inch stack of paper. We are now self-governing and it is time to make a change.

New documents for the NTRA have been prepared, vetted by legal experts, briefed to our membership, and then edited based upon suggestions from our community. The revised documents are organized, well written, and much easier to read. When printed, they easily fit in a ½ inch binder.

Adoption will require a two-thirds vote of our Association’s membership-411 votes. This is a very high hurdle, but the high quality of these new documents makes this possible. Please read the revised documents, and when you do, I am sure that you will support them because of the following factors:

The revised documents correct the developer’s significant errors and omissions in our existing documents.
Owners’ responsibilities and the Association’s Board of Directors authority is clearly outlined in the revised documents.
The documents are simpler and easier to read. They will reduce confusion for owners, our management company, and your Board of Directors.
Future changes will be easier because amendments to the three primary documents will require only a majority vote of the Association membership.
The revised documents better prepare New Town for the future. They provide the Association with the flexibility to deal effectively with contract costs, expansion, and other future challenges.
Annual HOA assessments under the revised documents will be derived from the cost to operate the Association and the cost for services provided to individual lots. This makes it easier for members to see and understand how association funds are being collected and spent.
The new documents will allow the Association to provide landscaping services to all lots in our community including all fenced yards.
The new documents have removed any reference to the Association assuming potential maintenance obligations related to Settlers Market LLC property, e.g. the BMPs around Village Walk.
All applicable Virginia Statutes and local ordinance requirements are updated and addressed in the revised documents.

As you consider your voting decision, please don’t be misled by statements that are being circulated throughout our community. Accurate information and explanations can be found on the NTRA website, or reach out to a Board member if you have questions.

What are the consequences of voting “no” or not voting in this election?

Voting ‘No” or not voting (which is essentially “no’) will have several important future consequences. Those consequences include:

Village Walk and the NTRA may continue to be at risk to fund maintenance costs for property not owned or managed by your Association.
The NTRA will not provide mowing and pruning services to fenced areas.
Legal costs will continue to rise as the Association responds to challenges caused by poorly written, obsolete text.
The NTRA will not have the flexibility to efficiently solve future problems in our community.
Administrative burdens to the management company and the Board of Directors will remain significantly higher than they need to be.

The revised documents are well written, easier to understand, and are far, far better than our current documents. They are shorter, simpler, and more compliant.

We are not Developer-centric and we owe it to ourselves to move forward with documents that reflect 1) that homeowners are fully in control of our Association, and 2) how we actually live and operate as ONE COMMUNITY. This is our chance to get things right by adopting the NTRA’s Articles of Restatement, Amended Bylaws, Second Amended Master Declaration, and two new Supplemental Declarations.

Vote to approve - vote for yourself, vote for each other, and vote for your community.

New Town Talk: September Happenings

By, New Town Commercial Association (NTCA)

New Town Tunes is RETURNING with a Fall Concert Series in September!

James City County Parks & Recreation, in partnership with CultureFix and New Town, will present Three Tribute Bands Over Three Nights! The free, evening outdoor concert series will be held in Sullivan Square, behind Legacy Hall in New Town. Concerts run 5:30 – 8 p.m.; gates open at 5 p.m. Bring your lawn chair or blanket and enjoy the outdoors while you take in the tunes from some of our top area bands. Food and beverages available for purchase.

Save The Dates!

Sept. 14 - DeLoreans - The Ultimate 80’s Tribute
Sept. 21 - Brasswind - The Classic Horn Band Tribute

Sept. 28 - Every Little Thing - The Ultimate Police Tribute

https://newtownwilliamsburg.com/events-news/

NEW Business in New Town

Iron-Bound Gym to Expand: ‘Iron-Barre & Yoga’ Expected to Open in September right across the street!!

Planet Fitness opening this Fall in place of American Family Fitness

Great Atlantic Hot Tubs, Swim Spas & Saunas and Cox Communications coming soon to New Town Shops on Main

Front Porch Chat: The End of Summer

By, Patti Vaticano

The end of summer is always poignant and sad. The beach trips and backyard camp-outs end; corn-on-the-cob and s’mores ingredients in local markets become scarce; water shooters, pool noodles, and slip’n sides get consigned to the garage—and the dreaded (for your child, at least) notebook and backpack displays pop-up in every store in the area. But the end of summer also begins the cooler days of fall and our hopes for the holiday season to come. One of my most beloved books is Something Wicked This Way Comes by the author, Ray Bradbury. I hope quoting the opening here, which beautifully anticipates the charms of arguably autumn’s seminal festival, will ease the going of summer in our hearts:

Favorite Books and Recipes Round-up! Front Porch Chat is still 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!

No takers on our BBQ Recipe request, so here’s a little ditty from resident, Angela Lesnett, along those lines:

2 Hot 2 ‘Q

If temps are way too high today

Try “Pierce’s.” It’s the best, I’d say.

Honorable Mentions: Old City Barbeque and Matchsticks BBQ Co.!

To brighten your day:

Jokes: What do you call a boomerang that doesn't come back? A stick.

Funny Quote: People say money is not the key to happiness, but I have always figured if you have enough money, you can have a key made.

—Joan Rivers

Poems:

To keep your marriage brimming
With love in the loving cup,
Whenever you’re wrong, admit it;
Whenever you’re right, shut up.

—Ogden Nash

Historical Fact: There were female Gladiators in Ancient Rome! A female gladiator was called a Gladiatrix, or Gladiatrices. They were extremely rare, unlike their male counterparts.

Household Hacks: Hot water and an Alka-Seltzer tablet for 15 minutes will clean away stubborn messes in your frying pan or skillet.

PC Hacks: Alt-Tab will display all your open windows at once. Tab to the window you want—and simply lift your finger off to get to your destination.

Recipes:

Sesame Date Rolls—thank you, resident Miranda Saumier!

8 ounces chopped dried dates--hot water as needed

¼ cup toasted sesame seeds, divided

¼ quarter cup chopped walnuts

½ cup whole raw almonds

½ cup unsweetened, shredded coconut

1 tablespoon coconut oil

¾ teaspoon ground cardamon

¼ teaspoon of cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 pinch of salt

Place dates in a small bowl and completely cover with hot water. Allow to soak until softened, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain, but reserve soaking liquid.
Combine soaked dates, 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds, walnuts, almonds, coconut, coconut oil, cardamom, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt in the bowl of a large food processor. Pulse several times until mixture comes together to form a soft "dough," scraping down the sides as necessary. If mixture is too dry, add in some of the reserved soaking liquid, 1 tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency is reached.
Turn out dough onto a piece of parchment paper. Roll into a 10-inch long by 1 1/2-inch wide log using lightly greased hands. Sprinkle remaining toasted sesame seeds evenly over the log on all sides, pressing them in gently. Wrap the log in parchment paper, and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 to 2 hours.
Remove log from fridge, and cut into about sixteen 1/2-inch thick rounds. Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

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NEW TOWN RESIDENTIAL ASSOCIATION, INC.

SPECIAL MEETING OF THE ASSOCIATION

The New Town Residential Association shall hold a Special Meeting of the Members which shall be held in-person for the purpose of voting on amending the New Town Residential Association Governing Documents.

Date: October 18, 2022

Time: 7:00 p.m. (Registration for the meeting starts at 6:30 p.m.)

Location: Legacy Hall, 4301 New Town Avenue, Williamsburg, Virginia 23188

The purpose of the Special Meeting is to vote on the Second Amended and Restated Master Declaration of Protective Covenants, the Amended and Restated Bylaws, the Articles of Restatement, the Consolidated Supplemental Declaration, and the Amended and Restated Village Walk Supplemental Declaration.

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Hamming It Up

Posted on August 1, 2022 6:00 AM by Jim Ducibella

Categories: General, Life in New Town

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.

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August 2022 Town Crier Articles - TEXT ONLY

Posted on August 1, 2022 5:56 AM by Town Crier Staff

Categories: General, Life in New Town, NTRA Business

BOARD BUZZ-- August 2022

Everett Lunsford, Treasurer

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.

Mid-Year Financial Review

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:

Avoiding confusion or misinterpretation. Last year Town Management had difficulty entering the 2020 audit adjustments to the financial records. Mistakes were made trying to fix these problems through the management company transition. The 2021 year-end balance sheet is incorrect, and the Board decided therefore to also hold the 2022 balance sheets until all can be corrected, rather than posting and then replacing the information. Our audit firm has provided the necessary fixes, but they were received after Chesapeake Bay Management started its transition to a new financial software system. The fixes cannot be entered until that financial system transition is completed.
Chesapeake Bay Management’s new financial system. This spring Chesapeake Bay changed its financial software system. They encountered data conversion problems and have found themselves in the situation of manually fixing the converted data. Manual data repairs are a slow process, and Chesapeake is a relatively small company with limited staff. The financial software also had to be integrated with their bank and autopay vendors. Thus, the financial system transition is incomplete, and new monthly reports cannot be produced until that process is carefully audited.

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.

Planning for the 2023 Budget

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:

Replacement Reserves – our updated replacement reserve study (December 2021) recommends larger annual contributions in 2023 ($35,000 more) and future years. The Board is committed to fully funding our reserves and during last year’s budget process, the community was advised that an increase would be required in the 2023 budget.
Inflation and increased prices – the US inflation rate is now 9-10%. Higher costs for fuel, parts, services, etc. as well as inflation will likely affect all of our contracts – pool, trees, repairs, BMP maintenance, etc. Budget contingencies will have to increase because of the adjustment and add-on clauses that we expect to see in new contracts. I doubt any of NTRA’s large contracts will be truly “fixed” for a year.
New landscape contract. We have bid a new 3-year landscape contract and are awaiting bids. Landscaping is the single biggest vendor for our Association and we know that meeting our requirements plus annual adjustments will be expensive.

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:

The Board is required by Virginia law to follow the Association’s documents (regardless of whether the Developer Board followed them). Look at the new documents and decide whether you think they are an improvement. If these revised documents are not approved by 2/3 of the community, the current documents remain in force.
Two Board positions will be open in the December 2022 election. Run for the Board and bring your ideas forward for future improvements.

Front Porch Chat: National Night Out

Patti Vaticano

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.

Hamming It Up

Jim Ducibella

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.

“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.”

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

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.

Sullivan Square: What's in a Name?

Larry Salzman

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.

2022 Final Draft Governing Documents – What’s Different from 2021?

Mary Cheston

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:

Articles of Restatement
Amended and Restated Bylaws
Second Amended and Restated Master Declaration of Protective Covenants and Restrictions
Two Supplemental Declarations (one for Village Walk and one for the remaining consolidated neighborhoods of our community).

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).

(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:

“No” vote – homes with fenced yards will not receive mowing and pruning within their fenced areas (see current Supplemental Declarations for this limitation)
Yes vote – homes with fenced yards may receive all landscape services, with possible additional fees to be determined annually by the Board based on the Association’s landscape contract

________________________________

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:

“No” vote – the Supplemental Declaration continues to include a vague paragraph that the owners in Village Walk may be obligated for possible future maintenance expenses related to property now owned by Settlers Market LLC, namely 2 BMPs and most of the land adjoining Casey Boulevard. (See current Village Walk Supplementals, Section 8(e))
Yes vote – there is no special provision, and if in the future the Association receives notice of an obligation, it can be reviewed at that time, and if the Association has any responsibility, it will be part of our general annual maintenance budget.

________________________________

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….”

2022 final draft

“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:

“No” vote – the ability to add property to the Association has expired. (See current Amended Master Declaration, Section 2.2)
Yes vote – the decision to add property, such as the Eastern State Hospital surplus property, requires the consent of a supermajority of the Members of the Association.

Proposed Governing Documents – The Community’s Views

Mary Cheston

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.

WEBSITE V. PORTAL- What’s the Difference and Which Do I Use?

Town Crier Staff

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

CBM Administrative Portal

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.

NTRA Website – www.ntrawilliamsburg.org

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!

A Convenient Way to Shop for Produce

New Town Commercial Association (NTCA)

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!

Life Happens Here in August and Beyond!

Town Crier Staff

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!

Upcoming Events from the New Town Commercial Association

· 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!

NEW Business in New Town

· 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/

Signs of Summer

Sarah Carey

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.

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Quick Getaways: Wing a Ding Ding Festival, Richmond

Posted on July 1, 2022 5:20 AM by Jim Ducibella

Categories: General

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.

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July 2022 Town Crier Articles - TEXT ONLY

Posted on July 1, 2022 4:59 AM by Town Crier Staff

Categories: General, Life in New Town, NTRA Business

Board Buzz—July 2022, By Mary Cheston, President

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.

July Activities in the 'Hood

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.

Summer Gardening: Tips and Tricks

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.

Rose Infestations – Please Remove Your Infected Bushes!

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!

Meet Your Lifeguards

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

Pool

Other FAQs (Scroll down to "Pool FAQs")

Twenty Reasons Why We LOVE New Town!

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!

20 Reasons Why We LOVE New Town

Public Events (most of which are FREE!) - concerts, outdoor markets, family friendly pop-up events, community walks and runs, and lots more!
A variety of walking and biking trails linking the entire community, inclusive of parks and inviting green space
The variety of restaurants and food types available
Convenience to Busch Gardens, Water Country, Jamestown & Yorktown Parks and attractions
Open-air Main Street Shopping Mall
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
Lots of Entertainment - Axe throwing, a movie theater, billiards room, sports & live music at restaurants
The ease of access to City & County Courthouse, US Post Office & other Government offices right across the street
A wide variety of salons, fitness centers, day spas and other personal services
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!
A nationally recognized pre-school in the community
Santa Claus comes to New Town for Free Visits & Pictures
The ease and access to so many medical and dental offices
3 miles to Colonial Williamsburg
Banks, Credit Unions and other financial institutions all within the community
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.
Adjacent to the campus of The College of William & Mary
Electric Car Charging Station x2
The beauty and sound of the iconic fountain
Life Happens Here - A Welcoming Community for ALL TO GATHER!

Quick getaways: Wing a Ding Ding festival, Richmond

By, Jim Ducibella

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

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.

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.

Working Group Forming for Future Roper Park Transition

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.

Front Porch Chat: A New Crier Feature

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

Please enjoy this selection of "chats" to get us started!

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:

Keep license, microchip, and tags up to date

Secure and double check gates and entrances

Close windows and play calming music or white noise

Stay with pets during fireworks to comfort them

Ask your vet about calming medication when needed

Volunteer Spotlight: Ken Fones-Wolf

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.”

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Home Maintenance: Get the Lint Out

Posted on June 1, 2022 6:30 AM by Jim Ducibella

Categories: General

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.

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June Quick Getaways: Hampton Pirate Festival, June 3-5

Posted on June 1, 2022 6:15 AM by Jim Ducibella

Categories: General

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.

image credit: visithampton.com

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.

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