Town Crier Articles

 

For probably seven or eight years the common area in Charlotte Park between Lucretia Way and Christine Court remained what our lawn crews often referred to as " the field." Well not anymore! Homeowner, Bob Dennis, approached the Board of Directors about the "field" in March and then in April, fellow neighbor David Carter joined Bob for the April Board Meeting where together they proposed a landscape plan for the common area.

 

Unlike other neighborhoods, this area was never landscaped, and so after receiving the green light the two neighbors approached Mike Turkovitch of Berkley Design Group in Williamsburg to execute the installation of trees and perennials. Two benches were sourced, refinished and stained by Bob, while David planned the area for the trees and flower bed. Jack Espinal then submitted the plans to James City County for approval.

 

The plan included Redbud Trees, a Virginia native species which are heat tolerant, and attract bees and butterflies with spring and fall color. The two men then purchased plant material and set them out for installation. Once the trees arrived after several weeks waiting for them, Mike and his excellent crew began the installation, and in about 5 hours or so, a field no more. Neighbors are very happy with the new trees and plantings, and look forward to enjoying another one of New Town's beautiful common areas.

 

 

 

Calling all parents of infants/toddlers!

The Activities Committee is considering facilitating a weekly Infant-Toddler Play Group (under 4 yrs old) to enable parents and other care-givers to socialize and share ideas while kids have a chance to play together. We will hold an initial meeting with kids and parents at the NTRA Meeting Room at a time that is convenient for the most people, if there is enough interest.

 

If you are interested in participating or wish more information, please email or text Liz Fones-Wolf of the Activities Committee at efwolf@wvu.edu with your contact info and the days and times of the week you are available for the first meeting, kids welcome, presumably not during early afternoon naptime.

Personally, our two felines are indoor only, except for the screened porch, which they enjoy year round watching, birds, bunnies, squirrels and the occasional other wildlife, like foxes, possums, snakes, and other critters who live here among us in New Town.

Letting cats roam outdoors unsupervised might sound ok, but it’s actually a risky business. The Nextdoor App is frequently full of news about cats gone missing. Unsupervised cats face a slew of dangers—from getting hit by cars to encountering unfriendly wildlife or other territorial cats. They might also catch diseases, get injured, or sadly go missing. Additionally, their natural hunting instincts can wreak havoc on local wildlife, turning your fluffy friend into a feathered fiend for birds and small mammals. I have witnessed this by a beautiful cat who often is let outdoors, and who also occasionally uses our mulch bed as a litter box! Not nice. Bad girl! 

 

To keep cats safe and the neighborhood wildlife intact, it’s best to keep them indoors ensuring everyone stays happy and healthy!

 

 

New Town Pool Volleyball starts today - Monday, July 1.  The NTRA Activities Committee is sponsoring Family Pool Volleyball using a light ball on Monday evenings between 6:00  and 7:30pm.  Everyone, from kids to seniors, is invited to play and no experience or swimming skills are necessary. Come and join the fun!  

   

Any questions, contact Liz Fones-Wolf at efwolf@wvu.edu.

Spring and summer bring the end of the school year, summer vacation and - - yes - - dealing with necessary maintenance on our homes. Homes in New Town are part of the New Town Residential Association (NTRA) and are subject to certain rules and restrictions regarding alterations to their exteriors.

 

NTRA’s governing documents establish the Architectural Review Committee (ARC) which is charged with the responsibility of preserving the aesthetic appearance of the community to help protect the value of the homes. To carry out this purpose, the ARC has established guidelines for approving modifications to the exterior characteristics of a home and/or improvements to a lot. Here are reminders of a few of the requirements.

 

Obtain ARC Approval BEFORE Starting: It’s important to remember that an owner must submit an application and obtain ARC approval before starting construction or renovation that changes the exterior appearance of the property.

 

Projects that Require an Application: An Application and approval are usually required for routine maintenance projects such as painting (new color) and re-roofing, and are always required for projects such as the addition of patios or other hardscape features, fences, storm doors, generators, solar panels, trash can enclosures and other exterior changes. General guidelines for these and a number of other exterior changes can be found in NTRA Policy 4.1, Architectural Review Committee Guidelines/Standards. If in doubt, contact NTRA’s Managing Agent.

 

Owners should not rely on the appearance of other NTRA residences as assurance that their project will be approved. Due to differences in home types and great variation in lot sizes and configurations the ARC must sometimes make a determination on a case-by-case basis; NTRA’s governing documents expressly allow for such consideration.

 

Installation of certain ARC-approved features may result in other requirements. For example, owners installing a fence must provide a buffer zone if required by the landscaping contract then in effect, and installation of a fence may limit certain landscaping services. More details about a homeowner’s landscape responsibilities can be found on the website in NTRA Policy 9.2, Landscape Services and Responsibilities. 

 

When requesting approval, homeowners are responsible for submitting accurate descriptions and drawings for their proposed project. Sometimes projects are given conditional approval and homeowners should take care to ensure that all conditions for their project are followed.

 

ARC Application: The ARC Application and Instructions can be found on the NTRA website. A completed ARC Application must be submitted to Chesapeake Bay - the NTRA's management company, not to ARC members directly or through the NTRA ticketing system. Applications must be submitted at least one week before the ARC meeting which is held on the second Monday of 

May has been a month of change for the administration of our HOA with Chesapeake Bay Management assigning a new community manager and administrative assistant to the New Town Residential Association.

 

 

Jim McEvoy brings years of hands-on management experience which will be valuable for New Town. He has had approximately 15 years’ experience in hotel and resort management in the Atlantic City New Jersey area.  

In addition, he has performed well working in the vacation ownership industry for 16 years with both Wyndham Vacations and Bluegreen Vacations (where he won the Resort Manager of the Year Award in 2014). His prior assignments with community association management were with United Property Associates in Newport News, and Everest Property Management in Williamsburg. At Chesapeake Bay Management he worked as the community manager for seven small communities (all at the same time) in the Williamsburg area. Imagine what managing projects in seven communities, dealing with seven boards of directors, and seven different sets of governing documents must be like!

 

Jim became a Certified Manager of Community Associations (CMCA) in 2022 by completing the required training on financial management, community leadership, association communications and community governance.  He is a lifelong learner and is currently working towards completing the requirements to become a certified Professional Community Association Manager (PCAM).  This coursework includes risk management, legal aspects of community governance, facilities management, and leadership.  Chesapeake Bay Management has confidence in Jim’s ability and potential and shows this by funding his tuition.  He currently has completed one-third of the M-200 courses (a pre-requisite to the PCAM exam) , after which he will be eligible to apply for the PCAM credential.  His goal is to attain this prestigious credential by the first quarter of 2025.

 

Jim enjoys managing community projects that improve and maintain the community.  Several of his past projects have been so large that the execution had to be spread over multiple years.  He excelled at writing specifications and obtaining multiple competitive bids from vendors.  As the projects were executed, he ensured that contract specifications were met.

 

Jim was born in Camden, New Jersey and grew up in multiple locations throughout South Jersey.  He has successfully raised a son and daughter and together with his wife Tina enjoys spending time with his four grandchildren.  When he is not at work he can usually be found reading about American history, history in general, and world literature.  Jim and Tina enjoy traveling and visiting historical sites.  They currently reside in Norge Virginia and have lived in the Williamsburg area since 2010.

 

Zoom Room (5129 Main Street) is a nationally franchised training center for people and their pets. The focus of each Zoom Room is on positive reinforcement for dogs to help them with socializing, agility and obedience. 

 

New Town Zoom Room owner, Tamara Lembke got involved with Zoom Room about a year and a half ago. Her background in marketing combined with her experience training animals at SeaWorld Orlando was a key motivator for her opening the local center. She chose Zoom Room especially due to the focus on positive feedback to the animals and their owners. There is no “bad dog” shouted at the pets and no use of shock collars or other negative training methods. 

 

Every Zoom Room employee must undergo a minimum of 40 hours of offsite training conducted by the national headquarters. Consistency in employee training and methodology is key to ensuring that every dog and owner are made to feel special.

 

Tamara and her family (husband, four children and two dogs) are Williamsburg transplants and consider themselves permanent residents. They love the feel of Williamsburg, the kindness of the folks who call Williamsburg home and how good it feels to raise their family here. 

 

Zoom Room is open seven days per week and currently has five employees. Since it’s part of a respected franchise (with over 64 locations in the USA) consistency is key. Each Zoom Room franchise is decorated the same, uses the same training equipment, the same training methods and offer the same items for sale. Training gear, toys, treat, beds, bowls, collars and leashes are all available for purchase. Some of the treats had very interesting names; Peanut butter Himalayan chew and Bacon Himalayan chew are a few examples. 

 

Every dog that comes into Zoom Room must be on a leash and dogs are not permitted to engage socially face to face. All dogs must have up to date vaccinations and special puppy classes are held on weekend mornings for the very young pups. In order to ensure cleanliness the entire room is cleaned, swept and mopped every night. 

 

Puppy programs start at eight weeks. Puppy Plus programs start at four months. Puppy agility classes start at five months of age and adult dog agility class starts at eight months of age.  When I inquired as to why agility training is needed for pups and young dogs, Tamara said it helps especially with dogs that are shy and those that might be coming from pasts that may have had issues. Training and education are key to help owners know how their dogs are growing mentally.   

While I was talking with Tamara, I watched as Rachel, one of the trainers conducted a class for four dogs. Each dog and owner were at corners of the room and were being coached through several exercises. As part of the training, I watched as Rachel went around the room past each dog with a pair of crutches, gently tapping the crutches on the floor as she walked around. One young dog stood at the edge of his training mat and then sat quietly as Rachel passed by. All the while the puppy was given positive encouragement by the owner and Rachel. She did the same with a walker. It was wonderful to observe, something I would not have thought of – using crutches and walkers as training aids. Tamara pointed out that part of the training uses different sounds, different items – all to help install calmness into each dog for as many situations as possible. 

 

I asked Tamara and Rachel what their favorite dogs were to train. Rachel quickly replied, “rescue dogs and service dogs” and Tamara said she loved the puppies. As we discussed various breeds of dogs Tamara noted that retriever pups need training as early as possible. They love to chew on things! As an owner several times of golden retrievers I can heartily concur and wish we had a chance to have our goldens, Pepsi and Ruff trained when they were young. Would have saved us chewed brake lines, air conditioning wiring (low voltage thank goodness) and a kid’s pool that had a hole chewed in it the very first day we set it up! 

 

When asked about special memories of a dog they helped train they both laughed and said the same thing. A 219-pound mastiff. “Wow” was all I could say. 

 

The energy and positivity of Tamara and Rachel and their love for animals was clear. I certainly gained a lot of admiration for how they train the dogs and owners and as a New Town resident who walks frequently, I can only hope that many of the cute puppies and dogs my wife and I encounter daily have been trained at Zoom Room.   

 

For more info on Zoom Room: https://zoomroom.com/location/williamsburg/

 

The New Town Community Pool is set to open Saturday, May 25th for the 2024 season. Your Pool Committee is excited to bring you a number of terrific improvements this year, including a computer sign-in at the gate! Additionally, the NTRA Board has generously approved 5 new umbrellas and stands which will help to accommodate pool patrons, while a new, second lifeguard chair will better accommodate the needs of our very appreciated lifeguards! Keeping the pool area leaf and debris-free is a full time job of the lifeguards, and to help with that, the Board also approved the purchase of a leaf-blower for their use. 

   

This season 2024 pool pass registration is available in-person and easily accessible every Tuesday morning through May and into pool season, from 10:00 – 12:00, and two Wednesday evenings (5/15 and 5/22)  from 4:00 – 7:00PM at the NTRA Meeting Room - 5118 Center Street. Most importantly, you’ll get the 2024 DECAL STICKER that indicates your pass is current for the 2024 Season. (Households with pool passes issued in 2022 and/or 2023 must bring their passes to registration.) 2024 Pool Season information has been sent via eblast to NTRA and NTCA homeowners and is posted on this website’s Pool & Clubs Page. 

     

The safety of pool users, and especially the safety of the children is paramount in the enforcement of Pool Rules and the regulation of pool hours and usage. The lifeguards have a big job, but also truly appreciate getting to know the New Town personalities and create some special relationships over the summer. Stay tuned for several events planned by the Activities Committee at the pool – a real opportunity to meet neighbors and make new friends! 

       

A lot of effort, dedication and time goes into the three months of safe and fun pool days for the residents of New Town. Many thanks go to the friends and neighbors who serve on the committees and the Board to make this all possible! We look forward to seeing you at the pool throughout the season!