Town Crier Articles

This past January and for the 8th year in a row, a UK nonprofit organization begun by Jane Land and Matthew Glover promoted veganism, a lifestyle which refrains from eating animals and animal products for humane and environmental reasons, by encouraging people to follow a vegan lifestyle just for the month of January. They term the event Veganuary, a portmanteau of “vegan” and “January,” and more than 1 million people have completed the challenge since the campaign began in 2014. Harvard statistics deem the impact to be 103,840 tons of CO2eq negated and more than 3.4 million animals spared.  Whether or not the environment or animal suffering is your concern or living a cleaner health style is your desire, veganism is becoming a force in today’s world.  Stock in plant-based companies, like Beyond Meat, Impossible Burger, and Follow Your Heart, is skyrocketing, and the younger generation has made the causes behind these enterprises their own, especially the call for the end of Speciesism, the assumption of human superiority leading to the exploitation of animals.

 

Vegan restaurants and vegan fare are not new to New Town or Williamsburg, but the trend is picking up momentum and now includes even fast food chains that are offering vegan options on their menus. Veganism may once have had an eccentric reputation, suffering the onslaught of jokes and angry protestations—but the times they are a changin’.  Here’s a modest vegan travel log of restaurants in and around New Town with a brief sample of vegan fare at each eatery. Internet menus will offer greater detail and a quick call to each establishment will give you up-to-date info on additions and specials.

 

Did we miss one of your local favorites? Add it in the comments section below, let's share those healthy and tasty tips!

 

The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program of James City County (JCC) educates citizens about emergency preparedness and trains them in basic emergency response skills that can be used at home, in the community, at work or anyplace an emergency may occur. 

There is no charge for CERT training and it is and open to residents of JCC 18 years and older. The training is given in a lecture and hands-on format of nine 3-hour sessions. During the pandemic, face-to-face evening CERT training is being conducted at the JCC Fire Department Training Center on John Tyler Highway. Classes are limited to twelve students and are conducted following COVID-19 protocols.

 

 

New Town's neighborhoods comprise 350 acres. That's a lot of ground to cover! This year, the Landscape Advisory Committee (LAC) is working to improve the appearance of the turf that comprises a large portion of our community landscape. The New Town Residential Association Board of Directors approved a request from the committee to conduct a pilot of warm weather grasses, or WWGP for short. Varieties of these grasses, which are better suited to this environment, can be found in nearby communities, including the historic area in Colonial Williamsburg.

 

This pilot will test three types of grasses: Bermuda seed, Zoysia seed, and Zoysia sod. A 70’ x 25‘ marked area located opposite the Village Walk Clock Tower along Casey Boulevard will be designated for this purpose. Village Walk was selected as the location for this pilot because of its elevation, sun exposure, and availability of irrigation. Planting will commence in May with the observation period extending through the summer and fall.  The LAC, Town Management, and Virginia Lawn and Landscape will monitor the performance of each selection.  A five-year turf restoration plan will be developed based on the results of this study.

 

Community members are encouraged to observe the progress throughout the course of this pilot.  Comments or suggestions may be submitted to the LAC through the Report an Issue ticket process on the NTRA website.

 

 

 

If you are one of many New Town residents operating a home-based business, we'd like to hear from you? Drop is a line at ntratown.crier@gmail.com and tell us about you and your business. If you like send pics or a link to your website! We'd like to feature our local entrepreneurs in upcoming issues

 

 

 

Earth Day this year is scheduled for Thursday April 22 and NTRA Activities Committee will be conducting  a New Town Earth Day Cleanup in our neighborhoods.  The Activities Committee will have trash bags available for pick up to fill as well as guidance on areas that are accessible and those that are either not safe or not NTRA property where trespassing would be permitted. Safety for COVID purposes and use of gloves, grabbers, etc is recommended. Children should be supervised in this family friendly activity. More details will be communicated via email blast to all residents. 

 

 

April may be our time to turn our focus to the environment with Earth day observed on 22 April.  It’s a good time to do your bit as well as to involve the family in how they can make a difference too.  Earth Day is an annual event celebrated around the world to demonstrate support for environmental protection.  Founded in 1970, it is the largest secular observance in the world and is marked by a billion people every year as a day of action.  

 

 

Pick up some litter – James City County has a limited number of litter loan kits available.  Option 1 includes litter grabbers, trash collection bags, orange safety vests and gloves.  Option 2 includes all the above plus a should bags.  For more information, please contact Peg Boarman at (757) 565 0032 or the Office of Sustainability at (757) 259 5375.  

 

Buy a bag for Life – plastic bags are posing a huge threat to wildlife, especially marine wildlife.

 

Go meat-free for a day or a week and expand your cooking repertoire – our love of meat, especially beef, uses up a lot of land, water and produces greenhouse gases. Switching to a meat-free option for a short and frequent period may help.   

 

Go microbead-free – microbeads are tiny beads of plastic that are in many cosmetics, face washes and toothpaste that end up in the oceans and enter the foodchain. Next time you buy cosmetics, check the label first.

 

Walk or ride a bike rather than take the car. Walking and cycling is good for your health as well as the environment.  

 

Give up chewing gum – It is made from synthetic rubber and 100,000 tonnes of this plastic is thrown away every year.  Reducing or cutting out chewing gum altogether will make a difference.  

 

Shop at local farmers markets – it’s a great way to support local businesses and support the environment.  They tend to use less packaging and products are grown or made locally so transport distances are short.

 

Buy a reusable water bottle– billions of plastic bottles are sold every year, so re-using a bottle means we can reduce the amount of plastic we throw away.

 

Make the switch from using plastic straws – bamboo, silicone or even metal straws are a good alternative to the plastic option.  

 

Spread the word – These are just some starter ideas, so if you have good suggestions, why not share them in the comments section.

 

 

 

Most of us have a Lift Master system or Wayne Dalton system installed by Virginia Door.  Life expectancy of the system is 10 years but more likely 5 to 6. The owner’s manual has limited DIY maintenance suggestions. Does your garage door (doors) make a lot of grinding or squeaking noise when you open or close the door? It may be time for some DIY maintenance or a call to a reliable garage door service business.  Speaking from experience, don’t wait until its too late and that large spring cable can break. But thankfully there are a lot of safety features built in so the cable doesn’t spin off the bar. It makes a very loud noise and then of course your door won’t close. 

   

 

Spring is in the air and that’s a good feeling! With the arrival of Spring comes the usual spring-cleaning tasks. One task administered by the Asset Maintenance Committee (AMC) is the NTRA’s annual home exterior inspections. This program was designed and adopted by the Board in 2018 to maintain the curb appeal of our homes and the overall property values for all invested in New Town. It is managed by the volunteer AMC of the Board of Directors, with assistance from Town Management. 

       

 

Thursday February 18 via Zoom Sean Kearney spoke to an interested group of basketball enthusiasts.

 

Sean is the Associate Commissioner for the NCAA men’s basketball Atlantic 10 Conference. Among his responsibilities is coordinating the schedule of Atlantic 10 conference games with the TV networks. 

 

Sean has 35+ years’ experience in college basketball as a volunteer coach, head coach and broadcaster. He started at Providence College where his first year coaching there, also first year of 3 point shot, they went to the final four but lost in the semifinals. He also coached at Univ. of Delaware, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Univ. of Colorado, to name a few.

     

 

There’s rarely been such an opportunity to accomplish so much by doing so little.

 

Many residents and guests of New Town Williamsburg have rediscovered a simple, satisfying way to enjoy life, help their neighbors and support the community at large: indulging in the broad array of restaurants and other businesses that make New Town a distinctive regional destination. Right now, people are understandably cautious about spending time in public places, but a year into the pandemic, restaurants in New Town are typical of the precautions business owners are taking to follow the guidelines of industry and medical experts. 

 

Employees wear masks and gloves and replace them often. Managers have adjusted the layout of tables and seating to meet or exceed the recommended six-foot distance and some have added partitions that extend toward the ceiling between booths. Cleaning and sanitizing surfaces occurs at regular, frequent intervals, with extra close attention paid to high-contact areas, such as doors.

 

Outside dining is an option at numerous New Town eateries, many of which already offered patio seating before the pandemic. Sometimes it’s fully enclosed and other times tables occupy a more open-air arrangement. The restaurants provide heaters and soft illumination to make this option comfortable. Some guests come prepared for outside dining, bringing their own blankets, European-style.

 

Many restaurants become so comfortable with ensuring safe dining during these difficult times that the staff has begun to bring back extras that enhance the experience, such as gift baskets for special occasions and live music.

 

And those who still aren’t quite ready to be served at a restaurant are calling in orders for pickup. There are numerous options. 

 

New Town restaurants are constantly thinking as much about how you can safely enjoy the food as what’s on the plate – an area of expertise that was well-established long ago. Regular diners know that the range of options available at New Town can accommodate every occasion and mood, from quick and easy fare to fine dining. There’s ethnic cuisine, eclectic experiences and libations found nowhere else in the Historic Triangle.

 

The attention to safety and service has reassured loyal patrons who have been returning to their favorite New Town restaurants. But there’s another reason the regulars are coming back: a commitment to support their friends and neighbors. Restaurateurs are heartened by the return customers and by the comments of gratitude and support they hear from patrons who are able and willing to spend dollars in their own community.

 

There seems to be reason for optimism that the pandemic may soon be behind us, but after many long months of adversity, New Town’s vibrant commercial district needs support now more than ever. That might come from neighbors who simply want to enjoy a good meal. And it could just as well be a return to regular patronage of the wide range of entertainment personal and professional services. Regardless of how that support arrives, it’s vital – and easy – to show that the New Town community is facing this challenge together.

 

Alan Falquet, our very own New Town geophysicist, is working on it!! Alan has always been an avid explorer.  As a child he would spend hours outside investigating. Majoring in geology in college, Alan then taught physics for several years before taking advanced studies in geology and geophysics at Case Institute of Technology and Harvard. The studies resulted in his leading global geophysical search teams in pursuit of oil/gas reserves.

   

Staring down a tornado or watching rising hurricane water adjacent to your home or losing heat and water due to a deep freeze are not the times to start thinking about emergency preparations.  Do you currently have the knowledge, skills, and supplies to keep your family, pets, home at the ready in the event of, for example, a major weather emergency?

         Our Emergency Preparedness Committee needs more members. This committee consists of six voting NTRA Members, but may have additional nonvoting members. So any New Town resident is welcome to join us!
 

 

Don’t be put off by the fact that Poe, the master of macabre, never lived in this house in the Shockoe Bottom district of Richmond.