Town Crier Articles

 

?? MISSING SOMETHING     WE NEED YOUR TIME AND YOUR INPUT IN ORDER TO HAVE A MEANINGFUL NEWSLETTER  THAT STAYS INFORMATIVE AND RELEVANT TO THE NEW TOWN COMMUNITY.     The Town Crier has been published monthly (other than January) since 2012. It is entirely a community effort-not a management company or developer responsibility. Over the past 11 years, a team of volunteers has put the newsletter together each month working on stories and articles that these residents believed would be informative or entertaining.   Two lone soldiers can't keep this communication flowing...   Volunteer today to join the Communications Committee and help us! We are looking for a new editor, writers, photographers, and any other talent you are willing to share to help our digital communications.  Email: ntrawebsitecommittee@gmail.com

 

 

If you enjoyed the January 29th women's basketball game, gather the family for another New Town Day to cheer on the William and Mary Men's Basketball team. 

 

 

 

 

Give a child something to smile about this Christmas by donating a new, unwrapped toy. Toy donations are being accepted through Saturday, December 10, and may be dropped off here in New Town at Liz Moore & Associates at 5350 Discovery Park Boulevard, Williamsburg. Their hours are 9 am – 5 pm Mondays thru Saturdays and noon – 3 pm on Sundays.  A Toys for Tots donation box is in the lobby.  

 

 

Let the holiday races begin!  No doubt this is joyous time of year for many and while agendas become packed with old traditions to manage and new ones to implement, stress becomes a serious burden and many slide into January exhausted and a little dismayed. Please keep your wits about you, whether you’re shopping, cooking, baking, decorating, wrapping or traveling, no matter how short the excursion. The Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI) offers some fairly dismal holiday statistics on its website from candle fires to falls off roofs—and there are other websites that offer so many dangers from toys and games. Well, checkers seems like the only gift to give without a serious risk attached. Highway safety? Let’s not even go there. While it would not enhance our holiday joy to rehearse all the gloom here, it is wise to advise the reader to be careful out there. Try to avoid haste and exhaustion. Rest. Improvise or shorten your to-do list when time gets short or fast-curves are thrown. One less dessert for the table, a few gifts thrown into bags instead of individually wrapped, one holiday luncheon canceled won’t matter in the long run. In the end, there won’t be a holiday if you’re not around to greet it.

 

 

Holiday Riddle:  What was the first company to use Santa in its advertising?

 

Curious Info:  Christmas 1914--Roughly 100,000 British and German troops were involved in the informal cessations of hostility along the Western Front in 1914. The Germans placed candles on their trenches and on Christmas trees, then continued the celebration by singing Christmas carols. The British responded by singing carols of their own. The two sides continued by shouting Christmas greetings to each other. Soon thereafter, small gifts were exchanged, such as food, tobacco, alcohol and souvenirs, such as buttons and hats. The artillery in the region fell silent. The truce also allowed a breathing spell where recently killed soldiers could be brought back behind their lines by burial parties. Joint services were held. In many sectors, the truce lasted through Christmas night, continuing until New Year's Day in others.

 

Historical Fact:  Because the holiday falls near Christmas, it's a common belief that Hanukkah is the most important holiday in Jewish tradition, but it’s actually not. Those would be the High Holy Days: Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. 

 

Holiday Quote: 

"Hanukkah is about the freedom to be true to what we believe without denying the freedom of those who believe otherwise." —Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth

 

Holiday Hack: Protect outdoor light cords by placing the plugs in a lidded plastic container; store small, fragile ornaments in an egg carton to prevent them from breaking; and keep holiday lights wrapped around a clothes hanger to prevent them from tangling.

 

 

 

I never had much interest in cars, especially antique cars, until a trip to Staunton a few years ago. There was an antique car museum downtown run by Bruce Elder, perhaps the most personable man I’ve ever met. My wife and I had the first of several wonderful visits with Bruce, and we became more than acquaintances. Sadly, Bruce passed away a couple of years ago, and Staunton is a bit too far for the purposes of this exercise. That doesn’t mean there isn’t something similar out there to enjoy.
 

Reader Mark Johansson contacted us about the possibility of publishing a nationwide map of auto museums that he has compiled.

 

 

It’s an impressive collection, but one of many that stood out to me is in Colonial Heights, slightly more than one hour’s drive from New Town. The Keystone Truck & Tractor Museum encompasses more than 125,000 square feet of memories. Despite its name, the museum offers far more than farm equipment, including antique road trucks, classic cars, vintage gas pumps, oil cans, automotive signage, clocks, and advertising posters of yesteryear.

 

Hundreds of farm tractors are on display in this private collection dating from 1917 through 1960. The Keystone Museum’s collection features rare tractors such as the UDLX Minneapolis Moline (only 25 known restored today) and the Sampson Jumbo, Silver Kings, and a Graham Bradley farm tractor that was sold by Sears, Robuck and Co., and Allis-Chalmer’s. Plus, there’s a lineup of the Massey Harris, Massy Ferguson, Farmall, Case, and Oliver farm tractors. Finally, there’s the Cockshutt farm tractor, showcasing the model 30, 40, 50 & 70.

 

The Museum collection is ever changing and growing. It’s a fun way to learn about the evolution of agriculture in America. To get there, take I-64 W, then I-295 S to VA-36 W/Oaklawn Blvd in Hopewell. Take exit 9B from I-295 S. Then take VA-144 N/Temple Ave to W Roslyn Rd in Colonial Heights.

 

For more information, visit this website: https://keystonetractorworks.com/, or phone 804-524-0020.

 

Keystone Truck and Tractor Museum in Colonial Heights

 

Gratus is the Latin word for thankful, each is reflective of a single word that denotes a state of mind—and for the wise, a perpetual state.  “Be thankful for what you have, and you will be thankful for much,” the saying goes. Maybe a little schmaltzy, but none the less true, as there are always great blessings in life for those who take the time to tally them. And we are now in the great gold and russet month of thankfulness and gratitude that ushers in that joyous time of year when, as Dickens wrote, “…Want is keenly felt and abundance rejoices.” Let the tally begin for our abundance is considerable. 

 

We are a flawed nation, but a great, none the less; and in comparison to the rest of the ranging world, fortunate, indeed. Our ancestors recognized this truth and saw the need to be thankful, just up the road on scenic Route 5, where the true “First Thanksgiving” was celebrated at Virginia’s Berkeley Plantation. The Plymouth Pilgrims, despite the media hype, trailed the First Virginians by years in celebrating a day of thankfulness and prayer--but both communities, while differing in religious scope, saw the need and honored it. So, our ancestors, and very near neighbors, seized this one day in November (well, okay, it was actually in December,) as one in which an “attitude of gratitude” was righteous and due.  Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone!

 

November-December Events:  

The New Town Residential Association (NTRA) Activities Committee is planning a Dessert Fest/Bake Off to be held on December 7th from 6:00-8:00pm at Legacy Hall. The entire community is invited to sample baked goods of the holiday and non-holiday variety. Visit the related Town Crier article for more information and to register as a contestant or judge!

 

A popular local publication, Next Door Neighbor Magazine, is a treasure trove of interesting people and businesses in our area and offers an online calendar of events for the city and county-at-large that is chockful of details for each event showcased.  All you need do is click on the link below to open the calendar, scroll through to each day for a list of that day’s events, and click on the event for details.  A special shout out here for Heritage Humane Society’s Holiday Bazaar on Saturday, November 19th, from 9-3 pm, at Bruton Parish Hall.

 

For information on holiday events offered by New Town Commercial Association, please see the article regarding the same in this issue of The New Town Crier and visit their website. 

 

Some Thanksgiving-themed entries for the month: 

 

Holiday Riddle: What is a mathematician’s favorite food on Thanksgiving? (Answer below.)

 

Curious Thanksgiving Info: An estimated 50 million pumpkin pies are eaten every November.

 

Historical Thanksgiving Fact: Abraham Lincoln proclaimed Thanksgiving a national holiday on October 3, 1863. Sarah Josepha Hale, the woman who wrote “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” convinced Lincoln to make Thanksgiving a national holiday--after writing letters to institute this day of national gratitude for 17 years.

 

Holiday Hack: Thanksgiving is about being grateful and spending time with loved ones. If your meal doesn’t turn out perfectly or the house is decorated on time, don’t let that spoil your enjoyment of your family and friends.  Don’t forget to relax and enjoy the holiday, too!

 

Black Friday Hack: Use a Credit Card, not Your Debit!  If you make a purchase online Black Friday without being totally sure of the seller, be sure to use a credit card. In general, you have zero liability to pay for a fraudulent transaction. Even if you hit one of the rare exceptions to this policy, federal law says you are not liable for more than $50. Remember: Using a debit card online gives thieves direct access to your bank account(s)—the funds from which you may be entirely responsible for despite being withdrawn without your permission.

 

 

Pet Care:  Cooked bones from any animal should never be given to your dog, but especially turkey bones or chicken bones. Any kind of cooked bone will splinter when your dog chews on it. Turkey bones and chicken bones are especially brittle, and will break into small, sharp pieces when they are chewed.                                                         

 

Riddle Answer:  Pumpkin Pi

 

(757) 817-0245 (Direct) | (757) 229-4400 (Office)
Carmen.Hamner@longandfoster.com

 

October has come and gone, leaving behind crisp, cooler air, colorful foliage and sightings of pumpkins and mums on porches. Preparing your home now for the colder months ahead will help prevent costly repairs later and keep your home running in good condition all winter. 

 

We’ve put together a few tips to make your home a warm, safe and comfortable place to enjoy with friends and family. It’s also a good idea to keep a record of your home maintenance routine for your own use or to pass to the next owner of your home should you sell it. 

 

Turn off exterior faucets. Drain the water from your outdoor faucets and garden hoses after turning off the exterior faucets from inside the house. Water in pipes can freeze easily, which can cause pipes to burst. 

 

Clear gutters and downspouts. Leaves, branches and other debris can clog gutters, causing water and ice to collect under your shingles, potentially damaging your roof. Clean outside drains of leaves to prevent water back-ups into your basement.

 

Schedule a furnace tune-up. Stay toasty during the approaching cold weather and save money on energy bills by having your system checked now to avoid outages and potentially costly repairs later.

 

Clean humidifiers and change filters. Prevent bacteria and mold from polluting your indoor air by cleaning your humidifier and changing its filter.

 

Reverse ceiling fans. Switch the direction of your ceiling fans clockwise and run them at a low speed to push warm air down, which will save on energy bills.

 

Test smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Press the “test” button on your alarms to verify they work. If they don’t work, replace the battery. If they still don’t work, replace the unit rather than waiting until it chirps in the middle of the night.

 

Have additional cold-weather preparation tips? Share them with us in the comments!