Town Crier Articles

Posted on November 1, 2024 6:57 AM by David Carter
 
You may have heard that dumping pumpkins in the wild is a good way to dispose of your jack-o-lanterns after Halloween, wildlife experts says it’s a bad move.
 
“When we introduce a food source like a rotting pumpkin into the woods somewhere, you’re bringing all sorts of animals together who sniff it out." This can cause disease in animals and make them very sick, including death. Also throwing pumpkins out is bad for native soils, and the seeds can become invasive and deadly to animals. (Not to mention that it's a violation of James City County regulations to throw anything in our surrounding woods!) 
 
So please compost at home, or contact a nearby farm or zoo that may want clean pumpkins, free of wax or other harmful additions. Do people still burn candles in them? Otherwise, while not ideal, they'll make their way into landfills. But that's another article.
 
So let's keep New Town and our beautiful woodlands looking beautiful and showing concern for our neighbors, human, and animal.
 
Happy Halloween!  
Posted on November 1, 2024 6:48 AM by Scott Ellis
 
Hey, have you read a good book recently and thought “I’d love to have a copy of that book, but they are so expensive," or perhaps a good book has spurred an interest in spending more time reading. Or maybe, you’ve decided it's time to put down that device and curl up with a good book? 
 
Have you checked one of the New Town free "Free Little Libraries"? We have four of them located throughout New Town:
1) at the corner of Elizabeth Davis and Center Street, 2) at the Main Street gazebo, 3) behind Ironbound Gym, and 4) at the intersection of Discovery Blvd and New Town Avenue. Books are free to take and return and you may add any of your own.
 
Of course, these wonderful libraries can only contain a small number of books. 
 
Well, don't despair - maybe a great book could be had for a cheap price. At your local library. 
 
“Wait, you say, I check out books from the library, but they make me return them."
 
Have you heard of the Book Nook
Perhaps you’ve wandered by it at the Williamsburg Regional Library (WRL) or the James City County Library and wondered what it is. 
 
The Book Nooks sell many used items that have been generously donated by our community. You can find books of all kinds, hardback, paperback, fiction, non-fiction, cookbooks, coffee table books, travel, educational, children’s and young adult. You can also find magazines, DVD’s, CD’s, puzzles, frameable art prints, audiobooks, calendars, post cards, greeting cards and pamphlets. 
 
Each item is checked by a volunteer to ensure it is in saleable condition and shelves are stocked daily by a team of wonderful volunteers. 
 
Here’s a current price list for items sold at the Friends of WRL Book Nook. As you can see, these are quite a bargain! 
 
 
And if you find that you have a collection of books, CD’s, magazines, puzzles or DVD sets that you need to part ways with but can’t bear the thought of throwing them in the trash, you can consider donating them to the Friends of WRL and let someone gain pleasure from finding a great deal and hopefully spending time curled up with that special read. 
Posted on November 1, 2024 6:40 AM by David Carter
 
Window bird strikes have been on the rise over the past few weeks with fall migration, but we hope it's also due to people's awareness that window-strike birds need medical attention!
 
Did you know? When birds collide with windows, if they don't die from the initial impact, they're often left concussed with internal bleeding, eye trauma, ruptured air sacs, broken bones, and more. While sometimes these birds can temporarily recover enough to fly away from a scary predator (you), they often succumb after hours or even days when their injuries go without treatment.
 
If a bird appears stunned (eyes closed, on the ground, allows handling), please contain that bird IMMEDIATELY in a box with a lid and give your nearest wildlife rehabilitator a call right away. Be sure to leave a message if they do not answer right away. While waiting to hear back from your local licensed professionals, keep these birds somewhere warm, dark, and quiet away from pets, children, and other loud noises. Do NOT attempt to release these birds, even if it sounds like they're moving around in the box or like they may have recovered on their own.
 
Better yet, make your windows bird-safe! Birds hit windows because they reflect the sky and trees on the OUTSIDE of the windows, not the inside. You must break up the reflection by placing stickers, decals, tape, or other mediums (glass paint, screening, etc.) on the outside of the windows, with no more than 2" between decals/designs so birds don't attempt to fly "between" them. Stopping birds from hitting windows is the best way to give these birds the best chance to survive, and prevent them from needing care.
 
According to the Heritage Humane Society if you have found wildlife in urgent need or rescue, please contact Wildlife Response at 757-543-7000 or Tidewater Wildlife Rescue at 757-255-8710.
Posted on October 1, 2024 6:57 AM by NTRA Activities Committee
 
 
NEW TOWN 2024 FALL FESTIVAL
 
Saturday, Oct. 5
 
Village Walk, 2:00-4:00
 
 
Join your neighbors for an old-fashioned fun-filled, FREE event in the Village Walk neighborhood on the corner of Casey and Settlers Market Boulevard.  
 
Everyone is invited, adults and children, family and friends. Guests will enjoy popcorn, Halloween cookies and other goodies. As an added treat, there will be drawings for a large pumpkins and gift certificates donated by the New Town Commercial Association
 
Activities include cake walks, pumpkin painting, and games including corn hole, and shark toss, races, pie face showdown, a kid’s obstacle course, croquet, and cornhole and more. Get there early for a Halloween “egg” hunt at 2:15 across the street from the main venue. Watch out there may also be mummies!
 
Come to participate or just share the good time and the music.  Also, we really need volunteers. Please contact Liz Fones-Wolf at efwolf@wvu.edu if you can lend a hand.  
 
Rain date:  Sunday, Oct. 6     
 
Sponsored by the New Town Residential Association Activities Committee
Posted on October 1, 2024 6:45 AM by Liz Fones-Wolf, Activities Committee
 
Over the last several years, New Town's summer lifeguards have been undergraduate students who come from all over the world, recruited and trained by Continental Pools, our pool management company.  We have had quite a few lifeguards from Jamaica, Turkey and China.  Our main lifeguard this year was Deanjilee Robinson, who lives just outside the city of Kingston, Jamica, and is starting her senior year at the University of Technology, majoring in finance. This was Deanjilee ‘s second year at our pool and I met her last year.  I learned that to earn as much as possible, she works extra shifts and had not seen anything of the U.S. aside from the airports in Miami and Richmond. I offered to take her and one or more friends to Washington D.C. for a day of sightseeing.  
       
One early Tuesday morning in mid-July, the day each week our pool is closed, Deanjilee, her best friend Beyance Turner, a Finance major, who she recruited to also work as a lifeguard with Continental, and I headed to Washington.  As we drove, Deanjilee and I chatted about the differences between living in Jamaica and the United States. Jamaica is the third largest island in the Caribbean about the size of Connecticut with a population of just 2.1 million. It is known to Americans for its reggae music and as a tropical tourist destination.  She was fascinated as I tried to describe the sheer size and geographic diversity of the U.S.  While impressed with the speed of banking  (opening a bank account in Williamsburg took half-an-hour instead of an all-day ordeal in Kingston), she was appalled by how much processed food Americans eat and surprised that trees in New Town did not bear fruit.  
     
We dropped the car off at my son’s house in Alexandria and took the Metro to the Capitol South Station.  The Metro was a new experience for Deanjilee and Beyance since there are no trains or subways in Jamaica. Our first stop was the Capitol steps, where looking towards the Washington Monument, we took in the majestic view of the National Mall ringed by world-class museums of history, art, technology and the natural sciences. We then headed to the National Gallery of Art, starting with the East Building and its modern art collection. Both young women had visited the small National Gallery of Jamaica, which features two floors of Caribbean art, but were stunned by the magnitude of Smithsonian’s art collections.  Having read about and seen pictures of Picasso’s painting, they particularly enjoyed the impressionist galleries but also took delight in the works of Jackson Pollock and other modernists. We went through both tower galleries and at the rooftop terrace with its huge blue rooster, the young women took in an expansive view of Washington D.C. In the underground moving walkway  between the East and West Buildings, we experienced the “Multiverse,”  an amazing visual light display.  
       
We dashed through the National Gallery’s West Building, which holds master works from the 13th to 19th centuries and Deanjilee and Beyance were amazed by all the religious imagery.  Catching all of our eyes was a grisly 15th century painting on leather of David and Goliath by Andrea del Castagno of Florence. The painting was once attached to a battle shield. We then headed to the Smithsonian’s Natural History Museum, where they wanted to see the Hope Diamond and dinosaurs and also enjoyed an exhibit on human evolution. The White House was next on their agenda, and we marched a mile through the high heat and humidity to get a view.  
 
On the way back to the Metro to cool off, we stopped at the first floor America on the Move transportation exhibit at the Smithsonian’s Museum of American History.  The interactive and immersive experiences were their favorite experience of the trip. Most moving for Deanjilee and Beyance was sitting in a recreation of a 1927 segregated North Carolina train station and the experience of riding in a 1950s Chicago Transit Authority "I" train car, complete with sound and moving images. We arrived back in Williamsburg around 9:00 after an enjoyable if exhausting day, with Deanjilee and Beyance having learned more about the United States and me having learned more about Jamaica.
 
 
 
 
Posted on October 1, 2024 6:45 AM by John Stratton
 
In case you missed it, on Saturday, September 21st, New Town residents held a community-wide garage sale. The goal of the community garage sale was to encourage participation from any and all residents, inspire community engagement amongst our residents (as well as with our broader Williamsburg community) and finally, if you were lucky, to lighten your load or pick up that treasure you just couldn’t pass up. While residential (seller) participation was on the lighter side, the traffic and interest along our New Town streets appeared steady and varied from both within and beyond New Town.
 
This inaugural community garage sale was a great start in what will hopefully become a more regular occurrence. The NTRA Board of Directors enthusiastically supported our ideas and graciously let us move out planning and advertising on a very compressed timeline in order to deconflict from other community events as well as take advantage of the warmer weather before fall arrives.
 
We hope the community enjoyed this event.  We learned several lessons to improve future events:
  • Ensure residents have 2-3 months of notification, or even better, set a date for the event to occur annually
  • Allow one of the NTRA committees to sponsor the event
  • Designate a point of contact to answer questions 
  • Post better signage or descriptive markers to highlight selling areas
  • Increase advertising outreach
As a reminder, individual garage sales are not allowed under the NTRA rules. NTRA rules, Section II, Para 43, states: “Yard/garage sales are not permitted within the Properties, except that the Association may sponsor a community yard/garage sale at the discretion of the Board of Directors.” 
 
So this was your chance for 2024.  We hope you were able to participate in the community garage sale in a way that met your needs this time, and we look forward to future opportunities.
 

 
Posted on September 1, 2024 6:57 AM by Sommer Wrona
 
Two major events will take to our residential streets in October!
 
On Saturday, October 5, our streets and trails will be awash in pink as we welcome the Run for the Hills, hosted by Here for the Girls (H4TG.)  H4TG is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of young women affected by breast cancer. You can learn more about them at hereforthegirls.org .
 
This event consists of both a race and a health and wellness expo in Sullivan Square. The race offers a 1 mile fun run, a 5K run (a Colonial Road Runners Grand Prix Event), a 5K competitive walk and a virtual run.  New Town residents and businesses can use special promo code NT2024RUN for a discounted registration fee! Register at hereforthegirls.org/run .
 
The health and wellness expo in Sullivan Square is free and open to the public—all are welcome, and this is a stroller-friendly, dog-friendly venue! There will be nutrition and health demonstrations, fitness classes and activities, educational information, health screenings and wellness checks, kids’ activities and much more.
 
New Town residents are invited to show their support for this event! You can request a Cheer Package, which will consist of a ribbon or other decoration to place in front of your home, a route map, a list of designated cheer spots where residents can gather to cheer on the runners, health info and more. If you would like a Cheer Package, please email your name and street address to sommer3553@gmail.com by September 15.
 
We will be doing additional decorating along the race route! If you would like to volunteer to help “pink up” our streets and trails, please email sommer3553@gmail.com by September 15, and I will add you to the volunteer list.
 
On Saturday, October 26, we embrace purple, as we welcome the Walk to End Alzheimer’s, hosted by the Alzheimer’s Association. This is the world’s largest fundraiser for Alzheimer’s care, support and research.
 
This annual event begins and ends at the Gazebo on Main Street. The walk offers a 1 mile route and a 3 mile route. You can view details of the route here. If you would like to form a Walk team, you can register at the Walk's local website. Many of the neighborhoods in the area have Walk teams, and it would be great to see New Town represented!
 
The Walk could also use your help as a volunteer on the day of the event! Please sign up at https://signup.com/go/FKdadZT , where you will find a list of volunteer opportunities, times needed, and number of volunteers needed for each opportunity. 
 
NTRA residents are invited to show their support for this event! If you would like a yard sign or a purple ribbon to place in front of your home, please email your name and street address to sommer3553@gmail.com by September 30. The quantities of signs and ribbons are TBD, so you may get one or the other, or both!
 
We will be doing additional decorating along the Walk route! If you would like to volunteer to help “purple up” our streets, please email sommer3553@gmail.com by September 30, and I will add you to the volunteer list.
 
Posted on September 1, 2024 6:55 AM by Town Crier Staff
Categories: General, NTRA Business
 
2024 is a Presidential election year and all citizens are encouraged to vote. 
 
New to James City County?  You can register to vote online, in person or by mail.  The last day to register is Tuesday, October 15, 2024. Here is the JCC website with all the details including links if you just need to update your name or local address: https://jamescitycountyva.gov/4015/Register-to-Vote-or-Update-Information
Early voting for the Presidential Election starts on Friday, September 20 and will end on Saturday, November 2. Early in-person voting will be held only at the Office of Elections/Vote Center: 4095 Ironbound Road located behind the JCC Courthouse.  
 
New Town’s precinct is Jamestown B and on November 5, Election Day from 6am to 7PM all New Town registered voters can vote at the JCC Recreation Center, 5301 Longhill Road.
 
All of James City County is located in US Congressional District 1.
 
For more voting information here is a link to Office of Elections.
 
Political Signs – As a reminder, the New Town Residential Association rules permit ONE sign per lot, “not more than 6 feet square expressing support or opposition to political candidates” or other ballot issues. Signs may be placed starting September 6th (60 days before the election) and “shall be removed within 2 days after such election”.  (NTRA Rules, Section II, 36c
Posted on September 1, 2024 6:45 AM by Eden Glenn
For many of us in New Town, our porch may be a sunny place for potted plants, a dry place for Amazon deliveries, or a comfortable space to sit and relax.  Porches have been around for many years, but they started to really take off in the 19th century in America as a means of extending the inside of a house to the outside.  Porches contributed to the sense of community, as neighbors gathered together in the evenings, especially in the summer months to escape the indoor heat.
 
Not every residence in New Town is fortunate to have a porch large enough for socializing, but there is a role every resident can play in building a sense of community nevertheless.  On the second Saturday of each month, porches throughout New Town become the focal point for food donations.  Non-perishable food items are left on porches (by 9 AM) for volunteers to collect and deliver to local food pantries.  It’s a simple process that has a profound impact on addressing hunger in our greater Williamsburg community.
 
New Town is participating in these monthly food drives through PORCH Communities, a grass roots organization focusing on hunger relief.  The organization coordinates over 2,000 volunteers representing 550 communities, across 10 states.  In the two months since New Town joined PORCH, volunteers in green shirts have collected 1,243 pounds of food from New Town porches. This just proves that neighborhoods such as ours don’t need large, wrap-around covered porches to create a sense of community.
 
When you see the green PORCH signs go up each month, please remember the role porches have played in bringing people together in building community and help us put our porches to good use in bringing New Town together to fight hunger.
 
Mark your calendars, the next PORCH food drives will be September 14, October 12, November 9 and December 14.
Posted on August 1, 2024 6:55 AM by Eden Glenn
 
Last month, 51 homes in New Town donated 550 pounds of non-perishable food. Donations were left on front porches and collected and delivered to Williamsburg House of Mercy for its food pantry. Contributions by neighborhood were as follows: Abbey Commons 40 pounds, Chelsea Green 35 pounds, Charlotte Park townhomes 40 pounds, Charlotte Park detached homes 231 pounds, Village Wall 111 pounds, and Shirley Park, 93 pounds.
 
New Town is participating in monthly food drives through PORCH, a grass-roots organization focused on addressing food insecurity in communities across the US.  Next month’s drive will take place on Saturday, August 10th with donations going to FISH.  Look for an e-blast that week indicating what food items FISH needs the most for its food pantry.  Place donations by your front door by 9 AM and PORCH volunteers (all residents of New Town) will pick up and deliver to FISH.
 
Thank you, New Town, for giving back to the greater Williamsburg community through your generous donations. Remember, we collect on the 2nd Saturday of the month, so consider getting in the habit of putting a bag on your porch for those in need. 
 
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