Town Crier Articles

Posted on February 1, 2024 6:45 AM by NTRA Activities Committee
Categories: Life in New Town
 
In February – William and Mary Women’s Basketball Game and Pizza
 
Are you looking for a fun winter weekend activity?   On Sunday February 25, the Activities Committee is sponsoring a New Town College of William and Mary Women’s  Basketball Day at Kaplan Area at the 1:00 game against Hampton University.   Discounted tickets for this game will be available in advance.  Reserve yours today by contacting Jon Thomas: (914) 588-0335 jthomwm@gmail.com
 
Before the game New Town neighbors and their friends and family are invited to a reception at the arena at 11:45 with a FREE pizza lunch, raffles, and a speech by the coach.    
 
In March -  Easter Egg Hunt
 
The Activities Committee will be sponsoring an afternoon Easter Egg Hunt at Abbey Commons on Saturday, March 30, with a March 31 rain date.   There will be two separate egg hunts, one for younger children (up to age four) and one for older children (five and up).  All New Towners and friends and family are invited.  Even if you don’t have kids or grandkids, come and watch the fun.
 
Save these dates on your calendar and look for more details about each event through eblasts and signs.
Posted on February 1, 2024 6:45 AM by NTRA Emergency Preparedness Committee
 
The first step you can take to prepare for a potential emergency is to keep yourself informed.  One way you can do this is to sign-up for JCC Alert.  
 
JCC Alert is a system through which you are informed of imminent threats to health and safety as well as informational notifications that affect your locations or work environments.  
 
System administrators will send notifications regarding severe weather, flooding, water outages, and more.
JCC Alert emergency notification calls will show as 757-564-2165 on your caller ID and emergency.management@jamescitycountyva.gov in your e-mail. 
 
For additional information and to sign-up for JCC Alert go to https://www.jccalert.org/.
Posted on February 1, 2024 6:42 AM by Eden Glenn
 
Last year a group of New Town women organized several initiatives to “give back” to our James City County/Williamsburg community. Through residents' generous donations many bags of school supplies and more than 50 children’s winter coats were donated and provided to people in need. Thank you!
 
For the first quarter of this year, we will be holding a food drive -“Fill the Shelves”- to benefit those in need. Perhaps you saw the recent Virginia Gazette article outlining the challenges for those who are housed in locations without kitchens or appliances. https://www.dailypress.com/2024/01/24/helping-hands-volunteers-make-sure-meals-get-to-those-in-need/  It highlighted the reality of poverty in our area: “18.6% of people in Williamsburg are living in poverty, far exceeding Virginia’s statewide average of 10.6%.”  
 
 
Any collected non-perishable food will be donated to the House of Mercy and FISH for distribution. While all donations are appreciated, canned or packaged meat and fish (or other items providing protein) and grains (rice, cereals) are especially needed. We hope to have collection boxes accessible soon, but in the meantime, if you would like to contribute, contact Eden: edenaglenn@gmail.com or Gale: ladyhappy73@gmail.com.
 
Posted on February 1, 2024 6:40 AM by Liz Fones-Wolf, Activities Committee
 
On December 7th, New Towners started the holiday season at the second Holiday Bake-Off and Dessert Fest. They were greeted in the Legacy Hall lobby with a brightly decorated Christmas tree, and tables featuring holiday center pieces filled the room. The first part of the event was a juried baking contest with three categories:  cakes and cupcakes; cookies and bars, and a new youth category. 
 
Six New Town residents enjoyed serving as judges. About 70 attendees of all ages enjoyed watching the judging and applauded the winners.  
   
The second part of the event was the Dessert Fest during which New Towners got their sugar high tasting delicious samples from the Bake-Off’s submissions and also a wide array of other desserts from local bakeries. Sipping on coffee and tea, residents savored their desserts as they enjoyed conversation with tablemates and holiday music provided by Rick Richards.  
   
Just a few of the tasty entrants:
 
Intrepid judges table:
 
 
Here are our 2023 winners! In the cakes category, the first place winner was Brandy Scifres, second place was Craig Mervine, and third place was Tracy Waible.  In the cookie category, the first place winner was Brandy Scifres,  second place was Angela Lesnett, and third place was Anne Mapp. 
 
             
 
In the youth category, the first place winner was Vivian Waible, who was super excited about being selected, second place Ellie Liscastro, and third place was a tie between Anouk Mapp and Mathew Hale. All who placed were awarded with ribbons and first place winners won gift certificates, compliments of the New Town Commercial Association.  
 
 
For Brandy Scifres, who certainly demonstrated her baking skills, “the Holiday Dessert Fest and Bake Off was such a cool event that brings the community together.”  She also thanked the HOA volunteers for all the effort they put into hosting the gathering, observing that "they do this for free so that everyone can enjoy a little sweetness in December, what a beautiful gift!” All participants agreed that it was a sweet and fun event.
 
Posted on December 1, 2023 6:50 AM by Ruth Burgess, Board of Directors
Categories: NTRA Business
 
The Annual Election for the New Town Residential Association (NTRA) Board of Directors is about to begin.
 
This December the NTRA membership will elect three association members to our board of Directors and we have three declared candidates for those positions. Two of these candidates are completing their current two-year terms on the Board.  They are Jack Espinal and Everett Lunsford. Jack is currently our board President and Everett Lunsford, a board member at large, until recently was serving as the NTRA Treasurer. (Now, Everett is helping our new Treasurer, Sommer Wrona, become acclimated to the Treasurer role). Ross Iaci was appointed to the Board in October and is the third candidate. All three candidates have brought insights and skills from previous work experience and/or voluntary leadership roles in other organizations to our association’s Board of Directors. 
 
Brief descriptions of each are posted on the NTRA website Election page.
 
Voting begins electronically on Wednesday, December 6. Paper ballots (to be mailed) must be received at NTRA CBM office by December 12, or brought to the Legacy Hall on December 13 before the close of the 6:30 pm - 7pm Annual Meeting Registration time. Nominations will also be taken from the floor. You may proceed and vote early on the candidates that have been nominated or you can submit your vote during the meeting in case you want to vote for anyone who is nominated from the floor.
 
Since we currently have only 3 candidates for the 3 available Board positions, you may wonder why it is important for you to vote. Here are some reasons:
  1. If you choose to vote early, your early vote counts as early registration for the Annual Meeting and helps establish the quorum needed for the meeting. That’s even if you cannot be physically present at the Annual Meeting.
  2. If you bring your ballot to the Annual Meeting and submit it as you register, you have added one more expression to the ballot count while also helping to establish the needed quorum.
  3. If you want to use the “write-in” option on your ballot in order to vote for someone not on the ballot, you may do so.
  4. Everyone serving on the NTRA Board of Directors needs the kind of community affirmation that getting a significant number of votes in an election can provide. Those of us who in the past have may have been elected or appointed to any position in any organization perhaps can appreciate best how being “elected by a majority” makes one’s service and voice seem more legitimate.
So, please vote in the upcoming annual NTRA Board of Directors election by E-Z vote or a paper ballot. Plan also to attend the Annual Members Meeting at Legacy Hall on December 13 if your schedule allows you to do so. Registration begins at 6:30 pm for the 7 pm meeting. By attending this meeting, you will be participating directly in our association’s end-of-year decisions and you also will learn election results.
Posted on December 1, 2023 6:45 AM by Liz Fones-Wolf, Activities Committee
 
 
Join us for a Holiday Dessert Festival & Bake Off at Legacy Hall, Thursday, December 7, 6:00-8:00.  This event, which will help kick off the holiday season in New Town, includes a Bake Off and a Dessert Festival.  
 
The New Town Residential Association Activities Committee is seeking New Towners interested in competing in a baking contest featuring both holiday and non-holiday desserts. You don't need to be an outstanding baker to enter, just someone who enjoys baking.  On December 7 at Legacy Hall, Bake-Off participants will present their baked goods in three categories: bars/cookies and cakes/cupcakes, and a NEW youth category (bars/cookies/confectionary). New Town resident judges will pick winners, who will receive gift certificates.
 
New Towners who want to serve as judges or bake-off contestants need to pre-register on the NTRA website by tomorrow, December 2nd.
 
The entire community is invited to the Dessert Festival, where residents will have the opportunity to taste samples of the submitted baked goods as well as desserts from local bakeries. Coffee, tea and water will be provided in addition to the desserts, and there will be seating for attendees to relax with neighbors and new friends and enjoy the goodies. No registration is required to attend and sample! 
 
We look forward to another opportunity to gather with neighbors!  Remember, if you want to be a bake-off contestant or judge, make sure to register!
 
P.S. There will be a box at this event to collect any final donations for the Coats 4 Kids campaign (see related Crier story).
Posted on December 1, 2023 6:45 AM by Eden Glenn
As winter approaches and the temperature drops, 53 children in the Williamsburg area will have new winter coats to keep them warm thanks to the generosity of New Town residents.  Since October, a group of New Town neighbors has collected new and like-new coats for children of all ages who are in need.  
 
How much need is there in our greater Williamsburg community? The poverty rates in the city of Williamsburg and James City County are 15% and 7%, respectively. This translates to nearly 8,000 individuals, many of whom are children. Recognizing this need, several New Town neighbors initiated Coats 4 Kids.  
 
Recently, an initial batch of donated coats was delivered to Williamsburg House of Mercy and FISH, Inc.  These organizations were selected because of their respective missions and their capability of distributing coats to those most in need.  Williamsburg House of Mercy (https://williamsburghouseofmercy.org) provides supportive and emergency services to individuals experiencing homelessness as well as to those vulnerable individuals struggling to maintain housing.  FISH, Inc. (https://fishwilliamsburg.org) is an all-volunteer non-profit organization that maintains a Food Pantry and a Clothes Closet that serve area families in need.
 
   
 
Both of these organizations were very appreciative of the coats donated through our Coats 4 Kids initiative.  Individual donations of food and clothing are also much appreciated throughout the year.  Additionally, there are opportunities at each organization for interested individuals to volunteer their time and talents. Please visit their websites for more information.
 
Thank you to everyone who contributed to Coats 4 Kids.  The final opportunity for New Town neighbors to make a coat donation will be at the December 7th New Town Dessert Fest.  If you are unable to attend this event, but still wish to donate a new or like-new coat, you can make other arrangements by contacting Gale Hyatt (ladyhappy73@gmail.com) or Eden Glenn (edenaglenn@gmail.com.)  
Posted on November 1, 2023 7:00 AM by Patti Vaticano
 
The season of giving and gratitude is upon us, once more, despite a year filled with uncertainty, unrest, and second-guessing for many Americans.  The world seems too political and too fractured to bear, here at home and abroad.  Finding things to be grateful for is a bit of a scavenger hunt; at best, but there’s a curious fact about scavenger hunts:  If you stick with one, you will be amazed at the haul you can make.  You just have to look a little harder, in times like these.  There are, indeed, blessings—often many and considerable—for which to be grateful.  Parts of our country have been victimized by devastating by fires, floods, and storms, these past two seasons, while Hampton Roads has enjoyed relatively peaceful and sound weather, thus far this year.  Many countries have suffered violent political unrest; but our local elections this autumn, while charged, took place as they always have, with dedicated opponents able to freely speak their mind on issues and concerns.  Fall colors finally arrived, and local merchants stocked their shelves with everything familiar for this time of year, both a comfort and a reassurance that the year’s cycle has come round, once more, and that we are all still here and all is well.  Perhaps you can celebrate good health, or the nearness of those you love. Perhaps a new companion, or a successful new job.  Perhaps you have been gifted with great abundance in some way and have been given the grace to share it. Happy is the grateful and giving heart—but it must be cultivated and nurtured.
 
Hopefully, you can tend to that garden, this Thanksgiving, and during the joyous holidays to follow.
 
Happy Thanksgiving, New Town!
 
Holiday Riddle:  What genre of music did Pilgrims like best?
 
Curious Thanksgiving Info:  The largest pumpkin pie ever baked weighed 3,699 pounds and measured 20 feet in diameter. The Guiness World Records holding pie was baked in 2010 by the New Bremen Giant Pumpkin Growers in Ohio. It included a whopping 1,212 pounds of pumpkin, 109 gallons of evaporated milk, 2,796 eggs, 525 pounds of sugar, 7 pounds of salt and 14.5 pounds of cinnamon.
 
Historical Thanksgiving Fact:   The first Thanksgiving was celebrated in 1621 over a three-day harvest festival, including 50 Pilgrims and 90 Wampanoag Indians. It is believed by historians that only five women were present. Turkey wasn't on the menu.
Holiday Quote:  For me, every hour is grace. And I feel gratitude in my heart each time I can meet someone and look at his or her smile.   Elie Wiesel                                                                                                                           
Thanksgiving Blessing:   
O Thou, whose hand hath brought us
Unto this joyful day,
Accept our glad thanksgiving,
And listen as we pray.      Frederick W. Goadby
 
Holiday Hack:  Cooking with your Dishwasher.  Your dishwasher can steam your side veggies for the holiday. Take an airtight mason jar, add your vegetables, water, and seasonings, and you can cook them while washing a load of dishes.
For more holiday hacks like this, visit:  https://whatsupmoms.com/for-mom/thanksgiving-hacks-youll-wonder-how-you-ever-lived-without/
 
Recipe
Easy-Breezy Corn Casserole Side
can be made before hand and warmed at 300 degree F for 10-20 minutes the day of.  Can be frozen, as well.
 
Ingredients:  
  • 1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
  • 1 (14.75 ounce) can creamed corn
  • 1 (8.5 ounce) package dry cornbread mix
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • ½ cup butter, melted
  • 2 large eggs, beaten
Directions:
 
1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x9-inch baking dish.
 
2.  Mix whole and creamed corn, cornbread mix, sour cream, melted butter, and eggs together in a medium bowl until well combined. Spoon mixture into the prepared dish.
 
3.  Bake in the preheated oven until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes.
 
Black Friday Hack:   Create a strategic shopping plan to follow.  Itemize advertised deals before the holiday arrives and road map those stores offering the best coupons or offers. Then, shop early—and with a favorite buddy. Always makes for a fun time and a memorable event.
 
Pet Care:  Thanksgiving Pet Safety
  1. Keep the feast on the table—not under it. 
  2. No pie or other desserts for your pets.
  3. Yeast dough can cause problems for pets, including painful gas and potentially dangerous bloating.
  4. Put the trash away where your pets can't find it.
  5. Be careful with decorative plants. 
  6. Quick action can save lives. Call ASPCA Poison Control Hotline (888-426-4435) or the Pet Poison Helpline (855-764-7661) if the unthinkable happens
  7. Visitors can upset your pets. Be aware of potential confrontations.
  8. If guests have compromised immune systems, advise them of your pets so they can be prepared.  Advise them if you have exotic pets to make sure they will be comfortable having them around.
  9. Watch your exits.  Pets can easily escape during the festivities—and remember:  identification tags and microchips reunite families. Get your pets microchipped!
  10. Monitor your pets around holiday decorations—especially lit candles and ornamental foods, for obvious reasons.
From:  American Medical Veterinary Association https://www.avma.org/resources/pet-owners/petcare/thanksgiving-pet-safety
                                                             
Riddle Answer:  Plymouth Rock
Posted on November 1, 2023 6:55 AM by Liz Fones-Wolf, Activities Committee
 
New Town’s second Fall Festival got off to a rocky start with heavy rain on Saturday.  Our rain date, Sunday, started with ominous looking clouds and strong winds but slowly cleared up.  Still, during set up the obstacle course tunnels and squares repeatedly went flying across the Village Walk green.  Fortunately, by the 2:00 start time, Activities Committee members had everything battened down and the witches, ghosts, pumpkins and skeletons and bats decorating the trees no long threatened to fly away.
 
Residents enjoyed popcorn, candy, Halloween decorated cookies, and cider as they ambled around the green taking in the fun of an old-fashioned fall festival which featured games and races, an obstacle course, pumpkin painting, and New Town’s version of a cake walk.  Parents relished watching their kids exhaust themselves as they ran or toddled from the toss games-pitching balls, bean bags and disks at Halloween buckets, a shark, and other objects-to the races and then to the obstacle course, where they crawled through tunnels, maneuvered through a long line of boxes and stretching themselves doing the limbo by bending backwards under a pole. Children particularly enjoyed receiving candy for every game or race they attempted and getting a ticket to pick from the prize bucket when they won. 
 
Pie Face Showdown and the Cake Walk were again crowd favorites.  In Pie Face, two kids competed at pounding a button to see who could be the first to get a lever attached to a hand to toss whipped on their opponent’s face.  The “loser” happily licked the whipped cream off their cheeks and vowed to win at their next try.  The Cake Walk, similar to musical chairs, had children and adults walking to music in a large circle around fourteen numbered signs decorated with images of fall and Halloween, competing to win a giant cookie cake.  New this year was a Halloween pumpkin egg hunt, which had kids scrambling through the bushes and reaching up to the trees for their treats.
 
Adults joined in the fun playing cornhole and croquet, painting pumpkins, and laughing as they raced their kids in old-fashioned flour sacks and in a competition requiring and contestants to run across the green with grabbers to pick up small objects and run back to the start.  It was of course enjoyable watching all the children, teens and grown ups having fun outside.
 
In fact, we had so many photo contributions from this event, that we've created a new NTRA website photo album.  You can view all the fun photos here (only a small sample is shown below.)
 
Many thanks to our 15 New Town volunteers, including members of the Activities Committee and their families, who made the event possible.
 
The next Activities Committee event is the Holiday Bake-Off and Dessert Fest on Thursday, December 7 at Legacy Hall.  (See related Town Crier article).
 
     
 
          
Posted on November 1, 2023 6:50 AM by NTRA Board of Directors
Categories: NTRA Business
 
Have you been thinking about serving on the New Town Residential Association Board, but think someone else is more qualified or likely to run?  We still need applicants for this election!    
 
Here are 6 reasons to run for one of the three upcoming vacancies on the NTRA Board of Directors for the 2024-2025 term:
 
1.   Safeguard our property values       
          
2.   Solve problems
 
3.   Help fellow owners
 
4.   Learn about a wide range of issues
 
5.   Change the rules to improve operations
 
6.   Build community and meet new people
 
Submit your application by November 20, 2023 to ntrasecretary@gmail.com. Your one-page application should contain:
  • 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 NTRA Board of Directors
Note:  All candidates must be owners in good standing with no outstanding dues or other violations. All owners are encouraged to apply. (Incumbent members of the 2024 Board are from Charlotte Park and Village Walk.)
 
Board terms are for 2 years. Candidate information will be posted on the NTRA website through the election period for Members to review before voting.