sports
NEWs
W&L Boys Soccer players join all-state team Page 4
T he Volume 39, Number 27
Council modifies Town zoning regulations Page 4
News
St. Elizabeth’s to host bazaar for July 4 page 8
POSTAL CUSTOMER
Colonial Beach • Westmoreland
Wednesday, July 1, 2015 50 Cents
helping you relate to your community
Beach plans July 4th spectacular Linda Farneth Come celebrate America's 239th year of independence in Colonial Beach. Stroll the beach, swim, kayak, ski or boat in the waters of the Potomac River or Monroe Bay. July 4 will include a variety of events in and around Colonial Beach this year. St. Elizabeth Catholic Church Bazaar, will hold a Yard Sale and Raffle from 8 am to 3 pm at 12 Lossing Ave. The Colonial Beach Dragstrip located just a few miles outside Colonial Beach on Route 205 (2035 James Monroe Highway) will host Larry T's Fourth of July Drag Race on the Fourth. Races will include Test and Tune Grudge and Match Racing, Super Pro Foot Brake, Motorcycle and Jr. Dragster. The Colonial Beach Volunteer Fire Department will hold its 2nd Annual Shrimp Festival at the Fire House located at 312 Colonial Ave. Feast indoors or out from 4-7 p.m. Sides include corn on the cob, coleslaw & hush puppies. A beer truck will be on sight for adult beverages
(sold separately), so don't forget your ID Come on out and support your hard working volunteer firefighters while enjoying a great meal. Stratford Hall will host Lee's and Independence Family Fun Festival from 9:30 am to 5 pm. Admission is free. Family-friendly activities include; barrel-train rides, miniature farm animals, free sketches by local artist, colonial costume dress-up, scavenger hunt, face painting, colonial music and 18th century games. The Great House will be open for tours from 10 am to 4 pm, and the gift shop will open until 5 pm and the gristmill will operate until 4 pm. The Dining Room at the Inn at Stratford Hall will be open for lunch from 11 am to 3 pm. Visitors are encouraged to bring picnic lunches, blankets, chairs, etc.; coolers welcome (no alcohol, please). Several picnic tables are available near the Visitor Center and at the overlook. Stratford Hall, Birthplace of Robert E. Lee, is located six miles northwest of Montross, just off State Route 3 on
Route 214 at 483Great House Road. Of course the main attraction is Colonial Beach's famous fireworks on the Municipal Pier starting just after dark. In recent years surrounding locations have stopped shooting fireworks to save revenues. Colonial Beach however has continued to host Fourth of July fireworks. Stake out a spot on the beach, browse shops and eat at the many local restaurants that feature a variety of cuisine including many seafood restaurants. Public parking is offered in several locations by the hour or daily. One pass will allow cars to park in any Kiosk lot throughout the Beach. Passes are not specific to each lot so motorist are free to change lots throughout the day. Street parking along Washington and Colonial Ave is usually restricted to allow for double lane traffic to exit Colonial Beach after the fireworks. Stake out a good spot on the beach or watch the fireworks show from your vessel in the waters of the Potomac River.
File photo by Richard Leggitt
Fireworks light the sky at Colonial Beach Municipal Pier during the town’s 2014 Fourth of July celebration.
Montross to mark Fourth of July with Art Walk and Market Days Richard Leggitt Montross is planning a celebratory Independence Day festival with music, an Art Walk and a busy Market Day. The Greater Montross Partnership for Revitalization announced plans for the events on July 3-4 as part of its First Friday Art Walk & Music Series and First Saturday Market Days. “Shops and restaurants in the downtown area will be open late and live music and a wine garden will be on the green space between Carrot Cottage and Bridget’s Bouquet,” said Terry Cosgrove, spokesman for the revitalization partnership. The Fourth of July festivities will be highlighted on Friday, July 3rd with Americana music by Resolutions Road and the folk music of D.B. Bowen in the green space
dine and see old friends or make new friends,” said Cosgrove, who owns the popular Art of Coffee with his wife, Holly. “The Carrot Cottage kicks off a four day sale on July 2nd and is hosting local artist Sally Lewis, Jewel Hudson Pottery, and Star Harvest Farm handmade soaps,” Cosgrove said. Montross restaurants will be open for a variety of dining options or provide take out so residents and visitors to the town during the holiday weekend can listen to the music and enjoy other events – Terry Cosgrove, Greater Montross from a lawn chair or blanket. Partnership for Revitalization Saturday, the Fourth of July, Montross Market Day on the lawn of the old courthouse garden set up by The Hague Winery will feature fresh cheeses, locally and visits to business including the made soaps, art and produce. This is the third year of Montross art and antique shops and eateries Market Days. located in downtown Montross. “The Montross Art Walk is a great opportunity to walk the village, shop, between Bridget’s Bouquets and the Carrot Cottage on King’s Highway, across from the old Westmoreland Courthouse. The First Friday event will run from 6-8:30 p.m. and will include a wine
“The Montross Art Walk is a great opportunity to walk the village, shop, dine and see old friends or make new friends.”
Colonial Beach Council Colonial Beach, Dewberry approves 6-cent tax increase win nod for utility repair Linda Farneth The Colonial Beach Town Council has approved the advertised budget for the 2015-16 fiscal year. The council did so at its June 25 work session. The budget will be balanced in part by a 6 percent real estate tax increase passed by the council at a meeting a week earlier and by taking $200,000 from reserves. By taking these measures, the town will overcome a $400,000 budget shortfall, fully fund the school system’s request for local money and allow work to begin on building a permanent elementary school. Two cents of the real estate tax increase has been earmarked for building of a new elementary school. Children are currently attending school in modular units. The Colonial
Beach School Division has plans to replace the current facility with a two-story permanent structure. The new structure will sit at the First Street campus, and installation will take place without the need to displace students now attending classes in either the high school building or the elementary mod pods. The elementary students were moved to the First Street location in the beginning of the 2014-15 school year after a fire gutted a large twostory structure at the Douglas Street campus in January 2014. The Douglas Campus property is being turned over to the town. The buildings are slated for demolition, and the property will be marketed by the town. Proceeds from the sale of the Douglas Avenue property will help fund construction of the new elementary school.
All money from the insurance settlement from the burned out building has been used for both the relocation of the elementary students and repairs to the high school at First Street. The council also took action at the work session to provide for separate accounting to track the taxes collected that are earmarked for the building of a new school. Money from property sales will also be placed in this line item. The council approved an amendment to the current Fiscal Year 2014-15 budget to include a $44,000 Safety Grant from the Department of Education for the installation of school security equipment. The next regular council meeting is scheduled for July 9 at 7 p.m. at the Colonial Beach Town Center, located at 22 Washington Ave.
Linda Farneth Colonial Beach has won recognition for its creative financing to solve sewer inflow and infiltration problems for the town. Since 1990 the town has tried to find a solution to the high inflow and infiltration of rain water into the municipal sewer system. During heavy rain storms the town’s wastewater treatment plant can become inundated with runoff, which the town has to filter and sanitize before discharging. The project project has grabbed the attention of the Virginia Section American Water Works Association and the Virginia Water Environment Association. To the average citizen its not as glamorous as it sounds, but to Colonial Beach Town Manager Val
Foulds, having the I and I project’s financing techniques, selected for presentation at the 2015 WaterJAM is music to her ears. 2015 WaterJAM sounds like an aquatic mix of music and fun, but it has nothing to do with music. WaterJAM is the Joint Annual Meeting of the Virginia Section American Water Works Association and the Virginia Water Environment Association. Since 2002, WaterJAM has provided numerous technical growth opportunities covering the latest industrial trends, as well as a variety of social endeavors for all attendees. The Exhibit Hall features more than 175 exhibit booths and hands-on demonstration trailers showcasing the latest in water and wastewater technology, equipment
Now you can follow local breaking news daily on our website at www.journalpress.com
and services. Heather A. Campbell is a project manager for Dewberry, Colonial Beach’s consulting engineers. Campbell has been selected as a speaker for the 2015 WaterJAM Joint Annual Meeting to be held at the Virginia Beach Convention Center in September. Campbell submitted an abstract of the work and financial hardships facing Colonial Beach with regards to inflow and infiltration. The paper is entitled “No Budget to Fix I/I?: Techniques to Maximize Effect and Minimize Cost.” Campbell reported that in See WATERJAM, page 8