For those of you not on the Batesville Store email list:

THE DREAM HAS DIED . . . . LONG LIVE THE DREAM!

?
Dear Friends of The Batesville Store,
 
Since June 10, the day that state regulators forced us to suspend our operations, we have set one goal for ourselves–re-opening The Batesville Store. The pursuit of that goal has not been easy, and there have been numerous times when we’ve talked about giving up. But then we would recall the astonishing support that we have received from our friends and neighbors in the community, and it would inspire and motivate us all over again.
 
We received more than seven hundred fifty emails of support. We heard personally from many of you. We received old-fashioned letters by way of snail mail. We read what you wrote on Facebook. We held onto the petition that more than five hundred of you signed the weekend after we closed.
 
How could we have turned our backs on all this?
 
We weren’t the only folks who heard from you. Local and state politicians were inundated with emails and phone calls. So too were county and state regulators. The public made their views known–and then some!
 
And you know what? It made a huge difference. 
Shortly after our closing, Ann Mallek, the supervisor from the White Hall District, contacted us and offered her support. Ann has spoken of her commitment to working with rural communities to help them maintain and enhance their quality of life, and she means it. She has been awesome.
 
Within a matter of days, she arranged for us to meet with Ron Higgins from the County’s Zoning Department; Jeff McDaniel, the head of the local district of the Virginia Department of Health; and two of Jeff’s associates, Eric Meyers and Billy Craun. By the end of the meeting, we had come up with a plan, signed off on by Albemarle County and the Health Department, that would have enabled us to re-open The Batesville Store with only some minor modifications. Huge kudos to all these government officials for their willingness to work with us to craft a feasible plan. It was an excellent collaboration.
 
However . . . .
 
Yes, you’ve probably already guessed that there was a “however” coming.
 
However . . .
 
We lease the building in which we created The Batesville Store. Unfortunately, our landlord recently informed us that he will not allow us to make the changes that the county and the state require if we are to restore our operation. The landlord understands that this will likely mean that the building will only be permitted to house a convenience store which has limited seating and does little more than provide groceries for the immediate neighborhood. ? ?We obviously do not agree that this is the best use for the building, nor do we believe that it takes into account its historical role, which was to serve as the hub of the community and the home to many different enterprises and activities.  
 
But it is our landlord’s building, and ultimately he has the final say.
 
Thus, we come to you with the sad news that we are not going to be able to revive the small slice of heaven known as The Batesville Store.
 
But–call us crazy, and haven’t you done so many times before?!–we still haven’t given up on our dream of making the magic happen again.
 
Yes, dear denizens of our future store, we are now seeking another building in which we can replicate what we achieved in Batesville. We have searched all over the region and have come across some interesting spaces. One building in particular has captured our attention–and our imagination. We feel that we can make great things happen there.
 
Acquiring a new place is not going to be easy, nor is it going to happen overnight.
 
But we believe that we can make it happen, and if we do, you will have a new space to hang out in–a place where you can enjoy Liza’s great comfort food and baked goods, kick back to awesome local music, and participate in the life of the community.
 
So stay tuned! We promise that if we are able to turn our dream into a reality, you will be the first to know!
 
Fondly,
 
Cid and Liza

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Update 13 June – Perhaps the best explanation comes from a Newsplex comment:

If you take time to read the letter provided by the Batesville Store to its clients, which is linked in the story, the reason for closing is clearly explained. They had been operating as a country store and were under the governance of the state’s Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. However, it was determined that the store did too much business to remain a country store. The only option available was for them to become a restaurant and to comply with all Virginia Health Department regulations. The owners state in their letter that the requiremetn (sic)to operate as a restaurant was not viable for many reasons.

Update 12 June: See the bottom of this post for new from the Batesville Store that they are closing. For good. Surely the State could find a way to make this work for the good of the Batesville community.

Update 12 June #2 – cvillenews has more insight.

Update 11 June: The Newsplex reports:

A store employee told CBS19 that the reason behind the shutdown wasn’t a health issue, but a safety issue. He says the store had exceeded their seating capacity.

A country store is allowed to have 15 total seats by law, but The Batesville Store has over 40. The employee was frustrated saying that the Health Department hadn’t given them a warning.

Surely someone in Batesville can shed some light on this. The Batesville Store is fantastic – the food, ambiance, smells, location, beer, music … it would be a tremendous shame if it were to be shut down by the State of Virginia.

Just received via email …

Dear Friends of The Batesville Store,

I have some sad news:

The Batesville Store is closed until further notice.

Earlier today two representatives from the state of Virginia showed up at the store without warning, informed us that we were not in compliance with certain state regulations, and basically gave us no choice except to close immediately.This came as a complete shock to Liza and me. We believed that we had been operating in compliance with all state regulations since we opened in April of 2007, and we received no indication otherwise from anyone representing the state.

In fact, we have been inspected regularly by Warren Ollinger, the representative from the state’s Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services who is responsible for inspecting the store, and he has always given us favorable reports on our operation. He never suggested in any way that we would encounter what happened today. The two representatives who showed up this afternoon told us that Mr. Ollinger initiated the complaint and the subsequent review that led to the decision to close us down.

Liza and I intend to explore this matter further. I will let you know by email about any important developments.

We cannot find words to thank you properly for your support for our humble establishment. So I hope a simple “thank you” will suffice for now.

Fondly,

Cid

Update 11 June 2011: From the Batesville Store:

MORE DETAILS ON THE CLOSING OF

THE BATESVILLE STORE

AND

HUGE BLOWOUT SALE BEGINS

SUNDAY, JUNE 12

NOON – 7:00 P.M.

Dear Fans of The Batesville Store,

As you know from yesterday’s email, the state has given us no option except to close The Batesville Store.

For the past five years, we’ve attempted to serve the community by keeping this classic, historic country store alive and thriving.Ironically, our success has proven to be our undoing.

Although we have always operated with an eye toward Virginia State Health Department guidelines (and have never been cited for a health code violation of any kind), we were in fact defined by the state as a country store and thus fell under the governance of the state’s Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. We were regularly inspected by the Ag Department and were never informed of any significant problems with our operations.

However, the state representatives who suddenly appeared yesterday afternoon and shut us down without warning told us that it was decided (note the passive voice, please) that we do too much business to remain a country store. They went on to say that our only option for remaining open was to convert the store into a restaurant that would comply with all Virginia Health Department regulations.

Our kitchen is basically in compliance with Health Department regulations now. But the legalities of the store’s historic status as well as the limitations of the building itself make it impossible for us to meet the state’s other requirements for operating a restaurant.

We would have to make a host of changes in the facility to stay open legally, but because of a combination of the law and practical realities, we cannot make those changes.

So much to our regret, we are closing The Batesville Store . . .

AND SAYING GOODBYE TO OUR WONDERFUL SUPPORTERS WITH A HUGE BLOWOUT SALE – TAKEAWAY ONLY (NO TABLE SERVICE)

The sale begins tomorrow–Sunday. We will open at noon and close at 7:00 p.m.

EVERYTHING EXCEPT BEER AND WINE IS 50% OFF THE STICKER PRICE

BEER AND WINE . . . BUY ONE, GET ONE OF EQUAL VALUE FOR 50% OFF

When we say “everything,” we mean EVERYTHING.

Everything from the deli and bakery. All of our drinks. All of our groceries. All of our baking and cooking supplies. All of our serving dishes and plastic products and cooking equipment. All of our tables and chairs. All of our baskets. All of our t-shirts and caps.

WE WILL ALSO BE OPEN MONDAY AND TUESDAY NEXT WEEK (OR UNTIL EVERYTHING GOES) FROM NOON UNTIL 7:00 P.M.

THIS IS YOUR LAST CHANCE TO GET
BATESVILLE STORE FOOD OR
A MOMENTO OF WHAT WAS GENERALLY REGARDED AS THE FINEST COMMERCIAL ESTABLISHMENT IN ALL OF BATESVILLE

Thank you once again for your ridiculously wonderful support since we opened in 2007.

Fondly,

Cid and Liza

Copyright RealCentralVA.com, LLC. If you like this post, please, visit RealCrozetVA.comwhere this was originally posted.

For those who aren’t in or not satisfied with Comcast or Sprint/Embarq/Centurylink whatever (DSL) – courtesy of the Batesville Store email list: (bolding mine)

Dear Friends of The Batesville Store,

I am writing to you today about the launch of Batesville Broadband, a privately owned and operated company that will bring affordable high-speed Internet service to western Albemarle and northern Nelson counties.

If you are satisfied with your current Internet service provider, do not live in the areas listed below, or simply do not want high-speed Internet access, please accept my apologies for annoying you with this email.

If you are seeking affordable high-speed Internet access, however, please read on for information about the service, including a list of the areas that Batesville Broadband will cover in the coming months.

But first:

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO LEARN ABOUT BATESVILLE BROADBAND IN GREATER DETAIL, PLEASE COME TO AN OPEN HOUSE AT THE STORE THIS SUNDAY, JUNE 20, FROM 4:00 P.M. TO 6:00 P.M.

I will be joined at the Open House by Miguel Laboy, the project’s lead technician, and Whitt Whitaker, our chief installer and head of technical support. After a brief presentation, we will answer questions.

IF YOU CANNOT MAKE IT TO THE OPEN HOUSE BUT WOULD STILL LIKE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT BATESVILLE BROADBAND, PLEASE RESPOND TO THIS EMAIL WITH YOUR NAME, PHYSICAL STREET ADDRESS, AND PHONE NUMBER. (Editor’s Note: email address is cid **AT** thebatesvillestore –DOT — com)

Here are some key features of Batesville Broadband:

– In the coming months, we intend to cover these areas: Batesville, North Garden, Greenwood, Plank Road West, Craig’s Store Road, The Batesville Road, Miller School Road, Ivy, Route 151, Afton, Avon, Nellysford, Crozet, White Hall, Free Union, Covesville, and Lovingston.

– We will take subscriptions as early as this Sunday and begin installing the service next week.

– For a monthly fee of $59.95, two computers in a house will have access to the Internet through Batesville Broadband’s password-protected web portal. Access for each additional computer costs $7.50 a month. The monthly fee also covers the subscriber’s lease of the equipment. There is a one-time installation fee of $99.00

– Payment is month-to-month. There are no long-term contract obligations. If a subscriber decides to drop the service, there are no hidden or additional costs. If a subscriber does not wish to use the service in any given month, no payment is required. A subscriber can re-activate the service at any time without penalty.

– The service uses a combination of ultra-high-speed T – 1 lines and state-of-the-art wireless technology to create a web of access points. Clear line of sight to the southern sky is not required, nor do houses need to be wired with fiber optic or other expensive direct cables.

– Batesville Broadband does not require dish receivers of any kind. The equipment used in most installations has virtually no visual footprint. A small outside antenna and an even smaller interior receiver will be sufficient in most cases. More difficult installations might require the use of a narrow green pole that is bracketed to a tree and has a small antenna at the top.

– Tests of the system show consistent, symmetrical upload and download speeds of 1.2 to 1.45 megabytes with latencies ranging from 12 ms to 50 ms. “YouTube” videos download without buffering. The low latency makes for great online gaming.

– Subscribers will not have to deal in any way with a phone company, cable company or satellite Internet service provider. Liza and I own the company. We have no silent partners or private investors. I will be managing the project. All of our technicians, installers, and tech support specialists have local ties.

– Subscribers with service problems will not be routed through an auto-menu or have their calls answered by someone overseas. Tech support will be handled locally.

– The service will allow for Virtual Private Networks, and within a matter of months, Batesville Broadband intends to offer VOIP, an Internet-based phone service.

Liza and I have lived in Batesville for twenty-four years and know from experience that as high-speed Internet access has become a virtual necessity of life, finding an affordable, reliable method for gaining that access in a rural community has remained virtually impossible.

We have tried dial-up, two different satellite services, and a cell phone company’s portable broadband system, and we’ve found all of them to be severely wanting. It seems that every few months the phone company promises that DSL is coming our way “very soon.” The area’s electric coop has been touting its “Internet Over the Electrical Lines” project for close to ten years. People tell us that cell phone cards work okay—when they are not glitching out or slowing to dial-up speed.

We have heard the sales spiels, subscribed to the services, dealt with remote tech support call centers, and torn our hair out as the “latest solution” has turned out to be little more than the most recent problem. In other words, we’ve experienced what many of you have experienced—and it’s not fun.

So I decided to take matters into my own hands and develop an Internet service that actually worked—and that my friends, neighbors, and I could have some say in, some control over. I believe that I have found this in Batesville Broadband.

I am looking forward to discussing the project further with you Sunday.

Fondly,

Cid

Copyright RealCentralVA.com, LLC. If you like this post, please, visit RealCrozetVA.comwhere this was originally posted.

I can’t help but publicize the Batesville Store’s writing. It makes me want to go this weekend. This is their weekly newsletter:

Dear Friends of The Batesville Store,

Relax. Kick back in your chair and plop your feet on the desk. Take a deep breath. Close your eyes. Imagine:

The cool of a cold beverage pressed against your cheek. The riot of fragrances wafting from the garden. The clattering of Little Leaguers’ cleats on concrete and the cicada-like chatter of the infielders. The sounds of music from outdoor parties floating in the air late into the night.

And then, repeat after me:

Summer . . . never . . . ends . . . never ends . . . never. . . ends . . . never . . .

And it doesn’t—not at The Batesville Store. Don’t believe me? Then check out our “Fourth of July” Cookout this Saturday evening from 6:00 p.m. till 9:00 p.m.

Getting us all in the mood will be the great high school rock band, Wille DE and the Wave. Featuring Batesville’s own Willie Denton-Edmundson on lead guitar and vocals, the quartet performs regularly at Floyd Fest, the most acclaimed rock festival in the Southeast, and won first place in the 2009 “Virginia Got Talent” competition. These kids are good. Very. Good.

While The Wave rocks inside, Kyle will be outside with the Char-Broil, grilling up a whole mess of burgers, veggie burgers, hot dogs, chicken, and veggie kabobs.

Meanwhile, Liza and Roberta will be lining up the farm table with cole slaw, potato salad, mac & cheese, baked beans, and roasted potatoes.

Plunk down 10 bucks (8 dollars for kids under 10) and you can eat and eat and eat . . . till summer (never) ends.

And if you are looking for something cool to beat the heat, we will have Sierra Nevada and Yuengling on tap as well as our usual selection of wines.

So climb into your shorts, put on your favorite tee, slip on your sandals, and head on down to the store. It’ll be a hot time in the old town Saturday night—don’t be left out in the cold.

Fondly,

Cid

Copyright RealCentralVA.com, LLC. If you like this post, please, visit RealCrozetVA.comwhere this was originally posted.

I’ve been showing property in and around Batesville quite a bit for the past several weeks; thanks to this I’ve had occasion to re-acquaint myself with the Batesville Store.

A reminder: it’s outstanding. If you’ve been recently, what do you think?

Albemarle Farmer likes the Batesville Store.

From their most recent email blast:

Our featured musicians this Saturday evening are Laura Wortman and Kagey Parrish, aka The Honey Dewdrops, who won first place in The Prairie Home Companion’s “People in Their Twenties” National Talent Show in 2008. Laura grew up in Batesville, and she and Kagey now live in Scottsville when they aren’t touring the country. We’d like to celebrate these true local favorites by putting out a buffet of Batesville Store local favorites—and I’m hoping that you will help us decide what to serve.

So I’m writing to you with a simple question:

What are your two favorite food items at the store?

You can nominate anything that can be eaten: a deli sandwich, a comfort food dish or smoked meat, a particular dessert, a deli side or variety of soup, a kind of bread, a flavor of ice cream . . . .

It’d also be great if you’d be willing to write a few words letting us know why each is a favorite. If we feature your comment at Saturday’s buffet, you will receive a $5.00 store credit.

Thanks so much for your help!

Fondly,

Cid

Copyright RealCentralVA.com, LLC. If you like this post, please, visit RealCrozetVA.comwhere this was originally posted.