Crozet Archives - Page 181 of 214

January 29, 2009January 26, 2009

News From Henley Middle School

I’m going to be re-publishing parts of the Henley Middle School Newsletter, as much of their news is relevant to all residents of Crozet and Western Albemarle, not just parents and students. This is not the entire newsletter; for example, I have omitted the part about student drop-off, as that is not particularly relevant to the wider community. But … the fundraising for the schools’ solar panels certainly does impact the entire community.

Operation Snowflake – Book Collection

Operation Snowflake is a project to provide a young child with a precious gift, the joy of reading. Most of us can buy a book when we want, or at least borrow one from the school or classroom library, but many preschool children cannot do so. At the time, when it is really important for them to have books to develop as readers, they often do not have ready access to them. This is where Operation Snowflake comes to play. Between now and January 30, we will be collecting new and very gently used (no torn or wrinkled pages, pencil marks, etc) children’s books to donate to local Head Start children. The books will be distributed to kids in the Western Albemarle feeder pattern first and to other areas if we collect more than needed for our area. The project does not involve extra credit or competition for prizes. We are taking part in Operation Snowflake because we care about the children in our community, and we want them to enjoy reading and to be successful in school. If you have any books to donate please take them to Mr. Chuck Miller in Room 36 or leave them in the mailroom in his mailbox. Questions contact Mr. Miller mailto:[email protected].

Green News

Three Green Things is an effort on behalf of the Henley Environmental Club, Youth Leadership Initiative, and Student Council Association to encourage our fellow students to think of small decisions we can make each day that benefit our environment.

But we want everyone to get involved too! The plan is to pay it forward by having a small group of students invite more students to join, who will in turn take the experiment outside of our school and into the community, involving parents, siblings, family members and so on.

Your student will be bringing home pledge cards. On the back are suggestions about small environmental changes we can all make. Or you can visit our website to see an expanded list or to download additional pledge cards. Join the movement today!

Magazine Recycling is here! Many parents expressed concerns during our last Magazine Drive about the environmental impact of all those magazines. PATSO parents wisely decided that we could minimize that impact providing magazine recycling at Henley. Mr. Scott and students have built us an excellent collection box so weâ€™re ready to go. If you have old magazines that you arenâ€™t otherwise recycling, you can drop them off at the Henley library and we will share them with teachers who need them for class projects and our volunteers will take the rest of them to the recycling center. Note: We can only take magazines.

Henley Hoops 4 Heart Celebration

Students from Henley Middle School will be participating in a Hoops 4 Heart event during physical education classes on February 12th and 13th. During regularly scheduled classes, students will be celebrating their health and wellness by participating in fun events related to basketball skills, volleyball, speed stacking, and jumping rope. The purpose of the event is to signify the direct correlation between exercise and wellness with an added incentive to raise funds as a community for the American Heart Association. The fundraising component is optional.

We are thrilled offer this event as a school-wide community service project. All students will have the opportunity to share healthy snacks, exercise, play games, and celebrate their health while promoting the messages related to heart disease prevention.

The American Heart Association will provide thank you gifts to all participating in the fundraising option.

As an added incentive, students will be selecting “Heart Healthy Teams”, dress up in red for the day, and be eligible for bonus raffle prizes.

We are hoping to defray the cost of snacks and decorations with donations from parents and friends. Any assistance is greatly appreciated.

If you have any questions or can help with snacks or decorations please contact:

Tessa M. Pehanick, NBCT
Lead Teacher, HPE
Henley Middle School
434-823-4393

Golf Tournament Coming

To raise funds for our solar panels we invite all to participate in our Let the Sun Shine Golf Tournament which will be held in early June at Old Trail. We are looking for interested players/teams. Also, we are looking for businesses in the community who would like to sponsor our effort in any way. If you would like to learn more about our tournament, contact Mary Beth Kooken.

Journey Through Hallowed Ground

In conjunction with the UVA Summer Enrichment Program, this is a unique course for rising 9th graders. Students will participate in a leadership immersion program that places students where pivotal decisions shaped our nation. Students will look at the consequences of these decisions and others as they hike, bike, canoe and pod along this historic JTHG trail. Students may be eligible for a full scholarship! Visit http://www.hallowedground.org/ for more details. Applications are due February 15.

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Mark Your Calendar

January 26, Monday – 7 PM – Meeting to Discuss Proposed Schedule Change – Henley Library

January 27, Tuesday – 6:30 PM – School Board Budget Public Hearing

February 2, Monday – 7 PM – PATSO Meeting

February 13, Friday – Valentine Dance 4:00 – 6:00 PM

February 16, Monday – NO SCHOOL (Make-up day #2)

February 17, Tuesday – NO SCHOOL (Make-up day #1)

February 19, Thursday – Parent Teacher Conferences

[Click here for the 2008-09 school year calendar PDF]

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Links

The Henley website

Parent Council

The School Division website

January 26, 2009

Comcast, Embarq or Verizon?

From a reader seeking refuge from Comcast’s recent price updates:

I called Verizon and I called Embarq. The Embarq rep I spoke to said they offered phone service but not DSL. Verizon said they did not even have the 22932 zip code in their database so no phone service or DSL.

Im relatively sure that when Embarq was Sprint they offered DSL, but maybe when they spun off local service into Embarq they did away with DSL. Im going to contact their business rep. Sometimes the business side is a bit more efficient.

We mostly left Comcast because of the latest rate increase. I believe we are paying $137 with comcast for a basic cable package with HD channels and DVR..no movie channels plus high speed internet access. The HD routinely messes up during high peak hours

Direct TV is offering a package for $43/month for the first year and then $59.99/mo for the following year. Thats not counting the $80 off the first bill.

If we cant get DSL then we will just stay with comcast internet. They do offer it as a stand alone service.

How odd – Embarq’s website says they offer DSL, and my neighbor has had Embarq for years. But I certainly empathize with him regarding Comcast’s rate increases – they seem to increase every year at rates far in excess of inflation.

January 23, 2009

Late Snail Mail in Crozet?

From a reader:

Today is 1/22/09. I just received an Embarq bill that was mailed 12/19/08. I also received a personal letter that took 11 days from Secaucus NJ. Both letters were properly addressed with zip code, and there was no indication on the envelopes that the mail had been misdirected or lost. Is anyone else experiencing extremely slow receipt of mail?

January 21, 2009

Washington Post Notices Our Beer

Of course, readers of RealCrozetVa already knew about our fine breweries in Western Albemarle and Nelson. Read the Post’s take.

January 20, 2009April 27, 2009

Trailside Coffee in Crozet

Trailside Coffee in Crozet

Originally uploaded by jimduncancville

The kiosk and location are temporary (in the Old Trail golf shop) but the coffee’s good. I think that coffee shops are becoming, if they have not already become, the new community hubs. I’m grateful to finally have one in Crozet.

Marcia, the owner and operator told me a few weeks ago that she “wants people to drive from Charlottesville to Crozset” just for the coffee.

Update on Recycling in Crozet

Just received from the Crozet Community Association listserv:

Dear CCA members,

At the last CCA meeting, members discussed the continue need for a Crozet recycling center as envisioned in the master plan. I agreed to gather information on the center and other recycling-related topics. Here is my report on the recycling topics that were raised at the meeting:

1. Status of Recycling Center, Crozet Master Plan: I wrote to Supervisor Ann Mallek to inquire about the budget for the recycling center and to express frustration at the length of time involved in releasing the Rivanna Solid Waste Authority strategic plan. Here is Ann’s response:

“I could not agree more and I spoke last week (early January) at the Planning District comm about the slow pace that the RSWA is taking with this process. True, there is $250,000 in the allocated budget for the recycling center facility. What is not there is the money for personnel to staff it. I asked the folks in Nelson County, since they have the huge recycling area at Rockfish and they said that staff is essential to prevent the area from becoming a dump.

Or have an agency who would supervise, such as the Earlysville fire company was interested in doing last year. We have been treading water. I will again push our staff to come forth with the solid waste study, last year’s hold up, so the community can read for itself the results of all the public meetings and surveys.

Everyone I talked to wanted a MURF, a materials utilization recycling center and the ability to collect unseparated materials. When I spoke last spring to Tom Frederick about the opening of the center in Fluvanna who can take all recyclables for 49 a ton, I asked why we cannot use their facility until we have the money to do something ourselves.

I will reopen the discussion with RSWA. The city and county have a contract with the authority to handle solid waste, so we do not have the legal ability to go out on our own, sadly. More soon on these issues.” Ann Mallek

2. RWSA Bulky Waste and Household Hazardous and Business Hazardous Waste Amnesty Day — the spring dates when tires, appliances, and household waste can be dumped for free at the landfill have not yet been set, but when they are set they will be available at http://avenue.org/rswa/

3. FREE Television and Electronics Recycling Event- Jan 31In anticipation of the switch to digital TV signals, Crutchfield is partnering with several local groups to host a FREE Television and Electronics Recycling Event. The event will be held rain or shine from 9am to 3pm on Saturday, January 31, 2009 in front of Crutchfield at the Rio Hill Shopping Center (snow date Saturday, February 7th).

The EPA estimates that in 2007 over 26 million televisions were discarded by Americans, and, surprisingly, an estimated 99 million old televisions are stockpiled or stored in people’s homes. Once the digital conversion takes place, many of those televisions will have little value. The average television contains over 6 pounds of toxic materials. For more information, visit Crutchfield’s site.

4. Newspaper Recycling — at the CCA meeting, a resident mentioned that recycling newspapers is her biggest concern. I learned that all trash haulers servicing Albemarle County are required to offer curbside pick up of newspaper. Residents should place bagged newspaper out with their trash. The county director of Pulibc Works, Michael Freitas (296 5816) oversees the licensing of haulers in Albemarle County.

I hope this information is helpful. Kathleen Jump

Just so you know – we have two curbside recycling options in Albemarle County – Green Pieces Recycling (whose website has been down since I wrote my original story months ago) and My Recycling Club.

January 16, 2009January 17, 2009

King Family Vineyard – Valentine’s Dinner

Editor’s note – I think I’ll keep posting these sorts of announcements/advertisements for the foreseeable future for one reason – the more things like this we highlight in Crozet, the more I realize just how self-sufficient Crozet is (becoming).

Enjoy a romantic evening of fine food, wine and dancing.

Tempt your senses with an opening reception followed by a multi-course meal paired with our award winning wines. Professional DJ and trained dance instructor, Derek Tobler, will play traditional dance music ranging from swing to Latin while taking requests. The food, wine, decor and music will add that extra touch of romance in the air, guaranteeing a magical night you will never forget. Saturday February 14, 2009. 7pm reception, 7:30pm dinner, dancing until 11pm. $95/pp all inclusive. Meal by A. Pimento Catering, flowers & dÃ©cor by Beehive Events, wine by King Family Vineyards, music by Derek Tobler.â€¨For more information or to make a reservation please call 434-823-7800 or email [email protected]â€¨

Prepaid reservations required. click here to view menu (pdf)

North Gallery Open House
Join photographers Rob Garland and Meg Runion for an evening of hors’ d’ hoeuvres, wine, and photography. Held in the North Gallery at King Family Vineyards, February 5th 5:30-9pm.

View their website

January 12, 2009

Minutes from the Crozet Community Association Meeting – 12 January 2009

Editor’s note: if you can, find the time to attend the monthly Crozet Community Association meetings; they are among the best ways to meet fellow Crozetians and learn about the goings-on in Crozet.

The minutes of the November meeting were approved.

David Wayland has received the Crozet bumper stickers (which are the Crozet family crest). They are available at various local stores, library, etc.

New officers were elected for 2009:

President: Sarah Henley, Vice President: David Wayland, Secretary: Judi Burbes, Treasurer: Emery Taylor

Moment in History:

Phil James was not available for the meeting, but the group discussed the history of the Crozet library; included in the discussion were memories of the Women’s Club serving as a library, the bookmobile serving as library, and the various buildings that served as libraries.

New Business/Reports:

Tim Tolson spoke to the topic of the new library. General agreement has been reached on the arrangement of the new facility. Of course, the economic deterioration may well affect the schedule of funding. All citizens are encouraged to communicate with their legislators (federal and state) as well as the Board of Supervisors, to put the library on the list of “shovel ready” projects to be submitted for federal funding. Wendy Saz (our head librarian) reported that the National Assoc of Libraries has put the Crozet library at the top of their shovel ready requests!! Although the library itself may not be shovel ready in the next 6 months, the new Main St. could be. The library is seen as a way to help bring economic stimulus to the downtown area of Crozet. The library is the 4th busiest in the area (behind Central, Northside, and Gordan Ave). Tim and the library committee will be looking for sources of funding for the library going forward.

NOTE: the committee working on the new library meets the 4th Monday of the month, at 4:30 (new meeting place will probably be at the Meadows).

Kelly Strickland spoke for the Crozet Park Board regarding the proposal to put a cover over and expand the pool at the park. This proposal was one of three competing for funding from the Board of Supervisors; the other proposals are for the Y and Star Swimming (in N. Albemarle). It appears that these have all been put on the back burner (due to the economic situation), although surprisingly, the BOS initially seemed to favor the non-public proposal by Star Swimming.

Tom Loach (our representative on the Planning Commission) addressed questions on the industrial area proposed along Rt 64. This has been pushed to back to be included in the revision to the Crozet Master Plan, which will start later this year. There are questions in terms of watershed protection (the stream on the property has recently been rated as only of fair quality already). This area is not attached to the growth area as defined under the Master Plan.

Tom also spoke to the Gas Station proposal along Rt 250. Currently the water usage estimates are being reevaluated.

On a positive note, Tom indicated that the Crozet Streetscape is being funded and should be proceeding.

Items requiring followup:

Recycling within Crozet is still an unresolved item. The last update presented to the CCA was that the RSWA (Rivanna Sewer and Water Authority) was to present a proposal. It was also mentioned that Carroll Connelly is collecting cans for the Lions Club. Kathleen will follow-up on the RSWA status, and Barbara Westbrook will speak with Carroll to determine the extent of recycling he’s willing and able to support. Ray McCauley also indicated that he would be willing to do a pickup from a central location.

The CCAC proposal regarding the light industrial area will be forwarded to Judi Burbes by Tim Tolson for presentation/voting for concurrence at the next CCA meeting.

Most years the Crozet community sponsors a cleanup day in April. Judi Burbes will follow-up with Heidi Sonen (who has led this in the past) and WAHS to determine what role the community could play in the cleanup for 2009.

Advocacy Items:

The Fire Department will be celebrating it’s 100th year of service. The department will be sponsoring a contest to develop a new logo. Details will be unveiled in the near term.

The Blackfriars Theater in Staunton is apparently feeling the squeeze of the economic situation, and is asking for contributions for any donors who would like to support the theater.

Submitted:

Judi Burbes, Secretary

January 10, 2009