Crozet Cougar?

WCAV describes today how the Crozet mountain lion is terrorizing a neighborhood.


Creative Commons License photo credit: JasperYue

This story has been covered several times in the Crozet Gazette; spend some time looking there for more information. Specifically, start downloading the pdfs from August 2007 on for the aftermath of this letter:

I am shocked and concerned that the people of Crozet appear not to be alarmed by recurring reports of a mountain lion in their town and vicinity.

I live in the Maryland-Washington DC com- muting area and may relocate my family to the Crozet area, so I have visited Crozet many times and read the Crozet Gazette online. The Gazette has reported the “Crozet Cougar” at least twice now, the latest in the July 2007 issue. For under- standing, readers should note that this predator is known by several names: cougar, panther, puma, mountain lion, and lion.

Apparently the people of Crozet are not aware of the lion’s mortal threat to the community. If they were, there would be a call to eliminate this predator before tragedy strikes. But no concern has been voiced, at least not in the Gazette. And certainly no decisive action has been taken to protect the public, because the lion is still at large after multiple sightings over the last year.

I am writing this letter to awaken the Crozet community to the danger of mountain lions to people, especially children, with the hope that citizens will act to avoid a tragedy which will darken the life of the community for many years.

Note: the photo is not from this area.

Update 02/28/2008: The Daily Progress does a thorough vetting of the Crozet Cougar story.

Crozet Needs more Soccer Fields

Desperately. Four teams were practicing on the one soccer field at Claudius Crozet Park. Granted, this is a temporary situation until the time changes and the teams slated for 6pm slots will actually start at the correct time, but this photo highlights the problem.

There is an opportunity here – find land for soccer fields in Crozet. Who’s up for the challenge?

Minor league baseball in Waynesboro?

From the News Virginian

A Charlottesville investor said Friday that he is considering plans to build a $20-million, 4,000 seat stadium in Waynesboro for a minor or independent league baseball team.

Jim Morris said he floated the idea Thursday in a meeting with local business leaders and city councilmen Frank Lucente and Tim Williams. Morris said he wants to gauge city support before moving forward.

“I have, in fact, talked to a couple of other people in the baseball world, and both … thought Waynesboro would be a candidate for some type of minor league baseball,” Morris said.
The ballpark would be built along the South River near Constitution Park.

Update 02/17/2008: Chris Graham has more in the Augusta Free Press.

Who likes Bordeaux?

If you do, there’s another new vineyard in the Crozet area. From a press release forwarded to RealCrozetVa –

Five years ago Chris and I began a journey into the world of winemaking. We went to seminars, talked to experts in the business, hired a consultant and ultimately took the plunge. We decided Mountfair Vineyards would focus exclusively on the reds — and in particular, the Bordeaux varietals: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Petit Verdot and Merlot.

Our old horse barn would slowly become a winery — a climate controlled barrel room, timber framed tasting room, lab and bathrooms were added while lots of stainless steel equipment found its way into the structure. In the vineyard we tilled the rocky soil, built trellis and established 5 acres of vines. While our plants matured, we were fortunate to source fruit from an award winning vineyard just up the road.  In the Fall of 06 we crushed our first grapes and are now proud to offer our first wines from that vintage:

INAUGURAL

in•au•gu•ral adjective marking a beginning, first in a projected series.

Cabernet Franc—with a strong supporting cast. Merlot, Petit Verdot and Malbec compliment Virginia’s favorite grape. Spicy Boysenberry and Raspberry flavors up front, black pepper undertones, subtle oak finish. Petit Verdot lends additional structure and color.

Cabernet Franc (50%), Merlot (25%), Petit Verdot (20%), Malbec (5%)

More Info/Purchase

BELATED

be•lat•ed adjective delayed beyond the usual time.

A harmonious balance of Merlot, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Malbec. Silky, Black Currant and Plum fruit, clean lingering finish with just a hint of oak.

Merlot (60%), Petit Verdot (20%), Cabernet Sauvignon (15%), Malbec (5%)

More Info/Purchase

In March, we’ll ship our next release “Wooloomooloo” to our Wine Club members. The wine club receives a quarterly shipment (March, June, August and December) of six or twelve bottles and gets first dibs on all new releases. Additionally, club members enjoy a 20% discount off all winery purchases as well as invitations to exclusive winery events. Learn more about the wine club.

Our goal is to make the finest red wines in Virginia, offer a different level of personalized service and perhaps have some fun along the way. We hope you’ll join us.

Fritz and Chris
Mountfair

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Pick up your February Crozet Gazette

It’s on news stands now, and should be online in the next few days.

Pick it up at any of these places –

Albemarle County Office Building
A.M. Fog
Anderson’s Store (Rt. 151)
B & B Cleaners
Batesville Store
Blue Ridge Builder’s Supply
Bright Beginnings (Crozet)
Brownsville Market
Chiles Peach Orchard
Crozet Blue Ridge Dentistry
Crozet Dairy Queen
Crozet Family Medicine
Crozet Great Valu
Crozet Hardware
Crozet Laundromat
Crozet Library
Crozet Pizza
Crozet Veterinary Care Center
D & W Market
Fabulous Foods
Gateway Market
Augusta RegionalChamber of Commerce
Greenwood Gourmet
Greenwood Country Store
Hunt Country Store
Ivy Corner
JMRL Main Library
Joy Mart
King Family Vineyard
Maupin Brothers Store
Maupin’s Music and Video
The Meadows
Modern Barber Shop
Mountain Area Realty
Mountainside Senior Living
Music Today
New Dominion Bookstore
Old Trail Golf Course
Old Trail Sales Office
Otto’s
Parkway Pharmacy
Piedmont Store
Rice and Rice
Rockfish Country Store
Second Heaven
The Snack Corner
Starr Hill Brewery
Subway (Crozet)
Teresa’s Cafe
Toddsbury of Ivy
U.Va. Credit Union (Crozet branch)
Waynesboro Tourist Center (Afton)
Wyant’s Store
Area Schools (when in session)

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Avoid Interstate 64 this morning

Thanks to 511 and WCAV:

Accident involving truck: – Tractor Trailer Accident: Albemarle County, on I-64 east, at mile marker 114.5, about 15 miles east of Waynesboro. Both lanes are closed, and traffic is backed up about 3 miles. There is a detour in place, off of Exit 107, and onto US 250. Expect delays.

One of the best things about living in Crozet is that, unlike other parts of the Charlottesville/Albemarle area, there are two routes into Charlottesville – 250 and 64. 250’s going to be slow this morning, but it’s a lot better than if 29 North gets shut down. At least we have options.

Brownsville Silent Auction this weekend

Brownsville Elementary School is holding a Silent Auction, “Sweets and Treats,” Sunday February 10 from 2-4 PM.  The event is free and open to the public, with music by Emily Gary and Tom Pruett, and delicious finger foods provided by Brasserie Montiel and Brownsville Bakers.  All items can be previewed online now, and anyone is welcome to place bids online until 8 PM on February 7 or come bid live at the Silent Auction at Brownsville on Sunday.

Crozet Gateway Moving forward

Take a picture of the intersection of 240 and 250. It won’t be the same. dead link

… the Board of Supervisors approved a site plan for a new development at a key intersection in Crozet. –   The Crozet Gateway project will redevelop a 2 acre site at the corner of Route 240 and Route 250 near Brownsville Elementary School.  The existing convenience store will be replaced with two multi-story commercial buildings, a use allowed by-right on the property.

Pulled from the Comments – Why I chose to move to Crozet

My family moved out of Charlottesville to a farm near Crozet 9 years ago. We moved out this way because we could see the way things were changing in the north of Albemarle County, way more traffic, more subdivisions, more shopping centers. I grew up in SC which has been taken over by shopping centers and developments. When one gets run down, the developers move a mile down the road, abandon the first shopping center and build another. There are many abandoned shopping centers around Greenville, SC. It is an ugly, concrete filled, traffic inundated place, that used to be green and lovely until the developers took over. I would hate to see that happen to Crozet. It seems to be already happening in the north of the county.

I love old Crozet. Yes, it is rundown in some ways, but my kids love watching the train at the old library, I love being able to look for books in the library and still being able to keep an eye on my kids. If the library doesn’t have a book that I want, they will get it for me from another library in the county or in the state. I love that the librarians know my name, and that I know the people in the hardware store, and the pizza and grocery store.

I really would rather not see the Harris Teeter go in on 250. Our traffic will increase substantially, and where one store goes, others will follow. I make a trip to Charlottesville or Waynesboro once a week for a major shopping trip, what I run out of during the week, I shop for locally.

I love that I can have chickens, roosters, donkeys, horses and cows and no one complains about the noise, smell, flies, … We live in what is now a rural area. How long that it will remain that way is questionable, but I chose to move here because it was a largely rural area. I think that it is the charm of the area, and keeps it unique. If we add all the things that people want like a movie theatre, Chinese restaurants, more pizza places, more stores, then it will begin to be more like NoVA and less like Crozet. What will make our town unique? We will look like every other place in suburban USA.

Editor’s Note – anyone is welcome to submit a story to be published on RealCrozetVA.com. If you’re interested, please let me know. Also, a new library is coming.

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