In a letter to the Virginia Board of Education, Colin Campbell, president and CEO of The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, expressed “deep concern” regarding a proposal before the State Board of Education to eliminate the history and social science Standards of Learning test for Virginia’s third grade students.  The state board is to review the proposal to eliminate the third grade history and social science SOL test at a meeting later this month.  The proposal includes an amendment to move the history content into the reading portion of the SOL.

Campbell urged the Department of Education to continue K-3 history and social science assessment. “It is our hope that you will maintain Virginia’s role as a national leader in history and social studies education.  There is no more important legacy we can provide our children, who represent the future, than to provide them with the tools to learn from the past.” 

Writing to Mark E. Emblidge, president of the Virginia Board of Education, Campbell also stated, “While we are sensitive to the financial pressures facing the Commonwealth’s public school system, we are concerned that elimination of history and social science testing, within the context of federally-mandated testing, will send the message to educators, administrators, parents and students that social studies—American history in particular—is not a core subject.  We reject that notion.  History and social studies are critical components of elementary education.  This is where children learn the stories that shape their character as American citizens, learn about the responsibilities inherent in American citizenship, and learn the critically important lessons of what is required to forge a stronger and more vital United States.”

Colonial Williamsburg welcomes hundreds of thousands of students annually to the Historic Area.  It produces and nationally distributes a series of Electronic Field Trips to more than six million students each year that are directly linked to the Standards of Learning criteria established in Virginia.  Colonial Williamsburg is a leader in the development of history and social studies curricula and provides teachers with the tools and resources to more effectively teach. Established in 1926, the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation is a private, not-for-profit educational institution that preserves and operates the restored 18th-century Revolutionary capital of Virginia as a town-sized living history museum.

The complete text of the letter follows:

June 17, 2009

Dear Dr. Emblidge:

As president of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, I have the privilege of working with over 3,500 employees and volunteers dedicated to fulfilling the mission of helping the future learn from the past by preserving, presenting and interpreting 18^th century Williamsburg, Virginia’s colonial capital.  The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation is an educational institution—our charge is to engage, inform and inspire people to learn about this historic place, the extraordinary events that occurred here, and the diverse people who helped shape a new nation.  Our principal programming theme is “Education for Citizenship,” which focuses on the fundamental role of citizen participation in a successfully functioning democracy.

Needless to say, the Foundation has more than a passing interest in the Commonwealth’s history and social studies curriculum—and how it is taught and tested—throughout Virginia’s public school systems.  We are actively involved on a daily basis in a variety of endeavors which complement existing teaching practices in Virginia and across the nation.  Colonial Williamsburg welcomes hundreds of thousands of school-aged visitors annually to our Historic Area, we produce and distribute nationally a series of Electronic Field Trips to more than six million students each year that are directly linked to the Standards of Learning criteria established in Virginia, we are leaders in the development of history and social studies curricula, and we provide teachers with the tools and resources to teach more effectively.

All of this underscores our deep concern regarding the proposal before the State Board of Education to eliminate the history and social science SOL testing for Virginia’s third grade students.  While we are sensitive to the financial pressures facing the Commonwealth’s public school system, we are concerned that elimination of history and social science testing, within the context of federally-mandated testing, will send the message to educators, administrators, parents and students that social studies—American history in particular—is not a core subject.  We reject that notion.  History and social studies are critical components of elementary education.  This is where children learn the stories that shape their character as American citizens, learn about the responsibilities inherent in American citizenship, and learn the critically important lessons of what is required to forge a stronger and more vital United States.

We respectfully request and urge the Department of Education to continue K-3 history and social science assessment.  It is our hope that you will maintain Virginia’s role as a national leader in history and social studies education.  There is no more important legacy we can provide our children, who represent the future, than to provide them with the tools to learn from the past.

With thanks for your consideration and all best wishes.

                                                Sincerely,

                                                Colin G. Campbell

― CWF ―

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For the first time in more than 20 years, Ukrop’s Super Markets Inc. no longer commands the dominant spot for  grocery sales in Richmond, VA.

The hometown grocer lost its No. 1 spot to North Carolina-based Food Lion LLC, according to a study released yesterday by Food World, a trade publication that tracks the grocery industry in the mid-Atlantic.

Food Lion commands a 19.34 percent market share among any retailer selling groceries, while Ukrop’s had 17.58 percent of the area’s $3.07 billion in local grocery sales.

Ukrop’s had been the market leader since 1986.

“Market share is not our thing,” said Robert S. Ukrop, chairman, president and CEO of the family-owned chain.

“We think there is enough business for us to continue to do what we do. We just have to be better at it,” Ukrop said. “The fact that we have as much of a market share as we have as the little guy is amazing.”

Food Lion, with 52 area stores in Richmond, has more than double the number of locations that Ukrop’s has there.

Ukrop’s isn’t open on Sundays and doesn’t sell beer or wine, both of which are factors in its declining market share.

Sundays are the busiest shopping day of the week, and competors  are making a very targeted attempt to capture traffic on that day.

For Ukrop’s, market share dropped from 19.06 percent a year ago, and grocery sales fell about $26 million. Ukrop’s closed a store last year.

Other factors affecting Ukrop’s share were Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s, both of which entered the market last year. The Fresh Market opened a second location in Chesterfield County this year. All three are less than a mile from existing Ukrop’s stores.

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Give up ?

It’s a traffic calming device ( Speed Bump) installed in the Settlers Market section of New Town in Williamsburg, VA near the Trader Joe’s.

 

Here is a better picture:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Does it work ?  Well, I haven’t seen anyone drive more than five miles an hour across it.

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A Master Planned Community,  Berkeley’s Green showcases a wide range of custom built resale homes and is located in James City County/Williamsburg,  Virginia near  the grounds of the historic Greensprings Plantation .  Berkeley’s Green is named for Greensprings Plantation owner and former Governor of Virginia  Sir William Berkeley (pronounced “bark-lee”) who was governor from 1641-1652 and 1660-1677.

Resale home prices in Berkeley’s Green start in the  $300,000’s.

Berkeley’s Green neighborhood amenities include a clubhouse, pool, playground,  tennis courts, gazebo, picnic area, pond,  walking/biking trails.

An active homeowner association has many  social events throughout the year.

Detached homes offered in Berkeley’s Green  in Williamsburg / James City County offer an array of architectural styles  and  home choices. There are models from 3 bedrooms to 5 bedrooms. Square footages range from 1700 to over 2500 square feet.

Located on approximately 142  acres, Berkeley’s Green has approximately 280 homes.

The community was started in 1989 and home construction continued in stages through the year 2000. The monthly home owner fee in Berkeley’s Green  is $33 . This fee covers all common area and facility maintenance ( entrances, playgrounds, park areas ),  use of the  pool, clubhouse , playground and tennis courts.

Lots sizes in Berkeley’s Green average about a quarter acre. Trees abound amid the established streets and cul de sacs throughout the community.

A popular activity for residents is walking, jogging or cycling on the Virginia Capital Trail. A portion of which is only a few steps from the Berkley’s Green neighborhood. This trail when complete will connect Virginia’s  past and present capitals of Jamestown, Williamsburg and Richmond along the Scenic Route 5 corridor. The Capital Trail will traverses 50+ miles, five jurisdictions and 400 years rich in history along one of the first inland routes in North America.

Home Sale prices in the last 12 months  in Berkeley’s Green ranged from $287,000 to $367,400. List prices, as of today, range from $310,000 to $364,000. The average days on market for  homes in the Berkley’s Green neighborhood in the last 12 months was 83 days . The average price per square foot on homes sold in the last 12 months was $156.78 . Eight  homes sold in Berkeley’s Green in the last 12 months and five are currently for sale as of March 2009.

View a sold home report for Berkeley’s Green here.

(Sales Data from the WAAR/ Williamsburg Area Association of Realtors/ WMLS)

Current Williamsburg/ James City County Schools for The Berkeley’s Green Community are Matoaka Elementary, James Blair Middle and Jamestown High School
See School Statistics for Williamsburg VA area schools here

View area demographics- 23188

Click here to Search all homes for sale in Berkley’s Green

Click here to search all Williamsburg, James City, York County,New Kent , Gloucester homes for sale currently listed in the WMLS

Location Map of Berkeley’s Green Community in Williamsburg, VA
[googlemaps http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=117069970569127733207.000466562a99e3f60b819&ll=37.248094,-76.802158&spn=0.011957,0.018239&z=15&output=embed&w=425&h=350]
All information believed to be reliable, but not guaranteed
Copyright 2008, Mr Williamsburg.com LLC

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[vodpod id=Groupvideo.2092721&w=425&h=350&fv=]  

Here is is short five minute video From Golfweek and GolfTV that will give you a feel for both Colonial Williamsburg and the multiple award winning Golden Horseshoe Golf Course.

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Apparently real estate in the Williamsburg and Hampton Roads  areas is of interest to readers worldwide. The picture at left was from early Saturday morning on March 14,2009. I have noticed more and more readers from all over the world perusing this blog.
As you can see on this day there were readers from Copenhagen Denmark, Calcutta, India, France, Salzburg, Austria and Khabarovsk, Russia along with many more from the U.S..

If you have any questions about the area, communities, neighborhoods,  golf, cultural activities, museums,recreation, homes for sale, sales statistics, financing a home, kids activities, shopping, opening a business, waterfront ,schools, condos, town homes,neighborhoods, living in or selling a home in Williamsburg or Hampton Roads VA please drop me an email at John@MrWilliamsburg.com  I am happy to answer any and all that I can. If I don’t have the answer I will know where to send you to for a response.

 

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Don’t forget – Marcia Ball performs at the Corner Pocket this Thursday!  Tickets are $25 – get them while they last!  Doors open at 6 pm.  For more information on Marcia Ball, visit her official website.  The Corner Pocket is located in New Town., Williamsburg, VA

A few notes from her Bio:  The simple mention of a Louisiana or Texas roadhouse conjures up images of a crowded dancehall filled wall-to-wall with rabid music fans rocking to a hotter-than-hot band playing a smoldering blend of swampy R&B, jumping blues and heart-wrenching ballads. Pianist/vocalist/songwriter Marcia Ball brings that spirit to every concert she plays and every song she records. Her music is mixed with equal parts simmering soul fervor and two-fisted piano pounding. Between her deeply emotive vocals and her incisive, often poignant songwriting, Ball is in a class by herself.

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 1/6/2009  Here’s to the Heroes” Provides Free Admission to Worlds of Discovery Theme Parks For Military Members and Direct Dependents

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. (Jan. 6, 2009) – Well you can ‘t get a free beer anymore at Busch Gardens in Williamsburg. What you can get is free admission if you are an active duty  service person !

A tribute program that has provided free admission to Worlds of Discovery for more than 3.2 million members of U.S. and coalition armed forces and their families has been extended through 2009. Budweiser’s “Here’s to the Heroes” was launched in February 2005 to acknowledge the service of military men and women and the sacrifies made by their families.

“It is gratifying to all of us at Anheuser-Busch InBev that so many members of our armed forces have taken advantage of this program and honored us with a visit,” said Jim Atchison, President of Busch Entertainment Corporation (BEC). “This is a difficult time for our men and women in uniform- and their families- and we are honored to give them something back.”

About 700,000 guests either service members or their dependents, have received free admission to Busch Gardens in Williamsburg and Water Country USA through the Here’s to the Heroes program since it started in 2005.

Here’s to the Heroes provides a single day’s free admission to any one Busch Gardens or SeaWorld park, Water Country USA, Sesame Place or Adventure Island for the service member and as many as three of his or her direct dependents. The program is sponsored by Budweiser, the flagship beer of Anheuser-Busch InBev.

Any active duty, active reserve, ready reserve service member or National Guardsman is entitled to free admission under the program. he or she only need register, either online at www.herosalute.com or in the entrance plaza of a participating park, and show a Department of Defense photo ID. Also included in the offer are members of foreign military forces serving in the coalitions in Iraq or Afghanistan or attached to American units in the U.S. for training.

“This is one small way we can acknowledge and thank the soliders, sailors, Marines, airmen and Coast Guardsmen whose service helps to preserve the freedom and safety of every American,” Atchison said. “It’s important to all of us at Anheuser-Busch InBev that we show our gratitude to the men and women of our armed forces and their families for the sacrifices they make on our behalf.”

Here’s to the Heroes is the fourth tribute to military personnel offered by the company since Yellow Ribbon Summer welcomed service members home from the Gulf War in 1991.

Three Worlds of Discovery – SeaWorld Orlando, Busch Gardens Tampa and SeaWorld San Diego – operate year round. The company’s remaining parks are seasonal, with varying opening dates this spring. Each park’s operating schedule is available online.

Inactive, standby and retired reserve members, military retirees, U.S. Merchant Marine and civilian Department of Defence workers are ineligible for the program. The program does not include Discovery Cove or SeaWorld’s new waterpark, Aquatica.

Orlando-based Busch Entertainment operates nine Worlds of Discovery across the U.S.: SeaWorld Florida in Orlando, SeaWorld California in San Diego, SeaWorld Texas in San Antonio; Busch Gardens Africa in Tampa, Fl., Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, Va., Discovery Cove in Orlando; Sesame Place in Langhorne, PA. near Philadelphia; and waterparks Adventure Island in Tampa and Water Country USA in Williamsburg. Aquatica, SeaWorld’s waterpark, opened in spring 2008.

The Worlds of Discovery play host to more than 25 million guests each year and employ 26,000 people nationwide. On the Web at www.WorldsofDiscovery.com

Find out more about Busch Gardens Williamsburg here

John Womeldorf is Mr. Williamsburg, sharing his thoughts, real estate expertise, and “all things Williamsburg” in an effort to spread the word that Williamsburg and Hampton Roads, Virginia is the greatest place on earth to live!

Contact me at John@MrWilliamsburg.com

Research the area at www.WilliamsburgsRealEstate.com

Or ask any questions about homes, neighborhoods, schools, amenities, recreation , shopping or anything else about the area.

Click here to Search all homes, town homes, condos and building lots for sale in Williamsburg, James City, New Kent, York, Gloucester, Charles City Virginia

Click here to search all homes, town homes, condos and building lots for sale in Va Beach, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Isle of Wight, Portsmouth,Franklin, Sussex,

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From an article in the Va Gazette By Cortney Langley  Dec. 2008

The recession slowed the growth of housing and commerce for the first time in 10 years. Still, there was plenty left to propose and oppose.

James City County set out to revise the Comprehensive Plan with various forums and committees taking the public pulse.

A new slow-growth group called J4C produced research papers challenging various assumptions and projects. The outgoing Democratic majority tightened a James City ordinance to expand stream buffers to 300 feet instead of 100. The new Republican majority promptly unwound that and eventually compromised at 225 feet, then defeated the whole measure. The stream buffers were among many disputes in which four of the five members criticized each other as politically partisan. Almost 900 Ford’s Colony residents petitioned to block a big continuing care facility across the road as too big, generating too much traffic and burdening the HOA. They found a zoning loophole to support their case legally.

The HOA agreed not to sue when management backed down on applying full residential rights to those in a proposed senior care facility. Others still opposed the project on grounds of traffic and scale, even after it was scaled back from 944 units to 739. Despite a last-minute gimmick to stop it, the James City supervisors approved, but the financing dried up during the national credit crisis.

Also near Ford’s Colony, a plan for 240 workforce housing units on News Road was pulled back to weave it into the new Comp Plan. It was considered DOA after the continuing care controversy. Ford’s Colony announced Westport as 100 large homesites across Centerville Road but removed from the controversial continuing care facility.

Two-year assessments found York home values up an average of 15%. The Board of Supervisors reduced the real esate tax rate from 69.75 cents per $100 of assessed value to 65.75 cents.

York county administrator James McReynolds said he needed $26 million worth of expansion and new buildings for his various departments.

A new task force promised to have ideas on developing workforce housing by summer. Work languished, but the group plans to take up the mantle in 2009.

High Street scaled back 99 townhouses to 36 in the first phase as real estate sales continued soft. The Movie Tavern theater that was supposed to open by Labor Day was delayed to November, and then to March along with the retail shops. By year-end, two of five apartment buildings at High Street began to be occupied.

Two new sets of stoplights were erected for High Street, bringing the total in greater Williamsburg to 87. Yet very few were synchronized to keep traffic moving.

The Salvation Army set out on a feasibility study for a $6 million complex of teen center, child care, computer lab, food pantry and other services to the community. The site is on Richmond Road near 199.

An extended runway was ruled out at Williamsburg-Jamestown Airport, which seemed to scotch any federal subsidy for acquisition. By year-end, it was going to take more than $3 million to buy the airport or $16 million to rebuild elsewhere. Some citizens were adamantly against James City County putting up the money. The death of co-owner Jean Waltrip complicated matters.

Philip Morris completed the expansion and conversion of the Route 143 plant to make spit-free tobacco. 1,200 acres were put on the market by Williamsburg Pottery, though Kim Maloney clarified the business would remain intact. With no buyers at hand, the property was later taken off the market. Longtime farmer Don Hunt closed Hill Pleasant Farm. He had no plans to sell to developers but asked for the land-use designation to change to mixed-use with the Comp Plan update. The York supervisors compromised on requiring Kiln Creek Golf Club & Resort owner Dick Ashe to cut the grass of its abandoned nine-hole course.

Overcrowding worsened at Stonehouse Elementary, but a 9th school was still two years away.

Pockets of retail vacancies were showing up at Patriot Plaza and were persisting at Williamsburg Crossing.

A revised version of controversial condos were approved on South Henry Street despite criticism that they were out of scale.

Williamsburg Community Chapel spent $15 million to expand to 70,000 square feet with an auditorium for 1,500.

York denied its first mixed-use development of apartments and stores, on Route 17 at Battlefield Road. 10 four-story buildings for mixed use at Route 17 and Battle Road worried York residents as too massive.

The York supervisors were lobbied heavily to approve in a 3-2 vote a house on the Chesapeake Bay that was within the 100-foot Chesapeake Bay resource protection area.

The Honda dealership in Norge sought to expand, but neighbors complained of encroachment. Neighbors in Chisel Run protested Prime Outlets expanding across Olde Towne Road after two dozen older trees were cut down. James City had a raft of road projects, but the state budget was cut in half to $3.5 million. Two James City supervisors had second thoughts about approving a $50 million contract with Newport News Waterworks. It’s good for up to 5 million gallons a day. Water rates raised 12%- 15%, with more to come.

VDOT ramped up its traffic studies in ways that would cost developers more time and money, but slow-growth advocates hailed the move for reflecting a more cumulative impact.

J4C came up with six pages of ways to prevent flooding through improved draining. The crux of the problem was assigning responsibility for flooding after a development is built.

Three days of citizen meetings led to a vision of the Eastern State campus for mixed uses and housing around various mental health components. Sites emerged for at least one new school, an office park, apartments, “Geriatric Square” for research, and faculty housing.

Neighbors near Hubbard Lane protested expansion plans for a mini-warehouse behind James-York Plaza. The Planning Commission recommended denial of the proposal and the application has yet to go to the Board of Supervisors.

Seasons Trace sought a second road out of the subdivision in the event of hurricane flooding.

The city budget was ho-hum except for a 15% hike in water rates to pay Newport News Waterworks in times of need. Last year the rates went up 10% and more hikes are coming, in part to cover costs of the new King William Reservoir. Geologist Gerald Johnson lost his fight to save the last patch of 5-million-year-old fossils along the bluffs of the James River. Kingsmill wanted the site for more homes.

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