I was doing an update to the blogs last night and noticed that my first article was just over a year ago. Has it really been a year already? Since then, there have been more than 290 articles. Wow, I'm even surprised that there was an average of more than five a week! Sure some of them might have been a short blurb or opinion, but largely I have tried to write detailed informative pieces.
Sometimes I get the question: why do you do this? Its at this time of year that i'm reminded. Some months it seems that there is little going on here in Fredericksburg. True, things do die down here in Feb, but usually there is much more going on. Through a connection of friends, and good old fashioned research, I want to share with readers these events.
The last year has brought me many new friends, a number of which are readers and commented either here, twitter, facebook or best of all in person. It has also personally been a fun and exciting year. The birth of our son, a close challenge for a city council seat, a company buyout (my real job), and the inclusion of fburgnews.com and now fburgblogs.com in our suit of websites.
So thank YOU most of all for reading. The stats are steadily climbing. And head over to fburgnews.com and subscribe to the feed to see many area writers.
And watch out for next month's feature - Bryan's Picks. It is my way of not having to do the work of a survey, and like always readers can just comment if they have a better pick.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Year in Review
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Friends of the Rappahannock 2009 Calendar
The Fredericksburg area Friends Of the Rappahannock has posted their 2009 calendar of events. Please visit their website for full details. Their descriptions have backup dates and more information on contacts.
Here are the highlights of activities:
March 14 Lauck’s Island Tour & Picnic - $20 individual/ $60 family
March 28 Operation Spruce-Up 2009 - Free
April 4 Spring Wildflower Hike - $5 individual/ $15 family
April 11 Weed Warriors - Free
April 25 Spring River Cleanup - Free
May 14 Annual Meeting - Free
May 16 Embrey Dam-Fredericksburg Canal Tour - $10 individual/ $30 family
June 6-7 Celebrating the Rappahannock River - VA Outdoor Center
June 13 Civil War Canoe Float - $30 individual/ $75 family
June 20 Family River Safety and Tubing Trip - $15 individual/ $45 family
June 27 River Easement Hike and Float -$15 individual/ $45 family
July 11 Nighttime Canoe Float - $15 individual/ $45 family
July 18 Lightning Bug Canoe Float - $15 individual/ $45 family
July 25 Crow’s Nest Float - $30 individual/ $75 family
August 15 Sunset Canoe Float -$15 individual/ $45 family
September 19 Rappahannock RiverFest
October 9 Volunteer Appreciation Cookout - Free
October 17 Rappahannock Fall Colors Float - $15 individual/ $45 family
October 24 Fall River Cleanup - Free
November 7 Fall Birding Hike - $5 individual/ $15 family
December 11 Holiday Open House - Free
Business Management Fail
Sources that wish to remain confidential pointed out a major "business fail" this past week. During an all-hands meeting for Access Eye Centers here in Fredericksburg, the top manager (the one who is now lives with the boss after the boss got a divorce) was speaking about what I can only hope was supposed to be the topic of "professional appearance". She proceeded to tell the employees that they shouldn't come to work with a "skank bun".
What!?!?! Ok, so I googled "skank bun". The only good result I found was this myspace photo, with a description. Wikipedia doesn't even have an entry for that.
First FAIL: Thinking some of your employees are skanks for any reason (or for putting their hair up a particular way). And using slang to define acceptable.
This was apparently followed by a statement that people shouldn't be trashy.
Second FAIL: Not giving measurable, quantitative, requirements for what is acceptable, and what is not. By trashy, do you mean skirts above the knee, or do you mean V-tops? What about slacks?
Lastly, in a supposedly frank discussion with all of the employees, this manager proceeded to state that women should wear make-up.
Third FAIL: Make-up should not be a measure of employee performance (unless it's a modeling agency). Being a guy, I would have been very tempted at this moment to stand up and ask if this was required for men as well, since otherwise it could be perceived as sexual discrimination.
In management, always keep this one statement in mind "Perception is Reality" for your audience. If the perception is one thing, you're likely to be held accountable, whether that was the intent or not. Repeated acts are often reviewed by courts, to see if a particular type of work environment exists. Regardless of courts, think about who you're alienating. Employees? Customers? Future business?
In full disclosure, a family member at one time worked for this business. When it was apparent that things weren't right, that the boss was dating a manager, and that management was run amok, a very timely move was made to another job. It's been years, and I've never mentioned this business by name, but this latest failure was too much. I couldn't hold back any longer.
Great Ski Vacation - Winter Park, CO
If you have a family, and like skiing (or someone in your family likes skiing), let me recommend Winter Park, Colorado. Why? Because there is something for everyone.
Monday, February 9, 2009
Mocha Mo's Coffee Tasting
Looking for a way to excite the taste buds this weekend? Mocha Mo's next to the train station is bringing in their grinder and doing a coffee tasting from 10 to 12. This is by far my favorite morning stop.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Mary Wash Hospital Thanks
Sometimes it's one or two people that can really change how your stay in the hospital goes. Our son was admitted last Saturday to Mary Washington Hospital with low oxygen levels due to what we were to find out was pneumonia. We had been to the doctor earlier in the week, and had been giving breathing treatments for a respiratory virus, but then a followup visit indicated he was having more trouble we took him to the ER. Two nights stay and a few x-rays and treatments later he was released and is now improving every day.
Several of us have been having a discussion over at Fred2Blue about the interesting questions you get asked during the admitting process. This apparently has gotten back to management, as they changed the way they ask you religious preferences. (Instead of "what religion are you" it is now "do you have any religious preferences that would affect care".) Bravo MWH for listening to your patients.
But the real success of this visit isn't the doctors, or most of the staff. They did their job, but it was pretty average. What set this visit apart was an RN named Jeff, who knew how to crack a joke, or could wait a short bit if Bennett was sleeping, or would talk to us about treatment and find out our feeding schedule so he could plan certain medications. Jeff was there most days that we were, and was just the biggest help to us, the parents, who were going through their child's first hospital stay.
The second person who really went over and above was a respiratory guy named Coffee (pronounced Ko-fee). He gave us pointers on what's needed to get a good breathing treatment in. He also showed us how to pat the side/back to get more of the mucus out and relieve him of some congestion. He knew that we were going to be taking him home and wouldn't have the advantages of the hospitals suction equipment.
The rest of the stay was nice, but like any medical facility these days, it pays to listen and remember what each doctor says. More than once, it was one of us remembering something that had people going back into the chart and notes and going 'oh yeah, there it is'. Or remembering that we could get discharged after a last round of antibiotic shots - I wonder what time we would have gotten out of there if we hadn't asked if they were going to discharge us. The best one is remembering that up to 3 months, a natural pain killer is sugar water called sweeties. Had we not requested this bit of relief for our little guy, several rounds of IVs and shots would have been 'grin & bear it'. At least this time they should have the right insurance card.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
VRE shows it's best side
Sometimes you wonder just what the hell goes on with this enterprise. This email details just how bad it can be. What I don't understand is why with 40 minutes delay they don't just cancel the train. And what the heck are we getting for our 7% fare increase? Longer schedules and poor service. But hey, just wait for the 6% they plan on tacking on this summer.
According to commuter connections calculator, even with parking, it is now cheaper to drive than take VRE. Figure auto costs are sunk costs (I'm not getting rid of the car by taking vre).
From: April Maguigad
Date: Thu, 5 Feb 2009 11:55:12 -0500 (EST)
To: ;
Subject: VRE 11:53 AM
Train Talk
Explanation of Fredericksburg Line Delays
This Morning's Service
We sincerely apologize to everyone who was inconvenienced by our delays this morning. Nearly every Fredericksburg Line train was affected in one way or another. We wanted to give you a breakdown of what happened.
Train 300: Train 300 experienced problems with the brakes on one of the cars. To give you a little more background, most everything in the rail industry is designed to "fail safe," which means that if something breaks, it defaults to a place of safety. For instance, when a highway-rail crossing gate has an issue of any kind, the gates will be lowered until the problem can be fixed. This prevents motorists from driving onto the tracks and possibly being hit by an oncoming train. When it comes to brakes, if they malfunction, they are designed in a way that will not permit the train to move. Unfortunately, it took some time to correct the brake problem so the that the train could move again. Train 300 was 40 minutes late.
Train 302: Train 302 was delayed as a result of the problems with train 300. Train 302 was delayed about 30 minutes following train 300.
Train 304: Train 304 was slightly delayed after Alexandria after following the previously delayed trains. Train 304 was about 10 minutes late.
Train 306: Train 306's original equipment was swapped in the yard with train 308's set as the result of an HEP problem, which provides power to basic passenger comforts, like lighting and the HVAC system. By switching the equipment, the delay was minimized for train 306 and our mechanical crews were able to continue to work on the HEP problem. Train 306 was about 15 minutes late.
Train 308: Train 308 used train 306's original equipment, which had another locomotive added to it to take care of the HEP issues that had been encountered earlier in the morning. After departing our storage yard, it experienced problems with the cab signal system. This is a system that reads a message sent through the tracks and allows the engineer to "see" what the next signal is before it can be seen along the tracks. Because of the earlier problems, a mechanical team was riding the train. They were able to correct the problems. Train 308 was about 20 minutes late.
Train 310: Train 310 experienced problems with an air system on the locomotive that some water had gotten into. As a result of the cold, the water froze and caused problems with the locomotive. The problem was corrected. Train 310 was about 30 minutes late.
During the service issues this morning, we tried to keep our riders updated through our Train Talk e-news service. Unfortunately, there was a problem between the Internet Service Provider and a process called Reverse DNS. Reverse DNS is the computer equivalent of taking a phone number and seeing which name is associated with the number. Many mail servers perform this check to validate connections during mail delivery as a tactic to combat spam. With the Reverse DNS not working as intended, many of our emails were not being delivered. Some of our messages were getting through. Once the problem was identified, it was like unplugging a bathtub drain and they all started flowing.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
F'burg Polar Plunge 2/7
From the WoundedEODwarrior.org website:
Are you willin' to be chillin'?? If so, please join in for the Wounded EOD Polar Bear Plunge!! Saturday, February 7, 2009, City Dock, Sophia Street - Fredericksburg, VA. More details to follow - look for registation, sponsorship forms, and additional information coming soon!! We look forward to seeing you there!
Polar Bear Plunge Flyer
Registration Form
Corporate Sponsors Form
Sponsorship Form
Accident Waiver Release of Liability Form
For that matter, why don't you get a group of friends, dress in some crazy costume, and come down and go for the best outfit award. As you can see from the pictures from last year, there were a variety of costumes!
Here is my post from this event last year:
Brrr... The Rappahannock is 41F
Images from 2008:
Saturday, January 24, 2009
2009 Marine Corps Historic Half set
We've known for some time that May 17th is going to bring the 2nd annual Marine Corps historic half marathon to Fredericksburg, VA. Registration is now open, but limited to the first 9000 registrations. To register, visit the official race website http://www.marinecorpshistorichalf.com/
Here are some important changes from last year. No running on canal path this year. To make up for the lost mile, the course changed a little bit in the college terrace area of town. Looks like there will be two doglegs out to William street this time. The course will also go around the back of MWH for the last major hill instead of using Sam Perry Blvd. It's still going to be the most challenging hill of the course.
For those that arrived at this page from outside the area, here are a few tips from last year:
1 - If traveling from DC/MD or points north on Friday afternoon, consider coming down 301 to RT3. Don't follow your GPS down I-95 on Friday afternoon unless you feel like being a commuter for the day.
2 - Don't push yourself too hard by driving down from north of about Dale City on the morning of the marathon. The city does a lot to support this activity, and you'll find more places to stay this year. Consider coming Friday night and staying through Sunday. It's an interesting city to explore. Most any of us bloggers will happily point you to our favorite spots around town.
Here are the road closures:
6:50 a.m. - 7:30 a.m. Carl D Silver Parkway (CDSP) southbound from Convention Center to Cowan Boulevard.
6:50 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. Traffic control point (TCP) at Fall Hill Avenue and CDSP.
6:50 a.m. - 8:00 a.m. Cowan Boulevard (eastbound) from CDSP to Keeneland Road.
7:00 a.m. - 8:05 a.m. Woodland, Keeneland and Westwood Roads from Cowan Blvd to Route 3.
7:05 a.m. - 8:10 a.m. Route 3 (westbound lanes) from Westwood Rd to William Street.
7:10 a.m. - 8:55 a.m. William Street (westbound) from Blue/Gray Parkway to Sunken Road.
7:10 a.m. - 8:35 a.m. Sunken Road northbound from William Street to Fitzhugh Street.
7:15 a.m. - 8:35 a.m. Fitzhugh Street between Sunken Road and Franklin Street.
7:15 a.m. - 8:35 a.m. Franklin Street between Fitzhugh and Madison Streets.
7:15 a.m. - 8:35 a.m. Madison Street between Franklin Street and Littlepage Street.
7:15 a.m. - 8:40 a.m. Littlepage Street between Madison and Grove Avenue.
7:15 a.m. - 8:40 a.m. Grove between Littlepage and Kenmore Avenue.
7:20 a.m. - 8:50 a.m. Kenmore Avenue between Grove and William Street.
7:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. William Street between Kenmore Avenue and Washington Avenue.
7:20 a.m. - 9:05 a.m. Washington Avenue between William Street and Maury Street.
7:20 a.m. - 9:10 a.m. Maury Street from Washington Avenue to Fall Hill Road.
7:25 a.m. - 9:10 a.m. Fall Hill Road/Canal Street from Maury to Princess Anne Street.
7:25 a.m. - 9:20 a.m. Prince Edward Street from Canal Road to William Street.
7:25 a.m. - 9:20 a.m. William Street between Prince Edward Street to Princess Anne Street.
7:25 a.m. - 9:20 a.m. Princess Anne Street between William Street and Charlotte Street.
7:25 a.m. - 9:20 a.m. Charlotte Street between Princess Anne and Caroline Streets.
7:30 a.m.- 9:50 a.m. Caroline Street between Charlotte and Van Buren Streets.
7:35 a.m. - 9:50 a.m. Amelia Street between Caroline Street and Sophia Street.
7:35 a.m. - 9:55 a.m. Sophia Street between Amelia Street and Pitt Street.
7:35 a.m. - 9:55 a.m. Riverside Drive from Woodford Street to Fall Hill Avenue.
7:35 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. Fall Hill from Riverside Drive to US Route 1.
7:40 a.m. - 10:15 a.m. US Route 1 (southbound) from Fall Hill to Mary Washington Boulevard.
7:40 a.m. - 10:20 a.m. Mary Washington Boulevard from Route 1 to Hospital Drive.
7:45 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. Hospital Drive from Mary Washington Boulevard to Cowan Boulevard.
7:20 a.m. - 10:50 a.m. Cowan Boulevard (westbound) from Hospital Drive to CDSP.
7:20 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. CDSP northbound from Cowan Boulevard to Fall Hill Avenue.
Here is a google terrain map of the course:
View Larger Map
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2512580
Friday, January 23, 2009
Get Out and Eat More
<cross posted to fburgnews.com>
Help the local economy, support your local restaurant. This week begins the 2009 restaurant week (actually a little longer than a week). From now until the end of Jan, you can experience lunch for $10.09 and dinner for $20.09 at many of your favorite dining establishments. Call it our local bailout. Call it a good time. The specialized menus are sure to delight. Last year we at at several, but the specials at Bistro seem to come to mind. We're going out tonight and the sample menu from Jake & Mikes looks particularly appealing to me.
Get your own special at any of the 12 venues:
Bistro Bethem
Blarney Stone Public House
Capital Ale House
Caroline Street Café
Claibornes
Frederick’s
Jake and Mike’s
Kenmore Inn
kybecca Wine Bar & Shop
Poppy Hill Tuscan Kitchen
TruLuv’s
Visit the Visitor's Center website for more info.
To see sample menus, click here.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Fredericksburg Inauguration Reception 1/20/09
From Fred2Blue:
Event: Grassroots Inauguration Reception Description: Come celebrate the inauguration of Barack Obama for the 44th President of the United States as we gather in Fredericksburg to celebrate all of the work grassroots supporters did to help change the course of history.
Time: Tuesday, January 20 from 5:30 PM - 8:30 PM
Location: Rappahannock Regional Library (Fredericksburg, VA)1201 Caroline StreetFredericksburg, VA 22401
Music: musicians scheduled to appear :
- - John Bachman, http://jonbachman.com/
- - Pete Mealey, http://www.laurieandpeter.com/
- - George Foster
- - Tres Seaver
– In addition to the musicans listed above, we will also have a new local group, the Hybrids, featuring Stephen Hu and Lowell Sale (from the Believers’), doing a rockabilly set.
Note: This is a grassroots event and attendees are asked to bring a “pot-luck” dish to share and to also bring a can of food which will be delivered to our local food bank.
Click here to sign up via my.barackobama.com … or send an email to events@virginiadem.com …. space is limited to 120 participants
Fredericksburg Pub
Today Gail took me out to "The Fredericksburg Pub" for lunch. She had the pub burger, I had the bronzed fish sandwich. Both came with fries. I also added a Boddingtons (on tap) to the meal. This place is going to give other area restaurants a run for their money for the following reasons
a) Good pub fare
b) Fast service, I mean fast for everything, from getting our order, to bringing our drinks, to having the food in front of us.
c) Nice sized proportions and good prices
d) A Variety of flat screens showing football (American football) and football (soccer)
e) THEY ARE SMOKE FREE
f) Attractive and unique uniforms
The F'burg Pub has a great architectural bar in the center, which is the focal point. In addition to the regular booths, they have an opening into a patio that will be open to the outside in the summer, but at the time is heated and closed in. It almost doubles the seating. The food was cooked wonderfully, and comes with a bar specialty, a fried pickel. We almost missed it in the pile of fries, but our waitress pointed it out and we both loved it.
On the service, we noticed on several occasions that the wait staff, servers, runners, everyone was working together to make sure we were taken care of quickly. We noticed a manager kick in at one point for a neighboring table.
The bar has not yet finished their cask system, so those wanting cask beer will have to wait a little longer. The selection of draught beers was adequate, but more interesting was the ability to get a nice sized flight tasting. Not only could you select a flight of beer or wine, you could also select any 3 ounce tastes 12yr or less Scotch ($18) or 3 tastes of bourbon ($14). Their menu excludes "local selections" of these flights, but that's still an interesting take on 'flights'.
We plan on heading back to The Fredericksburg Pub to try the deserts, after seeing the cheesecake at the table behind us.
Not being British, I'm not sure if the staff kilts are authentic, and I'm definitely curious if the miniskirts are typical of a British Pub. But rest assured, the place has good food and drink too.
That's the advantage of reviewing wonderfully run establishment like The Fredericksburg Pub, is you don't feel like the attractive uniforms are trying to distract from poor food or bad service. In this case it all adds to decor and feelings of drinking in a British corner PUB, with staff anxious to make you feel at home. Oh yes, and since this is a non-smoking environment, you will never leave smelling like a chimney. Lets hope that more area establishments take this cue.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Road to Salivation - Restaurant Week
2009 is off to a culinary bang! The 2009 Restaurant week is just around the corner. January 22nd - 31st you can dine at a dozen downtown locations for just $10.09 at lunch and $20.09 for dinner. The menues are typically similar the restaurants normal cuisine, but often the chefs take a little extra liberty with specializing items or trying something new.
From the 2008 visitfred website:
"food enthusiasts will be able to feast on three-course prix fixe meals for a fraction of the regular price. ... Several of the city's finest restaurants will be preparing special menus to showcase their house specialties during Fredericksburg Restaurant Week.
Fredericksburg's 40-block historic district features a variety of one-of-a-kind restaurants, where you'll often find the owner/chef in the kitchen preparing your meal. The Road to Salivation is the ideal time to taste-test the tempting delights found on menus throughout the city."
The 2009 writeup sounds delicious
Delight in sheer gastronomical bliss as you sample some of Fredericksburg’s best dishes. Slow braised beef short ribs with a grapefruit and fennel slaw and fingerling potatoes. Sauté of jumbo shrimp over lobster-enriched fried polenta.For a list of restuarants, visit this link.
Mahi filet with herbed risotto. Belgian chocolate Profiterole with Dulce de
Leche ice cream. In Fredericksburg, the flavor is as rich as the area’s history.
Free Pottery! Empty Bowl Fundraiser, one of our favorites
It's that time of year, when one of our all time favorite fundraisers - The Empty Bowl. This is an annual even to benefit the Rappahannock Council on Domestic Violence, and it's absolutely delicious. For those that have never been, I strongly suggest you consider it to warm up your winter dining experience. The event remains a lasting memory, by filling your cupboard with a one-of-a-kind hand made pottery bowl. The fun of walking in the door and getting to pick out your own unique souvenir is matched only by the next decision of which soups to sample. Local restaurants, organizations, and soup chefs from around the area bring in a wide variety of soups, chilis, gumbos to fill your stomach. But leave space for desert!
Why we love this event? The food is great, the cause is wonderful, and the take home bowls are perfect conversations starters to tell others about this great event. We have friends that use them for parties, where no two people have the same bowl (they've been to several of these). See you there!
10th Annual Empty Bowl, hosted at the Fredericksburg Elks Lodge
New Date: February 8, 2009
Tickets: $40
Available at these locations:
RCDV Outreach Office
Liberty Town Arts Workshop
Sophia Street Studios
or call Kelly Sparr at 972.8357
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
River Park One Step Closer
As reported yesterday on the city beat blog, the city has finished purchasing the properties needed for the river front park. This was the first thing that got me interested in city politics. I envision a day when every week you can head downtown and stroll along the river, maybe catching a live band on friday nights, followed by dinner at one of our great restaurants. I want downtown to be a center for the region, drawing people from the city, Stafford and Spotsylvania. It could be the breakout location for local bands.
The articles report that we will have to wait a little longer due to limited park development funds at least they now own the properties.
Wonder and Mystery
Ed Jones, an editor at the FLS put a quote in his column today from his minister. We need to restore "Wonder and Mystery" to our lives.
Think about that for a minute. I think it's a great new years resolution. Where has our natural curiosity gone? I think I will try to remember this as I watch Bennett start to grow up this year.
Friday, January 2, 2009
Why I Won't Fly Airtran
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090102/ap_on_re_us/muslim_passengers_removed
Among other reasons such as sub par service. How many times have I gotten on a flight and bemoaned the lax security or dumb protocols that do nothing but provide an illusion of security? Rather than think this through, airtran and their prejudiced pilot just refused service to a doc and a lawyer and their families. I ask you, what would the response have been if it was a white guy in blue jeans?
Look as far back as this 05/06 story on boarding passes and yet nothing has really been changed.
Www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15449482/
I worry more about driving I95 to get to the airport, its still safer to fly!
Angry over Gas Tax Reporting
In today's FLS is an ap story about the gas tax. This article states the need to raise the gas tax because people drive less and drive more efficient! WTF! That is NOT the issue. The tax is fixed per gallon, so the revenue NEVER changes even as construction and maint costs have risen. Someone in the article states that the $105B needed in 2007 will grow to $134B by 2017. Duh, that's called inflation! They make like this shortfall is due to less gas being sold.
Yeah, fix the gas tax! Stop being idiots about it and make it a percent of sale! It is the closest gauge to the number of miles driven, which actually equates to maint requirements.
I also take issue with the end of the story where someone envisions a gps based logging system to track miles. There is no way to prevent privacy intrusion without also creating an easily hackable system. Let's see, spend billions on gps'ing every car vs fixing the existing gas tax that encourages buying more efficient vehicles? Its a no brainer.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Sam Adams Utopias - Extreem Brewing Hit
First Night Fredericksburg Events
Please accept my sincere appology for not publishing this post earlier. For those late revelers, looking for something to do tonight to ring in the new years, here are some of the bigger events around town.
For $8 a person, pick up your button at the visitors center (also WaWa and the libraries), and enjoy a variety of family friendly indoor activities at First Night Fredericksburg. 21 different locations from 6:30pm until Midnight host all types of events. Children under 3 are free.
For FREE (with drink and/or food), visit Kybecca for live Jazz 9:30 until Midnight.
For FREE, visit Capital Ale of Fredericksburg for live music.
For live music with a cover, The Loft (cover includes champagne toast), Yak-A-Doos , Brocks, & Fredericksburg Hospitality House are sure to have something fun.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
So Long Bella Boutique Silver
Today I was picking up some fixings for a little get together Friday night, and decided to stop in Bella Boutique, Silver & Accessories to see if there was a good pickup for a last minute stocking stuffer. While there, another customer asked the owner why one item was $39, when a heavier silver piece was about half that price. The more expensive piece didn't have a price tag, that was the price the owner gave the customer off the top of her head. When the customer started asking why it was so expensive, the owner had the audacity to state "well that's just the price".
A couple of pointers for this businesswoman
a) You're CLOSING, sayonara, adios, You can either let the customer bargain and sell the piece, or you can piss off the customer and get $0. In down times, haggling is part of the sale (see news story here).
b) You don't laugh about the customer after they leave, especially if there is another customer in the store.
c) One unhappy customer equals ten missed sales. Well, obviously we see why you're closing.
For years, a prosperous economy has made it relatively easy on certain owners. Regardless of how they treated customers, there was always someone to take their place. Gouging prices was common place, and service was all but forgotten.
Welp, guess what, it's crunch time. Cya. I feel really bad for businesses that are hurting and do understand the way to keep customers. But for those businesses like Bella Boutique, I suggest taking a few business and marketing classes, and working on customer service. See you in the next bubble.
Monday, December 22, 2008
Robo Cop Taking Christmas & New Years Off
Autochalk aka "Robo Cop" is taking a few days vacation this year at Christmas and New Years, so feel free to violate the 2 hour parking rules on the following days:
December 24, 25, 26 (2008) and January 1 & 2nd 2009.
Quote from the fredericksburgva.gov website:
"Note: the two-hour parking restrictions downtown will be suspended on December 24, 25, and 26 as well as January 1 and 2. "
Friday, December 19, 2008
Win the Credit APR War
I just got off of the phone with Citibank, the issuer of my Citi Dividend MasterCard. For years this has been my go to (non American Express) card. Most of the benefit comes from the 1-5% cash back. It was nice getting a check with every $50 in savings. Last week I received a letter stating that my 8.99% APR was about to go to 15.99%. Now a little background, credit card companies don't like me because I always pay off balances. However, in the event that something happens, I want to have the best rate possible. Note that nothing much in my credit has changed in recent years, which was validated when I spoke to the cust. service rep who said the card in general was going to a 1 yr only intro rate of 8.99. This new policy is almost DOUBLE the earlier rate.
Everyone, and I mean everyone should choose to OPT-OUT. Why is this? Because EVERYONE who doesn't is going to almost IMMEDIATELY get the increased rate. But by opting out, they have locked in my 8.99% rate for the remaining time on my card. At this point, my card doesn't expire until 01/2010. I have a WHOLE YEAR to go find a better rewards card. Hell, by that point Citi might have a new option available to me.
Lets see, I could have done even better. If this happened to you, you have until Jan 31, 2009 to opt-out of the citi rate increase. FIRST, call customer service and tell them you accidentally mutilated your card (maybe thinking of how much you hate credit card companies). Usually, credit card companies issue cards for 3 years. This should move out your expiration date. When you get your card, call in and then opt out. You'll be locked in until your card expires.
Monday, December 15, 2008
Day Trip to Williamsburg
I thought it worthy of a post to mention how nice it was to visit old town Williamsburg on Sunday. It seemed that the 2 person 15 minute version of A Christmas Carol was the hit of the day. Often we forget how quick is to take day trips around the state. A quick 1.5 hours and we were there.
A note to urban planners, if you have a unique draw, people will put up with bad parking. W'burg has a mix of paid, free 1 hour and free 2 hour parking. Non was overly convenient, but we all managed!
I apologize for the low quality cell photo.
[ original post at http://www.intheburg.info/ ]
Wegmans Progress
According to city council minutes from november, the building is ahead of schedule. We will have to see what that means for opening if anything. Originally the project had an expected opening of Feb 2009 as reported in the fls.
[ original post at http://www.intheburg.info/ ]
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Not your ordinary Christmas Music
The FLS weekender ran an article today about the upcoming Trans-Siberian Orchestra concert coming to DC this weekend. We went with friends last year and had the best time. I'm not one for all the normal Christmas tunes, but this isn't your ordinary Christmas concert either. Please read the article here, and if you're free on Sunday, I highly recommend the show. Go dressed as you please, even though the name is Orchestra, this is a modern rock band, and jeans are perfectly ok.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Fredericksburg's Commonwealths Attorney Race
I received this letter from Eric Olsen this morning, and thought I would pass it along. He has been working as a prosecutor for 19 years, much longer than anyone else running in the race. He also points to an interesting stat about successful prosecutions in his letter below. Read for yourself, and don't forget to vote in the special election Dec 16th.
Dear Friends and Neighbors,
As most of you know, I am a candidate for Fredericksburg Commonwealth ’s Attorney at the Special Election on December 16th to fill the vacancy created by Charlie Sharp’s judicial appointment.
The issue in this election is who has the experience and the skills to handle all of the challenges of this job. The answer is contained in the accomplishments of my 19 years as a prosecutor.
Distinguished Commonwealth Attorney of the Year – Awarded annually to the one prosecutor selected by his or her fellow prosecutors from across the state, the Von Schuch Distinguished Assistant Award is the highest award that any assistant Commonwealth Attorney can receive. I received the award in 2008.
Child Abuse Prosecutions – The easiest thing for a prosecutor to do is not prosecute the most difficult cases we face as commonwealth’s attorneys, the physical and sexual abuse of children. Many times the abuser is a family or household member, the child has no voice, and these challenging cases are quietly not pursued. Most people do not realize that for many child abuse cases the mother of the child is on the side of the abuser and does not want the case prosecuted. I have spoken for these children for two decades. I am a tenacious advocate for holding those who would hurt a child accountable and have developed the skills to prosecute these cases and bring justice to the victims.
Domestic Violence – I have found that the way cases are handled by the prosecutor has a profound effect on deterring future violence. I developed Stafford ’s Domestic Violence Response Policy in 1990 and the results are remarkable. In 2001 the Free Lance Star did a comprehensive review of Domestic Violence prosecutions in Spotsylvania, Fredericksburg and Stafford . That review showed that among these localities the conviction rate was:
Spotsylvania 26 %
Fredericksburg 24%
Stafford 57% (Not only is the highest in the area, it is the highest in the state of Virginia )
Drunk Driving – I have handled too many manslaughter cases where someone was killed at the hands of a drunk driver. In some cases the victim was killed as a passenger in a car driven by a family member or friend. In some, a complete stranger destroyed lives. As you can imagine, the type of justice sought by the surviving friends and family varies depending on the relationship of the offender to the victim. However, they all want the same thing, the one thing that no one can give them. They all want it never to have happened. Deterrence is the key to drunk driving prosecutions. I am on the permanent faculty of Virginia ’s Advanced DWI Investigation and Prosecution training program. I have been training other prosecutors to successfully prosecute these cases for years and I will bring these skills to Fredericksburg . A Drunk Driving case will not be dropped because of who defendant is or who his lawyer is. A case will not be lost because the prosecutor is not up for the job. This happens too often across the state and it will not happen when I am Fredericksburg ’s Commonwealth Attorney.
Murder Cases – As distressing as it seems, we cannot ignore the fact that Fredericksburg ’s prosecutor will face the same challenges in the future that have been faced in the past, about one or two murders a year. Whether it is a crime of gun violence or a child who has been shaken to death, your prosecutor needs to have the skills to try a murder case rather than make a plea bargain. From 2002 to 2005 I tried four murder cases. Erin George shot her husband to death, Cynthia Welch starved her baby to death, Alphonso Bennett killed a college student in a home-invasion robbery and Charles Reed used a sawed-off shotgun in a drug related killing. The only thing that these murderers had in common was that they all pleaded not guilty, they were all tried in front of a jury and they were all prosecuted by me. There are times when it is appropriate to make a plea agreement in a case. That will never happen because I am outmatched, overwhelmed or inexperienced.
Public Servant – I proudly call myself a career prosecutor. For 19 years I have served the public by giving voice to those victims whose voice is never heard and by improving the quality of life for countless citizens. I do this because of the passion I have for this job and the respect I have for the rule of law. With the experience of over 200 jury trials, I have been tested where it matters most, in the courtroom, and can say, without hesitation, that Fredericksburg will benefit from my expertise and my experience. As a lifelong resident of Fredericksburg I know this city as well as most, and I know this job better than anybody. I ask for your vote on December 16.
Eric L. Olsen
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Blackberry Storm update 1.1
On Friday 12/5, RIM and Verizon released software version 4.7.0.75 for the Blackberry Storm. I consider this release 1.1 (maybe closer to 1.0 with the unit shipping with a late beta). Already, I can tell you this:
- The screen rotation is MUCH faster. It doesn't get locked into portrait or landscape like it did before.
- Clicking on links in the browser is MUCH more accurate. Before when I would try to click, about 50% of the time it zoomed in (which is normally done when you double tap the screen)
- The GPS registered 5 satellites sitting INSIDE my house much faster than before. Next week I'll try it out on the train which it seems to give the unit more trouble. The train windows must be thicker than the house.
- The upgrade was faster than I expected. I had upgraded the software on my 7130e once, and it took hours. This took about 45 minutes start to finish, maybe an hour if you count the time it took for me to download the update to my PC. (It's 102MB download.)
- Rumor is that battery life is better after the update. I'll come back and update this post in a few days. Before the update, commuting an hour each way on the train, using the browser and media functions, plus use during the day, would result in about 2 bars left on the battery. Pretty poor performance compared to the iPhone (however, the battery is replaceable on the Storm). Hopefully this update will improve that.
A few notes. I had to log onto the Verizon website and actually download the update. Some people that only use BIS (blackberry internet service) are able to get this over the air. For those that don't know, you can go into Options -> Advanced Options -> Wireless Update and select check for updates.
My berry was originally BIS, but when we were bought out by another company, I had them activate me on their BES server. So I have both BIS checking emails, and Enterprise access to my work email, calendar, etc. I had to wait for them to post a download file, and use the Blackberry desktop software to perform the update. It took about an hour after the update completed to finish the enterprise activation.
I will also note that not ALL application settings are saved and restored. My favorite RSS reader Viigo didn't save my account login info. The update DID preserve all of my 3rd party apps though, so that saved me hours of time.
Because of my enterprise activation, and the combination of service books and calendars, it seems that I now have duplicates of many meetings. In the past, this has either cleared up, or I sync and delete the duplicates. This same problem occurred on my 7130e last year.
And finally they haven't fixed the shutter lag on the camera...
One last note. In a week, other berry users have played with the device, and a number of iPhone users have too. The iPhone users like to point out that the interface is much like the old blackberries, rather than migrating everything to the touchscreen. For those of us upgrading from a blackberry, this is a huge benefit actually. The familiarity with the interface is a benefit, plus the addition of a full screen keyboard makes it a winner. I expect to see more improvements though that add touchscreen shortcuts for menu items. The bb Storm has by my count, 11 buttons (4 bottom, two configurable side buttons, lock, mute, vol up, vol down, and the screen press). That gives developers an awful lot to work with.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
I'm voting for experience Dec 16th
On the night of Dec 3rd, several area hone owner associations held a forum for the three candidates for Fredericksburg commonwealth attorney. The discussion became interesting toward the end, when it became clear there were different levels of experience.
LaBravia Jenkins wanted to point out the inexperience of Joseph Hicks, who has never prosecuted a case. Yet she inadvertently left the door open for Eric Olsen to emphasize his 19 years in Stafford to her limited 8 here in the city. Promotion from within has some benefits, but having outside experience is invaluable to building better processes! And look at the differences in experience.
I was also greatly impressed by Mr. Olsen's plan to assign a prosecutor to each of the city's wards. As small a city as we are, there are differences in the diverse areas of the city. I spoke to Eric after and he stated there is already staff to do this without additional cost.
The forum was very well attended, with about 80 people filling council chambers.
Don't forget to vote in the special election for the City of Fredericksburg Commonwealth's Attorney on Dec 16th.
Brad Ellis's Comments Against the Courts Complex
The City of Fredericksburg is embarking on a potential upgrade to our courts. Brad Ellis made the statement in his run for the Ward 1 seat, that he was creating a website instead of a blog so that he could interact with the public. I hate to break it to him, but with out an RSS feed, and no comments section, he's severely limiting his 'interaction'.
So to help him out, I'm going to quote his website right here on this blog. He can come here and comment along with the rest of the public. His comments are definitely against starting this project now (which I agree with to some degree). He also brings up an interesting analysis of the cost per sq foot. He fails to mention that if they do start, he supports the $7M parking garage. I have not had the chance to ask him if this garage would be revenue supported, or if it's yet another addition to our tax payer supported bond package.
From FBurgImpact.com (Brad Ellis, Ward 1 Council Member), spelling errors included:
Court House Complex - A copy of the Court Facility Feasibility Study is available here. Simply put, the City cannot afford to undergo this project during the next fiscal year. We are entering the next budget cycle with a $4M shortfall. The funding required to build this complex depends upon the chosen alternative and ranges, in cost, from $45M to $65M. This translates to a tax rate increase of $0.080 to $0.115, which, in my opinion, cannot be justified during these difficult economic times.
- Indeed, the City is facing a potential Judicial directive to build a new court house facility, HOWEVER, we are not being told to build this facility next year. It is also important to note that this project will consume all the marginal revenue growth in the General Fund starting in Fiscal Year 2011. For these reasons, I cannot support moving forward with constructing the court house complex at this time.
- What I am willing to support is an in-depth review of a the costs and benefits of constructing a joint-use facility located near the Regional jail complex. I understand the potential economic impact of having our courts downtown and feel it is possible to still use our historic court house (with modifications to improve security and technology) for all civil case trials. A Regional Courts Facility would therefore be used for all trials involving criminal cases; located where the criminals are actually incarcerated. This approach would have the added benefit of freeing-up City police from needing to transport criminals back and forth to their holding cells.
- I realize there has been a lot of preliminary work performed by the City and to change course at this point seems counterintuitive. However, the fact is, the City cannot afford this courts complex at this point in time and it is unfair to put other projects on hold and / or raise taxes to fund this project. A more attractive course of action would be to use the next year to serisouly consider the costs and benefits of a joint-use facility while still maintaining our historic courthouse for civial trials. As responsible stewards of our City's resources we owe the residents a true analysis of this approach.
- Further notes on the cost of this project: The Operations & Maintenance costs for this complex are estimated to be $200,000 per year. The cost, per square foot of this complex will range from $619 (for a$47M facility) to $769 (for a $60M facility). This price tag is UNACCEPTABLE in my book. I work in the IT field and the cost per square foot to build a data center completely equipped with inside/outside cabling plant, robust security features, and very substantial heating and air conditioning capabilities, and raised floor space costs, on average, $600 per square foot. Furthermore, Quantico Corporate Center was recently constructed in Stafford to be compliant with Homeland Security requirements (much more stringent than those for our proposed court house complex) for around $150 per square foot. We should not move forward with this project under the terms laid out in the Feasibility Study at any time...we are going to get ripped-off if we pay these prices.
- Sustainability of the Proposed New Courts Complex: I find it very interesting that if we were to embark upon this project and finance it over 30 years that we will have outgrown it 20 years into our occupancy based off of the City's projected growth rate. Our current court house has been operational since 1852; shouldn't we at least embark upon a project that will prove useful for at least the next 100 years?
- I encourage everyone to ponder the details I've put forth and speak-out publicly and in writing to ALL of your elected officials. THIS IS NOT A GOOD DEAL FOR THE CITY.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Romance Under The Lights
So, stuck on what to get your special someone for Christmas?
Other good lead off sentences:
- Want to impress your wife (girlfriend, special someone, partner)?
- Want to take it to the next level?
- Want to check out the city as a slower pace?
- Want to show off your carriage riding skills to 11 of your closest friends?
(there are more that just keep coming)
Of course I'm talking about the Holiday Lights tours downtown by Olde Towne Carriages.
From the city events page:
Enjoy the Holidays with an old fashioned horse-drawn carriage ride through
Historic Fredericksburg during the Christmas lights season. The carriages can
accommodate 2-12 people, or multiple carriages for larger groups. Carriages
depart from the Fredericksburg Visitor's Center each evening Sun-Fri (6pm &
7pm) and Sat (6pm, 7pm & 9pm). Call for Reservations. (540) 371-0094
You can check out Olde Towne Carriages and see all the specials they have for not only the Christmas lights in December, but also for a New Years night package.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Park and Shop Update
Mike, over at the new college terrace blog, posted some interesting new facts on park and shop. If you subscribe to fburgnews.com you have already seen thw article. If not, check it out here.
http://collegeterrace.blogspot.com/2008/12/town-gown-meeting.html
Looks like construction starts in Feb.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Verizon Blackberry Storm Review
Since Friday I have been using my new Verizon Blackberry Storm (Verizon 9530). A little background first. For the past 28 months I've been using a Verizon Blackberry 7130e. Not the most modern blackberry, but a suretype device that is a good prep for the portrait version of the keyboard on the storm.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
It's Not The Depression
Faithful readers will note that this isn't the first post to rail on traditional media's fear tactics in comparing the current economy to the Great Depression. I must commend the Free Lance-Star for the article in today's paper about how the city of Fredericksburg made it through the Great Depression.
On November 14th, one of the wisest men that I knew passed away, my grandfather. This is the man that spend numerous hours taking my brother and me fishing, hunting, or just spending time telling stories about his childhood. One of the things he didn't talk much about was the Great Depression. However, when he did, you knew to listen closely. It's the story about why he owned the family farm, since he was the oldest son, and when the depression hit, he returned from college to help make ends meet. There was no extra money for college. The family raised what they could, and saved wherever possible. He spent time as an organizer for the CCC, which resulted in many public works projects in their rural area. It wasn't a time when they thought much about what they wanted to be, but rather took what work was available.
I've been thinking about how to write this post for a while. My first thought was how disgusted my grandfather must be that our generation is even thinking about comparing the current economic stumbles to that of the Great Depression. Even compared to the Gas rationing in the 70's, this doesn't come close. Maybe there are a few comparisons the real estate crash in the 80's, but I haven't seen much in the papers. In general, a large proportion of American (and world) society is more impacted by the negativity in the papers than anything else. Many of us have seen losses in the market, and are experiencing reduced values in our homes, but there is still food on the table, we still have our cell phones, and cable TV.
Lets look at how the blow has been softened. The good 'ol gov't has upped the saving deposit insurance to $250k, so that your bank account (and your business's) are safe. They have stepped in to bail out a number of reinsurers and certain large financial institutions to ensure continuing coverages and services. They have extended certain unemployment benefits, so that if you get let go at work you can draw unemployment for a longer time. At the same time, the market has finally started showing that bad business plans don't need funding, as evidence by the tightening credit market. Real estate mortgage rates are still at historic lows, and all those foreclosures are bringing back 'affordable housing'. Softening the blow even more is the return of $1.50 a gallon gas prices. Break out the Hummer!
Jeremy Siegal at Kiplinger has a great column in the Dec '08 issue, "It's Not a Depression:
We are better off today as we confront the current credit crisis".
Is this our spring cleaning for the economy? Having been employed through the 'dot com' bubble and bust, lets just say that back then we pointed out how stupid it was to finance invest in companies that had no plan for profitability.
So in a tilt of the had to my grandfather (who would also tell me we had it easy compared to taking the 'cart' to school in the snow), I completely agree that we have it easy compared to the Great Depression.
Monday, November 24, 2008
2008 Candlelight Tour
Join HFFI for the 2008 Candlelight tour
38th Annual Candlelight Tour (View Info Summary Page)
Saturday, December 13, 2008
11 a.m. to 5 p.m.( for general admission)
6 p.m. to 9 p.m.(for Private Tour Ticket holders)
Sunday, December 14, 2008
12 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Featured Homes this year:
99 Caroline Street – “Steamboat Landing”
101 Caroline Street
129 Caroline Street
133 Caroline Street – “Sentry Box”
134 Caroline Street
201 Caroline Street – “Pink Lady”
205 Caroline Street – “Victoriana”
Monday Rant: Is it that bad? Really now?
On a Monday when I open the paper, and read about yet another bailout, I think back to the weekend and wonder if we aren't getting just a bit of fear 'vertising. That's my new word for how the government pitches anything now that they want the entire country to back. First it was weapons of mass destruction, now its the economy.
Let me give you a few concrete Fredericksburg shopping examples. In the current bad economy, I could not for the life of me locate a $250 blackberry Storm. This is admittedly a splurge. Yet I must not be the only one willing to throw away some hard earned cash. Neither could I locate a Wii Fit, another non-necessity.
What the hell? Aren't people supposed to be saving up, skipping the fun stuff in exchange for doom and gloom?
So let's say it like it is! Retail has been spoiled by opulence and over abundance. Will the lesson be learned this year? For some reason I doubt it, but quit your whining and get on with it. I see smart businesses making much needed improvements now. I also see worthless businesses going under. A steak house in central park closed. Why? People like us never ate there because there were better places to go.
Consider 2008 a spring cleaning of the economy. And if anyone sees a Wii Fit in stock, email me.
(ps, before anyone slaughters me for being out of touch, we do have close family that has been affected by layoffs and/or closings. Everybody needs a rainy day fund.)
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Events this Weekend - the Holiday Season Is Upon Us
A bevy of plays are floating and twirling around town this weekend. We have it good authority that it's well worth the trip to go see Christian Youth Theater perform "Willie Wonka Junior" at Spotsylvania High (I'm branching out of city events for this one). Friends attended this performance last weekend and offered to baby-sit Bennett for the night so that we could see this weekend's edition. Looking forward to the experience.
Reading the paper this morning, the FLS has a great article about the various versions of 'The Nutcracker' around town. The one by the Academy of Ballet at James Monroe High looks like a winner. I was surprised that there are four other regional choices, fitting for a variety of ages and wallets.
Ok, so I don't leave out the adventurous types, it looks like KC's downtown (central station) is having a variety of bands on Thursday night, and are also doing their Friday Night Rocks. Along with the normal open mic nights and free bands at your favorite hangouts.
Anyone else notice that on several event calendars there is Salsa dancing almost every night of the week? Friday night there are Salsa lessons at no less than three places.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Mixed Use May Finally Be Coming to Fredericksburg
I just received notice of the Dec 10th planning commission meeting, and item number 4 on the agenda is particularly interesting:
4. Zoning Ordinance Text Amendment- Amendment to the City Code Chapter 78,
Zoning, Planning and Development, Article III, Zoning, by adding a new division,
Division 34, Planned Development Mixed Use. This new mixed use district is being
proposed to assist in implementing the goals and policies of the 2007
Comprehensive Plan.
Finally, like many of us that have been discussing zoning issues with the city have been arguing, the city needs to allow mixed use zoning. This is a classification that is popular in many localities both urban and rural. I've heard it was discussed once for Central Park, walkable communities. We've heard words like this from several council members. Yet the discussions seemed to be dominated by oversized housing and parking. Here is a zoning change that makes sense.
FYI - Mixed use zoning just allows for what used to be common sense building, putting markets in residential areas, so that people could walk down the store and pick up what they needed. Why we ever got away from this, and instead went for cookie cutter neighborhoods is beyond me.
Dine At Chili's for Charity
The Fredericksburg Boy's And Girl's club and Chili's are combining forces on November 26th for Spirit Night. If you print out this flyer (link) (it's 3.5Mb, so it may take a little while to load). 10% of your check will be donated to the Boy's and Girl's Club. This is good at all three Fredericksburg, VA locations:
Fredericksburg
3104 Plank Road
540-548-4270
Fredericksburg
10010 Southpoint Parkway
540-898-6666
Stafford
1030 Stafford Market Place
540-288-1212
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Medicorp ID Theft
WOW, what a huge mistake by our local hospital. They need to have a serious talk with their PR person. This quote was in today's FLS about an lapse allowing personal info out onto the web for all to see. Jina Kaikey is the privacy officer for Medicorp. (from the FLS, see the entire letter here):
"We have been assured by this individual that he did not download, copy,
distribute, save or otherwise utilize the information he accessed," Haikey
wrote.
Oh yes, we can trust this one individual because he said we can trust him. Ok, but what about all the people that aren't telling you the truth. You've got to be kidding me. I'm appalled. I'm so, so, so very glad that when we went to pre-register for the birth of our son, there was a confusion and we registered by phone.
Maybe I'm paranoid, but in my line of work, that's what keeps you safe.
VDOT politics as usual
That's how I read this article about porous friction course, a porous asphalt alternative that is being tested out by VDOT. This came to my attention through this FLS article, but was actually reported last month in the Washington Post. In the article, VDOT spokesman was quoted
"Noise barriers are expensive, not to mention some people don't like the look of
them," said McGhee, referring to the walls that line highways near residential
areas. Such barriers can cost $2 million to $3 million per mile.
Now I'm angry, VDOT care's more about some snot complaining about noise after they CHOSE to build their house next to a roadway, than the benefits of using porous surfaces to prevent environmental disaster. If VDOT incurs expenses of 2-3M per mile of noise barrier, they should turn around and bill the developers. One caveat, if a new road is constructed next to existing houses, then I'm all for those barriers being part of the deal (look at what might be happening here with the Rappahannock Parkway, and a link here for a picture).
I know some readers like to see data to ensure benefits are real, so here is a link to a study on particulate conentrations in stormwater before and after the use of P.F.C. It sure would be nice if there were some incentives to using this stuff for parking lots in the area. It will also be interesting to see what VDOT's five year studies show for the improved bonding compounds and whether they can withstand wear and tear as expected.
[10pm update] A commenter also suggested this link for the Potomac River watershed stormwater runoff analysis:
http://www.potomac.org/site/wp-content/uploads/pdfs/pc_sonr_web.512kb.pdf
I'm getting more and more concerned that actions today to 'wait and see' are risking huge future borrowing in order to fund corrections to major environmental impacts for either my generation, or my son's generation.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
UMW, many love you
I was disturbed by the front page story in the FLS today about a UMW commissioned study about the amount of financial benefit the college brings to the area. Why? A number of us live here, partly due to the vibrance that the university provides to the community. The article indicated the study was commisioned in response to comments about the recent real estate purchases by UMW. There was a comment from city council about the recent request for a special use permit to use a house next to the university as business offices. The house is nothing special, and I thought I remember that when it was purchased it was for future access to additional parking for the fields. Who exactly is complaining about UMW?
Really, does UMW feel that there are that many people that don't like it in the community that they had to hire a consultant to perform this analysis? Well let me state it here, in this house hold the university has two huge fans. I'd love to see the city partner with UMW on an arena (example 1 and 2) where national artists could come for performances. We have recent proof of the capability of the city to handle rapid influxes of people from the area.
According to the study, the conservative impact is $115 over all of the regional localities. I doubt if Spotsy or Stafford have complained at all about the university. Even looking at the conservative estimate of several million here in the city, shows what a huge impact, not to mention the ability to draw President Elect Obama. The Obama rally cost the city even less than the Palin rally at the city's own park.
So whoever is taking issue with UMW, consider what the pitiful value of your home would be without the draw of students nationwide. Without the regular influx of new faces, families, and friends that keep interest in this city high.
Meet the New City Commonwealth's Attorney
Technically, you will be meeting the three candidates, but after the election in December, one of the three candidates will be the one. According to City Beat, Dec 3rd at 7pm, there will be a forum at city hall where you can meet all three candidates.
http://www.fredericksburg.com/blogs/view?blogger_id=20&p=1226586342
Want a city Grant?
Have a business? Run a non-profit? Ever wonder how some businesses got their grants in the City of Fredericksburg? The city has posted an official document on the EDA grants, which cover four areas:
• Non-Profit Grant Program
• Event Grant Program
• For-Profit Corporation Grant Program
• JumpstART! Grant Program
EDA grants will be done on a cycle three times a year, the applications must be received by either March 1, June 1, or October 1.
These are not the large multiyear incentives packages, there are limits on total funding costs.
http://www.fredericksburgva.gov/notices/EDA_grant_criteria_rev111008.pdf
1st Annual Tree Planting Weekend
Volunteers are needed to plant 100 trees (3 gallon containers) throughout the City of Fredericksburg. Meet at Maury Park (corner of William Street and Kenmore Avenue) at 12:45 p.m. Please bring gloves and a shovel. This event is sponsored by the Fredericksburg Department of Public Works, the Fredericksburg Beautification Commission, and Tree Fredericksburg.
We will be planting trees in the utility strips (grassy areas between the sidewalk and the street) throughout the City. We are looking for locations where neighbors will agree to water the trees for a year. We are also looking for individuals who are interested in planting a tree in their front yard (in the City) that will be watered and thrive and become a canopy tree. This event is open to all individuals free of charge. If interested in more information, call Anne Little 373-4594.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
City News
City Council Update posted at fburgnews http://fburgnews.com/2008/11/city-council-action-1111/
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Google Street View has Arrived in Fredericksburg
Check it out! You can now view street level images from google maps in and around Fredericksburg. Some residential areas are not mapped, but most all other areas are.
LINK
I particularly like this picture downtown. How many lanes are there, five? Doesn't matter that the previous images show plenty of parking, some people just have to be right up front. And before you say that person is backing into a spot, the next image doesn't show back-up lights.
image courtesy google maps
View Larger Map
Freebies This Weekend
Looking for some excitement this weekend. I was updating the events listing for this website and pulled out a few freebies that I thought folks might be interested in.
First, start off with First Fridays. Even though the weather has turned a bit colder, the art galleries and businesses downtown that support artists are still putting on this great series of shows this Friday. Come out and check out your favorite artist, or find something new that you haven't seen before.
Then head out for a little post First Fridays camaraderie and listen to these NO COVER bands:
The Griffin Bookshop - Laura Shepherd, 7:30pm
Colonial Tavern - Ashland Miller Band , 9pm
Bistro Bethem - Bucky & The Blues Buckets, 10pm
Saturday, if you have children, or are a big kid yourself, you might want to head over to Spotsylvania Towne Center for the arrival of SANTA at 10am. If you're the artsy type, there is a craft show at the armory. Finally, if you missed the good music on Friday night, Shoredigger's Cats is playing at The Griffin Bookshop for no cover at 7:30pm.
While you're out spending a little dough, don't forget to get your Boys & Girls club raffle ticket. Drawing is November 12th.
City Tree Planting Volunteers Needed 11/15
Tree Planting Event - Saturday, November 15, 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Rain date Sunday, November 16th 1:00 p.m.- 4:00 p.m.
Events In The 'Burg
2009 Events Posted HERE.
I'm adding a link right under the title banner on the website so that visitors can immediately find this posting at InTheBurg.info
2008
Nov 28 - Children's Christmas Tree Lighting @ Hurkamp Park
Dec 4-5 - Holiday POPS @ 7:30pm Dodd Auditorium UMW
Dec 6 - 23rd Annual Fredericksburg Christmas Parade
Dec 13-15 - 38th Annual Candlelight Tour
Dec 31 - First Night Fredericksburg
Open Mic Night happens every Second Thursday of the month @ the Wounded Bookshop
(Shows listed on this page are gathered from other websites, and are subject to change. Check the original links to verify.)
If anyone events, contact me and I'll gladly add them.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Proud Election Day Dad
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Future Voter, and comments on polling places
Wow, it's been over a week since I could get away from family business to write a post. Had to get back to town in time to cast a vote. Very good experience this year. Check post here.
"At 2:30pm, the city’s ward 1 polling station was operating well.
There was no line, the multiple stations to check ID was working much better
than the last election, and people were friendly. There was a full parking
lot. There were more than 2100 ballots cast by the time I finished,
considering that in 2004 there were only 3284 registered voters in Ward 1,
that’s a nice turnout.
Hopefully the city registrar will keep up the good work, and we don’t end
up with any issues like Richmond
VA.
Way to go Fredericksburg!"
Bennett snagged a Future Voter sticker as soon as he went in. I know he won't remember this historic election, but hopefully he will read about it in the history books.
