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Months after closing to allow crews to construct several upgrades, James City County’s park near Jamestown is back in action with a new name.

The park closed its gate in February so work could start on a second entrance, a launch area for paddle craft, additional parking, a building with restrooms and a sales counter for concessions, an observation pier and a trail compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

That work is complete, prompting the county’s Parks and Recreation staff to reopen the park, changing its name from Jamestown Beach Park to Jamestown Beach Event Park. The county spent $690,632 on the project, using a combination of money for infrastructure and grant funding from land and water conservation grants.

This map shows the changes to Jamestown Beach Event Park. (Courtesy James City County)

Guests to the park will first notice its new entrance, located off Jamestown Road across the street from Jamestown Settlement’s main parking lot. The previous entrance is located near the bridge to the Jamestown-Scotland Ferry, which sometimes made it difficult to access when vehicles waiting for the ferry were queued.

Once inside, guests can park in the old spots or in one of 35 new designated spaces. They are located in the western edge of the park and provide immediate access to the approximately quarter-mile long, ADA-compliant trail.

The new amenities are scattered along the James River waterfront. The paddle craft launch area is closest to the new parking area and ADA-compliant trail and is large enough for several vehicles to offload the boats at the same time.

The observation pier is near Jamestown Road, extending 100 feet into the river. It provides guests a better view of the river while covering a pipe that jettisons runoff from precipitation.

Next to the pier is the new building with restrooms and occasional concession sales. Both amenities are located close to the old entrance to the park, which remains open.

A map detailing all of the changes will be issued to park-goers. The park is located at 2205 Jamestown Road and is open from 8 a.m. to sunset.

Related Coverage:

• Jamestown Beach Park Closes Until May

WYDaily.com is your source for free news and information in Williamsburg, James City & York Counties.

Jamestown Rediscovery members use surveying equipment to record data about a cellar pit where excavations are underway. (Gregory Connolly/WYDaily)

A team of archaeologists from Preservation Virginia has been at work since 1994 uncovering the buried secrets of Jamestown.

When the Jamestown Rediscovery Archaeological Project started, the hope was to find the site of the original 1607 James Fort, which had been written off for more than 200 years as lost to shoreline erosion.

Since then, the team has discovered the fort and more than a million artifacts in the ground.

Jamestown Unearthed is a recurring feature in WYDaily exploring the latest discoveries in and around James Fort.

The archaeologists spent much of last year’s digging season excavating what is believed to be the cellar of a building which once stood near the church. It’s only the second dig outside the fort’s walls, where dozens of buildings are believed to have been built as the colonists outgrew the fort’s confines.

After months of work last year and in the first weeks of good weather in 2015, the team has found numerous artifacts near the bottom of what is known as the cellar’s trash layer — an area near the bottom of the pit where colonists discarded waste in the years after the founding of James Fort.

The biggest discovery so far is a piece of wood with several copper tacks driven through it in close proximity to one another. The find could be part of a book from the centuries before the founding of the fort, when covers were made of thick sheets of wood and housed small metal parts like locks and latches.

Jamestown Rediscovery Senior Archaeologist Danny Schmidt said work is underway now to determine what, if any, book the wood may have once housed. It’s also possible the wood could be part of a box or chest.

The team has not had any luck finding pages from the books that once existed at the fort. Common titles from the James Fort period include bibles, religious instructional materials and classics written in Greek or Latin.

The wood excavated from the cellar is pictured here beneath a protective wrapping of cheesecloth. The copper tacks can be seen puncturing the top of the cheesecloth. (Gregory Connolly/WYDaily)

The wood and paper from these books is mostly lost to time, however the copper tacks found in the wood from the pit have enabled the wood to survive, as copper prevents wood from rotting, according to Dan Gamble, the senior conservator with Jamestown Rediscovery.

Removing the wood piece from the ground required the archaeologists to cut out all of the dirt around it, leaving it encased in soil for its trip to the lab.

Once in the lab, Gamble took over the project to ascertain its purpose, wrapping it in cheesecloth and letting it sit for a time before beginning the arduous process of removing the soil from the wood without damaging anything.

Once the soil is gone, he will send photographs of the wood to the Museum of London and other sources to allow experts in artifacts from the past to try to identify its purpose.

The team has also found several pieces of armor and shards of brick and glass in the cellar, much of which remains to be unearthed. Despite their success finding artifacts, they have not yet identified the building’s purpose, but the clues are starting to add up.

For example, staining of dirt along the bottom of the cellar indicates there could have been a layer of boards on the ground that acted as a floor. Should that be confirmed, it will be the first time the team has discovered a building from the James Fort era with a wooden cellar floor.

There are also several erratic marks along the cellar’s edge indicating the placement of posts over time, but without a “smoking gun artifact” to use as a tool for dating the site, Schmidt said it will be difficult to determine the precise lifespan of the cellar.

What is clear is the cellar was one of the larger ones present during the James Fort period, measuring more than 22 feet in length. The team hopes it will learn more about the building’s use in the coming months as more of the cellar is excavated.

A video depicting the team’s work to excavate the cellar and the wooden piece is available on the Historic Jamestowne website.

Artifact Spotlight

The scale armor is currently housed in a device similar to a sandblaster to remove rust. (Gregory Connolly/WYDaily)

Most of the men who settled James Fort brought armor from England.

In the first days of the fort, the settlers were on the lookout for a Spanish assault that never came. Later on, the armor was useful during conflicts with the Native American population.

Gamble has been spending dozens of hours in the lab working on a piece of armor excavated in 2005 from a building inside the fort’s walls.

The armor is a chest plate made of scaled metal. The style was common during the James Fort days and was often sewn into clothing. Its scales allowed the armor to be more breathable in hot, humid weather.

To restore the armor, Gamble has placed it in a device similar to a sandblaster. He is using the tool to blast rust off the metal, a painstakingly slow process as allowing the blaster to run too long on any part of the armor can permanently damage it. So far, he has invested about 80 hours into sandblasting the plate with another 80 hours to go.

Related Coverage:

• Jamestown Unearthed: Radar Technology Reveals Likely Sites of Past Buildings
• Jamestown Unearthed: Metal Latch Pieces Link Researchers to Virginia’s First Book
  
• Jamestown Unearthed: 3-D Printing Technology Brings Artifacts to Life
  
• Jamestown Unearthed: Archaeologists Work to Uncover Cellar Outside Fort Walls
  
• Jamestown Unearthed: Archaeologists Look for Clues About Pit Outside Fort Walls

WYDaily.com is your source for free news and information in Williamsburg, James City & York Counties.

Michele Munford (left) and Takia Winston (Courtesy Virginia Peninsula Regional Jail)

Missing video surveillance has led to dropped charges for two women suspected of stealing clothes from James City County stores.

Takia Winston and Michele Denise Munford, who are both from Norfolk, each faced a felony charge of conspiracy to commit grand larceny after police say they stole hundreds of dollars worth of clothes from True Religion in the Williamsburg Premium Outlets on multiple occasions in August.

Williamsburg- James City County Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Michael Gaten said his office was unable to secure video surveillance that showed the two stealing the clothes. Gaten said the video was not “preserved” properly and no longer existed.

On Aug. 18 — the day Munford was charged — James City County Police discovered about $400 of clothing from Aeropostale, about $80 of clothing from Converse and more than $1,360 of clothing from Polo Ralph Lauren, along with merchandise from the Gap Kids and Victoria’s Secret stores in Patrick Henry Mall in Newport News.

Munford and Winston originally each faced five shoplifting-related felony charges, and all but the conspiracy charge was dropped at their preliminary hearing in November.

Related Coverage:

• Police: Two Women Accused of Stealing More Than $2,700 in Merchandise From Premium Outlets
• Two Women Accused of Shoplifting From Premium Outlets to Face Grand Jury

WYDaily.com is your source for free news and information in Williamsburg, James City & York Counties.

James Beers

A second candidate is running to represent the Roberts District on the Williamsburg-James City County School Board.

James Beers announced he is joining the race to replace Heather Cordasco as the Roberts representative on the Board.

Beers said WJCC Schools are among the best in the region, and he is running to improve upon excellence.

He outlined four key areas of focus in a news release announcing his candidacy:

• Academic excellence for all students
• Accountability at all levels from families to teachers to administrators
• Accessibility for students and parents
• Affordability and stewardship of division resources

Beers said community experience would be an asset on the school board.

Beers is an emeritus professor of education at the College of William & Mary School of Education and serves as the director of the Eastern Virginia Writing Project at William & Mary. He is married to former WJCC superintendent Carol Beers.

Beers is the second candidate to jump into the race to replace Cordasco, who is running for the Roberts seat on the James City County Supervisors against incumbent John McGlennon.

Petra Nadal, a resident of Grove, has also announced she is running for the Roberts District seat on the School Board.

Two other seats on the board will also be up for re-election in November — the Berkeley seat, currently occupied by Ruth Larson, and the Stonehouse seat, currently held by Jim Nickols.

Larson is not seeking re-election, as she is running for the Berkeley District seat on the James City County Board of Supervisors against incumbent Mary Jones. William & Mary Latino Studies professor John “Rio” Riofrio has announced he will run for the seat currently held by Larson on the school board.

Nickols announced in April he will run for re-election.

The WJCC School Board is a nonpartisan board that makes financial, operational and curricular decisions for the school divisions and consists of seven members. Five are elected to represent geographic districts in the county, and two are appointed by the Williamsburg City Council to represent the City of Williamsburg at-large.

Board members serve four-year terms.

The term of board member Elise Emanuel (City of Williamsburg) is up at the end of the year. Emanuel has said she will not seek reappointment to the School Board.

Candidates have until June 9 to file paperwork to be included on the Nov. 3 school board ballot.

Related Coverage:

• W&M Professor to Run for Berkeley Seat on WJCC School Board
• Nickols to Seek Re-election to WJCC School Board
• Petra Nadal to Run for WJCC School Board
• No Primary Election for Voters in Williamsburg, James City County
• Filing Deadline Leaves Many Local Races Unopposed within Party

WYDaily.com is your source for free news and information in Williamsburg, James City & York Counties.

Sixth-grade students at Toano Middle School spent a lot of time on the computer last semester — and their teachers approved.

The middle school students were part of a pilot program launched in January by Williamsburg-James City County Schools to increase the use of technology in and outside of the classroom.

Students were each issued personal laptops for use on classroom assignments and homework.

Administrators in the school division see the program as a way to increase student engagement with material and learning.

Tina Manglicmot, WJCC’s supervisor for instructional technology, said the laptop program allowed students to personalize their style of learning and gain more out of the material presented to them.

“Right now, the classroom is very teacher-centered — teachers relate the information to the students,” Manglicmot said. “Students are consumers of education. This allows them to take ownership of their learning.”

The program works by distributing division-provided laptops to each sixth-grade student at Toano. Manglicmot said teachers regularly use technology in the classroom, but their efforts are limited by the students’ ability to access the technology.

The 1-to-1 program, as it is known, ensures students can access electronic materials both in class and at home. That allows teachers to craft more demanding and sophisticated lessons for students.

“Say a class is reading Hamlet,” Manglicmot said. “I can assign them different chapters that they can find online. I can then have them write their own scripts to modernize what’s going on in the play. It can be collaborative through something like a Google Doc, and then they can act it out in class.”

Manglicmot said the ability to collaborate between students was a key motivation for the program. The laptops also allow teachers to incorporate other online activities, like blogging and discussion boards, where students can respond to each other’s thoughts on the material.

Toano Middle was chosen to host the pilot program for its smaller student population than WJCC’s other two middle schools.

“That way, we would invest less if it turned out to not be effective,” Manglicmot said.

Manglicmot said the school division was hopeful the program would catch on as a way to transform learning in the classroom, but were unsure if it would be successful. She said teachers initially questioned whether the devices would be more of a distraction than an aide when they debuted in the final weeks of the first semester.

As both teachers and students have spent more time with the laptops, Manglicmot said they were becoming more accustomed to the new technology in the classroom.

“Teachers have embraced it more than I thought they would,” Manglicmot said.

Toano English teacher Jessica Agett said the computers had helped her students become more organized and turn in higher-quality work than they previously had.

“Every single project, every single worksheet, every single classwork assignment is now online for them to see so they either have it on their computer or they don’t,” Agett said. “There’s no excuse of, ‘but I left it somewhere.’”

A survey is being distributed to parents next week to assess their reaction to the program.

With the program less than a semester old and SOL testing underway, Manglicmot said it was too soon to determine if the laptops had an effect on standardized test scores.

The response from teachers and students has encouraged the school division to expand the 1-to-1 program to all sixth-grade classrooms at the division’s three middle schools and to Toano Middle’s incoming seventh-grade class at a cost of $500,000.

“We’re very pleased,” Manglicmot said. “The students are pleased, the teachers are pleased. We’re looking forward to the future.”

While the expanded program will not come into effect until the 2015-2016 school year, Manglicmot said WJCC was already looking into expanding 1-to-1 even further to all students in the division.

A division-wide program would likely allow students in grades six through 12 to take personal laptops home with them, while younger students would use an in-school check-out system.

“It all depends on the budget,” Manglicmot said.

WYDaily.com is your source for free news and information in Williamsburg, James City & York Counties.

This week, a man is facing charges for allegedly stealing a tip charge from Williamsburg’s College Delly, and police are investigating an assault at Longhill Grove Apartments in James City County.

Check out all the crime stories that did not make the headlines this week and others you may have missed below.

James City County

Police Looking for Construction Saw Thief

James City County Police are asking the public for help in identifying a suspect accused of stealing a $900 saw from a job site.

A post on the county’s Facebook page Monday said the concrete saw was stolen at around 11:22 a.m. May 6 from the job site located between the Happy Shopper and the Windy Hill Shops at 8934 Pocahontas Trail.

A crew foreman told police the saw was unattended for about five minutes.

Anyone with information on this incident is asked to call Crime Line at 888-LOCK-U-UP. Callers may remain anonymous, do not have to testify in court and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000 if the information leads to an arrest.

Police Investigating Assault at Longhill Grove Apartments

A 38-year-old man told police he was assaulted May 16 outside of a James City County apartment complex.

James City County Police arrived at the scene of Longhill Grove Apartments, located off Centerville Road near D.J. Montague Elementary School, to find the man being treated by medics while in a car.

The man told officers four or five men approached the car, took him out and began kicking and hitting him before fleeing the area, according to police.

The man was taken to a local hospital for multiple lacerations and bleeding from his head.

The investigation is ongoing.

Police Investigating Property Damage at Kingsmill

James City County Police are asking the public for any information regarding a trespassing and destruction of property incident at the Kingsmill golf maintenance building.

A post on the county’s Facebook page said on May 10 officers found the building, located at 500 Mounts Bay Road, was unlocked, with discharged paint cans and a fire extinguisher inside, resulting in several thousand dollars worth of damage.

On May 11, police again responded to the building and found the outside spray-painted and some golf maintenance equipment tampered.

Police are asking anyone with information on the possible suspect or suspects to call Crime Line at 888-LOCK-U-UP.

Williamsburg

Tip Jar Stolen from Williamsburg’s College Delly

Warrants have been obtained for a man accused of stealing a tip jar containing more than $200 from a local restaurant.

The bartender of the College Delly told Williamsburg Police 21-year-old Maurice Wilber Chapman Jr. of James City County stole the tip jar at around 1:45 a.m. Monday and fled in a black Nissan with Virginia tags.

Maj. Greg Riley with the Williamsburg Police Department said officers arrived at the scene and interviewed the bartender and other witnesses, who were able to identify the suspect as Chapman.

Another officer was able to locate the black Nissan and tried to pull it over, but Chapman drove off and the officer did not pursue him, Riley said.

The officers on scene then went to the magistrate’s office to obtain warrants charging Chapman with felony grand larceny and misdemeanor eluding police.

Riley said Chapman turned himself in to the Virginia Peninsula Regional Jail on Wednesday and is being held on a secured bond.

York County

YPSO Looking for Credit Card Fraud Suspect

The man pictured is accused of using a stolen credit card number to make purchases at Food Lion. (Courtesy YPSO)

The York-Poquoson Sheriff’s Office is asking the public for help in identifying a man accused of using stolen credit card numbers to shop at a grocery store.

A post on the YPSO Facebook page said the suspect made several large purchases with the stolen credit card numbers at the Food Lion on Merrimac Trail in Upper York County.

Anyone with information on the suspect is asked to call the Facebook tip line at 890-4999 or Crime Line at 888-LOCK-U-UP.

Man Wanted Out of York County for Credit Card Theft, Fraud

Sheriff’s deputies are looking for a man accused of committing credit card fraud, credit card theft and destroying private property.

Delanio Vick (Courtesy YPSO)

A post on the YPSO Facebook page said the suspect, Delanio Vick, was last seen in a white four-door car, possibly a Honda.

Court records show Vick is from Norfolk, and the Facebook post said Vick is known to frequent Norfolk and Virginia Beach.

Vick has a history of having weapons on him, according to the post.

Anyone with information regarding his whereabouts is asked to call the Sheriff’s Office at 890-3621 or Crime Line at 888-LOCK-U-UP.

In Case You Missed It:

• A woman received a ticket after police found a dog locked in the trunk of a car at the Williamsburg Premium Outlets.
• A woman was sentenced for assault and battery after stabbing a man who had been following her and had previously assaulted her.
• Charges were dropped against two women who were accused of shoplifting from the Williamsburg Premium Outlets

WYDaily.com is your source for free news and information in Williamsburg, James City & York Counties.

Government run offices and organizations in the Historic Triangle will be closed today, Memorial Day.

All James City County libraries, courts, convenience centers, the garbage transfer station, government offices, the James City County Recreation Center and the Abram Frink Jr. Community Center will be closed Monday in observance of Memorial Day.

York County government offices, the Virginia Cooperation Extensive Service, York-Poquoson Social Services, the waste management administrative office and center, the libraries and the Regional Yard Waste Composting Facility will be closed Monday.

Garbage in York County will be picked up a day later throughout the week, ending with Friday’s pickups on Saturday. Recycling pickups will not be affected by the holiday.

Garbage pickup in the City of Williamsburg will also be pushed back a day.

All City of Williamsburg offices and the libraries will be closed Monday.

The Williamsburg and Hampton campuses of Thomas Nelson Community College will be closed Monday along with the satellite locations.

WYDaily.com is your source for free news and information in Williamsburg, James City & York Counties.

A packed boardroom watched on April 14 as the James City County Board of Supervisors debated a potential sale of the Jamestown Yacht Basin. (Gregory Connolly/WYDaily)

More than a month after deferring a decision about a sale of the publicly owned Jamestown Yacht Basin, the James City County Board of Supervisors will again consider whether to sell it to one of three interested parties at a meeting Tuesday.

Eco Discovery Park is currently using the site, which is located across the street from Jamestown Settlement and includes a marina and a few buildings.

Its $500,000 offer for the land remains on the table, as does a $650,000 offer from real estate investor John A. Franklin and an $825,000 offer from Swan Landing at Jamestown LLC, a company interested in building townhouses and retail at the site.

No other offers are under consideration.

The supervisors initially considered the sale of the land at their April 14 meeting, but they pushed the decision to May to give them more time to consider the trio of offers. Franklin and Swan Landing at Jamestown LLC both submitted offers in the days prior to the meeting, and the supervisors wanted more time to consider them.

During the April 14 board meeting, supervisors Jim Kennedy (Stonehouse), Kevin Onizuk (Jamestown) and John McGlennon (Roberts) all came out against the proposal to build three restaurants, 15,000-square-feet of commercial space and 65 to 70 townhouses at the site.

The land is assessed by the county to be worth $3.54 million. Eco Discovery Park has been in talks to purchase the land since last year. A $250,000 offer from the nonprofit park was rejected as too low when the land was opened to public bidding last summer. The park was the only entity to submit a bid during that time.

The park has occupied the land since the beginning of 2012. Its president, Steve Rose, has said in the past the park needs to own the land in order for it to continue to develop. He envisions a park with a system of trails and exhibits about sustainability, however that has not yet come to fruition. The park currently rents out bicycles and watercraft.

The county purchased the yacht basin along with nearby land along the James River in 2006 for $12.5 million, though grant funding accounted for $2.9 million of that sum. Some of the land was later sold to the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation and the Virginia Department of Transportation for $4.5 million.

The board meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at the James City County Government Center.

Related Coverage:

• Deferral of Yacht Basin Sale Likely Spells End for Eco Discovery Park
• Eco Discovery Park to Close by May Unless James City County Agrees to Land Sale
• Three Parties Seek to Buy Eco Discovery Park Lands
• Lease Extension Keeps Eco Discovery Park Open Through March
• Eco Discovery Park Faces January Closure
• Eco Discovery Park Plans to Bid for Jamestown Yacht Basin
• Eco Discovery Park Has Big Plans, Needs More Funding

WYDaily.com is your source for free news and information in Williamsburg, James City & York Counties.

Monticello Avenue at the intersection of Casey Boulevard. (Gregory Connolly/WYDaily)

Drivers on Monticello Avenue in James City County will spend less time sitting at red lights if a new system set to be installed later this year works as planned.

The system will synchronize stoplights from News Road to Ironbound Road at the Williamsburg line to work in unison. VDOT has had success using the system to reduce congestion in other areas, including along Route 17 in York County.

“The one thing that makes it work so well is that all the lights are synchronized together, so when it releases traffic at one, the other reacts to traffic coming,” said Rossie Carroll, VDOT’s Williamsburg Residency Administrator. “You’ll catch three or four green lights in a row heading down Monticello.”

The current system uses timers to regulate traffic, allowing for much less control over the flow of vehicles along the busy corridor.

“This adapts. It’ll change itself,” Carroll said. “It does it as a whole system. All nine intersections will be linked together to tie that main line through. Not to say when you hit a green light you’ll hit one all the way through, but it’s going to do everything it can to keep it moving.”

The new system uses sensors on each signal pole to observe traffic conditions. That information is funneled to hardware located in boxes at each signal, allowing the system to make real-time decisions about which lights should be green and when.

“I think it’s a good system,” Carroll said. “It’ll maximize the through traffic through the corridor. That section has been largely developed over the few years, so I think it’ll help improve traveling along Monticello.”

Work will begin later this month to install the system, which is expected to be operational by late August to early September. The installation will not require the closure of any travel lanes, and no delays are expected for drivers.

“Most of the work will be done outside of the travel lines in the signal boxes, which are located on the shoulders,” Carroll said. “Drivers won’t see anything until system comes online.”

VDOT has already spent $90,000 to link the signals at the nine intersections. The synchronization equipment will cost an additional $360,000. Funding for the project comes from the VDOT Hampton Roads office, which is allocated money by the state each year to pay for small projects.

WYDaily.com is your source for free news and information in Williamsburg, James City & York Counties.

A neighborhood in Grove suffers from frequent pooling of water due to its lack of a drainage system. (Courtesy James City County)

Across Pocahontas Trail from The Woods golf course, several streets combine to form a neighborhood of homes whose residents know all too well what happens when it rains.

The small grid of streets are old. They were built before James City County required new developments to take into account management of precipitation and its runoff.

The houses and their lots along the streets were developed piecemeal instead of in a single stroke, further complicating the drainage situation.

The result is what James City County Stormwater Director Fran Geissler describes as a “real problem.”

“When we get larger storms and it exceeds the capacity of the system, there’s nowhere for the water to go,” she said. “It just has to evaporate. That can take time in a steamy Virginia summer.”

Newer neighborhoods incorporate overarching stormwater systems designed to ensure water does not pool and create flooding hazards and mosquito breeding grounds. And while such a system does not exist in the area of Howard, Jackson, Church, Whiting and Railroad streets in Grove, help is on the way.

A cost for the project has not yet been determined, but funds set aside for stormwater infrastructure in the recently approved county budget are likely going to be used to continue to study the area with the hope of finalizing a design for a project to create a drainage system for the neighborhood by 2016.

The neighborhood, located across the street from The Woods golf course, is bordered to the north and east by the CSX railroad tracks. The Country Village Mobile Home Park is southeast of the neighborhood, which does not have a formal name.

The issue is causing two main problems in the neighborhood: pooling from heavy rains sometimes prevents residents from using their driveways, and the resulting favorable conditions for mosquitoes and termites to breed.

“Any time there is standing water, you’re going to have an increase in creatures of various types that you do not want,” Geissler said.

Rain causes frequent flooding in the neighborhood. (Courtesy James City County)

The studies into the area will help determine the best way of getting rid of the excess water. They will also take into account utilities and future sites for sorely needed infrastructure like sidewalks so that any project to create stormwater infrastructure does not open the door to more problems.

Potential infrastructure that could be installed includes retention ponds, wetlands and a system of drainage pipes.

“There’s a lot of work when you’re in an already complete environment,” she said. “There’s a lot of research and design.”

After all of that is finished, the actual construction can begin. Past projects in developed areas have taken at least two years to complete. But when work is finished, Geissler said it will have a “profound impact” on the quality of life for residents in the area.

The county now spends upward of $3 million per year on stormwater projects. The recently approved budget includes $3,015,317 for work across the county on drainage infrastructure. The county did not have any employees devoted solely to stormwater issues until 2007.

“The county didn’t really have an organizational base to address those concerns until the division was created with the purpose of looking at drainage problems in the county and coming up with a deliberate, conscientious approach to resolving those problems,” she said.

The division has completed several projects since 2007, including improvements along News Road, replacement of a failed drainage system in Chickahominy Haven and restoration of Jamestown Beach.

Related Coverage:

• JCC Supervisors Approve 9 Percent Increase to Real Estate Tax Rate

WYDaily.com is your source for free news and information in Williamsburg, James City & York Counties.

The Williamsburg-James City County Courthouse (staff photo)

Because of his cooperation with the police, a 26-year-old man who was suspected of dealing marijuana and possessing pills was given a suspended sentence.

An investigation by the Tri-Rivers Drug Task Force and the James City County Police revealed the suspect, Nigel Eustace, had more than a half ounce but less than five pounds of marijuana and a small amount of oxycodone pills in his apartment in the 100 block of Stratford Road.

After executing a search warrant and finding the drugs and drug paraphernalia in the apartment, police arrested Eustace.

On Tuesday, Eustace’s felony possession of a schedule I or II substance was reduced to a misdemeanor charge of possessing drug paraphernalia, and his felony charge of possession with intent to distribute marijuana was dropped.

Williamsburg-James City County Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Michael Gaten said the reduced and dropped charges were a result of Eustace’s cooperation with law enforcement.

Eustace received 12 months in jail with all the time suspended on the misdemeanor charge.

Shenell Denise Brooks, another person facing a felony possession of a schedule I or II drug who was suspected with Eustace of having the oxycodone pills, is scheduled for a hearing to determine her attorney June 5.

Related Coverage:

• JCC Police Arrest Two Men in Unrelated Drug Investigations

WYDaily.com is your source for free news and information in Williamsburg, James City & York Counties.

A person was killed in a crash on Monticello Avenue on Tuesday afternoon. (Courtesy Virginia State Police)

Update 10:50 p.m.: Police have identified the victim of the fatal car crash as 84-year-old  Donald Lee Howard of the 9000 block of E. Patrick Henry Road in Ashland.

Sgt. Michelle Anaya with the Virginia State Police said Howard’s family has been notified.

The accident, which occurred at around 1:43 p.m. Tuesday, was cleared by around 5:35 p.m.

—————

Original Post: A white sedan overturned during a crash on Monticello Avenue on Tuesday afternoon, killing the driver.

Dispatchers in James City County received a call at 1:43 p.m. regarding the crash at the intersection of Monticello Avenue and the entrance to Monticello Marketplace.

Emergency crews arrived to find four cars – the white Chrysler 300, an unmarked Ford Taurus state police K-9 cruiser, a red Ford pickup truck and a red Hyundai Sonata – had been involved in the accident, said Deputy Chief Steve Rubino, a spokesperson for the James City County Police.

Sgt. Michelle Anaya with the Virginia State Police said the male driver of the Chrysler 300 hit the unmarked state police car that was stopping at the traffic light, and the Chrysler overturned and struck the red pickup truck.

The male driver of the Chrysler – who has not yet been identified – was pronounced dead at the scene, Anaya said.

The female driver of the Hyundai, who was hit by the trooper car during the initial impact, was transported to a local hospital for injuries that were not life-threatening.

Others involved in the crash, including the trooper and his K-9, were not injured.

Virginia State Police are on the scene reconstructing the accident to determine the components of the crash, and police are waiting for the arrival of the wrecker truck to take the totaled car away.

The other three vehicles involved also suffered some damage, Anaya said.

The cars had been traveling southwest. Traffic has been blocked from that intersection back to the intersection of Monticello Avenue and Windsormeade Way.

Virginia State Police will be handling the investigation.

WYDaily will update this story as more information becomes available.

WYDaily.com is your source for free news and information in Williamsburg, James City & York Counties.

Mike Rock addresses the Jame City County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday. Rock, a county citizen, spoke in support of a proposal to sell the Jamestown Yacht Basin to Eco Discovery Park. (Gregory Connolly/WYDaily)

Eco Discovery Park will close at the end of the week after the nonprofit park was unable to convince the James City County Board of Supervisors to agree to a sale of the 37 acres of publicly owned land where it is based.

The supervisors voted 3-2 Tuesday to reject a motion put forth by Supervisor John McGlennon (Roberts), which would have sold the land — known as the Jamestown Yacht Basin — to the park contingent upon a 30-day window where the park’s leadership would develop a plan with county officials to prove the financial viability of the park.

Supervisor Jim Kennedy (Stonehouse), who expressed reservations about selling the land to the park without any kind of financial guarantee it would succeed, also voted yes on McGlennon’s motion. After the vote, Park President Steve Rose told WYDaily he will turn the keys for the site over to the county on June 1, when his current lease extension expires.

“We’ll be sitting down with our board and deciding how to move forward, but there are no real plans at this point [to reopen the park elsewhere],” he said.

Eco Discovery Park opened in 2012 and currently offers bike and watercraft rentals, though it had planned for a much more extensive footprint, including trails and exhibits on sustainability.

The closure of Eco Discovery Park means James City County Parks and Recreation will step in and assume management of the marina.

While there were five offers on the table for the land — which includes a marina, a few buildings and a parking lot — the supervisors largely focused their remarks on the $500,000 offer from Eco Discovery Park and on whether the board had done a good enough job expressing what it wants to see done with the land.

“What we need to do is look at if we’re going to sell this piece of property, we need to figure out how it would be marketed and what we would need to do to market it, and what we as a board want to see for the citizens on this piece of property,” said Chairman Michael Hipple (Powhatan), a point echoed by Supervisor Mary Jones (Berkeley).

After the meeting, Hipple told WYDaily the board will discuss what it wants to see on the property and how it should be marketed in the coming weeks and months. The board took no action on the four other offers presented for the land.

Kennedy repeated remarks he has made in the past about the dilapidated condition of the marina at the Jamestown Yacht Basin. The bulk heads and piers associated with the marina have been deteriorating for years and repairs will require a significant investment.

Rose shared this photograph of the deteriorating conditions of the marina. (Courtesy Steve Rose)

“You want it to be successful if you turn it over to anyone,” he said. “If we do turn this over to anyone outside the county, it’s important that they can maintain it and bring it back up to standards. I’ve been unhappy with the condition of this marina for many years.”

McGlennon said he has received as much correspondence about Eco Discovery Park as he has “on anything in the last several years” and that much of that correspondence has been supportive of a sale of the yacht basin to the park.

“We’ve got a very heavy outpouring of support for an existing facility that has its flaws but has some great positives associated with it,” he said.

He said the other proposals were contingent upon rezoning the land from its current business designation to allow for residential development at the site and that past discussions with citizens and board members have revealed little appetite for such a move.

“I would predict that it will be rediscussed and the subject of intense concern by citizens if a proposal to include residential development comes forward in a rezoning proposal,” he said.

Chris Henderson came forward during the board meeting and presented a $1 million proposal to buy the land on behalf of Marty Moliken and a group of investors. Moliken owns the James River Marina in Newport News and proposed building a new 150-boat dry storage site, a seafood restaurant, up to 24 residential units and a potential bed and breakfast.

Another group offered $1,025,000 in the past week to buy the land, renovate the marina, add restaurants and build 60 condominiums.

Along with Rose’s offer, the county was already considering a $650,000 offer from real estate investor John A. Franklin and an $825,000 offer from Swan Landing at Jamestown LLC, a company interested in building 65 to 70 townhouses and 15,000-square-feet of retail at the site.

The county has owned the yacht basin since it purchased the site along with the land that is now Jamestown Beach Event Park in 2006 for $12.5 million. Grant funding accounted for $2.9 million of that sum. Some of the land was later sold to the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation and the Virginia Department of Transportation for $4.5 million.

Related Coverage:

• Deferral of Yacht Basin Sale Likely Spells End for Eco Discovery Park
• Eco Discovery Park to Close by May Unless James City County Agrees to Land Sale
• Three Parties Seek to Buy Eco Discovery Park Lands
• Lease Extension Keeps Eco Discovery Park Open Through March
• Eco Discovery Park Faces January Closure
• Eco Discovery Park Plans to Bid for Jamestown Yacht Basin
• Eco Discovery Park Has Big Plans, Needs More Funding

WYDaily.com is your source for free news and information in Williamsburg, James City & York Counties.

Brandon Waltrip

Brandon Waltrip, a local attorney, has tossed his hat into the ring for the House of Delegates seat representing large parts of James City and York counties.

Incumbent Republican Brenda Pogge has held the seat since winning it in 2007, and until Waltrip’s announcement, she was running unopposed.

Pogge has run unopposed every two years since her first election.

Waltrip, an independent and James City County native, is one of the founding partners of Collins | Waltrip PC, a general practice law firm located in the Williamsburg Office Park off Jamestown Road.

“I’m excited to bring a new face to the House of Delegates and believe I have the experience and ideas to move Virginia forward in the right direction,” he said in a news release announcing his candidacy.

Waltrip touted his experience with the law and operating a small business in the release.

“When you deal with the law for a living, you see how laws with good intentions don’t work out to help normal folks and most often work to their disadvantage,” he said. “We need common sense in how our laws are drafted and carried out.”

He said he wants to reform the state’s income tax system, which he believes benefits the state’s wealthiest residents at the expense of the middle class. He is also interested in mental health reform and creating a comprehensive online curriculum for high school students throughout the state.

Waltrip said he wants to reform the state’s education system and he would accept federal funds to expand Medicaid as prescribed in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, more commonly known as Obamacare.

The race represents Waltrip’s first foray into electoral politics. He is a graduate of the Virginia Military Institute and the Mississippi College of Law. He serves on the Virginia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers board. His law firm’s website lists his areas of expertise as DUI and criminal defense, child custody, civil litigation and contested and uncontested divorces.

Waltrip lives in Toano with his wife, April, and son, Silas. They attend James River Baptist Church.

He has set up a website for his campaign, along with a Facebook page and Twitter handle.

The 96th District includes all of James City County except for the area running from Jamestown Island east to the far tip of Grove. It includes all of Upper York County along with Yorktown, Seaford, Dare and part of Edgehill.

The election is set for Nov. 3.

Related Coverage:

• Pogge Announces Re-Election Bid for 96th House Seat

WYDaily.com is your source for free news and information in Williamsburg, James City & York Counties.

The Williamsburg Area Transit Authority will host a meeting at 6 p.m. today at the James City County Library on Croaker Road to listen to feedback from people who use the regional bus service.

The meeting is part of WATA’s Riders Advisory Committee, a group comprised of citizens. The committee serves as a forum for those citizens to offer comments about WATA’s current routes and how service can improve in the future.

There are openings on the committee. Anyone interested in joining the committee should attend today’s meeting at the library or contact Senior Communications Specialist Amy Hibbard at 220-5493.

WATA provides bus service throughout the Greater Williamsburg area, serving Williamsburg, much of James City County and Upper York County. It also provides service to Lee Hall in Newport News and to Surry County.

WYDaily.com is your source for free news and information in Williamsburg, James City & York Counties.

Update 2:06 p.m.: The deceased has been identified as Kevin Whittier Chambers.

—–

Original Post: A 55-year-old James City County man was killed by a tractor-trailer while walking across Route 199 at its intersection with John Tyler Highway around 1 a.m. Wednesday.

James City County Police said the pedestrian, whose identity is not being disclosed until his family is notified, was crossing the four-lane highway toward the Williamsburg Crossing Shopping Center when the Freightliner 18-wheeler struck him.

The pedestrian was pronounced dead at the scene.

The truck had been heading east along Route 199 when it hit the man. The 58-year-old Virginia Beach man behind the wheel of the tractor-trailer said he did not see the pedestrian crossing the street “until it was too late,” according to a news release from the police.

No charges have been filed against the driver.

The intersection of John Tyler Highway and Route 199 remained closed for four hours for the crash investigation.

The crash remains under investigation, police said.

WYDaily.com is your source for free news and information in Williamsburg, James City & York Counties.

A simulated view of the over-river power line from the Kingsmill area. (Photo courtesy Dominion)

After more than a year of legal battles and an outpouring of local opposition to a power line proposed to cross the James River near Carter’s Grove, the James City County Board of Supervisors is poised to have the final say over the issue.

Dominion Virginia Power must receive a permit from the board to construct a switching station on land the utility owns near Skiffes Creek.

The utility filed papers with the county May 21 indicating it soon wants to formally apply for the permit.

Daisy Pridgen, a spokeswoman for Dominion, confirmed Wednesday the utility is focused on working through the county’s permit process for the station.

“We are hopeful for a positive result,” she said via email.

An April decision from the Supreme Court of Virginia affirmed the board’s right to weigh in on the switching station. The line would connect to the switching station, where the electricity it carries across the river would then be routed into the Peninsula’s power network.

Staff members from the utility and the county are scheduled to meet June 8 to discuss the initial filing, according to Paul Holt of the James City County Planning Division. During the meeting, county staff members will discuss with Dominion the various regulations like stormwater management and the accessibility of the station to ensure the application is as complete as possible when it is formally filed.

After the meeting, the utility could at any time file a complete application for the project. It would then take three to four months before the matter went before the board for final consideration.

At the board’s behest, James City County was one of three parties whose court challenge brought the proposed line before the supreme court. While the court agreed with state regulators that the route across the river was acceptable, it also agreed with the county that it had the right to have a say over the switching station site.

The switching station application is not the only barrier the utility faces for building the line. It must also receive permission from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The corps has not indicated when it will issue a ruling on the project.

Dominion says the line must be operational by April 2017, when it will be forced to shut down the coal-fired Yorktown Power Plant due to Environmental Protection Agency regulations. If the line is not in place by then, it says it will be forced to resort to cutting off power to customers for up to 80 days per year to avoid overloading the peninsula’s power network.

It contends the route across the James River is the only cost-effective option to bring the extra electricity to the peninsula. The line would cross the river beginning near the Hog Island State Waterfowl Refuge in Surry County and come ashore at a point near Carter’s Grove.

It would be most visible from Carter’s Grove, however the Colonial Parkway, the southern tip of Jamestown Island and residences in Kingsmill would also be affected.

The line has attracted opposition from preservation-minded groups concerned about how the line would affect historic resources. They believe the route would obliterate scenic views currently available on the river and that there are other routes for the line besides what Dominion prefers.

Dominion has issued a lengthy document outlining its rationale for selecting its preferred route. That document also explores several other commonly suggested routes and explains why it believes they are not feasible.

Related Coverage:

• Supreme Court Denies Dominion’s Motion for Rehearing of James River Power Line Case
• Dominion, SCC Seek Supreme Court Rehearing of Power Line Decision
• Supreme Court Sends James River Power Line Decision Back to JCC
• Nonprofit Groups Form Coalition to Oppose Dominion’s Proposed Line Across James River
• Supreme Court of Virginia Hears Arguments Over James River Power Line
• Preservation, Government Groups to Gather to Share Concerns on Proposed Over-River Line
• Virginia Supreme Court Agrees to Hear JCC Appeal on Dominion’s Over-River Power Line
• JCC Authority Won’t Grant Easement for Over-River Power Line
• Dominion Begins Construction in Surry for Over-River Power Line Despite Missing Permits
• BASF Appeals to James City Authority for Help to Prevent Power Line Route
• State Commission Approves Dominion-Preferred Over-River Power Line
• Dominion Asks SCC to Decide on Over-River Power Line by March
• SCC Hearing Examiner Recommends Against Dominion-Preferred Power Line Route
• Dominion Seeks Extension to Keep Yorktown Station Running Longer
• Dominion May Need to Resubmit Army Crops Application for Over-River Power Line
• James River Association Joins JCC Appeal on Over-River Power Line
• JCC Supervisors Vote to Appeal SCC Ruling on Dominion Over-River Power Line
• SCC Reopens Over-River Power Line Case, Sets Hearing Date
• SCC Reopens Case on Dominion-Proposed Power Line Over James River

WYDaily.com is your source for free news and information in Williamsburg, James City & York Counties.

Time is running out for residents of James City County and the City of Williamsburg to pay their real estate taxes on time.

City real estate taxes are due June 1, while county taxes are due June 5.

Payments postmarked by June 1 for the city and June 5 for the county are acceptable.

The city’s real estate tax is $0.57 per $100 of assessed value, while the county’s is $0.77 per $100 of assessed value.

The city bills have already been mailed to residents who do not have a mortgage company responsible for payment of the taxes. If you did not receive a tax bill and should have, contact the city Real Estate Assessment Office at 220-6185.

Payments to the city can be made in person at the finance counter at the Municipal Building by cash, check or money order. Payments can also be sent by mail to 401 Lafayette St., or through a night drop box at the Municipal Building.

County payments can be made online with a credit card. Payments can also be made in person by cash, check or credit card at the county offices on Mounts Bay Road or Forge Road. In-person payments can also be made at any area C&F Bank by cash or check only.

Questions about a county tax bill can be directed toward the Office of the Treasurer at 101-B Mounts Bay Rd. or by telephone at 253-6705.

Related News:

• York County Personal Property and Real Estate Taxes Due June 25

WYDaily.com is your source for free news and information in Williamsburg, James City & York Counties.

Staff members from Peek of Joy 3D cut the ribbon to their new business while County Administrator Bryan Hill and Supervisor John McGlennon (Roberts) watch. (Courtesy James City County)

A prenatal clinic has opened off McLaws Circle in James City County, offering 3D and 4D ultrasounds to pregnant women and their families.

Peek of Joy 3D Ultrasound and Spa offers seating for up to seven family members and friends during ultrasound imaging.

The business also offers massages and has artists on staff to decorate plaster casts of pregnant bellies, according to a news release from James City County.

The clinic has five employees and is owned by Arleigh Hatcher, Crystal Crewe and Jimmy Tatum. It is located at 241 McLaws Circle, Suite 101.

The new business requires advanced appointments for all services. To schedule an appointment, call 529-1720.

WYDaily.com is your source for free news and information in Williamsburg, James City & York Counties.

Gwen Martin

Williamsburg Christian Academy has a new leader for the 2015-2016 school year.

The Toano-based private school announced Larry Vaught will serve as interim Head of School effective June 8.

Vaught replaces Gwen Martin, who announced in March she would retire after 22 years of involvement with the school.

A news release announcing Vaught’s hiring indicated he has more than 30 years of experience as a teacher, assistant principal, principal and administrator in southeast and central Virginia.

Vaught has also worked as a consultant in traditional and alternative education programs, focusing on instructional design, curriculum development and assessment design.

Vaught received a bachelor’s degree in anthropology and a master’s degree in educational administration from the College of William & Mary.

His wife, Jane Vaught, is also coming to WCA to take over temporarily as assistant Head of School until the new permanent Head of School is selected. Jane Vaught recently retired as Head of Elementary Education at WCA.

Current Head of School Gwen Martin will step down as WCA’s leader June 1.

Related Coverage:

• Williamsburg Christian Academy Leader Announces Retirement