The James City County Parks and Recreation annual Harvest Festival takes place Saturday, offering a scarecrow-stuffing activity. The deadline is approaching for the Good Neighbor Environment Matching Grant Program; grant awards will be announced Oct. 15. Read on for more!
Annual Harvest Festival Saturday
The annual James City County Parks and Recreation Harvest Festival will take place from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. today at Chickahominy Riverfront Park.
The day holds musical performances, arts and crafts, face painting, carnival games, moon bounces, a rock wall, a petting zoo, hayrides, pony rides for a charge and more.
Food, craft and business vendors will be in attendance as well.
The Harvest Festival’s featured activity is scarecrow stuffing for $15 per scarecrow, including all supplies.
Parking costs $3 per car and only cash and checks will be accepted at the festival. For more information, visit Parks and Recreation’s website or call 757-259-4200. In case of inclement weather, call the Weather Hotline at 757-259-3232.
Good Neighbor Environment Matching Grant Program
James City County neighborhood groups and homeowner associations can apply for up to $500 grants for neighborhood projects. Applications through the fall 2013 Good Neighbor Environment Matching Grant Program, sponsored by the James City County Clean County Commission, will be accepted until Sept. 30.
Grants will be awarded under two categories: physical improvement/sustainable landscaping and multi-neighborhood project partnerships.
Applications are available online and can be emailed to [email protected] or submitted via mail. Mailed applications need to include six copies and can be sent to James City County General Services Department, Attn: Dawn Olesky, 5320 Palmer Ln., Suite 2A, Williamsburg, VA 23188.
On Oct. 15, grant awards will be announced.
Longhill Road Symposium
A study is ongoing to examine traffic congestion and safety, bike and walking accommodations, transit and more on Longhill Road.
Citizens are invited to attend a meeting to learn about the study and to help decide the future of Longhill Road, as well as give input.
The meeting will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. Oct. 3 in Rooms A and B at the James City County Recreation Center at 5301 Longhill Road.
For more information, visit the Longhill Road Study site, call the county’s planning division at 757-253-6685 or email [email protected].
Site Stabilization Seminar
James City County’s Engineering and Resource Protection Division will host a free Erosion Control Site Stabilization Seminar in October. The seminar will be open to the development community; it will offer information on construction site stabilization, regulatory requirements and products available locally to assist with stabilization.
The seminar will take place from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. Oct. 15.
Space is limited, RSVP by email to [email protected] or by calling 757-253-6670 no later than Oct. 11.
Norge Students Learn to Recycle
The James City Clean County Commission is teaching Norge Elementary School students to recycle through the Recycling Rangers program.
The Clean County Commission is helping students understand the difference between trash and recyclables. Students learn to empty recyclable containers and to recycle the container. Bottles, cans, cardboard and paper go into a recycling bin; some food wrappers and drink pouches are used a school fundraiser so those go into a different bin; and the rest goes into the trash. Once trays are cleared, they’re stacked.
Recycling Rangers offers an opportunity for students who don’t recycle at home currently to be able to do so in the future.
With this program, the typical 15 lunchtime trash bags have been reduced to three bags of trash, two bags of recycling, and a half bag of drink pouches.
The Recycling Rangers program will expand to James River Elementary School next month. For more information, contact the Clean County Commission at 757-259-5375.
