Policy on the #NNK

The Northumberland County Public Schools SY 2024-2025 budget process is underway. The public is encouraged to answer a few questions in a short survey . Input may also be given via email . The deadline is November 1.

The Great Wicomico River in Northumberland County is one of the 10 rivers in the Chesapeake Bay region to be part of the oyster habitat restoration described by NOAA as “world’s largest oyster restoration project.” Writes NOAA, The 2014 Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement , which guides the work of the Chesapeake Bay Program, calls for state and federal partners to “restore native oyster habitat and populations in 10 Bay tributaries by 2025, and ensure their protection” (hereafter, “Ten Tributaries initiative”). Five tributaries are being restored in Maryland and five in Virginia. So why the Great Wicomico River? The US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) found it had attributes which would make habitat restoration possible. In Habitat suitability index and performance of USACE sanctuary reefs in the Great Wicomico River (15 May 2013) (PDF), USACE explains: In 2004, the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers, in conjunction with the Virginia Institute of Marine Science and other federal a...

Coastal Conservation Association Virginia is launching a Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula chapter! The kickoff event is Wednesday, November 8 , 7:00-8:30 pm at ReFuel Cafe (73 Seafood Ln, Irvington). CCA Virginia invites like-minded water enthusiasts―anglers, water sportists, conservationists, etc.―to gather to launch the newest chapter. There will be fun, roasted local oysters, some planning, and door prices. Questions? Ask using the online form or call 800-201-FISH (3473).

The Northumberland County Board of Supervisors is holding their regular monthly meeting as well as public hearing on two applications Thursday, November 9 . The meeting starts at 5:30 pm and the hearing at 7:00 pm. Both take place at the new courthouse (220 Judicial Pl., Heathsville). The public may watch and/or participate in person or virtually. Instructions to participate via Zoom will be posted on the supes meeting calendar item in advance of the events. The regular meeting agenda and supporting documents will be posted on BoardDocs . Read the November 9 applications to be reviewed at the hearing. The apps to be heard November 9 are: Request by Charles W. & Christiane P. Jacobs, owners for a Conditional Use Permit to allow a vacation home rental on property zoned R-3, Residential Restricted. The property is shown as Tax Map Parcel # 45-B(3)20-6 and is located at 85 Leming Avenue. Request by Neil Office Complex, owner, and Jack Knapp, applicant, for a Condition...

Preparing Our Workforce: The Evolving Role of Community Colleges is an upcoming program from The Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. The event takes place Wednesday, November 15 , 5:30 - 7:00 pm in person and virtually. Registration is required. At this event, attendees will learn about the ways students are prepared for success, where community colleges fit into the post-secondary landscape, how formula-based funding impacts individual and institutional decisions, and more.

Pursuing a Resilient Virginia (PDF) presents resilient community attributes, resilience plans across the state, and ways to improve community and regional resilience. The purpose is to help localities plan for the future. According to the Coastal Resilience Database , there are two resilience projects on the Northern Neck: Town of Colonial Beach - North Beach Resilience Project in Westmoreland County and Westland Beach - Windmill Point Shoreline Stabilization Project in Lancaster County. The details of the Colonial Beach project via the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation’s Virginia Coastal Reslience Web Explorer: It is anticipated that a combination of (1) seaward breakwaters with sand replenishment and (2) in-shore levees, retaining walls and/or dunes will be installed, with the exact structures utilized to be determined upon the completion of the comprehensive environmental assessment. The project will reduce shoreline erosion, reclaim beach area and miti...

The Lancaster County Planning Commission meets Thursday, October 19 at 7:00 pm at the Lancaster County Administration Building (8311 Mary Ball Rd., Lancaster) in the Board of Supervisors Meeting Room. The public may attend/participate in person or remotely and information about attending virtually and commenting is online, Planning Commission Public Hearing Schedule . There are five items on the agenda , including three hearings: 1) application for change of zoning district classification, 2) rezoning request from C-2 to C-1, and 3) proposed amendments to the Lancaster County Land Development Code. There will also be a discussion of the county’s noise ordinance. For those interested in the hearing topics or the discussion item, be sure to read the minutes from the September meeting.

Wetlands Watch’s Catch the King relies on volunteers to track the highest predicted tides of the year in southeast Virginia. The Perigean Spring Tides , aka King Tide , in late October happens when the moon, earth, sun, and fall full/new moons are aligned in this part of the state. Volunteer citizen scientists will add their data to that King Tide data collected over the past few years; prior year data collection locations are shown in the image below. Learn more and sign up to volunteer . Why volunteer As is shown in the video Catch the King Citizen Scientists by WHRO Public Media, people of all ages volunteer to identify flooding. As several people mention, the data helps the government take action to improve stormwater runoff systems, protect communities from sea level rise and flooding, and increase/improve resilience. From a volunteer perspective, participating makes people feel like they are making a difference in and for their community. How can the data be use...

The Center for Biological Diversity is hosting an environmental and reproductive health film and webinar series October 5 to November 2 . The series is a follow-up to the Center’s 2022 report The Influence of Environmental Toxicity, Inequity and Capitalism on Reproductive Health . The upcoming films and webinars take place: A Silent Transformation — Film viewing Oct. 5 to 12, webinar Oct. 12. The modern economy increasingly denies people basic amenities to give them a decent life. This documentary shows how the cooperative model is as critical as ever. Children of the Vine — Film viewing Oct. 12 to 19, webinar Oct. 19. This film is an unsettling investigation into the controversial herbicide Roundup and how it harms public health. We the Guinea Pigs — Film viewing Oct. 19 to 26, webinar Oct. 26. As plastic has become increasingly common throughout our lives, this film finds there’s also an inexplicable increase in the number of diseases and disorders in people, from breast cance...

A Wild Virginia Town Hall to Discuss PFAS takes place Tuesday, October 10 at 7:00 pm; the event is free. Registration is required. The hour-long event will share ways individuals, organizations, and governments can work to protect waters and communities from these dangerous “forever chemicals.” What are PFAS and what do we know about them? Wild Virginia does a solid job explaining PFAS in Preventing PFAS Pollution , writing: Per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are toxic, synthetic chemicals that are present throughout Virginia in the air, water, and soil. They linger in the environment and build up in organisms, taking so long to break down they have earned the name forever chemicals, leading to widespread contamination and long-lasting risk of exposure. The Wild Virginia explanation includes examples of where PFAS are found—nonstick cookware and candy wrappers, for example—and an easy-to-understand and -follow graphic about the lifecycle of PFAS created by the S...

The Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC) is accepting public comments on application number 2023045 to use .68 acres of oyster planting ground in Lower Machodoc Creek in Hague, Westmoreland County. Details about the app are on Oyster Ground Private Leases Applications . To submit comments on the application, send them to Marine Resources Commission, Engineering/ Surveying Department, 380 Fenwick Road, Fort Monroe, VA 23651-106. Comments are due November 3.

Governor Youngkin has proclaimed October 2023 Virginia Wine Month ; this is the 35th consecutive year for the designation. Virginia Wine , the wine industry association, is, obviously, all-in on wine produced in the Commonwealth and serves up ideas and information. On the idea side is Harvest Party , “Virginia’s Home-Grown Holiday,” Saturday, October 21. Wineries are present across the Northern Neck; find out what’s what this month to participate in the festivities and support local businesses: Northern Neck National Heritage Area Northumberland County, VA | Do. Stay. Eat. Lancaster by the Bay Chamber of Commerce Virginia's River Realm Virginia.org Don’t drink and drive.

The 2023 Potomac River Conference: One River’s Perspective on a Changing Climate was held last month in Lorton. The second annual event “highlighted trends in the Potomac basin, regional resilience, government innovations, on-the-ground implementation, as well as equity and environmental justice considerations for climate change in the Potomac River basin.” While much of the event focused on the upper Potomac, upriver activity has an obvious impact on downriver water quality and the like. The event featured presentations on water quality, fish, climate change, and the impact of the river on proximate communities. On a personal note, my friend and former colleague Erin Garnaas-Holmes, currently at the District Department of Energy and Environment, spoke. Erin generously taught me a great deal about planning and environmental stewardship when we worked together for APACC, Anacostia Parks and Community Collaborative . Photo : By Famartin

The Town of Colonial Beach Town Council issued a press release September 29 concerning the resignation of Thomas Moncure and the recruitment of an individual to serve in Moncure’s place: The Town of Colonial Beach Town Council is accepting resumes and letters of interest from individuals that reside in the Town of Colonial Beach who wish to serve on the Town Council. As a member of Town Council, the selected individual will be expected to attend all council meetings in person and serve as a liaison to a selected department within our Town Government. After many years of meritorious service to the Commonwealth, Council Member Thomas Moncure will resign from his seat in Colonial Beach to prioritize his time to a historical project, effective September 30, 2023. The selected individual will serve until December 2024; the end of Councilman Moncure’s current term. It is a requirement of the Town Charter to fill the vacancy within thirty (30) days. Send resumes and letters of inte...