Policy on the #NNK

Need help getting organized for death? The death book template has been used by my family and others over the past 25+ years.

The press release from the Northern Neck Planning District Commission details the purpose of the meetings: Northern Neck National Heritage Area Hosts Public Meetings in March Warsaw-The public is invited to participate and provide input as planning for the future of the Northern Neck National Heritage Area begins with two public meetings. The first public input meeting will be held at A.T. Johnson High School Museum at 18849 Kings Highway in Montross on Monday, March 4, at 5pm. The second public input meeting will be held at the Northumberland Public Library at 7204 Northumberland Highway in Heathsville on Wednesday, March 6, at 12:30pm. “The Northern Neck National Heritage Area was designated by Congress in December of 2022 in recognition of the Northern Neck’s nationally significant history,” said Jerry W. Davis, Executive Director of the Northern Neck Planning District Commission (NNPDC), which oversees the Northern Neck Tourism Commission. The Northern Neck Tourism Commi...

Ask a Designer Webinar , Thursday, February 29 is an opportunity to learn about building a strong working relationship with a designer. The event is sponsored by Springboard Partners and features Ian Delmonte, Partner/Creative Director at Creative Industry . During the free webinar, Noon-12:30 pm, Ian will share the most important things every nonprofit or foundation should do to succeed on a design project. Participants are encouraged to ask questions about A Step-by-Step Guide to Help Nonprofits and Foundations Work with Design Firms (fill out the form to download report) or their work with design partners.

Cicadas from Brood XIX will start appearing in the south in mid-April and there is one location on the Northern Neck where the 2011 emergence was documented ― Regina Rd in Lancaster County, close to the intersection of Mary Ball Rd/Rte 3 and Regina Rd ― and where we might see cicadas this spring. Reuters reports in When and where double brood of cicadas will emerge - and what to expect that “most broods produce localized population numbers exceeding 1.5 million cicadas per acre (0.4 hectare) in densely populated areas of their distribution”. However, the Lancaster site is not densely populated, it appears, and so exponentially fewer should be expected. Map by Dr. John R. Cooley, University Assessment Fellow, Associate Professor In Residence, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut; Periodical Cicada Information Pages

How do you refer to the Northern Neck being the place you live, work or visit? “I live IN the Northern Neck” or “I live ON the Northern Neck”? There’s now a survey dedicated to this question. “IN” or “ON” the Northern Neck? is open until Friday, March 8 at 11:59 pm and part-timers and full-timers, born heres and come heres are encouraged to participate. No identifying information is being collected. The results will be published on the blog the week of March 11.

On February 22, Northumberland County government announced the completion of the Cockrell Creek sewage pipe replacement. County Administrator Luttrell Tadlock also announced that VDH had rescinded the emergency closure. 02/22/2024 SEWER PIPE UPDATE- COCKRELL CREEK Webb, Boring, & Well Inc. has completed the installation of the 8-inch diameter forcemain sewer line below Cockrell Creek. Effective yesterday, February 21, 2024, the new line has been tied into the sewer system and is in operation. The County would like to thank everyone for their cooperation as the new pipe was being installed. This completes the upgrade and emergency replacement of the old sewer pipe crossing Cockrell Creek. The temporary emergency shellfish area closure in Cockrell Creek has also been rescinded effective February 15, 2024 (please see attached notice). Date: 2/22/2024 Time: 10:00 a.m. By: Luttrell Tadlock, County Administrator

National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is Saturday, April 27, 10:00 am - 2:00 pm and all sheriffs on the Northern Neck will be participating. People are encouraged to dispose of prescription drugs and paraphernalia (no liquids or needles) safely. This means dropping them off at sheriffs’ offices. Each office handles intake a little differently but what is common across the four on the NNK is that disposal is anonymous. Lancaster County Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office: 8293 Mary Ball Rd, Lancaster The service is free and anonymous. The Lancaster County SO only accepts pills. To dispose of them, talk to a communications officer when you enter the building, show them what you have (they need to make sure there is no liquid or sharps), and they’ll take them from there. So they see you, but they don’t ask for any personal information. This service is available year round. Northumberland County Northumberland County Sheriff’s Office: 195 Judicial Pl, Heathsville ...

Hope on the Half Shell - Harnessing oysters to build ecological and community resilience (PDF) is the latest documentation of how well oysters protect myriad elements of the Chesapeake Bay. The report also explains the ways that we have degraded oyster habitat through practice and policy as well as identifying policy and practice changes that will allow oysters and the environment more broadly to flourish. Some of the changes recommended are: Restore and protect oysters’ three-dimensional reef habitat to enhance productivity of commercial and recreational fisheries. (Equitable economic opportunities for coastal communities) Expand equitable opportunities in oyster aquaculture by: increasing access to public waterfront; providing support and funding for capital investments; investing in hatchery infrastructure; prioritizing workforce development; and implementing and supporting programs that provide technical support for entry into the industry. (Equitable economic...

Colorado State University’s Tropical Weather & Climate Research Group’s recap of the 2023 hurricane season, Summary Of 2023 Atlantic Tropical Cyclone Activity And Verification Of Authors’ Seasonal And Two-week Forecasts (PDF), reported the season was an “above-normal season” and that their predictions were “generally reasonably accurate.” Follow CSU’s forcasts and find other information . The Tropical Weather & Climate Research Group will publish their first forecast for the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season in April.

If you weren’t one of the 68 people in the audience for the February 11 event Conflict, Migration, and Early Settlement of the Northern Neck with Dr. Barbara Heath , the kickoff event by NNK 250 , you’re in luck. As promised by the organization, the talk was taped and is available on YouTube. The next event, A Place Apart–Bound Labor in Virginia’s Upper Northern Neck, 1645-1710, takes place March 10 at Historic Christ Church in Weems. Learn more on the NNK 250 events page .

Hurricane season is right around the corner ― June 1 to November 30 ― and NOAA and others are gearing up for hurricane prep and education during National Hurricane Preparedness Week May 5-11 . NOAA, National Weather Service, National Hurricane Center, and others, have educational and actionable information online. For example, NWS, Hurricane Safety Tips and Resources provides the basics on storm surge, flooding, wind, and more. National Hurricane Center details storms, warnings, and more. NOAA’s Get Moving When a Storm Threatens discusses ways to protect your property and prepare for evacuation. Virginia Department of Emergency Management’s Know your zone maps evacuation routes. The tool is super easy to use. NHC’s storm surge (for dummies) explains in easy-to-understand language, images, and vids the dangers of storm surge.

DEQ’s draft Commonwealth of Virginia Priority Climate Action Plan is available for public comment through Friday, February 23. DEQ will hold two online public meetings Thursday, February 22 during which the public may comment. Meeting access info is on the PCAP webpage . Comments may also be made via US Mail and email; deets are online using the PCAP link. The draft identifies “near-term and high impact projects to reduce GHG [greenhouse gas] and other air pollutant emissions.” (Source: https://www.deq.virginia.gov/our-programs/air/greenhouse-gases/climate-pollution-reduction-grant ) The final report will be delivered to the EPA by March 1. The Priority Climate Action Plan is one of two ― the other is the Comprehensive Climate Action Plan “to implement a longer-term statewide plan to reduce GHG and other air pollutant emissions” ― required under the EPA Climate Pollution Reduction Grant.

Town Council The Town Council is having a special meeting Monday, February 26 at 4:00 pm at Town Center (22 Washington Ave, Colonial Beach) to discuss the town’s wastewater system. The meeting is open to the public. Learn more and submit questions and comments in advance . Employment opps Colonial Beach Public Schools has a number of job openings , some posted as recently as February 9. Jobs include special ed and and instructional assistant. The Town of Colonial Beach has a number of job openings across the government . Public engagement Wednesday, February 14 is Coffee with a Cop. . . Join Colonial Beach Police Department at 8:30 am at Eugene’s Sausage & Fries (119 Monroe Bay).

On January 18, the Northumberland County Economic Development Commission (EDC), Planning Commission, and supes met to discuss strategic planning priorities and goals for economic development. The EDC is currently working on an updated multi-year economic development plan and the joint meeting was designed to elicit input from the two other economic development adjacent groups. Watch Joint Meeting between Board of Supervisors, Planning Commission, and Economic Development - 01/18/24 on YouTube. I’ve sent the supervisors and commissioners feedback again; read the February 8 memo (PDF). This second memo lists the recommendations, ideas, and comments made by the participants as well as comments from me interspersed. I would encourage others to contact the supervisors and commission members with feedback and attend meetings. All meetings are open to the public. Read the first memo blog post .

Renowned osprey expert Dr. Alan Poole is the featured speaker at the International Osprey Foundation annual meeting this year. His talk takes place Wednesday, March 13 from 7:00 - 8:15 pm on Zoom. Reserve your spot . What to expect: Few birds of prey have received more attention over the past half century than ospreys. This body of knowledge provides an extraordinarily helpful vantage point for looking ahead. In his talk, Alan Poole will focus on where we might expect to see ospreys headed over the next two decades including the changing status of key populations, the challenges these raptors are likely to face, and the role that people may play in stabilizing and protecting established populations, as well as in jump-starting new ones.

Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation has published a new map “showing high-quality, connected habitats . . . that support native wildlife. . . and locations that are being investigated for measures, such as wildlife crossings, to both improve driver safety and help stem biodiversity loss.” Key corridors for wildlife biodiversity summarizes the impacts of development on wildlife and identifies areas of high biodiversity as well as wildlife/vehicle conflict areas, shown as “nexus areas” on the map. The good news for the Northern Neck is the amount of land designated as Wildlife Biodiversity Resilience Corridors and buffers. And while the conflict areas are numberous on the western part of the NNK, DCR and others are making an effort to reduce the number. Learn more about Virginia's plan .

On January 18, the Northumberland County Economic Development Commission (EDC), Planning Commission, and supes met to discuss strategic planning priorities and goals for economic development. The EDC is currently working on an updated multi-year economic development plan and the joint meeting was designed to elicit input from the two other economic development adjacent groups. Watch Joint Meeting between Board of Supervisors, Planning Commission, and Economic Development - 01/18/24 on YouTube. I’ve sent the supervisors and commissioners feedback; read the February 4 memo (PDF). A second memo will be sent soon. For background, read the 2015-2021, updated 2020 report (PDF).

On February 2, Northumberland County reported an updated status of the Cockrell Creek sewage line repair: PLEASE USE EXTREME CAUTION IF BOATING IN COCKRELL CREEK. Northumberland County has entered into a contract with Webb, Boring, & Well Inc. to replace the 8-inch diameter forcemain sewer line below Cockrell Creek. Crews will be on site Monday February 5, 2024 installing a cable across Cockrell Creek in order to assist with the boring operation. This cable will extend across Cockrell Creek along the path of the boring operation and will be approximately 10 to 12 feet above the surface of the water. The cable will be marked by flags for day operations and identified at night with lights marking its location. This cable will remain in place until the afternoon of Wednesday February 7, 2024. PLEASE USE EXTREME CAUTION IF BOATING IN COCKRELL CREEK. Date: 2/2/2024 Time: 3:00 p.m. By: Luttrell Tadlock, County Administrator Additional information about the location is ...

HB 19 Atlantic menhaden; VIMS, et al., to study ecology, fishery impacts, and economic importance. , introduced by Delegate R. Lee Ware (R-Powhatan/72), was delayed until 2025 by the Virginia House of Delegates Rules-Studies Subcommittee earlier this week. The bill directed “the Virginia Institute of Marine Science in collaboration with the Marine Resources Commission and certain stakeholders to study the ecology, fishery impacts, and economic importance of the Atlantic menhaden population in the waters of the Commonwealth” and to report to the House and Senate, among others, by 2027. Disappointment, frustration, and questions after Virginia lawmakers delay fish study bill without explanation reports that the Delegate Ware stated that the study partners reached an agreement on moving forward with the study (video 2:04). However, Chesapeake Bay Foundation states in Crucial Menhaden Study Delayed by Virginia House Subcommittee “Omega Protein previously backed the development of ...

Do right by the environment and dispose of household hazardous waste properly: Take advantage of the spring and fall HHW events coordinated and sponsored by the Northern Neck Soil and Water Conservation District . Lancaster County, Saturday, March 23, 9:00 am - 2:00 pm : Lancaster County Courthouse (8265 Mary Ball Rd., Lancaster, in the parking lot); learn more about acceptable and unacceptable items ; more information is available from Kelly Brann ( email , 804-313-9102) Northumberland County, Saturday, April 20, 9:00 am - 2:00 pm : Middle School (Route 360, Heathsville, in the bus parking lot); learn more about acceptable and unacceptable items ; more information is available from Kelly Brann ( email , 804-313-9102) (Updated 3/30/24) Westmoreland County, Saturday, May 18, 9:00 am - 2:00 pm : A. T. Johnson Building (18849 Kings Hwy, Montross, in the parking lot); learn more about acceptable and unacceptable items . NEW features: Shred-it wil...