City Beat
By Emily Battle
Hanover Street house added to state landmarks register
Oct. 7, 2008 11:14 am
The Department of Historic Resources announced today that the Rowe House, at 801 Hanover St., has been added to the Virginia Landmarks Register. From DHR's release: The Rowe House, in Fredericksburg, a brick Federal-style dwelling, situated on an English basement. The house has remained in the same family since it was built in 1828 by George Rowe, a successful businessman who ran a butchering operation on the site. Rowe’s enterprise, consisting of several now vanished buildings, was ideally situated at that time at the edge of town, as it allowed for the delivery of animals by hoof via the turnpike (Kings Highway) that could then be slaughtered without offense to neighbors, while near to markets in Fredericksburg.
Perma-link: http://www.fredericksburg.com/blogs/citybeat/index_html?blogger_id=20&p=1223392487
Tags:
preservation
Elections for vacant council seats?
Oct. 7, 2008 8:52 am
We wrote last month about a discussion of whether vacancies on City Council should be filled by election rather than council appointment. Next week is your chance to weigh in on that. Here's the notice on the public hearing, which will happen Tuesday, Oct. 14 at 7:30 p.m.: Requesting the 2009 General Assembly to amend the City's Charter, to require a special election to fill a vacancy on the City Council when two years or more are remaining in the unexpired term.
Perma-link: http://www.fredericksburg.com/blogs/citybeat/index_html?blogger_id=20&p=1223383943
Tags:
City Council,
elections
Fredericksburg on CNN?
Oct. 2, 2008 9:22 pm
You might catch a glimpse of the Fredericksburg Expo and Convention Center if you're watching the VP debate on CNN tonight. The network has a satellite truck and camera crew at a debate-viewing party the Fredericksburg-area Republican committees put on out there tonight, and is apparently planning to use the site as a place to report on reaction to the debate.
Perma-link: http://www.fredericksburg.com/blogs/citybeat/index_html?blogger_id=20&p=1222996967
Tags:
Fredericksburg in the media,
Expo Center
Next Week: Time to talk about downtown parking again
Oct. 2, 2008 2:56 pm
Next Wednesday(Oct. 8), the Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on a set of proposed changes to the downtown parking rules. This discussion has been going on for nearly two years now. If you want to read the staff memo on the proposed changes, click here. If you want to relive the excitement of what it was like the last time the Planning Commission held a public hearing on proposed downtown parking rules, go here.
Perma-link: http://www.fredericksburg.com/blogs/citybeat/index_html?blogger_id=20&p=1222973788
Tags:
downtown,
parking,
Planning Commission
Museum nears completion
Oct. 2, 2008 11:01 am
October is move-in month for the Fredericksburg Area Museum. Assistant Director Mary Helen Dellinger reports that on Monday (Oct. 6), a large truck from one of the exhibit subcontractors will be parked on Princess Anne Street to unload large pieces of the new exhibits for most of the morning. She said only the parking lane of Princess Anne (no travel lanes) will be blocked, and the museum is making an effort not to block anything on William Street during this process. This is step one of the intricate move-in process, which the museum hopes to complete by the end of this month. This could prove to be interesting viewing for the Hyperion coffee crowd. After Monday's move, museum staff will be looking out for good-weather days to hand-carry pieces of the collection from the Town Hall building across William Street into the new bank building. Stay tuned for more on the move in the paper next week.
Perma-link: http://www.fredericksburg.com/blogs/citybeat/index_html?blogger_id=20&p=1222959672
Tags:
Fredericksburg Area Museum
Arts Commission meets Thursday
Oct. 1, 2008 4:39 pm
7 p.m., second floor of City Hall, if you're looking for something to do.
Perma-link: http://www.fredericksburg.com/blogs/citybeat/index_html?blogger_id=20&p=1222893574
Tags:
Arts Commission
Wednesday Inbox
Oct. 1, 2008 9:46 am
Aside from the inquiry about where to get brown rice syrup for granola (Ukrops, Giant natural foods section--and don't use the online version of the recipe, because the fractions don't show up right), an interesting juxtaposition of messages. Tourism Manager Karen Hedelt reports that the city will be hosting 20 senior members of the Virginia Tourism Corporation on Thursday and Friday: The group will be on a whirlwind tour with staff from the Fredericksburg Department of Economic Development and Tourism, visiting Ferry Farm, LibertyTown Arts Workshop, taking a horse and carriage ride, enjoying a dessert cooking demonstration, meeting executives from Kalahari Resorts, touring Old Town by trolley, and more activities to fill two days of seeing and doing.
Read more about this in our business section later this week. In another message, resident Hamilton Palmer points out something the city might want to get under control before the tourism bigwigs are cruising down Caroline Street. He's trying to get something done about a big trash pile left in front of the apartment house at 1118 Caroline. Anyone who frequents this block knows this is not a new situation. Let's just hope this shot that Palmer snapped on Monday isn't the image state tourism officials take away from the city: 
Perma-link: http://www.fredericksburg.com/blogs/citybeat/index_html?blogger_id=20&p=1222868819
Tags:
economic development,
downtown
City flushing water lines
Oct. 1, 2008 9:06 am
I guess this explains the rust-colored, sewage-smelling water in the FLS restrooms this morning.
Perma-link: http://www.fredericksburg.com/blogs/citybeat/index_html?blogger_id=20&p=1222866414
Tags:
utilities
Political hobnobbing
Sep. 30, 2008 9:17 am
Amid the Obamamania at the University of Mary Washington this past weekend, photographer Bob Martin snapped these shots of Mayor Tom Tomzak and Vice Mayor Kerry Devine meeting the Democratic running mates. Tomzak said he, Devine and Councilman Hashmel Turner were among the university and city dignitaries who got primo seats at the event near the stage. They also got to escape the rain and greet the candidates before walking out with them. 
Perma-link: http://www.fredericksburg.com/blogs/citybeat/index_html?blogger_id=20&p=1222780653
Tags:
City Council,
politics,
Tom Tomzak,
Kerry Devine,
Hashmel Turner
Gullette leaving for N.C.
Sep. 29, 2008 11:17 am
UPDATE (3 p.m.): Gullette will go to Stanly County, N.C. to head up economic development. Read more tomorrow about what he'll be wrapping up in his last month in Fredericksburg. Mayor Tom Tomzak just told me that Economic Development Director Kevin Gullette will be leaving at the end of October to take a job in his home state of North Carolina. Gullette started with the city in Spring 2007. He built the city's incentives program and was here when Wegman's, Kalahari Resorts and Capital Ale House all announced plans to locate in the city. He participated in many a controversial meeting about those projects. "He contributed a lot to the city in bringing us up another notch in economic development," Tomzak said. Council members just learned this news today, so there hasn't been much time to figure out next steps. However, this news comes as the city is in the middle of a hiring freeze, with all vacancies frozen for three months. While there is some flexibility for absolutely essential positions (and in government, that usually means public-safety positions) Tomzak said he wasn't sure what the city would do to deal with Gullette's departure. He said he doesn't want to see the city lose momentum in attracting businesses. Check back later and pick up tomorrow's paper for more.
Perma-link: http://www.fredericksburg.com/blogs/citybeat/index_html?blogger_id=20&p=1222701430
Tags:
economic development,
incentives,
,
,
Fredericksburg prayer ruling prompts political dustup
Sep. 25, 2008 10:52 am
The federal appeals court ruling upholding Fredericksburg's policy that all prayers opening council meetings be nondenominational has given state politicians something to write press releases about (Apparently that whole $3 billion budget shortfall thing wasn't enough to keep them busy.). State Police Superintendent Col. W. Steven Flaherty directed State Police chaplains to abide by the court's ruling by giving nondenominational prayers at all public events. The directive didn't cover more private counseling sessions that chaplains participate in, but it did prompt six of the 17 chaplains to give up their volunteer religious duties, saying they didn't want to be told how to pray. Now two Republican lawmakers are trying to overturn the State Police policy, according to the AP, suggesting a state law could be written to do that.
Perma-link: http://www.fredericksburg.com/blogs/citybeat/index_html?blogger_id=20&p=1222354324
Tags:
prayer,
politics
Council back up to full strength
Sep. 24, 2008 10:20 am
Brad Ellis was sworn in as Marvin Dixon's replacement last night. He wasted no time in getting his Web site up at fburgimpact.com. The first issue he's posted views on is what to do with 1200 Prince Edward St., which his colleagues were kind enough to drag their feet on long enough for him to have a say. UPDATE: (3:15 p.m.) Matt Kelly left a message on my voice mail saying this post should say "some of his colleagues were kind enough to drag their feet..." I guess because he voted for the original condo plan for 1200 two years ago.
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About Emily Battle:
Emily Battle covers Fredericksburg government for The Free Lance-Star.
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About this blog:
City Beat is a companion to the Fredericksburg government coverage that appears in The Free Lance-Star. Look here for background, extra information, documents and tidbits that didn’t make it into the print edition. And please, feel free to leave your comments.
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