This article is the second in a two-part series. Be sure to read yesterday’s piece, Whispers a broad collection of recent Busch Gardens Williamsburg rumors About a week ago I got a message from friend of the site and public record monitoring extraordinaire He tipped me off to a very curious utility marking ticket which was filed for Busch Gardens Williamsburg’s property on April 22nd Most of the time utility marking tickets aren’t all that notable—the vast majority are filed ahead of minor work that doesn’t even justify a passing mention consistent exception to that rule though: tickets requesting marking ahead of soil boring and testing I think we’ve been able to pair every single soil boring and testing ticket we’ve ever seen for Busch Gardens Williamsburg to a major When we see “Type of Work: Soil Boring and Testing,” it’s an instant red alert situation a general location to be marked by responding utility locators this ticket was uncharacteristically cryptic—requesting only that utility locators call for more details or meet the park on-site for a location plan third party utility locators representing the various interests who could potentially have utilities in the area are dispatched out to the site to work out whether or not the area in question conflicts with any of their utilities If a given utility doesn’t have lines in the area requested they’ll leave a No Conflict response to the ticket if the utility does have lines in the area they’ll be marked by the locator and some sort of affirmative response will be left on the marking ticket Normally these responses aren’t very informative We don’t have utility maps of Busch Gardens Williamsburg to work from so whether or not any given utility marks on any given project doesn’t typically aid in narrowing down a project’s location there is one giant exception to that rule: the Colonial Pipeline Company An approximate map of the pipeline’s easement through the park’s guest-facing areas can be found below guess who marked for this new soil boring and testing ticket at Busch Gardens Williamsburg: the Colonial Pipeline Company Looking back through all of the utility marking tickets that have been filed for BGW’s property thus far this year only two have resulted in positive responses by the Colonial Pipeline Company: the Heatherdowns Stables fence replacement project and this new soil boring and testing work Given that the Heatherdowns fence replacement project occurred months ago and has long-since wrapped new Colonial Pipeline markings within the park we’d know the location of this upcoming soil boring and testing work and the likely home of Busch Gardens Williamsburg’s next capital expenditure I went out to Busch Gardens Williamsburg on April 25th to do some investigatin’ with a little help from friend of the site and ParkFans member I’m confident we found the work area we went lookin’ for Below is a photo of far and away the most obvious the Colonial Pipeline markings end before Loch Ness Monster crosses the pipeline easement and then before the base of the ravine separating the hill pictured above from San Marco I’ve included an approximate map of the markings we could see along the pipeline below To provide a rough view of how the pipeline markings interact with the terrain in the area I’ve included a 3D Google Earth render below: This was a potentially pretty enormous scoop but the resulting story really just amounted to a potential work area entirely based on some utility markings in a difficult-to-access and difficult-to-utilize area of the park I wrote up the proceeding article, Whispers alongside the first draft of this article last weekend but the original version of this piece required obsessively writing around the specifics of those rumors the finished product felt weak and lacked a strong theory of the case Jahrules hit me up again with another public records tip This one turned that red alert situation described above into a five-alarm fire Busch Gardens Williamsburg filed a Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act (CBPA) Resource Protection Area (RPA) waiver with James City County (JCC) A screenshot of the permit’s metadata as filed with JCC is included below The CBPA RPA buffer zone (overlayed over the park’s waterways and neighboring land areas in the map below) is any area in the park within 100 feet of any of the park’s Rhine River-connected creeks Any development that infringes upon these portions of the park’s property requires a separate site plan submittal as part of one of these CBPA RPA waivers given this plan’s description—“this project proposes a perpendicular crossing of the RPA with a structure within Busch Gardens”—we know this project involves traversing the full width of one of the blue areas in the map above Given the location of the Colonial Pipeline markings discussed above we could reasonably estimate that the RPA this project is slated to cross is likely the finger that sticks up between San Marco and Loch Ness Monster towards Escape from Pompeii we wouldn’t need to estimate for long ran out to the James City County offices to try to obtain a copy of the new permit Within hours of first learning about the waiver Below I’ve included the CBPA RPA impacts map filed with James City County for this new mystery project The most important information to know from the document’s key is that the green shaded areas are for planned the green shaded areas are the portions of the site within the CBPA RPA zone which will be made up of solid structures at ground level—areas of the ground which will be unreachable by rain due to being covered by a permanent Though this site plan only includes the fragments of proposed development within 100 feet of CBPA-protected waterways the document still manages to reveal a ton of immensely useful information for our decoding purposes the top right segment of the plan clearly depicts a pedestrian bridge traversing the ravine between Da Vinci’s Garden of Invention and the flatter area of land where the pipeline has been marked The bridge runs from the current queue area between The Little Gliders and The Little Balloons to some sort of new plaza to the south of Escape from Pompeii This is a pretty lengthy bridge for the record—somewhere in excess of 150 feet probably both the bridge between Heatherdowns and Killarney and the crossing from New France to Rhinefeld are somewhere around 100 feet in length the separation between this new viaduct’s start point in Da Vinci’s Garden of Invention and this new plaza south of Pompeii will be quite significant—likely plenty sufficient to thematically separate whatever this project is from Da Vinci’s Garden we have the even more exciting part: the plan calls for the construction of wide impervious areas towards the end of the peninsula between Loch Ness Monster’s loops and San Marco whatever this impervious area is manages to travel well under Loch Ness Monster as well—filling in a large portion of the infield for the turn following Nessie’s second lift hill Another item visible in this plan is that fishhook-shaped path-looking element that crosses the pipeline easement I believe this is a planned realignment of the existing service road that can be faintly seen off to the right Repositioning this service road closer to Loch Ness Monster’s second lift hill is likely an attempt to free up more space through the middle far flatter area of the peninsula where all of this work is taking place lets talk about the Colonial Pipeline easement Though exceptions were granted earlier in Busch Gardens Williamsburg’s life to the restrictions of the pipeline easement (clear cutting requirements were waived limited development encroachments were permitted About 10 years ago the Colonial Pipeline Corporation resumed clearing their easement through the park’s property and all recent easement-bordering developments at the park have been painstakingly designed to avoid even the smallest of easement infringements Finnigan’s Flyer and Pantheon are excellent examples of this as the site plan above clearly lays out for us the Colonial Pipeline crosses directly through this area Though it’s not impossible that United Parks and the Colonial Pipeline Corporation could have worked out some sort of exception to allow given that Project Madrid and Pantheon both seem to have been designed explicitly to avoid this I don’t think it’s all that likely a coaster almost certainly wouldn’t explain the wide snake of impervious area at ground level depicted in the RPA impacts document in the first place ahead of any big construction project at the park we expect a series of checkpoints to be passed in a pretty consistent order That order looks something like this: zoning (often height) waivers RPA impacts approval for environmental encroachments and then building permits for construction approval There are often some extras sprinkled in there—stormwater-specific plans for instance—as well typical outline for the development we see reported publicly at BGW Because we’ve made it all the way to RPA impacts plan submittal and we have yet to see a height waiver filed an exception to the county’s zoning regulations for structure height is likely not required for this project The height limit for development on BGW property is 60 feet above grade and we can reasonably estimate that no part of this new construction is slated to exceed that height Given that we have a partial site plan filed and it’s only May this project appears to me to be on course for a 2026 opening right now The park could always just be moving at a blistering pace to get approvals and then but right now I do think it’s reasonable to estimate that this is Busch Gardens Williamsburg’s Project 2026 The snake-like impervious area depicted could be guest pathways the walking path distance required to get people from the start of the new bridge at Da Vinci’s Garden back to Nessie’s infield is like 560-ish feet What could possibly justify that much guest pathway expansion What would these theoretical paths even go to The plans don’t show anything along the furthest extent of these winding impervious areas and any theoretical structures out there would be contending with Nessie anyway Given that these impervious areas are the furthest-out portion of this plan I struggle to fathom a justification for these being new guest pathways what could cross the pipeline easement with immunity not require any structure to reach 60 feet above grade impervious space to travel all the way out to the furthest reaches of the flat top of this peninsula I believe we may be looking at some sort of at least partially ground-based tracked ride here My mind immediately goes to some sort of car or train ride with an entrance on the north side of the Colonial Pipeline easement near Pompeii and a ride area meandering around the rest of the peninsula south of the easement and under Loch Ness Monster We know roads and rail can both cross the pipeline at ground-level Either of these attraction types would result in a continuous winding impervious area like what we see in the plans too Both also stay at or near ground-level explaining the lack of a height waiver and the low clearance below Loch Ness Monster the potential attraction impact area would likely stick to the relatively flat land in the middle of the peninsula and to the right of the planned service road realignment That would give us roughly this space to work with: I suspect we may be looking at a spiritual successor to the iconic opening day Busch Gardens Williamsburg antique car ride: Le Mans The impervious area in the plans is pretty wide—notably wider than that realigned backstage service road and the surrounding guest thoroughfares that seems much too wide to be a railroad track or other That could make the width of the impervious area make some real sense there’s the fact that we already have a railroad SeaWorld San Antonio added a kiddy train this year but they don’t have a full-sized railroad to contend with what ride type don’t we have anymore tracked ride possibilities that I’m not thinking of immediately but there are other hints that looking at history may make a lot of sense here Consider that Busch Gardens Williamsburg has been making nostalgia play after nostalgia play for years now—and seeing great success with it too Wolf’s Revenge—they all share one through-line: nostalgia capitalization it’s currently the park’s 50th anniversary Imagine the reaction amongst fans and local media if Busch Gardens Williamsburg actually announced the return of Le Mans during the park’s 50th anniversary—people would go nuts the precedent for this scale of nostalgia-focused investment is certainly there now generations of locals grew up with Le Mans Offering those folks the opportunity to bring their kids back to the park to experience the same Lastly, thematically, there are great opportunities here. Just like France, Italy has a strong racing heritage. Capitalizing on the same theme as Le Mans but with an Italian angle almost seems too perfect to pass up. If they wanted to go all out with the Le Mans parallel, Italy has its own famous, 1920s-era, historic, endurance race, the Mille Miglia—it’s literally the Italian version of the real Le Mans Maybe we really are looking at far-flung guest pathways for some reason I can’t currently imagine Maybe it’s a train ride with a really wide track area Maybe it’s some sort of other ground-based tracked ride that I haven’t considered yet Maybe only part of the layout for whatever this is takes place at ground-level and there are elevated portions in the areas yet-to-be-revealed Maybe it’s just a winding array of backstage service roads with a large bridge for guest access for some currently inexplicable reason maybe the plans won’t end up coming to fruition at all—right now it’s anyone’s guess I’ll keep my fingers crossed that we are looking at the spiritual successor to my much-beloved Le Mans Lynn Trott '25 stands amid her senior honors thesis project Lynn Trott ’25 attended one year of college at the University of California-San Diego Apollo 8 was readying for its mission to circumnavigate the moon Trott left USCD after the spring semester in 1968 “I had no clue what I wanted to do and found myself asking Fifty-seven years later, after a long career in the arts, Trott, 75, will graduate with honors from William & Mary on May 16 with a Bachelor of Arts in art and art history This part of her academic journey took six years as a part-time student after auditing classes for a few years in William & Mary’s art department “I had always thought that I might go back for a degree someday and the classes I took as a senior citizen (at W&M) had been very rewarding so it seemed the right time to apply,” said Trott and William & Mary accepted all my credits Trott may be just now getting her college degree where her mother had been hired as a pianist at an opera house who had been singing and playing instruments since an early age thought about an opera career herself.  “I auditioned but the instructor didn’t think my voice was suited to opera,” she recalled “Thank goodness because I probably would have ruined my voice trying.”  where she and her mother supported themselves in part by making musical instruments from kits Trott apprenticed herself to an instrument maker in the U.S. studying wood carving and working as an administrator for a harp society working as a mechanic in a factory that repaired spool-winding machines It was during that period that she landed a fateful audition at Colonial Williamsburg where she was hired as a balladeer to sing 17th and 18th-century music in the taverns as a double major in art and art history and geology “We have had some of the same professors,” said Eleanor Trott who now works in conservation in western Virginia “I’m hugely proud of her going back to school and pursuing her goals The return to academia was prompted initially by Colonial Williamsburg’s decision to end the balladeer program in 2017 but in the interim Trott turned her emphasis to ceramics She had been working in clay since 2002 and audited some classes with Mike Jabbur He told her if she wanted to pursue a degree he would sign on as her advisor.   “I don’t usually have open seats in my studio classes and when I do they are usually taken by recent graduates not somebody who had already come as far as Lynn had in her career,” Jabbur said but Trott had impressed him with very “thought-out” pieces She did two to three times the amount of work required,” Jabbur said a 3D installation that combines sculptural pieces in clay reflects both a lifetime of artistic endeavor and her love of nature a skill she mastered making musical instruments The toadstools and mushrooms on the forest floor are ceramics (“I’ve fallen in love with welding,” she said.) She climbed an 8-foot ladder to hang long gauzy strips from the ceiling of Andrews Gallery an effect that added an ethereal element to her imaginary forest.  When I first started making pottery everything I made was a vase to hold flowers,” she said  She hopes “to encourage people to think about what the forest and forest conservation means to them the small elements and the new things you notice as you walk.” Trott is not the oldest person to earn an undergraduate degree from William & Mary. Elsie C. Woodward ’21 was 75 and four months when she earned a Bachelor of Arts in kinesiology & health sciences Trott will be 75 and two months when she receives her diploma on May 16 There are about a dozen older adults taking classes at William & Mary this semester but the registrar’s office believes Trott is the only one seeking a degree Most are enrolled in language courses.  Trott will graduate with honors although she says she did face challenges “I thought it would be harder to write papers as I thought I wouldn’t be good at research and writing It turns out my writing professor said I had a knack for it,” she said so I need to start earlier than most when a paper is due.” The most difficult part was learning to work on group projects I found out it is good to complement my weaknesses with the strengths of others,” she said “The biggest change in me is my increased self-confidence.”      She has worked as a ceramics instructor in local art galleries sometimes even when the actual professor is in the room.,” she said Or maybe there’s still more education on the horizon “I have so many mixed emotions right now,” Trott said “It seems so strange to finally be here after dreaming of it for so long At least I can go back to taking classes as a senior citizen so I don’t have to be done being a student at William & Mary.” Student Assembly is hosting a Move Out Stop & Swap event inside the Daily Grind from Saturday and household items to give them a new life come to the event and browse items that have already been donated -- everything is free for students You do not need to donate items in order to take home items from the event Move Out Stop & Swap will last from 9 AM - 7 PM each day Please only come to donate or browse items during those hours all remaining items will be donated to the Habitat for Humanity ReStore We are looking for student volunteers to monitor the the event from 9 AM - 7 PM each day https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1oR3xZModI2XgS3DxUQAe1V-KnwFNR0OFx0RMFPfC5Tg/edit?usp=sharing  Enjoy some fun in the sun at Water Country USA Every member of the family will find something they love at Water Country from epic slides or relaxing in a lounge chair by the wave pool Spend half day or a whole day enjoying water thrills and safe outdoor family fun The park is open on the weekends starting May 10 then opens daily starting May 23 Looking for Busch Gardens or Water Country ticket discounts? Visit our special post on the latest offers HERE Get our weekly eNewsletters “The Burg Weekender” on Thursdays and “The Burg Weekly” on Sundays full of things to do in the area Find things to do in Williamsburg Virginia on Williamsburg Families 1313 JAMESTOWN RD, #105, WILLIAMSBURG, VA 23185M-F 10 – 4 PMPHONE: 757 920 6078EMAIL: OLIVIA@WILLIAMSBURGFAMILIES.COMWILLIAMSBURGFAMILIES.COMDIGITAL MARKETING AGENCY Book By Roger O. HirsonLyrics By Stephen SchwartzMusic By Stephen SchwartzPresented by special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI)Director: Dana Marguiles CauthenStage Manager: Jason KrinerFrom May 30 to June 15, 2025TICKETS Pippin tells the tale of a young man’s quest to live an extraordinary life Pippin continues to enchant audiences around the globe with its timeless appeal Prince Pippin sets out on a journey to discover the true meaning of happiness and purpose and the allure of political power—even going so far as to overthrow his father Pippin learns that genuine fulfillment isn’t found in grand achievements Williamsburg Players 200 Hubbard Lane Williamsburg, VA 23187 757-229-0431 (Box Office) Colonial Williamsburg is the perfect weekend getaway from DC that's both educational and fun The world's largest living history museum at over 300 acres Colonial Williamsburg immerses visitors into life in America in the 1700s Many of Colonial Williamsburg's 89 original buildings and hundreds of reconstructed ones are open to visitors you'll meet costumed interpreters who will demonstrate 18th-century trades No vehicles are allowed in the historic area which makes for a truly authentic experience as you stroll the brick sidewalks or take a carriage ride down cobblestone streets But Colonial Williamsburg isn’t all muskets and tri-corner hats Right next to the historic area is Merchants Square which blends 18th-century architecture with modern shops and restaurants It's really cool to see the past and the present come together Colonial Williamsburg is open 365 days a year Most historic trades and sites are open from 9am-5pm while the Art Museums are open from 10am-5pm There are no vehicles allowed in the historic area, so your best bet is to park at the Visitor Center for $10 per day and take the free bus service to the historic area. There are also several paid parking garages in the area that often fill up quickly, so it's best to reserve those ahead of time online. Or, stay at one of the Historic Williamsburg hotels and walk Comfortable walking shoes are a must for everyone as temperatures can run the gamut throughout the day it's best to have one with larger wheels that can handle brick Keep in mind that many of the historic buildings and trade shops don't allow strollers inside Try to enter as many of the historic shops as you can You'll know which ones are open because they'll have the Union Jack flag waving out front costumed interpreters will demonstrate their trade and sometimes even give kids a chance to get hands-on Some of our favorite shops/artisans to visit were the shoemaker visitors can participate in mock trials based on historical records and potentially be selected to be jurors or play other roles and legs through the wooden pillory and stocks next to the courthouse for a fun photo op Several historic homes are open to visitors including the grandest one of all—the Governor's Palace Take a guided tour of the palace from 9am-4pm or tour it on your own from 4-5pm Be sure to visit the gardens out back and work your way through the hedge maze—it was my kids' favorite part of the palace You can also explore the homes of Peyton Randolph (first president of the Continental Congress) George Wythe (one of America's Founding Fathers) Take a guided tour of Colonial Williamsburg's Capitol building the center of British authority in Virginia for most of the 18th Century including the trial of Blackbeard's crew for piracy so it's pretty amazing to get to go inside Visit the Magazine Yard for a demonstration of a firelock gun head to Market Square North behind the courthouse to see—and hear!—a cannon fire which typically takes place at 3:30pm daily Taking a colonial carriage ride is a fun way to rest those tired little legs and feet Stop by the Lumber House Ticket Office as soon as you can in the morning to buy tickets Colonial Williamsburg offers several guided walking tours that give guests a glimpse into the history of the area. I did the 90-minute Secrets of Colonial Williamsburg tour with my 13-year-old son and 10-year-old daughter and unbelievable stories of the giants of American history who lived in Williamsburg including a few tales of places that are said to be haunted Our young tour guide was so knowledgeable and funny the official ghost tour of Colonial Williamsburg too!) can experience being a Revolutionary War soldier with Under Arms a roughly 40-minute program that typically takes place daily at 11:25am recruits of the Williamsburg Independent Company will be briefed on the current predicament before being marched to the Public Magazine for drills The Art Museums are two museums under one roof The Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum houses colorful and whimsical folk art made by amateur artisans while the DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum features objects that are both useful and beautiful Kids will love the Down on the Farm exhibition which follows a carved wooden dog as he sets out on a journey to find his cousin children can draw their favorite scene or color pages from the story German Toys In America is another great exhibit for kids featuring a variety of 19th-century wooden toys such as dolls And be sure to see Williamsburg's original 18th-century fire engine Colonial kids didn't need video games to be entertained, and yours don't, either—right? Find out by bringing them to the William Pitt Store, which is chock full of old-school wooden games, instruments, dolls, tea seats, and more. The outdoor Market House is another fun place for 18th Century toys, hats, and trinkets. And if you're looking for more modern goods, check out the clothing and specialty shops in Merchants Square Take a stroll on this nature trail and learn about Virginia's wildlife and native habitats Colonial Williamsburg Master Naturalists will discuss flora and fauna along the trail and the importance of conservation The guided walk begins at the trail's head by the Griffin Hotel parking lot and is about a half-mile round trip so be sure to wear appropriate shoes and bug spray We loved this popular Merchants Square fast-casual breakfast spot so much The massive breakfast sandwiches and coffee were to-die-for especially on weekends—we waited almost 45 minutes on a Saturday morning The Bake Shop is another great option for a quick and delicious breakfast just a few minutes' walk from Colonial Williamsburg There's also a variety of sandwiches for lunch The Bake Shop features a rotating list of the regions best roasters with an incredible espresso program as the cornerstone fast-casual burger joint in Merchants Square was as fun as it was delicious Retro's is known for its burgers and frozen custard If you want to experience a true colonial meal head to this authentic reproduction of an 18th century tavern in Colonial Williamsburg's historic area and listening to musicians play period songs but countless people have sung its praises to me and it's been featured in many outlets like the New York Times Enjoy all sorts of cheeses from artisan cheese makers in the US and Europe as well as sandwiches on freshly baked bread My teenage sons still talk about this laid-back BBQ spot less than a 10-minute drive from Colonial Williamsburg We even bought some sauce to bring home with us Between all of us we were able to try a wide variety of meats from pulled pork and chicken to brisket and ribs We were thrilled to find a location of this popular ice cream chain in a shopping area about a 15-minute drive from Colonial Williamsburg Bonus: A Food Lion is in the same shopping center where you can pick up drinks and snacks for your hotel room We loved staying this 18th century-style hotel right in the heart of Colonial Williamsburg We could easily walk to the historic area and Merchants Square then back to the hotel when we needed a rest The room had two queen beds and a queen sofa bed two outdoor pools (a family pool and a tranquility pool Kingsmill is a true oasis less than 15 minutes from Colonial Williamsburg The resort features indoor and outdoor pools and evening activities for families such as magic shows and movies Accommodations range from private cottages where everyone can have their own bedroom to traditional hotel rooms Kingsmill is also a stone's throw from Busch Gardens With more than 20 family resorts in North America Great Wolf Lodge is a wonderland for kids and families Kids are gifted wolf ears at check-in and it's a wild Great Wolf Lodge is under 15 minutes from Colonial Williamsburg were taken by Mark Atkinson & Rich Grant We may earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase through our links This film series brings art house film flavor to your Tuesdays hear from special guests who are film experts, enjoy light refreshments and have a discussion after the film.   May 6: Soundtrack to a Coup D’Etat (2024) NR  The music of Louis Armstrong and other greats propels this Oscar-nominated documentary about Jazzambassadors and the 1961 assassination of the Congo’s first democratically-elected leader May 13: The Return (2024) R  A homesick Odysseus (Ralph Fiennes) returns to Ithaca after being gone for 20 years only to find his beloved wife and son being held as political pawns May 20: Stories We Tell (2012) PG-13  The truth depends on who’s telling it in this genre-twisting documentary Director Sarah Polley aims the camera at her own family each of whom remembers their shared past differently May 27: Noble (2014) PG-13  The inspiring true story of Christina Noble who overcame an abusive childhood in Ireland to find a new life saving homeless children in Vietnam Deirdre O’Kane stars in this inspiring film June 3: James Hemings: Ghost in America’s Kitchen (2022) Mac and cheese and French fries are just two foods introduced to America by its first master chef This documentary uncovers the life and legacy of a culinary founding father chef and brother-in-law to Thomas Jefferson as well as his enslaved property and a 78-page plan drive Richard Williams’ quest to shape the destiny of his daughters Will Smith won the Oscar for Best Actor for his portrayal of Williams June 17: Step (2017) This high-energy documentary follows three young women through their senior year as members of a girls’ high-school step dance team in Baltimore Their ambitions fuel an emotional film that won a Special Jury Prize for inspirational filmmaking at Sundance June 24: Harriet (2019) PG-13 The remarkable life of Harriet Tubman is related in this fine bio-film Tubman escaped and risked her life time and again to lead hundreds of other slaves to freedom in the North Cynthia Erivo (Wicked) received a Best Actress Oscar nomination for her performance and Janelle Monae costar under the direction of Kasi Lemmons 75-year history of providing musical entertainment to people all over Hampton Roads The community band loves to perform concerts and educate audiences year-round with a broad range of band music that includes marches (e.g “Stars and Stripes Forever” and “Colonel Bogey’s March”) concert band versions of classical orchestral music (e.g Free admission, no tickets required. More information JR and Son reopens from the Kellogg’s Diner team If you buy something from an Eater link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics policy it was more known as a crusty dive bar — until its closing during the pandemic the choice to do a Tex-Mex diner stemmed from the lived experience of its chef The same goes for JR and Son’s chef Patricia Vega who puts her personal touches on Italian American dishes There will be a natural inclination to compare JR and Son’s to nearby restaurant Bernie’s also known for its red-saucey comforts and nostalgic interiors Vega emphasizes she is not reinventing any wheels: this is the kind of place to saddle up to the bar and order classics But she wanted to make sure the menu “represented the history of me being in New York and the people that I’ve worked with,” she says. The Top Chef alum, who got her career start making pasta, spent the past several years in the Thai Diner kitchen Fish and soy sauce give an unexpected umami boost across the offerings: from the onion rings sauce to its spicy chicken Parm with Calabrian chile an herbaceous arancini salad also has roots in her experience cooking Thai American food The stuffed clams a la vongole on the menu takes elements of clams oreganata and linguine alle vongole It was influenced by a Thai Diner jasmine rice clam dish Between Kellogg’s and JR and Son, the team is building a reputation for late-night service — notable in New York with a nightlife scene that’s turning in early lately for various reasons with a last call on food (a more slender menu) at 1 a.m “I want to create an environment for industry people and just like feel like when you’re here it’s homey maroon booths — the shade of old leather sports gloves — fill out one side of the narrow room photos of old regulars were saved from its dive bar days alongside framed vintage sports memorabilia helping the room feel like the lived-in clubhouse of sorts that it was born as (only this time with a more open-door policy) very sensitive to how the community is going to react,” says Arze and JR had other people interested who wanted to demo the place.” For the last decade or so, Arze and Maddy have rescued old bars from closing (“Whenever there’s a bar that has a cigarette burn in it, yeah, I’ll take it!” says Arze) and have devoted themselves to researching the histories of the spaces they’re working in, be it the dive Birdy’s in Bushwick or Russ and Daughters Cafe on the Lower East Side they found a 1936 photograph that showed old flooring under the vinyl which allowed them to know what was underneath when they inevitably ripped it out it’s more about always doing less — leaving the imperfections there.” Please select what you would like included for printing: Copy the text below and then paste that into your favorite email application Williamsburg-Rita Winifred Stahl was born July 29 The daughter of Myles and Blanche (Roggentine) Costello She graduated from Millersburg High School Rita was united in marriage to George Elmer Stahl on February 16 Rita owned and operated the Raider Drive Inn for 26 years She was a member of the Iburg Poulson VFW Post #8797 Auxiliary and the Red Hats She enjoyed going to her children’s and grandchildren’s activities playing UNO with friends and was an avid Hawkeye fan Rita also enjoyed volunteering at the VA Hospital and reading at the Mary Welsh Elementary.   Rita passed away on Wednesday at the Compass Memorial Hospital in Marengo at the age of 91 years SC and Michelle (Doug) Sims of Marengo; 22 grandchildren Chandler Sims and Garet Sims; 36 great grandchildren and 8 great great grandchildren She opened her home and was considered Mom and Grandma to many 2 sisters Helen (Laverne) Newberry and Onie (Bob) Murtha and an infant brother Bobby Celebration of life gathering will be Sunday There will be a VFW Auxiliary Service at 2:00 pm A memorial fund has been established for the Iburg Poulson VFW Post #8797 Auxiliary and Camp Courageous Powell Funeral Home in Williamsburg is caring for Rita and her family Messages and tributes may be directed to www.powellfuneralhomes.com All text and images © Powell Funeral Homes Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors bored guards abandoned their posts at the Williamsburg Powder Magazine he told the angry townspeople that his men were taking their stores as a precaution against the threat of slave revolts “It was kind of a true pitchfork and torch moment for Williamsburg,” said Katherine Pittman a researcher and historic interpreter at Colonial Williamsburg The Gunpowder Incident didn’t result in the Revolutionary War’s first shots which were fired at Lexington and Concord in the Massachusetts Bay Colony just two days earlier But April 21 was dubbed “the shot not heard around the world,” and the event pushed Virginia further towards war have written and directed special programming that begins Friday at Colonial Williamsburg The typical daily programming focuses on the day after the event but the weekend’s performances include 50 actors who will reenact the morning as it may have unfolded This anniversary coincides with the massive restorations at the Magazine and across Colonial Williamsburg the executive director of architectural preservation said Williamsburg is “maybe the busiest it’s been since the 1950s in terms of restoration.” the Williamsburg Bray School and the First Baptist Church are inspired by the emergence of new evidence and archeological excavations that continue to deepen the understanding of history the Magazine’s outer wall was 10 feet high before the recent restoration rediscovered accounts and a more complete understanding of the original foundation led researchers to believe that the wall was originally closer to 7 feet Webster said lowering the wall’s height is essential because the detail is significant A difference of 3 feet changes how people interacted with and around the wall and how outsiders viewed the building Webster says the Magazine has lived many lives market and church so it’s hard to tell what was originally designed and what was changed when “We’re very protective of those minute details,” Webster said If you take out chapters and alter paragraphs “Our job here is to put those words back into the story.” These are the stories of the vast majority of the 18th-century populations And unlike the wealthy and influential minority farmers or enslaved people who comprised half of Williamsburg’s population “their story doesn’t survive in the written record; their story’s a fingerprint on a brick.” Pittman and Smith agree that telling these stories is powerful and relevant today And their programming around the Gunpowder Incident is a call to action for the audience: Let reason prevail “The only way that we’re going to improve as a country “We just have a very exciting way of doing that.” The 1775 Gunpowder Incident anniversary programming runs Friday through Monday each evening at 8:30 Get local news every weekday in your inbox Sign-up here. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Executives for James City County and Williamsburg say the funding agreement for WJCC Schools is likely to expire before the localities reach a consensus But the county administrator and city manager don’t expect it to impact school operations next year “They will have money from us for operating and they will have money from the city for operating,” said Scott Stevens The city and county formed the division in 1955. The two periodically renegotiate the agreement governing the operation and funding of WJCC Schools. The agreement was last updated in 2022 and ends before July both have different ideas for the next agreement Williamsburg wants to address achievement gaps for city students which were highlighted in a feasibility study the city conducted when it looked into becoming independent The approval of the study sparked talk of a break-up who are more likely to be Black or Hispanic English language learners and economically disadvantaged graduate at a lower rate and perform worse than James City County students in every testing category “The City Council entered into this discussion of the school system open-minded to having to put more money into the education system but it would be in return for performance gains “The two are linked and can't be separated.” Funding is a key concern for James City County A funding formula determines how much each pays; James City County pays roughly 89% of local dollars to fund the division Stevens’ proposal would also have the localities pay for capital improvements for buildings within their borders split costs for shared facilities and pay more for special education or English language programs had been paying a little more than we should have been toward the school division’s local cost,” Stevens said “Our board believes we ought to pay our share and Trivette said Williamsburg City Council is interested in amending the formula as well He wants to budget for school operations based on a percentage of government revenue Trivette believes that will make funding increases more predictable The city manager also thinks it’s time to include the school division in the joint agreement so that requests for new funds can be explicitly tied to desired performance gains for its students—currently That has put the city in a holding pattern until the School Board selects the new WJCC superintendent leaves out probably the most important partner – the one responsible for performance,” Trivette said If the localities do not reach a new agreement before the 2027 budget cycle the city and county would make funding decisions without a formula both executives believe they can reach a fair agreement and make positive changes Stevens said top of mind is “the best interest of our community and our students.” “I know they have an interest in making sure their students are doing well,” he said Williamsburg Academy Senior baseball teammates are honored on Senior Night WA Senior Varsity players honored at Senior Night April 17 WA Senior Billy Williamson stands with family on field Kayden Carter stands with parents Annie and Dale Carter WA Senior Layton Morris stands with family on the field Senior pitchers Layton Morris and Bryce Blackburn collect clay from the bump Head Coach Tyler Boyd runs the line after in-field warm-ups Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: an Ecuadorian spot relocates — and more intel calling itself a “Latin bistro” as opposed to strictly Ecuadorian This allowed chef Ronny Jaramillo “a lot of room for creativity using Ecuadorian flavors in non-traditional ways,” says the spokesperson such as “the scallop crudo [that] uses guanabana as the base with salted honey-roasted cucumbers and apples on top for this sweet salty combo that is so unique and delicious.” The spokesperson added: “Ronny’s goal was always to elevate his native cuisine it’s definitely welcomed and encouraged here.” Rubin is also shaking things up by inviting guest pastry chefs like Anne Rosenzweig who will be serving her signature chocolate bread pudding for the first time in Manhattan in more than two decades All the new restaurant openings in New York this month By: 7:30 am on April 15 YIMBY checked in on the progress of five low-rise residential buildings under construction in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. All but one of the properties are located within a few blocks of one another near the border of Williamsburg and Bushwick directly north of Broadway and Flushing Avenue Exterior work is taking shape on 106 Graham Avenue where a two-story residential building has been expanded to four stories Designed by Wu “Woody” Chen of Infocus Design and Planning for Oren Hakim the 65-foot-tall structure will span 7,500 square feet and yield nine units with an average scope of 770 square feet The development will also include 570 square feet of commercial space Permits were filed in October 2023 for the property which is located between Seigel and McKibbin Streets The following photos show the topped-out superstructure enclosed in a fenestration of large windows and glass doors leading to balconies lined with red metal railings The main western elevation is covered in lavender insulation boards in preparation for façade installation No renderings have been revealed for the project and it remains to be seen what materials will be used for the final cladding The building culminates in a flat parapet with a bulkhead set back from the street as seen in the following Google Street View image taken prior to the start of the expansion 106 Graham Avenue’s anticipated completion date is slated for winter 2025 Exterior work is also progressing on 212 Montrose Avenue a four-story residential building located near the corner of Montrose and Bushwick Avenues Designed by Infocus for Marcelo Duek under the MDLB Partners LLC the 55-foot-tall structure will span 8,915 square feet and yield eight rental units with an average scope of 855 square feet The development will also contain a penthouse unit Permits for the project were filed in September 2019 The following photographs show the masonry-based superstructure built to its pinnacle with scaffolding and black netting shrouding its main northern elevation Windows and glass balcony doors are visible through the shroud though the materials for the façade are difficult to discern No renderings have been revealed for this project either The following aerial perspective shows scaffolding assembled on the rear southern elevation The grid of windows appears to be in place and lined with blue protective film A light blue waterproofing layer covers the surrounding surface Work appears complete on the windowless western lot line wall The property was formerly occupied by a three-story residential building as seen in the below Google Street View image from before its demolition 212 Montrose Avenue’s anticipated completion date is slated for winter 2025 Work recently resumed on 135 Boerum Street a six-story residential building that had languished for several years in a nearly completed state 135 Boerum LLC is listed as the owner of the project The 4,510-square-foot interior lot spans nearly 1 acre between Manhattan Avenue and Avenue of Puerto Rico A new sidewalk shed was assembled over the ground floor along with additional fencing around the entrance The wooden boards that had covered the openings for the HVAC grilles below the windows have been removed Crews will need to wash the façade of the graffiti and grime that accumulated over the years the project sat stalled The steel-framed superstructure at 135 Boerum Street topped out in 2013 as seen in the below Google Street View image Exterior work reached the current state of 80 percent completion by November 2016 Sony Arora purchased the property from Abraham Badalov in a foreclosure auction last year for $1.5 million Daniel Barcelowsky of Evergreen Realty & Investments served as the broker for the transaction 135 Boerum Street’s anticipated completion date is slated for spring 2025 where a two-story structure is being expanded into a four-story residential building Designed by Mohammad Ahead for Yaniv Garbo of Garbo & Company the 50-foot-tall structure will span 5,507 square feet and yield eight condominium units with an average scope of 1,004 square feet The development will also include a cellar level and a 22.5-foot-long rear yard Manhattan Lofts LLC is listed as the owner of the property which is located between McKibbin and Boerum Streets Permits for the project were filed last September The following photographs show scaffolding and black netting assembled on the main western elevation as crews work to gut the interiors in preparation for the vertical expansion Signage for the deli that formerly occupied the ground-floor frontage remains in place while wooden boards cover the exterior below The entire façade will eventually be stripped when the additional floors begin construction No finalized renderings have been revealed for 92 Manhattan Avenue apart from the below elevation diagram which was posted to the construction board The illustration shows a symmetrical fenestration with a column of narrow windows running down the centerline of the main elevation A setback is positioned at the fifth story The residential entrance is located on the northern end of the building The structure formerly featured a gray stucco façade and a row of small windows on the second story as seen in the below Google Street View image from before work began A completion date for 92 Manhattan Avenue has yet to be announced exterior work is underway on 12 Berry Street a one-story commercial building located at the corner of Berry Street and Nassau Avenue Developed by Berry on the Park Holdings LLC the structure will yield 26,000 square feet The following photos taken at the end of winter show crews in the process of framing out the steel-framed superstructure’s walls with metal studs and insulation boards The structure is taking shape with the outer walls largely in place and the interiors underway No finalized renderings have been revealed for 12 Berry Street Below is an outdated vision for the project that would have featured a triple-height retail space Rendering courtesy of Cayuga Capital Management LLC The property was formerly occupied by a two-story structure and an adjacent open-air storage lot as seen in the following Google Street View image from September 2014 The building was torn down shortly thereafter and the lot was cleared for the project last year Construction on 12 Berry Street was planned to conclude in February 2025 Work could potentially wrap up before the end of summer Subscribe to YIMBY’s daily e-mail Follow YIMBYgram for real-time photo updates Like YIMBY on Facebook Follow YIMBY’s Twitter for the latest in YIMBYnews Low-rise and Williamsburg should not be in the same sentence Would love to see a dramatic upzoning proposed The “city of yes” should be upzoning any area within half a mile of a subway station or along main through roads with frequent bus service When I take the M train over the Williamsburg Bridge into Brooklyn and high rise buildings..keep it up Williamsburg ga('send', 'event', 'beautyofblock', 'Impression', 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