Inside This Issue
Meeting Schedule
Thursday, September 24
7:30 am
Winchester Parking Authority
City Hall, Council Chambers
4:00 pm
Tree Commission
City Yards, 301 E. Cork Street
4:00 pm
Social Services Advisory Board
DSS, 33 E. Boscawen Street
Monday, September 28
7:00 pm
Parks & Recreation Board
WMB, 1001 E. Cork Street
Thursday, October 1
4:00 pm
Board of Architectural Review
City Hall, 15 N. Cameron Street
5:30 pm
Old Town Development Board
City Hall, 4th Floor Exhibit Hall
7:00 pm
South End Citizen's Association
Montague Avenue Methodist Church, 102 Montague Avenue
Monday, October 5
7:00 pm
North End Citizen's Association
Douglas Learning Center,
598 North Kent Street
Tuesday, October 6
5:30 pm
Public Services Council Committee
City Hall, Council Chambers
Upcoming Events
Outdoor Movie Night
Friday, October 2
7:30-9:00 pm
Old Town Winchester
The Shenandoah Valley Discovery Museum will feature the film, Tale of Despereaux, rated G to be shown outside in the Palace Theatre parking lot. Contact: Niki Wilson at 540-722-2020.
Winchester's Top Talent Competition
Friday, October 2
6:00-7:30 pm
Old Town Winchester
Concert & awards ceremony on steps/lawn of Old Court House Museum for Winchester's Top Talent contest. Five singers (the finalists of a singing
competition) will sing one song each and judges will declare a winner. Contact: Rob Hustick at 540-665-8318.
Guided Civil War Tours
Friday, October 2
6:00 pm
Old Town Winchester
Guided Civil War tours will be offered on First Fridays in downtown Winchester from June through October. The tours will meet in front of the Kurtz Building at 2 N. Cameron Street. Reservations are required and should be made in advance by calling 540-542-1326. Fee: $5 per person.
First Friday Celebration of the Arts
Friday, October 2
6:00-9:00 pm
Old Town Winchester
Enjoy an evening of drawings, paintings, prints, sculpture, ceramics, photography and other visual art. Locals and visitors are invited to stroll the
historic streets at their leisure, visit galleries, meet local artists, view new works and exhibits, and listen to live music. First Friday events are free and open to the public unless specified otherwise. Contact: www.shenarts.org or 540-667-5166.
Northern Shenandoah CROP Walk
Sunday, Octobter 4
1:30-5:00 pm
Old Town Winchester
The annual CROP Walk (2002-2006) returns to Winchester after a two year hiatus. This walk for hunger brings people downtown to walk a circular route over
approximately two hours. Contact: David Witt at 540-662-1843.
International Children's Festival
Saturday, October 10
(Rain or Shine - mostly indoors)
10:00 am-3:00 pm
Jim Barnett Park
Northeast Infrastructure Improvement Project (NEIP) Update
Work is progressing on Berryville Avenue between Baker Lane and Fort Collier Road. All existing water and sanitary sewer infrastructure will be replaced and new sidewalks will be installed on the south side of the street. During this phase of construction, traffic will be reduced to one lane in each direction where work is occurring, and delays are expected. Every effort will be made to maintain access to properties in the project area.
Downtown Utility Infrastructure Improvement Project
Get weekly updates and complete project information by clicking on the below icon.
Next CitE-News Issue
Wednesday. October 7
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Eat at Glory Days and Bring Local Foster Care Children a Little Holiday Cheer
The Winchester Department of Social Services (WDSS) foster care team is sponsoring a fundraiser in conjunction with Glory Days Grill in Winchester during the month of October 2009, to raise money to purchase holiday gifts for children in foster care.
 It’s simple. All you need to do is eat at Glory Days between October 1 and October 31! Then Glory Days will donate 10% of your total food purchase to the Winchester Department of Social Services Foster Care Program. The funds raised will be used to purchase holiday gifts for children in foster care. ALSO, just ask your server for a copy of your guest check and send it to WDSS or place it in a designated basket at Glory Days (be sure to include your name and phone number) to be entered into a drawing for door prizes.
Kick off is October 1 from 5:00 to 9:00 pm. Come eat dinner with friends and family, meet Caitlyn Uze, Miss Apple Blossom Festival and help bring a little holiday cheer to local foster care children!
See the attached flyer for more details AND please forward to your friends and family to help spread the word!
Contact: Winchester Department of Social Services, Attn: Amber Johnson, 33 East Boscawen Street, Winchester, VA 22601, 662-3807.
Visit 20 Countries for FREE
 Have you ever wanted to travel around the world to discover unique and exotic lands but never had the time or money? Well, here's your chance to take the
entire family on a trip to remember for FREE on October 10 from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm in Jim Barnett Park!
The City of Winchester's inaugural International Children's Festival (presented by Blue Ridge Kiwanis) will offer children and their families the opportunity to explore 20 amazing countries including:
- Australia - India
- China - Ireland
- Colombia - Israel/Palestine
- Egypt - Italy
- England - Korea
- France - Mexico
- Germany - Pakistan
- Ghana - Peru
- Greece - Taiwan
- Greenland - Zimbabwe
Each country will offer an educational, fun, and authentic exhibit and an interactive craft or activity! Visit all 20 countries, show your official ICF passport to the "U.S. Embassy" (information booth) and be entered into the grand prize drawing.
Students will also have the opportunity to reinforce what they are learning in school by completing a short SOL-based scavenger hunt. When the hunt is completed, they can turn their answers in to the "U.S. Embassy" for a small prize!
Get your passport at the door and take an adventure with your friends and family. There's many other fun things to do at this festival! Check it out at www.winchesterva.gov/icf.
Traffic Signal Removed at Cork/Washington Intersection
The traffic signal at the intersection of Cork Street and Washington Street was removed and converted to an all-way stop on Sunday, September 20. This traffic signal removal was approved by City Council at the April 14, 2009 council meeting when a traffic signal warrant study showed that a signal is not warranted at this intersection.
Along with the all-way stop, pedestrians will find the new convenience of ADA accessible sidewalk ramps at the intersection.
The City of Winchester wants to thank all the citizens, Winchester business owners and the public who utilize these important streets for their cooperation in making this transition and asks all drivers to be alert to this traffic change.
More GED Opportunities Something good has come out of the bad economic situation. More people are choosing to upgrade their quality of life by improving their level of education.
Due to the current economy and a new marketing push, the Northern Shenandoah Valley Adult Education (NSVAE) is currently in a unique situation. For the first time in many years, the NSVAE has temporarily closed enrollment for the GED classes at Dowell J. Howard (DJH). They are simply full.
Eighty (80) students at Dowell J. Howard and over 14 at the Douglas Community Learning Center are enrolled in GED classes. Fourteen more students took the pre-test and registered for the GED class. All individuals that register now will be invited to attend an "open lab" while they wait for an opening in the GED class.
Potential students can still register and pre-test. Those with high pre-test scores can go to LFCC on the first Saturday of the month or the Learning Center (lab) at Dowell J. Howard, take the GED practice test and earn a voucher to take the GED for FREE!
As students pass the GED, there will be openings in the classes. Until then, new students can receive services in the Learning Center (lab) which meets three mornings and two evenings a week at DJH. Another possibility is "eLearn VA" which is an online learning program. NSVAE teachers work closely with this program, and it is a good option for students who can't attend class regularly or are waiting for a class assignment.
For more information about the GED program, please call 667-9744.
Smoke Detectors Could Save Your Life
Most fires occur at night when people are sleeping. A smoke detector can alert you when there is a fire, in time to save your life. Smoke detectors work by sensing rising smoke from a fire and sounding an alarm.
If you don't have smoke detectors and are unsure about which type to purchase or where to install them, the Winchester Fire and Rescue Department has created a short flyer to help you stay safe and install and maintain your smoke detectors properly. Click here for more details.
If you or someone you know is a city resident and is unable to purchase smoke detectors for their home, the Winchester Fire and Rescue Department is here to help. All you have to do is call the Winchester Fire and Rescue Department at 668-2298 and make a request for the free smoke detectors. Then a firefighter will come and install the detectors in your home at no charge.
Preparing for a Stressful Flu Season
By TARA PARKER-POPE, The New York Times
Published: September 7, 2009
A few weekends ago, a mother I know called to ask about swine flu after her daughter complained of breathing trouble and other worrisome symptoms. Fortunately, my friend quickly reached her pediatrician, who reassured her about the child’s condition.
But the conversation made me realize just how stressful this flu season is going to be for parents. Every sniffle and every cough is going to be scrutinized, awakening fears of the ominously named swine flu virus. How do you know when to relax? How do you know when to call the doctor?
Click here for answers to questions, such as "How worried should we be?", "Are children at higher risk for swine flu?", "When does it [symptoms] become an emergency?", and more that will arise during what experts predict will be a very busy flu season. Be prepared!
Try Transit This Week
Winchester Transit is proud to promote the Second Annual Statewide Try Transit Week in conjunction with the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation. The event is designed to encourage Virginians to stop driving alone and try a form of transit such as bus, rail, carpools, vanpools or telework. Try Transit Week takes place from September 21 – 25, 2009.
“Transit helps people save time and money,” said DRPT Director Charles Badger. “Try Transit Week is a great time for Virginians to learn more about the transit options in Virginia and experience the benefits that transit can offer.”
Transit saves people time that would otherwise be spent sitting in traffic, and because buses, trains, carpools and vanpools reduce the number of cars on the road, transit helps reduce highway congestion. Using transit also helps reduce common car expenses, which the American Public Transportation Association has found can save the average family more than $9,000 a year.
“The variety of transit choices in the Commonwealth means that Virginians can use transit for more than just commuting to work,” said Badger. “You can take transit to get to appointments, to run errands and to stay active in your community.”
In addition to the benefits of using transit, if you pledge to try transit during Try Transit Week by September 25, 2009, you will be automatically entered in the contest to win a one-year free transit pass* to the Virginia transit operator of your choice.
Visit www.trytransitweek.com to pledge to try transit during Try Transit Week and learn more about the transit options available in Virginia. With more than 150 transit, carpool, vanpool and telework partners, there are many options available to suit your lifestyle, budget and commute.
*See www.trytransitweek.com for contest rules and regulations.
Yards for Kids
Is an absolutely weed-free lawn worth endangering our children's health and polluting our streams? Our answer is no.
Because of the many known and unknown health threats common home pesticides pose, Yards for Kids invites you to consider prevention and ecological alternatives to weed killers and insecticides.
A growing body of medical evidence suggests that common lawn and garden weed killers do pose health threats to all of us, but especially to infants, children, pregnant women, and people whose immune systems may not be at peak performance.
Most people apply pesticides to their lawn assuming, naturally, that if they are sold on the market they must be safe. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has stated that "most pesticides–despite having an EPA registration–have not been adequately tested to determine their effects on people or the environment." No one wants to endanger their children, pets or the environment. But when we spread weed killers or insect killers on our yards we unknowingly create a serious health threat to those around us. The effects are not necessarily obvious immediately.
Source: University of Northern Iowa Center for Energy & Environmental Education, http://www.ceee.uni.edu/Home/Programs/Hometown/Hometown/YardsforKids.aspx, September 11, 2009
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