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Inside This Issue
Meeting Schedule
Thursday, April 22
Winchester Parking Authority
City Hall, Council Chambers
4:00 pm
Social Services Advisory Board
DSS, 24 Baker Lane
4:00 pm
Tree Commission
City Yards, 301 E. Cork Street
5:30 pm
Natural Resources Advisory Bd
City Yards, 301 E. Cork Street
Monday, April 26
7:00 pm
Parks & Recreation Board
JBP, 1001 E. Cork Street
Tuesday, April 27
5:30 pm
City Hall, Council Chambers
Monday, May 3
7:00 pm
North End Citizen's Assoc.*
Douglas Learning Ctr., 598 N. Kent Street
* North End Citizens Association and South End Citizens Association are private organizations whose meetings are open to the public and are listed as a convenience to the public. Their listings are in no way an endorsement by the City of Winchester of the specific activities of the organizations.
Upcoming Events
Street Scene
Thursday-Saturday, April 22-24
8:00 pm
Sunday, April 25
2:30 pm
Ohstrom Bryant Theatre, Shenandoah University
Kurt Weill's comtemporary opera takes place during the Great Depression. Here we find the story of Rose, who is being pursued by the smooth-talking sharpie and an earnest neighbor who loves her, and can give herself to neither.
Arbor Day Celebration
Friday, April 23
10:00 am
City Hall, 15 N. Cameron St.
Beethoven and Blue Jeans
Friday, April 23
7:30 pm
George Washington Hotel
Come and enjoy a Winchester Orchestra concert in your favorite pair of jeans! Enjoy the classical music, without the stuffy clothes. Click here for ticket information. REMEMBER: When purchasing your tickets, select Winchester Parks & Recreation as your "charity partner" and WPRD will receive $3 from every ticket you purchase!
Community Yard Sale
Saturday, April 24
9:00 am-3:00 pm
Jim Barnett Park Gym
Be the first to see all the treasures with early bird shopping from 8:00-9:00 am ($5 admission). Shop for free after 9:00 am. Call 662-4946.
4th Annual Community Tree Planting
Saturday, April 24
9:00 am-Noon
Friendship Park (N. Pleasant Valley Rd.–behind Charlotte DeHart Elementary School)
Celebrate Earth Day by planting trees and making a difference in our local environment! Coffee, juice and breakfast snacks will be provided. Just bring gloves, a shovel, and clothes that can get a little dirty! Call 667-0761.
Doo Dah Day
Saturday, April 24
10:00 am-4:00 pm
Jim Barnett Park
This fun family event has games, rides and plenty of costumed characters!
John Handley Walk to Mt. Hebron
Monday, April 26
9:00-9:50 am
March from Loudoun Street Mall to Judge Handley Tomb located at Mt. Hebron Cemetery.
Guided Nature Walks
Saturday, May 1 & 15
8:00-10:00 am
Meet in parking lot at Children of America on Jubal Early Drive
An easy walk on paved surface. Concentraction is on migrating and resident birds so binoculars are recommended. Also explore, discover, and discuss the many amazing interactions of plants and animals in this unique wetlands habitat. Call 667-0504.
DUII Phase II Update
Construction on Piccadilly Street is COMPLETE! Be on the look out for the final touches: tree planting and meter installation.
Announcements
1. Moonlight Ball (Civil War period traditional southern ball) tickets went on sale April 15. Get your tickets now before they sale out! Call or stop by the Winchester Parks & Recreation (662-4946) or visit the Winchester-Frederick County Visitor's Center (1400 South Pleasant Valley Rd).
2. April 28 is Distracted Driving Awareness Day. 80% of all crashes and 65% of all near-crashes recently studied by the VT Transportation Institute involved driver inattention within 3 seconds of the crash. Click the banner to learn how your behavior behind the wheel puts you at an increased risk for a crash.
Helpful Links
Next CitE-News Issue
Wednesday, May 5
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Winchester Receives Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting
 The Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting has been awarded to City of Winchester by the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) for its comprehensive annual financial report (CAFR).
The Certificate of Achievement is the highest form of recognition in the area of governmental accounting and financial reporting, and its attainment represents a significant accomplishment by a government and its management.
This marks the 18th consecutive year that the City of Winchester has received this award. Read more
City Office Closings and Services Offered During SABF
The City of Winchester will operate the following schedule during the week of April 26:
1) City offices will be closed to the public on Apple Blossom Friday, April 30 but employees will be available to assist customers by phone until 2:00 pm. However, if you’d like to make a bill payment (personal property taxes, real estate taxes & utility bills), you can visit www.winchesterva.gov to pay online.
2) The Winchester Active Living & Recreation Center will close at 3:00 pm on Friday, April 30 and will be closed all weekend through Sunday, May 2.
3) WinTran is closed on Friday, April 30, and Saturday, May 1. The regular schedule will resume on Monday, May 3, at 6:00 am.
Don’t forget to reserve a parking space during the Grand Feature Parade ($10) or Fireman’s Parade ($5) at one of the City’s garages. Speak to an autopark booth attendant to purchase your tickets today.
What Does the City Do for The Bloom? Have you ever visited downtown on Monday following the Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival (SABF)? Have you noticed how clean it is? It is as if The Bloom never occurred.
Maintenance Crews work all day and night following the parades and the midway to ensure that Old Town is ready for business on Monday! The City's Public Works Department begins planning for SABF in mid-January. During the last three days of the Festival, approximately 45 Public Works team members work 40 hours per member in the three-day period from Friday through Sunday.
 Most of what the City of Winchester does before, during and after the SABF is behind the scenes. The Festival is organized entirely by the Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival organization located on North Cameron Street. The SABF organization hires the talent, signs up all the volunteers and manages the activities.
The City of Winchester assists the SABF organization by issuing event and building permits; conducting inspections on tents, bleachers and amusement equipment; posting 1,000 "No Parking" signs and enforcing parking restrictions; managing traffic; providing security; organizing detour routes and street closures; mowing grass and cleaning the streets; installing 1,500 trash boxes and recycle bins; setting up 275 barricades; responding to emergency calls; volunteering at special events; and much more!
Fire and Rescue Chief to Retire After 35 Year Career with City
 City of Winchester Fire and Rescue Chief Frank Wright has announced his retirement effective June 1, 2010. Wright stated, "I have had a great career and am very thankful to the Winchester community for their support of the Fire and Rescue Department and me. I have been blessed to work with so many fine people both career and volunteer.” Read more
North Kent Street Sidewalk Improvements Near Completion
The City of Winchester is near completion of improvements made to the North Kent Street Sidewalk in front of the Douglas Community Learning Center (DCLC). The project included the construction of a new 5-foot wide by approximately 200 linear feet sidewalk adjacent to the DCLC. The sidewalk will be constructed behind the existing sidewalk on the school's property. The existing sidewalk behind the curb was removed and the area restored with topsoil and grass. The sidewalk now has ADA ramps with detectable warning surfaces at the intersections.
This project has been on the priority list for funding in the North End Community, the identified Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Target Area, but was not planned for completion without available American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) CDBG-R funding. The City’s Public Services Department handled the oversight and construction for the project. Read More
April & May WPRD Monthly Specials and New Facility Hours
Monthly Specials
April Special - 10% discount on any new facility rental in 2010. Book your annual picnic shelter or party room starting in March and receive 10% off!
April & May Special - Receive $50 off any outdoor pool party rental for the 2010 season!
May & June Special - $15 off any 2010 outdoor pool pass! New this year: outdoor pool pass holders will be allowed to enter the outdoor pool 15 minutes early prior to opening to the general public.
New Facility Hours
ATTENTION: The hours of operation and open gym times were listed incorrectly in the Winchester Parks & Recreation's 2010 Spring/Summer Activities Guide for the spring. Please see below for the correct times for the Active Living & Recreation Center.
SPRING SUMMER
Now through June 13, 2010 June 14 through August 22, 2010
M-F 5:30 am-9:30 pm M,W,F 5:30 am-7:30 pm
Sa 10:00 am-6:00 pm Tu,Th 6:30 am-7:30 pm
Su Noon-6:00 pm Sa Noon - 6:00 pm
Su Closed
Open Gym Times for Spring
Below are the correct times for OPEN GYM now through June 13:
General Public M,W 5:30-9:00 am Courts A,B,C
Noon-2:30 pm Courts A,B,C
7:45-9:00 pm Courts A,B,C
Tu,Th 5:30-9:00 am Courts A,B,C
Noon-2:30 pm Courts A,B,C
F 6:30-9:00 pm Courts A,B
Sa,Su 4:00-5:30 pm Courts A,B
Ages 12 & Under Sa,Su 4:00-5:30 pm Courts C
Ages 30+ M,W 4:30-6:30 pm Courts A,B,C
Note: Children 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult in the gym at all times.
Disc Golf Course Coming Soon to Jim Barnett Park
Avid disc golf players in the community will soon have a new course to try right here in Jim Barnett Park. The new Disc Golf Club has generated enough money to install the first nine holes of the Winchester Disc Golf Course in Jim Barnett Park. The course will include two tees for recreational and advance players. Local businesses as well as the Winchester Parks Foundation have contributed funds for the course.
 This portion of the course should be completed by early summer. The long range plan is to eventually have an 18-hole course and host regional tournaments.
If you are interested in getting involved, contact Incredible Flying Objects at 678-9993.
Winchester Police and Community Volunteers Clean Local Neighborhood Streets
On April 8 and 9, members of the Winchester Police Department’s Community Response Team in conjunction with the Department of Community Development and Public Services Department conducted a block cleanup in the city’s north end. The areas of concern were North Kent Street, Kern Street, Highland Avenue, Chase Street, West Street, Freemont Street, and Elk Street. This area has been plagued for years with dirt, debris trash and silt collection along the streets including curbs and gutters.
 On behalf of the City of Winchester, the Community Response Team wishes to extend its sincere gratitude and thanks to the citizens and members of the community who participated with this event. As a result, two dump trucks of trash and debris were removed from these city streets.
SABF Safety Tips and Street Closures
The City of Winchester wants everyone to have a fun time, but more importantly a safe time. With a little pre-Festival planning, you and your family can enjoy all of the parades and events. Police and Medical Aid Stations will have a presence throughout the Festival weekend to assist you. We urge you to follow the laws and act responsibly to avoid unintended consequences.
Detour Routes & Street Closures
The streets designated as Parades (click above for the map) will be closed and the Detour Routes will become effective as listed below. As soon as the Parades have cleared, the City will open the streets to traffic.
Friday, May 1: Firefighters’ Parade route will close at 3:30 pm until approximately 8:30 pm.
Special note: at 2:15 pm Handley Boulevard will close for the Kids Bloomin’ Mile. The race begins at 4:15 pm and ends at 5:30 pm. The course begins and ends on Handley Blvd in front of the Grandstand; it wraps around the High School campus.
Saturday, May 2: The 10K Race and Grand Feature Parade routes will close to all traffic at 8:00 am and will remain in effect until the end of the parade at approximately 7:00 pm (no exceptions).
The City of Winchester wishes you a safe and happy Bloom!
Unveiling of “ArtScape in Old Town Winchester”
This morning, the Old Town Development Board (OTDB) and the Shenandoah Arts Council (SAC) unveiled the ArtScape in Old Town Winchester banner project at a Press Conference on the Old Town Mall.
A community-building project created by volunteers of the OTDB and the SAC and presented by the generous support of Winchester community businesses, ArtScape in Old Town Winchester will add interest and color to the downtown streetscape with 30 art banners. Showcasing locally created art provides a unique twist on an outdoor gallery experience. The banners, painted by local talent, will be hung tomorrow (4/22) and will grace the decorative light poles through December 2010.
On June 26, the original art work will be sold at the Old Town Event Center (time TBD). For more information about the Artscape project, please contact Old Town Development at 722-7575. For a list of contributing artists, artwork titles and sponsors, please click here.
GIS Hosts NEW Interactive Mapping Websites
GIS stands for Geographic Information Systems. Do not let the name deter you from a great tool as you’ve been probably using GIS on a weekly or even daily basis. Ever use Google maps? Mapquest? Bing maps? Then you were using GIS! I bet you also didn’t know that the City has its own GIS.
The GIS division acts, in a way, like Google maps but provides more detailed, city-related information that helps the public and City departments find information. You won’t find things like restaurants or shops, but you will find property boundaries, zoning districts, voting locations, utilities, etc.
Winchester has had an online interactive mapping website for years now, but if you haven’t taken a look before, you should now. There are now five NEW interactive mapping sites that provide various information to the user. Read More |
