Somehow we find ourselves halfway through the month, thought not even close to halfway through the summer. At first glance, this week looked like it might be lighter than usual, in part because Albemarle County is giving its Community Advisory Committees the month off. But as always, there’s a lot going on when you look at the totality of meetings in the area. This week Tuesday is the big day.
Our Region
PEC focuses on nine counties and one city in the northern Piedmont of Virginia: Albemarle, Charlottesville, Clarke, Culpeper, Fauquier, Greene, Loudoun, Madison, Orange, and Rappahannock.
We also team with local organizations to promote thriving communities and healthy natural resources in a much larger region, including the Shenandoah Valley, the central Piedmont, and the Journey Through Hallowed Ground Corridor. In addition, we are proud to serve as fiscal sponsor of the Coalition for Smarter Growth, an organization that focuses on land use and policy in the greater Washington D.C. area.
A Sanctuary, A Pollinator Garden
“This native plant garden provides important food and shelter for pollinators, birds and other wildlife,” reads a sign introducing a small but impactful plot of brightly colored flowers.
Week Ahead for July 5, 2021: Council meets Wednesday on Confederate statues; New alignment for TransAmerican bike route in Palmyra
Welcome to the second half of the year, or the first full week of the new fiscal year. Either way, today is the day after Independence Day and a good time to know what’s happening in local government in and around Charlottesville.
Week Ahead for June 28, 2021: Charlottesville PC to discuss next steps for comp plan update; Pantops group to review Urban Rivanna River plan
The final week of June and the first week of July take place within the same seven day period. Even though the Independence Day holiday will be observed on July 5, this may be one of the more demure weeks in local and regional government. Perhaps the new fiscal year is being celebrated more widely?
Video: Orvis Giveback Days for Bolton Branch
In May, The Piedmont Environmental Council teamed up with Orvis to raise money to restore two miles of brook trout stream habitat on Bolton Branch in Rappahannock County.
Week Ahead for June 21, 2021: Regional Housing Plan to be unveiled; Albemarle PC to review Crozet Master Plan
Summertime, and the meetings are busy. This community seems to only take one week off each year from meetings, and this is not that week.
Video: Documenting Fauquier’s Forgotten History
In 1860, free and enslaved African Americans made up half of Fauquier County’s entire population. After the Civil War, Black communities like Morgantown, two miles south of Marshall, that grew out of emancipation held powerful meaning as community centers where African Americans could freely worship, conduct commerce, obtain education and own land.
On the Ground Updates – June 2021
A series of short updates from around the PEC region – Albemarle & Charlottesville, Clarke, Culpeper, Fauquier, Greene, Loudoun, Madison, Orange & Rappahannock.
Story Map Brings History to Light
In 1860, free and enslaved African Americans made up half of Fauquier County’s entire population. Black communities like Morgantown, two miles south of Marshall and where Afro-American Historical Association of Fauquier County President Karen Hughes White and Board Member Angela Davidson were raised, grew out of emancipation. They held powerful meaning as community centers where African Americans could freely do what they could not when they were enslaved: worship, conduct commerce, obtain education, own land.
Signs of a Scenic River
In western Albemarle County, the cold, pristine waters of the Moormans River spill over a towering Sugar Hollow Dam and wind eastward for 14.3 miles. Flowing gently at first through historic Sugar Hollow and White Hall, it gathers strength and speed from Doyles River, Wards Creek, and other streams before joining the Mechum River at Brinnington to form the Rivanna River. Eventually, the Moormans’ waters reach the James River and the Chesapeake Bay.