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Chesapeake

Hampton Roads Halloween pumpkin patch, hayride & corn maze guide

Are you hoping to take your family to a pumpkin patch this year? There are many fall attractions that Hampton Roads and Northeast North Carolina have to offer.

NORFOLK, Virginia – AUTHOR’S NOTE: The video above is dated October 2019.

Whether the temperature feels like autumn or not, it is there … and we can decorate and celebrate at least with that in mind.

It is roughly the time of year that pumpkins will show up in grocery stores. They are selling a lot more than we have listed, but we wanted to find some local stores where picking that annual pumpkin could be an experience!

Hay drives, corn mazes, and sunflower fields deserve their time in the spotlight.

With that in mind, here are some places to consider when planning your fall adventures.

Middle peninsula

Belmont Pumpkin Farm: 155 Belmont Lane, North, Virginia 23128

Belmont opens on September 25, and visitors can take hay rides, explore a corn maze, walk a sunflower trail, and of course, pick pumpkins.

peninsula

Pumpkinville Farm: 7691 Richmond Road, Toano, Virginia 23168

Pumpkinville Farm invites guests to pick pumpkins, partake in beanbag and ring toss games, brave a corn maze, and enjoy hay drives.

South side

Great Bridge Pumpkin Patch: 900 N. Battlefield Boulevard, Chesapeake, VA 23322

Great Bridge Pumpkin Patch has the pumpkins it is named for, hay carts, an inflatable play land, and a haunted path called Terror Woods. The haunted trail won’t open until mid-October.

Chubby’s Pumpkin Festival: 1448 S. Battlefield Blvd, Chesapeake, Virginia 23322

Chubby’s is ready to bring families pumpkins, treats, inflatables, and rides. It was supposed to open on September 24th.

Historic Greenbrier Farms Nursery: 225 Sign Pine Road, Chesapeake, Virginia 23322

At this farm you can pick your own pumpkins, visit hay carts, games for children, inflatable bouncy castles and stable animals.

Hickory Ridge Farm: 2928 S. Battlefield Boulevard, Chesapeake, Virginia 23322

The pumpkin season starts on the first weekend in October. You can come to pick pumpkins and sunflowers, and stick around for the homemade cider donuts. Hickory Ridge Farm also has a petting zoo for farm animals, a barrel train, a corn maze for kids, bouncy castles, hay carts, and a hay pile.

Cullipher Farm: 772 Princess Anne Road, Virginia Beach, Virginia 23457

This is one of the few farms in the area where you can pick your own apples in addition to pumpkins. There is also a corn maze, sunflower fields, and a play area for children.

North Carolina

Grandy Greenhouse & Farmers Market: 6264 Caratoke Highway, Grandy, North Carolina 27939

This farmer’s market offers hay rides to a pumpkin patch from September 25th. The business is still working on more details.

Brothers Farm Market: 1154 Perkins Lane, Elizabeth City, North Carolina 27909

This is a weekend market with a pumpkin patch, food trucks, a corn maze, hay rides, barrel train rides, farm animals with treat dispensers, and a playground.

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Chesapeake

Watch Out for Giant Fish as Sturgeon Spawn Peaks

It’s a wild season on some of the rivers in Virginia. Fish larger than adult males can jump in the air – and boaters will want to keep an eye out.

On Monday that correspondent spent an hour wading on the south bank of the James River across from Curles Neck, 15 miles below Richmond. During this time seven 5–6 ′ Atlantic sturgeons broke (jumped) the water.

This prehistoric fish is an endangered species that used to be extinct in the rivers of the Chesapeake, where they once swam in abundance. Such an observation would have been unknown 25 years ago. Now, in mid-September 2021, it’s an everyday – if still wonderful – experience. Our friend Captain Mike Ostrander of Discover the James and his clients saw nearly a dozen a few miles upriver that morning. It is also entirely possible to spot sturgeon in the freshly spawning tides of the Pamunkey, Mattaponi, and Nanticoke (including its large northwest branch, Marshyhope Creek) from now through mid-October. A friend caught one last week on the Rappahannock, about halfway between Tappahannock and Port Royal, and released one from his pound net. He sees her every year now.

The breaching fish are mature, fully grown males. Gravid (egg-filled) females are larger (7-8 feet long) and considerably heavier so they cannot take off clearly, but they do show up on the sonar and with their mates deliver eggs that develop too perfectly. educated 6 ”boy of the year that researchers will field later.

The James River Association (JRA) captured this sturgeon on camera.
show how high they can jump.
Video: JRA / Facebook

The breakthrough sturgeon is large and strong enough to clear the water for a full length of its body. These breaches are breathtaking sights – at a respectful distance. They don’t want anyone to end up in the boat with you. Be vigilant and cruise at no more than modest planing speed if you will be operating a boat in the spawning areas of these rivers for at least the next three weeks. A high-speed collision with an airborne sturgeon would ruin your entire day.

This is high season for sturgeon researchers to catch spawning fish, many of which turn out to be previously tagged return spawners, and to tag “new” fish. Studying return patterns and growth rates will help us all better understand these iconic fish. Many tags contain radio transmitters that allow researchers to track fish year-round as they move up and down their home rivers, the open Chesapeake, and the Atlantic coast. Dr. Matt Balazik of the Rice Rivers Center at Virginia Commonwealth University says of the James: “We got some great sidescan images the other day in Osborne [Landing and Park]; we do the usual mark / recapture work and also put some telemetry tags on men and women. ”Follow his work on the James River Sturgeon Facebook page. Dr. Christian Hager of Chesapeake Scientific, LLC reports from the Pamunkey that the time between the full moon in September and the autumnal equinox (that’s now!) Is the high point for the largest spawning spurt in the Pamunkey. You can follow this research on the York River Sturgeon Facebook page. Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources offers its interference protection page for the Nanticoke.

In 1970 we all thought that both the Atlantic sturgeon and the bald eagle were on their way out. Today, both species offer remarkable histories of restoration, often on the same waterways. Go to them, but be careful out there.

-John Page Williams

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Chesapeake

Va.’s Historic Black Beaches Spotlighted in New Exhibit

It was called “The Vacation Paradise of the South” and was one of the earliest African American beach resorts in the country. Learn all about its inspiring history at a new exhibit at the Hampton History Museum in Hampton, Virginia.

In the 1890s, beaches were separated. Beaches in Hampton were inaccessible to blacks. A group of professors from Hampton University decided to change that. They pooled their resources and founded the Bay Shore Hotel Corporation. Bay Shore bought a few acres of beach between what is now Buckroe and Fort Monroe. In the beginning there was only the beach and a house.

The beach was instantly popular. So popular that a three-story hotel with 70 rooms was built. They added an amusement park and a music hall. There was a ferris wheel and a middle ground with black-owned shops. Visitors even came from New York, and the resort was particularly popular with Richmond residents. As popular as the amenities were, the beach was still the main attraction. And there was a fence on the beach. It separated the white beach of Buckroe from the Afro-American beach of Bay Shore.

Bay Bulletin asked Allen Hoilman, the curator of the Hampton History Museum, if there were any violations or incidents caused by the line in the sand. Has anyone ever jumped over the fence? “We didn’t really look, but we didn’t find any reports of serious incidents between guests on the white beach and black beach. However, we found that young whites visited Bay Shore Music Hall because of its reputation for being such a fun place. And the music was really, really good, ”said Hoilman. Cast includes Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie, Cab Calloway, Duke Ellington, and Louis Armstrong.

The resort flourished and prospered for decades. It even survived the Great Depression. But it was no match for the famous 1933 hurricane. The storm literally destroyed everything. Due to inadequate insurance and a lack of cash, only the music hall was initially remodeled. Then it was the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that put Bay Shore in even greater trouble. Under racial segregation, African Americans could not visit white beaches. After the law was passed, the black community could visit any beach. As the black population explored new venues, Bay Shore visitors declined. The property eventually went bankrupt and was sold to developers.

The exhibition, entitled “Historic Black Beaches: Bay Shore and Other Memorable Sands,” opened last weekend at the Hampton History Museum. You’ll find tons of photos, memorabilia like arcade games, a carousel horse, and vintage beachwear, as well as stories from the resort.

The museum is located at 120 Old Hampton Lane in Downtown Hampton. Free parking spaces are available in the garage opposite the museum. For more information, see hampton.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=4950.

–Kendall Osborne

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Chesapeake

Chesapeake Financial Shares to pay quarterly dividend of $0.13 by September 15

The community bank, based in Kilmarnock, Virginia, was resilient during the pandemic and supported the local community

Chesapeake Financial Shares Inc, the parent company of Chesapeake Bank and Chesapeake Wealth Management, announced to shareholders that the dividend for the third quarter of $ 0.13 is payable on or before September 15, 2021.

At the end of the second quarter, which ended June 30, 2021, the community bank reported profits of $ 3,967,880, up 93% over the second quarter last year. Reported earnings per share were $ 1.903 fully diluted compared to $ 1.097 for the second quarter of 2020.

The drivers of the sharp increase were a 26% increase in net interest income after loan loss provisions and a 39% increase in total non-interest income, both of which were partially offset by a 7% increase in total non-interest expenses. Total assets ended the quarter at $ 1,292,730,673, up 16% from June 30, 2020.

READ: Chesapeake Bank in good standing for having mature technology to tackle the next round of PPP loans

At a Glance in late June 2021, Chesapeake Bank had loan growth of 1.1%, or $ 7 million, and deposit growth of 15%, or $ 143.4 million.

At a board meeting on July 16, the Chesapeake board of directors declared a quarterly dividend of $ 0.130 per share effective September 1, 2021, payable on or before September 15, 2021. The stock currently has a dividend yield of 1.89% .

“Despite the trials and tribulations of the past year, the resilience of our people has been exemplary and has helped us achieve these results,” said Jeffrey M. Szyperski, CEO of Chesapeake Bank, in a statement. “Organizationally, we see ourselves in the best possible position with a view to 2022!”

Established in 1900, Chesapeake Bank is a small business lender. It is headquartered in Kilmarnock, Virginia, and operates 16 community banks in the Northern Neck, Middle Peninsula, Williamsburg and Richmond regions.

Contact the author Uttara Choudhury at uttara@proactiveinvestors.com

Follow her on Twitter: @UttaraProactive

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Chesapeake

VSP Chesapeake Division delivers 2,630 summons over Labor Day weekend | News

During Labor Day weekend 2021, the Virginia State Police had all available uniformed personnel on patrol, conducting traffic safety and enforcement patrols as part of Operation CARE – the Crash Awareness Reduction Effort. CARE is a nationwide, government-sponsored road safety program that aims to reduce traffic accidents, deaths, and injuries due to driving disruptions, speeding, and failure to use occupant restraint systems.

Virginia State Police took part in the program, which began at 12:01 a.m. on Friday, September 3, 2021 and lasted until midnight on Monday, September 6, 2021, made 2,087 traffic checks, investigated 131 traffic accidents, and assisted 190 disabled drivers. The soldiers issued a total of 2,630 summonses, 67 of them for not wearing a seat belt, 38 for not wearing a child in a proper restraint, arrested 19 people for driving under the influence of alcohol and issued 335 warnings. These numbers apply to the Chesapeake Division only.

The following are the highlighted incidents that the Chesapeake Division of State Police investigated during the holiday weekend;

September 3, 2021

– 2:01 a.m. / Virginia Beach – A two-vehicle accident heading west on Interstate 264 east of First Colonial. A 2020 Dodge Challenger was driving in the right lane at high speed and ran into a 2008 Ford Escape which was also driving in the right lane of the I264. The driver and two passengers of the Dodge suffered serious life-threatening injuries and were taken to VABeach General Hospital. Two Ford passengers suffered serious life-threatening injuries and were also taken to the VABeach General. The driver and one other passenger were slightly injured, treated and released. This is still an ongoing investigation.

– 7:02 p.m. / Sussex County – On Interstate 95 south on the 20mm, two vehicles collided with serious life-threatening injuries, resulting in a 5.5 hour delay in lane closure and diversion by VDOT . The driver of a 2018 Toyota Camery, Daniel Garcia, drove in the right lane, made an unsafe lane change and collided with a 2012 Freightliner trailer, causing the Toyota to overturn before the TT and both vehicles to come off the lane. The Toyota’s passenger sustained life-threatening injuries and was flown to MCV, Richmond. The TT driver, Rivera Farnaldo, 43 YOA, from Florida, was not injured. Garcia was also uninjured and was summoned to change lanes in an unsafe manner.

September 4, 2021

3:49 p.m. / Virginia Beach – A soldier was on the right shoulder of eastbound Interstate 264 west of Lynnhaven Parkway with the emergency lights on, waiting for an offender to leave when he was wiped sideways and hit by a 2002 Ford panel van. The operator, Rusty Leigh Campson, 44 YOA, of Chesapeake, Virginia, was charged with reckless driving, counterfeit inspection sticker and unregistered vehicle. Neither the soldier nor Campson suffered any injuries (see attached photo).

September 5, 2021

1:39 a.m. / Chesapeake – Trooper finished an accident in the Downtown Tunnel when an unregistered motorcycle passed him at very high speed. The motorcycle, a 2009 Kawasaki, topped 110 mph and refused to stop. After a brief chase, the motorcycle rider finally stopped on Gum Road in the city of Chesapeake. Twenty-seven-year-old Anthony William Nixon of Baldwin Drive, Chesapeake, Virginia, was arrested for evading a crime, driving recklessly and not being registered.

5:35 p.m. / Accomack County – Soldiers were called in to investigate a single vehicle accident on the east coast at Block 22500 on Guards Shore Road / SR684. A 2003 Jeep Liberty driver drove at high speed, lost control, went off the lane, overturned, and overturned over a ditch. Both driver and passenger got away unharmed. The driver, 19 YO Diego Chavez, was charged with reckless driving and without a license.

September 6, 2021

2:09 p.m. / Chesapeake – Trooper watched a vehicle recklessly drive on Interstate 464 on the Military Highway and attempted a traffic stop, but the driver of a 2019 Ford Fusion refused to stop and there was pursuit associated with it. The driver exited the interstate and continued through the towns of Chesapeake and Norfolk before returning to Interstate 64 heading west at Battlefield. The driver continued to drive west in the lanes and reached speeds of over 120 MPH. The vehicle drove onto Interstate 564 and tried to exit Terminal Boulevard at high speed, lost control, went off the lane and into a guardrail. The driver, Kyree Omari Dacanay, 22 years old, of 4600 Block on Mayflower Road, Norfolk, was not injured and for reckless speeding, serious felony, reckless driving / failure to maintain control of the vehicle, driving under the influence of alcohol, and. arrested open container.

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Chesapeake

James Robert Burnell Obituary – Death Notice and Service Information

PORTSMOUTH – James Robert Burnell left this world on September 4th when he entered it 91 years ago: loved and surrounded by his family. He passed peacefully less than two miles from his grandparents’ home on King Street, where he was born on November 11, 1929 in what was then Norfolk County.

He had previously died from his parents, Katherine Hudson Burnell Rawls and James Washington Burnell; his son Jan Terry Burnell; his sister Gail Burnell Melchor; and his stepsister Julianne Rawls Cherry.

His memory is kept by his 31-year-old wife, Mary E. (Betty) Burnell; Son Rick E. Burnell (Tammy) of Virginia Beach; Brother Tom Burnell (Pam), of Chesapeake; Grandson Jay Burnell (Shell) and Rachel Hale (David) also from Virginia Beach; Lathan Riley (Sandra) from South Carolina; Katy Evans (Ryan) from Richmond; and Jan Michael Burnell from Norfolk. He also counts 10 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandson among his survivors; two stepsons, Kevin and Jason Hirschfeld; a stepsister, Jeanne Rawls Silva; and numerous cousins, nieces and nephews. The list would not be complete without the two furbabies AndHe and Surely. (Ask Betty about these names if you would like to know.)

He lived a full and extended life, but always remained anchored in the traditions, faith and love of his community; a place that appeared big in his heart and in his critically acclaimed depictions of life along the Tidewater waterways that, like him, are honest and authentic.

Bob first attended Westhaven Baptist Church in Portsmouth when he was two weeks old. He stuck to it. He graduated from Wilson High School after attending Hargrave Military Academy and eventually majored in architecture at Georgia Tech. He worked in the family flooring business, in sales for tile and carpet manufacturers, and started an independent contracting company to support his goal of becoming a full-time artist.

He was a prolific and generous talent who created over 6,000 paintings in his life. As a generous man, he gave many of his works as gifts to friends and family or to residents of nursing homes, where he voluntarily shared his love for craft for decades. He led weeklong workshops and a weekly class (free) at Westhaven Baptist Church and taught at Tidewater Community College for more than 30 years.

Bob, who had a big smile and a quick wit, was an everyone-artist who painted the lived experience of working people and the landscapes they inhabited. His art adorns the walls of houses, hospitals, offices, banks, airports, hotels and the collections of the Chrysler Museum and the National Air & Space Museum.

He has received multiple Best in Show Awards and Lifetime Achievement Recognitions from the Portsmouth Museum and Fine Arts Commission and the Cultural Alliance of Hampton Roads Vianne Webb Award. He was a founding artist of the Boardwalk Art Show in Virginia Beach, the Seawall Art Show in Portsmouth, and the Nansemond Suffolk Academy Art Show, Suffolk.

He would be embarrassed if we made such a fuss about these accomplishments, but he has left us proud of his contributions and great footsteps. He was a man of great humor, strong faith, humility, and generosity. The Bible was his favorite book and he read it every day. He truly loved his family, and his family is grateful for that love and the time he has spent with them from childhood – his and hers.

His other passions included architecture and interior design, as well as sailing in Chesapeake Bay. He loved cruising up and down the bay and mooring and mooring in marinas, camera in hand, capturing scenes for his paintings. He enjoyed the race as well, winning several trophies in Southern Bay races with his wife as the first (and last) helmsman. He was a member of the Portsmouth Yacht Club, Portsmouth Boat Club, Hampton Yacht Club and represented the Portsmouth Boat Club in the Southern Bay Division of the Chesapeake’s Performance Handicap Racing Fleet.

Bob did not write this obituary; he was too modest. He always said he didn’t want to be famous, he wanted his pictures to be famous. His legacy will live on in the work he loved and in the lasting impact of his love on family and friends.

A memorial service is scheduled for Thursday, September 9th at 11 a.m. at Westhaven Baptist Church, 3900 Caroline Ave. in Portsmouth, chaired by Pastor Rick Hudock. The tour begins at 10 a.m. After the service there will be a reception, after which the family will hold a funeral service in the olive branch cemetery. Please donate instead of flowers to the above address to Westhaven Baptist Church. Expressions of condolences can be registered at BWFosterFuneralHome.com.

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Chesapeake

All Puffed Up | Chesapeake Bay Magazine

The bay’s puffer fish are a little-known treat

Northern puffer fish, often referred to as “swell toads”, “sugar toads” or “terns”, are one of the most fascinating fish of the Chesapeake. Reaching from Florida to Newfoundland, these 8 to 10-inch box-shaped fish with emerald eyes make their way into the Chesapeake waters in early spring as they prepare to spawn around hard structures in the shallows of the middle and lower bays. In the local waters, toads hang around until early to mid-November, when the temperature drops below 50 degrees. They feed on crustaceans and shellfish by crushing the shells with their strong, beak-like teeth. Coarse skin, like coarse-grained sandpaper, is the fish’s armor against predators, but when toads feel threatened, they use their most distinctive defense – they inflate themselves with water or air, making them too big to eat whole. Aquarians in Chesapeake Bay target northern pufferfish or swelling toads by setting up “toad pots” baited with crab scraps near oyster reefs, shipwrecks and other underwater structures where the fish congregate. Toad pots are similar to traditional hard crab pots, with a smaller wire mesh. Since puffy toads may eventually find their way out of the funnels of a pot, aquarists must fish their pots all day without letting them “soak” or sitting for long periods of time. As soon as a toad pot is pulled to the surface, the frightened creatures inflate themselves with air. Sometimes even a pot full of toads can float on the surface. Sugar toads are also a bycatch for pound netters and seiners in the middle and lower Chesapeake. Recreational fishermen using bait such as peeler crabs or mosquito larvae occasionally catch toads.

Aquarians in Chesapeake Bay target northern puffer fish by planting “toad pots”
near underwater structures.

After World War II, aquarists perfected the art of catching the cunning, swelling toads in potato peelers. Toads were abundant and fishing was lucrative for many mermen. Several packing houses in Crisfield, Maryland diversified their operations from processing crab meat from April to November to include the popular delicacy. However, by the mid-1960s, the toads became scarcer and in 1964 the processing houses gave up their efforts. Large-scale fishing is a thing of the past and has never come back.

In contrast to other puffer fish species, the northern puffer fish is non-poisonous and safe for human consumption. Aquarians process the toads for commercial sale by removing the sandpaper-like skin and head, leaving behind the flesh and bones of the tail portion. Although the process is tedious, cleaned toad tails fetch a higher price per pound when compared to other fish commercially caught in the Chesapeake Bay. The meat in the tail part is sweet and tender. Tails are usually fried whole and eaten off the bone like a chicken wing, hence another of their many nicknames, “Chicken of the Sea”.

Roasted sugar toads will occasionally appear on the seasonal menus of high-end restaurants in Baltimore, Washington DC, and Richmond, but the most persistent place to find them during the summer months is the Exmore Diner on the east coast of Virginia. This hidden gem of a restaurant employs local mermen to catch the seasonal delicacy. In the years of plenty, toads will cause a stir among those waiting for this Chesapeake delicacy.

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Chesapeake

Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s Outdoor Education Program Restarts This Fall After Pandemic Shutdown

ChesapeakeBayFoundation (CBF) educators are excited to welcome teachers and students back to the outdoor education programs this fall. The outdoor class program was suspended in March 2020 with the start of the pandemic.

Since the early 1970s CBF’s award-winning outdoor educational program has taken over a million students from Chesapeake Bay schools to forests, rivers and the bay to teach them the largest estuary in the country.

“Our educational program’s mantra has always been to study outdoors, so we’re excited to come back out into the bay and onto the rivers and trails of the watershed to teach, learn, and explore in person with students,” said Tom Ackerman, Vice President Education for the CBF. “We strive to catch up on the opportunities that the students have missed with us over the past 18 months, but our priority has always been the health of our participants.”

CBF is taking several steps to protect the health of students and faculty as outdoor education programs resume this fall for the first time since the pandemic began.

This year’s outdoor programs will be different from previous years due to pandemic precautions. All day excursion activities take place outdoors where Studies have shown The risk of Covid-19 transmission is much lower compared to indoor activities. Students are required to undergo a health checkup 24 hours prior to participating in a daytime program and wear masks when social distancing is not an option, such as being at home. B. on boats. To protect their own health and the health of others, all CBF educators have been vaccinated.

When students stay in housing programs at CBF facilities such as Smith Island or the Karen Noonan Center on the east coast, students and other participants must be vaccinated. In the residential centers, participants must also wear masks indoors, with the exception of eating and sleeping.

In Maryland, CBF offers educational programs for day trips at the Phillip Merrill Environmental Center and Arthur Sherwood in Annapolis as well as in the Port of Baltimore at Capital.

During these experiences, the students conduct water quality tests, fish for fish, examine plankton and learn about the history and ecology of the bay, its tributaries and the catchment area.

Study of outdoor educational classes found that students are more engaged and through their participation develop key skills such as perseverance, self-efficacy, and leadership. Students report that they feel safer and more connected to nature after studying outdoors.

Teachers wishing to enroll their class for a fall program can visit The KBF education website. This year’s field experience in autumn will take place from the end of September to the beginning of December. The teachers can choose between canoe, boat or land experiences.

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$1 Million Grant to Extend Appomattox River Trail

A 25-mile biking and hiking trail on the Appomattox River is in the works and a brand new $ 1 million grant will help pay for it.

The Friends of the Lower Appomattox River (FOLAR) and The Cameron Foundation jointly announced funding for the development of the western entrance to the Lower Appomattox River Trail. FOLAR is a regional organization that works with the community and six local jurisdictions (the cities of Colonial Heights, Hopewell, and Petersburg)
and Counties of Chesterfield, Dinwiddie, and Prince George) to develop, maintain, and protect a 20-plus-mile regional Blueway-Greenway corridor along Virginia’s scenic, historic Lower Appomattox River.

As part of her job, FOLAR is leading the development of the 25-mile Appomattox River Trail for bicycle and pedestrian. As planned, the Appomattox River Trail will extend from Lake Chesdin, a long dam on the river, to its confluence with the James River at City Point in Hopewell. It follows part of the 65-mile-long trade canal that connected the ports of Petersburg and Hopewell with upstream communities in the 19th century. To learn more about Hopewell, City Point and how it has evolved over time, check out the September issue of Chesapeake Bay Magazine, out next week.

Approximately 10 miles of this trail has been completed to date, including part of Hopewell’s beautiful Riverwalk, a project by the city’s Department of Recreation and Parks. FOLAR estimates the total cost of the trail will be $ 10 million, sourced from multiple sources.

“The Appomattox River Trail is an extremely ambitious project,” said Aaron Reidmiller, Director of Recreation & Parks. “A lot of people thought it could never come to fruition. However, with the development of our Riverwalk and the recent announcement of this Cameron Foundation scholarship, the path is quickly becoming a reality. The proposed improvements to the west end will dramatically improve this corridor of the trail, highlighting some of the river’s unique natural features and rich history. Investing in recreational infrastructure has tremendous positive effects, ranging from improving physical and mental health to economic development and tourism. “

This Cameron Foundation grant supports the development of hiking trails in the Dinwiddie and Chesterfield districts, as well as in the city of Petersburg. The foundation says the award “supports the design development, pre-construction and construction of the Appomattox River Trail along the western corridor; Planning and design of a brand new bicycle pedestrian bridge; and the redesign and renovation of the historic Ferndale Appomattox Riverside Park. The full
The area to be developed, from the John J. Radcliffe Conservation Area in Chesterfield County across the river to Dinwiddie, along the historic 1.4 mile Canal Trail and a mile along the river bank east towards Petersburg, will create a regional west entrance at target level, and connection to the evolving 25-mile Appomattox River Trail system. “

The Lower Appomattox River Trail will be part of a network that will include the spectacular 55-mile Virginia Capital Trail, which crosses the Chickahominy River and runs parallel to the James between Richmond and Williamsburg, and the planned, but not yet started, 40-mile North South Fall Line Trail from Ashland, north of Richmond, to Petersburg. The latter follows the border between the eastern edge of the Piedmont Plateau and the coastal plain, crosses the headwaters of the York River and the James near Richmond, before being connected to the Lower Appomattox Trail.

Click here for a breakdown of current trail and river access points and a map.

– John Page Williams

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Chesapeake

Ricky Rahne Coach’s Show Presented by Chartway Federal Credit Union Set to Air Wednesday at Wild Wing Cafe

Story links

CHESAPEAKE, Virginia. – The Ricky Rahne Coach’s Show, presented by the Chartway Federal Credit Union, begins Wednesday, September 1st at 7:00 p.m. at the Wild Wing Cafe in Chesapeake
The show, hosted by Ted Alexander, the voice of ODU Athletics, will be broadcast live on ESPN Radio 94.1 in Hampton Roads and WJFN 100.5 in Richmond Market.

The Wild Wing Café is located at 1437 Sam’s Drive in Chesapeake.

The show will be postponed next week for the remainder of the season, from its normal 7pm Thursday time.

ODU opens the season on Friday, September 3rd in the Wake Forest. It is the first street competition on Friday for the Monarchs and the first time in program history that opens against a power five opponent. The Monarchs will welcome Hampton to their home opener at Kornblau Field at SB Ballard Stadium on Saturday, September 11th.