Afton
Nelson County, Virginia
When May of each year rolls around, you know it’s Band Fair time! It’s the annual fundraising event held at Cardinal Point Vineyards & Winery to benefit North Branch School.
Above click on our Facebook album to see more photos Jenn took at the event.
In spite of the never ending rains lately, most of Saturday was just fine and worked out for a great day!
See you at Bandfair 2018!
Lovingston
Nelson County, Virginia
After missing last year due to heavy rains, the annual Bike Out Lovingston was back on for 2017! And it was supposed to rain again, but it didn’t. The event is organized by Trinity Episcopal Church in Arrington. Blue Ridge Life is also a sponsor of the event.
“We had 47 kids participate in the scavenger hunt. Kids were sorted into four teams by a “Harry Potter sorting hat,” then raced to compete twenty-one challenges including “Tie something that isn’t thread, string, rope, or plant into a knot,” “Take a photo of a human knot composed of all your team members,” and identifying certain features in Lovingston, like the “number on the purple door” and the location of the Santa statue. All participants got a ribbon for completing the challenges and the winning team won Bike Out T-shirts. Thirty-three kids, ranging in age from 2 years old to 15, participated in the bike race.,”
Brady Nicks tells us. Brady is a lawyer in Lovingston and member of Trinity, helped found and coordinate the event.
The event kicked off in 2015 as a way for kids to show off their bike and their biking skills.
Jeremy and Jamie Hale from The Old Cold Storage Warehouse brought a slew of vintage bikes and trikes, which were a big hit, especially with the older crowd.
Three professional riders from FreeCycle Action Sports Team from Adamstown, PA performed a half-hour stunt show, including back flips off a six-foot-tall box jump set up in the middle of Front Street. At the completion of the stunt show, Brady offered each of them $100 if they could ride Bike Out’s Backwards Bike ten feet. The furthest the three of them travelled was three feet.
Click on our Facebook album above to see more of Jenn’s pics!
The event is underwritten and staffed by Trinity Episcopal Church in Arrington, Virginia. North Branch School (face painting) and Blue Ridge Medical (dental outreach—free toothbrushes, toothpaste, and floss) exhibited in the event. Estimates put total attendance at about 200.
More pics above from Trinity Episcopal.
Bike Out, Lovingston! is a free, kid-focused bike event that takes place every May in downtown Lovingston, designed to promote bike recreation and safety, help revitalize Lovingston, and encourage families to spend time together. “What is really special about Bike Out is that the people themselves are the event,” said local attorney and event organizer Brady Nicks. “There are very few mere bystanders. There is no audience. Everyone, from all walks of life, can and does participate. And bicycling brings out the kid in everybody. There are lots and lots of smiles.”
Congrats to everyone that came out and helped coordinate the event!
See you next year!
![[Nelson] – Proposed Rezoning Application for “potential Dollar General” in Avon](https://blueridgelife.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/site-plans-up-close-768x454.jpg "[Nelson] – Proposed Rezoning Application for “potential Dollar General” in Avon")
Afton / Avon
Nelson County, Virginia
A plan is in the works to rezone to the old Anderson’s Store property in Avon from Residential (R-1) to Business (B-1). Over the course of the past few months various applications and site plans have been submitted to the county and have been reviewed by VDOT. The 28 page packet prepared for presentation to the Nelson County Planning Commission doesn’t say what the proposed retail location might be. However, an email from a VDOT official included in the packet makes reference to a “potential “Dollar General”.”
VDOT has been doing extensive construction work at that intersection for the past several weeks.
Back in April, we told you about a Dollar General that is under construction in Nellysford between Wells Fargo Bank and The University Of Virginia Community Credit Union.
“The applicant has applied to rezone 1.10 acres of land located at 1897 and 1889 Avon Road in Afton from
Residential, R-1 to Business, B-1 Conditional, to permit use of a small area of the existing (non-conforming) building as a real estate office for himself and continued use of the remaining portion as a neighborhood convenience store to be operated by someone else.”
That request was one of several that was denied.
The planning commission meeting on this latest matter was originally scheduled for May 24th at 7 PM in the General District Courtroom in Lovingston. We got word as of Monday morning that it’s been rescheduled to June 28th meeting. We will update any additional info as soon as we know.
Near Nellysford
Nelson County, Virginia
All stories about accidents along Route 151 in Nelson have been tough to write about over the years since we started BRL, and this one certainly is no easier. Our friend and friend to hundreds of you is in a big battle right now to recover from a very bad traffic accident that happened last weekend on May 14th at the intersection of Route 151 and 6 (River Road).
Here’s the Virginia State Police info we received late Thursday evening:
“At approximately 3:45 p.m. on May 14, Virginia State Police troopers were called to the scene of a Nelson County crash in which a bicyclist was struck.
The bicyclist was traveling northbound on Route 151 when a southbound sedan turned left onto River Road, crossing the path of the bicyclist and causing the bicyclist to strike the passenger side of the vehicle.
The bicyclist – Martinus Versluys, 70, of Faber – suffered serious injuries and was flown by Med-Flight to the University of Virginia Medical Center. He was wearing a helmet at the time of the crash.
The driver – Brhane G. Kahsay, 31, of Charlotte, NC – was not injured. He is charged with failure to yield right of way.
The crash remains under investigation.
Susan Rowland
Public Relations Coordinator
Virginia State Police”
We understand Martin was in very serious condition the first 2 to 3 days, but was talking Thursday and was beginning to gain good mobility. But we are told he has a very long recovery.
- A YouCaring site has been set up here to help out.
More as we know.
Get well soon Martin, we are all thinking about you, Kathy and the whole family!
.
Via VDOT Culpeper:
I-64 PAVING BEGINS TONIGHT NEAR CHARLOTTESVILLE
Westbound work will not interfere with University of Virginia Final ExercisesTonight, contractors will begin paving Interstate 64 westbound between mile marker 120 and 114 in Albemarle County.
From 8 p.m. tonight to 6 a.m. Friday, crews will mill and pave the westbound left lane starting at mile marker 120. Motorists should keep right and expect potential delays in the area.
No work will be performed May 19-20 to avoid disruption to UVa graduation traffic. Operations in the left lane will resume at 8 p.m. Sunday, May 21, weather permitting.
Updates and other real-time travel information can be found on the 511 Virginia website, the free VDOT 511 mobile app or by calling 511 from any phone in Virginia. Local updates are also posted to Twitter.com/VaDOTCulp
Nellysford
Nelson County, Virginia
For years we’ve been telling you about the highly popular Nelson Farmers Market in Nellysford. 2017 marks their 20th anniversary. It’s one of the highest rated farmer’s market in the state!
The 2017 market opened for the season just under three weeks ago and will be in full swing until this fall.
Blue Ridge Life Magazine is proud to be back again this year as a market sponsor.
See you this and every Saturday through the coming months at the Nelson Farmers Market!
Lovingston
Nelson County, Virginia
Virginia Distillery Company recently launched the Cask Society through a partnership with Schneider’s of Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. This unique program allows a person or group to purchase a cask of whisky from Virginia Distillery Company. Cask Society membership starts at $9,900, with personalized options available for each member.
The Cask Society allows the member to choose their own version of Virginia Single Malt by selecting from a variety of options, such as barrel types, aging lengths and even bottling strength. Cask types include ex-Bourbon, treated wine casks and even large Sherry casks. Members may also choose the aging length, from a minimum of four years to ten-plus years, and cask strength as well as standard bottling strength of 46% alcohol by volume are available. Pricing for the program starts at $9,990 and will vary based on the options selected.
“The Cask Society program is an exclusive, one-of-a-kind offering,” said Virginia Distillery Company’s CEO Gareth H. Moore. “We’re thrilled to be offering whisky lovers the opportunity to customize a cask of our Virginia Single Malt and also be a part of the aging experience for the product they will eventually call their own.”
Once a member elects to join the Cask Society, the member is invited on-site to fill their own barrel, or they may elect to have the distilling team hand-select a cask based on the customer’s barrel profile. The cask is personalized with the member’s name and placed in Virginia Distillery Company’s Cask House No. 1 for aging. Once the whisky is ready, a chance to participate in the bottling is included with the Cask Society membership.
Cask Society membership includes access to exclusive perks at Virginia Distillery Company while the whisky continues to age. Perks include first access to limited whisky releases, complimentary tour and tasting credits, invites to VIP tastings and specialty gifts such as a custom copper barrel thief and a bottling party. Members will receive an engraved plaque, along with a matching copy to be displayed in Virginia Distillery Company’s Cask House No. 1. At the completion of the program, members can elect to keep the cask or opt for the barrel head.
Membership restrictions apply for residents of certain states. For more information, visit the distillery’s website at www.vadistillery.com/casksociety.
About Virginia Distillery Company:
Virginia Distillery Company whiskies yield a complex taste, due to the influence of Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains and maturation in ex-bourbon, Sherry and treated wine casks. The distillery is currently crafting its Virginia Single Malt at the distillery located in Lovingston, Virginia. The casks have been resting since November 2015 and will be bottled when the whisky says it’s ready. While the Virginia Single Malt ages, customers may enjoy Virginia Highland Malt.
Buckingham County, Virginia
Release Via VSP – Richmond
Virginia State Police Trooper C.L. Foster is investigating a two-vehicle fatal crash in Buckingham County. The crash occurred at approximately 9:45 a.m., Monday (May 15) on Route 15 near Willis Mountain Plant Lane in Dillwyn.
A 2005 Pontiac Grand Am was traveling south on Route 15 when it crossed the centerline and struck head-on a northbound dump truck. Despite the dump truck driver’s attempts to avoid the oncoming Pontiac, the two vehicles collided and the dump truck ran off the left side of the highway, went through a guardrail, overturned and struck a tree.
The driver of the Pontiac, Deborah A. Stearnes, 49, of Dillywn, Va., died at the scene. She was not wearing a seatbelt.
The driver of the dump truck, Thomas C. Mason Jr., 61, of Disputanta, Va., died at the scene. He was wearing a seatbelt.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation. Alcohol was not a factor in the crash.
Corinne N. Geller
Public Relations Director
Virginia State Police
Faber / Martin’s Store
Nelson County, Virginia
The Virginia State Police continue investigating an accident between a bicyclist and motorist on Route 151 at the intersection of Route 6E (River Road) on Sunday afternoon.
We have learned the injuries to the cyclist are very severe.
Above the post from Wintergreen Fire & Rescue to their Facebook Page.
We do have additional information on this story and will pass it along as soon as we can release it and are also awaiting information from VSP in Richmond with details.
Roseland / Wintergreen
You’ve probably heard by now about the bear that got caught inside a car in Roanoke last week. We’ve since found out it actually happened here too up at Wintergreen last month in mid to late April.
Kim Sillas of Roseland said her husband bought the destroyed truck (post bear) for a project. “He got one, that’s for sure,” Kim laughed when telling us the story.
Kim says other than the damage inside it’s a pretty good truck. But they will be spending considerable time repairing the interior!
