Bon Air, VA recognized as one of the Best Cities in Virginia for Young Families
NerdWallet, a consumer advocacy and financial literacy website, has compiled a list of the best cities in Virginia for young families.
NerdWallet has ranked Bon Air at #5 after assessing the town’s public school rating, average home value, ongoing cost of home ownership, average income, and economic growth.
Homebuyers in Bon Air are likely to see their houses grow in value as the areas population has seen a significant increase in recent years. The quality of the town’s public education system also makes living in Bon Air a good education investment as well as a good financial investment.
“Originally, Bon Air was a haven just for the wealthy of Richmond because of its pleasant climate, great views and convenient access to the city. It’s still populated with up-scale, historical Victorian homes, but it’s also become more accessible for young families. While the rest of the greater Richmond area has expanded significantly in the last ten years, Bon Air’s contained size has allowed it to maintain a small-town feel,” said Mike Anderson, Analyst, NerdWallet.
Youth Services Citizen Board seek applicants
Do you want the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of Chesterfield County youths?
The Chesterfield County Youth Planning and Development Department is seeking youths and adults to serve on the Youth Services Citizen Board.
The board is composed of a junior and senior from each high school and an adult representative from each magisterial district. In addition, up to eight youths may be appointed as at large members, representing students not enrolled in Chesterfield County Public Schools, such as those attending home, private or governor’s schools.
Board members attend monthly meetings and help plan programs throughout the year, including the Outstanding Youth Awards and the Community Youth Forum.
Positions are available for seven at large members, as well as the following:
New James River Watch website provides latest river conditions
Summer is here and it’s time to get out on the water!
To ensure safe and responsible river recreation, the James River Association (JRA) has updated the James River Watch website to offer even more useful information on current swimming, boating and fishing conditions.
The James River Watch website is available at www.jamesriverassociation.org/jrw.
With support from Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and dozens of newly trained volunteer citizen water monitors, the James River Watch will be updated every Friday from May until September with data on bacteria, water clarity and water temperature.
High public use locations to be monitored in 2013 include Jamestown, Hopewell, Petersburg, Richmond, Maidens, Scottsville, Lynchburg and Buchanan.
Kimberla Lawson Roby author appearance at Chesterfield Towne Center
Barnes & Noble at Chesterfield Towne Center welcomes New York Times Bestselling and Award-winning Author, Kimberla Lawson Roby, at 7:00 PM on Friday, June 14.
Kimberla will be reading, discussing, and signing her 19th novel, A House Divided. The book was released on Tuesday, May 7.
A House Divided is the tenth novel in Kimberla Lawson Roby’s Reverend Curtis Black Series. As in her previous work, she tackles very real social issues, including corruption within the church, gambling addiction, domestic violence, motherhood, care-giving of a parent, and drug addiction to name a few.
Kimberla has published 18 novels, which have frequented numerous bestseller lists, including The New York Times, USA Today, The Washington Post, Publishers Weekly, and Essence Magazine.
Will Your Family Be Prepared For Hurricane Season?
Hurricanes and severe storms are a staple of summer in Virginia. Dominion Virginia Power is making sure it’s prepared for the June 1 start of hurricane season and urging its customers to get ready, too.
The company works year-round with state and local authorities to make sure it can respond quickly to the extensive damage that major storms, especially hurricanes, can cause. As the start of hurricane season approaches, Dominion also conducts refresher training and multi-day emergency preparedness and response drills.
Here are some important tips for customers when a storm approaches:
- Treat all downed lines and anything touching them as energized and dangerous. Be sure your children know the danger.
- Report and check the status of power outages when using the company’s website at www.dom.com via smartphone, other mobile device or computer. You will need the account number or 10-digit phone number listed on the account, and the last four digits of your Social Security number, federal tax identification number or PIN. Phone numbers can be updated online through Manage Your Account or by calling our phone number update line at 1-800-222-0401.
- You also can report an outage using Dominion’s toll-free service number, 1-866-DOM-HELP (1-866-366-4357). Program this number into your phone’s memory or keep it handy so you can find it if the lights go out.
- Put together an emergency preparedness kit with needed supplies such as flashlights, water, medicines, portable radios, extra batteries and canned goods.
- Look after neighbors and relatives who may need assistance if they lose power.
New Date for James River Regional Cleanup
The James River Advisory Council has announced a major change to one of its hallmark events, the James River Regional Cleanup. Since its start years ago, the cleanup has been held on the second Saturday in June.
Noting overwhelming support for a date change, planners decided this year to push back the date toward the end of summer. This year’s cleanup will be held on Saturday, Sept. 14, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. The cleanup will include numerous sites between Lynchburg and Newport News.
Among reasons to change the date, event planners said, was a greater need to clean up the river at the summer’s end rather than in late spring. For many years, the James River Regional Cleanup has attracted hundreds of volunteers who scour the shorelines on foot and cruise the water in boats to clean up trash. The effort has been of tremendous benefit to the river, its wildlife, and the people who visit and enjoy the river. It’s also raised awareness of the river and the need to take care of it. Event planners believe that holding the cleanup in September will increase those benefits.
Chesterfield earns Certified Crime Prevention Community designation
Chesterfield County has now become one of only 13 communities in Virginia to become a Certified Crime Prevention Community.
On Wednesday, May 22, Chesterfield County was recognized for earning the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services’ Certified Crime Prevention Community certification.
To obtain certification, a locality must meet 12 core community safety elements/strategies, augmented by a minimum of seven approved optional elements. In March 2013, the county met the standards to obtain the certification.
Core Community Safety Elements Needed to Qualify
