Fun Stuff & Humor
Charlottesville 365; Charlottesville Four Miler and Women’s Four Miler Training Program
May 29, 2010 by Terry Karnes · Leave a Comment
Get Moving!
The Charlottesville Women’s Four Miler will take place again on Sept. 4, beginning at 8 a.m., and on June 19, thousands of women will begin their training with the Women’s Four Miler Training Program (W4MTP). This is the 17th year for the training program, which prepares ladies to run (or walk) the race by participating in 12 consecutive Saturdays of group training and coaching at the University of Virginia track. As well, many surrounding counties hold satellite training exercises (see list at end of post). Previous running experience is not necessary! Cost for the training program is $20 or $15 for Charlottesville Track Club members. Mother and daughter teams are $30 (age 14 and under) who are going to train together. My 12-year-old daughter will be training (and running) the race with me for our first time. The program is every Saturday from June 19 – August 28 at 7:30 a.m. at UVA Track.
High Goals
Entrants to the Four Miler collect donations for the Breast Care Program at the University of Virginia Cancer Center. Last year the more than 3,000 women participants raised more than $330,000. This year, according to the Charlottesville Women’s Four Miler website, the goal is $400,000. The site says that last year’s proceeds went toward care kits specially designed for the newly diagnosed breast cancer patient, funding to cover DNA testing for an inherited breast cancer susceptibility disorder for indigent patients, mobile mammography van for women unable to afford mammograms and numerous other programs.
Register for W4MTP
Online registration is open or bring the registration form to a Saturday training session at the UVA Track or mail the registration form to P.O. Box 5362, Charlottesville 22905 with a check payable to W4MTP. The program is every Saturday from June 19-Aug. 28 at 7:30 a.m. at UVA Track. Online registration accepts credit cards. Training manual and packets can be picked up at ACAC Albemarle Square on June 17 and 18 from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 4:30-7 p.m. Bring a water bottle and large towel or folding chair to the track each Saturday.
Running Tips
• Don’t run in thunder and lightening (check the W4MTP website before heading to training to see if it’s canceled).
• If it’s really hot, take extra water.
• If you’re running at night, wear bright, reflective clothing.
• If you’re running alone, make sure someone knows your route.
• Make sure you do a warm-up and a cool down.
• Carry cell phone and take an ID.
• Do not use headphones; be aware of your surroundings.
For more running guidelines and links, visit http://www.w4mtp.com/links.html.
Satellite Sites
Charlottesville
Joan Esposito / info@w4mtp.com / 434-760-1028
UVA Track
Tuesdays & Thursdays
6:30 a.m.
Greene County Satellite
Lori Musselman / 4mussels@embarqmail.com / 434-990-5796
WMHS Track
Tuesdays
7 p.m.
Lake Monticello and Fluvanna County Satellite
Thersa Bulluck / soin2it2000@yahoo.com / 434-989-1298
Bunker Ball Field
Mondays & Wednesdays, 6 p.m.
Tuesdays & Thursday,s 6 a.m.
Madison County Satellite
Jean Link / spider_hollow@yahoo.com / 540-923-4038
MCHS Track
Saturdays, 7 a.m.
Tuesdays, 6 a.m.
Thursdays, 7 p.m.
Nelson County Satellite
Melody Roberts / mlp9p@eservices.virginia.edu / 434-361-1167
NCHS Track
Tuesdays & Thursday; 6:30 or 7:30 p.m.
Staunton/Augusta Satellite
Kim Fitzgerald / intoalterative2003@yahoo.com / 540-480-0323
Gypsy Hill Park
Mondays & Wednesdays; 6 p.m.
Tuesdays & Thursdays; 7 a.m.
Charlottesville 365; Geocache a Treasure! (Beginning at Chris Greene Lake, Charlottesville)
May 13, 2010 by Terry Karnes · 2 Comments
Hide N Seek
As a child I dreamed of finding a lost treasure map that would lead me to a cache of gold. Maybe that’s the reason I love “Goonies” so much; it would have been a dream come true for me. I never found that map, but as an adult I did find geocaching—a high-tech treasure-hunting game. Geocaching (pronounced geo-cashing) is played throughout the world; in fact there are more than 1 million active caches in the world and close to 100 within 10 miles of 22901. An estimated 3-4 million people geocache.
What is it?
People hide containers—called geocaches—outdoors, marking the location using GPS technology and then share their experiences online at http://www.Geocaching.com. The most important piece of equipment is a hand-held GPS (ones in the car won’t work…you need to have one to carry into the woods with you). It doesn’t have to have all the bells and whistles and cost a fortune. You can get a really good one for about $150 that works perfectly for geocaching.
The basic idea is to locate the hidden containers—geocaches. Geocaching is enjoyed by people from all age groups, with a strong sense of community and support for the environment. One aspect stressed in geocaching is Cache In Trash Out (CITO) in case you see that on the website. Anyone can go on hunts; age is not a factor. There are easy ones, and then there are more difficult ones which might require special equipment.
As a family we have participated in geocaching since the early 2000s. The kids have gone on hunts since they were under 5 each, and the dogs love to see me grab the geocaching bag and dog leashes.
First Step
GPS Reading, courtesy of Terry Karnes
Visit the geocaching website to set up a free account. I’m Mountain Chick if you see my logs online. Explore the site to learn the symbols and the rankings, such as a 1 for difficulty and a 1 for terrain means it’s going to be an easy find for anyone. A 5 for difficulty could indicate a multi-cache puzzle and a 5 for terrain could mean it’s in the center of a lake and you’ll need a boat to get there. I’d recommend working up to the most difficult ones.
In our area, Chris Greene Lake Park in Albemarle County has a myriad of choices. This would be a great start for any geocaching novice as there are at least 8 hidden treasures in this park. One is multi-part puzzle hidden for the 10 Years of Geocaching Celebration held May 1. One requires a watercraft to get to the opposite side of the lake (you don’t want to brave the poison ivy) and one is a Letterbox hybrid that can be done as a multi-part cache with a GPS. (Letterboxing is similar to geocaching without a GPS—visit http://www.letterboxing.org for more information on that). I have personally found several of these at Chris Green Lake and I’m thinking a trip is necessary in the near future to find the others, too.
Get Set
You’re ready—you have the GPS, the account on the website and the beautiful day—now get set. On the website, under Hide & Seek a Cache type in your zip code (anywhere on the planet) and a list of nearby geocaches will pop up. Figure out the ones you want to seek based on location and difficulty and head out. There are often special events, too. You can set up to receive emails once a week (sooner for premium memberships) so you know of new ones hidden nearby and special events like the one at Chris Greene Lake in advance.
What to Bring
I have a GPS bag that contains these items all the time so when we’re ready to go I just need to grab the bag and head out. You should bring water, snacks, extra clothing (if you’re headed out near water—especially important if you have children like mine who love to play in creeks), a pen, extra batteries for the GPS and items to place in the cache. Once you find the geocache you might want to exchange something you have for something in the container. After being the first to find the geocache, this is my children’s favorite part (who doesn’t love something new?). We carry little toys around, perhaps little bottles of bubbles, and the numerous fast-food toys we have are great to exchange.
Logs
Each cache has a log book (hence the need for the pen). Sign each log and then when you go home you connect to the website again to log the visit. If there are things the cache owner needs to know, such as someone unearthing the container and not putting it back, log that on the website. In the log let people know what you took and what you left and if you took photos, add those too.
These are just the basics to geocaching. There are so many options and aspects to the hunt you’ll need to learn for yourself. Enjoy!
We look forward to hearing about your geocaching adventures! Have you been geocaching locally?
To check out geocaching online, visit; http://www.Geocaching.com
A map to Chris Greene Lake, a great location for geocache beginners;
Blue Ridge Outdoors Reader Poll Reveals Several Charlottesville Favorites!
January 9, 2010 by Sasha C. Farmer, REALTOR ® · 1 Comment
The Blue Ridge Outdoors January Issue “Best of the Outdoors” article highlights several beautiful areas in Charlottesville. This article is reader voted- polling readers from Baltimore to Atlanta to pick their favorites of the Blue Ridge.
Here are a few of the places that Charlottesville was competitive;
- Favorite Section of the Blue Ridge Parkway; Humpback Rock voted #3!
- Favorite Waterfall Section in the Blue Ridge; Crabtree Falls is voted #1! (biggest waterfall East of the Mississippi)- Nelson County
- Best Ski Runs in the Blue Ridge; Wintergreen Resort Cliffhanger mile long run voted #2!
- Best Snowboarding Event in the Blue Ridge: Blue Ridge Double Cross voted #1!
- Favorite Section of the Appalachian Trail: Shenendoah National Park Section voted #5!
- Best Road Race: The Charlottesville Ten Miler voted #5!
- Favorite Terrain park: Wintergreen Terrain Park voted #6!
Check out the full video interview of Tom Daly, from Blue Ridge Outdoors on the Newsplex website here and be sure to read the full article at the Blue Ridge Outdoors website here!
Photo Credit: http://www.blueridgelocksmithing.com
Give Where You Live: December: Charlottesville SPCA Blanket Drive
December 29, 2009 by Sasha C. Farmer, REALTOR ® · Leave a Comment
The December “Give Where You Live” focuses on the Charlottesville Albemarle SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals). They are currently partnered up with the City of Charlottesville for their 4th Annual Blanket Drive.
There is no better time than now to support this drive, as I’m sure we are all mindful of the bitter temperatures Charlottesville has been experiencing! While we are all trying to keep warm from the bitter cold this winter, many of the SPCA animals are housed in outdoor runs and kennels and can use any extra warmth that we might be able to spare! If you have old blankets that won’t hold up in your home much longer, make sure to drop them off at the Albemarle SPCA (Berkmar Drive) or Charlottesville City Hall in Downtown Charlottesville!
[From 4th Annual SPCA Blanket Drive - NBC29]
Charlottesville is teaming up with the SPCA for the 4th Annual Blanket Drive to make sure man’s best friend isn’t left out in the cold.
The shelter houses dozens of animals, and while a lot of the kennels are indoors, several have an outdoor component as well. Last year, the drive brought in 600 blankets. This year the city is hoping for 750.
Susanne Kogut of the Charlottesville – Albemarle SPCA said, “It’s really incredible, I mean during the winter it gets pretty cold. We have the outdoor runs and it gets pretty cold no matter what you do so having the dogs have the blankets, it’s really awesome.”
If you would like to help, you can drop off your donation in the front lobby at Charlottesville City Hall or the Charlottesville – Albemarle SPCA on Berkmar Drive.
For more information, call 434-970-3129.
[Photo Credit: Charlottesville Albemarle SPCA]
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Every month, I will post a segment called “Give Where You Live,” which will be focused on Charlottesville and the surrounding counties, reminding us of little things we can do to make our community a better place. There are tons of incredible non-profits and charities around the area, and hopefully these segments will help residents become more familiar with some of the different needs in the community and maybe even inspire some giving!
I will try to post about a variety of needs and programs, from big to small, so if you know of a great local cause that is running a donation-based or volunteer campaign, please feel free to send the details my way and I will make an effort to include them in an upcoming “Give Where You Live”!
Charlottesville is extremely lucky to have been the home of Dave Matthews!
December 24, 2009 by Sasha C. Farmer, REALTOR ® · Leave a Comment
$222,000 lucky, in fact! Dave Matthews has again given out another set of grants to Charlottesville non-profits, totaling $222,000 in grants, and benefitting 39 grateful (and deserving!) non-profit organizations here in town. Evidently BAMA Works holds a competitive grant application process and selects the groups most in need of their funds every year (side note- this is very similar to the United Way’s Program Review and Funding Committee, that determines the allocation of the United Way’s grant monies each year.) We are blessed to have such strong supporters of our non-profits here in Charlottesville! Take a look at some of the grants, and what they are going to be used for.
If any of the projects sounds interesting, I’d venture to say that many of these non-profits are likely looking for volunteers to help carry them out!
The following is a complete list (Credit to Newsplex.com):
1. Albemarle County Schools (Monticello High School) – $3,000 for school supplies, books, field trips, glasses, and clothing to financially needy Monticello High School students.
2. Albemarle County Schools (Stony Point Elementary School) – $1,000 stipend to a professional songwriter who will teach music literary to students in Pre-K classes.
3. Albemarle Pipes and Drums Band, Inc. – $1,500 for musical instruments for the volunteer Celtic band at various community functions.
4. Charlottesville Abundant Life Ministries – $5,000 to support a dance instruction curriculum to enhance the 5th-8th grade tutoring program at Walker Upper Elementary and Buford Middle School.
5. Charlottesville Area Dental Access – $10,000 to support the Community Children’s Dental Center that provides full service pediatric dental care for low-income children in Central Virginia.
6. Charlottesville City Public Schools (Adult Education Program) – $2,000 to help fund a one-day Festival of Cultures in Lee Park in the spring of 2010.
7. Charlottesville Jazz Society – $3,000 to fund educational program by which jazz artists teach local students.
8. Charlottesville Police Department Foundation – $10,000 to support police/community activities, including the Cops4Kids program that provides positive engagement with disadvantaged youth.
9. Children, Youth & Family Services – $8,000 to support the STAR Kids program that teaches positive social and decision-making skills to low-income preschoolers.
10. Covesville Child Development Center – $5,000 for scholarships to financially disadvantaged preschoolers from Albemarle and Nelson counties.
11. Fluvanna County Habitat for Humanity – $10,000 to help build one of five Earthcraft-certified homes for deserving Fluvanna County residents as a part of a new rural conservation cluster subdivision design.
12. Fluvanna County Schools (Fluvanna County High School) – $1,500 to help fund the Fluvanna County High School Blue and Gold monthly newspaper.
13. Habitat for Humanity of Greater Charlottesville – $10,000 to help complete critical electrical work at Southwood Mobile Park.
14. Hope Foundation, Inc. – $10,000 to support the Hope Community Center’s afterschool program for elementary and middle school children in the Tenth and Page neighborhood.
15. International Rescue Committee – $10,000 to create an emergency fund for medical and dental assistance to Charlottesville refugees whose health insurance programs do not meet their health needs.
16. James River Association – $5,000 to support education efforts of the Upper James Riverkeeper program.
17. Monticello Area Community Action Agency (MACAA) – $10,000 to fund the Hope House transitional housing facility for homeless families.
18. Meals on Wheels of Charlottesville-Albemarle – $9,000 to provide hot meals for seven homebound disabled clients for one year.
19. North Branch School – $5,000 for the Naomi Scherr Memorial Scholarship to provide tuition assistance to needy students attending the North Branch School in Nelson County.
20. People and Congregations Engaged in Ministry (PACEM ) – $8,000 to fund the salary of the Guest Advocate position to assist shelter guests by creating a relationship of trust and to provide information about jobs, housing, and identification documents.
21. Piedmont CASA, Inc .- $5,000 to support a part-time teen specialist position to increase the effectiveness of advocacy for teens (13 to18) who are victims of abuse and neglect.
22. Quest Institute, Inc. – $2,500 for the Books Behind Bars program that collects and provides books without charge to incarcerated individuals in Virginia prisons.
23. QuickStart Tennis of Central Virginia – $5,000 to introduce children throughout the CACF service area to the game of tennis.
24. Second Street Gallery – $2,000 to support Family Art Day and the Public Art Project which provide art education for the Charlottesville community.
25. Senior Center, Inc. – $5,000 to support arts and humanities programs to enrich the lives of area seniors.
26. Service Dogs of Virginia – $7,000 to provide a Service Dog Scholarship to support advanced training and placement of one diabetic alert service dog.
27. Spay/Neuter All Pets, Inc. (SNAP) – $2,500 to provide low-cost spay/neuter services to low-income residents of Louisa County.
28. Special Olympics Virginia – $7,500 to support a tennis tournament for individuals with intellectual disabilities in Charlottesville with participants from across the country.
29. Thomas Jefferson Area Coalition for the Homeless – $8,000 for supplies for the community kitchen at “The Haven at First and Market” (formerly known as the First Street Church Project) that provides daily meals and a food service job training program.
30. Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission/Jefferson Area Disability Services Board (DSB) – $3,500 to develop a home modification network for people with disabilities in the planning district.
31. Town of Mineral – $6,000 to modernize and expand Walton Park utilizing a plan by the Virginia Tech Design Group to attract more performing arts activities to Louisa County.
32. University Montessori School – $3,000 to complete construction of an outdoor classroom for environmental education classes.
33. UVA Rector and Visitors (UVA Children’s Hospital) – $3,000 to provide helmets to third grade children in Charlottesville and Albemarle, to be distributed through the Bike Helmet program.
34. Urban Vision – $8,000 to help start an incentive program for Friendship Court families with the goal to make families more self-sufficient.
35. Virginia Foundation for the Humanities and Public Policy – $3,000 for travel, lodging and honoraria for 10 authors/storytellers/illustrators to give presentations fostering the love of reading and literacy skills to local schools, youth and community organizations during the Virginia Festival of the Book March 17-21, 2010.
36. Virginia Organization of Consumers Asserting Leadership (VOCAL) – $5,000 to support Firewalkers: Changing the Story of Mental Health, a book and outreach project to educate the Charlottesville community about mental illness and to improve mental health services.
37. Wildlife Center of Virginia – $8,000 for environmental outreach programs for area elementary schools.
38. Wintergreen Adaptive Sports – $8,000 to support an ongoing sports program for wounded servicemen and women.
39. Writer House, Inc. – $3,000 for scholarship funds for disadvantaged youth to develop creative writing skills.
[Photo Credit: http://wknc.org/blog/post/wp-content/uploads/dmb.gif]
Charlottesville 365; Green Valley Book Fair in Mount Crawford, VA
May 24, 2009 by Sasha C. Farmer, REALTOR ® · 1 Comment
For avid readers, the Green Valley Book Fair is well worth the trip outside of Charlottesville! This book fair is situated in a 25,000 square foot warehouse, and houses over 800,000 books each year! The marketing brochure advertises the fair as offering 60-90% off of retail price, and I’d venture to say you may save even more! The fair has every category of book imaginable; business, children’s books, sports, cooking, history, bestsellers, fiction, outdoors, arts & crafts, gardening, reference books, health, self-help, travel, audio books, and so much more. It is situated into 3 major sections, and it’s as easy to shop as a Barnes & Noble!
The trip to the Green Valley Book Fair from Charlottesville will take 45 minutes to an hour, as it is located just South of Harrisonburg, VA. Located at 2192 Green Valley Lane in Mount Crawford, VA, you should plan for it to take about 50 minutes, each way. Please visit the map to the Green Valley Book Fair at the bottom of this post!
The book fair has an incredible selection- it could be a great place to stock up on gifts all year long! These books are typically very up-to-date or may be one season behind what is hot on the shelves right now. Some of my personal favorites are the Creating Keepsakes Scrapbooking books that typically run about $21.00 – $25.00 retail, and that you can buy for $5.00 at the fair, and beautiful coffee table hardback books and cook books that also typically run in the $20+ price range but that are for sale here as low as $3.50! I am always pleasantly surprised to spend in the $100-$125 price range while getting at least 25 books, and replenishing my stock of gift books that I give to new home buyers, my favorite cookbooks to give to recent newlyweds, and my favorite baby books to give to new moms!
The fair is situated between 3 major sections. When you first walk in, the fair looks to be about the size of a typical Barnes & Noble Store, but then the excitement awaits you around the corner when you realize there is still an entirely separate section upstairs, and then just as you think you’ve seen it all there is a huge section on the bottom floor that spans the entire building as well! Make sure to plan to be at the book fair for at least an hour, because you can barely even skim through the categories any faster than that!
The book fair is open for a select set of dates, about 15 days at a time each time. There is definitely some benefit to going towards the beginning of a new opening, since while there is a HUGE selection and plenty to choose from, there are definitely some books that are very popular and that the fair will only receive a couple copies of.
Green Valley Book Fair 2010 Dates:
- March 13 – March 28, 2010
- May 15 – May 31, 2010
- July 3 – July 18, 2010
- August 21 – September 6, 2010
- October 9 – October 24, 2010
- November 26 – December 18, 2010
Green Valley Book Fair Times
- Open 9:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. daily, including Sundays and Memorial Day!
Green Valley Book Fair Details
- The book fair accepts Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express.
- There is a vending machine for drinks inside, and a stand set up outside with hot dogs and snacks. Food and drink are not permitted inside the book fair buildings.
Visit the Green County Book Fair Website.
Become a Fan of the Green Valley Book Fair and follow their updates on Facebook.
Photos from the Green Valley Book Fair
Map to the Green Valley Book Fair – 2192 Green Valley Lane / Mount Crawford, VA 22841.
And, as always, if you like that area; here are some nearby homes for sale;
Showing properties
1 - 10 of 45.
See more city of Staunton (city) real estate.
(all data current as of
5/22/2012)
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$144,900 : 808 Moore St, STAUNTON (CITY)3 beds, 2 full baths
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$95,000 : 106 Robinhood Rd, STAUNTON (CITY)2 beds, 1 full bath
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$199,900 : 314 Yount Ave, STAUNTON (CITY)3 beds, 3 full baths
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$134,900 : 418 Parkwood Ln, STAUNTON (CITY)4 beds, 1 full bath
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$165,000 : 613 Churchville Ave, STAUNTON (CITY)3 beds, 2 full, 1 part baths
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$179,900 : 700 Bull Run, STAUNTON (CITY)3 beds, 2 full baths
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$159,900 : 134 Collinswood Dr, STAUNTON (CITY)3 beds, 2 full baths
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$163,900 : 132 Collinswood Dr, STAUNTON (CITY)3 beds, 2 full baths
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$230,000 : 701 Alleghany Ave, STAUNTON (CITY)3 beds, 1 full, 1 part baths
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$159,900 : 136 Collinswood Dr, STAUNTON (CITY)3 beds, 2 full baths
Listing information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Read full disclaimer.
Adopt Us! Bambi & Bucky
January 7, 2009 by Sasha C. Farmer, REALTOR ® · Leave a Comment
Bambi (F) and Bucky (M) are another set of foster pups who will be ready for adoption from CASPCA on Monday. These two are SUPER cute and are extremely difficult to slow down for long enough to photograph! I think they may be a lab/something mix and they will likely not get to be extremely large. The have small paws and would be much larger by now if they were pure lab.
Click the link to see additional photos of Bambi and Bucky;
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2244944&l=a2913&id=1503017
