Ferry Road Closure

Update 08/19/2011 – Ferry Road has been reopened!  Work has been completed early and the road is now open to all traffic!

This road closure will probably affect more people than one would imagine.  Ferry Road will be closed August 16-23.  The railroad tracks near the the McDonald’s just feet from the Rt3/ Ferry Road intersection is being repaired.  There are several alternate routes to avoid the construction.  Town and Country Drive saw some pretty heavy traffic this morning as drivers cut across from White Oak Road and Ferry Road.  The neighborhoods of Argyle Terrace, Argyle Heights, and Hillcrest Terrace offer a cut through from Ferry Road to Rt.3 (Kings Hwy).

Fredericksburg Fair Ferris Wheel

It’s my favorite time of year!  It’s FAIR TIME!  Break out your wallets and pants with elastic waistbands; the Fredericksburg Agricultural Fair starts Friday, July 29.  There are so many sites to be seen and events happening at this years Fair.  Here’s a small portion if the schedule.

Miss Fredericksburg Fair Pageant -

Miss – Friday July 29 (8pm)

Tiny Miss – Saturday, July 30 (10:30am)

Little Miss – Saturday, July 30 (11:30am)

Pre-Teen Miss – Saturday, July 30 (12:30pm)

Miss/ Mr. Fredericksburg Fair (11 months-2 years) – Sunday, July 31 (2pm)

Attractions and Events

This year’s Fair includes NOJOE’S Clown Circus, Pony Rides, Petting Zoo, Demolition Derby, Kids’ Tractor Pull, Pig/ Goat/ and Duck Racing, Livestock Shows, Barbarian Fight Club, and Musical Entertainment.  For a complete list of events and times click here.

Admission -

Children 3 and Under – FREE

Adults – $7

55 and Up – $5

July 31 – Military Appreciation Day – show your military ID and get in FREE!

August 1 – Kids’ Day - Children 4-14 reduced rate $5

August 2 – Two for Tuesday – all admission $2

August 2 – Gospel Sunday – bring your church bulletin and get $1 off admission

(rides are not included in price of admission)

The 36th Marine Corps Historic Half Marathon will be run this Sunday, May 15 in Fredericksburg City.  The race will disrupt some daily activities for city residents from 6am-12pm.  The following streets will be closed or have traffic disruption at some point during the race.  I suggest you avoid traveling on these streets all of Sunday morning.

Carl D Silver Pkwy  (Central Park)

Gordon W Shelton Pkwy  (Celebrate Virginia)

Fall Hill Avenue

Cowan Blvd

Rt 3 Westbound

William Street

Sunken Road

Fitzhugh Street

Franklin Street

Madison Street

Littlepage Steet

Grove Ave

Kenmore Ave

Washington Ave

Maury Street

Stuart Street

Pelham Street

Canal Street

Prince Edward Street

Princess Anne Street

Charlotte Street

Caroline Street

Amelia Street

Sophia Street

Riverside Drive

US 1 between Fall Hill Ave and Mary Washington Hospital

Mary Washington Blvd

Hospital Drive

The mid-point of the race is the 1300-1400 blocks of Prince Edward Street.  Many neighbors in the community come out to root for the runners.  Bring your banners and cowbells! 

If you have a medical emergency during race times you may want to go to the Stafford branch of Mary Washington Hospital or Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center.

1283 Carl D. Silver Pkwy Fredericksburg VA 22401

I am blogging from a new home this morning!  After much deliberation and hours of looking at our business model, the team has decided to move to a new home.  We are now with Champion Homes Realty!  We very much enjoyed our time at Coldwell Banker Elite – Massaponax and we’ll greatly miss our office mates there.  The most wonderful thing about the real estate business is that you can move brokerages and still have wonderful relationships at your former office.  Our clients have been grateful to learn that they will not be affected by our move.  Business will continue as usual, some of them will just be getting new For Sale signs in their yards.  Coldwell Banker Elite – Massaponax has wished us the best in our new adventure. 

Champion Homes Realty has been on the forefront of the depressed market since the decline of the economy.  For the last few years they have specialized in REO properties, we will be bringing another element of today’s real estate environment to the company – Short Sales.  We are very excited about our new endeavor and are blessed to have so much support.

Our new brokerage is located at 1283 Carl D. Silver Pkwy Fredericksburg, VA  22401.  Our email addresses and phone numbers are the same.  We can’t wait to continue our mission of helping distressed homeowners through this difficult time from our new home.

The Fredericksburg Jaycees Easter Bunny

It’s that time again!  The Annual Easter Egg Hunt in Kenmore Memorial Park is this Saturday, April 16!   This event is sponsored by Fredericksburg Parks and Recreation and the Fredericksburg Jaycees.  Bring your children to find Easter eggs and take pictures with the Easter Bunny!  The Bunny will arrive at the park at approximately 12pm.  The hunt will begin at approximately 12:30pm.  Eggs will be handed in for bags of candy.  Photos are free; you will need to supply your email address to receive a copy.   

Kenmore Memorial Park is located in downtown Fredericksburg at the corners of Kenmore Ave, Mary Ball Street, and Washington Ave.  The Easter egg hunt will take place in the field next to the tennis courts on Mary Ball Street.

As a government shutdown looms for the nation, many people are asking what a government shut down will mean to them.  Here is a brief overview of who will be closed and who will be open during the shut down.

National Parks, museums, and monuments will be closed.  Hope you didn’t plan on visiting DC this weekend… or in the next few weeks… months.

The postal service is NOT affected.  They are self-funded.  You WILL get your mail.

Veteran hospitals and medical facilities will be open as long as proper staff can be maintained at the facilities.  However, new benefits or beneficiaries will not be processed. 

Medicaid, Medicare, and food stamps will still be issued on time. 

Passports will not be issued.

Amtrak and Metro will be able to run on time for a while without government funding.

The Federal Housing Administration will not be endorsing new mortgage loans.  If you are obtaining an FHA loan to purchase a home in the next few weeks, you better go ahead and ask for an extension.  The money’s not gonna be there for you if the government is shut down.

The Small Business Administration will not be processing new loans for small businesses.

Elected officials will continue to be paid.  Yep, you heard right, Congress will continue to collect a paycheck.  The people responsible for not passing the budget have no reason to fear, they will get their paychecks.  Some Congressmen may decide  to voluntarily give up their pay as a show of solidarity with the American public. 

Any non-essential federal employees will be told to stay home and do absolutely no work.  They will not be allowed to even check email.  They are also not allowed to volunteer to work for no pay.  It is illegal for federal employees to not claim and be paid for hours worked. 

Law enforcement, air traffic control, border patrol, public health and safety, disaster relief, and prisons will still report to work.

Furloughed federal employees may be able to collect back pay for the days they could not work. 

The IRS will still be collecting tax returns on April 18th.  Congratulations!  They will continue to process electronic filings and possibly issue electronic returns.  Paper filings and returns will be postponed until the budget is passed. 

The Department of Defense will have no money to pay the military.  If the government shut downs today, military personnel would only get paid thru April 8.  They would receive back pay for hours and benefits they did not receive during the shutdown.

Well,a week after a tornado ripped through the real estate social media world, Daniel Rothamel has responded.  I’m gonna give some link love and let you read it by clicking In Which I Explain My Decision to Retire the Stripes. 

I mentioned in my first post regarding this situation that Daniel doesn’t need the stripes.  His brand moved past zebra stripes several years ago.  His brand is now that of a caring, giving, and knowledgeable real estate agent.  He doesn’t need the gimmick to get noticed.  He is noticed on his merits.

I applaud Daniel for how he has handled himself during this very trying time.  He has continued to earn the respect and admiration of his colleagues.  My hope is that The Lones Group will drop this suit and move on.  I will keep you posted as we enter the next chapter.  This is definitely a fantastic case study in brand management and moving past a brand and into people’s hearts. 

Looking for something to do this Halloween weekend?  Here’s a list of activities that may just fit the bill.

The Fredericksburg Jaycees Haunted House

This is the 35th year of the Fredericksburg Jaycees Haunted House.  This year’s event is conveniently located in Central Park at the old Bogey’s near the old Ice Park (new go-cart racing building).  Central Park offers ample parking.  Tickets go on sale at 7pm and the first tour starts at 7:30pm.  Tickets are $10 for adults and $7 for children under 12.  You can download a $2 off coupon on the Fredericksburg Jaycees website.  Proceeds go to sponsor handi-cappable children at Camp Jaycee.  The haunted house will be open Friday, October 29 and Saturday, October 30. 

Wicked Woods Haunted Forest

This is the 4th annual Wicked Woods Haunted Forest, located in Spotsylvania near Lake Anna.  This is a self-guided outdoor attraction that does not allow flashlights.  You will wind your way through 10 acres of ghoulish scenes.  The attraction is open rain or shine.  Tickets are $15 October 29-31.  The Wicked Woods is not recommended for children under the age of 12.  The Haunted Forest opens at 7pm and tickets are sold until 10pm.  Discounts and directions can be found on their website. 

Ghost Tours of Fredericksburg

This 90 minute walking tour focuses on the colonial heritage of Fredericksburg, stories of the Civil War, and the ghosts that inhabit Fredericksburg City.  The tour starts at the Fredericksburg Visitor’s Center parking lot at 706 Caroline Street.  Tickets must be purchased in advance online on their website.   Tickets are $11 per person.  Children under 7 are free.  If you need tickets for the 8pm tours on October 29 or October 30 you will need to call 540.710.3002.  Tickets are still available online for the 6:30pm and 9:45pm tours on October 30. 

The Mary Washington University Ghost Walk

This 90 minute ghost walk is organized by the Mary Washington Historic Preservation Club with proceeds benefiting the Historic Preservation Club.  The tour will leave every 10 minutes from Market Square on the corner of Princess Anne Street and William Street.  Refreshments and children’s activities will be offered throughout the night in Market Square.  Tours will run from 6pm-10pm on Friday, October 29 and 5pm-10pm on Saturday, October 30.  Earlier tour times are more child-friendly.  Children are encouraged to wear their Halloween costumes.  Advanced registration is recommended.  For more information or to purchase tickets email UMWGhostwalk@gmail.com or call at 540-654-1315.

It’s here again.  It’s Virginia’s tax free holiday for school supplies and clothing.  The holiday runs from Friday, August 6 – Sunday, August 8, 2010.  Each eligible school item must be priced at $20 or less and each clothing and footwear item must be priced at $100 or less. 

Eligible School Supplies:                             

This is an all inclusive list.  Computers are not eligible, however, some retailers may choose to pay the taxes for consumers who purchase this type of item. 

Eligible Clothing Items:

This list is not all inclusive. 

If you would like more information on the 2010 Virginia Tax Free Holiday for school supplies and clothing, please click here.