November 4th, 2019 Town Council Meeting Agenda

HPRB Agenda for the November 6, 2019 meeting

Town of Abingdon—Halloween Observance is still October 31st

Town of Abingdon—Halloween Observance is still October 31^st

The Town of Abingdon has received many inquiries about the observance of Halloween. The Town of Abingdon is not rescheduling trick-or-treat visits for another day, and would only do so under extreme circumstances when there is a great risk to public safety. In addition, there are no official Halloween events hosted by the Town of Abingdon on October 31^st, so there is nothing to reschedule. With rain in the forecast, we encourage parents to plan accordingly and have a happy and safe Halloween.

Traffic Advisory: Cook Street/Green Spring Road Opening

Traffic Advisory:

With the opening of Food City in The Meadows Shopping Center, regular commuters on the Cook Street extension should be aware of the new traffic pattern. Remember Cook Street at the Green Spring Road intersection is not regulated by traffic signals or signs.  Frequent users of Green Spring Road have grown accustomed to turning on to Cook Street or turning from Cook Street on to Green Spring, without slowing for oncoming traffic because the road into the shopping center was blocked for construction. 

AS OF TODAY Cook Street is fully open.  This means that traffic entering Cook from Green Spring, or traffic turning left from Cook on to Green Spring, must yield the right of way to traffic exiting the shopping center. 

Please slow down and use caution at the newly opened intersection.

Election Day Transit

Election Day Transit

In cooperation with the Town of Abingdon, Mountain Lynx Transit will be providing transportation for town citizens this Election Day, Nov. 5th 2019, to the following polling locations between the hours of 8am-5pm:
Abingdon Elementary School
Abingdon High School
Watauga Elementary School
To schedule transportation, please call Mountain Lynx Transit: 276.676.0700
This is a FREE service.

NOTICE OF VACANCY - Infrastructure Advisory Committee

ASD Innovative Forum & Skill Swap

Planning Commission Agenda for October 28, 2019

Partington Place One-Way Changes:

The Gallery @ Barr Photographics announces the fall installment of the Corner Gallery’s 2019 exhibition series

NEWS RELEASE

The Gallery @ Barr Photographics announces the fall installment of the Corner

Gallery’s 2019 exhibition series with a collection of plein aire oil or acrylic works entitled

"Waterworks” by Fincastle, Virginia, artist, Bret LaGue.

The very definition of ‘plein aire” painting requires speed and accuracy on the artists’ part as paintings are produced outside, on location, in the elements, with a mindful awareness of changing light.  The plein aire style of painting, in conditions previously alluded to, reveal a talent not inherent in all artists. Brett typically brings a painting, no matter the size, to fruition in two hours or less.  The plein aire painter employs broad brush strokes, with a great knowledge of color mixing on the palate, mid-paint, and a fine state of image looseness that is not too unrefined in image detail.  It is a very difficult style to master and Brett’s accolades speak to his level of mastery.  Recent awards include: 2018: Best use of color, Artists on Location Plein Air, Knoxville TN. 2017: 2^nd place overall, South Peak Plein Air, Roanoke, VA 2016: Queen City Plein Air Festival, Staunton, VA. 2^nd place, quick draw, 3^rd place overall.  Lynchburg Paint Out, Lynchburg, VA, 3^rd place, quick draw, 3^rd place overall.   2015: Fall Foliage Festival, Waynesboro, VA. 1^st place, acrylic/oils.  Clifton Forge School of the Arts Plein Air, Clifton Forge, VA. 1^st place.   SPLASH Plein Air Paint Out, Elizabeth City, NC. 2^nd place.  LaGue is an honors graduate in graphic design and illustration from  the Ringling College of Art + Design in  Sarasota, FL.  For over 25 years he has exhibited paintings across the United States in numerous solo and group presentations, art festivals and plein air competitions. His art has been included in national juried exhibitions in Virginia, Georgia, California, Illinois, and Baton Rouge, selected by a number of prominent art professionals including Helen C. Frederick, founder, Pyramid Atlantic, Steve Doherty, editor, Plein Air Magazine and curators from the Hirshhorn Museum, DC, Whitney Museum of American Art, and Carnegie Mellon University.

            Brett states in his biographical sketch, “My drawings and paintings are influenced by the color, texture, and energy of the landscape.  They also embody an all-at-once taking in of the world. It is about being in a state heightened awareness, like in the midst of a crowd surrounded by sounds, light, colors, smells, and patterns as bodies move through space.” 

In his artist’s statement, Bret reveals, “Each of my paintings I desire to be a combination, of its creative record, the story of its visual content and an interaction between both of these elements and the viewer. Understanding that individuals viewing an artwork – no matter how specific in detail – will reinterpret the artist’s intention as they feel it, I strive to invite that reinterpretation to make them a part of the work itself. This exhibit, “Waterworks”is a selection, primarily, of paintings done along rivers, streams, lakes and in the rain. The motion of water is always fascinating – to view and to paint.”

"Waterworks” will be celebrated with a reception and demonstration of technique by Bret LaGue, to which the public is cordially invited, on Friday, 25 October from 7 - 9:00 PM in The Gallery @ Barr Photographics, 152 E. Main Street, Abingdon, Virginia. " Waterworks” will hang, and be offered for sale, 01 October through 30, November 2019.   The Gallery @ Barr Photographics is housed in the Greenway Trigg Building, located in the heart of Abingdon’s main street historic district.  Please call 276- 628-1486 or visit 

https://barrphotographics.com/CornerGalleryFeatureArtist.aspx?cms=9386  for further information. 

Much Ado About Deer

An Evening with the Spirits of Sinking Springs Cemetery

Three or More Food City Grand Opening Notice:

AMENDED--NOTICE OF MEETINGS August 15, 2019 - December 19, 2019

Town Manager Report for 10-11-19:

INTERSTATE 81 EXIT 19 NORTHBOUND LANE, ON RAMP CLOSED TWO WEEKENDS IN OCTOBER DUE TO BRIDGE WORK

News Release

INTERSTATE 81 EXIT 19 NORTHBOUND LANE, ON RAMP CLOSED TWO WEEKENDS IN OCTOBER DUE TO BRIDGE WORK
First weekend scheduled for October 11-14

BRISTOL – Due to bridge work on Interstate 81 northbound at exit 19 in Abingdon (Washington County), there will be a northbound Interstate 81 lane closure and northbound on ramp closure this weekend and the following weekend (weather permitting).

The closure this weekend will begin at 7 p.m. Friday October 11 and will remain in place until 6 a.m. Monday (October 14). Weather permitting, the second closure will occur the weekend of October 18-21.

The closures are necessary to ensure safety while a portion of the current bridge deck is removed using hydrodemolition, a technique that uses high-pressure water to remove concrete.

Motorists traveling from Abingdon can access I-81 northbound by following Route 11 to exit 22. Northbound access from the Damascus side of the interstate will not be impacted.

Use caution in this area and pay close attention to signs and message boards. The project, which involves patching the bridge deck and adding an epoxy overlay, is scheduled to be finished March 2020.

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Updated Map for the College-Church Streets Project with Signage

October 16, 2019 Work Session Agenda

Notice of Roadway Resurfacing- Winterham Cul-de-sac

Miss Ellie String Band Featured in Crooked Road

Miss Ellie String Band Featured in Crooked Road Series

Abingdon, Virginia – The Crooked Road: Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail presents The Miss Ellie String Band in concert on Thursday, October 10^th from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. at the Southwest Virginia Cultural Center & Marketplace (formerly Heartwood) in Abingdon, VA. This concert is part of The Crooked Road Music Series.

The Miss Ellie String Band consists of former students of the JAM programs of Wise and Scott Counties, and the MECC Mountain Music School. They have officially been together since January, 2017, and are between the ages of 15-18. The name Miss Ellie is to honor Sue Ella Boatright-Wells who was a leading force in the establishment of both the JAM programs and the MECC Music School.

The Crooked Road Music Series takes place each Thursday at the SWVA Cultural Center & Marketplace. Visit the SWVA Cultural Center & Marketplace and experience Southwest Virginia's creative and authentic culture. Located off I-81 at Exit 14 in Abingdon, VA, the Cultural Center features youth artists each 2^nd Thursday along with open jams on the 1^st, 3^rd, 4^th (and 5^th) Thursdays to showcase Southwest Virginia performers.

As part of The Crooked Road's Thursday night live music, the SWVA Cultural Center & Marketplace Cafe features SWVA soup beans, cornbread or patty melt. Admission to the concert is free and donations will be accepted for Crooked Road Traditional Music Education Program (TMEP).

More information can be found at The Crooked Road website,www.thecrookedroad.org, and at SWVAculturalcenter.com. For additional information, please call (276) 492-2400, ext. 2409 or email: admin@thecrookedroad.org.

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Photo of The Miss Ellie String Band (credit – Regina Kinsler) is attached.

NOTICE OF VACANCY - Board of Building Code Appeals

NOTICE OF VACANCY - Tree Commission

PUBLIC SAFETY NOTICE - One-Way Traffic Changes Implementation - October 11, 2019:

Town Manager Report for 9-30-19:

October 8, 2019 BZA Cancellation Notice