WYDaily has a great article summarizing many new laws that will take effect tomorrow, July 1st. There are two that I find of particular note: banning smoking in restaurants and bars, and banning text messaging while driving. Read the article to find out what changes may apply to you!

Sounds like another bar – excuse me, “pub,” will be coming to New Town in the future! It’ll be interesting to see if this business venture actually pulls through, with the economic downturn and all. But I can’t complain about a business wanting to open in an already-standing building in Williamsburg, rather than building something new when there are so many unoccupied stores around these days.

American keen to make most of Brit pub closures

29 June, 2009

By Matt Eley

Business venture could see US pub kitted out with furniture from UK

An American businessman is looking to take advantage of pub closures in the UK by salvaging goods to create his own traditional pub.

While up to 50 pubs are closing every week in the UK Greg Pedersen is keen to open a British style pub in Williamsburg, Virginia – a town founded in 1607 with what he describes as “bags of English heritage”.

And to make it as authentic as possible he wants licensees on this side of the pond to help him furnish the pub.

He said: “The bar and most of all the fixtures will be from an original English pub. I envision an old English phone booth out front or maybe even functioning as the entrance to the pub.

“I want the menu to include predominantly British fare, yards and half yards of ale, darts and a piano player for nightly sing-a-longs.”

The pub is set to open up in the next 12 months in the New Town development of Williamsburg but as yet the pub does not have a name – something else Pedersen is looking for help with.

“I’d also like interesting signage and a suggested name would be great, especially if it has old unique signage to accompany it,” he said.

Pedersen’s runs his own marketing company and part owned golf business Nevada Bob’s but has never previously worked in pubs.

Despite this he is confident his venture will not go the way of the Brit pubs he is hoping helps to furnish the venue.

“I have read a lot in the press about pubs closing left right and centre in your part of the world. That is unfortunate but it may give me and my partner an opportunity to pick up some interesting stuff from the prior owners to use over here.

“Although the business climate is really tough here like it is everywhere, I think if you create something special or offer people an experience they won’t find anywhere else then you have a better chance of success.”

If you can help Greg with furniture or a pub name email gregped@yahoo.com

Good luck, Mr. Pedersen!

The only Chipotle Mexican Grill I’ve ever eaten at is the one in Short Pump, but I loved it! I love that it’s a casual eatery but serves good, filling, tasty food. I love the Subway-esque style of ordering. And I really love that they have vegetarian options! So when I read this new article from WY Daily about a Chipotle coming to Williamsburg, I was sooo excited! …Except when I read where it’s going to be. Sounds like it might be a pain to get in and out of, unless you’re coming from Bypass onto Richmond to be able to make a right. I hate making lefts off Richmond Road in that part of town, haha!

I think Busch Gardens 2009 is setting up to be a great season! Last year I told myself I wasn’t going to bother buying another season pass. After three consecutive seasons, I was starting to get bored. But they’re luring me back in with cheaper season passes – $100 for one year and $150 for two years! I may as well spend the extra $50 to get two years. And the summer concerts?! KANSAS?! FOREIGNER!? Yes please!

Check out the info from Mr. Williamsburg and WY Daily for more detailed info!

I saw .38 Special there last season and they were great! I hope the bands that are listed on Mr. Williamsburg’s site are finalized, because I checked yesterday and they weren’t on the official Busch Gardens site yet… but if they are? I’m totally there!

I was lucky enough to learn early on the money sink that comes with any purchase that says “Dry Clean Only” on the label. In fact, I refuse to buy anything that is dry clean only. As the comedian Mitch Hedberg once said, “this shirt is dry clean only. That means it’s DIRTY.”

But, today I got an email from New Town saying a new dry cleaner has opened in town! Americlean is such a catchy name, don’t you think? The New Town Business Directory shows where it’s located, if you were curious. The email says they are offering a special for $1.49 shirts through March – I suppose that’s a good deal?

If you actually use a dry cleaner (unlike me!), where do you frequent? How much do they charge? Would you be willing to try this new place, or do you think it’s an unnecessary addition to the already existing number of dry cleaners around town? Honestly, I have a few things at the bottom of my hamper that have been needing dry cleaned since I moved to Williamsburg – eek! – so recommendations of places to try or even places to stay away from would be lovely!

WY Daily published an article this morning with more details about President Obama’s trip to Williamsburg.

Obama’s Coming Thursday; No Public Appearances Planned
WYDaily Staff

President Barack Obama will be visiting the Historic Triangle Thursday night, the White House Press Office has confirmed.

He’s scheduled to address the Democratic Caucus, who will convene at Kingsmill Resort Thursday through Saturday. The president is expected to fly into Newport News International Airport, then travel by helicopter to Williamsburg Jamestown Airport, then by motorcade into the resort.

At the moment there are no public opportunities to meet – or even see – the president, as the visit is limited to the evening address. President Obama will return to Washington, D.C. after the talk.

It’s a shame there won’t be opportunity to meet him, but he is a pretty busy guy, after all!

From this Google/AP page:

THURSDAY, Feb. 5: Williamsburg, Va. — Congressional Democrats hold their annual issues conference. President Barack Obama expected to attend. Through Feb. 7.

Woo boy! I bet there will be traffic beyond traffic!

I’m surprised I haven’t heard about this in any other news, though. For such a big name (the PRESIDENT!!!) I figured there would be more chatter about it. Guess we’ll just have to wait and see!

I just had the realization that the Ukrops on Mooretown is CLOSED! No more! To shop at Ukrops in Williamsburg, one must now venture to Monticello Avenue. I knew it was closing, but it still comes as a shock – it feels like someone has died!

Here is an article for more info about the closing from the Williamsburg Yorktown Daily:

Ukrops Closing Mooretown Rd. Store – Retains Option to Reopen
WYDaily Staff
Posted: Wednesday, December 31st, 2008

Citing the slowing housing market causing slower than expected residential growth near in the Lightfoot area of greater Williamsburg, Ukrops announced plans to close its Mooretown Road location on February 1st.

The store opened in October of 2006.

“We opened the Lightfoot store in anticipation of the significant growth expected along the I-64 corridor,” wrote company president Robert Ukrop in a letter to customers yesterday.

“However, the current housing slowdown, impacting the Williamsburg area as it has the rest of the country, suggests that development will be sluggish, at least for the foreseeable future.

“Given these circumstances, it simply does not make good business sense to keep two stores open in such close proximity; however, should the situation change, we do have the option of reopening.”

Ukrops said pharmacy prescriptions will be shifted to the Monticello Marketplace store on January 31st and the First Market Bank located at Mooretown Road will remain open until March 31st.

The Mooretown Road store closure will result in Ukrops owning 28 stores statewide, most being in the Richmond area.

Here is another article from the WY Daily regarding other stores in the shopping center that will be effected by Ukrops closing: Ukrop’s Plans to Hold On to Mooretown Building; Tenant Neighbors Try to Cope

So long, my trusty Mooretown Ukrops! You will be missed. *salute*

Williamsburg Area Learning Tree (WALT) just posted their classes being offered in 2009 on their website today!

If you’ve never heard of WALT before, here’s a quote from their website:

The Williamsburg Area Learning Tree (WALT), a Public Service Project of the Williamsburg Unitarian Universalists, is a not-for-profit education program that brings you and your neighbors together to share in the excitement and fun of learning. Individuals in our community have stepped forward to offer their knowledge of a subject that they love so that the rest of us can learn from them. With the help of these people and many businesses and service organizations, we present this catalog of classes.

Basically, they are classes offered in various topics by local specialists on those topics. Check them out to see if there’s anything you’d like to learn – you’d be surprised at all they have to offer!

From the WRL email newsletter:

OVER 130 VIEW PRESIDENT OBAMA’S INAUGURATION AT WILLIAMSBURG LIBRARY THEATRE SCREENING

More than 130 people viewed the inauguration of President Barack Obama in a free screening in the Williamsburg Library Theatre.  While most of those attending were from the Williamsburg area – including 24 students from the nearby Williamsburg Montessori School – some came from as far away as Ohio to be part of this communal viewing on the library’s big screen.  Another 40 people viewed the ceremony’s broadcast at the James City County Library.

Michelle Green and Cynthia McGrath of Dayton, Ohio attended the screening in Williamsburg because they were told there were no hotels in the Washington area.  “We began planning to come the day after the election,” McGrath said.  “All the hotels online said they were sold out, so we decided to stay in Williamsburg.”  The duo drove to Washington on Martin Luther King Day to perform a day of service at Washington’s RFK Stadium where they saw Michelle Obama, and then returned to their hotel in Williamsburg.  “We didn’t care whether we were in D.C. on Inauguration Day,” Green said. “We just wanted to be part of a celebration like this one at the library.”

The audience at the library was actively engaged in the telecast, clapping for their favorite politicians as they entered, and standing for the swearing in of Vice President Biden and President Obama.  Smaller numbers of people continued to view the afternoon luncheon and parade.

Wow! How cool is that? I got to see the swearing in and speech at James City County Library, and the big screen combined with the audience of our local neighbors made it a really touching experience.

I am so proud to be an American on this day!