Two Rivers Country Club will host 8-week Spring Junior Tennis Clinics starting March 19. Ages 4-15. For more information, contact Mike Prokopik at 258-4620 ext. 234 or mike@tworiversclub.com
Monthly Archives: March 2012
Youth Lacrosse in Williamsburg VA
Williamsburg VA now has a boys high school lacrosse opportunity. 2013 marks the debut year for the Williamsburg Royals. The team is made up of ninth, 10th and 11th grade boys from Warhill, Jamestown and Lafayette high schools.In coming years they will field a varsity team as well as a JV team
Charlie Turner , the Royals head coach, is thrilled for this lacrosse expansion in greater Williamsburg.
“In many ways, we have already met our primary goal for this season: to get on the map,” said Turner in a recent interview. “Our parents and players have made a great commitment to field the team, compete throughout the season and establish ourselves within the [HRLax] league.”
In addition to the Royals HS team the Williamsburg Warrior Lacrosse Club (HRLax Member) has Boys teams from U9 to U15 playing in HRLAX. At the U9 level they have 2 teams now and at the U11 level they will field 3 teams in 2012. They also have Girls teams at all levels from U9 through High School. More info here
Another option would be to play for the Williamsburg Warriors Lacrosse Club (Non-affiliated), otherwise known as the “Blue Warriors”. The team fee for varsity is $525 and JV is $477 (non-refundable) and does not appear to include US Lacrosse Membership. (Those fees have increased approximately $100 over previous year.) The fees can be paid in three installments with the first payment due on July 1, 2011 according to the team’s participation agreement posted on their website. The team also offers a scholarship for those needing financial aid. The team’s coaches present the team as an “elite” team, often referred to as a travel/tournament team and they played several private schools last year that generally do not list the games in their official schedules. Essentially, this is a select team that recruits players from throughout the area and only accepts those players that the coaches select. Most of the player’s are experienced and play at a skill level that is comparable to some of the private schools in the state.
According to Laxpower the team finished the season at 15 – 5 and was ranked second among it’s non-VHSL counterparts in Virginia. The most notable season highlight was a close loss to number one ranked Blue Ridge School with a score of 9 -12 at home. Unfortunately, none of the statistics are listed on either team’s website. At least five of their games required travel to northern Virginia and Charlotte, NC requiring overnight stays while the last game of their season was played against St. Albans School in downtown Washington, DC on a Monday night.
Generally, teams such as this operate in the summer after the normal lacrosse season and many are excellent opportunities for advanced players to be recruited at the collegiate level. Some good examples would be the Hampton Roads Ironclads, Peninsula Patriots, and Team Venom in Richmond which are all coached by experienced coaches with extensive collegiate connections. The “blue warriors” team does not appear to have competed in any college recruiting tournaments nor do they list any of the coaches experience. They do have at least five former players that have made the lacrosse team at Virginia Military Institute, one of which is the varsity coach’s son.
Contacts: JV- Monty Hill email: jamesmonroeus@cox.net cell: 757-869-5102 & Varsity-Mark Hofmeister email: mdhof@verizon.net cell: 757-876-5222
Free tennis clinics @ Kingsmill
Kingsmill Tennis to offer junior and adult programs Free tennis clinics for adults and juniors: Sunday, March 25 at Kingsmill Tennis Club; Juniors (age 5 & up) 2-3 p.m.; Adults 3-4 p.m. Call 253-3945. Programs are open to everyone.
Williamsburg Bird Club
| The Williamsburg Bird Club has over 200 members in and around the Williamsburg, Virginia area. Meetings are held once a month (except in the summer) in Room 150, Millington Hall at The College of William and Mary. Bird walks are held twice a month at New Quarter Park, and we have a monthly field trip to different locations throughout the year.
The purpose of the Williamsburg Bird Club is to:
If you support these same goals, JOIN US. Here’s how: Annual membership dues are: Patron membership: $35 New members joining in May through August pay 1/2 dues initially; those who join September through December pay no dues initially. To join and receive all the benefits of the Club, click here (pdf). Print out the page, circle your preferred membership level, print your name and address, and mail with your check payable to: Williamsburg Bird Club |
Williamsburg area local birding hotspots
Greensprings Nature Trail
A 4.7-mile soft surface hiking trail which consists of three interconnecting loops through rural land. The trail has a boardwalk over a beaver pond, is located 1/2 mile from Jamestown Island, and adjacent to Mainland Farm, the oldest continually operated farm in America. The trail is being developed through a coordinated effort utilizing volunteers from the community, various state and national grants, and local resources. Green Springs Trail is located on John Tyler Highway behind Jamestown High School. Look for nesting osprey, warblers, woodpeckers, swallows, and more.
Directions: If approaching from Newport News, follow Interstate 64 W to Exit 242A. If approaching from Richmond, follow Interstate 64E to Exit 234. Both of these exits access Route 199. Follow Route 199 to Route 5 (John Tyler Highway). Turn left and follow Route 5 to Jamestown High School at the intersection of Legacy Drive. The trailhead begins behind Jamestown High School at the tennis courts.
Colonial Parkway
A 20 mile road that runs from Jamestown to Yorktown, mostly along the James and York rivers, with many parking pull-offs; expect almost anything in the varied habitats.
Jamestown Island
A 3-mile and 5-mile, one way loop road through viney woods and marshes, with parking pull-offs; excellent for woodland species and waterfowl.
Directions: When traveling east or west on I-64 take exit 242A (Route 199 West). At the second stoplight, S. Henry Street, turn right. Make another immediate second right, about 50 feet from the first right. This will take you to the Colonial Parkway. Turn right onto the Parkway and follow it to its end and the Jamestown Entrance Station.
Hog Island
A wildlife management area on the shore of the James River, just south of Williamsburg, in Surry County. Most easily reached by the Jamestown Ferry, with observation platforms and walking trails; great for shorebirds and waterfowl.
Access to the area is through the Surry Nuclear Power Station from state Route 10, between the towns of Surry and Smithfield, north via Routes 650 or 617.
York River State Park
York River State Park offers visitors an opportunity to experience the environment of a coastal estuary. This park is known for its rare and delicate environment, where freshwater and saltwater meet to create a habitat rich in marine and plant life. The main focus of the park is to preserve a portion of York River frontage and its related marshes while providing an area for passive day-use recreation for visitors. York River State Park served as a role model for all of Virginia’s state parks in developing resource management plans. Expect just about any kind of birds except shore birds.
Directions: The entrance is off Route 606. From I-64, take the Croaker Exit 231B. Go north on Route 607 (Croaker Rd.) for one mile, then right on Route 606 (Riverview Rd.) about one and a half miles to the park entrance. Take a left turn into the park.
New Quarter Park
A 545 acre preserve that includes mature woodlands and open meadows, habitat that supports a diverse population of plants and animals. The park sits on a bluff of fossil shells and is surrounded by tidal creeks and marshes. Located at the end of Lakeshead Drive near the Queens Lake neighborhood.
Download a brochure of birds to look for at New Quarter Park (.pdf)
From East: Take I-64 West. Take exit 242A (Route 199 West/Jamestown Exit.) Take the Route 143 exit off of Route 199 (the first exit) , turn right onto Route 143 and follow it until you come to the first stoplight, which is the Penniman Road intersection. Turn right onto Penniman Road (Magruder Elementary School is on the left) and take the first left turn onto Hubbard Lane. Stay on Hubbard Land for about a mile an until you go under an overpass just past Cobble Creek subdivision. After the overpass, make an immediate right turn onto Lakeshead Drive. Follow this road until you reach the park.
From West: From West: Take I-64 East. Take EXIT 238 toward US-60/ CAMP PEARY / COLONIAL WILLIAMSBURG. (0.1 miles). Merge onto VA-143 E toward WILLIAMSBURG / JAMESTOWN / YORKTOWN. (1.1 miles). Stay STRAIGHT to go onto CAPITOL LANDING RD / VA-5 S. (0.3 miles) Turn LEFT onto PARKWAY DR / VA-163. (0.4 miles) Take the ramp on right toward YORKTOWN (0.1 miles). Turn RIGHT onto COLONIAL PKWY / COLONIAL NATIONAL HISTORICAL PKWY. (0.8 miles). Take the ramp toward QUEENS LAKE. (0.1 miles). Turn RIGHT onto HUBBARD LN / W QUEENS DR. (0.1 miles). Take first RIGHT onto LAKESHEAD DR. and follow this road until you reach the park.
Jolly Pond
Located on Route 633 off Centerville Road. Only 2 small pull-offs, but a great location for waterfowl and for swampy forest dwellers such as warblers and flycatchers.
College Woods
On the campus of the College of William and Mary, adjacent to Lake Matoaka; enter from Compton Drive off Monticello Avenue. Area supports waterfowl on the lake and species that like mature oak and beech forest.
Waller Mill Park
The entrance is on Airport Road between the intersection of Route 645 and Rochambeau Road. Picnic areas and trails through mature woods are excellent for thrushes, vireos. Warblers, flycatchers, tanagers, and more.
Governor’s Land
Two islands on the shore of the James River off Route 5 near the intersection with the Chickahominy River. Protected by a conservation easement held by the Williamsburg Land Conservancy; boardwalk across marsh and trails through the woods are good for warblers, wrens, and ducks.
Bassett Hall Woods
Off Francis Street in Colonial Williamsburg, behind Basset Hall; stream, woods and a freshwater pond: look for wrens, thrushes, woodland birds.
Golf @ Two Rivers / Governors Land-Williamsburg VA
Virginia golf doesn’t get any better than this
Two of the best names in golf designed Two Rivers: Tom Fazio and Mother Nature.
“What first impressed me with this Virginia golf project was the Williamsburg location and its connotation of quality. The number one priority was creating the highest quality and caliber of golf. There was no compromise. ”
– Tom Fazio
A Golf Digest Top 10 Virginia ranking and tournament play attest to the caliber of Two Rivers.
Among the Most Beautiful Golf Courses in Virginia
Mother Nature is kind to the Virginia Peninsula. We lie just south of the usual winter storm track and just north of the southern hurricane zone.
Our four distinct seasons are mild and pleasant for outdoor activity year round. Thanks to the Chesapeake Bay, Chickahominy River and James River, we normally stay warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer. In fact, the “cold months” of December and January have highs of around 50 degrees.
Benefits of a private golf course
Between rounds, members take advantage of expansive practice facilities that include a driving range, chipping area and two putting greens. Our Halfway house is conveniently located after holes #6 and #11. The fully stocked golf pro shop provides the latest in golf technology and fashion.
One of Golf Digest’s Top 10 golf courses in Virginia
“The variety of holes and the flow of the land give this course its uniqueness. The style and individual character of each hole offer so many distinct features that it will be immediately recognized as a top course. ” – Tom Fazio
Because of the quality of TRCC, it has been selected as a host site for the following Virginia golf events:
- Sectional qualifying for USGA national championship
- Top Senior Amateur invitational events
- College tournaments and practice venue for the William & Mary men’s and women’s golf teams
Call to find out more about making Two Rivers Country Club your home course.
Rob Collins Membership Director Two Rivers Country Club (757) 258-4610 ext 226 Rob@TwoRiversClub. com
Read more about homes and the Governors Land Community
Sneak Peak at Verbolten Coaster at Busch Gardens Williamsburg VA
Busch Gardens opened the construction gates today for an exclusive first look at Verbolten℠, the park’s new multi-launch, indoor/outdoor roller coaster. When the coaster debuts this spring, it will feature design elements never before seen in the United States.
One of Verbolten’s main surprises is a free-fall drop hidden within the ride’s massive indoor special-effects building. Larry Giles, Busch Gardens’ vice president of design and engineering, promises this innovative drop will take riders’ breath away.
“It will be like someone pulled the track out from under you,” he said of the sensation riders will feel when the entire train drops 16 feet in complete darkness.
The drop’s design uses high-powered magnets to suspend the coaster train and a special section of track at the top of the special-effects building. To the surprise of riders, the magnets release and the train and track drop to the floor. They come to rest momentarily before the train is launched out of the dark Black Forest at speeds approaching 55 mph.
Other highlighted design features include a covered bridge that plays into the ride’s Black Forest-inspired theme. The bridge is one of the final elements of the attraction and sits atop a nearly 90-foot drop over Busch Gardens’ Rhine River. The drop pays homage to the final drop experienced on The Big Bad Wolf, which previously operated on the site. Recreating the drop also allowed design engineers to minimize Verbolten’s environmental impact by reusing the existing concrete foundations along the banks of the river.
Verbolten is unlike other coasters at the Virginia theme park. The ride narrative draws guests in from the time they enter the ride’s station house until they see their expression on the on-board video system when they exit the ride.
As riders enter the ride area, they will meet a German brother and sister team who run a small inn and visitor center at the edge of the Black Forest. Dire warnings of supernatural happenings within the forest dare riders to enter. Brave passengers are whisked away for a scenic tour of the German countryside only to fall into the clutches of the Black Forest’s inhabitants when they make a verboten detour.
Audio-visual special effects, scenic elements and other controls inside the darkened special-effects building create the illusion of a forest that has come to life. Verbolten’s two electromagnetic launches provide a zero to 55 mph rush of adrenaline at key times during the ride to advance the ride’s narrative.
Verbolten is the capstone attraction of a two-year rejuvenation project in Busch Gardens’ Oktoberfest village. Mach Tower, the park’s 240-foot drop tower, joins the launch coaster as the park’s newest thrill attractions. A new pretzel restaurant and new performance spaces that opened in 2011 completes the Oktoberfest village transformation.
More info here
We’ve Got Camp
The James City County Parks and Recreation Spring/Summer 2012 catalog is now available online.
The brochures highlights summer camps and all Parks and Recreation programs, events and activities through September.
Youth camps are offered for art., writing, golf, soccer, tennis, kayaking, 4H, Cycling, baseball, basketball, aviation, cooking, engineering, fencing, Lego-robotics, and many more.
Copies of the brochure can also be picked up at the Community Centers, the Satellite Services Office in Toano and at the County and City libraries.
You can read the 2012 Edition here
New Quarter Park- York County-Williamsburg
The mature forest, ridges, bottoms, and wetlands of this 545- acre York County park are alive with a wide variety of woody and herbaceous plants that provide habitat for deer, raccoons, birds, turtles, snakes, millipedes, and more. The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries’ Birding and Wildlife Trail program has recognized New Quarter Park as one of coastal Virginia’s best sites for wildlife-watching and hiking.
History
Archaeologists have discovered prehistoric sites that reveal this land was home to Woodland Indians. After 1607, explorers from Jamestown crossed through the area to visit Chief Powhatan at Werowocomoco (Gloucester). The land along Queens Creek and the York River was granted to English settlers beginning in the 1630s.
In the early 1700s, Robert “King” Carter named this tract New Quarter, one of many quarters or farms that made up his landholding. He gave it to his grandson, Carter Burwell, who built Carter’s Grove. Slaves lived and toiled here for about 150 years. Nathaniel Burwell, Carter Burwell’s son, and many of his slaves moved west after the American Revolution.
During the Civil War, Union Troops at Fort Monroe launched a campaign to take Richmond, the Confederate Capital. Earthworks were built to slow the advance; Redoubts 12 and 13 are within the Park. After the Civil War, the forest grew while the land was lightly used by tenant farmers. York County acquired the property at no cost through the federal surplus land act program in 1976 on the condition that it be used for recreational purposes. Today the park is enjoyed by thousands of outdoor and recreational enthusiasts.
FACILITIES
• Available first come, first served: Hiking & mountain biking trails, playgrounds, picnic shelters, disc golf course, canoe & kayak launch, floating dock/ fishing pier, basketball & volleyball courts, soft ball field, horseshoe pits. • Picnic shelters may be reserved (see fees). • Public restrooms.
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Trail Map
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Let’s Go Fishing! New Quarter Park-York County
March 3,2012- Let’s Go Fishing! 10 a.m. to noon – Conservation Police Officer George Wilson, Va Dept of Game & Inland Fisheries, will lead a program to the floating dock to talk about the fine art of fishing.
Directions • Exit Col Pkwy at Queen’s Lake, turn right. Turn on Lakeshead Dr. (Look for sign.) • From Peninsula: Exit I-64 at Rt. 199 toward Jamestown. Exit Rt. 143W. Right on Penniman Rd., left on Hubbard Ln. Right on Lakeshead Rd., follow to Park.
Williamsburg Outside.com 