August 26, 2022

A publication by Gloucester's Department of Community Engagement and Public Information

Help Us Celebrate Gloucester Day Sept. 3

Gloucester County Virginia will be celebrating its Inaugural Gloucester Day Saturday, Sept. 3, in collaboration with other Gloucesters around the nation and the globe. On this day, Gloucester County Administrator, Carol Steele, will be participating at the site of the original Gloucester Day in Gloucester, England. Ms. Steele elected to travel to Europe on a personal vacation and timed the trip so she could attend the events, highlighting the Gloucester Collaboration project. Earlier this year, Gloucester, Virginia and Gloucester, England formed the Gloucester Collaboration, and reached out to other communities with the same name, encouraging communication and collaboration.

Gloria Williams, the Manager for the Community Engagement and Public Information Department, has taken the lead on promoting Gloucester Day locally and is excited with the progress. She mentioned that several churches, organizations, residents, and the Gloucester Main Library will be participating in the 12 Bells at 12. In addition, many local museums will be opening their doors to welcome guests, such as the Gloucester Museum of History, Woodville School, Buck Rowe’s Store Museum, and the Fairfield Foundation’s Timberneck House out at Machicomoco State Park.

In addition, the County’s Park, Recreation and Tourism Department will be promoting local walking and driving tours of our community’s rich cultural and historical sites as part of the event. Williams said local community members are asked to reflect on their love for our own “Land of the Life Worth Living,” and share their celebrations by tagging images from the day on the County’s Facebook Page “Gloucester County Virginia.” Please use the hashtags #YayGloucesterDay or #GloucesterDay2022 when tagging the event on social media. Williams asks that residents and visitors send images of a joyful time in Gloucester, whether they are shopping, dining, bell ringing, or enjoying outdoor recreation.

For more information, click here. 

Treasurer’s Office Once Again Recognized for Achieving Accreditation 

The Gloucester County Treasurer’s office has again received its accreditation from the Treasurer’s Association of Virginia (TAV).

As part of the accreditation process, offices must successfully pass an outside audit with no findings of material weakness.

To read more, click here. 

Indigenous Peoples Celebration Scheduled for Nov. 5

Save The Date! We are excited to announce the Indigenous Peoples Celebration being held at Machicomoco State Park Saturday, November 5th from 10am-3pm!

Gloucester County is excited to partner with the Virginia Department of Conservation & Recreation to bring you educational activities pertaining to the legacy of Pocahontas and her connection to Gloucester County. The Gloucester Museum of History will be present as well as the Rappahannock Dance Group and Maskapow Drum, who will be performing throughout the day.

LIBRARY NEWS

PARKS & RECREATION NEWS

Upcoming Events for the Week of August 26, 2022

ZUMBA

Parks, Recreation & Tourism is sponsoring ZUMBA for ages 16 and older on Mondays and Wednesdays from 6:45-7:45 at Abingdon. September session is $56 for the whole month (skip 9/5) or $9 per day for individual classes. The deadline is September 1.

SCENTWORK

Parks, Recreation & Tourism is sponsoring Scentwork, a Super Dog Sundays in the Parks activity, on Sunday, September 4 from 3:00-4:00 pm at Beaverdam Park. Learn to engage your dog’s sniffer with fun and enriching games. The fee is $30 and the deadline to register is August 28.

PACK WALK

Parks, Recreation & Tourism is sponsoring a Pack Walk for dog-social pups on Sunday, September 4 from 4:30-5:30 pm at Beaverdam. The fee is $30 and the deadline to register is August 28.

For more information on these and other activities call PRT at 804-693-2355, email [email protected] or stop by our office 6382 Main Street. For online registration visit https://gloucesterva.info/civicrec

RCC Among Virginia Community Colleges Offering Skilled Training

Virginia’s community colleges, including Rappahannock Community College (RCC), are gearing up to train more workers to help rebuild Virginia’s crumbling infrastructure. The Virginia Infrastructure Academy (VIA) announced it “will coordinate, scale up, and replicate infrastructure-related community college programs.” The community colleges in Virginia currently produce a combined total of 4,000 graduates annually, with a goal of a total of 35,000 qualified workers over the next five years.

The VIA initiative, with startup funding from the Lumina Foundation, will be used to promote and deliver training at RCC in solar, welding, and broadband, a few of the initiatives outlined in Congress’ Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. RCC provides short-term training and credentialing options for today’s workforce, and is exploring future training programs.

RCC’s partnership with SHINE (Solar Hands-on Instructional Network of Excellence) brings Solar 101 to campus as a two-day, immersive, hands-on training to work as a solar installation technician. A similar partnership with Open Broadband offers training to become an internet installation technician. RCC continues to offer welding courses at several RCC sites.

Individuals choosing to pursue training in a high-demand infrastructure field may find them to be among the most affordable options. FastForward, G3, VIA, and other financial aid sources may allow students to participate in these programs for little or no out-of-pocket expenses that could cover tuition as well as required safety materials.

For more information about RCC programs and courses call (804) 333-6730, visit www.rappahannock.edu,or email [email protected].

Seeking Artists with a LOVE for Recycling for Public Art Display

Virginia will soon be for lovers of recycling. The askHRgreen.org Recycling and Beautification Committee is inviting artists and creative teams to envision and develop a dynamic Virginia LOVE sign, encouraging Hampton Roads residents and visitors to “Start Smart, Recycle Right.” Applicants have until Oct. 7, 2022 to submit their conceptual vision. The winning artist or group will receive a $2,500 stipend for creating the sign—along with an array of recyclable materials they may need to adorn it.  

For details and to download the application, go to https://askhrgreen.org/callforartists.

Historical Literacy Opportunities with Literacy Volunteers of Gloucester

Join Literacy Volunteers of Gloucester's to learn more about local history through guided tours, and learn about LVG's Mission to Equip Adults for Tomorrow!

Gloucester Museum of History

6539 Main Street, Gloucester, VA 23061

Saturday, September 10th at 11:00 a.m.

To sign up, email LVG at: [email protected]

*Space may be limited!

Replayed Post on Money, Health, and Other Things!

Over the next few weeks, the Virginia Cooperative Extension will revisit its past posts on credit, credit reports, and credit scores. This week, they'll discuss the first two of four common credit score myths. To learn more, click here.