February 10, 2023

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

Progress Being Made on Broadband Access in Gloucester

Gloucester County is making headway on its broadband initiative to connect as many residents as possible.

Currently, the County is in the process of connecting those who are completely unserved by Internet providers. Most of these customers are expected to be connected by mid-May of this year.

Once the unserved residents are connected, the second phase of the broadband project will make broadband available to the rest of the county’s residents and businesses. The remainder of the County will be connected as additional towers come online, beginning in the Fall of this year.

To learn more, click here.

On Feb. 7, Chris Hutson, Chair of the Gloucester County Board of Supervisors, presented Gloucester Volunteer Fire and Rescue Squad, Inc. members Ashley Rowe and A.J. Hamilton a Proclamation of Appreciation for their life-saving actions on Dec. 29, 2022. On that day, a young girl fell through the ice on a retention pond in the Patriots Walk subdivision. Captain Ashley Rowe and Firefighter A.J. Hamilton responded to the emergency call and rescued the girl from the water.

Gloucester County Virginia Government appreciates your service to the community!

Help shape the future of Gloucester by participating in this shortened survey on future potential zoning regulations. This survey is straightforward and takes less than 10 minutes to complete. Your feedback will be presented directly to the Planning Commission!

Click here to take the short survey.

Exchange Club of Gloucester-Mathews is Formed

The Exchange Club of Gloucester-Mathews has announced that it has set a date for its Introductory & Enrollment meeting:

Tuesday, February 28, 2023

6:30-7:45pm

Gloucester County Public Library

6920 Main Street

Gloucester, VA 23061

Please mark your calendars to come out and learn how you can help to make our communities a better place to live.

Organizers will be providing light refreshments and hope to see you there.

For more information on the Exchange Club, visit www.nationalexchangeclub.org

RCC Schedules Virtual Information Session for High School Seniors

Rappahannock Community College is hosting a virtual information session for high school seniors on February 27 from 6 pm to 7 pm. Participants will learn about RCC’s programs, financial aid process, and other information to help them as they decide on a path after graduation.

Sessions will be held on RCC programs, including Workforce Skills & Training; Business Administration & Information Technology; Criminal Justice; Teacher Education; Psychology/Social Work; Health Science (Nursing/Pre-BSN Program); Transfer Programs (AA&S Transfer Degree); and more.

Pre-registration to receive the Zoom link is required at:

https://vccs.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIvdu6grzgvGNDKGAjbAxa36LUJZG2kx1RL.

Students should also complete an interest survey at https://forms.gle/yMvxYpFMzdS3ejYL9.

For more information, students can contact their high school navigator or contact RCC at 804-333-6730, email [email protected].

Concert at Abingdon Church Features Risa Hokamura on Violin Sunday, February 12, 2023 

Abingdon Episcopal Church, on Route 17 in White Marsh, Gloucester County, will be hosting Risa Hokamura in the 3rd concert this season in the Arts at Abingdon Concert Series, our 34th year. The concert will be held Sunday Feb. 12, 2023 at 5:00 pm at the church. Admission is free, but a free-will offering will be accepted.

Risa Hokamura began the violin at the age of three, and at the age of ten she began to capture top prizes in competitions in Japan. She first came to international attention upon winning the Silver Medal at the 2018 International Violin Competition of Indianapolis, where she performed the Tchaikovsky Concerto with the Indianapolis Symphony conducted by Leonard Slatkin. Ms. Hokamura won First Prize in the 2018 Young Concert Artists International Auditions at the age of seventeen.

She follows in the distinguished footsteps of her two major violin teachers, who also began their careers with Young Concert Artists: Koichiro Harada (founding first violinist of the Tokyo String Quartet) and Mayuko Kamio. A native of Japan, Risa Hokamura studied at the Artist Diploma program of the Tokyo College of Music as the Honorary Scholarship student under the tutelage of Koichiro Harada, Mayuko Kamio and Machie Oguri. She begins her studies this year at the Manhattan School of Music as the Full Scholarship student under the tutelage of Koichiro Harada and Lucie Robert. 

Virginia Cooperative Extension in Need of Volunteers for Reality Store Simulation

For those unfamiliar with Reality Store, it’s a wonderful hands-on experience for 8^th graders where they are given a family situation (income, marital status, children, etc.) and are asked to use their money income to make decisions on things like housing, transportation, food, clothing, entertainment, etc. Volunteers are needed to staff each booth representing one of these expenses to help explain the options to the students. We are currently looking for anyone willing to volunteer on the 17^th of February at Peasley Middle School (2885 Hickory Fork Rd, Gloucester, VA 23061) to help out at a Reality Store station!

The simulations will run from 8:20-1:10, with the following schedule of six smaller simulations:

- First simulation starts at 8:20 (we are asking for volunteers to arrive no later than 8:00 AM)

- Second simulation starts at 9:04

- Third simulation starts at 9:48

- Fourth simulation starts at 10:32

- Fifth simulation starts at 11:16

- Lunch break from 12:00-12:25 (lunch vouchers provided by school)

- Sixth simulation starts at 12:29

If you would like to volunteer, but are unable to volunteer for the entire day, please e-mail [email protected] and note what times you would be able to help out! We would love if you could stay with us the entire time, but any time you can contribute volunteering for this simulation would be greatly appreciated! Also, please feel free to get the word out to friends and family!

Funding Still Available for Low Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP) in Hampton Roads, But Customers Should Act Now

The Low Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP), a temporary, federally-funded program created to help residents with water and wastewater utility bills, still has funding available, but residents should act now. The program is only available until September 30, 2023 or until funds are exhausted. To date, over 6,000 Hampton Roads households have utilized this one-time grant, taking advantage of more than $4.5 million in funding.

LIHWAP is administered by the Virginia Department of Social Services in partnership with Promise. Through the program, eligible households can receive a one-time payment equal to the amount of past-due bills up to a maximum of $2,500. To qualify for LIHWAP assistance, residents must have a past due water or wastewater balance and a gross household income below 150% of the federal poverty level based on household size.

Income guidelines can be found on at the LIHWAP website at https://www.dss.virginia.gov/benefit/LIHWAP/index.cgi Households that are enrolled in other federal assistance programs, including Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), or veteran programs will qualify for LIHWAP, but must apply for the assistance.

“This is the first-ever national water assistance program and a great resource for those struggling to pay their bills,” said Whitney Katchmark, principal water resources planner with the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission. “We hope to see federal support for the program continue but encourage all who may be eligible to apply now.”



To apply for LIHWAP relief, Hampton Roads residents can visit www.virginialihwap.com or call 888-373-9908.

For more information on LIHWAP or Promise, please visit https://www.dss.virginia.gov/benefit/LIHWAP/index.cgi

Replayed Post on Money, Health, and Other Things!

For those needing some motivation to continue their health/wellness New Years Resolutions or just looking to be healthier in 2023, the Virginia Cooperative Extension will revisit some of its past posts on nutrition, health, and exercise. This week, they’ll discuss the when, the how, and the what for eating healthy!

To tune in, click here.

LIBRARY NEWS

PARKS & RECREATION NEWS

Update! We are extending our spring soccer deadline to February 19th for all age groups with the exception of the 4-5 year old rugrats (which is at capacity and currently has a waiting list). Sign up today at gloucesterva.info/civicrec