Excerpt from Free Lance Star 

On the Northern Neck, the lower Rappahannock was full of personal watercraft yesterday morning, according to Richmond County crabber Russ Messick. "There were so many Jet Skis and Sea-Doos out there that it looked like a race. The odd thing was that nobody was on any of them," he said. The extreme high tide that launched many unmanned boats and set them adrift in the lower Rappahannock and Potomac rivers also threatened the low-lying community of Lewisetta, said Northumberland County Administrator Kenneth D. Eades. The tide there was about 2 feet above normal, he said. "The only way in was by truck. The fire department went door-to-door offering to evacuate residents to a shelter, but no one took us up on it," Eades said. High winds downed power lines to hundreds of homes in the Northern Neck, but the only serious damage reported yesterday was a pickup crushed by a falling tree in Colonial Beach.

Copied from Free Lance Star 

SOME SAID they got into the winery business after carefully researching the business of growing grapes, making wine and struggling to make a profit.

Others at a special reception launching a video on "The Vineyards and Wineries of the Northern Neck" said their businesses grew out of hobbies.

One newcomer even "blamed" the jump into the wine business on a home kit purchased at Kmart, that grew from a basement operation to a garage-filling experiment to a full-fledged vineyard.

"I'm just surprised that so many people want to lose so much money these days," joked veteran Doug Flemer of Ingleside Vineyards, hosting the event for the video that highlights stops on the relatively new Northern Neck Wine Trail.

Flemer said that when his family got into the wine business in Westmoreland County's Oak Grove in 1980, there were eight wineries in Virginia.

"I think the latest count is 150 wineries in the state," he said. "And the number is still growing."

Flemer and Patty Long of the Northern Neck Tourism Council, which coordinated the making of the video, said they hope it will become an effective marketing tool.

Long, whose position was recently discontinued by the Tourism Council due to funding shortages, said the video on the vineyards and wineries grew from a different idea.

"Initially, we had talked about making a DVD that could be used to market the entire Northern Neck," Long said.

When it became clear that might be too much for one video, the Tourism Council and video producer Mark Huffman of Northumberland County, decided to split the subjects up.

One video includes museums and historic attractions, and has sold out all but a handful of its first run.

Huffman, who got his start in radio, said making a video featuring the interesting operations on the Northern Neck Wine Trail was a natural.

Included on the video are Athena Vineyards and Winery in Burgess, Belle Mount Vineyards in Warsaw, Ingleside Vineyards in Oak Grove, Oak Crest Vineyard and Winery in King George, Vault Field Vineyard in Kinsale and White Fences Vineyard and Winery in Irvington.

Also on the trail are Potomac Point Vineyard and Winery in Stafford and New Kent Winery.

Huffman said the video came together nicely, and features different aspects of the business–types of grapes, equipment used, how to taste wine and personal stories of those starting the vineyards.

"One of my favorites is a whole section on how to correctly taste wine, done by one of the wine-makers known to all," Long said. "I never knew so much went into tasting wine the right way."

Flemer said most people outside his industry don't know how important tourism and marketing tools like the wine trail are to small wineries like those featured on the DVD.

"It's so important to get people to visit the wineries," where they can buy wines directly, he said. "We are never going to be a force in the open market. There is too much competition for shelf space from the big companies and conglomerates."

Others agreed, noting the many ways they welcome visitors for tours, tastings or to enjoy the natural beauty of their properties.

The DVD is being sold for $12.95 at the vineyards and wineries, at Northern Neck museums and historic attractions and through the Wine Trail Web site.

www.northernneckwinetrail.com  

Rob Hedelt: 540/374-5415
Email: rhedelt@freelancestar.com

 Copied from, Virginia Knits

On Saturday, May 17th at the Heathsville Farmer's Market, the Northern Neck Spinners and Weavers Group will be holding a fleece to shawl demonstration. The demonstration will begin at 8:30 and conclude either when we are done or 4 p.m. whichever comes first.

We hope to finish before 4…

We will be demonstrating and teaching how to flick and comb wool, spin it on both wheels and spindles and weave the finished singles into a shawl.

The shawl, once completed, will be donated to the Hughlett Inn - Rice's Tavern organization for either a raffle or auction to benefit this teaching and historic preservation organization.

What makes this fleece to shawl demonstration unique is that any visitor interested in participating will be brought in, handed and spindle with some fleece and taught how to spin. Your resulting yarn will be incorporated into the shawl.

That same day at the Farmer's Market they are also celebrating Crab Crawl and will feature food, organic vegetables, locally grown plants, local crafts persons, and more. The Blacksmith shop will be open and the members of that guild will be doing blacksmithing demonstrations next door to where we will be spinning and weaving.

Sunday, April 20, 2008

Contact Information

Mark Huffman

President

MediaMax

804-456-0052

mark@northernnecktoday.com

Virginia’s Northern Neck, bordered by the Potomac and Rappahannock rivers and Chesapeake Bay, has increasingly drawn retirees who enjoy the peaceful setting and hassle-free lifestyle. Now, the Northern Neck Tourism Council is making it easier for people contemplating retirement to take a first hand look.

The council is sponsoring its first “Northern Neck Pre-Retirement Tour” May 17, 2008, in conjunction with the Fourth Annual Kilmarnock Crab Festival.

“Folks who are thinking about where they want to live when they retire will have the opportunity to see what we have to offer that weekend,” said NNTC President George Beckett.

Beckett said the “tour” is self-guided, but Council volunteers will provide information, literature about the area, and answer questions. Visitors will then set out to visit the region’s museums, farmers’ markets, wineries and other attractions.

“We chose to hold our first tour during the Crab Festival because it’s a great introduction to the culture of the Northern Neck,” Beckett said.

The Crab Festival, initiated by Kilmarnock businessman Shawn Donahue, celebrates the local watermen’s culture. It features crafts, art exhibits, food and entertainment.

“This year we have added lots of live entertainment, so it should be bigger and better than ever,” Donahue said.

The festival begins Friday evening, May 16 and resumes Saturday May 17 for a full day of activities.

“On Saturday, our volunteers will be set up in the festival’s Welcome Center,” Beckett said. “We invite people to drop by and pick up a map, our Tourism Guide, and a suggested itinerary of things to do.”

“Both the Crab Festival and the Pre-Retirement Tour are great ways to meet the other people who live here, and decide whether you might one day also want to make the Northern Neck your home,” Donahue added.

The Northern Neck is made up of four rural counties, but is as close as an hour away from Richmond, Virginia and as close as 90 minutes from Washington, DC.

On Tuesday, April 23, VMRC will impose more regulations on the crabbers.

The crabbers have been accused of overfishing for years but they have started fighting back. Too late but they are fighting.

For over 30 years commercial waterman have been screaming about the degradation of the Chesapeake Bay that has been causing the decline of life in the Bay.

Although the crabbers will take another hit they have united and several environmental organizations have joined with them as they have threated suit.

Lawyers have advised them that they do have grounds for such a suit. This week the Virgina Waterman's Association will meet with an environmental group that has passed word to them that they have already prepared the legal work for such a suit. They have just been waiting for the right group to come along. They think the Virginia Waterman's Association is that group. 

Northern Neck Real Estate is prime property, especially Northern Neck waterfront property.

Prices have lowered and there are some good deals on waterfront homes and waterfront lots.

If you have not created an account to search the Northern Neck Multiple Listings then please do so. 

You might find that perfect retirement home or second property. Start by clicking HERE 

Virginia bay town turns away payday lender

By the Associated Press

March 18, 2008

KILMARNOCK, Va. - There's no welcome mat for payday lenders in the town of Kilmarnock.

The town council voted down a request Monday night to allow payday-lending company Advance America to open an office in the Northern Neck community.

The council voted after a short public hearing at which ministers, business owners and social advocates spoke against allowing cash-advance businesses in commercial zones.

The district manager for Advance America–which runs a cash advance business in nearby Warsaw–said the company wanted to open an office in Kilmarnock to meet local demand.

Virginia's General Assembly this session passed legislation capping the fees and interest rates that payday lenders can charge.