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Where Are The Fireworks This Year?

In case you were wondering where the fireworks are this year, here's a recap of what's happening around the New River Valley for the Fourth of July holiday.  If there's something you'd like to add, email me and I'll link it up.

Blacksburg - July 4th Celebration sponsored by Clean & Green Technologies, Hawthorn Suites and Oldies Radio 101.3 Z-FM

• 2pm - July 4th Parade down Main Street, then catch National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets at The Lyric, sponsored by the Mt. Tabor Ruritan Club
• 6pm - Blacksburg Community Band at Municipal Park
• 8:15pm - The LandSharks (a Jimmy Buffett tribute band) at Municipal Park
• 9:30pm - FIREWORKS
• Blacksburg Transit will run shuttles beginning at 5pm from Perry Street to Patrick Henry Drive.

Christiansburg - Christiansburg High School

• 5:30-8:30pm - children's game area by Dave's Moonwalks and More
• 6:30-7:15pm - music by Kerri Taylor
• 7:30-9:30pm - music by Don and the Deltones
• 9:45 - FIREWORKS

Radford - All kinds of activities going on in Radford, including:

• 7am - 5K Registration at Dudley's Landing
• 8am - 5K Race begins at Dudley's Landing
• 10am - Family Bike Rodeo
• 10:30-12pm - "Kids Time" Pony Rides / Airbrush Tattoos / Inflatables
• 12pm - Dog Show
• 12-7pm - Inflatables, Music, Food and Crafts and Mechanical Bull
• 1-2:45pm - Karaoke, with $250 going to the 1st place winner
• 3pm - Sam, Danny and Steve
• 3:30pm - Carilion Lifeguard Helicopter
• 4pm - ELVIS
• 5pm - The Java Brothers
• 6pm - National Anthem - Ms. Amanda Shepheard / Mayor Tom Starnes / Dr. Harshberger Patriotic Readings
• 6:15pm - "Greater Love"
• 7:15 - 8:45pm - Jimmy Fortune
• 9:00pm - Karaoke Finals
• 9:30pm - FIREWORKS
• Visit Radford Parks and Recreation for more information

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New River Valley Renters - This Post Could Save You Thousands of Dollars!

Scams abound, and one I just read about really hit home to me - wanted to share it here.

We have a lot of renters here in the New River Valley, particularly centered around Blacksburg (Virginia Tech) and Radford (Radford University), but in many other areas of the Valley as well.  The summer is a hot season for renters, as people move in and out around the various school systems and universities.  That hot rental market is also a great place for scam artists to move and "work", as evidenced by this story by Maggie Dokic in Miami FL.

I plan on sending this post to some local law enforcement to see if they have any updates they can provide on how renters can protect themselves, but Maggie makes a couple of good points.

• Check property records online to verify the person signing the lease is truly the owner, or is authorized to sign leases on behalf of the owner.  Each County has its own record system, here are a few:
  
  - Montgomery County (including Blacksburg & Christiansburg records)
  - City of Radford
  - Giles County
  
  
• Be sure to know exactly where the checks will be mailed, so there's a physical address to track.
• If they don't verify your credit, be very WARY!  If they want first and last months rent in cash, RUN!

I'd add that working with a property manager is a must for making sure a property is above board, and I'm happy to hook you up with some of the best - just email me for a list.  Most landlords in the New River Valley are above board and honest, but that's not to say there aren't unscrupulous folks out there as well.  Hopefully some of these tips will help renters in the New River Valley protect themselves a little more, and not experience what this poor family in Miami is up against.

Updated July 1 11:00am - received an email from State Farm agent Eric Johnsen this morning as a follow-up to this post, wanted to share it in its entirety.  He wrote:  "with two large universities we do have a number of student renters.  That's one of the nice things about being a landlord here, we have a large pool to advertise rental properties to.  However, many students are either forced or conned into buying renters insurance.  I am an insurance agent, obviously, and I have something to say about this.  Some property managers require renters insurance, and if that's the case it's hard for the renter to overcome.  Some insurance agents sell it, and this is where we can run into a problem with unscrupulous business practices.

If the student lives with their parents when they are NOT attending school, and the parents are homeowners, it is very unlikely that the stdent needs additional coverage.  Their personal property is covered under their parents' policy, subject to the policy deductible.  The liability coverage would extend from the parents' policy as well.  If the student had to evacuate and live elsewhere (such as when Katrina hit New Orleans and students were scattered), the policy wouldn't extend for THAT additional living expense. 

Insurance agents who are selling this policy to those students who already have coverage is a bit questionable.  If that person is no longer a student, out of their own living the big life now, THEN it's time ofr renters insurance.  Otherwise, as long as they fit under mom and dad's umbrella as a permanent resident of the household than they should be covered under their parents' homeowners policy."

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Kids Say The Darndest Things

I mentioned a few weeks ago that Christiansburg Town Council member Brad Stipes had started writing a blog.

He recently wrote that he had participated in a Q&A with 5th grade students at Christiansburg Elementary.  The Councilman wrote that the topic at hand was what the kids thought made Christiansburg a great place to live, and what could make it even better.  Their responses were funny, enlightening, and - in some cases - dead on.  An excerpt here, make sure to read the whole article - and the comments - for a good chuckle and some thought-provoking comments:

• Matthew E. will run a recycling program in Christiansburg when he grows up - "Did you know there only about 2 - 5 recycling places in Christiansburg?  I have said that because I think that Christiansburg needs a recycling program where people set out bins and put what they want to recycle ..."
• I see a future Christiansburg Town Planner in Levi - "I'm concerned about the Huckleberry Trail Bridge.  I think that you should not buy the cheapest bridge you can find.  Because it would look bad to the town of Christiansburg and would ruin the economy.  I also think you should get a bridge that is steel and silver, that is fancy on the side..."
• Tiffani really understands aging - "I think we need a new Christiansburg Elementary School.  This school is 45 years old.  In fact, the school gets older and older each year ..."

Maybe it seems to be more difficult than the kids realize, but I think there's some real truth to what they say.  Christiansburg needs to beef up - well, perhaps START - it's recycling program.  The Town should be forcing developers to provide homeowners with greenspace and recreational opportunities, rather than building and paving every square inch of land.  Christiansburg is certainly not without fault, but it's refreshing to see Brad Stipes - and the residents of Christiansburg - getting so involved. 

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A Blogging Christiansburg Town Council Member

Just discovered this ...

A Christiansburg Town Councilman has started blogging.  Brad Stipes has started a blog entitled "AdvanceChristiansburg" and says that he wants to provide residents another forum to offer comments and suggestions, as well as find out what's going on in the community.  I'm not a a resident of Christiansburg, but I think this is a great way to find out "first person" what's happening in the Town - Christiansburg residetns should be proud they elected this guy.

Another blog to add to the feed reader.  There are more and more local blogs coming online, it's great to see!

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Livin' Just Got A Little More 'Spensive

If you live in Christiansburg, anyway.

No one's ever happy about taxes being raised, and this seems to be an issue at every Council meeting where the topic is broached.  The business license tax is going up dramatically, though, and people are alarmed:

"Currently, retail stores pay a BPOL tax of 10 cents per $100 of gross receipts. With the proposed increase, that would go up to 15 cents. That's still less than the tax for retailers in Blacksburg, where the rate is the state maximum of 20 cents per $100. According to the city of Roanoke's Web site, Virginia ranks ninth in the country for the lowest business tax burden."

I know I hate writing that business license check every March, but in return I'm allowed to business in the Town.  What a tradeoff ... in the end it's worth it though, and I agree with the decision to bring the BPOL up in Christiansburg.  Retail and residential should share in the process.

Short Shorts

There's a lot that's been happening recently, and I've gotten to virtually none of it here on the blog.  So ... allow me to introduce Short Shorts, the category established for when things just get a little bit crazy.

• Can the Roanoke Valley and NRV Valley coexist?  This guy tells you what he thinks.
• Portions of Lee Street in Blacksburg closed through June 16.
• Car enthusiasts unite this weekend.
• NOT the home of falling prices in Roanoke.  I'm sure BURG is all over this.

That's it for now.  A couple of new posts coming out shortly, specifically my take on whether now is a good time to buy and sell or not, as well as some thoughts on why it just got tougher to buy a home if you're self-employed.

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No Hanging Chads Here

The ballots are closed, the results are in, the after parties are over - here's a link to election results throughout the Valley.  Now, will the Council's get to work?  What do you want to see from your new Council? 

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Do You Have Cooties?

Regardless of where you stand on the BURG vs. First & Main debate going on in Blacksburg, I thought a post on a local blog, "Think, Christiansburg!", did a good job of looking at a broader picture - what are we doing to our region when we consider "development". 

Do I agree with every point in the article?  No, but  the point made in the third paragraph hits the nail on the head - empty storefronts add no quality or value to an area.  Regardless, our elected leaders seem to be negligent at helping to find creative ways to combat this blight.  What will it take?  Maybe the name of the blog should be "Think, New River Valley!"

Here's the text in its entirety:

Dialog published in local newspapers in May 2007 about the proposed development on South Main should be reframed beyond SCATs or Cooties because it affects a larger area than just one community in Montgomery County.

This is more than shifting the local portion of state sales tax within this or that town, or business taxes collected in one town instead of another.  If something is diminished within the NRV, there’s no cause for celebration.

This is more than businesses changing addresses from existing buildings and moving into new buildings. Having empty buildings in our community doesn’t add quality or value.

Do you believe any major chain will maintain two stores a few miles apart, whether Wal-Mart or Books-A-Million?  Look where our area’s original “mart” was located, where Goody’s was located before its last move.  A grocer on South Main recently impacted adjacent tenants due to an anticipated expansion.  Those plans were on hold for months, so once could expect yet another address change was considered. 

How many partially occupied shopping centers do we need within Montgomery County?  How many acres of barren, paved parking lots do we want?   How many miles of sidewalks or bike trails do these unused acres of pavement represent? 

How badly do we want any traffic congestion to be a routine part of getting somewhere, or creating new bottlenecks within our community?   Do we really want town governments and county supervisors fighting over the few dollars available for upgrades to local roads and major traffic arteries?  Or would we rather they work together to get many long-talked about yet unfunded improvements completed?

Is this about Smart Growth, or repackaging sprawl while laying the ground-work for future blight?

No matter how many “anchor” (translation:  big box retailers) stores arrive in Blacksburg or depart from Christiansburg, employees working at these businesses will earn service-sector wages.  It may even cost some employees more to get to work, since the locality with public transportation has the highest housing costs.  This may translate into more cars and congestion in Blacksburg, but where’s the value in that?

The South Main concept was introduced as being “pedestrian friendly” yet that element is now absent, so living where you can walk to work or shop is no longer a factor in the discussion.  No higher paying or new jobs, just a shift on where you may earn or spend wages.

No matter which “anchor” stores arrive, individuals won’t automatically have more money to spend. The presence of nationally recognized chain stores doesn’t equate to a rise in personal income, a decrease in real estate taxes or enhanced government services -- they change  shopping destinations or whether a shopping trip is 5 or 15 minutes away (when people can’t or don’t use public transportation).    Folks, we are not talking about South Dakota here with a 50-mile one-way commute for a loaf of bread.

Why not discuss how proposed developments affect county and both towns’ revenues? Where is economic development in this dialog on creating new businesses, or expanding and sustaining existing ones?  Why recruit fickle chain-stores that leave communities littered with vacant buildings?  These points should be worthy of action and passion, too.

Where is the dialog about identifying how sales, meals or other use-taxes allowed by Dillon rule could be increased, rather than shifted from one locality to another?   Why should a public entity’s business operations receive an advantage over private business owners?  As one example, why must private restaurateurs collect taxes from customers when a public institution is selling “more than 5 million meals each year”?  What would the meals tax revenues be for Blacksburg if ALL diners were taxed?

A redevelopment of one town’s southern gateway creating new sales or tax collection points should stimulate residents to reflect on impacts “anchors” and “chains” represent.  The rising tide theory (if you build it here, they will come from there) isn’t an assurance of real, sustainable community growth (but it’s a pretty sure bet developers passing through and remote big-box corporations will profit).  Let’s bring these points into the dialog instead of creating disharmony about shared values and common wants.

If another acronym is needed as part of this dialog, how about “Corporate Opportunists Overwhelming Towns, Instead of Economic Sustainment”?   Community members should be looking at development from a panoramic perspective, not through a straw.

Could this specific project bring much needed revenue to Blacksburg?  Yes.  Would existing businesses vacate a current location for a new one? Possibly.  Are living wage jobs being added to the local economy? No.

Remember:  convenience isn’t priceless, many people try to get a tentacle attached to your taxes or wallet, and neighbors watch out for each other.

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Christiansburg, What Are You Thinking?

More townhomes?  Really, is that what you need?  A follow-up editorial here by Christian Trejbal.

New River Valley Home Expo

Don't forget, the 2008 Home Expo will be held this weekend at the Christiansburg Rec Center on North Franklin Street.  Admission is $4, and will offer more than 140 booths, a silent auction and more!  I know Auz-Bloc will be there, you can meet Bill and check out this amazing product while you're there!

Download home_expo.pdf

Here's a video I did earlier this winter about the thermal mass of the house at 153 Gracie Lane:

Here's Your Huckleberry (updated)

Last week I wrote about the new Huckleberry Trail extension OVER Pepper's Ferry Road.  An editorial came out this weekend about that bridge, you can read it here.  I don't know who to attribute the ed to, sorry.

What do you think?  Do you use the trail?  How should Christiansburg approach this?

Here's Your Huckleberry

In June, it was announced that the Huckleberry Trail would be extended from the Blacksburg Library all the way out to the Christiansburg Rec Center, making the trail a total of ... well, I can't find the exact distance, but it's probably in the neighborhood of 8 miles. 

The biggest hurdle was the Peppers Ferry Road crossover, specifically how to get Trail users over - or under - the road safely.  Well, they've figured it out.  Prefab, baby! 

Austin Powers says $1 Billion Baby, YEA!

Austin says it's $1 Billion baby, YEA!

It was funny when Austin Powers said it, but not as funny now that Virginia lawmakers have to debate exactly HOW to make up the anticipated $1 billion budget shortfall Virginia will be seeing this year.   The Governor had suggested a withdrawal of nearly $425 million from the rainy day fund, while the Republican-controlled House suggested $225 million be withdrawn.  As with everything politics, I'm sure there's a lot of "you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours" going on, but it'll be interesting to see how this shakes out.  In all likelihood, the Session will run longer than normal until they get it worked out - you can follow it all and more on Richmond Sunlight.

What's it mean for the New River Valley, and specifically how do communities like Blacksburg and Radford that rely heavily on the universities that lie within their boundaries?  Really, the entire New River Valley relies on Virginia Tech and Radford University in a lot of ways, but how does talk of a budget shortfall affect us here?  I've been critical of The Roanoke Times in the past, but I have to give them credit for writing a very timely article on the subject, by one of my favorite reporters there, Tonia Moxley. 

The gist of the article is that towns like Blacksburg and Radford are not immune to a recession, but the universities they support help to soften the blow.  When we were on Capital Hill last week, that was one of the comments our delegation made to Dave Nutter - our university communities seem to be doing quite well, at least when it comes to real estate, because of the periphery of businesses that surround the universities, as well as the schools themselves.  Just like you would diversify your financial portfolio, the diversification of the economic portfolio (wow, I sound smart) helps keeps things on a fairly even keel.  According to Ernest Wade, an economics instructor at Radford University quoted in Tonia Moxley's article, the universities provide high-quality jobs (although not always high-paying) that don't rely on what he calls "smoke stack industries".  I can imagine that one example of an area here that does rely on such an industry would be Pulaski and its loss of the Pulaski Furniture Company.   

It takes careful planning, though - we're not likely to see major changes here in the Valley, but there's a good chance we'll see small ones, and that, according to Blacksburg Town Manager Marc Verniel, requires careful planning and supplementation of alternative revenue streams.  Something we ought to be doing anyhow. 

What's to come?  I certainly don't know.  I feel confident, however, that the Valley will continue to grow and thrive despite what the short-term holds.  What do you expect to see? 

Thoughts & Musings ....

I've come across a few things that I just haven't gotten around to talking about, 'cause in between searching for the new Hokie Express and actually trying to sell a property or two this week, I've just run out of time.  So, here are a few things I thought might be of interest:

• It takes a Village.
• NVAR shuts down a Facebook group comprised of it's own members.  Go here.  Or here.  NAR making friends and influencing people.
• The front door of Blacksburg.
• The NRVLiving Real Estate Show live and in prime time tomorrow, 10am.  We'll have Beth Mann from Cabinetry By Design in studio, and Mark Weddle will stop by to make a Big HUGE announcement!  810am or 810wpin.com, call in at 866-961-1430 if you have a question you'd like to ask!

Vague & Unenforceable Ordinances

Apparently, Christiansburg's got 'em.  From WDBJ7 comes the news that the Town of Christiansburg has been named one of the "Twelve Noisiest Places In America" by the group, Noise Free America.

This isn't the first time the Town has received bad press for its noise.  In naming Christiansburg as one of the Twelve Noisiest Places In America, the group cited the Town's "vague and unenforceable noise ordinance".  Mayor Ballengee, in response, said that the Town doesn't have a noise ordinance. 

Maybe the lack of an ordinance explains why it's vague and unenforceable.  Just a thought. 

Short Shorts Around the New River Valley

I'm a little busy this week (already, and it's Monday), but here are some things I've been meaning to discuss on the blog, just haven't gotten around to it. 

Sharkey's is expanding to Radford ...

New River Village blocked - temporarily - from future Christiansburg development ...

Blacksburg traffic studies continue ...

Bad Fashion & Child Care - You Had No Idea They Were Related???

Fashions come and go (well, hopefully we don't see ALL of them come back), but there's one that's sweeping the New River Valley you just don't want to miss.  It's one of a kind ... I guarantee there's nothing like it.  And you don't want to miss it.

It's the NRVLiving Store, and it's now open.  And from now until October 31st, all proceeds will go to benefit the Valley Interfaith Child Care Center.  That's 100% of all monies earned!  VICCC is a charity that we here at NRVLiving support on a regular basis, and we want to make sure you can too. 

Did you know?

• Every day in Virginia, 30% of our youth are living in poverty (<$16090), and 12% live in extreme poverty (<$8045).
• 31% of 4th graders are scoring BELOW basic reading levels.
• Children who enter kindergarten ready to learn are more likely to read at grade level by the 3rd grade.
• By age 5, a child’s brain will reach 90% of its adult size, yet public investment lags in these critical years.  That investment can be as low as $232.
• One child in our juvenile detention centers will cost taxpayers $79,355 a year. 
  

We're not supporting VICCC because it looks good, we support VICCC because it's the right thing to do.  And we want you to support them as well.  Read this document (Download early_childhood_facts.doc) and if you feel it's the right thing to do, then we hope you'll visit the Store and join the cause.  There are plenty of  organizations out there you can support - this is one you can't afford to miss. 

So put away the parachute pants, lock up your NASA-inspired hair spray, and turn off the Go White Boy Go music.  Maddi says go shopping instead ...

High Quality of Life, Good Job Opportunities & Low-cost of living ... sound familiar?

Blacksburg/Christiansburg/Radford - A low-cost place to be.  From MSN comes this article showing the "tri-city" area of Blacksburg/Christiansburg/Radford to be one of the Top 10 Low-Cost Locales in the country, with a high quality of life and good job prospects.  We're called a Flyover city, which is just fine by me.

"Blacksburg is the largest of the three communities and combines a small-town feel and college amenities with a beautiful setting in the Appalachian and Blue Ridge mountains. A pleasant climate and proximity to nearby Roanoke, with its excellent arts, commerce and health care, are perks. The wooded area lacks some big-city hustle and amenities, and is isolated from air service. But it has a low cost of living, with a median home price of only $197,800 and great outdoor recreation opportunities to boot."

Bring Da Noise! Shut Da Window!

Interesting article on Friday of last week - yes, I'm a little late - regarding noise ordinances.  I was a little surprised to hear that Christiansburg has such an open-ended noise ordinance ... "Currently, Christiansburg's town code addresses noise under the nuisance ordinance and simply states that 'unreasonably loud and unnecessary noise' constitutes a nuisance."

I can understand this woman's concerns, and the tone that Town Manager Lance Terpenny took when he was quoted as saying "this lady won't hear this noise forever and ever." seems a little flippant.  I mean, she wants to knit on the back deck!  Who doesn't like to pass away a quiet Saturday morning outside with their knitting supplies?  I kid - a little bit - but I understand the Town's point as well.  Discretion is important, as Terpenny says, but the climate in the New River Valley DOES dictate that a lot of the work be done when weather conditions are favorable.  Of course, I chuckled when Terpenny said he empathized with the contractors - of course he does, they've been paying hundreds of thousands of dollars worth or permitting fees to the Town of Christiansburg over the last few years!

Interested to hear your thoughts ... what do you think?

Speaking of noise - and we hope it won't be offensive - the NRVLiving Real Estate Team begins hosting it's radio show cleverly titled "The NRVLiving Real Estate Show" this Saturday, August 4th at 10:00am on FOX News Radio 810AM.  Hope you'll choose to check it out ... we'd love to hear your thoughts, comments, suggestions, or better yet ... Get involved!  Questions or show suggestions can be emailed to info@nrvliving.com.

What's Happening For the Fourth?

The steaks are marinating, the beverages are on ice, and you're wondering what to do once the grill is cooled.  Here's a list of what's happening in Blacksburg, Christiansburg and Radford.  Enjoy your Fourth of July!

Blacksburg - From 2-3pm there'll be a parade through downtown.  At 6:00, the Blacksburg Community Band will be playing (presumably at Municipal Park, across the street from the High School) for an hour and a half, then "Beatle Mania Live" will play from 8:15-9:30pm.  At 9:30, the fireworks begin!

Christiansburg - Celebrate with the Town of Christiansburg at the 9th Annual 4th of July Celebration.  The festivities will be held at the Christiansburg High School Football Stadium on North Franklin Street.  Gates will open at 5PM and admission is free. The children's game area will be open from 5:30-8:30PM, with special guest, Dave's Moonwalk and More.  Don and the Deltones will perform live music. Patriotic prizes will be raffled off before Pyrotecnico's fireworks display which will begin around 9:45PM.

Radford -
    8:00 a.m. 5K Race
    11:00 a.m. Parade
    12:00 noon     Dog Show
    1:00 – 6:00 p.m. Karaoke Contest (Cash Prizes), Pete Blackburn, Sam Moore & Danny O’Brian’s Band, Beach Music, local bands, choirs and much, much, more.
    6:00 p.m. Hot Air Balloon Rides (Now THAT sounds cool!)
    6:00 p.m. The Richards
    7:00 p.m. JIMMY FORTUNE
    8:45 p.m. Karaoke Finals
    9:30 p.m. Fireworks