News in 5: Williamsburg Live returns June 16-18 with a lineup of well-known music artists

Here are the week’s top stories.

1. Williamsburg Live returns June 16-18 with a lineup of acclaimed artists.

• The Virginia Arts Festival is gearing up to kick off its Williamsburg Live summer music event for 2023. The three-day event, featuring nationally acclaimed headliners, will be held June 16-18 on the Lawn of the Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg. 
• Headlining the evening on Friday, June 16 will be The Wood Brothers, a soulful trio that has become one of the hottest acts on the road. Brothers Chris and Oliver Wood performed separately for years – Chris with jam band Medeski Martin & Wood and Oliver with Tinsley Ellis – before combining their musical talents and adding drummer Jano Rix as the third member of their trio. The show will open with Shovels & Rope, a South Carolina-based husband-and-wife Folk duo. 
• The Saturday evening, June 17 show will feature Grammy-winning rock icon Kenny Loggins, who will be performing dance beats and tunes from the ’80s and ’90s. The show will be part of Loggins’ farewell tour, according to Virginia Arts Festival. His four-decade-plus career has included numerous chart-topping hits, like This is It, Heart to Heart and Whenever I Call You Friend. He also contributed to some of Hollywood’s most beloved soundtracks, including Footloose, Danger Zone (Top Gun) and I’m Alright (Caddyshack). Yacht Rock Revue – a rock band hailing from Atlanta – will open the night with songs from their latest album, Hot Dads in Tight Jeans.
• Bluesman Keb’Mo will close out the event with a mellow mood on Sunday, June 18. A five-time Grammy winner, Mo’ has brought feel-good blues to stages nationwide, from Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium to the White House. He’s also performed for millions of fans on TV and film, including The West Wing and Sesame Street.
  • “There’s just nothing like Williamsburg Live,” said Virginia Arts Festival Executive Director Robert W. Cross. “The historic setting sets it apart, with centuries of history echoing along the nearby streets and pathways of Colonial Williamsburg. And as the moon rises and the cooling summer breezes stir, you’ve got great music from amazing artists.”
• Williamsburg Live welcomes thousands of fans every summer to the heart of Colonial Williamsburg. The event features locally-sourced food from food trucks and wine and craft beers on the concert grounds.
• Want to go? Tickets for individual shows or 3-day packages are still available online at vafest.org, by phone at 757-282-2822 or in person at the Virginia Arts Festival Box Office at 440 Bank Street in Norfolk. 

2. Jamestown has unveiled a newly reconstructed palisade fortification. 

• Jamestown Rediscovery is celebrating the completion and dedication of its newly reconstructed palisade fence – a wooden log fortification that was designed to protect the James Fort from attack.
• Some history:Jamestown archaeologists first began searching for James Fort in 1994, not knowing whether or not the fort site had been lost to the James River. One of the first pieces of evidence that the fort site still existed on land was stains left by the logs of the palisade. Archaeological efforts revealed the full footprint of the original 1607 fort, and the team was able to map the precise size, shape and position of every post that made up the original palisade. An interpretive palisade was first built in 2004 based on the archaeological evidence that was recovered, but after nearly twenty years, it was in need of improvement.
• The reconstruction process:  Last year, Jamestown contracted with Black Creek Workshop, a Williamsburg-based traditional carpentry shop, to completely replace the 2004 palisade. The newly reconstructed palisadewas carefully built directly atop the original fort trenches and allows visitors to envision the scale of the first English fort at Jamestown built 400 years go. The palisade now consists of black locust logs sourced from Wisconsin and Jamestown, New York. Black locust is known for its ability to weather the elements and resist insect damage better than other types of wood.
• Construction of the palisade was generously funded through the Dr. William M. and Ellen B. Kelso Fund for Archaeology with major support from Williamsburg residents and Jamestown Rediscovery Foundation Trustees Elaine and Don Bogus.

3. A Williamsburg board voted to delay its decision on a proposed Spotswood golf course development.

• The City of Williamsburg’s Architectural Review Board voted unanimously last Tuesday to delay a decision on whether to approve design plans for a proposed development of over 160 new homes on the Spotswood Golf Course, according to the Virginia Gazette.
• Some background: The nine-hole golf course, which is owned by The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, officially closed on December 31, 2022, to prepare for the property’s redevelopment plan. Earlier this year, Frye Properties submitted an application requesting to rezone the nearly 40-acre site with plans to build more than 160 high-end homes and townhouses there. The Norfolk-based company stated they were proposing six different housing types, which are laid out in a lengthy document called the Spotswood Pattern Book, which can be viewed on the City of Williamsburg’s website. 
• At the meeting, Frye officials asked the board to approve the Spotswood Pattern Book, noting that they had made more than 100 changes in response to public feedback. But the board agreed to stall the project after a local resident who opposes the project pointed out “inconsistencies” in the final document. Fraser Hudgins, who founded a group called Citizens Responsible for Spotswood Development, said that the developer failed to make numerous changes they had agreed to during previous work sessions. 
• Frye already has a contract in place with the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation to purchase the site, but the development proposal will be null and void unless the rezoning request is approved. Under current zoning laws, the company would be restricted to building no more than 87 homes there.
• A public meeting before the Planning Commission is expected to take place in August, according to Planning and Codes Compliance Director Tevya Griffin.

4. Williamsburg Regional Library is kicking off a series of bestselling author events this summer.

• Williamsburg Regional Library (WRL) is providing a series of virtual talks featuring nationally-known, bestselling authors this summer through a partnership with the Library Speakers Consortium.
• How to watch: Library users will be able to view the series online. There will be 2 to 3 live author events each month, available on the WRL website. Each of the live events will include an interactive Q&A session to allow viewers an opportunity to interact with their favorite authors and discover new voices. The events will also be recorded so that library users can view them later on demand.

• The library will also offer in-person, live event screenings periodically. Attendees will be able to enjoy refreshments, participate in the Q&A and take part in follow-up discussions and other activities. A bestsellers book discussion group will also begin in June, based on the archived author talks.
  • “Thanks to support from the Friends of WRL, we can provide opportunities for our library users to engage with critically acclaimed, renowned authors,” said Adult Services Director Melissa Simpson. “We’re excited to help connect patrons with their favorite writers and offer them the opportunity to ask questions.
• Upcoming in-person author events will include:
  • A June 7 author talk featuring Dr. Mike Rucker, author of The Fun Habit, 3:30 – 5:30 pm at the Stryker Center, Room 127.
  • A June 15 author talk featuring Jamie Beck, professional artist and author of An American in Provence, 1:30 – 3:30 pm at the Stryker Center, Room 127.
• For additional information on upcoming virtual and in-person live events and on-demand recordings, visit libraryc.org/wrl.

5. A new Pizza Hut location is coming to Greater Williamsburg.

• A new Pizza Hut is set to open soon in the Marketplace Shoppes plaza on Monticello Avenue in Williamsburg. The restaurant will be taking over the space located at 4615 Monticello Ave., Suite C, near Cold Stone Creamery and T-Mobile.
• The announcement of the new location comes two-and-a-half years after the closure of the Pizza Hut previously located at 1611 Richmond Road, which shut its doors in September 2020 after more than 18 years in business. That building was demolished last year, and the site now houses Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers, which opened in December 2022. 
• There are currently two other Pizza Hut locations in the Williamsburg area: one at 240 McLaws Circle and another located at 7521 Richmond Road in the Lightfoot area.

6. The York-Poquoson Sheriff’s Office is accepting applications for its Citizen Academy. 

• Want to learn more about the York-Poquoson Sheriff’s Office? The York-Poquoson Sheriff’s Office has begun accepting applications for its Sheriff’s Citizen Academy, a program that invites local residents to gain a working knowledge of the Sheriff’s Office and the criminal justice system.
• The 12-week program features a series of comprehensive, 2-hour classes that cover various topics each week. Classes are taught by certified law enforcement instructors, sheriff’s office supervisors and guest speakers. Some of the covered topics include 911 communications, criminal law and investigations, jail operations, policies and procedures, training and tactical operations.
• The academy is free to attend and is open to those who live or work in York County and the City of Poquoson. Participants will need to attend 10 of the 12 scheduled sessions to receive a Certificate of Graduation. Each student must also ride with a deputy on patrol for 4 hours. Classes meet Monday evenings for 3 hours, and an additional 3 to 5 hour firearms session will be held on a Saturday.
• The application deadline is June 15 or until the class is full. To fill out an application online, click here.