From the City Manager’s Desk
Dear Neighbor, welcome back to your fall edition of WinConnect. It’s hard to believe that another summer has come and gone, and we are already well into another school year! Our City comes alive in the fall with festivals, historic and cultural events, concluding with the magic of the end-of-year holidays. As the trees change colors and the weather becomes crisper, don’t forget to take in an event or simply enjoy everything Winchester has to offer.
Our City’s “fall lineup” kicks off with Fiddles and Fifths, a fantastic combination of blues, bourbon, and fun. We will then transition into Hispanic Heritage Month, celebrated from September 15 through October 15 each year. As we all know, Hispanic heritage and culture is an essential part of our City; according to the 2020 census, people of Hispanic origin make up about a fifth of the City’s population. This year, Winchester will host an impressive array of Hispanic-focused activities, from Latin Festivals and salsa competitions to paper flower workshops. You can find a calendar of Hispanic Heritage Month-related events on page 12.
As we move into November and December, don’t forget about Winchester’s impressive array of holidayand winter-themed activities. On November 11, we will salute our veterans by closing the City for Veteran’s Day, and the Winchester National Cemetery will host an event honoring those who have served in the military. Then, on December 2, our Parks and Recreation team will hold our annual Holiday Parade attended by Mr. Claus himself. Finally, don’t miss our Winchester Old Town Winter Village on the Walking Mall on December 6-8. After all, where else can you enjoy a delicious cup of gluhwein or kinderpunch?
As always, I am honored to serve as your City Manager. Don’t hesitate to contact me at dan.hoffman@winchesterva.gov if I can do anything for you.
See you around town!
We all know that Winchester has history around every corner, but did you know it’s also below your feet? Our city has the third oldest water system in the United States. The original system started with wooden pipes to help water travel from the spring on Amherst Street to downtown, using gravity to help the water flow.
While our water no longer primarily flows through wooden pipes, our water and sewer systems need to be updated and replaced from time to time.
Neighbors, if there were a way to keep every road open while replacing huge sections of underground pipes, well, then you wouldn’t be reading this article. Unfortunately, that just isn’t possible.
To replace the underground pipes, the City will close National Ave. from Piccadilly St. and Pleasant Valley Rd. to all non-local traffic from September 3 through the end of the year. To keep traffic flowing during the project, the City will establish a detour on Woodstock Ln.
The City’s work on this project is being coordinated with Washington Gas as they finish their gas main replacement along National Ave. Once the utility work has been completed, the road will be repaved and open for normal traffic.
Thank you for your cooperation!
Winchester & Bee City USA
What’s the Buzz?
Did you know that, in March, Winchester officially joined 219 other cities across the United States to become a “Bee City USA Affiliate?” That’s pretty cool!
But, you would be forgiven for not knowing what it means to become a “Bee City USA Affiliate.”
Bee City USA Affiliates, like Winchester, commit to supporting native pollinators (like bees). They do this by increasing the prevalence of native plants, providing bee nest sites, and reducing the use of pesticides wherever possible.
Native pollinators, which include hummingbirds, butterflies, and moths, are important to Winchester’s biodiversity because they help plants reproduce and grow. In fact, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, about 80 percent of flowers and 35 percent of the world’s crops depend on pollinators to reproduce. That means that one in three bites of food you enjoyed today might result from pollinators doing their work!
According to Winchester resident and Bee City USA organizer Cathy Phillips, “Bee City USA focuses on protecting our native bee species, and by extension, other
pollinators. When it comes to bees, most people think of the honey bee; but one of the most impactful things Bee City USA Affiliate can do is encourage residents to appreciate the broad diversity of bees that sustain our communities.”
Bee City USA Affiliate cities, along with Bee City Campus sites—often universities and college campuses— sponsor various activities designed to support native pollinators. Common activities include planting and protecting native plants and pollinator nest sites, incorporating pollinator-conscious practices into City policies, holding pollinator awareness events, and promoting Bee City USA and other groups committed to conserving invertebrates, such as the Xerces Society.
Winchester’s local leaders also strongly support the City’s participation in this effort. When asked about the Bee City USA effort, City Councilor Kathy Tagnesi said: “I am honored to be the Winchester City Councilor representative on the Bee City Committee.”
Over the long term, one of Bee City USA’s strategic goals is to create a network of cities, towns and counties to create a “pollinator pathway.” Pollinator pathways are contiguous public and private land areas that support native plants and pollinators. Even the smallest green spaces, like small gardens, flower boxes, flower containers, and curb strips, can be part of a pathway!
Bee City USA organizer Cathy promised that Winchester residents would hear more about Bee City activities very soon: “Bee City USA will be at various community events, and we look forward to the opportunity to share information with other groups and organizations in the City.”
Stay tuned for more information about Bee City USA, native plants, and pollinator awareness in Winchester. We’re just getting started!
A Portrait of Courage
Thomas Laws & the Third Battle of Winchester
During the Civil War Winchester was the scene of six battles and changed hands between the Union and Confederacy 72 times, more than any other town in the country. The reason? Our City was a strategic transportation hub in the “breadbasket of the Confederacy,” as the Shenandoah Valley was often called.
In September 1964, General Philip Sheridan had recently been appointed the new commander of the Union’s “Middle Military Division,” which put him in command of the largest U.S. force ever assembled in the Shenandoah Valley. To follow up on the Union’s recent capture of Atlanta, President Lincoln and General Ulysses S. Grant wanted to keep the initiative. They ordered Sheridan to start a campaign to retake the Valley from Confederate General Jubal Early’s “Army of the Valley.”
Before striking against Early, Sheridan needed to know whether or not Early’s Army would receive reinforcements (and if so, how many?). He needed spies to help him find this intelligence.
Thomas Laws: Enslaved Man, Spy, Hero
Thomas Laws was a forty-seven-year-old enslaved Black man who lived in Clarke County with his wife, Mary. Laws had a permit that allowed him to pass freely in and out of Winchester to sell vegetables because his enslaver had a home in the City. Because of his ability to move freely in and out of town, and his race, Sheridan and his subordinates knew Laws could be an effective spy to share information about Early’s command to the Union.
Even though Black people had played important roles in gathering intelligence for the Union, most Confederates “did not believe Blacks were mentally capable of disclosing
much military information,” said Douglas Waller, a Civil War espionage historian.
Laws agreed risk his life to act as a messenger for Sheridan by passing information between the general and a Quaker woman named Rebecca Wright, who lived in Winchester. Laws was able to conceal the messages by wrapping them in tin foil and putting them in a small capsule that he carried in his mouth. This way, if Confederates stopped him, he could easily swallow the messages.
On September 16, 1864, Laws first arrived at the home of Wright on Loudoun Street. He convinced her to read the message from Sheridan, and she was able to
Thomas Laws Josephine School Community Museum
provide information that Early would not be receiving reinforcements. In fact, she confirmed that Early would actually be sending an artillery battalion and an infantry division out of the area to help bolster the Confederate’s lines around Petersburg, Virginia.
The intelligence gathered by Laws proved invaluable to the Union’s success. With a better understanding of Confederate vulnerabilities, Sheridan launched his offensive three days after Laws returned to Clarke County, roundly defeating Early at the Third Battle of Winchester. This battle was the last time that Winchester changed hands in the war.
A Commemoration of Thomas Laws
You have an opportunity to learn more about Thomas Laws and honor his legacy! A program will be held at 3:00 p.m. on September 19, 2024, at the site of the Third Battle of Winchester. The event will commemorate Thomas Laws and his lasting impact on the battle and the trajectory of the war.
A Commemoration of Thomas Laws
September 19, 2024 at 3:00 p.m.
James R. Wilkins Winchester Battlefields Visitor Center | 541 Redbud Road, Winchester, VA 2260
Sponsored by The Josephine School Community Museum
In Collaboration with Shenandoah University and the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation
Special Guests
Lt. Governor Winsome Sears
Lt. General John F. Kimmons, 42nd Army Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence
Tracey Fitzsimmons, President Shenandoah University
Keynote Address
Jonathan Noyales, Professor and Historian, Director McCormick Civil War Institute at Shenandoah University
Proclamation
Vice-Mayor John Hill
L. Prang & Co, and Thure De Thulstrup. Sheridan’s final charge at Winchester Retrieved from the Library of Congress, www.loc.gov/item/92506232/
Thomas Laws’ Grave
Jonathan Noyales of the McCormick Civic War Institute at Shenandoah University
Voting in the 2024 Election
The 2024 general election on Tuesday, November 5 is quickly approaching!
Here are the dates to keep in mind:
Early In-Person Voting Voter Registration Deadline
• Begins September 20, 2024, at the Elections Office (107 N. East Ln.)
• In-person voting will be open from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Monday – Friday.
• Saturday voting will be available on October 26, 2024, from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. and on November 2, 2024, from 8:30 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.
• The last day for in-person absentee voting is Saturday, November 2, 2024
Where to Vote
Ward 1
• Deadline to register to vote Tuesday, October 15, 2024
• Deadline to submit an application to receive an Absentee Ballot by mail: Friday, October 25, 2024
• Deadline to vote Absentee In-Person or “Early Voting.”: Saturday, November 2, 2024
• Merrimans Precinct – John Kerr Elementary School – 427 Meadow Branch Avenue
• Old Town Precinct – Christ Episcopal Church – 132 W. Boscawen Street
Ward 2
• Virginia Avenue Precinct – Virginia Ave. Charlotte DeHart Elementary School – 550 Virginia Avenue
Ward 3
• War Memorial Precinct – War Memorial Building – 1001 E. Cork Street
Ward 4
• Frederick Douglass Precinct – Frederick Douglass Elementary School – 100 W. Cedarmeade Avenue
• Rolling Hills Precinct – The Youth Development Center – 3 Battaile Drive
Neighborhood Nights
This summer, the City hosted a series of “Neighborhood Nights” in the smaller parks around the City. Families from the neighborhoods around these parks stopped by to help keep things beautiful by participating in a Pickup Party, playing games, getting to know City departments like Parks and Recreation, Social Services, Fire and Rescue, Police, and Public Services, enjoying free food and snacks, and topped off their evening by watching a movie under the stars.
Don’t miss the next Neighborhood Night on September 12 at Whittier Park!
Winter Market
Is Coming to Town
Be transported to a cozy European holiday market in beautiful, historic Old Town Winchester this Christmas! A village of food and crafts vendors will be at the heart of the Loudoun Street Mall, and our many shops will be fully decked out for the holidays and offering specials for shoppers, young and old.
Building on last year’s tremendously popular event, the 2024 Winchester Winter Village will offer a redesigned and improved village of holiday vendors, expanded live music and caroling, and even more festive holiday lights and decorations.
The event begins on Friday, December 6, with a Santa Crawl to benefit Froggy’s Closet. Purchase a ticket to participate and visit local restaurants, breweries, and bars for live music, awesome raffle prizes, and amazing discounted holiday drinks and food specials.
Then on Saturday, December 7, and Sunday, December 8, stroll the Loudoun Street Mall for live caroling and music, demonstrative vendors, artisan craft vendors, and a Kinder Village with Santa, the Grinch, and children’s activities. You can grab a warm serving of gluhwein, a traditional hot mulled spiced red wine, from a participating restaurant and carry it with you as you shop. Several restaurants will also offer kinderpunch, a warm spiced cider just for kids!
On Saturday afternoon, horse-drawn wagon rides along the Loudoun Street Mall will be complimentary and firstcome, first served.
If you know someone who needs a special message of hope, good wishes, or prayer, stop by the Wishing Tree area near the Godfrey Miller home, write out a wish for them, and place it on the tree.
This will be an open-air market and will be free for everyone to attend!
For more information, go to https://visitwinchesterva.com/event/winchester-winter-village/.
Winchester Winter Village Event Hours:
Friday, December 6 4:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, December 7 11:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Sunday, December 8 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Winchester’s Original Crimestoppers
WPD’s Criminal Investigation Division
In recent years, the true crime genre has exploded in popularity—a Google search will take you to your pick of television shows and podcasts documenting the resolution of an (often salacious) crime. When watching these shows, you would be forgiven for assuming that investigating and solving a crime is a simple process. Something happens: police detectives sort through evidence that conveniently pops up here and there, and… voilà! The crime is solved. And usually just in time for the end of a 60-minute episode (with commercial breaks) or eight-episode podcast!
Real life, however, tends to be more complicated and less tidy. Crimes occur, and it takes a top-notch team of investigators, analysts, and forensic experts to determine what happened and who was responsible. Thankfully, we have that top-notch team in Winchester! Winchester Police Department’s Criminal Investigation Division, or “CID,” works day and night to respond to incidents when they occur, figure out what happened, and secure justice.
Comprised of one police lieutenant, one police sergeant, six detectives, and two crime analysts, CID is divided
into two units: the “General Investigations Unit,” which investigates serious felony and misdemeanor crimes and conducts crime scene and forensic examinations, and the “Special Investigations Unit,” which gathers criminal intelligence and investigates narcotics, gang, fire, and explosives investigations.
According to Lieutenant Bielecki, the Division’s commander, CID “is relentless in its pursuit of justice…thorough investigations, internal cooperation, building partnerships within the community, and the use of advanced technologies” to resolve even the most complex cases. In the words of Lieutenant Bielecki, this commitment enables CID to “stay one step ahead of criminals while ensuring a safer Winchester for all.”
But how does CID achieve this lofty goal?
To start with, CID is staffed with many of Winchester’s top-performing officers. To be eligible for the Criminal Investigations Division, an officer must have two years of law enforcement experience. When there is an opening in the Division, interested officers submit a resume and letter explaining their interest in the position. Officers selected to move forward in the hiring process then participate in a panel interview with supervisors and detectives from the Division. During the interview, they answer tough questions related to policing challenges they have resolved, crime scene work, and their investigative experience. They also will often be required to submit a writing sample and produce a recommendation from their supervisor that cites how they operate under pressure. Ultimately, the panel grades the CID applicants
highly qualified,” “qualified,” or “not qualified,” and the Police Department Command Staff will decide who will be selected.
To understand what happened at the scene of a crime and identify those responsible, Winchester CID detectives and analysts use a range of standard investigative techniques, such as interviewing suspected offenders and witnesses, victimology (the practice of understanding the victim and why a crime may have happened to them), and researching phone, financial, and legal records.
CID also uses many of the most cutting-edge police investigative techniques to solve crimes:
DNA Data Bank
CID staff can enter DNA profiles obtained from persons of interest into the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) at federal and state levels to look for potential matches. The Virginia DNA Data Bank contains over 400,000 offender DNA profiles.
Forensic biology & DNA analysis
In addition to the DNA analysis mentioned above, the CID team examines evidence of biological material’s presence. After the proper samples for comparison purposes are obtained, DNA analysis can be conducted on stains, and conclusions can be drawn as to whether an individual can be eliminated or included as a possible contributor to the genetic material identified.
Latent Prints
CID develops and recovers latent prints from evidence items, compares them to known exemplars, and conducts database searches. Latent fingerprints or palm prints determined to be of sufficient quality are searched in the Virginia Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS), administered by the Virginia State Police or the FBI Next Generation Identification (NGI).
Trace evidence
Trace evidence includes fire debris, explosives, paint, hairs, fibers, glass, primer residue (PR), fracture matches, and vehicle lamps. These types of items can link a suspect to a crime.
Finally, the CID team also works with federal law enforcement agencies, such as the FBI, and state agencies, such as the Virginia State Police, almost daily to track criminal trends and solve crimes. Much of this collaboration occurs through CID’s participation in task forces, such as the Northwest Regional Drug Task Force and Northwest Regional Gang Task Force.
By employing these tactics and maintaining the highest level of police investigative work, CID’s work is paying off and helping to keep us safer. For example, last summer, CID investigated a report of possible child pornography, resulting in the arrest of several alleged perpetrators on August 21. CID is currently investigating multiple cases ranging from auto theft to sexual assault to financial embezzlement.
As great as our CID team is, they still need your help! If you have any tips or information regarding a potential crime, you can help them take action while remaining anonymous by calling the Winchester-Frederick County Crime Solvers hotline at 540-665-TIPS (8477) or the Winchester Police Department non-emergency line at 540662-4131. If your information leads to an arrest and conviction, you may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.
(Left to right) Detectives Joslin, Dixon, Beatty, McCoy, Niang, and crime analyst Ashley Boyle.
Every year, from September 15 until October 15, we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month in Winchester and across the country. But what’s Hispanic Heritage Month all about?
First, it’s important to note that the histories of Hispanics in America are diverse. They include the experiences of people with cultural, religious, and linguistic traditions from Mexico, Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica, and Nicaragua, among other nations from South America. It is impossible to tell the experiences of these various groups with a single history! That said, the diversity and breadth of the Hispanic history in America is also what makes Hispanic Heritage Month so interesting.
Independence Days across Latin America
September 15th
Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua
September 16th
Mexico
September 18th
Chile
September 21th
Belize
Hispanic Heritage Month was first authorized in 1968, when the U.S. Congress adopted a resolution asking the President of the United States annually to issue a proclamation designating a week in September, including September 15 and 16, as “National Hispanic Heritage Week.” In 1988, Congress expanded the celebration to 31 days beginning September 15. The resolution calls “on the people of the United States, especially the educational community, to observe National Hispanic Heritage Month with appropriate ceremonies and activities.”
People of Hispanic heritage have long played an important role in Virginia.
Hispanic Heritage Month also coincides with Independence Day celebrations in many Latin American countries— including Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua, Mexico, and Chile—as well as “Día de la Nación Pluricultural” (October 12), which is known by different titles but is generally celebrated as a holiday throughout much of Latin America.
People of Hispanic heritage have long played an important role in Virginia. Did you know that from 2010 to 2020, Virginia’s Hispanic population grew from about seven to eleven percent of the state’s total population, an increase of about 43 percent?
Virginia also has over 6,000 Hispanic-owned businesses, which provide jobs for nearly 50,000 Virginians.
Here in Winchester, Hispanic residents comprise nearly a fifth of the City’s total population, according to the 2020 census. Not only that, children with Hispanic heritage are the largest demographic group in the Winchester Public Schools, representing 43 percent of all students. A growing number of businesses in our City are Hispanic-
owned, and an increasing number of special events celebrating Hispanic heritage and culture are being organized, joining long-standing events like “Celebración of Winchester.” New leaders of Hispanic heritage are emerging in the community, like Sinclair Health Clinic’s Executive Director, Dr. Mercedes Abbet, and Winchester Economic Development Authority Deputy Director Vanessa Santiago. Finally, a wide range of public and private institutions such as the J2W Foundation, Handley Library, Literacy Volunteers, United Way, Braddock Street United Methodist Church, and the City of Winchester are coming together to launch new initiatives like “Leyendo Juntos,” a community-driven program focused on helping Hispanic families thrive and integrate into the community.
Winchester benefits from its Hispanic heritage in many ways—from its schools to the City’s many restaurants that serve tasty Latin American cuisine! Take advantage of Hispanic Heritage Month this September and October to learn more about this vibrant community, and check out the calendar on the next page for more information on upcoming Hispanic-themed events.
Who knows, maybe you’ll even pick up a few words of Spanish along the way!
Hispanic Heritage Month
Calendar of Events
Perreo Land with DJ Casimiro
September 6 (9:00 p.m.)
Brightbox Theatre
15 N. Loudoun Street, Winchester
Festival de Salsa
September 14 (5:00 - 9:00 p.m.)
Youth Development Center
3 Battaile Drive, Winchester
Celebracíon of Winchester
September 21 (12:00 - 4:00 p.m.)
Old Town Walking Mall
Winchester
Gabriel Alegría
Afro Peruvian Jazz Sextet
October 6 (2:30 p.m.)
Armstrong Concert Hall
702 University Drive, Winchester
Latin Festival
September 7 (5:30 - 8:00 p.m.)
Braddock Street United Methodist Church 115 Wolfe Street, Winchester
*Fundraiser for “Just Neighbors”
Noche Mexicana: A Celebration of U.S.-Mexico Friendship
September 15 (1:00 - 6:00 p.m.)
Old Town Walking Mall
Winchester
Arte Libre VA Paper Flower Workshop
September 27 (4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.)
Old Town Walking Mall, Taylor Pavillion
Winchester
Arte Libre VA Paper Flower Workshop
October 13 (2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.)
Old Town Walking Mall, Taylor Pavillion
Winchester
Neighborly Advice
Nominations are Open for the Mayor’s Excellence Awards
Do you know someone or a group of people doing great things in the Winchester community? Nominate them for the Mayor’s Excellence Award by October 31. Award winners will be recognized at the December Council meeting and on the City’s website and social media pages. Submit nominations at winchesterva.gov/meetmayor.
Be a Neighborhood Hero: Be a Snowbuster!
We’re already preparing for the second year of our Snowbuster volunteer snow removal program! City Snowbuster volunteers help their neighbors by clearing the snow from their sidewalks after a storm, so they can comply with the City’s Charter (which requires residents to clear their sidewalks of snow within 24 hours of most storms).
We are looking for volunteers to serve as Snowbusters this winter! If you are interested in helping out or need Snowbuster assistance apply online at winchesterva. gov/Snowbusters
Skate Park Ribbon Cutting
Join Winchester Parks and Recreation on Thursday, September 19, at 6:00 p.m. for a ribbon cutting of the new Skate Park at Jim Barnett Park. The new skate park is located near the Bridgeforth Field entrance to Jim Barnett Park on Cork Street.
Trash Schedule Changes for Indigenous Peoples’ Day
Trash collection for Indigenous Peoples’ Day (Monday, October 14) will be moved to Wednesday, October 16. Please note that there will be no yard waste pickup collected on the 16th.
Submit Photos for the 2025 City Calendar
Submit your best photos of the City of Winchester to be included in the 2025 City of Winchester calendar (and maybe some other City promotional items, too)! This is a calendar that hangs year-round in our residents’ homes and offices to share important dates for holiday closings and trash collection changes, public meetings, City-sponsored events, and much more!
Submit your photos at winchesterva.gov/calendar.