From the City Manager’s Desk
Dear Neighbor, welcome back to WinConnect!
It’s that time of year when many of us are back from vacation, restarting school and activities, and settling back into our “normal” routines. Amid the craziness, I hope everyone is taking time for family and friends and enjoying everything Winchester offers.
Things have also been busy for the City of Winchester. In June, we broke ground on our new Cedar Valley Neighborhood Design District. Cedar Valley will transform the Ward Plaza area into an attractive mix of townhomes, condominiums, apartments, and a new Publix, City park, and more. Construction crews started demolition work several months ago, and the project is already underway.
Cedar Valley is the first of five Neighborhood Design Districts, affectionately called “NDDs.” We’re also working on the Cider Hill NDD adjacent to Fairmont Avenue and new NDDs for the Berryville Avenue corridor and Old Town. NDD plans represent the shared vision of community members, City Council, and other stakeholders, not solely one developer or stakeholder It’s how you get the growth that moves a City forward— community-driven, focused growth.
It’s also time for us to assemble the City of Winchester’s next Strategic Plan. Once our City Council approves it, the Strategic Plan will lay out the City’s vision and priorities over the next five years. As part of developing the Strategic Plan, we will conduct a Commu nity Survey to ensure that the Strategic Plan closely aligns with residents’ experiences and interests. If you receive the survey in the mail, please take ten minutes or so to complete it and mail it back in the attached, postage-paid envelope. You can also visit winchesterva.gov/survey to complete the survey online.
As an incentive, every resident who completes the survey will be entered into a drawing for a $500 Visa gift card, courtesy of our survey partner, ETC Institute.
As always, please feel free to get in touch with me at dan.hoffman@winchesterva.gov if I can do anything for you. See you around!
Picture this: Foreign-based malevolent hackers infiltrate your city’s information infrastructure and hack thousands of city government devices. Key city operations come to a screeching halt, causing widespread confusion and frustration. To mitigate the crisis, the city is unexpectedly forced to spend millions of dollars while managing the disruption of public services.
Sounds like an action movie, right? Unfortunately, it happened in Atlanta, Georgia, despite the city’s reputation as a hub of innovation and technical development. In 2018, two Iran-based hackers used brute force ransomware to access the city’s closed information network. Their attack temporarily shut down city utility, parking, and judicial programs, creating havoc.
At the time of the attack, Atlanta was spending about $108 million per year—more than Winchester’s entire budget— on cybersecurity. However, Atlanta’s investment did not protect it from a well-planned cyber strike, highlighting the need for a comprehensive approach to cyber defense.
If a major city like Atlanta is susceptible to malign actors, imagine the cybersecurity threat to smaller cities, towns, and counties. Smaller localities may lack adequate funding or quick access to emergency support when an attack occurs, making them an easy target.
The cybersecurity threat to local governments extends beyond the disruption of public services. It includes data and identity theft. As data stewards, localities store residents’ personally identifiable information (PII), such as bank account details, healthcare and tax records, property information, criminal history, employment, and educational background. An intruder might even find voting records on the servers.
In Winchester, Virginia, defending against and mitigating a cyber attack is one of our highest emergency management priorities. There’s no such thing as absolute cybersecurity. However, like physical security, a defense-in-depth cyberstrategy provides redundancy at multiple levels and increased protection. This is important considering the resource-constrained environment faced by many local governments.
Ultimately, Atlanta’s attack took $2.6 Million and weeks for an outside firm to remediate.
BY CITY MANAGER DAN HOFFMAN & CHARLES ROUSS FELLOW SKIP DICKSON
In Winchester, our defense-in-depth strategy includes:
Deploying zero-trust architecture
Endpoint protection
Multi-factor authentication
Extended detection and response
Improved governance; external partnerships
Public outreach
These efforts are no panacea. However, by hardening our city against cyber-attacks, we may make it a less attractive target for would-be intruders. Our tactics are dynamic; as the threat evolves, we will need to continue to develop and strengthen our defenses.
Walk down Winchester’s historic walking mall and you’ll see more than brick sidewalks and 18th-century architecture. You’ll see the work of neighbors who care deeply about their community. People who believe Old Town can be more than a shopping destination. It can be a shared story.
Friends of Old Town, also known as Winchester Main Street, is the nonprofit at the heart of that story. Born out of a desire to give Winchester’s Main Street program more community voice and creative direction, Friends of Old Town has quickly grown into a local force for good things in our city.
Their mission is to make Old Town not only historically preserved, but vibrantly alive with art on the walls, music in the air, and people in the streets.
In 2023, Friends of Old Town officially took over the Main Street program from city administration and ushered in a new era of grassroots energy and volunteer-led ideas. But they didn’t just take the reins. They got to work reimagining what public space in Old Town could be.
They launched a long-range master planning project with one goal in mind: to listen. What do residents want from Old Town? What makes it feel welcoming, beautiful, and distinctly Winchester?
Through public forums, design sessions, and old-fashioned conversations on the bricks, Friends of Old Town invited the community into the process and started turning feedback into action.
At the same time, they made sure Old Town didn’t just look good on paper. It had to feel good in real life. From organizing the annual events like Kidz Fest and First Fridays, bringing live music and family-friendly vibes to the mall, to the creation of the “History of Us” walking tour, featuring QR-coded stories in business windows, they centered every project around connection.
Winchester’s history runs deep, and Friends of Old Town sees public art as a way to bring that legacy into the present. Rather than separating history and creativity, they use public art to highlight, reinterpret, and celebrate the
Telling Old Town’s FOOT and the Heart
Town’s Story
Heart of Winchester
stories that have shaped this place. Projects like History of Us, our self-guided walking tour, invite people to explore the lives, buildings, and businesses that form the backbone of Old Town, often in ways that surprise and inspire. From murals centered on themes like childhood literacy to pop-up performances and storefront storytelling, they treat Old Town as a living gallery. Every installation is a chance to connect heritage with imagination and to invite the community into the story.
They’ve also created space for dialogue. From community meetings about public art and preservation to open discussions on revitalization, Friends of Old Town has made it clear: change isn’t something that happens to the town. It’s something that happens with it.
In just one year, Friends of Old Town has redefined what it means to steward a Main Street. They’ve done the big things like strategic planning, nonprofit structuring, and event development. And they’ve done the little things too, like chatting with shop owners on a Tuesday afternoon to see how business is going.
They’ve shown that revitalization doesn’t have to come from a grant or a headline. It can come from a neighbor showing up, a volunteer giving their Saturday, or a nonprofit making sure downtown feels like home.
Change in Winchester isn’t something that happens to the town. It’s something that happens with it.
As 2025 unfolds, the story of Old Town continues. And thanks to Friends of Old Town, it’s a story more people are excited to write together.
BY BRADY CLOVEN Executive Director, Friends of Old Town
Winchester’s NDDs: A Blueprint for Tomorrow
Planning for Community-Driven, Focused Growth
If you have been paying attention to local news over the last few months, you probably heard about the inauguration of Winchester’s newest neighborhood, “Cedar Valley.” Or maybe you heard chatter about the “transformation of Ward Plaza…” or something about a groundbreaking event.
Groundbreaking event? The Ward Plaza is cement. How does that work? And what does this acronym we keep hearing - NDD - actually mean?
Great questions. Let’s start with the basics.
NDD stands for “Neighborhood Design District.” Through NDDs, the City work with residents to proactively plan and revitalize targeted areas of the City. Through resident-led Community Committees, focus groups, Open Houses, and surveys, community members weigh in on what kind of neighborhood they would like to see in the coming years. This might include new housing options (both rentable and for purchase), shopping and businesses, parks, more walkable and bikeable lanes, and well-designed traffic infrastructure. Not only that, but community members also help pick the neighborhood’s name!
At Cedar Valley, work to demolish the old Ward Plaza complex has already begun. Within several years, we should see a $10 million revitalization project aligned with community needs begin to take shape. The project will include a new Publix grocery store, mixed-use shopping and office space, and
hundreds of townhomes, condominiums, and apartments to help relieve the housing shortage in our City. (Have you heard of the “missing middle” in the housing market? Maybe that’s a separate article for the next edition…)
With input from the community, City staff, and other stakeholders, the City Council can decide to proactively change zoning regulations and explore infrastructure development to encourage new private and public sector investment. These critical changes can spark the area’s transformation, providing a clear path for business owners and potential developers, who may be more likely to invest in Winchester, in consultation with the City Council and residents. It’s a strategy that allows community members to guide the process from start to finish.
It’s not just growth for growth’s sake. It’s community-driven, focused growth.
Looking ahead, the Cedar Valley NDD is just the first of a series of NDDs planned for the City. Our second NDD, “Cider Hill” located adjacent to Fairmont Avenue, will be rolled out later this year and early 2026. You’ll be hearing more about Cider Hill in the coming months.
In addition to Cider Hill, the City is rolling out several more NDDs starting with the Berryville Avenue corridor on the City’s North End, and shortly thereafter, Old Town. The resident-led Community Committees for both NDDs are just beginning to meet. Residents should stay tuned for more information, including a survey on their favorite name!
For the Berryville Avenue NDD, the Community Committee and City Planning Team area already working together to consider some potential local improvements. (See the current NDD zoning map on the right.)
Better connected
Improved walking and biking spaces
Greener
More central open spaces for recreation
Business Access
Easier, safer access to business with a parallel road along Berryville Avenue
Walking Trails
Trails connecting nearby residential areas to businesses
Interstate 81 Access
Easier, less congested, and safer access to and from Interstate 81
And much more…
The NDD initiatives—Cedar Valley, Cider Hill, Berryville Avenue, and Old Town—promise to revitalize targeted areas of our City according to community members’ priorities and interests. But we need your help. Stay informed by checking out the City’s Facebook, Instagram, and Nextdoor pages, and winchesterva.gov. Attend an upcoming Open House or informational session on an NDD. Everyone is welcome—it’s Our City!
Study Area
Mixed Use Building
Commercial Building
High Density Residential
High Density Residential with Nonresidential Ground Floor Use
Medium Density Residential
Single Family Homes
Structured Parking
Clubhouse/Rec. Building
Surface Parking
Landscaping/Screening
Pocket Park/Open Space
Landscaped Corridors
Shared Use path
Pedestrian Street
Your Voice, Your Priorities Creating Winchester’s New Strategic Plan
Have you ever thought, “What makes a city a good city to live in?” Maybe good schools, well-maintained infrastructure, responsive, professional first responders, a fiscally responsible budget, dependable City services, etc? And we surely could add more items to the list.
How do we, as a City, ensure that we are prioritizing, planning, executing, evaluating, and hiring to ensure that we can accomplish these goals? Not only that, but how do we ensure that we appropriately fund the right things?
One important part of the answer is our Strategic Plan.
A well-designed Strategic Plan can guide our City Council and staff in developing priorities, funding those priorities, and clarifying how the residents of Winchester view “success.” In other words, it’s a roadmap that should set a vision of the future but still be actionable. It should help City leaders, community members, and other stakeholders get on the same page when it comes to important decisions.
The City’s current Strategic Plan expires next year, so we are working on drafting a new one for the next five years—from 2026 through 2031.
We need your help! You can do several things to help us better understand how the City is doing and what we need to focus on.
First, watch your mailbox for our Community Survey.
Every two years, the City surveys residents to determine what is going well and needs improvement. This year, your input will help us draft our new Strategic Plan. Just complete the survey and return it in the provided postage-paid envelope or go to winchesterva.gov/survey to submit it electronically. Not only that, if you complete the survey, you will be entered into a drawing for a $500 Visa gift card, courtesy of the company managing the survey for the City, ETC Institute.
Second, keep an eye on the City’s website and social media channels for Public Input Sessions on the Strategic Plan.
Stay tuned for listening sessions that will be held throughout the City, so we can incorporate your thoughts, ideas, recommendations, and concerns into the new Strategic Plan.
Together, we can chart the future of our community. If you have questions or ideas, please click the “Contact Us” link on winchesterva.gov and send us a note. We look forward to hearing from you!
Pickup Parties Offer Cleanup, Fun...and Credit
Since April 2025, volunteers have collected over 450 pounds of trash around the City, showing how much our community cares! Every first Thursday of the month from April through November at 5:30 p.m., the City hosts a Pickup Party at a different neighborhood park or green space in Winchester. These events are a wonderful opportunity for residents to come together, work as a team, and help keep our neighborhoods clean. Plus, you can earn rewards! By participating, you can get credits on your household’s stormwater utility fee—an easy way to save money while making a positive impact.
Did you know that one of the main goals of the City’s stormwater team is to reduce pollution in our storm sewers and waterways? When you join these community-driven activities, you earn a five percent credit per event. Attend all the events, and your household could save up to 40% on your stormwater utility bill for a whole year! During each event, city staff happily provide gloves, trash bags, and trash pickers and share information about the City’s stormwater plan.
This year, we’ve enjoyed picking up trash at some fantastic spots like Handley High School, Friendship Park, Familyland at Jim Barnett Park, Park Place Park, and the Green Circle Trail where it connects with the Trails at the MSV. We look forward to seeing even more of you at our upcoming Pickup Parties!
Here are the dates so you can mark your calendar:
September 4, 5:30 p.m.
Douglass Park
October 2, 5:30 p.m.
Overlook Park
November 6, 5:30 p.m.
Frederick Douglass Elementary School
Paramedic’s Quick Action Leads to Parking Lot Birth
These are the words that Ashley Hoffmann, the City’s Mobile Integrated Health Program Manager, heard when she approached Danyel Placious’ car in the parking lot of Winchester Medical Center’s Emergency Department right before she helped deliver a healthy baby boy.
While Ashley had been waiting with a dementia client in side the Emergency Department, James Placious came into the waiting room asking for help because his wife was outside in the car, already in active labor. Ashley followed him outside while a nurse went to get help, and that’s when she heard Danyel’s cry for help.
Ashley Hoffmann with newborn Rowan Parker Placious
“There was no time for gloves or equipment,” said Ashley, a trained paramedic, “When I went to cradle the baby’s head, he was delivered into my hands. He cried immediately, and I placed him on his mother’s chest just as the hospital team arrived.”
While hospital staff quickly took the mother and baby inside to get checked out, Ashley stuck around with James to help clean up the car. Once things outside were settled, Ashley had the opportunity to visit with the new family of three, which now included baby Rowan Parker Placious.
Ashley serves as a Community Resource Paramedic within the City’s Mobile Integrated Health Program, where she manages complex patient cases by addressing a broad range of non-emergent needs. Her role includes providing in-home assessments, identifying social determinants of health, and coordinating resources to improve overall well-being. Whether it’s providing assistance to seniors, helping individuals navigate the healthcare system, or connecting patients to services for housing, transportation, or behavioral health, Ashley works to bridge gaps in care and support long-term health outcomes.
Years of Care
BY BRADLEY KIRKLAND
Last spring, Shenandoah Community Health (SCH) opened its first clinic in the City, providing a beacon of hope to Winchester area residents who find themselves in need of healthcare. Originating from a Registered Nurse’s dream to serve the community, over the last five decades the Martinsburg-based organization has served thousands of patients, many of whom faced substantial barriers to obtaining care.
Last year alone, SCH’s dedicated team of skilled nurses, bilingual outreach workers, and drivers connected over 900 individuals to critical medical services. With the opening of their Winchester clinic, they expect those numbers to go up.
SCH also works with other nonprofit health providers, such as Sinclair Health Clinic in Winchester, as well as churches and other community organizations to help identify those who need assistance and strengthen local partners. No one is turned away, regardless of whether they have insurance, or not.
Even as SCH’s history is compelling, the clinic tells its story best through a few recent patients…
A mother sought help for her teenage daughter who needed feminine hygiene products and education about menstruation. SCH’s team provided supplies and guidance, then extended care to the rest of the family, with the daughter receiving a well-child check-up and her toddler brother being treated for an ear infection.
A young man in his late 20s presented with severe oral pain from an abscessed tooth. SCH’s team quickly transported him for antibiotics to calm the infection, and two weeks later, arranged for his tooth extraction at their “Healthy Smiles” dentistry. Relieved of pain, he could return to work, his livelihood secured, and his smile restored.
A gentleman in his late 70s visited SCH with a perplexing rash on his lower calf. After a biopsy at our Health Express clinic, results suggested a contagious illness. SCH nurses collaborated with the local health department, ensuring that he could receive prompt treatment and return to work.
Those needing medical services or attention can visit or call the clinic, Monday through Friday, from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. Everyone is welcome!
Shenandoah Community Health - Winchester
540.722.2369
1330 Amherst Street, Suite C Winchester, VA 22601
Seniors & Scams Knowledge is Your Best Defense
BY AMAYA PEREZ and NOELIA DOWD
Did you know that fraud and scam attempts targeting senior citizens are more common than ever?
The best way to stay protected is to stay informed, paying attention to practical tools and updates to remain “one step ahead” of the scammers.
Unfortunately, seniors are often targeted by scammers posing as government agencies, banks, or even family members. The schemes may come through phone calls, emails, or text messages and are designed to create panic or urgency. The impact of fraud can be both financially and emotionally devastating.
But, there’s good news, too. By learning what to look for, you can avoid becoming a victim.
Here are a few essential tips:
Pause before acting.
Scammers want to rush you and get you to think emotionally. Take time to think about what you are doing.
Verify independently.
Don’t trust caller ID; use official phone numbers to confirm a person or organization’s legitimacy.
Be cautious with personal info.
Never give out your social security number or banking details on the phone.
Talk openly.
Sharing your experience may help someone else avoid a similar situation.
On September 23 at 6:30 p.m., local insurance company
Blue Ridge Agents will hold a free educational event at the Braddock Street United Methodist Church. The session will be presented simultaneously in English and Spanish, and will cover common scam techniques, tips for prevention, and what to do if you suspect fraudulent activity.
Everyone is welcome—whether you’re concerned for yourself or helping care for a loved one. For more information, call 540-431-4373.
Let’s work together to keep our community informed, empowered, and protected.
Neighborly Advice
Trash Holiday Schedule
You already know about the City’s new trash and recycling schedule, but do you know how holidays will impact your collection? In the case of a holiday on a collection day:
• All trash and recycling collections will move one day later in the week than usual.
• Yard waste collection will be canceled for the week.
Mayor’s Excellence Award Nominations
Do you know an individual, business, group, or organization in Winchester doing great things for our community? Nominate them for the Mayor’s Excellence Award! The deadline for the 2025 awards is December 31, 2025. Winners will be celebrated at the first council meeting in February and featured on the City’s website and social media!
Submit nominations at www.winchesterva.gov/mayor
Calendar Photo Submissions
Want to see your photo featured in the City Calendar?
Submit up to five of your best shots to the annual Photo Contest, now open on the City’s website! Share your creative views to showcase the beauty of our community. Send in your photos at www.winchesterva.gov/calendar
School Zone Speed Cameras
Kids are back in school! Don’t forget that the City has two active school zone speed cameras that will send tickets to anyone caught speeding while the flashing school zone lights are active. These camera enforcement zones are located along Cork Street at Daniel Morgan Middle School and Amherst Street at James Wood Middle.
Please drive cautiously and help keep our students safe!
Hispanic Heritage Month
Calendar of Events
During Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 through October 15), we recognize the history, culture, and many contributions of the Hispanic community in Winchester. Celebrate by attending one or more of these fantastic events!
Frida Family Night
September 13 • 5 until 8 p.m. Museum of the Shenandoah Valley
Latin Festival
September 20 • 4 until 7 p.m. Braddock Street United Methodist Church
Celebración
September 20 • Noon until 4 p.m. Old Town Winchester
DJ Suelto
September 20 • 9 p.m. until 2 a.m. Brightbox Theatre
