WinConnect – Summer 2024

NEXUS OF NEWS, COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHTS, AND CITY HAPPENINGS

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Beauty Meets Function The North Cameron Drainage Project

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Juneteenth:

Neighborhood Design Districts

A Celebration of Freedom (calendar of events)

Residents Learn About—and Weigh In On—The Future of Ward Plaza

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Moving to Mobility: BikeWalk Winchester and City Working Together to Increase Transit Options

SUMMER 2024

¡Conéctate con Nosotros!

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Contents 3 From the City Manager’s Desk 4 Community Spotlight: Awabi Sushi Bar 6 Civic Leadership Academy: Getting “Under the Hood” of the City 8 Beauty Meets Function: The North Cameron Drainage Project 10 Juneteenth: A Celebration of Freedom (Calendar of Events) 11 Neighborhood Design Districts: Residents Learn About—and Weigh In On—the Future of Ward Plaza 12 Celebrating Community Paramedic Program During Mental Health Awareness Month 13 Neighborly Advice 14 Moving to Mobility: BikeWalk Winchester and City Working Together to Increase Transit Options 2

From the City Manager’s Desk

D

ear Neighbor, welcome back to the newest edi-

Association for 31 years in a row.

tion of WinConnect. Now that another fantastic

Meanwhile, we are committed to pro-

Bloom has come and gone, the summer season

viding residents with the highest level of

is almost upon us—keeping us busy with fairs and festi-

service from their City and making the most

vals, summer camps, and family vacations. With its array

of our budget.

of events and activities, Winchester is an amazing place to be during summer. Let’s enjoy it—it’s our City!

As we move into summer, remember to check out the fun activities and events our Parks and Recreation team

This time of the year is also known as “budget season.” It’s

is organizing. From zumba to laser tag, there’s something

when the City finalizes its operating budget for the next

for everyone! Learn more about our Parks and Rec pro-

fiscal year, which runs from July 2024 and ends in June

gramming and sign up for activities at https://www.win-

2025. Through our City budget, we collectively fund our

chesterva.gov/Parks-Recreation.

Police and Fire and Rescue Departments, maintain our streets and public infrastructure, educate our children,

As always, please don’t hesitate to contact me at

pick up trash and recycling, and so much more. Next year,

dan.hoffman@winchesterva.gov if I can do anything

the City’s budget will increase by about three percent, less

for you. If you have an idea for a story for this publica-

than our current national inflation rate of 3.4 percent (ac-

tion, please contact Public Information Officer Sarah Frey

cording to the U.S. Department of Labor).

at sarah.frey@winchesterva.gov. See you around!

As a community, we have a lot to be proud of when it

Dan Hoffman

comes to financial management. Since 2013, our City budgets have only increased by less than a half percent each year after adjusting for inflation. Our City has a Tri-

City Manager Winchester, VA

ple-A Bond Rating from Standard & Poors, and we have received the Certificate of Achievement in Financial Reporting award from the Government Financial Officers

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AWABI SUSHI BAR D id you know that May is Asian American and Pacific

Awabi owners Marcus Doe and Emma Lee, who both have

Islander Heritage Month? On May 7, 1843, the first

Korean ancestry, are master sushi chefs with 32 years of

Japanese immigrant arrived in the United States.

experience preparing and serving the ancient Japanese

Since 1990, Americans have celebrated Asian American

cuisine. What sets their sushi apart is the perfect balance of

and Pacific Islanders’ (AAPI) contribution to our country.

flavors, the freshness of the ingredients, and the meticulous

Whether in sports, medicine, science, arts, education, and

preparation that goes into each roll. For the last 14 years,

so much more, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have

they have operated Awabi and brought fantastic sushi to

made a tremendous mark.

Winchester.

To commemorate AAPI Heritage Month, we recently

As you might imagine, you can’t learn how to make sushi

stopped by Awabi, an Asian American-owned restaurant on

on YouTube! After serving in the U.S. Army in South Korea,

the Winchester Old Town Walking Mall. Awabi is Japanese

Marcus studied as a sushi chef for eight months at the

for the shellfish Abalone, a delicacy in Asia and around

prestigious Sam Sung Culinary Academy in Seoul, where he

the world!

learned the basics of sushi preparation.

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Becoming a sushi chef, however, also requires several

He always strives to expand his repertoire and prepare

years of working as an apprentice before being recognized

different kinds of fish and sushi combinations to delight

as a professional sushi chef, or “shokunin.” Proper sushi

his customers.

preparation requires a sophisticated understanding of fish handling, expert knife skills, rice preparation, and

Marcus and Emma also spare no expense in ordering

knowledge of how much vinegar to use with different types

the highest-quality fish from True World Foods, an

of fish.

international gourmet food supplier, further ensuring that their customers have the best dining experience.

As they grow their repertoire, the most skilled chefs can become master chefs, or “itamae.” Itamae sushi chefs

Stop by Awabi sometime soon to sample some of the best

are highly respected in Japan, and we are lucky to have

the ancient Japanese sushi tradition offers. Of course, you

an itamae sushi chef in Winchester – Marcus! Marcus’s

don’t need AAPI Heritage Month as an excuse—Marcus and

journey to becoming an itamae sushi chef is a testament

Emma’s delicious sushi is well worth the visit!

to his dedication and passion.

Awabi Sushi Bar Despite his accomplishments, Marcus emphasized to

Location: 111 S. Loudoun St., Winchester, VA

us that a true itamae sushi chef never stops learning.

Hours: Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday 5–9pm Friday and Saturday 12–2pm, 5–9pm Sunday 12–2pm, 5–8pm Closed Wednesday

(Above) Treasure Box Omakase (Below) Green Rose Roll

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Civic Leadership Academy H

ave you ever wondered how potholes are fixed or why the City decides to close some streets and not

others? Or how neighborhoods are designed? Maybe you’re curious about how our Police and Fire and Rescue Departments keep us safe, or how your tax dollars are spent?

To get answers to these questions—and many more— sixteen Winchester residents took a leap of faith and signed up for the City’s inaugural “Civic Leadership Academy.”

The Academy is a nine month-long course designed to get “under the hood” of City operations, so interested residents

The Academy is loosely modeled after the City’s previous

can learn how the City works behind closed doors.

“Citizen Insight Academy,” a similar program that was run by the City from 2004 through 2022. The Civic Leadership

So far, the current class has toured upcoming redevelopment

Academy, however, was broadened to include more site

sites in the City (think Ward Plaza), participated in critical

tours and exercises, to break away from PowerPoint

exercise in the City Emergency Operations Center, toured

presentations and give students a more hands-on

Fire and Police stations, as well as the City Water Treatment

experience.

Plant, and drafted a budget for the City. Not bad for a few months’ work!

According to class member Alyssa Grant: “The Academy has been really amazing. Apart from just being a fun experience, it’s helped me learn about how the city runs, which allows me to better help our library patrons with their needs. The Civic Leadership Academy has armed me with the knowledge I need to better help our library patrons who are Winchester residents!”

Winchester resident Karen Burroughs found that the class helped her achieve her goals: “When I moved to Winchester, I was looking for ways to get involved and wanted to find my place within the community. I found out I could get a free rain barrel which would give me a credit on my stormwater fee, I can get free glass stones or sand from the recycling center, and I was able to find ways to volunteer through opportunities like the City’s Snowbuster program. This has been a truly amazing experience and I’d highly recommend it for any citizen wanting to learn more or just find more about what our beautiful city has to offer.”

Although it’s not required, graduating from the Academy is a great step towards serving on a City Board or Commission, or even running for City Council one day!

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Class member Eli Bell might have had the most colorful

best reward for taking the class is the confidence that

description of the class: “This class is like pulling back the

comes with knowing how your City works – as an informed

curtain, and instead of the old wizard, you find a collection

resident!

of people working from different departments and walks of life, all working towards a common goal of making our

The current Civic Leadership Academy class will graduate

city as good as it can be”. He added, “The civic leadership

in June, and the City will open the application period for the

academy is a great way to dip your toe into getting more

upcoming 2024-2025 class in mid-August.

involved in your city”.

Stay tuned for more information on how to apply, or check That said, other than the connections you can make with

the City Communications page for updates!

other like–minded, engaged community members, the

“

This class is like pulling back the curtain, and instead of the old wizard, you find a collection of people

BOOM July 3

working from different departments and walks of

Presented by:

Free fireworks show at 9:20 p.m.

life, all working towards a common goal of making our city as good as it can be.

-Eli Bell, Civic Leadership Academy class member

”

Celebrate Independence with WPRD! July 3, 2024 Jim Barnett Park LEGO Camps!

JULY 15-19 Adventures in STEM with LEGO Materials Ages: 5-7 9am - 12pm

Scan to Register

Scan to Register

Minecraft Master Engineering using LEGO Materials Ages: 8-12 1pm - 4pm

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Beauty MEETS

Function H

ave you been up on North Cameron Street or North Kent Street lately? If so, you’ve probably noticed the ongoing North Cameron Drainage Project, an

ambitious project set to transform the City. You might call it a “facelift” for the North End. But what’s it all about?

Over the next two years and $28 million (of which $10 million is being provided by the State Department of Transportation), the North Cameron Drainage Project will help prevent flooding while beautifying the North Cameron/North Kent area. The project will add four large stormwater ponds, replace water and sanitary sewer lines, and replace and install new sidewalks and pavement. The project will also include planting of over 300 trees!

The project (a.k.a. “facelift”) will have several key impacts on residents:

Detours Phase one of the project is currently underway along North Cameron Street, from Clark Street up to Wyck Street.

During this phase, traffic will be one-way northbound along this stretch. Along North Kent Street from Baker Street to Beau Street, the road is closed to non-local traffic. The detours are expected to be in place while work is occurring on Cameron and Kent Streets.

Phase two is projected to start in early 2025 and will involve the closure of Wyck Street from Fairmont Avenue down to North Cameron Street to through traffic.

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Protecting Downtown from Flooding If you have ever driven through a small lake that used to be North Cameron Street, then you know that downtown Winchester is susceptible to flooding! This project will help protect our City from that development.

Beautifying our City Here’s where the “facelift” comes in. Four new stormwater ponds will be installed as part of this project, and each will have scenic landscaping, fountains, and tasteful fences to keep people from taking a swim.

In addition to these four beautiful ponds, underground stormwater drainage pipes will be installed and updated along North Cameron Street, North Kent Street, Wyck Street, and Fairmont Avenue.

Updated Water & Sewer Infrastructure Ready for a fun fact for trivia night? Winchester’s infrastructure was built before George Washington was President! In fact, it’s the third oldest water infrastructure system in our country.

Now, we should be proud of our water infrastructure – our pipes have lived long lives, keeping water running in and out of our homes and businesses for centuries. Like all of us, these pipes aren’t meant to last forever, though.

Let’s send them off to retirement and install new pipes to handle the job.

Repaved Roads Remember all that talk of revitalization earlier? At the end of the job, the roads in the project area will be repaved, and their sidewalks will be replaced—or installed if none existed before. Imagine taking an afternoon stroll with the family along the newly installed sidewalks, under the over 300 newly planted trees.

Thank you for your patience as our “facelift” moves along.

Remember, if you have any questions, you can check out our Locations

North Cameron Drainage Project at www.winchesterva.

of future

gov/North-Cameron-Drainage and submit a question

stormwater

online if desired. But we think you’ll like the results of the

ponds.

project when it’s complete!

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Juneteenth Calendar of Events North End Summer Kickoff Sunday, June 2nd, 2024 | 12:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Frederick Douglass Park 598 N. Kent St., Winchester The Douglas School Grand Opening & Ribbon Cutting Saturday, June 8th, 2024 | 10:00 a.m.

598 N. Kent St., Winchester 3rd Annual Winchester Juneteenth: A Celebration of Freedom Friday, June 14th, 2024 |5:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

Old Town Walking Mall Lawn Area at 20 N. Loudoun St., Winchester Berryville 3rd Annual Juneteenth Celebration Saturday, June 15th, 2024 | 12:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Clarke County Ruritan Fairgrounds 890 W. Main St., Berryville NAACP 3rd Annual Juneteenth Celebration Sunday, June 16th, 2024 | 12:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.

901 Amherst St., Winchester

“We must keep the faith because we are one people.

We are brothers and sisters. We all live in the same house: The American House.”

– John Lewis 10

Residents Learn About—and Weigh In On—the Future of Ward Plaza

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f you live in the City’s Fourth Ward, you might have

Two NDD processes are currently ongoing: Cedar Valley (which includes the Ward Plaza redevelopment), and Cider Hill, the effort to redevelop the neighborhood adjacent to Fairmont Avenue on the City’s north side.

received a unique invitation in mid-April from the City to attend a Community Meeting at…of all places…

Ward Plaza.

Two additional NDD processes—the redevelopments of Berryville Avenue and Federal Mogul site near Pleasant Valley Boulevard— will be implemented next year.

Ward Plaza? The largely abandoned (except for Family Dollar) shopping center at the corner of Valley and Weems Avenues?

In fact, the City is embarking on an ambitious effort to reimagine and redevelop four areas of Winchester. This includes the area surrounding Ward Plaza now known as “Cedar Valley.” (In a renaming exercise early this year, residents chose “Cedar Valley” over a host of other suggestions.)

The effort to redevelop targeted areas of the City is called the “Neighborhood Design District” process (affectionately shortened to “NDD”). According to redevelopment expert Alan Simpson, “The NDD process will transform the parts of Winchester that have been identified in the City’s updated Comprehensive Plan as prime targets for revitalization. The process will replace parking lots and dilapidated buildings with new housing, retail, and green spaces for residents.”

Importantly, the vision for the future of Ward Plaza, the Cedar Valley neighborhood, and the other Design Districts should incorporate residents’ ideas, priorities, and concerns. For that reason, each NDD is guided by a committee comprised of community members and representatives of our City Council, Planning Commission, Economic Development Authority, and the City’s planning team.

The City is also committed to holding regular community meetings to keep residents informed on the progress of the initiative and incorporate their ideas…which brings us back to the invitation to attend a meeting at Ward Plaza!

On April 17, nearly 100 community members stopped

by Ward Plaza to learn about—and weigh in on—the plan to revitalize the shopping center and Cedar Valley neighborhood. The City will continue to keep residents informed on the Cedar Valley through periodic email and newsletter updates, as well as future meetings. Residents can also check the NDD page on the City’s website for updates.

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Celebrating Community Paramedic Program During Mental Health Awareness Month

D

id you know that May is also Mental Health

patients to community resources, such as local food

Awareness Month? Nearly one in five American

banks, mental health and addiction support, and medical

adults experience a severe mental health challenge at

resources. They also educate residents on using their

some point.

existing medical equipment (like insulin pumps or oxygen tanks).

But what happens if you find yourself in urgent need of a doctor or mental health provider? You may have been

The Winchester Fire and Rescue Department (WFRD)

suffering from symptoms for days, and you might live

started the Community Paramedic program in February

alone or not be in a condition to drive. Without other

2022. WFRD is excited to welcome Ashley Hoffmann as

options, you pick up the phone and dial 9-1-1, hoping that

its full-time Community Paramedic beginning at the end

someone can help.

of May 2024. Ashley comes to the City with 20 years of experience in the Fire and Rescue field, 12 of which are as

Fortunately, our Community Paramedics are here to

a paramedic.

help. Our dedicated paramedics connect residents with community resources to get the help they need. In

The City’s Community Paramedic program provides free

addition to helping our residents stay healthy and safe,

services to all residents. To request assistance, please call

the program spares relatively scarce first responder

(540) 662-2298. If you are struggling or in crisis, help is

resources, like our Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs)

available. You can also call or text 988 to talk to a trained

and ambulances, for more acute emergencies.

crisis counselor.

The Community Paramedic program also helps patients work toward self-sufficiency. Our paramedics connect

(Above) Community Paramedic Shannon Ganoe, (Right) Community Paramedic Ashley Hoffman 12

Neighborly Advice Elevator Repair at City Hall Moves Public Meetings for June and July

Trash Schedule Changes for Independence Day Due to the Independence Day holiday

The elevator at Rouss City Hall will be undergoing

falling on Thursday, July 4, the trash

repairs in June and July, so the

collection for that day will be moved

City’s public meetings, including

to Wednesday, July 3. Please note

City Council, will be temporarily

that there will be no yard waste

moved so that all residents can

pickup collected on July 3.

attend.

Outdoor Pool Opens at Jim Barnett Park The Outdoor Pool at Jim Barnett Park opens on Saturday, May 25, and will be open daily through the Labor Day holiday on Monday, September 2. The pool is open on weekdays from 1:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. and on weekends from noon to 6:30 p.m.

Neighborhood Nights: Food, Fun, & Community Neighborhood Nights will Bring fun, free food, and community to neighborhood parks this Summer! Spend the evening connecting with your community at your neighborhood park.

This summer, the City of Winchester will host a series of Neighborhood Nights one Thursday a month from May to August.

What to Expect 5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.

North End Open House Come visit the North End Open House on June 22 to meet with representatives from each City department and hear about City projects on the North End! •

North Cameron Drainage Project

•

Cider Hill Neighborhood Design District

•

Planting of 300 Trees in the North End

•

Affordable Housing

•

…and much more!

June 22, 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m.

Douglas School 598 N. Kent St.

Pickup Party (community clean-up event) 6:30 p.m. – Dusk Free food, family-friendly activities, fun, and games Dusk Watch a family-friendly movie in the park Schedule • June 6 at Park Place Park (2024 Harvest Dr.) • July 11 at Timbrook Park (210 E. Piccadilly St.) • August 1 at Weaver Park (167 Bruce St.) • September 12 at Whittier Park (900 Whittier Ave.)

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Moving to Mobility BikeWalk Winchester and City Working Together to Increase Transit Options

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driving a car to get around. Many studies, including recent studies from Harvard and the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, have shown that increased mobility leads to positive outcomes and economic empowerment, not to mention positive outcomes for tourism and travel.

id you know Winchester offers an increasing number of alternative transportation options? In March,

“Our long-term vision is to make Winchester a safer

the City launched a new rideshare service, WinReady On

community for biking and walking, with a robust

Demand. Through WinReady On Demand, residents can

community of people who choose biking and walking

get from point A to point B anywhere in the City in about

as a primary form of transportation,” says Bike/Walk

30 minutes.

Winchester member Steve Policastro.

In addition, a group of citizens has started a biking and

BikeWalk Winchester is working closely with the City and

pedestrian advocacy group called ‘BikeWalk Winchester,’

the regional planning board, to build upon goals and

with the mission of making biking and walking safer and

initiatives already in place while providing a collective voice

more fun.

representing bicyclists and pedestrians.

The two initiatives mean more flexibility and increased

A key goal of the group is to get people together and show

mobility for City residents who may currently depend on

them that biking and walking can be fun and safe. Go to

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“We want to be a city where no matter where you live, you feel safe and comfortable biking and walking for fun, errands, work, or anything else.” -Kara Capelli BikeWalkWinchester.org/Events to learn more and join an event.

For example, on National Bike to Work Day on May 17, the group collaborated with the Economic Development Authority and the City of Winchester to host a welcome table at Big L’s Bagels, on Picadilly Street. They provided bagels and refreshments to bike commuters who stopped by.

Citizens can participate in BikeWalk Winchester in various ways, such as attending a meeting, volunteering, or participating in an event.

Kara adds: “Ultimately, we want BikeWalk Winchester to be shaped by the people of this City, and we’re excited to see the group evolve. We’d like to thank the City for their continued support as we all work collaboratively to make Winchester a more bike-walk-

WinReady On Demand...

In Demand!

Two months after the City launched WinReady On Demand, an innovative new publicly-operated rideshare service, Winchester residents can’t get

friendly city!”

enough of WinReady! Demand for the service,

Stay tuned for more!

was trending at 300 to 350 rides per day by the

which was around 200 rides per day in late March, end of April. Riders love the convenience of the point to point service, which promises to get you from point A to point B within about 30 minutes.

City staff continues to explore options to deploy WinReady On Demand resources as efficiently as possible, as well as add new resources, including vehicles and drivers, so WinReady can continue to meet growing public demand for the service.

To try WinReady On Demand for yourself, scan the QR code below to download the WinReady app from the App Store or Google Play Store. Then register and book your first ride! You can also call 540-667-2230 to book a ride. See you on the bus!

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