It's Listed!

It's official... our "wee hoosie" in Cupar o' Fife is up for sale. Offers over 105 K if you can believe it! And that's POUNDS! We're hoping it sells before the dollar recovers too much. For our American friends who have been inside the place, they're calling it a three-bedroom! Click the solicitors' logo to view our listing.

News of the Redevelopment of Floyd

Beyond this being interesting, I want you to notice how well this newspaper editor writes. How often have you seen "a / an " used correctly in your newspaper?

The Floyd Press
Thu Jul 17, 2008 - 01:54 PM
by Wanda Combs, Editor

A full agenda Thursday night extended the Floyd Town Council meeting past the midnight hour. The five-hour session, held in the W. Skip Bishop Jr.

Town Hall, included the results of the charrette for the Warren G. Lineberry Memorial Park, a hearing on plans for the Village Square, and decisions for the public restrooms on Locust Street.
Using input from last year’s survey of local residents and comments made at the June ice cream social, David Hill of Hill Studio presented a concept plan for the park. The plan included a pavilion stage - located toward the center of the park, a butterfly garden in the wetlands area of the park, a parking area and small picnic shelter near the back lot of the Winter Sun, a teen play area and umbrella terrace below the sitting wall, a small children’s play area, and trails, including one trail large enough to accommodate a pick-up to have access to the stage area.
Hill told Town Council members the stage could be used as a pavilion when events were not being held. The stage could also have parts that could hinge out and be expandable.
Dennis Anderson, area forester, who was present, pointed out the park had the third largest black locust tree in the State of Virginia.
Resident and local businessman Daniel Bower, also in the audience, made two observances. He said he would like to see a different kind of architecture, not timber frame, used for the pavilion. He added that if an amphitheatre is part of the plan, there needs to be more spaces for parking.
Town resident Linda Wagner agreed with Bower’s comments on timber frame and said, “Timber frame has nothing to do with Floyd.”
Council member Mike Patton remarked that the small children’s play area should be closer to the restrooms.
The planning process on the park will be continued.
The Town Council also agreed to put a natural stain, rather than whitewash, on the timber framed public restrooms. Council members voted to invest in an electronic lock for the family unit of the restroom to extend hours of use for the facility beyond the set hours of 7:30 to 4:30 Monday through Thursday, 7:30 until 11 on Friday, 10 to 6 on Saturday, and 12 to 6 on Sunday.
In a public hearing at the meeting, Woody Crenshaw talked about plans for the Village Square (the former Mama Lazardo’s restaurant building). Crenshaw and the building’s other owners have been pursuing restoration of the building for the past 15 months. The building is an historical structure in an historical district, and it will be receiving a major restoration and facelift, Crenshaw said, adding that plans have already gone to Department of Historic Resources (DHR). The public hearing last week was to solicit input on the façade improvements.
Crenshaw said that a 26-foot bump-out to the sidewalk would be added. He said as the building now stands there is not enough space for parking or green space, “but it’s too far back to give a presence.” In addition, Crenshaw said, a formal rear entrance (facing the Village Green) would be added with a covered entryway and steps leading to the second floor.
The mixed use project will include nine apartments as well as 10-12 small boutique spaces, with the possibility of a restaurant.
There are plans to repair and stucco the façade and add an iron balcony to each apartment. The iron work will also be seen as a railing above each of the two additions.
The Environmental Protection Agency, Crenshaw noted, has approved work, which involved the removal of fuel tanks in front of the building.
Dennis Anderson spoke on behalf of Trails in Floyd. He said the county government had given a letter of support for a one-mile trail in the Floyd Recreation Park, but neither the county nor the Recreation Authority wanted to hold the easement. The land itself is in the county, Patton commented. “To me it seems logical the recreation department hold the easement and work with it,” Anderson said.
The Department of Forestry has given a 6000-dollar grant for the project, which would be a natural mulch trail for walking, but Anderson said the Authority was concerned about possible future expenses and wanted the town to hold the easement for the trail and also the other easement involved, for land owned by David Larsen.
Attorney Jim Shortt pointed out that the Authority consists of representatives of the Town and County governing bodies. He added that trails are part of recreation. “It’s not all about balls and sports.”
Council asked town manager Mike Maslaney and assistant town manager Korene Thompson to meet with the county administrator.
Anderson said another trail is also being considered for the future. That one, a 1 ½ mile paved trail, is proposed for the Commerce Park and would be under the jurisdiction of the Industrial Development Authority.
Council gave its support to a Labor Day Weekend fundraiser and agreed to sponsor the 5K Run to benefit Duke research projects. Dawn Weeks, who was appointed the town’s agent for the event, said law enforcement has agreed to provide a presence, in addition to volunteers at the cross streets.
Also, at the meeting, Patton made a motion to record all meetings of Town Council and direct the town manager to prepare minutes and make them available to the public within five days of the meeting.
Three junk sites in town have been identified in town, Mayor Robert Shelor said. Shortt said he will respond at the August meeting as to possible legal actions that may be taken. In the meantime, Maslaney was asked to write letters to the concerned parties.
“We need to set the example,” Patton said, adding the Town needed to get their own “backyard” in order.

Move Avoidance

A lot of folks have asked how the move is going. What with all we've had going these past few months it's a wonder we might have even started the process. (We have, technically. I packed up about six boxes of cookbooks.) But... to be honest we've only just reached the second phase of our mourning for good old Santa Fe... Denial. First it was the Shock and joy of having found our new "perfect" home. Then it was the realization that we will have to leave Santa Fe, our house, our garden, our great mailman.

So, we have been pretending that we don't have nearly 3,000 square feet of house, a double garage, and a good sized storage shed to be packed up. We're pretending that it'll all just teleport into a perfect arrangement in Virginia. It's a great fantasy.... and our Scotty has an elegant Edinburgh accent and not some awful fake "highland" mumble.

Thankfully, we're mostly over this. Now we can move back into excitement as we arrange our next trip back to Stratheden Farm to learn from the Strattons such esoteric things as which windows like to stick and how to load the furnace. We'll maybe get to see the local farm market and take in a little of the Friday bluegrass jam.