From a rare look at two copies of the Declaration of Independence at the American Revolutionary Museum in Yorktown, to Colonial Williamsburg’s iconic July 4 fireworks event, there will be many ways to enjoy the holiday indoors and out this week.

Here are key events taking place at Colonial Williamsburg and the American Revolutionary Museum in Yorktown.

Williamsburg:

Colonial Williamsburg is hosting a two-hour extravaganza July 4 capping a full day of celebrations. America Made in Virginia, 250 Years Together, is presented in partnership with the Virginia 250 Commission and will be broadcast nationwide on PBS from 8-10 p.m.

The event will be presented on Market Square behind the Courthouse featuring American musicians led by legendary singer-songwriter Judy Collins.

The evening culminates with a drone show at 9:25 p.m. followed at 9:35 p.m. with what CW is billing the largest fireworks display ever produced at CW.

The main entertainment will be staged on Market Square behind the Courthouse. Screens will be set up on Palace Green for additional viewing of the grand ceremony.

CW is offering an entire day of patriotic activities, starting with a reading of the Declaration of Independence by Thomas Jefferson at 9:30 a.m. from the Capitol building’s West Balcony.

At 10:30 a.m. at the Military Encampment, A Salute to the States will feature a special muster in commemoration of the anniversary of the birth of our nation. At 11:00 a.m., learn about the Virginia Declaration of Rights with Nation Builder George Mason at the Hennage Auditorium. At 11:30 a.m., there will be a special demonstration of weapons and tactics with Freedom and the Fog of War at the Military Encampment.

12:00 p.m. Noon at the Raleigh Tavern, Williamsburg Declares will explore how our historic community played a vital role in the lead up to the Declaration of Independence.

At 2:00 p.m., recruits of all ages are welcome to take part in Under Arms: Training the Grand Army, an interactive military drill with a final inspection conducted by Patrick Henry or enjoy a stage presentation at the Hennage Auditorium of Pursuing Happiness.

Close out your day with Beat the Retreat: Marching to a New Nation at 4:00 p.m. featuring General George Washington and march from the Magazine to the Capitol and experience 1776: The Trial for Independence at 4:30 p.m.

CW has also put together a lineup of what it calls Nation Builder programs at various venues throughout the day.

Visitors may bring folding chairs and arm blankets but no large umbrellas, weapons or drones. Large bags are subject to inspection.

Yorktown

The Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation is offering a host of activities in Yorktown, where the British surrendered to the American revolutionaries:

“Give Me Liberty: Virginia & The Forging of a Nation”

VA250 Signature Exhibition at the American Revolutionary Museum in Yorktown. Opening July 1, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

As the signature exhibition of the VA250 Commission featuring 60+ original artifacts, reproductions and multimedia, you can examine the continental and global forces as well as the actions of both iconic and ordinary people that brought about a model of democratic government that changed the world. As the largest, richest and most populous American colony, Virginia had a key role in the nation’s birth.

You will have the rare opportunity to view two copies of the Declaration of Independence – an early July 1776 broadside printing and an 1833 engrossed printing from the engraved plate of W.J. Stone, both in the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation collection.

Liberty Celebration

Daytime Special Event – July 4, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Experience artillery firings, period cooking, the Great American Fourth of July Sing-Along, and a performance by the Fifes & Drums of York Town. Indoors, catch “Liberty Fever,” an award-winning film, add your thoughts to the “Liberty Tree,” and share your wish for America’s 250th on a Wish Wall, a Civics Season activity.

Star-Spangled Cookout

Ticketed Evening Event – July 4, 6 to 8:30 p.m.

Old-fashioned Fourth-of-July American cookout with hot dogs, hamburgers and all the fixings, accompanied by music, puppet shows, crafts and competitions. The event concludes with an artillery salute to our nation, signaling time to take in Historic Yorktown’s firework festivities. Tickets are $45 for adults, $25 for youth and free for ages 2 and under. Discount for museum members.

“Fresh Views of the American Revolution”

Special Exhibition through August 31, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Discover new perspectives on the ideals and legacies of the Revolution through the folk art of Oscar de Mejo created during the 1976 Bicentennial juxtaposed with contemporary voices. View more than a dozen paintings of de Mejo’s work in the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation collection, including “The Declaration of Independence, 1776.” Explore questions about the nature of liberty, freedom, equality and revolutionary sentiments to interpret the meanings of this never-ending American Revolution.

Admission

Daytime events and exhibits are included with museum admission: $21.00 for adults, $11.00 for youth ages 6-12 and free for ages 5 and under. A value-priced combination ticket with Jamestown Settlement, a museum of 17th-century Virginia, is $34.00 for adults and $17.00 for ages 6-12. Residents of York County, James City County and the City of Williamsburg, including William & Mary students, receive complimentary admission with proof of residency. Tickets and membership programs are available online or in person at both museums.

Getting around:

Parking will be at a premium in both venues, but there are designated parking spots and shuttles to get you to your destination.

There is a full FAQ of what to expect at the CW celebration here, and Yorktown here.

Teenager driver charged with DUI in crash that killed motorcyclist

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Friday, June 26

To win his entrepreneurial award from the Greater Williamsburg Chamber of Commerce, Lyle Schiavone came up with a creative solution for the city’s stock of aging hotels.

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Thursday, June 25

A large crowd of residents and local elected officials turned out for the grand opening of the Greater Williamsburg Sports & Events Center Wednesday afternoon. Visitors toured the 200,000 square-foot facility, sampled food and drinks, and tried out the pickleball and basketball courts. The youngsters played in the activity zone and practiced soccer kicks on the retractable turf field that is the largest in the United States

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Wednesday, June 24

James City County supervisors voted 3-2 Tuesday to approve the final construction contract for the new county government center for a price not to exceed $177 million. Next they have to decide what to do with their existing office campus. Powhatan District Member Tracy Wainwright and Stonehouse District Barbara E. Null voted against the new county office complex

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Tuesday, June 23

The tax saga between Busch Gardens and James City County continues. As of Monday afternoon, the county’s third largest taxpayer had a tax balance due to the county of $25.6 million, according to the county’s Civic Quest property site.

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Monday, June 22

Parents of local school children sent a petition to the Williamsburg-James City County school superintendent proposing a more conservative use of screen time for students, and banning computer use before the third grade. The petition, signed by 80 parents, urged the school system to spend more time on textbook-based and paper and ink work supervised by engaged teachers, rather than using computers.

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Publisher’s Note: Lyle Schiavone’s mother is a former colleague and neighbor.

To win his entrepreneurial award from the Greater Williamsburg Chamber of Commerce, Lyle Schiavone came up with a creative solution for the city’s stock of aging hotels.

While the newly opened Greater Williamsburg Sports & Events Center is expected to bring more tourists to the area, officials there say York County hotels stand to benefit most because they are newer and in better shape than many Williamsburg hotels.

Schiavone took a 1950s-era motel and converted it into a 22-room boutique inn that combines retro charm with modern touches.

The Rochambeau Roadside Inn was just one of a string of deteriorating motels on Capitol Landing Road, many of which rent rooms for cash to boarders.

After a $1.45 million in investment and 18 months of business, the Rochambeau Roadside Inn is profitable and earning reviews averaging 4.9 stars from guests.

His success won him the chamber’s Early Stage Business of the Year award at the group’s 2026 Premier Business Awards and Luncheon Thursday.

The hotel was completely gutted and refinished with retro touches including new Frigidaire refrigerators in the rooms that bear the old stylized logo, luxurious tile bathrooms and USB ports everywhere.

Schiavone’s younger brother Luke, who is an architect, helped design the lobby and his sister Anna, whom he calls his creative director, designed the wallpaper, selected decor and manages social media.

The front apartment that once housed a live-in manager was converted into a suite that is usually booked well in advance, Schiavone said.

“We get an email or two a week from people angry” because the suite was booked on the day they wanted, he said.

Eighty percent of the motel’s rooms are booked directly through its website, but guests also can book through Airbnb.

Schiavone describes his operation as “limited service hotel meets Airbnb.” His lobby is unstaffed during the week, and guests check in with their smartphones.

But on weekends when he’s busiest, Schiavone staffs the lobby and offers a free continental breakfast.

Schiavone, a Jamestown High School graduate, has been running his own real estate development firm for eight years, focusing on buying older apartment buildings and townhomes, renovating and renting them

He originally considered buying the motel to convert into rental property, Schiavone said, but city officials dissuaded him from that idea.

The concept of a boutique inn surfaced in 2023, when he and his wife got married at the Williamsburg Inn. They had scoured the area looking for unique and interesting places to put up guests and had trouble finding enough, Schiavone said.

“We had seen some cool independent hotels...and (said) I can’t believe no one’s done this here,” he added.

He and his wife traveled around the county looking at independent hotels and coming up with ideas, Schiavone said, and they obtained several grants from the city and the state for initial work to plan the business and remove underground oil tanks.

Other award winners:

1. Small Business of the Year Winner: Williams Landscapes and Designs, Aaron Williams owner

2. Emerging Leader of the Year Winner: Logan Hall, Executive Director of the William & Mary Real Estate Foundation

3. Entrepreneur of the Year Winner: Sid Hall President and Founder of Historic Hospitality Group. The group owns Cochon on 2nd, Ember, Moody’s Kitchen, The Jewish Mother’s Deli, Riverwalk Restaurant, Water Street Grille, and Waypoint Seafood and Grill.

4. Non-Profit of the Year Winner: The Arc of Greater Williamsburg, Pam McGregor executive director.

5. The 2026 Roll of the Drum Recipient: Mayor of the City of Williamsburg Douglas Pons

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A large crowd of residents and local elected officials turned out for the grand opening of the Greater Williamsburg Sports & Events Center Wednesday afternoon.

Visitors toured the 200,000 square-foot facility, sampled food and drinks, and tried out the pickleball and basketball courts. The youngsters played in the activity zone and practiced soccer kicks on the retractable turf field that is the largest in the United States.

Soccer star Ali Krieger, two-time World Cup champion with the U.S. women’s national team, signed autographs for young fans and urged their parents to encourage their kids to play a variety of sports.

Krieger, who is now a commentator for ESPN, told fans that her soccer game benefitted from having played volleyball and basketball in her youth in Prince William County.

Local elected officials hailed the $80 million facility not just as a generator of tourism revenue, but as a regional facility where residents of Williamsburg, James City County and York County can enjoy league and individual play.

Center officials say they have booked most weekends for the next year for events ranging from cat shows to sporting tournaments. They say the center, which can field 12 basketball, 24 volleyball and 36 pickleball courts, can also handle more than 5,000 people for trade shows.

They say it has already generated more than 29,000 hotel night bookings.

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Local schools may gain millions more from new state budget

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James City County supervisors voted 3-2 Tuesday to approve the final construction contract for the new county government center for a price not to exceed $177 million. Next they have to decide what to do with their existing office campus.

Powhatan District Member Tracy Wainwright and Stonehouse District Barbara E. Null voted against the new county office complex. Tuesday’s vote authorized the county administrator to sign the final phase of the agreement with Henderson, Inc. and Gilbane Building Company, who are jointly building the center.

Assistant County Administrator Bradley J. Rinehimer told the supervisors a contract for the library annex to be housed in the center, and the road work around the site, would be presented to them this fall or by winter.

County Administrator Scott Stevens told Vice Chair Ruth Larson the board had several years to decide what to do with the current office campus off Mounts Bay Road near Kingsmill.

He said he has spoken with the Superintendent of Williamsburg-James City County schools about using the campus, and Rinehimer had reached out to other organizations that might want to lease the space.

“These buildings shouldn’t sit vacant too long because they will then fall into disrepair,” Stevens said. “If we don’t have a plan for them and can’t find a tenant for them then we may have to look at other alternatives ...They’re older buildings (but) they’ve been well maintained... they do have some useful life.”

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The tax saga between Busch Gardens and James City County continues.

As of Monday afternoon, the county’s third largest taxpayer had a tax balance due to the county of $25.6 million, according to the county’s Civic Quest property site.

James City County’s Board of Supervisors will hold a closed door meeting this afternoon to get more details from staff and the county attorney.

The dispute dates back to 2021. After decades of paying for its rides as business tangible personal property, Busch Gardens appealed to the state and said it should have been paying for them as real estate all along.

In 2024, the state agreed with Busch Gardens and ordered the county to pay the entertainment company a refund for its personal property taxes from 2017-2021, plus interest at 10%.

But the change will actually cost the entertainment company more, the county’s finance director explained, because personal property is depreciated significantly and taxed at that lower value.

The county calculated the difference between what it owed Busch minus the new, higher real estate taxes. The difference was $2.9 million, and the county sent out a check in December of last year.

But Busch Gardens said it wanted its entire refund, not the difference, and the county cancelled the $2.9 million check, County Administrator Scott Stevens told the board of supervisors at a special meeting Feb. 27.

Stevens asked the board to amend the 2026 budget so he could mail Busch Gardens a check for $15, 285,992.92 that same afternoon.

“At the same time we believe the taxpayer owes us more than $21 million in taxes for this same time period and we have billed for this amount,” Stevens told the supervisors, who approved his request.

Stevens told us Monday that Busch Gardens cashed that $15.3 million check but said he could not give us more details or tell us whether it had paid the $21 million bill the county sent out.

Our review of the CIGS property site Monday showed the $25.6 million balance owed in taxes.

We reached out to Busch Gardens and its corporate parent but had not received a response by our evening deadline.

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Parents of local school children sent a petition to the Williamsburg-James City County school superintendent proposing a more conservative use of screen time for students, and banning computer use before the third grade.

The petition, signed by 80 parents, urged the school system to spend more time on textbook-based and paper and ink work supervised by engaged teachers, rather than using computers.

The parents said they were worried too much screen time is reducing their children’s ability to focus, concentrate, or develop critical thinking skills. They said computer games are being played in school throughout the day and teachers told them they were spending time learning how to use the technology rather than improving their teaching skills.

They said they were worried schools are being sold excessive technology by businesses that are more interested in sales than in helping students. They asked the schools to publicize how much money is being spent on screen time technology, “including the cost of devices for students, instructional technology and programs, e-book subscriptions, and total staff resources devoted to technology.”

In a cover letter sent to Superintendent Daniel Keever, the group said it recognized technology has a role to play in education, but is concerned about the amount and quality of screen time students are getting in school and how it impacts them.

Several school board members have also expressed concern about excessive screen time and overreliance on technology in recent meetings. They turned down a request to purchase AI technology to help students practice English writing skills and are scheduled to discuss it further at their July 2 board meeting.

The parents’ petition asks the schools to make key changes by the start of the next school year. You can sign the petition here.

The petition said there should not be a requirement to have one computer per student until middle and high school, but recognized there may be a need for special accommodations for students who have specific educational needs that can benefit from technology help.

Among their other recommendations:

1. Prioritize analog methods of learning that focus on traditional textbook learning, teacher-student direct instruction, and hands-on, group learning activities.

2. Create an ideal target range or recommended “cap” on screen time, by grade level. For instance:

· 0 hours of screen time per day for grades K-2

· Maximum 2 hours per week in grades 3-5 (only in computer labs or stations)

· Maximum 1 - 2 hours per day in middle school

· Greater flexibility in high school, encouraging instruction without screens, when appropriate

3. Advance digital literacy standards via limited computer lab and/or computer cart model for K-5 and middle school students, rather than through daily use in the classroom.

4. Require that all instructional technology products align with goals and meet independent standards for efficacy, and to prove that any benefits outweigh potential risks. Make decisions by engaging an advisory committee that includes administrative staff, teachers, school board members, and parents.

5. Eliminate all computer games in the classroom, period. Strengthen existing barriers to block/ restrict children’s access to gaming, video-streaming, and social media on student devices. Spot check regularly to ensure compliance. Prohibit screen time from being used as a reward, incentive, or behavioral reinforcement for students.

6. Disable student access to any generative AI tools, apps, websites, and software on all school-issued devices until this technology has been proven safe, legal, and effective, and until age-appropriate guidelines are established. Monitor AI use for cheating on assessments and misuse with daily schoolwork.

7. Discourage or eliminate passive-use of technology, as well as device usage during passing periods, lunch, and recess.

8. Create clear pathways for parents and students who wish to opt out of device-based instruction, without penalty or reprisal, providing meaningful low-tech alternatives. Provide reasonable, workable tech opt-out policies and alternatives for families who prefer their students to learn in a limited tech environment.

The parents asked the schools to survey all parents, teachers and students about their experience with technology in the classroom and perform a more comprehensive audit of screen time.

They also asked the schools to compile and share information on student outcomes on SOL assessments before and after the schools adopted extensive computer use, and compare to other school systems that are more restrictive on technology use.

The schools should create a parent focus group to advise on technology, the petition said.

Final Proposal To Wjcc Regarding Technology June11 2026 (1)

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Friday, June 19

Virginia benefits from its massive data center industry, but the main players are not paying their fair share of the costs. That was the crux of the argument panelists made to the annual meeting of more than 80 members of the Williamsburg Area League of Women Voters Thursday evening.

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Thursday, June 18

Legal marijuana sales are coming, and local governments are waiting to see what rights they will have to control the business.

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Wednesday, June 17

Redistricting commanded the majority of the Williamsburg-James City County school board’s meeting Tuesday night, as parents pushed back and board members agonized over the conflicting goals they need to meet.

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Tuesday, June 16

Two political newcomers who will be running in the Williamsburg City Council election next November illustrate the city’s demographic variety. But both are preaching fiscal prudence.

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Monday, June 15

James City County police arrested a Williamsburg man Sunday and charged him with assaulting a 17-year-old girl in a bathroom at the New Town Barnes & Noble book store.

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Virginia benefits from its massive data center industry, but the main players are not paying their fair share of the costs. And the legislative argument over how to make them pay has created a stalemate in passing the state budget.

That was the crux of the argument panelists made to the annual meeting of more than 80 members of the Williamsburg Area League of Women Voters Thursday evening.

Northern Virginia is home to the largest group of data centers in the world. They generate $9 billion in economic activity every year and attract other companies with good paying jobs, said Louise White, the Governor’s Deputy Energy Officer.

But public opinion has been turning against the data centers, according to a recent poll by the Washington Post-Schar School poll, because of environmental concerns and their role in increasing consumer electricity costs. Dominion Energy Virginia won permission to increase consumer rates significantly this year after arguing it needed to significantly expand power production.

The sales tax exemption data centers first got in 2009 to incent them to come to Virginia is also costing the government $1.9 billion a year in taxes, said panelist Megan Davis. She is a senior policy analyst at The Commonwealth Institute, a liberal policy group that bills itself as working for equity and justice in the state tax code.

Davis said a study by the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission found five data center companies out of the dozens operating in the state got more than 80% of the sales tax benefit. And the cost of the sales tax exemption consumes half of the money Virginia can use to attract other business to the state.

The terms “equity” and “fairness” came up often in the conversation.

The Chief of Staff for Del. Shelly Simonds, D-70, said she considers it unfair that Northern Virginia counties that host most data centers reap the benefit from the property taxes the data centers pay, while cities that don’t have them like Newport News or Williamsburg get nothing.

The current stalemate on the state budget centers on a disagreement between the two houses on data centers: the senate had been holding out to eliminate the sales tax exemptions. But Gov. Abigail Spanberger and House of Delegate leaders disagreed, saying the state would be going back on a binding commitment.

White said going along with the Senate’s initial request could impact “our position as the number one state for doing business in America. And part of that is keeping the commitments that we had made in the past, that the legislature voted on just three years ago” to extend the tax break to 2035.

White said the state would look at phasing out tax break for new data centers, as well as other new taxes to raise revenue from data centers.

But she also said Dominion Energy and several other utilities are partly to blame for rising consumer costs because they are not fairly allocating the cost of generating and delivering power to electricity-hungry data centers.

She said Dominion had over-estimated the demand for future electricity needs, and the infrastructure to meet it, and has raised consumer bills as a result.

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Legal marijuana sales are coming, and local governments are waiting to see what rights they will have to control the business.

Gov. Abigail Spanberger announced Tuesday she had agreed with legislative leaders to legalize marijuana sales starting next year, as part of the budget package that is still being hammered out with the state Senate and House of Delegates.

Virginia legalized possession of marijuana in 2021, but not its commercial sale.

Under the agreement announced by Spanberger, sales could begin July 1, 2027. Cannabis sales will be limited to 350 establishments statewide, under licenses approved by a state board, the governor said.

The agreement would limit the sale of THC products, prohibit underage sales and require stores to be at least 1,000 feet from schools, hospitals, playgrounds or drug treatment facilities.

And of course, there will be tax revenue in play – the state will charge a 6% cannabis sales tax, rising to 8% in 2029, according to the governor’s press release. Local governments will be able to tack on additional taxes of 1% to 3.5%.

The state said its revenue would go to education, substance abuse prevention and treatment, and to the Cannabis Equity Reinvestment Fund to “help address longstanding disparities in communities historically and disproportionately targeted and affected by over-policing.”

State proponents said allowing private businesses to establish a safe market would drive business away from illegal drug distributors.

But there’s been no mention yet of what rights, if any, local governments will have to control sales through zoning or other powers, York County Attorney Richard E. Hill Jr. told the York board of supervisors Tuesday night.

James City County supervisors rejected an application for a vape shop last week that would have been located adjacent to the Greenwood Christian Academy after complaints from parents.

James City County attorney Adam Kinsman told us he has not yet seen the bill language, since it is not finalized, “but it appears that there is no local opt out.”

Kinsman noted the governor’s press release made “no mention of local authority other than the ability to impose a tax. “

“Stay tuned,” Hill said.

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Editor’s Note — we added a paragraph that explains the superintendent’s proposal to create a focus group.

Redistricting commanded the majority of the Williamsburg-James City County school board’s meeting Tuesday night, as parents pushed back and board members agonized over the conflicting goals they need to meet.

Parents and students who have responded to surveys since the redistricting maps were released last month said their primary goal was to keep their children in their local schools with minimum impact to their neighborhoods.

The school administration is working through a broader set of issues that include keeping some schools in faster developing areas from being overcrowded, ensuring buses run on time, and keeping schools racially diverse. The biggest challenge, school staff explained, is that most of the population growth and development is occurring in certain areas, particularly in northern James City County, leaving some schools overcrowded and others underused.

That means “people have to move,” Board Chair Andrea M. Donnor said, noting her own daughter is upset that the first pass at redistricting meant she would not be able to stay with her school friends.

The board spent 40 minutes hearing from 20 people – most criticizing redistricting – at the beginning of the meeting. Several residents from the Wellington and Ford’s Colony neighborhoods complained their school attendance zones were being split up to send kids to schools further away.

The school board then spent another 90 minutes reviewing the history of the redistricting process, which began more than three years ago.

Superintendent Daniel Keever said redistricting became inevitable when the school system and local governments agreed to build two new prekindergarten “Bright Beginnings” schools to handle more students.

That meant 30 classrooms currently used at five elementary schools for the program would become vacant next school year, allowing those schools to stop using modular classrooms. But that also meant school populations would need tweaking to keep some schools from being underused while others were overcrowded.

Redistricting is “not something that has crept up on us,” Keever said. “It is something that we have talked about fairly consistently over the last three years or more.”

Donnor said that based on emails the board received, “there is a sentiment in the community that we are resegregating schools.”

But school staff explained that the percentage of minority and lower income students increased in some schools largely because their overall population went down, not because more minorities were being shifted in.

Keever said the school system would shift resources to schools that had the highest number of students getting reduced priced lunches to make sure they had enough staff support and smaller student to teacher ratios. But at smaller schools there simply aren’t enough classrooms to handle lower pupil to teacher ratios, unless students are moved to other schools.

In response to parental protests, Keever said he would be asking the committee spearheading the redistricting work to review its maps to try to minimize large increases in one demographic group in schools, give a clear rationale when one neighborhood is divided into multiple school zones, and try to keep students together as they advance in grades.

He also proposed creating what he called a “focus group” a group of 13 members — nine of them parents — to review the work of the committee . But school board members rejected that idea as an additional layer of bureaucracy that could create confusion if there was disagreement.

Keever said the entire consultant report on redistricting was now available on the school web site. He said the individual responses to the last survey on the matter would be available by June 30, and a revised map would be presented at the Aug. 4 meeting.

The last word in the public comment session went to local retiree Jay Everson, who tried to reassure parents “our kids can adapt. They can make new friends....They can adapt if the parents will just tell their kids you have a new opportunity here, take advantage of it.”

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Two political newcomers who will be running in the Williamsburg City Council election next November illustrate the city’s demographic variety. But both are preaching fiscal prudence.

One of them, Carolyn A. Murphy, retired from the city after a 30-year career that included five years as planning director. The other, Eino Korpela, is a recent William & Mary business school graduate working in real estate who said he has started several small businesses.

The deadline to file is Tuesday at 7 p.m. and the city’s director of elections, Tina Reitzel, told us she doesn’t expect anyone else to join the group.

Two at-large seats are open.

One of them is held by incumbent Stacy Kern-Scheerer, who has filed for re-election. Mayor Douglas G. Pons announced last month that he would not run for the other seat, which he held 16 years.

Murphy, who has been frequently critical at public hearings of the city’s spending and hiring growth, said she was running because “I’m very concerned with the fiscal responsibility of the city and the whole budget process. I want to restore public trust. “

She said citizens are too often ignored, adding “I’ve asked questions and sent emails and not gotten responses” from city officials. The Holly Hills resident said she worked for James City County 16 years before going to work for Williamsburg.

Korpela said he was running “to bridge those divides” between long-time citizen residents, students and young families who are attracted to the city because of its historic charm. He said Williamsburg can work more effectively to encourage communications between the groups so they understand each other’s concerns.

“My top priority is keeping Williamsburg affordable for the people who already live here,” Korpela said. “That means being careful with tax increases, making sure the city’s spending is efficient, and then pursuing the kind of policies that help working families, and especially seniors on fixed incomes,” said the 24-year-old, whose parents immigrated to this country from Finland.

Williamsburg’s five council members serve staggered terms, and Kern-Scheerer and Pons’ terms expire at the end of the year.

Terms for Vice Mayor W. Pat Dent and council members Barbara L. Ramsey and Ayanna T. Williams expire Dec. 31, 2028.

The city charter requires candidates to run as independents.

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Parents and community members will have their say on the proposed redistricting of the Williamsburg-James City County schools when the school board meets Tuesday evening.

Parents have pushed back against the first proposed redistricting map on everything from diversity issues to dividing up neighborhood attendance zones.

“Any time you talk about changing someone’s assigned school or boundary, people are likely to not love that, because they love the school that they’re currently attending,” Superintendent Daniel Keever told a community meeting last week. “There is not going to be a map that we release that is supported by 100%” of the community.”

Keever spoke at a community meeting sponsored by The Village Initiative for Equity in Education, which criticized what it said was a lack of racial balance in the schools.

He said the redistricting process began two years ago when the school system started work on two Bright Beginnings schools that will house 350 pre-kindergarten students who are currently in elementary schools, leaving the equivalent of 32 empty classrooms.

Keever said the goal of the redistricting was to make good use of school space to avoid having students in modular classrooms while balancing demographics.

He said the committee working on the problem since last year has tried to keep students together as much as possible as they advance through grades, keep bus routes as short as possible, maintain neighborhood schools and minimize disruption. But some schools are not built near to where most students live, he said.

After Tuesday’s meeting, the committee will produce a second round of maps for the community to review by August, Keever said.

The schools have been working steadily to provide information on the process since learning from their consultant last year that fewer than half of local residents were aware it was underway.

Last month the consultant held three town halls to explain the process, review the maps, and answer questions.

The school board meeting begins June 16 at 6:30 in the auditorium at Berkeley Middle School.

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Friday, June 12

Williamsburg City Council learned Thursday that while its meals tax revenue grew by 6.7% through April from the prior year, restaurant revenue has decreased by 1.5% once the tax increase is factored in. April was down 22% from the prior year.

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Thursday, June 11

Given the potential impact of redistricting on schools’ racial composition, how diverse is the committee that has been steering redistricting at Williamsburg-James City County schools?

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Wednesday, June 10

After nearly four hours of meeting, James City County supervisors once again agreed to defer action on three developments that would have added 1,865 housing units to the county’s housing stock.

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Tuesday, June 9

Williamsburg-James City County’s school superintendent apologized for his comments on diversity in a meeting with a skeptical but polite audience Monday night to discuss school redistricting -- and how it would impact minority students .

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Monday, June 8

The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation’s new Chief Executive Officer says the organization will use its improving financial position -- and national visibility from America’s 250^th anniversary -- to push for more visitors and expand its brand recognition nationwide.

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Correction — we corrected the third paragraph to properly note the change in meals taxes. They went up from 5% to 6.5%, a 30% increase.

When James City County discussed raising its meal tax by 50%, and restaurateurs protested, Vice Chair Ruth Larson asked if there was any data showing how raising the meals tax has impacted Williamsburg. She may now have an answer.

Williamsburg City Council learned Thursday that while its meals tax revenue grew by 6.7% through April from the prior year, restaurant revenue has decreased by 1.5% once the tax increase is factored in. April was down 22% from the prior year.

The city raised its meals tax from 5% to 6.5% in January, a 30% increase. If meal spending had remained unchanged, the city’s tax revenue should have increased by the same percentage.

At the time the increase was voted in, restaurant owners protested the additional tax — on top of rising prices for food and labor — would drive customers to spend less.

Barbara Dameron, the city’s chief financial officer, said there were still delinquent tax payments the city is trying to collect. But she cautioned the city may have overestimated how much it would receive in the first year of higher meals taxes.

“I hope I’m wrong, but we could be under by $300,000 to $350,000” from their expectations for the year, she said. The fiscal year ends June 30.

James City County and York County both voted this year to increase their meals taxes by half, from 4% to 6%.

County officials argued that much of the tax would be paid by tourists, and the millions in projected revenue increases would diversify their tax base.

Restaurant owners pushed back. A spokesperson for the Williamsburg Area Restaurant Association, representing 113 restaurants, told us some members estimate as many as 65% of their clients are locals.

Several restaurateurs who operated in the city told James City County that Williamsburg diners were cutting back on spending, skipping drinks or desserts.

That meant lower meal tabs, and lower tips for servers, the restaurateurs said.

Between state sales tax and the local meals taxes, restaurant patrons are now paying nearly 14% in taxes to dine in the city.

Tracy Wainwright, the James City County supervisor for the Powhatan district, voted against raising the county tax because she said it would hurt local families. When her family of six goes out to dine, Wainwright added, taxes mean “we are paying for a seventh meal…it’s a significant hit.”

After hearing the report from the city CFO, Williamsburg Mayor Douglas Pons quipped, “I’ll certainly start eating out a little bit more.”

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Given the potential impact of redistricting on schools’ racial composition, how diverse is the committee that has been steering redistricting at Williamsburg-James City County schools?

The question surfaced during school Superintendent Daniel Keever’s community meeting Monday, organized by The Village Initiative for Equity in Education.

Parents have criticized the first round of school rezoning maps, saying the changes would cluster more minority students in several schools. Lafayette High School’s student body would be 48.9 percent minority, compared to 27% at Jamestown High School. D.J. Montague Elementary’s minority enrollment would go up to 59.1%, and lower income students would comprise 42.3% of James Blair Middle School’s enrollment.

Keever said the map was a first pass, and a second set of options will be available for community review in August.

Jacqueline Bridgeforth Williams, who founded the grassroots Initiative group, asked Keever if the committee that has been leading the work since last year was sufficiently diverse and reflective of the community.

Keever did not have the information immediately available Monday night, so we took a look.

The schools sent us the list of all 19 committee members, who have been meeting twice a month since last year, but they are not identified by race. Based on our knowledge of some members, and a review of social media, we were able to put together a partial picture:

There are at least four Blacks on the committee and one Asian, representing 21% and 5% of the group, respectively.

As of Nov. 2025, 18.4% of the schools’ 11,146 students were Black, and 2.6% were Asian.

Based solely on names -- not a statistically accurate process -- we could not identify anyone who is Hispanic. That group represents 17% of the schools’ student population. Hispanics are an ethnic group, not a race, and comprise individuals of all races.

Nine of the committee members were women.

One committee member works for the city of Williamsburg, two are school board members, one works for James City County and one, Sara Ortego, is the former chair of the school board and is now a citizen representative.

The Initiative has also criticized what it says is the lack of diversity in school leadership and staff.

A spokesperson for the school system says it is not required to track staff race by either the state or federal governments, and she had no figures for us.

A look at the nine people listed on the senior leadership page on the school system’s website showed one Black – Operations chief Marcellus Snipes. The rest were White. The team is almost evenly split between women and men, with four women.

Redistricting Steering Committee List (1) (1)

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After nearly four hours of meeting, James City County supervisors once again agreed to defer action on three developments that would have added 1,865 housing units to the county’s housing stock.

At the request of the developers, the supervisors voted to defer a vote on two developments on surplus Eastern State Hospital land that would have added 1,161 homes.

Supervisors continued the public hearings on the 155-home Westwood Park project to their July 14 meeting, and the 1,006-home Cardinal Ridge project to Sept. 8.

But they spent several hours grappling with The Bluffs at Kiskiack, an ambitious project to build 704 homes including, senior housing plus a museum, offices, hotels and retail space in rural Croaker off the I-64 intersection.

Eight of 10 speakers opposed the project, saying it would destroy the area’s rural nature.

Stonehouse Supervisor Barbara E. Null was the only supervisor who was unreserved in favoring the development, saying it was the only one of the proposed developments she could get behind because “it offers everything.”

Powhatan Supervisor Tracy Wainwright grappled at length about the things she liked about the plan, including affordable housing, but added “density for me is going to be the problem.”

Jamestown Supervisor Jim Icenhour and County Chair John J. McGlennon were more skeptical about whether the project could deliver on its promises.

Vice Chair Ruth Larson, participating remotely while on vacation in North Carolina, said her biggest concern was the flood of emails the supervisors recently received from area residents opposing the project.

“It had taken them by surprise,” Larson said, because of media attention to the larger Cardinal Ridge project.

She recommended the applicants defer action and spend more time explaining their plans to local residents – a suggestion accepted by the developer and his attorney.

The supervisors voted 3-2 to hold off on a decision until Oct. 13, with Icenhour and McGlennon opposed.

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Williamsburg-James City County’s school superintendent met with a skeptical but polite audience Monday night to discuss school redistricting -- and how it would impact minority students -- at a community discussion organized by a grassroots diversity group.

A diverse group of more than 60 people attended The Village Initiative for Equity in Education’s meeting at the downtown Williamsburg Library theater, submitting more than two dozen questions to Superintendent Daniel Keever.

Keever began the evening by addressing what the organizer termed “The elephant in the room” – comments he made about diversity to a school meeting at Lafayette High School a week ago. School officials said his comments on diversity, which acknowledged students want to go to schools with others like themselves, were misconstrued.

“I made a mistake on Monday at Lafayette,” Keever said. “I made a mistake in the explanation that I was trying to share with students around the idea of demographics as one of the guiding principles related to our work, looking at redistricting. That mistake was... absolutely something that I would have corrected in the moment, had I realized the way that it had been heard by members of the room.”

“I believe in diversity...And I’m incredibly disappointed in myself for not doing a better job of articulating what it is that I believe and how I believe that on Monday at Lafayette.”

Ironically, the executive director of the initiative showed how comments could be misconstrued by herself misunderstanding a comment Keever made in when he said he did not expect a standing ovation for rezoning schools.

Jacqueline Bridgeforth Williams responded by prompting Keever “you said there was a standing ovation?” and he clarified “there has not been a standing ovation.”

Many of the audience questions centered on diversity concerns, saying the proposed maps would increase racial and socioeconomic segregation, concentrate high-needs students in specific schools and worsen the existing double-digit gap in test scores between white and minority students in the system.

They also asked about the racial composition of school leadership, the racial composition of the committee formed to review redistricting with a consultant, and the moves of principals and assistant principals to new schools this year. One question said the schools had lost minority administrators this year.

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The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation’s new Chief Executive Officer says the organization will use its improving financial position -- and national visibility from America’s 250^th anniversary -- to push for more visitors and expand its brand recognition nationwide.

“It took a lot of hard work to turn the financial ship around, and we have,” Carly Fiorina told Williamsburg Watch in an interview last week. “And it means now we can really begin investing for growth.”

The Foundation, established 100 years ago by billionaire John D. Rockefeller Jr. and Bruton Parish rector W.A.R. Goodwin, has been showing improved financial performance for several years on its annual tax filing. The Foundation’s 990 statements show above average returns from its endowment investments in recent years, which combined with expense cuts increased its operating surplus to $29.3 million in 2024, the latest year for which returns are available. That return was filed last November.

CW ‘s strategic plan calls for growing visits and expanding its endowment further. Fiorina says CW must also get more profit from its large real estate holdings, which cover 1,900 acres in Williamsburg and in James City and York counties.

Fiorina, the first woman CEO of a Fortune 500 company when she ran Hewlett Packard before becoming a Republican presidential hopeful in 2016, has served on the CW board of trustees since 2017.

She was named CEO in April, when predecessor Clifford Fleet suddenly resigned for what the foundation said were personal reasons. Fiorina also serves as honorary chair of the Virginia American Revolution 250 Commission, which has been organizing statewide celebrations for the 250^th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

The commission is sponsoring a two-hour live broadcast of CW’s July 4 celebrations on PBS, and “we are thinking about how we can leverage that to keep us moving forward,” Fiorina told last month’s meeting of the Williamsburg Tourism Council.

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