EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S NOTE
Orange Street Festival
Yes,the Orange County Chamber is
planning to have the 45th Annual Street Festival on
September 12, 2020 in the Town of Orange!
We want all of you to put that date down on your calendar to either be a vendor or get out and enjoy the first major event of the fall.
If you are a food/beverage vendor, arts and crafts, non-profit, or a political group we encourage you to participate in the Street Festival. We had over 200 booths last year and are planning for a bigger event this year. If you would like to participate in the event click here for a vendor’s application or go to our website orangevachamber.com.
Get your name out there, we encourage small and large businesses to participate in this event and let the public know who you are and what you do and that you are still in business.
If you know of a new or old business that is not a member of the Chamber, please encourage them to join the Chamber. You can give me their contact information and I will be happy to contact them. Or just give them my contact information.
Phone 540-672-5216,
email orangevadirector@gmail.com.
Many thanks to our Chamber members
for your support.
Sincerely Yours,
Donald A. Vizi
Executive Director
Orange County Chamber of Commerce
Chamber Member Spotlight
Main Street Gordonsville
July 3rd Celebration!
OCPS Superintendent's Blog
Dr. Cecil Snead
Dear OCPS Family:
The OCPS School Reopening Task Force met again today to continue action planning and begin stage implementation of our school reopening for August 10, 2020. We have culled through stakeholder survey data to attempt to mitigate some of the concerns and challenges that surfaced during the sudden closure in the spring. We have also culled through parent surveys regarding the reopening of our schools. Our stage implementation of school reopening will start with more surveys in an effort to tailor the learning experience. The most urgent survey will be a phone survey of parents in grades PreK-3 to ascertain the transportation landscape. This survey will be completed on [or before] July 10. The Reopening Plan status is briefly introduced on my blog at: http://www.ocss-va.org/suptsblog/
In addition, please know that we are creating a detailed Health Plan and detailed Instruction Plan for public consumption. Because our calendar welcomes student instruction on August 10, 2020 we will be submitting our detailed Health Plan and detailed Instruction Plan to the Virginia Department of Education on [or prior] to July 17, 2020 per state regulations.
You will find a link on the OCPS homepage at http://www.ocss-va.org/.
You are welcome to read and share the most recent post at
http://www.ocss-va.org/suptsblog/ dated June 8, 2020.
Thank you for your support and partnership as we work together for the greater good.
Sincerely, Cecil
We are happy to announce that our employees are once again available to serve you at our Virginia, West Virginia and Cambridge, MD offices. Although we will be operating our normal hours, including Saturday mornings, you will notice a few physical changes in our lobbies. We will also be asking you to observe a few simple rules to make sure everyone stays safe.
Although we don’t require members to wear a mask to enter our lobbies you are certainly welcome to do so. However, if you do, we will ask you do us the courtesy of briefly lowering it before being permitted to enter the building. As you may have already guessed, in our line of work masks are not necessary considered socially appropriate. We need to see your smile… if even for a moment.
Staff will be controlling the door to limit the number of members in each lobby. Signage will be posted on the exterior doors/vestibules indicating the established limit for each branch. Should we be at that limit when you come to see us you will be asked to remain outside until someone leaves.
Once inside, please honor the requisite social distancing as indicated by markers that have places on the floor in each lobby.
As always, please wait for the teller to invite you to the window to begin your transaction. We will be cleaning the area after each member with disinfectant or UVC lighting to sterilize the surfaces.
Teller windows have been fitted with cough guards. In order for these shields to be effective, we would ask that you stand directly in front of them and use the cutout pass through to conduct business.
It is with your safety in mind that we have taken these precautions. Our complete COVID-19 Safety Plan is available at all of our offices for your review. As things change, we will respond accordingly to maintain our vigilance in conducting business as safely and conveniently as possible. Although the lobbies will be open again, you may certainly continue to access your accounts in the manner that makes you feel the most comfortable.
Thank you for you continuing support and understanding during this time.
James Madison's Montpelier Will Offer Indoor Tours During
July 4th Weekend
Grounds, gardens, trails, and museum shop also are open
ORANGE, VA - As Virginia moves into Phase 3 of the Forward Virginia reopening plan, Montpelier will begin offering indoor house tours during select hours July 3-5.
The Signature Tour will be available Friday-Sunday at 10:00 AM, 12:00 PM, and 2:00 PM. This classic tour of James Madison's Montpelier will take visitors through the personal and professional life of America's fourth president, and they will learn how he lived and entertained with his wife, Dolley, and how he came to be known as the "Father of the Constitution." The tour will also consider the institution of slavery during our Founding Era. All Signature Tours will be led by Dr. Elizabeth Chew, Executive Vice President and Chief Curator. The cost is $35/adult, $15/child 6-12, and free/child under 6. Montpelier requires visitors on indoor tours to wear masks.
The grounds - including the historical core, Annie duPont Formal Garden, Madison family and enslaved community cemeteries, and walking trails - have been open to the public since May 15, and Montpelier began offering outdoor walking tours and shopping in the Museum Shop on June 5. Montpelier is accessible Thursday-Monday from 9 AM to 4 PM with the purchase of a property pass.
Other tour offerings, led by Montpelier's senior staff, include: (1) Montpelier Walking Tour, scheduled for various times Thursday-Monday, moves through the historic core of the site and discusses Montpelier, the Madisons, the enslaved community, and the U.S. Constitution; (2) Expert Experiences, scheduled for various times Thursday-Monday, include topics such as "Uncovering Sites of Slavery," "The Forgotten History of Montpelier's Buildings and Architecture," and "The Women of Montpelier"; and (3) After Hours Tour, scheduled on Saturday at 4:00 p.m., offers exclusive, guided access to the site and ends with drinks and conversation with Roy Young, Montpelier's President and CEO. Each tour has its own pricing structure and includes a property day pass. To purchase a property pass, please visit our website at https://www.montpelier.org/purchase-your-property-pass.
Advance online purchase for any tour is strongly recommended. Montpelier encourages visitors on outdoor tours to wear masks. All tour takers are strongly encouraged to maintain six feet social distancing. Montpelier requires all tour participants to sign a waiver that states they are healthy and have not exhibited any signs of illness (COVID-19) in the last 14 days. Anyone experiencing symptoms will not be permitted to attend a tour. Visitors who are not taking a tour may refrain from wearing a mask in outdoor areas. Finally, Montpelier requires visitors in the Museum Shop to wear masks.
For detailed information about tour offerings and to purchase a tour ticket and property pass online, please visit our website at https://www.montpelier.org/visit/tours.
About James Madison's Montpelier
The lifelong home of James Madison, Father of the Constitution, Architect of the Bill of Rights, and fourth President of the United States, is more than a museum. As a monument to James Madison and the Enslaved Community, a museum of American history, and a center for constitutional education, Montpelier engages the public with the enduring legacy of Madison's most powerful idea: government by the people. The historic home and 2,650-acre grounds are open to visitors and student groups throughout the year; and the Robert H. Smith Center for the Constitution at Montpelier offers world-class residential and online educational programs. Montpelier is a National Trust for Historic Preservation site. To learn more, visit www.montpelier.org.
July 2, 2020 | 10 AM - 4 PM
Join the Firnew Farm Artists Circle, a group of artists, painters, and photographers at James Madison’s Montpelier.
For seventeen years, Firnew Farm has been the home to a group of artists who meet once a week to work together, review, and critique one another’s work. The group consists of nearly 40 phenomenally inquiring and productive artists, representing 10 counties in Virginia, working in varied media: watercolor, acrylic, oil, photography, mixed media, pottery and jewelry making.
Traditionally the Firnew Farm Artists Circle hosts two shows each year, our Annual Spring Show in May at Firnew Farm in The Barn Gallery and Silo and our Annual Fall Show at the Woodberry Forest School in the Walker Fine Arts Center in September and October. The Covid pandemic has canceled these events for 2020, but made possible opening the door to Plein Air Art on the beautiful grounds of James Madison’s Montpelier.
James Madison's Montpelier is pleased to welcome the Firnew Farm Artists Circle the first Thursday of the month during the summer. Visitors to Montpelier will have the opportunity to watch artists at work while social distancing of course. You may stumble along a painter in the field, a photographer capturing nature in its glory, or the unfolding story being revealed by the archaeological dig being creatively expressed. Tintype photography, common during James Madison’s day, can also be experienced.
Please come out and join us!
An Artists’ Reception will be held on August 6, 2020.
More details to follow.
We are committed to the safety of our staff and visitors.
before your visit.