Thanks, Sal’s

I posted this on the RealCrozetVA Facebook a little bit ago …

First, the carrot soup at Sal’s is really good.

“I’m sure this happens at other restaurants, but it highlights why I like Sal’s Pizza and Crozet.

Small one and I were in Sal’s tonight for daddy-daughter-dinner-date night.

Waitress was putting chairs on tables, sweeping and such on the left side just before 8 as we were finishing. As we were walking out after having great pizza and a really good carrot soup, a young couple walks in. Waitress says … we close at 8 but come on in!

Couple says “we’ll just get something to go then.” To which se responded, walking them to a table “no no! Y’all were in here last week right? Water and a Mr. Pibb?” (I think it was water, but I can’t remember … and this is 30 minutes later!)

So … thanks, Sal’s.”

Thanks Crozet for Being Such a Great Community

Just a quick note to reaffirm why Crozet is such a great place to live. Y’all come through.

1 – The Angel Tree from Decemberall the Angels were taken in record time.

2 – The Coat Drive – I just got this note:

“I hope you are staying warm in this freezing weather! Thank you so much for your help getting out the word about the warm clothing drive. The Mudhouse was our best collection location!”

Crozet’s 2013 in Review on RealCrozetVA


2013 – lots happened in Crozet this year – a lot of good, some bad, and I tried to capture most of it here. 2013 is the year that the RealCrozetVA Facebook page (I don’t like FB, but it’s awfully useful) became the third leg in the RealCrozetVA community, the recaps of the Crozet Community Advisory Council meetings proved quite useful, and the Crozet community time and again demonstrated why this is a great place to live. If you’re interested in browsing all the stories, you can see the 2013 archives – 165 stories all – here.

I’ve highlighted some of the stories I posted from each month and done my very best to not editorialize (although if I did, “Crozet Library opened” would have an exclamation point!).

Five things:

– You can subscribe to RealCrozetVA by email, follow RealCrozetVA on Twitter, or like RealCrozetVA on Facebook. A note on Facebook – we tend to have very good conversations and interaction there, but I don’t post everything there that gets published here.

– I’m a Realtor who lives in and loves Crozet. In my ideal world, I’d never get off my bicycle to show houses or meet seller clients. (and I know this will likely never happen). I rarely explicitly say this, but if you’re moving to Crozet or thinking about selling your home, I’d appreciate the opportunity to talk with you.

– If you’re curious, these are some of the photos I’ve taken in Crozet this year.

– Thank you. Thank you. Thank you Crozet for reading, commenting and sharing what you see here with your friends. You truly make this a great place.

– Really, thank you. Whenever I hear from people how they read about Crozet here, or used RealCrozetVA to research Crozet before they moved here, or when you let the community know about power outages and such via the RealCrozetVA twitter feed, I’m ever more grateful for the Crozet community and your support here. Thank you.


January 2013

We had a good discussion about Crozet school’s competitiveness and a great conversation about what we want Crozet to be.

February 2013

A hotel was announced to be coming to Old Trail in Crozet and many of you described your neighborhoods in Crozet.

March 2013

We had a rare (and appreciated!) guest post recapping the March Crozet Community Association meeting.

April 2013

WAHS got a new principal, the Daily Progress called for retrofitting 250 West, a guest’s reflection on the James Sun Memorial 5k, Crozet Volunteer Fire Department got a Twitter account, and the Crozet real estate market started to really pick up.

May 2013

King Family Vineyards responded to the soggy pitch by having Nolo Weekend – and it was tons of fun. A 10 year old was accidentally shot in Crozet. I started to recap the CCAC meetings using Storify – and subsequently did it many more times to what I think is a great success.

June 2013

WAHS’ new principal answered 10 questions, Crozet got another new great restaurant, Restoration and the Field School put together a great kids’ triathlon.

July 2013

The Crozet Gators won the Jefferson Swim League Championship for the first time in 22 years and Restore N Station finally broke ground.

August 2013

We discussed where the next Crozet stop light will be, I thanked Blue Ridge Internetworks for hosting RealCrozetVA, I summarized the CCAC meeting and the Crozet community suffered another rash of car break-ins.

September 2013

The Crozet Library opened, the community responded to a survey on new Crozet hotel, I recapped the September CCAC meeting, I looked at when homes come on the market in Crozet, Ned Gallaway, Albemarle’s At-Large school board member hosted the first community conversation about Albemarle County Schools that I can remember being held by a school board member in Crozet, and you voiced your opinions on what should happen to the old Crozet Library.

October 2013

We figured out what the utility work in front of BP was, I relaunched the Crozet Calendar – and it’s now available for community members to post their own events (ask me how), y’all answered the question – What’s the first thing you tell someone about Crozet?, the 3rd Quarter Crozet real estate market report was interesting, the recap of the CCAC meeting proved useful and interesting, and we had a good conversation about the walkability of Crozet.

November 2013

Lots happened in Crozet on the Crozet Calendar, the awesome Crozet Trails Crew reached a few milestones, the Crozet Angel Tree was quickly accomplished, the buildings downtown were re-sided and the CCAC meeting was live-tweeted by a chorus of people! and recapped here on RealCrozetVA.

December 2013

The Crozet Streetscape meeting was very informative, I looked at the Crozet real estate market in December, Tim Dodson, WAHS junior, wrote about his perspective after having attended and live-tweeted the CCAC meeting, the Streetscape really is coming, we can now drive faster (legally) on 64, and the Barnes Lumberyard redevelopment may be moving forward – see this recap of the December CCAC meeting.


Continue reading “Crozet’s 2013 in Review on RealCrozetVA”

Crozet Community Members Ring Bells at Great Valu

via email:
 
This year the Lions Club of Crozet helped organize opportunities to ring Bells for the Salvation Army in front of the Crozet Great Valu Market.  ?The bell ringers included members of the Crozet Lions Club, the Western Albemarle High School Key Club and members of a few Crozet Churches and neighborhood associations.  ??Recruiting of volunteers was helped by RealCrozetVA.

Fullers bells 2.JPG Continue reading “Crozet Community Members Ring Bells at Great Valu”

Coat Drive Drop off in Crozet

I don’t care about the politics of this, just that a group is collecting and distributing warm clothes to those in need, and we can drop off said warm clothes at the Crozet Mudhouse. While I don’t make a habit of posting political stuff, it’s cold outside. Warm clothes can help.

via email:

We will be collecting and sorting  warm clothes, then distributing them to local charities on January 4th which is a statewide Day of Service in honor of Terry McAuliffe’s inauguration.
 
Here’s how you can help:

(1) Volunteer your time by helping sort clothing at the Ix Building  (945 Second St NE Charlottesville 22902) 12n – 4pm  every Tuesday and Saturday until January 4, 2014.

(2) Volunteer to sort and distribute warm clothing on January 4, 2014. We will be meeting at the Ix Building from 9am-5pm.

(3) Donate gently used warm clothing (i.e., coats, hats, gloves, scarves, sweaters, long sleeved shirts, winter pants, shoes, socks, etc) at designated drop off locations listed below.

Drop Off Locations:

– C’ville Coffee
– Toddsbury of Ivy
– Foods of all Nations in Ivy
– The Mudhouse in Crozet

Questions? Call Patty Haling – (704) 351-7002

Help the Crozet Lions and Salvation Army

via email:

This year the Lions Club of Crozet is organizing opportunities for ringing Bells for the Salvation Army in front of the Crozet Great Valu Market, and we want to invite all friends and neighbors in Crozet and environs to participate.

We have scheduled bell ringing for the following dates:

Friday, and Saturday afternoons and/early evenings, on December 13 and 14, and on December 20 and 21, and on Monday and Tuesday December 23 and 24.

We have set up two simple procedures for everyone to sign up.

For those who are comfortable with email, we have set up an account with Signup Genius.???The address is:  www.SignUpGenius.com/go/60B0A49A4A6292-ring

For those who are not comfortable with email, please call Phil Best at (434) 823-2431. Continue reading “Help the Crozet Lions and Salvation Army”

Angel Tree in Crozet – Accomplished!

I shared this the other day on Facebook, but the blog has more readers …

Feeling grateful for the Crozet community. 180 kids taken care of on the Crozet Angel Tree in 9 days.

From Lisa Ebanks:

“I’m happy to report all the angels are spoken for!! Crozet is the best!! 180 kids will receive warm clothes this Christmas! Thanks to all who are participating!!”

Thank you, Crozet, for being such a wonderful community.

Big Weekend in Crozet – Christmas Parade and More

There’s a busy day in Crozet this weekend –

Crozet Trails Crew events
Crozet Christmas Parade
The Crozet Gazette & Art Box Calendar Photo Contest judging
Make snowflake ornaments at Blue Ridge Beads & Glass?

Thank you everyone for adding events to the calendar. Slowly but surely it’s getting populated. Two of my goals for 2014:

– Have it be mostly self-populating – if you have regular events to add to the calendar, I can give you the ability to post events yourself. Just ask me .

– I’d like to post something every Friday morning noting the weekend’s events. There’s always a lot going on in Crozet from events at vineyards and breweries to things happening in Old Trail or the Crozet Library …

Angel Tree in Crozet – 2013

via email –

Its Angel Tree time again… Each holiday season school counselors at the local elementary, middle and high schools in Crozet partner with Crozet Baptist Church to provide clothing items to children in need. The need is great this year with over 180 children identified as needing basic items such as coats, shoes, hats and gloves.

Please consider “adopting” and angel this year or a family. This is a great project to to with your children or at your place of employment. Wrapped gifts are due to Crozet Baptist Church by December 8th. Please contact Lisa Ebanks at [email protected] to find at more about this wonderful program.

Update 4 December 2013: All kids on the Angel Tree are spoken for!

More Break-ins In Crozet

Lock your cars. Opportunistic thieves are back. A couple neighborhoods near Crozet Park had cars gone through and items stolen Saturday night. And I got this message last night:

Hi, thought you might want to share on your page and twitter that the car break ins are continuing, Westhall was hit last night (Saturday) at least three cars, and a flat screen TV found in some bushes by a playground. Didn’t want to post directly as I don’t want this reading to ID me, worried I may become a target. But people should know, so I thought your page may be a better communication method. Thanks.

This seems to happen at least once a year, all over Crozet.

The Crozet Safety Corps has news from late July that police arrested two men suspected for the break ins in Old Trail.