Local Author Presents at Warwick County Historical Society

July 13, 2022July 13, 2022 HRM Staff civil war, James K.Brandau, Liona of the Dan: The untold story of Armistead's Brigade, Virginia, Warwick County Historical Society

By: City of Newport News

The Warwick County Historical Society welcomes local author James K. Brandau who will present and discuss his latest offering, Lions of the Dan: The Untold Story of Armistead’s Brigade. The program will take place in the 1884 Warwick Courthouse, located at 14421 Old Courthouse Way. While time-honored Civil War history has narrowed on moments like Gettysburg, Brandau uses primary sources to examine the untold story of the best of men in the worst of times, widening the aperture to introduce real heroes and amazing deeds that have been suppressed until now.
Brandau, a Newport News Shipbuilding retired chemist, will share the experiences of real soldiers in their own words and highlight the much-ignored history of Southside Virginia, presenting the Civil War start to finish from a unique regional perspective. He will emphasize local history, including the camps and marches in Warwick County, the Battle of Dam No. 1, and the retreat and subsequent battle at Williamsburg. A book sale and signing will follow the presentation.
The Warwick County Historical Society luncheons are free and open to the public. Lunch is at 11:30 a.m. and the program starts at noon. Guests are welcome to bring a bag lunch or pre-order a $15 Jason’s Deli box lunch by calling 757-525-7372 or order online .

Additional surplus Waterworks property soldSix additional parcels of city-owned land in King William County were approved for sale by City Council. The parcels were some of the 37 parcels (792 acres) of land originally purchased for the development of a reservoir by Newport News Waterworks. That project was discontinued and the land has been deemed surplus. Four parcels that lie to the south of Mount Rose Road and totaling 180.2 acres are being sold for $133,000. This property is steep, irregularly shaped and divided by deep ravines that were to be flooded to create the reservoir. Its value is limited to recreational purposes, generally hunting, due to the poor topography, and was appraised at $132,000. Two contiguous landlocked parcels totaling 8.71 acres are being sold to adjacent landowners for the full appraised value of $10,000. The property consists of stream bottoms and steep slopes that were to be flooded to create the reservoir. City Council did not approve the sale of the 187-acre Scotland Landing tract located on the Mattaponi River after questions were raised regarding the process. Grant for stormwater projectThe city has received a Stormwater Local Assistance Fund (SLAF) grant from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality for the Lynchburg Drive Channel Improvements project. The existing channel does not conform to current city standards, and the stream restoration project will reduce pollution within the Hogge Pond and Deep Creek watersheds. The reduction will help the city meet its Total Maximum Daily Load requirements (TMDLs) set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). The current estimate for the total project is $445,057.15 of which $221,045.00 will be SLAF grant funding and $224,012.15 will be funded with city cash capital funds.
Appropriation for Menchville Marina ImprovementsThe city applied for and was awarded $285,740 by the Virginia Port Authority through its Aid To Local Ports Annual Grant Program for improvements at Menchville Marina. This highly competitive grant program offers $1 million annually for capital improvements to publicly owned marine facilities that support commercial port activities in the State of Virginia. This grant award will allow for the purchase and installation of a high-capacity food-quality ice and water vending machine in support of the important oyster industry at Menchville Marina. The USDA and the Virginia Health Department have adopted the guidance of icing of harvested oysters onboard vessels from May through October to safeguard the consumption of shellfish harvested in warm months. The grant represents 75% of project funding, with the required 25% city match funded through the approved FY 2023 General Fund Operating Budget.
On-demand viewing of last night’s entire City Council meeting is available at www.nnva.gov/nntv.
Next Regular Meeting is 7 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 9. Council meetings are shown live on NNTV (Cox 48/Verizon 19) and streamed online at www.nnva.gov/nntv and on NNTV’s Facebook page. View full meeting agendas, watch past meetings and more on the city’s Public Meetings Portal.