Welcome to the Rouse Review. On this edition, we're going to be talking about the North Cameron Drainage Project and shining a community spotlight on Juneteenth, which is coming up, and all the ways you can celebrate in the area. Coming up in the city, all kinds of amazing things. Summer's in full swing. There's all kinds of great stuff to do, so buckle up, we've got a lot to talk about. Later on in the podcast, we're going to be talking about all things Juneteenth in the area. But you want to make sure you don't miss out on an incredible weekend of celebrations starting on Friday June 14th from 5 to 10 p. m. when Hoodlove will host their third annual Winchester Juneteenth celebration of freedom in Old Town Winchester. On Saturday June 15th from noon to 7 you can join Berryville's Juneteenth celebration at the Clark County Fairgrounds. And then you can finish off the weekend on Sunday, June 16th from noon to 6 p. m. at the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley with Winchester and with the Winchester chapter of the NAACP's third annual Juneteenth celebration. So hopefully you can join in at least one of those. Next up, this is one that I am both excited and sad about, but Rouse City Hall is having major work done on its elevator. And this might be the oldest elevator in Winchester, so it needs it. That means that a lot of public meetings that are typically held at City Hall are going to be temporarily moved during the months of June and July so that everybody can attend them even if they can't make it up steps. So you can find the full list of location changes at www. winchesterva. gov. Next up, later this week, this Thursday. Come join our public services team on June 12th for a Touch a Truckin Open House. They're gonna have food, games, giveaways, and a dunk tank all at our beautiful public services campus located at 301 East Cork Street from 430 to 630. So grab the family, stop by, and join in on the fun. And then last, now we've already talked about the celebratory events for Juneteenth, but don't forget, it's also a national, state, and city holiday. That means city offices, the courts, and the War Memorial Building will be closed on Wednesday, June 19th. But, the outdoor pool will be open. However, yard waste collection is also cancelled for the week. So, try to remember that everybody's off on Wednesday, so don't put your yard waste out. All right, that's what I have for coming up in the city. But next up, we're going to be talking with Kelly Henshaw about the North End Drainage Project. Stay tuned. All right, welcome back for the next segment of the Rouse Review, where we are here with Kelly Henshaw, who's both Deputy Director of Public Services and our City Engineer. Hi, Kelly. Good morning. How are you? I'm so good. It's a pleasure to see you and no offense to your boss, but it's nice to not see Perry. I feel like he's been on every episode for the last, like, two years. Right, right. So, what a pleasure to have you. Well, thanks. I appreciate it. So, today we're here talking about So, what I believe is the biggest stormwater project to date that has kicked off, especially since the stormwater utility fee was implemented back in January. But before we kind of dig into the project, tell us some more about the overall plan stormwater infrastructure, because we only have this utility fee because we're worried about Some regulations coming down the line. Right, right. Talk to us about the plan. Yeah, it's the regulations, it's the backlog of maintenance issues and, you know, improvements, failing infrastructure. Again, just like our water and sewer, stormwater is an infrastructure component. And when you don't maintain it, or it's really, really old, it starts to fall apart on you. So um, we have a lot of that in the, in the hopper. But um, when we proposed the stormwater utility with city council, we went through and combed all of our report records from citizens and things we had observed in the field and came up with this massive list of 75 projects. And we ranked those a couple different ways. Wait, 75 projects in nine miles of city. Okay. That's a lot of products. Plus I have a couple new ones that we're going to add to the list and rank those and figure out where they fit into the picture. But basically out of that analysis came a top 10 list. These are the highest priority projects. Then we also kind of flip the list on its end to look at what were the biggest bang for your buck projects. And so the top 20 project list. Um, those that, you know, there were 10 really big ticket items, very expensive. North Cameron is at the top of that list. But then the bang for your buck projects, uh, 10 pretty minor small projects. And our goal is to get all of those under contract for construction by the end of this year. And haven't we maybe even completed one? We have. We actually have completed. Two so far. There's one currently, uh, underway on Amherst Street, and we're getting ready to kick off a fourth one, uh, on Berryville Avenue next week. So, uh, we're rolling through them. There's a bunch of them, maybe five or six. on that list. So that kind of takes the top 10. We're going to package and bundle those all together and bid them out at the end of the summer. So we'll hopefully be starting construction on all of those very, very soon. That's incredible. It's amazing how fast we can move on those. Yes. Yeah. Uh, I'm very fortunate. We have an in house, uh, team of engineers and, uh, some construction crews that a lot of those we can design in house and then give to our in house crew and they can build them. So we've done that on a couple of projects already and with a lot of success. So saving time and money is what I'm hearing. I love it. All right. What about the art? projects. How far down the road are they after North Cameron? So because North Cameron is such a huge lift, um, you know, that one is not supposed to wrap up construction until the end of 2025. So we've got 18 months left, um, and we're making great progress, so we're really happy with that. But, um, The other projects are still really in very basic design stages, um, preliminary design. You'll start to see them pop up when we have some public meetings for different alternatives for those projects in the next six to 12 months before those go out. So construction timeline, I don't want to say yet because it's still kind of early, but you know, we are working on designs for those big projects. Fantastic. Good. Alright. So, the project at hand. Yes. North Cameron Drainage. Okay. So, if you live, work, hang out, do anything in the city, and you've been anywhere near North Cameron and North Kent Street, you've seen the construction. It's everywhere. You can't really turn anywhere without running right into it. All right. So tell us what it is. What, what are we getting out of all this construction work? So the biggest component of that project is these four huge stormwater retention ponds. And our goal is a couple fold with those. We want to capture the excess stormwater. If you've ever been downtown when we've had one of those big gully washer rains in the summertime, um, you know, Cameron street is literally. Underwater in spots. Yeah. And so our goal is to capture that water, hold it in these ponds, and then release it slowly over time. Um, so flood control is the first goal. Uh, second goal is updating our aging infrastructure. which is good for the city. You know, it helps protect the businesses that are and residents that are down there. And then, uh, the third we actually designed these ponds and they'll be constructed so that they have a water quality component to them. So holding the water in there, planting them, with certain types of plants actually remove some of the nitrogen and phosphorus, which is what we are permitted for with the state and helps us get to that water quality goal that we are mandated under our stormwater permit. So we really have a lot of pluses that are going to come out of this project. Plus, In addition to the stormwater infrastructure, we're getting all new water, all new sewer, new sidewalks, lots of trees, over 300 new trees will be planted, um, and then the street will be newly paved when we're finished. It's going to look completely different. So you're saying it's going to be beautiful? It will. Yeah. Ah. So what kind of trees are we getting? Oh, there's an assortment. I can't even remember the number of varieties that the arborist picked for this project, but it's pretty wide. Oh, I cannot wait to see it. And just, just in case anybody's curious, will the ponds have fences so nobody can accidentally go swimming? Yes. Yes. Yes, they will. Yeah. Okay, good. All right. Now let's talk about the detours a little bit. So, some are currently in place. Let's start with those. So right now, um, the bulk of the work is happening on Kent Street and Cameron Street. So Cameron Street, you cannot go south on North Cameron Street. It is restricted to northbound traffic only. So if you get in, Pass Piccadilly, headed northbound, the lane is going to shift and you're going to feel like you're driving on the wrong side of the road, but you are going the right direction. Um, and we're continually working to improve the signage up there so that the clarity for drivers is, is good, uh, to get people through there. Um, but yeah, when you come south, From the north end of town. You can't go that way. You can't go that way. So, um, you know, if you get to one of the side streets to Cameron, there are going to be arrows that say no left turn. You have, I mean, no right turn. You have to go left so that you continue north, north. Um, but I do believe all the mapping applications are updated. I know on my Apple maps, it shows a big red area. You can't go that way. Yeah. So, um, So if you're using GPS, it shouldn't route you that way. Just, just watch this. We ask that people watch the signs. Uh, Kent street is a little bit different. It is open to through traffic. We just ask that you pay attention because at certain times it may be restricted to one lane and there will be flaggers. When they're, uh, working up there. So, right. But there's going to be a phase two of detours, hopefully early ish next year starting. Yeah, that's what our target is. It really depends on how much rock we hit in Cameron street. What? There's rock under Winchester. Oh my gosh, there's a ton of rock, but, um, yeah. So phase two of the project will move into Wick street. between Cameron and Fairmont. And at that time, there will be no through traffic on WIC. Okay. So, um, but Cameron Street will be open in both directions again. Woohoo! So, we will not. Is it a commercial? Yeah, we will not have them both closed at the same time. Um, we've been very adamant about that with the contractor. Um, but yes, and so WIC Street will be closed, You know, so that through traffic can't get through any deliveries or anything to the warehouse facilities or people that live in that area, you'll be able to access it. And obviously emergency personnel, there's always a route through the construction zone for them, but we want to keep through traffic out so that we don't delay the construction process. So otherwise people should get very familiar with commercial street and Payton. Yeah. Yeah. Any of the side streets off of Cameron between Cameron and Loudon or Loudon and Braddock, they'll get, they'll get you across. All right. Fantastic. All right. So it's going to be worth it, isn't it? Oh, totally. I mean, I really think the facelift that we're going to see as a result of this project is just going to be astounding. So. I cannot wait. I think it's just going to completely change the landscape of that north section of town in a way that is incredible. So I was driving I was driving down Fairmont Avenue last week and I looked over and I said to my husband, it's shocking to me that even as a construction zone, it already looks better than it did. So I just can't wait to see especially that pond on Wick because it's one I'm going to see every day. Yeah. And it's going to have a beautiful, all of these, uh, ponds are going to have fountains in them. So they're going to be something nice to look at. And then again, like I mentioned, all the landscaping and trees that are going in as part of this are really going to beautify those areas. And sidewalks. Yes. Talk to me about the sidewalks. So, um, we haven't really, you know, there's parts of Kent Street, there's parts of North Cameron Street, and definitely Wick Street that don't have sidewalks now. And people have to walk in the shoulder of the road. Which is scary because it's a truck route. Or cross the street. And it, yeah. So, um, as part of this project, there will be a sidewalk at least on one side of all those streets. When we are finished, so there will be a walkable pedestrian route. Love a pedestrian friendly city. Love it. Alright, and then, alright, we've got, what, the third oldest water system in the country? Third oldest water system in the country, yep. And we're not just putting down stormwater drainage pipes, we're taking the time and we're replacing those too, right? The, yeah, the water and the sewer, you know, uh, one of our big sanitary sewer issues is that we have a lot of old clay pipes and they get infiltration, not only into the pipes, but the manholes. Um, and so we're renewing the pipe where we need to either by replacing it, if it needs to be upsized for capacity issues or lining it, um, and then we are replacing all the old brick manholes, which. you know, the water pours in when it rains because the groundwater goes up and they just, it just filters in. So, you know, uh, on the sanitary sewer side, we're reducing the inflow into our system, which means less water to treat at the treatment plant, which is a cost savings, uh, with water infrastructure where we're renewing old cast iron pipes. Um, it reduces the number of breaks we have in our system, makes it more reliable for our citizens. Um, and then, yeah, the stormwater really from, uh, A risk and a resiliency standpoint, if we can capture that stormwater, manage it and convey it without it being a detriment to the people that live and work down there, it really creates a better situation for everybody. And on top of all of that, you're not going to tear up the street in another five years just to replace all the, uh, water. Water and sewer lines. Yeah, that's been our approach for the last 15 plus years or so and it really is a good one. I feel like even though a project may take longer because the scope is larger, we're getting a better finished product. Um, you know, we, we take this bottom up approach where we start with everything under the ground and work our way up. Um, but in the end you're left with a really nice street, new sidewalks, new trees. Probably less money overall. Yeah. Oh, fantastic. I cannot wait to keep seeing the construction. I'm going to do a big plug here, but everybody, by the time this podcast is hitting out, should be receiving a print edition of WinConnect where you will see the North Cameron Drainage Project as the cover story. And you're going to see some aerial photos of the work that has been done on these ponds It's a massive amount. The excavation of those areas is huge. And the, the two ponds on Kent Street, they're, you know, moving along really well. I would say they're probably 80 percent done with the excavation in those areas. The other two ponds on Cameron and Wick, um, really they're just kind of starting those. Um, but it's, it's a huge area. I, you know, I even knew the land that we had for those. And it. It didn't dawn on me until they started pulling the materials out of there how big it was. It's huge, but It's crazy how much progress has already been made in six months. And it's exciting to see it continue. Yes. Well, Kelly, thank you so much for joining us. You're, I think, going to start giving Perry a run for his money on how many times you've been on the show. But, we love it. So coming up next, we're going to be talking about Juneteenth, so stick around for the next segment of the Rouse Review. All right, well, we're here. Today at Rouse City Hall with longtime city resident, Darlene Walker, and Sarah is also here with us on Darlene, thank you so much for taking a few minutes to join us today. No problem, Kit. Thank you for asking me. No, it's all right. It's our pleasure Before we jump into talking about Juneteenth Which of course is coming very soon. Um, if you wouldn't mind, maybe, I know many, many people listening to this podcast know you. You're an omnipresent. I don't know about that, but go ahead. I don't know, you might be one of the most well known residents in Winchester. No. I don't think so. But go ahead. I was going to say, you're omnipresent all it seems to me in Winchester, which is a compliment by the way. Um, I see you at every community event, just about. So, uh, I think a lot of folks listening probably know you, but, but for those that haven't met you yet, um, could you just introduce yourself, maybe tell us a little bit about, you know, the time you spent in Winchester as a resident, maybe kind of where you grew up, a little bit about your family? Okay. Yeah. Okay, my name is Darlene Walker. I grew up in Loudon County, moved here in 1973, and raised two sons who have gone through the school system here. Very nice. The main reason I moved here was because I didn't want to work and live in the same community so I worked in Loudoun, and I lived in Winchester. So, um, I taught for 32 years in middle school. I have been a member of the NAACP since I don't remember how long, but right now, but as of now, I am a lifetime member. So, uh, I've been involved with it, As secretary of the branch and now I'm correspondent secretary. So I send out information to the members about events going on in the city, events going on in the nation, et cetera. Um, that's great. So What else did you ask me? And Darlene does more than just that, because I'm going to jump in. She also, she serves on the board of the YDC, near and dear to my heart. And I know she's involved in tons of other things. You're active in your church, you're, what else do you do? You do more than just NAACP. Well, yes, YDC, I was going to get to that. I wasn't going to leave out the YDC. Um, I've always had a passion for children. So anything involving, um, children, I like to be involved with. I like to volunteer my services as much as I can. Um, but working with the kids, I also used to be a mentor at the kids club. So that was very endearing. Um, Hopefully I'll get back to that, but I haven't since the pandemic, unfortunately. Yeah. So. Yeah, we understand. Yeah. And for those of us that aren't from Winchester, YDC is Youth Development Center. Center, thank you guys. Okay, I was thinking club. Nope. Okay, Center. Very nice. Well, and thank you for your service, also. Service to the community, 32 years as a middle school teacher. Wow. I was going to say, there's a special spot in heaven for anybody who teaches middle school for any amount of time. Oh, they're not. I love my 7th graders. Darlene Kinrule was an iron fist. I love them though. I don't know why I admire elementary school teachers. Oh, that's fair. I couldn't do that either. To be fair, all teachers, I don't know how any of you guys do it. No, and that's actually why I said, you know, thank you for your service. I mean, thank you. That is impressive. And, and the service, you know, as a teacher, but also to your community. So, um, thanks for staying engaged. So Darlene, we're here today to talk a little bit about Juneteenth. And I know, uh, NAACP has a special event planned coming up soon. Um, but maybe if we take a step back. If you wouldn't mind, maybe talk to us a little bit about Juneteenth, what it is, it's a holiday. It's our newest federal holiday, so that's kind of exciting. Um, but for those that may not know much about the holiday, would you mind explaining where it came from and its significance? Sadly, we all know that the Emancipation Proclamation was signed in 1863, but those living in Texas did not hear of this until years later. Right. And I can only imagine, um, no, I can't even imagine how the people felt once they got word, um, Um, in June of 1865, that they had actually been free for two and a half years and didn't know it. So, the celebration actually started in Galveston, Texas. Um, the announcement was made, the general was sent one day, about to, to give word about the, um, emancipate, uh, the emancipation. And then the next day the word was given at a church in Texas. So I think, um, from that point is when Juneteenth took off. It's also called jubilation day. And I believe that's a connection with the spiritual world, you know, um, Speaking of God's redemption, what, uh, so it started in Texas, Galveston, Texas, and then it just built, built, built, built, and then now it's a national holiday to what's also sad is that Even today in 2024, very, there are still some people who do not know what Juneteenth is, what it represents. And I, for one, yes, I said I was a teacher, but did I hear about Juneteenth growing up, going through school? No. Right. So, do they hear about it now in school? I hope so. I hope so. I hope. I didn't hear about it when I was in school. See? So neither did I. Nor did I. So there you have it. If it's, you know, so with these celebrations now, um, about Juneteenth, um, my hope is that each year more and more people will know the significance of that date. Absolutely. Um, and the meaning behind it. And that's an important point, too, because I think, as you mentioned, even today, the implementation of the holiday is a bit varied. So it is a federal holiday, um, of course, thanks to, I believe, President Obama, if I remember correctly. Perhaps No, no. President Biden, June. Um, mm What's this? 24. So this is the third annual, right? Oh, right, right, right. So 2021 was when it was Okay. When it became, it was under Biden. It's under Biden, yeah. Thank you. Thank you for that. Um, and it is a holiday in the city, right Sarah? Yes, it is, is an official holiday as city, which is great. But I know I just moved from Colorado. It's not a state holiday in Colorado. Oh, see, interestingly, yeah, I've learned something new. Yeah, when I worked for the city of Westminster, um, we had to work. On the 19th of June. So, um, not sure about Virginia. Um, I was not working for a Virginia company when it became a state holiday. I was working for a California based company, so I did get it off. Oh, okay. Lucky you. But the word is spreading, nonetheless. Right, right. Yes. Which is great, which is great. And so, and I hear you, you talking about, you know, freedom. It's a celebration of freedom, right? Right. Which is something that we can all celebrate, whether you're black American or, or, or anyone. I mean, it's just such an important concept that we should respect. And, and so I encourage everybody listening to this podcast, please, you know, take time to think about what Juneteenth means, whatever your background or heritage, you know, it's a, it's a value that is very important to us as Americans. So with that, um, thank you, Darlene, for the history lesson. As short as it was. No, that was great. That was perfect. Very well delivered by an ex teacher. Um, NAACP has something special planned for Juneteenth. Yes. Can you tell us about that? This is our third, like I said, annual, um, celebration at the MSV, um, um, And it will be from noon to 6 p. m. On the 16th, right? 16th, okay. Because actually, you know, our first one was June 19th. Sunday, June 19th, which is the first legal holiday year. So that's why we decided to keep it on June, the third Sunday in June. It's always going to be Father's Day. So if you forget the date, just remember. Oh, that's Father's Day. So, you know, and we, right, and a lot of dads come out to celebrate, which is great, you know, so, anyway, each year we try to have some kind of, um, history exhibit or whatever. So this year we're having the, uh, 1619 exhibition from the Hampton Museum. Oh, fantastic. That will be on display in the reception area of the museum. So we're, we're really excited about that. And hopefully everybody will go through and, and look at that. You know, read, read up on history, learn something new. So, uh, that, that will be the historical part of the day. We have a kid's zone with plenty of activities for the quote unquote youngins. And we have, uh, plenty of, uh, vendors and nonprofits that will be on the patio. And we have, um, a band out of Richmond this year. Carl Waterford and the bridge band RVA. So they will be giving us music, um, this year and hopefully, of course, you can know there's food, food, last but not least, last but not least, kind of food. Well, we have a Jamaican. Okay. We have a barbecue. We have, um, um, Ooh, you may, uh. I asked you fast. Yes, you did. Sorry. Hold up. It'll come to you. Yes. Pizza maybe. Okay. Hopefully. Okay. Uh, we have, uh, desserts. Ice cream. Ooh. Kona ice. Mm hmm. So the vendors, yeah, we have, uh, Franklin's Smokin Barbecue, Island Delight, Red Fox Creamery. Mm hmm. I said Kona ice. We have a new person at Darlene's Delicious Pound Cakes. No Kim. I was gonna say, not, not you, Darlene. Not me, no. I don't bake. But, uh Sarah, why'd you schedule this podcast during lunch? I was going to say, I'm now so hungry. I might, I might need to go get Jamaican for lunch. We have scrim shack and lots of good local vendors. Roman Bistro. Oh, Roman Bistro is good. Those are the, I think I named all of them. Forgive me if I forgot anybody, but it is morning. So, yes, plenty of food, plenty of activities. Uh, the museum will be free. Okay. Even more important. Yes, and there, um, so, So the, so the activities are free. Everything is free. Awesome. Except for if you wanted to see the gardens. Right. At the museum. That is not free. Okay. Sure. Sure. That makes sense. Mm hmm. Wow, so a little something for everybody. Yep. Sounds like. And that's the 16th from 12 to 6, right? Yes. From noon till 6. Right. That is exciting. I know I'll be there. And hopefully we will have some Juneteenth trivia. Oh. Ooh. Throughout the day for, uh, And that'll be another history lesson, so to speak. Trivia with prizes? Well Or just for fun? I'm not sure yet. To be fair, trivia is my love language, so now you're really speaking to me. Okay. Hopefully there will be prizes, but it's going to be kind of hard, though, if you have Two people shout out the answer and you're not sure. That's true. That's true. Might need a judge. Yes. Or maybe just for prides, you know, for the thrill of victory. Right, right. Bragging rights. Bragging rights. I like that. Bragging rights. Exactly. Yeah, so we're looking forward to that also. Very nice. Very nice. And, um, your event, which sounds amazing, is one of at least three events that weekend here locally. It's a Juneteenth weekend, starting with Friday Hood Loves event downtown. I think theirs starts at five? Yes. 5 or 5. 30. That sounds right. Yeah. Um, down on the mall, Old Mall. 5 Right. And I know they're having a band, Quiet Fire, which they had last year, a good band. Yeah, very cool. Um, so theirs is Friday. And then Clark County, Berryville, is having theirs on the 15th at the Ruiton Grounds. And I believe theirs is from noon to 7 maybe. I believe that is correct. Either seven, six or seven. Right. Yeah. And then ours is Sunday. So it's Friday, Saturday, Sunday. If you miss one, you're out. You can catch two others, or you can catch all three, but do come to Arsenal. But if you can't make any of the others, make sure you make the one on Sunday at the MSB. Not that we're biased here, you know. No, no, no, not that we're, I'm just saying. To attend the Winchester event. Right, right. No, these are amazing, and if, hey, if somebody's really into it, they can attend the trifecta. Right. That's right. That's, that's really cool. Actually, that's an important point, how you all organized this year so that someone, you know, so the events don't conflict. Right. Right. Actually, it's been that way since the 2021. Oh, that's fantastic. Excellent. Wow. But I will tell you, making all three, it's, it, it, it's doable, um, but man, come Monday morning, I am white because I haven't, but anyway. You need to celebrate 20th, right? Right, right. Or whatever date that is, 17th. Exactly. Yeah, that sounds awesome. Um, and for both of you ladies, how can folks learn more about these events if they need to catch up on the details? One, we, we have our poster on our Facebook page. Perfect. We also have it on our website. Um, there will be posters throughout the city, uh, mainly at, uh the vendors spots, you know, the people who will be, um, the food vendors in particular, um, some of the other vendors, then we will have yard signs throughout the city that advertise our event. And you can also visit www. winchesterva. gov and you will find all the Juneteenth celebrations under our news page. You can also check out the city's, um, social media pages where the full calendar of events is also listed. So, you should be able to find them anywhere you look. And correct me if I'm wrong, Sarah, by the time this podcast comes out, folks, if you live in the city at least, you should have a copy of WinConnect. Yes. The new city magazine should have recently arrived, knock on wood here. Knock on wood. Uh. If not today, then very soon. Yes. Yes. It's on its way if you don't have it. But you should have it if you open it up, the Juneteenth calendar is in there as well for all the different events. Yes. So, all right. Well, ladies, thank you so much. Darlene, Sarah, um, folks, there you have it. Please come on out, um, this weekend to enjoy in the June, enjoy the Juneteenth festivities. Um, and we'll see you around. Thank you so much. Thank you.