• psst … I’m a Realtor! Thanks for stopping by my website. I would love to help you find your dream home and community in the Hampton Roads or Williamsburg area or to sell your existing home. This website is authored by local resident and REALTOR, John Womeldorf. John is known around town as Mr. Williamsburg, for both his extensive knowledge of Hampton Roads and the historic triangle, and his expertise in the local real estate market. His websites, WilliamsburgsRealEstate.com and Mr Williamsburg.com were created as a resource for folks who are exploring a move to Williamsburg, VA , Hampton Roads VA and the surrounding areas of the Virginia Peninsula. On his website you can search homes for sale , foreclosures, 55+ active adult communities, condos and town homes , land and commercial property for sale in Williamsburg, Yorktown, New Kent, Poquoson, and Gloucester, VA as well as surrounding markets of Carrolton, Chesapeake,Gloucester, Hampton, Isle of Wight, Portsmouth Mathews, Newport News Norfolk, Poquoson, Smithfield, , Suffolk, Surry, Va Beach, Yorktown and York County Virginia You can reach John by email John@MrWilliamsburg.com or phone @ 757-254-813

Kingsmill residents unite against Xanterra

JAMES CITY – More than 200 Kingsmill residents turned out for a meeting Thursday afternoon to express concerns about the resort’s plan to limit resort access and restructure memberships, a number of sources told the Gazette Friday.
Kingsmill Community Services Association resident representative Jim Zinn confirmed Friday that KCSA, as its known, had received enough feedback from residents about the plan that it scheduled a comment section during the regularly scheduled meeting.

Read more about it here http://www.vagazette.com/news/va-vg-kingsmill-082413-20130823,0,6459014.story

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Stacy Lewis, Natalie Gulbis, Morgan Pressel, Michelle Wie, and Juli Inkster join the field for the Kingsmill Championship

Kingsmill Championship Field Taking Shape

The Kingsmill Championship will be staged September 3-9 at Kingsmill Resort’s River Course. The top women golfers in the world will compete for the $1.3 million purse in this 72-hole, stroke play tournament. Tickets start as low as $25 and can be purchased online at www.thekingsmillchampionship.com. Kids 17 and under are admitted free with a ticketed adult. Five standout athletes announced today that they are headed to Williamsburg as the LPGA Tour makes its return for the first time since 2009.

Stacy Lewis, Natalie Gulbis, Morgan Pressel, Michelle Wie, and Juli Inkster have joined the field for the Kingsmill Championship at Kingsmill Resort, September 3-9, 2012.

Players already committed to compete include Paula Creamer, Lexi Thompson, and two-time winner at Kingsmill, Cristie Kerr.  

Arguably playing the best golf of anybody on the LPGA Tour, Stacy Lewis has soared up the Rolex World Rankings all the way to number two. Coming off a spectacular year in 2011 racking up 12 top-ten finishes, two second place finishes, and one major title win,Lewis is showing no signs of slowing down in 2012. Lewis has won two tournaments already this year, is currently the number one player on the 2012 LPGA Money List, and is the top-ranked American player.

Fan-favorite on the LPGA Tour, Natalie Gulbis, is currently playing in her 11th season on the tour. Gulbis earned a spot on the LPGA Tour in her first attempt in 2001 after finishing third in the LPGA Qualifying Tournament. The 2007 Evian Masters Champion has played on three victorious U.S. Solheim Cup teams (2005, 2007, and 2009).

Morgan Pressel turned professional at age 17 and is the youngest-ever winner of a modern LPGA major championship (2007 Kraft Nabisco Championship). The 23-year- old from Tampa, Florida is a three time U.S. Solheim Cup team member and is undefeated (3-0-0) in singles play in her appearances. Pressel has reached as high as fourth in the world rankings in her career and currently sits at number 30.

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Ferraris on the James @ Kingsmill coming in October 2012

Ferraris on the james @ kingsmill-001Kingsmill Resort has assumed the host role of Ferraris on the James for 2012. Situated directly on the banks of the majestic James River, there is no finer setting for a display of Maranello’s works of mechanical art. Upwards of 50+ Ferraris are expected at the event. This promises to be one of next year’s most notable car shows. Mark your calendars now.

Public Events:

Saturday, October 13, 2012 * Gala Dinner * Ballroom * 7PM-10PM

Sunday, October 14, 2012 * Concours d’Elegance * River Course * Noon-3PM

More info here

About Kingsmill on The James

Kingsmill On The James is a vibrant resort community, less than three miles from Colonial Williamsburg, and located on a 2900 acre protected area along the historic James River.  Forty percent of the rolling green and wooded development will remain untouched. The two gated entrances are manned round the clock and there is a private police force.

There is a wide variety of  housing choices available for residents in Kingsmill, these range from condos, townhouses, and courtyard/ patio/ villas on smaller lots to smaller detached single family and large luxury homes, many with first floor master suites. Many of the homes were designed, however, with seniors in mind.

There are six restaurants on site, 54 holes of golf with a golf club house, and a tennis club with fifteen courts. There is a superb sports club with both indoor and outdoor pools, racquetball courts, sauna, and fitness rooms. There is also a full service spa and a large marina on the river with access to the bay. The full service marina has 90 permanent slips and 15 transient boat slips.

Kingsmill is located off I-64 between Richmond and Norfolk and within close proximity to Williamsburg’s numerous destinations including Busch Gardens, Colonial Williamsburg, The College of William & Mary, Jamestown Settlement and Yorktown Victory Center.

For additional information about Kingsmill real estate click here

Xanterra closes on purchase of Kingsmill Resort in Williamsburg

20090828182150319518000000-oEffective August 1, 2010, Xanterra Parks & Resorts, owned by Denver-based Anschutz Company, has purchased and assumed management of Kingsmill Resort. Xanterra purchased the resort from Busch Properties, Inc. (BPI).

Located in Williamsburg, Va., Kingsmill Resort includes 422 rooms; six restaurants; a 17,000-square-foot conference center; full-service spa and fitness center; marina; and 15-court tennis center. The resort is also widely known for its three award-winning championship golf courses and its executive nine-hole course.

Xanterra is the largest concessioner with the National Park Service and a leader in the hospitality industry, managing resorts, lodges, restaurants, gift shops, tours and activities in national parks, state parks and destination resorts. The 027289Acompany also is a leader in environmental stewardship, and its programs and accomplishments have resulted in numerous prestigious awards from the Department of the Interior, National Park Service, American Hotel & Motel Association and many other governmental agencies, tourism entities and environmental organizations.

“We are pleased to complete the purchase of Kingsmill Resort, and we eagerly look forward to managing such a prestigious property,” said Xanterra President and CEO, Andrew Todd. “This resort complements our existing portfolio of lodges and resorts, and we look forward to continuing the resort’s commitment to excellent service and exceptional product quality.”

Todd added that Xanterra has no immediate plans for major changes to the resort property or staffing. The company will work closely with the resort’s constituent groups including ownership, employees, membership and the property’s homeowner associations as future plans are developed.This sale does not impact BPI’s realty or residential operations or its role with the Kingsmill Community Services Association.

Learn more about Kingsmill in Williamsburg VA here

 

This post was authored by local resident and REALTOR, John Womeldorf.  John is known around town as Mr. Williamsburg, for both his extensive knowledge of Hampton Roads and the historic triangle, and his expertise in the local real estate market.  His websites, www.WilliamsburgsRealEstate.com  and   www.MrWilliamsburg.com, were created as a comprehensive resource about living in Williamsburg and Hampton Roads, with the hopes of selling a house now and again.  You can reach him at 757.254.8136 or John@MrWilliamsburg.com.

Kingmill Neighborhood Spotlight Williamsburg VA

kingsmillentrance1 Located near historic Colonial Williamsburg, on the banks of the James River, Kingsmill on the James is one of Williamsburg Va’s original master planned golf communities. Set on 2,900 acres, Kingsmill offers a variety of exclusive neighborhoods set against a backdrop of green hills and forests.

Kingsmill Resort & Spa is Virginia’s largest golf resort, boasting 63 holes of   world-class golf on 2,900 acres along the historic James River. The Kingsmill community  offers it’s residents a gated community with 24 hour security, tennis, a full-service marina, six restaurants and lounges, outdoor pools, tennis, playgrounds,walking trails and much more


Golf:      
Consistently ranked among the best by the nation’s foremost golf publications, Kingsmill’s immaculate courses define the resort as the region’s premier golf destination. Arnold Palmer, Pete Dye, Curtis Strange, Tom Clark. An incredible group of legendary course designers have all brought their considerable skills to bear to create the three layouts that constitute the Kingsmill golf experience.

The three Golf courses in Kingsmill are: the River Course, the Plantation Course and the Woods course. The 6,853-yard , par-71 Pete Dye-designed River Course has hosted the Michelob Championship at Kingsmill. The terrain flaunts hills, elevated greens, thick woods and water all around.

Arnold Palmer and Ed Seay’s 6,543-yard Plantation layout is more wide open  and less demanding of pinpoint accuracy
than its sibling. It has water coming into play on eight holes. It is marked by historical landmarks from a 1736 plantation.

Curtis Strange, the Kingsmill Touring PGA Pro, designed the Woods Course, Kingsmill’s newest addition. It has been honored by Golf Magazine as a “Top Ten New Course You Can Play. “Its deep ravines, fairway bunkers and elevated greens offer a challenge.

Finally, there is a nine-hole Bray Links course directly behind the resort.

 Dining: Six restaurants on site ranging from resort fine dining to casual family fare

Tennis: The Kingsmill Tennis Club offers 15 tennis courts, including six Hydro Courts,™ with two courts lighted for evening play. A newly renovated player’s lounge and locker facilities are also provided.

Marina: Full-service marina includes 90 permanent slips with 15 transient boat slips, dockside fueling, a marina store and a Marina Bar & Grille. Rentals for kayaks, paddle boats, and jon boats; fishing and charter tours available.

The resort is located 35 miles upriver from the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel and off channel marker #40 on the James River . It’s just a short cruise from the Intracoastal Waterway  and the Chesapeake Bay . The marina offers  concrete floating docks, increased slip size, water and power connections, dockside fuel service and harbor shop.

Fitness: Equipped with both indoor and outdoor swimming pools, the Sports Club also features racquetball courts, Cybex and Kaiser circuit training equipment, state-of-the-art cardiovascular stations and an aerobics studio. A sauna, steam room, whirlpool, massage therapy and convenient babysitting services round out the membership.

Recreation: Fishing & canoeing in spring-fed ponds, Biking & hiking trails, Outdoor pools.

Spa: Full service spa offers a comprehensive array of restorative services, including massages, body and skin treatments, and specialized nail and hair treatments.

Social clubs for residents: include a Watercolor Art Group , Needle Arts ,Boy  Scouts, Cub Scouts ,Children’s Playgroup ,  Girl Scouts Sea Scouts ,Garden Club, Bible Study, Women’s Social Club , Men’s Golf Association, Ladies’ Golf Association ,Tennis Association, Sharks Swim Team, Yacht Club and more.

Location: Kingsmill is located less than three miles from the College of William and Mary and the historic streets of Colonial Williamsburg- where dining, shopping, theme parks and history tours offer a variety of family entertainment.

Building Lots For Sale:  A few choice lots are now available in the new Spencers Grant neighborhood. The latest residential offering in Kingsmill. This  development of 38 homesites  is heavily wooded for privacy and views of conservation area and river. Priced from $200,000. There wil occasionally be resale lots under $200k. Click here to view all currently available building lots in Kingsmill for sale

Heavily wooded home sites, custom built and custom designed homes, all utilities underground. This community preserves green spaces (40 percent of the property will remain untouched) and archeologically significant areas.

Mid-Rise Condominiums/Villas For Sale: On the James River, resales prices  from $700,000’s. The River Bluffs condominiums are sited 80 feet above the banks of the James River, the condominiums offer panoramic views of the river and surrounding landscape.

Condos For Sale: River’s Edge Luxury Villas located right on the James River; priced from $950,000s. River’s Edge is comprised of 3,000 to 3,900-square-foot, custom-designed, deluxe townhomes overlooking the James River. The foundation of every room is the view; and you don’t have just one view, you have many, including vistas stretching out from the kitchen, the den, the living room, even the office and especially the master suite.

The interiors feature hand-crafted, hardwood millwork, built-in bookcases, ceramic tile, marble, fixtures and appliances. River’s Edge owners can have as much detail as they desire. The only limitation is the moving of the structural walls. Residents also have a private auto court, leading to a two-car garage, plus a front porch, and a secluded, brick and stone textured terrace.

Resort condominiums consist of cluster one, two, and three bedroom villas. Featuring outdoor terraces overlooking the James River, Wareham’s pond, one of the golf courses, and tennis club. Prices range from $200,000 to $700,000. These are the only properties in Kingsmill that can be rented by their owners on a weekly basis.

Courtyard/Villas/  Patio Homes Single-family detached homes on smaller lots for minimal grounds upkeep, adjacent to the golf course. Low profile single story residences with private patios or decks designed for minimum maintenance and a carefree lifestyle. From $300,000 to $500,000.   Most feature views of golf fairways and other natural scenery.

Townhomes For Sale: Offering maintenance-free living, most feature first floor master bedrooms on the main level, screened porches and large deck areas. Priced from $225,000 to $1.3 million. This includes the communities of Winster Fax, Archers Mead, Littletown Quarter, Burwells Green, Harrops Glen , Warehams Point and some of Quarterpath Trace

Homes For Sale: Resale homes are available in Kingsmill with prices ranging from $300,000’s to $2 million . Search them here

Williamsburg/ JCC Schools for Kingsmill are James River Elementary, James Blair Middle, Jamestown High School.

Nearest Airports:  (PHF)Newport News/Williamsburg, 20 minutes; (ORF) Norfolk International, 45 minutes; (RIC) Richmond International, 45 minutes.

History

Steeped in a tradition of gracious Southern hospitality, Kingsmill heralds a rich history dating back to Colonial America. The bucolic land located along the banks of the mighty James River was considered as a permanent base by the first Englishmen on May 12,

1607. They decided to settle at Jamestown the next day. Located in the heart of Virginia ‘s Historic Triangle, it should come as no surprise that the land now known as Kingsmill featured a bustling plantation from 1619 through the 1800s.

Kingsmill Plantation, the home of Col. Lewis Burwell, was built in the mid-1730s and consisted of a mansion, outbuildings, garden, and 1,400 acres. The house burned in 1843. Only the office and the kitchen still stand; they are among the earliest brick dependencies in Virginia. Burwell, the naval officer (colonial customs inspector) for the upper James River, built his inspection station here at Burwell’s Landing, which included a tavern, storehouse, warehouse, and ferry house. In Nov. 1775, American riflemen skirmished nearby with British naval vessels; later, the Americans built two earthen forts here that the British captured in 1781.

Richard Kingsmill, who was granted one of the first land grants by the Virginia Company, initially purchased the land that Kingsmill Plantation was located. In the mid-1730s, colonial customs inspector and British Colonel Lewis Burwell III purchased 1,400 acres of Kingsmill’s original plot, and constructed a plantation with several other structures. The headquarters of his inspection station (Burwell’s Landing) was also located on the property along the James River, which included a tavern, warehouse, and ferry.

Kingsmill Plantation saw action in both the Revolutionary and Civil Wars. As Patriot forces began to assemble near Williamsburg in the fall of 1775, the Colonial Governor of Virginia Lord Dunmore ordered that British ships patrol the James River to stop potential ferry crossings of these rebels. On Sunday, November 5th, militiamen from Chesterfield County began to assemble near Williamsburg with intentions to embark upon Norfolk. The British vessel the Kingfisher patrolled the river with three other supporting tenders, but failed in stopping a thousands Colonial militiamen from crossing the river. Despite this, the Kingfisher exchanged fire with a Colonial vessel at Burwell’s Ferry without any decisive action. At the end of the War in 1781, French forces under the Marquis de Lafayette utilized Burwell’s Landing as they docked and moved inland from there. Later that year in January, Colonial General Thomas Nelson and his militia foiled Benedict Arnold’s plan to land at Burwell’s Ferry.

Many battles in the Civil War were also fought in the vicinity of Kingsmill Plantation. Union General George B. McClellan’s Peninsular Campaign engulfed the plantation, as an army of 120,000 men landed and moved inland through the area with the task of reaching Richmond. Several Confederate defensive lines also ran through the property such as the Warwick Line, and the Williamsburg Line. On May 6th of 1865, the Battle of Williamsburg was fought here where the Confederates lost 1,682 men and the Union lost 2,283.

Search all homes for sale in Kingsmill, Williamsburg Va

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psst … I’m a Realtor! Thanks for stopping by my website. I  would love to help you find your dream home and community in the Hampton Roads or Williamsburg area or to sell your existing home.

This post was authored by local resident and REALTOR, John Womeldorf. John is known around town as Mr. Williamsburg, for both his extensive knowledge of Hampton Roads and the historic triangle, and his expertise in the local real estate market. His websites, WilliamsburgsRealEstate.com  and Mr Williamsburg.com were created as a resource for folks who are exploring a move to  Williamsburg, VA , Hampton Roads VA and the  surrounding areas of the Virginia Peninsula.

On his website you can search homes for sale , foreclosures55+ active adult communities,   condos and town homes , land and commercial property for sale in Williamsburg, Yorktown, New Kent,  Poquoson, and Gloucester, VA as well as surrounding markets of Carrolton,  Chesapeake,Gloucester, Hampton, Isle of Wight, Portsmouth  Mathews, Newport News Norfolk, Poquoson, Smithfield, , Suffolk, Surry,  Va Beach, Yorktown  and York County Virginia

You can reach John by email John@MrWilliamsburg.com  or phone @  757-254-8136

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Why we love living in Williamsburg VA

Ok. It’s been awhile . I am plagiarizing myself from an earlier post.

Reasons We like living in Williamsburg, VA

Voted one of the Top 5 Best places to retire by Money Magazine ( when we reach that age)
Good neighbor passes to Colonial Williamsburg
Grand Illumination at Christmas
Great Wolf Lodge
Farmers Market on Duke on Gloucester St
Kimball Theater
Williamsburg Regional Library Concert series
Williamsburg/ James City County School System
Colonial Parkway from Jamestown to Yorktown
Williamsburg Winery/ Wedmore Place
Dinner at Chownings Tavern/ Fat Canary/ Blue Talon/ Opus 9
Desert at the Trellis ” Death by Chocolate”
Capital to Capital Bicycle Trail
Muscarelle Museum of Art
Dewey Decibel Concert Series at the Williamsburg Library Theatre
Golf at Golden Horshoe Golf Club, Williamsburg National, Stonehouse, Kiskiak, etc 17 Local Courses
First Night Williamsburg
County Recreation Center
Grocery Shopping at Ukrops, The Fresh Market, Trader Joes
An Occasion for the Arts
Brewster’s Ice Cream
SUMMER BREEZE CONCERT SERIES Concerts on Duke of Gloucester Street
Shopping at Prime Outlets, Merchants Square, Williamsburg Pottery
Bush Neck Farm – Pick-your-own strawberries, apples, blueberries, asparagus, sweet corn, peaches, pumpkins.
Busch Gardens Seasons Passes “Howl-Scream”
Water Country
The Plantations along Rt 5 , Shirley, Sherwood, Berkley etc.
Williamsburg Ale Werks Williamsburg’s only Microbrewery
William & Mary Football/ Tailgate Parties in the Fall
Mountain Bike Trails Freedom Park, New Quarter Park York River State Park
Kayaking/ paddle boats at Chickahominy Riverfront Park, Waller Mill Park and Little Creek Reservoir
Concerts at the newly renovated amphitheater at William & Mary
Paul’s Deli, Greenleafe Cafe
The wonderful playground Kidsburg/ Mid County Park
Skate Park at JCC Rec Center
New Town and it’s wonderful shops and restaurants
Prime Outlets
Phi Beta Kappa Hall – Performing Arts Series
Ewell Hall, Department of Music – Performing Arts Series
Christopher Wren Society at William and Mary
Virginia Symphony Orchestra, Classics at St. Bede Concert Series
The Virginia Arts Festival presents performances by the world’s top-flight artists in classical music, dance, theatre and jazz.
The Williamsburg Symphonia, Classical Music Series
Virginia Shakespeare Festival @ W&M
Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum
Dewitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum
at Colonial Williamsburg
Aromas Coffeehouse
An Occasion for the Arts
Colonial Polo Cup
Tavern Ghost Walks in Colonial Williamsburg
“Revolutionary City,”
Spending the night in a Colonial Home in Williamsburg
4th of July fireworks at Busch Gardens and Colonial Williamsburg
The Spa of Colonial Williamsburg
McCormick-Nagelsen Tennis Center
Spending the night at the Williamsburg Inn or Lodge
Youth Sports Teams: Baseball, Soccer, Lacrosse, Swimming, Football, Volleyball, Wrestling, Karate, Ballet, gymnastics, etc.
WISC (Williamsburg Indoor Sports Center)
Blueberry pancakes at Chickahominy House
Christmas Parade in Colonial Williamsburg
Tide Radio and WBACH radio stations and WRRW
William & Mary College”The second Oldest College in the U.S.
Kingsmill, Fords Colony, Governors Land, Stonehouse, Greensprings neighborhoods all with wonderful golf facilities.
Rock and Roll half Marathon in VA Beach
Shamrock Marathon in VA Beach
Paul Shagrue ” Out of the Box on 89.5
North End of Va Beach Ocean Front
VA Living Museum
Hampton Bay Days
Mariners Museum
ECSC East Coast Surfing Championships at VA Beach
Proximity to the Mountains/ Skiing
Proximity to Va Beach and the Outer Banks
Harborfest in Norfolk
Ghent in Norfolk
Sandler Center for the Performing Arts in VB
Ferguson Center in NN
nTelos Pavilion in Portsmouth
Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in Va Beach
VA Aquarium
Sailing on the Chesapeake Bay
Rafting up on the Chickahominy
Boating on the Chick and realizing it looks just like it did in 1607 ( they filmed the movie here)

Relatively low taxes..

Its official Busch Gardens Williamsburg is opening for Christmas Season 2009

John Womeldorf is Mr. Williamsburg, sharing his thoughts, real estate expertise, and “all things Williamsburg” in an effort to spread the word that Williamsburg, Virginia is the greatest place on earth to live!

busch gardens williamsburgBusch Gardens Europe in Williamsburg VA has invited the media to the park for a special announcement today. Most are speculating that they will announce that the park will open for Christmas as the Busch Gardens in Tampa does. No clue yet if they will attempt to do it this year or 2009.  Seems very late to attempt an opening in 2008 but who knows.

The website Theme Park Insider reported Tuesday that Busch will make a major announcement on Thursday, and speculating that the news is “probably the long rumored Christmas festival.” Busch has invited media to the park for an announcement it says will show the park “in a whole new light.”

In any case look for the Christmas operating season to be announced. I’ve heard that they plan major decorations of the park and some rides will be open (including Griffon) but not all

My guess is some type of Christmas Light show and Christmas Festival as well as an opportunity to purchase a  season pass that is valid for a year/2 years. I would assume the Christmas festival will last during the month of December until after Christmas thru Jan 1. The season passes could be bought as gifts for Christmas. 

Whoops, Busch Gardens slipped. Listed under the Job Responsibilities for the Theatrical Services Operations Supervisor on Busch’s talent search site was the following bullet:

installs/strikes, HOS and Christmas Events.

  http://www.talentsearchbgw.com/theatricalservicesopsup.html  They have since edited the site….

Will update as soon as I know any further. Although the whole world will know for sure after the announcement !

So here’s the update:  

From the official press release:

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. (Dec. 4, 2008) – Officials today announced plans for an all-new holiday event coming to the Virginia theme park in 2009. “Christmas Town: A Busch Gardens Celebration” will create the anticipation of the season and fill visitors’ senses with all things Christmas. The park will transform into a winter wonderland filled with holiday traditions, new surprises and park favorites that make everyone say, “Now this is Christmas.”

 

For the first time in the park’s 34 year history, visitors will experience all-new attractions, shows and shopping that will fill them with holiday spirit. Guests can look forward to an immersive experience amid more than a million twinkling lights while they explore the best holiday traditions from around the world. Santa Claus will visit the park each evening to hear Christmas wishes from the young and young at heart.

 

“We’ll kick off a season-long celebration for family and friends to gather for Christmas fun,” said John Reilly, Busch Gardens’ general manager and executive vice president. “Featuring live entertainment, great food and unique shopping experiences all under the glow of a million Christmas lights, Christmas Town will add a unique holiday tradition to Virginia.”

 

Christmas Town opens at Busch Gardens on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 4 – 9 p.m. beginning Nov. 27, 2009. The park will open each evening Dec. 18-27, 2009, excluding Christmas Day. Some sections of the park will remain closed for the season. Some rides and attractions are weather dependent.

 

     

Christmas Town admission tickets will be available for $19.95 beginning January 2009. Guests with active one-year and two-year Busch Gardens’ passes save 50 percent on Christmas Town tickets as well as free parking and in-park discounts.

 

 

 PLANNED EXPERIENCES at Busch Gardens Williamsburg Christmas Town

 Each section of the park will be themed in Christmas décor native to each country or hamlet, and will feature all new attractions, shows and shopping that will immerse guests into the Christmas season. Think of it as a European Christmas with an American flair. Christmas Town will feature:(weather dependent) , Corkscrew Hill and Curse of DarKastle

Special holiday-themed dining opportunities

Unique shopping experiences

Evening Santa Claus visits

Children’s shows

Strolling carolers

Tree-lighting ceremonies

Select rides, including *Griffon 

 ADMISSION

General admission price for non-pass holders: $19.95

Platinum, 2-Park and 1-Park Pass member prices: $9:95 + free parking and in-park savings on food and merchandise

Tickets go on sale in January and can be purchased at the gate or online at 

www.christmastown.com

.OPERATING SCHEDULE

Open evenings 4-9 p.m.

 

  

 This informational update provided by Mr Williamsburg.com/ John Womeldorf . A local Realtor assisting home buyers and sellers in the Hampton Roads and Williamsburg areas of Virginia.

Contact me at John@MrWilliamsburg.com

Research the area at www.WilliamsburgsRealEstate.com

Or ask any questions about homes, neighborhoods, schools, amenities, recreation , shopping or anything else about the area.

Search Homes for Sale

Click here to search all homes, town homes, condos and building lots for sale in Va Beach, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Isle of Wight, Portsmouth,Franklin, Sussex, Southhampton, Emporia, Greenville, Mathews, Suffolk, Surry, Smithfield, Newport News, Hampton , Poquoson, Gloucester or York County Virginia 

Anheuser Busch Execs reap almost $1 Billion in sale to Inbev

 

When Belgian brewer InBev completed its $52 billion purchase of Anheuser-Busch by paying $70 a share to stockholders there were quite a few executives who reaped huge rewards.

The takeover marked the end of the line for many senior Anheuser-Busch executives and all but one of its directors. But all walked away with big payouts for their company stock.

A group of 17 top executives received more than $1 billion for their shares, and the brewery’s 12 directors other than Chief Executive August Busch IV surrendered their posts Nov. 18 with a combined $23 million in hand.

Director and former chief executive August Busch III led the payday, collecting $427.3 million for his 1.3 percent stake in the company. About half of that amount comes from stock he controlled directly and through stock options, while the other half he controlled indirectly as the beneficiary of a couple of family trusts, through a charitable trust and through his wife, Virginia.

Busch III, 70, has been a member of the board since 1963 and served as chairman from 1977 until his retirement Nov. 30, 2006. He ran the business as CEO from 1975 to 2002 before handing the reins to Patrick Stokes.

Stokes, the company’s chairman, walked away with $160.9 million. About $10.7 million of that is controlled through a family limited partnership and a trust. Stokes, 65, spent his career with Anheuser-Busch and rose through the ranks to become the president and CEO of the company from 2002 until his retirement on Nov. 30, 2006. During Anheuser-Busch’s 156-year run as an independent company, Stokes was the only person outside the Busch family to hold the top post.

CEO August Busch IV collected nearly $91.4 million through the InBev buyout. The Fourth, as he is called, grew up in the beer business like his father, Busch III. He began working full time for the brewery after graduating from Saint Louis University in 1987. He held jobs in packaging, shipping and brewing and eventually earned his brewmaster’s degree from Versuchs und Lehranstalt für Brauerei, an international brewing academy in Berlin, Germany.

Busch IV, 43, made his mark as vice president of marketing during the late 1990s and early 2000s before rising to president of the brewery in 2002 and ultimately CEO of parent company Anheuser-Busch Cos. Inc. in December 2006.

Keith Kasen, chairman and CEO of theme park subsidiary Busch Entertainment Corp., made $16.2 million. He oversaw the subsidiary’s headquarters relocation to Orlando, Fla., earlier this year and ran the company’s nine SeaWorld, Busch Gardens, Discovery Cove, Sesame Place, Adventure Island, Water Country USA and Aquatica theme parks.

Michael Harding, president and CEO of Anheuser-Busch Packaging Group Inc., reaped $13.4 million.

Francine Katz, vice president of communications and consumer affairs, received $12.5 million. She has worked at Anheuser-Busch for two decades, leads a staff of 80 in corporate and public relations, and serves as the company’s lead spokeswoman. She was named one of the Business Journal’s Most Influential Business Women this year.

 

 Mr Williamsburg.com " Williamsburg VA. Real Estate

 This update brought to you by Mr Williamsburg.com

John@MrWilliamsburg.com

InBev deal with Anheuser Busch has closed

Associated Press
© November 18, 2008

By AOIFE WHITE 

BRUSSELS, Belgium 

InBev SA on Tuesday formed the world’s largest brewer when it closed its $52 billion takeover of Anheuser-Busch Cos.

The new company, named Anheuser-Busch InBev, will be headed by InBev CEO Carlos Brito and will be headquartered at Leuven, Belgium.

InBev promises to keep Anheuser-Busch’s St. Louis base as the company’s North American headquarters. Anheuser-Busch President and CEO August A. Busch IV joins the new company’s board as a non-executive director.

The deal gives InBev a jewel of a brand in Budweiser – the world’s top selling beer – which it promises to sell more widely by pushing into emerging economies in Asia, Latin America and eastern Europe.

This will help generate growth as beer sales decline in North America and Europe where drinkers are cutting back and turning to wine and other drinks.

Brito said the combination had created “a stronger, more competitive global company with a leading international brand portfolio and distribution network, and great potential for growth all over the world.”

InBev said it now had all the regulatory clearances it needed for the deal. Last week it agreed to sell Labatts USA to win U.S. Department of Justice approval for the takeover.

U.S. antitrust officials had worried that beer prices would increase in upstate New York because the two companies would supply most of the beer in the region.

InBev did not say who would buy the U.S. unit. It will keep its Canadian subsidiary Labatts, which is one of the top beer brands in the country.

Anheuser-Busch provides half of America’s beer but it has not managed to expand around the world as fast as InBev – a Belgian-Brazilian hybrid that owns hundreds of local brands but few real stars.

Anheuser-Busch owns several properties in Virginia in the Williamsburg area. In addition to a brewery in Williamsburg, the company’s subsidiaries own the Busch Gardens theme park, the Kingsmill Resort and Spa, and the Water Country USA water park.

InBev has borrowed $45 billion to pay for the deal and secured $9.8 billion in equity bridge financing that it had planned to replace with a share issue in October.

But rocky financial markets forced it to postpone issuing new shares and it says it can keep the bridge financing in place for up to six months after it closes the deal.

Carlos Brito, Chief Executive of the newly combined global brewer Anheuser-Busch InBev, talks about the completion of the deal, the significance of today’s announcement and next steps.

Mr Brito also underscores the rationale of deal in spite of today’s current economic climate and highlights the new company’s strategic and brand priorities to secure its ambition of becoming “the best beer company in a better world”.
 
Talking frankly of the challenges to come, he said the business would have to work harder but added that its beer business was lean and resilient and that it had the talent and skills base to see them through tough times.
 
He said that the company and its board were working hard on both possible asset sales and its prospective rights issue.
“The equity issuance is something that the Board will decide on the best time to do it; we have a bridge of six months after closing to get it done. And for the disposals of $7bn we have a bridge of up to 12 months after closing.”
The interview and transcript are available now on http://w3.cantos.com/inbev.

Anheuser Busch Shareholders approve Inbev purchase.

By LAUREN SHEPHERD and EMILY FREDRIX 

Shareholders of Anheuser-Busch Cos. Inc. approved the $52 billion sale of the business to Belgium-based InBev SA on Wednesday, a deal that is set to create the world’s largest brewer.

The vote was the latest step necessary to form the company that will be known as Anheuser-Busch InBev and combine brands such as Bud Light and Budweiser with Stella Artois and Beck’s. The deal, reached in July, is expected to close by the end of the year. It is subject to regulatory approval in the U.S., Britain and China.

August A. Busch IV, Anheuser-Busch’s president and chief executive, said the decision to sell the nation’s largest brewer was a difficult one.

“Every alternative was considered,” he told shareholders at the meeting just outside of New York. “In the end, we all agreed the InBev proposal was in the best interest of you, the shareholders.”

The new company brings about the end of the more than 150 years of family rule of the St. Louis-based company, though the newly combined company’s North American headquarters will stay there. InBev has said it will keep open all 12 of Anheuser-Busch’s North American breweries.

Busch will move into a non-executive role, but will be on the new company’s board. He said he was excited about the future of the new company, especially expanding the brands worldwide, which he said helps in “fulfilling the global ambition of my family.”

Anheuser-Busch agreed this summer to accept the buyout from InBev worth $70 a share. The deal ended back-and-forth wrangling between the two sides, with Anheuser-Busch spurning InBev’s unsolicited offers at first, claiming they were bad for business and were an “illegal scheme” that threatened to defraud shareholders.

InBev shareholders approved the deal in September.

The sale price is a premium to Anheuser-Busch shareholders over the company’s current stock price. On Wednesday, its shares fell 51 cents to close at $66.33. InBev said last week it will not reduce or change its $70-a-share offer, even though Anheuser-Busch’s share price has dropped amid larger market turmoil.

The deal gives InBev a key inroad to the U.S. market, where Anheuser-Busch dominates with about a 50 percent share. InBev, meanwhile, has a small fraction. It also gives the company about one-fifth of the markets in China and Russia, two areas poised for growth.

InBev has said it wants to tap into Anheuser-Busch’s marketing power and make its top-selling Budweiser and Bud Light brands into global powerhouses like Coca-Cola or Pepsi.

Leadership for the new company has already been decided, pulling from executives within both companies. Luiz Fernando Edmond will lead North American operations, leaving his post as InBev’s president of Latin America North.

David A. Peacock, an Anheuser-Busch vice president, will become Anheuser-Busch president and oversee U.S. operations and management of the Budweiser and Bud Light brands.

In St. Louis and Williamsburg, VA, where the company and its heritage play a big role in the community, some residents were sad about the vote, even though they knew it had been coming. “I think people are having a hard time with it, because now it’s finalized,” said O’Brien, who works in the city and lives in the suburb of Florissant. “It’s like the grieving process, something we have to go through. There are certain things you’re proud of in your city – the Arch, the brewery, Busch Stadium. It seems to be a loss.”

Williamsburg VA Real Estate, Stonehouse FAQ Toano, James City County

Stonehouse Va Frequently asked questions for current or prospective homeowners. This should answer most of not any questions you would have about living in the Stonehouse community of Toano VA, near Williamsburg.

A variety of questions are answered including questions about living in Stonehouse and questions about living in Williamsburg/ James City County/ Toano Virginia.

If you want to review the home owner  regulations HOA, POA ) of any of the communities in Williamsburg, James City County, York County, New Kent County including Fords Colony, Kingsmill, Greensprings, Governors Land, Viniterra, Farms of New Kent, Liberty Ridge, Whitehall, Colonial Heritage, or any others in the area give me a call or email me and I will send you a pdf copy for you to review.

Moving/Retiring to Willamsburg VA For young and old alike !

I wanted to share an excellent post by by Andrew Petkofsky for Virginia Business. I have added a few links to direct you to areas of information.

Ken Carr retired to Williamsburg because he didn’t want to get away from it all. As a sales and marketing executive in the fashion industry, he had enjoyed a fast-paced career and was looking for a gentler climate than his home in the Chicago suburbs.

But nice weather and recreational options were only part of it: Carr also hoped for opportunities to keep busy and take on new challenges. “You spend your life working, as many of us have, five or six days a week with the pulse of business,” he says. “To just have that stop, psychologically, I didn’t find that it was all that appealing.”

When Carr moved with his wife, Nancy, to the gated community of Ford’s Colony in 1999, he immediately occupied himself building a retirement house. Someone asked if he would sell it, so he built another.

Then he became increasingly involved sharing his business experience with those just starting out. Carr connects with business clients through the Service Corps of Retired Executives, a national program coordinated locally through the Greater Williamsburg Chamber & Tourism Alliance. “It’s a great way to use the expertise that you have,” says Carr, who is 65. “It’s also an incredible opportunity for businesses or organizations to get people who are very accomplished to assist them — the kind of team that quite frankly they couldn’t go out and hire.”

In fact, so many former executives and high-ranking military officers have retired to Williamsburg that a number of other organizations, including the College of William & Mary and its Mason School of Business have created local programs to harness their expertise.

The post-career challenges are not reserved solely for former captains of industry. Other retirees in the area take classes in a large continuing education program, teach in the same program and even help operate a professional chamber orchestra in Williamsburg. “We wind up with some very bright early retirees who still want to make contributions,” says Keith Taylor, director of James City County’s office of economic development.

The Williamsburg area (including James City County and upper York County) has become a retirement mecca. Money magazine named the region one of the country’s best places to retire. The magazine cited attributes such as the area’s history, culture, green space and access to health care and airports.
The area’s growing reputation among retirees has been helped by a constellation of attractions including the Colonial Williamsburg living history museum, the College of William & Mary, award-winning golf courses, a handful of prestigious gated communities, close access to tidal rivers and the ocean, and a location only three hours away from Washington, D.C.

As the retirement-age population grows, older residents are redefining the options available for their golden years and, in the process, reshaping the community. Kingsmill on the James, opened in the 1970s as the region’s first gated community, now has the company of several other retiree-friendly residential areas protected by gates or private security forces. These include Ford’s Colony and The Governor’s Land at Two Rivers.

Williamsburg Va real estate search

Williamsburg Va real estate search

 Two recent arrivals, Colonial Heritage and The Settlement at Powhattan Creek in James City, requires that residents be 55 or older.

A boom in mixed-used developments also appeals to the preferences of an older population. These projects group shopping, restaurants and low-maintenance residences such as condos and town houses in one location. “Folks are looking more and more at access to retail and entertainment within walking distance of their homes,” says James R. Golden, associate vice president for economic development at William & Mary. “The retirement community is sort of a leader in this.”

Golden helped promote the development of New Town, a mixed-use community just outside Williamsburg. Now a second, similar development, High Street, is under construction in the city. Riverside Health System also has proposed a mixed-use community, Quarterpath at Williamsburg, which would include a hospital, a nursing home and housing. State approval has not yet been granted for the hospital, which would be the Williamsburg area’s second.

Community leaders see the retirement boom as a largely positive economic force that may create jobs for younger folks in areas such as health care, retail and other services. The officials point out that many of those retiring to Williamsburg from other areas, especially the Northeast, are well-heeled professionals and business executives who have chosen to end their careers while still in their 50s. “When you develop a vibrant retirement community … they will pay for services that they want and appreciate, and that will open up opportunities for people that want to fill those needs,” says Richard Schreiber, president and CEO of the Greater Williamsburg Chamber & Tourism Alliance.

One side effect of becoming a retirement mecca is that land and housing prices in the region have risen to levels beyond the means of many workers in service jobs. “It’s sort of creat­ing a greater shortage of affordable housing,” says Rick Hanson, James City’s director of housing and community development. “A lot of people that work in James City do find the housing costs prohibitive, and they will commute in.”

The cost of housing can also be a problem for some retirees who spent their working years in the community. But local governments are trying to solve the problem. Hanson’s office recently assembled a parcel for development of low-rent senior housing in cooperation with a local nonprofit organization. He says the county also has commissioned a consultant to analyze housing needs and report this fall.

Numbers help tell the story of Williamsburg’s growing popularity as a place to retire. William & Mary and the Center for Excellence in Aging and Geriatric Health, a local organization created to promote the health of older people, reported in 2003 that the 60-and-older population in Williamsburg, James City and upper York grew more than 65 percent, from 5,688 to 10,686, between 1990 and 2000. The 60-and-over population in Virginia as a whole grew 17.1 percent in the same period. Growth in the same group nationwide was 9.4 percent, according to the study, which was based on U.S. Census figures. During this same period, the area’s overall population grew about 27 percent, from 54,980 to 69,763.

Pete Williamson says he retired in Williamsburg partly because the city and its surroundings seem just as full of families and younger people as folks of his generation. Even his affluent Governor’s Land neighborhood seems to be attracting a good number of families, he says. “We have a community with a mix of young and old with school kids and retirees,” Williamson says. “We’re not some retirement community out in the middle of nowhere where you have to drive a half hour just to go to a grocery store.”

Williamson was living in Wilton, Conn., and working as an IBM program manager when he retired in 1994 at the age of 54. A volunteer job with an ambulance corps became full-time work before he and his wife moved to Williamsburg in 1998.

Now 67, Williamson co-leads a 40- to-60-mile bicycle ride for the local bike club ( Williamsburg Area Bicyclists) once or twice a week. He also serves on the board of his neighborhood’s homeowners association and does computer work as a member of a charity tennis group that raised about $45,000 last year for a local hospice.

It’s hard to pinpoint the exact size of the region’s retirement community because there’s no set age for retirement. Louis Rossiter, a former Virginia secretary of health and human resources who’s now director of community health service research for the Center for Excellence in Aging and Geriatric Health, says Williamsburg may serve as a model in developing programs that can be adopted elsewhere.

Thinking ahead is important, says Rossiter, because an older population brings potential problems along with benefits. “When the retirees move here, they’re in good health. Then they age in place,” he says. “Who will take care of them as they become more frail?”

The Center for Excellence is a consortium of colleges, hospitals and health agencies that conducts sponsored research into such subjects as Alzheimer’s disease and arthritis, and studies ways to improve access to medical care. More significant for local retirees, the center also offers geriatric services not generally available in the community, such as memory assessment and driving evaluation.

For high-ranking military retirees, Williamsburg offers something beyond resort communities and golf courses: easy access to Washington. “Lot’s of people continue some kind of consulting but don’t want to live in D.C. — they’ve had that experience,” says William & Mary’s Golden, himself a retired Army brigadier general.

Local organizations increasingly are coming up with ways to capture the interests of these retirees and take advantage of their skills. The Mason School of Business at William & Mary, for example, enlists 90 retirees in its Executive Partners program as mentors for students and faculty and as consultants to companies looking for advice. “The joke is they come, play golf six months and get bored,” says Jonathan Palmer, the school’s associate dean. “We engage them at a very high and active level.”

In addition to mentoring others, Williamsburg retirees are interested in learning something new. William & Mary’s Christopher Wren Association, an education program for retirees, attracted more than 1,400 students last semester to more than 60 classes. Retirees served as faculty for many of the classes.

The Chamber & Tourism Alliance last year began a Community Leadership Service in which 16 retirees who moved to the community recently took a crash course about the region, its governmental structure and inner workings. Participants now are creating a database of retired people with skills that could benefit local nonprofit organizations, says Schreiber, the chamber president.

Leading the database project is Joan Peterson, who was recruited because she chaired the education committee of the Williamsburg Symphonia, a professional chamber orchestra. Peterson moved to Williamsburg from Massachusetts when her husband took early retirement from Hewlett-Packard. She had been director of summer programs for a private school. Now a bit more than four years later, her husband is commuting regularly to consulting jobs in Minneapolis and Seattle, and she is immersed in a project she hopes will benefit nonprofits and retirees. “I absolutely love Williamsburg,” says Peterson. “I would have a hard time coming up with things I don’t like about it. Except maybe for the rapid growth. Everyone wants to be the last one in, I guess.”

 

 

For further information about moving or retiring  in the Williamsburg VA area, golf course homes,  real estate , homes, communities, developments, neighborhoods or building lots in Williamsburg, James City, New Kent, Gloucester or York County Virginia  contact:John Womeldorf/ REALTOR

 

Liz Moore & Associates 757 254 8136

John@MrWilliamsburg.com  email

www.MrWilliamsburg.com/  Williamsburg VA Real Estate website

www.MrBurg.com Williamsburg Va Real Estate website  

www.MrHamptonroads.com/  Hampton Roads Va Real Estate website

www.MrTidewater.com/  Tidewater VA Real Estate website

www.MrVaBeach.com/ Va Beach Va Real Estate website

  

Williamsburg Real Estate Resource. Search for Homes & Land for sale in Williamsburg Virginia & surrounding areas  click here :CLICK HERE WILLIAMSBURG VA MLS HOME SEARCH

  CLICK HERE FOR Real Estate Home Search  Tidewater Hampton Roads Va 

  

My other area Real Estate and Information Blogs for Hampton Roads/ Tidewater/ Williamsburg Virignia and surrounding areas

Williamsburg Real Estate Blog II

Williamsburg Real Estate Blog

Williamsburg Happenings/ Events Blog

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