AFP Local News Blog – Monday, Feb. 16, 2009
- News: Staunton Music Festival presents Bach, Monday, 9:30 a.m.
- News: Green building on schedule at EMU, Monday, 9:30 a.m.
- News: VDOT road work schedule, Monday, 9:30 a.m.
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News: Staunton Music Festival presents Bach, Monday, 9:30 a.m.
The Staunton Music Festival is presenting a concert of music from Johann Sebastian Bach next month.
The show, Bach at Sanssouci: Music from the Court of Frederick the Great, is set for Saturday, March 7, at 7:30 p.m. at the Student Activities Center at Mary Baldwin College in Staunton.
A free pre-concert lecture on Sanssouci and Bach will be offered at 4 p.m. at Francis Auditorium at MBC featuring MBC president Pamela Fox, a Bach scholar, and Staunton Music Festival concert commentator Jason Stell.
Complimentary drinks and desserts will be served at the concert
Tickets for the show are $35. The ticket price includes complimentary pre-concert drinks, and dessert and coffee following the performance.
To purchase tickets in advance, call 800.838.3006, visit www.stauntonmusicfestival.com on the web or go to Celebrate! at 107 E. Beverly St. in Downtown Staunton.
News: Green building on schedule at EMU, Monday, 9:30 a.m.
A silver level LEED® certification on its new residence hall will make Eastern Mennonite University among the first in Harrisonburg to have an officially recognized “green” building through the LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) system.
Construction began last fall on the new campus facility, which replaces the 41-year-old Oakwood residence. It will be ready for occupancy by mid-August, in time for the 2009-10 school year.
Hans Harman, project manager for Harman Construction, is coordinating the project, which is ready to begin framing on the second floor. Harman, a 2002 EMU graduate, also manages several construction aspects of the LEED® certification process. This third party process, administered by the United States Green Building Council, facilitates the design, construction and operation of green buildings.
“We’re thrilled that EMU will earn LEED® certification for this building,” said Harrisonburg City spokesperson Miriam Dickler. “This fits perfectly with the direction the city is taking in its overall efforts to support the statewide ‘go-green’ initiative.”
To achieve LEED® certification, the new residence hall must meet goals in five categories: sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor environment and innovation and design process.
Last summer’s demolition of Oakwood was part of a “construction waste plan” and plays a key role in the hall’s LEED® documentation, Harman noted. As Oakwood was torn down, much of the waste was hauled off-site, ground up and used as fill in the foundation of the new residence hall.
“I’ll give EMU a lot of the credit,” said Harman, “but I’ll estimate that 95 percent of the demolished building was either salvaged or recycled.
“The big difference on this project is that every aspect is thought out, from waste to insulation, from design to landscaping,” Harman stated. “Every singe feature is planned with green concerns in mind.”
However, the decision to apply for LEED® certification for the new residence hall wasn’t made until after the design process had already begun.
“It wasn’t an ideal process,” said EMU’s physical plant director C. Eldon Kurtz. But, he added, “practically everything EMU has built since 1985 meets basic LEED® standards, so it wasn’t a big adjustment.”
EMU has been “green” for many years in energy usage and efficiency, and the new building will continue this tradition. A split-system heat pump that can simultaneously heat and cool various parts of the building will be installed to provide energy efficiency comparable to geothermal systems.
The lighting of the new residence hall will also provide significant energy savings. Windows in every room and lounge, designed to take advantage of natural daylight, combined with efficient light fixtures will lessen energy needs as well as provide an optimal learning and community environment.
When completed, the facility will house 120 students in six pods. Most will be double rooms, with a single and three-person room in each pod. A first floor lobby display will explain the green features; a sculpture or wall mosaic made of bricks and scraps from Oakwood will provide décor as well as honor the memories of the former Oakwood dorm.
The new residence hall is not the first EMU building for Harman construction. From newer projects like the University Commons and seminary, to renovation of existing buildings such as Northlawn and the Campus Center, Harman Construction and EMU have worked together on many projects.
“This is the first LEED® certified building we have built,” said 1987 EMU graduate Wayne Witmer, president of Harman Construction. “The project definitely fits our company well because sustainable building has always been important to us and we are taking on more and more green building projects.”
Witmer and Harman are among nine EMU alumni who work at Harman Construction. The partnership is working well for both the university and the business, according to Witmer. “We share a lot of values and are thrilled to be part of this new residence hall project,” he said.
“Whether it’s a Christian university or an individual Christian, it seems to me that it is our responsibility to design, construct, develop and operate buildings that, at a minimum, address the areas that LEED® represent,” said Travis Layman, Harman Construction’s chief estimator and LEED® certified professional.
The campus community is playing a key role in naming the new facility. Earlier, people were invited to submit names that ended in “wood” to go along with the nearby Maplewood and Elmwood residence halls. Creativity reigned, with everything from “Tigerwood” to “Driftwood” submitted. The top four entries were “Greenwood,” “Dogwood,” “Birchwood” and “Cedarwood.” A subsequent survey thinned the names to “Greenwood” and “Dogwood” with the final outcome to be determined.
To view a web cam image of the latest views of construction as well as a time-lapsed video of demolition through framing of the first floor, visit EMU’s website, www.emu.edu/begreen/new-dorm.
- Item by Daniel Landes and Andrea Schrock Wenger
News: VDOT road work schedule, Monday, 9:30 a.m.
Here is an updated list of highway work projects that might affect traffic in the Staunton Transportation District during the coming weeks. Work scheduled is subject to change due to inclement weather and material supplies. Motorists are advised to watch for slow-moving tractors during mowing operations. Also, when traveling through a work zone, be alert to periodic changes in traffic patterns and lane closures.
Augusta County
Interstate 64
No lane closures reported.
Interstate 81
* Mile marker 205 to 237, northbound and southbound – Debris removal. Monday and Friday, 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
* (NEW) Mile marker 233 to 206, northbound and southbound – Fence repair. Tuesday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Primary Roads
* Route 11, southbound (Lee Jackson Highway) – Sewer line installation from Route 694 to Route 701. Shoulder closure and lane shift, Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
* Route 340 – Shoulder repair with flagger traffic control.
* Route 340, Waynesboro – Construction from Route 250 to Delphine Avenue for railroad bridge replacement and roadway widening, Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Expect minor delays from Broad Street to Sixth Street for construction work. Sixth Street closed for sanitary sewer replacement, Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Estimated completion is November, 2011.
* Various roads – Debris cleanup, brush trimming near signs, pothole repair.
Secondary Roads
* (NEW) Route 612 – Pipe replacement from Route 663 to end of state maintenance, Tuesday to Wednesday. Traffic control.
* (NEW) Route 631 – Shoulder repair with flagger traffic control.
* (NEW) Route 635 – Shoulder repair with flagger traffic control.
* (NEW) Route 670 – Pothole repair from Route 693 to Route 675, Tuesday to Friday. Flagger traffic control.
* Route 701, westbound (Howardsville Road) – Sewer line work from Route 11 to Route 613. Shoulder closure. Work is 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday to Friday. Flagger traffic control.
* (NEW) Route 701 – Shoulder repair with flagger traffic control.
* (NEW) Route 730 (Sangersville) – Slope repair, Monday to Tuesday. Flagger traffic control.
* Route 736 (Moscow) – Brush cutting, Tuesday to Friday. Flagger traffic control.
* (NEW) Route 742 – Tree removal at Route 744, Tuesday to Friday. Traffic control.
* Route 746 – Mowing from Route 745 to Route 804, Tuesday to Friday. Traffic control.
* (NEW) Route 799 – Pipe replacement from Route 11 to Route 646, Thursday to Friday. Traffic control.
* Various roads – Bridge maintenance, Tuesday to Friday.
* Various roads – Pothole repair, brush trimming, machining dirt roads.
* (NEW) Various roads (Swoope) – Machining dirt roads, Tuesday to Friday. Traffic control.
Rockingham County
Interstate 81
* Mile marker 237 to 263, northbound and southbound – Litter and debris removal. Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
* Mile marker 237 to 263, northbound and southbound – Repair, replace signs. Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
* Mile marker 237 to 263, northbound and southbound – Anti-icing, Tuesday to Wednesday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Primary Roads
* Route 11, (North Valley Pike) – Utility pole replacement from Route 796 (Moores Mill Road) to Route 982 (Newdale School Road). Right shoulder closure, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
* Route 33, westbound (Rawley Pike) – Utility pole replacement from Route 612 (Peake Mountain Road) to Route 840 (Maple Tree Lane). Right shoulder closure, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
* Route 253 (Port Republic Road) – Sewer line installation from Route 704 (Osceola Springs Road) to Route 276 (Cross Keys Road). Westbound lane shoulder closure. Occasional single lane traffic with flagger traffic control. Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
* Route 256 (Third Street, Grottoes) – Commercial entrance and directional bores from Route 256 (Dogwood Avenue) and Forest Avenue. Right shoulder closure, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
* Route 257 (Mason Street, Dayton) – Entrance construction from Route 1204 (Ashby Street) to Route 1203 (Westview Street). Right shoulder closure, Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
* Route 276, eastbound (Cross Keys Road) – Sewer line installation from Route 33 (Spotswood Trail) to Route 253 (Port Republic Road). Shoulder closure. Occasional single lane traffic with flagger traffic control. Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Secondary Roads
* Route 612, (Peak Mountain Road) – Box culvert installation from Route 762 (Eden Valley Road) to Route 726 (War Branch Road). Road closed. Traffic controlled by flaggers, Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
* Route 641 (Cave Hill Road) – Road work from Route 843 (Cemetery Road) to Route 991 (Jacob Burner Road). Intermittent lane closures. Flagger traffic control. Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
* Route 648 (Dave Berry Road) – Sewer line installation from Route 996 (McGaheysville Road) to Route 641 (White Rose Road). Right shoulder closure, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
* Route 676 (Oak Shade Road) – Directional bore. Work is from Route 276 (Cross Keys Road) to Route 674 (Duck Run Road). Right shoulder closure, Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
* Route 679 (Pleasant Valley Road) – Sewer line installation from Route 689 (Spaders Church Road) to Route 898 (Pleasant Drive). Shoulder closures controlled by flaggers. Blasting may occur. Work is Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
* Route 689 (Shen Lake Drive) – Sewer line installation from Route 253 (Port Republic Road) to Route 1003 (Cumberland Drive). Westbound shoulder closure. Occasional single lane traffic with flagger traffic control. Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
* Route 689 (Shen Lake Drive) – Sewer line installation from Route 253 (Port Republic Road) to Route 1030 (Lucy Long Drive). Right shoulder closure, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
* Route 704 (Cecil Wampler Road) in conjunction with Route 679 work – Sewer line installation from Route 679 (Pleasant Valley Road) to Route 704 (Cecil Wampler Road). Occasional blasting may occur. Shoulder closure. One lane traffic controlled by flaggers. Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
* Route 704 (Cecil Wampler Road) – Sewer line work from Route 679 (Pleasant Valley Road) to Route 705 (Cottontail Trail). Shoulder closure, Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
* Route 709 (Autumn Lane) – Sewer line installation from Route 704 (Osceola Springs Road) to Route 710 (Greendale Road). Westbound shoulder closure. Occasional single lane traffic with flagger traffic control. Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
* Route 794 (Canery Island Road) – Overhead line installation from Route 11 (North Valley Pike) and Route 620 (Mount Valley Road). Right shoulder closure, Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
* Route 820 (Bergton Road) – Debris removal from Route 259 (Brocks Gap Road) and Route 826 (Criders Road). Single lane traffic, flagger traffic control. Work is Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
* Route 981 (Rockingham Pike) – Overhead crossing, directional bore from Route 979 (Solsburg Road) to Route 829 (Mount Herman Road). Right shoulder closure, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
* Route 1204 (Ashby Street) – Waterline installation from Route 1209 (Thompson Street) to Route 1201 (Turner Street). Shoulder closure. Occasional single lane traffic with flagger traffic control. Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
* Route 1304 (Sunset Drive, Dayton) – Sewer line installation between Route 257 (Mason Street) and 1209 (Thompson Street). Road closed. Traffic controlled by flaggers, Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Rockbridge County
Interstate 64
* Mile marker 0 to 57, eastbound and westbound – Sign repair. Shoulder closed, Tuesday to Thursday, 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
* Mile marker 41 to 57, eastbound and westbound – Debris removal. Monday and Friday, 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
* Various roads – Brush trimming. Tuesday to Thursday, 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
* (NEW) Various roads – Ditch cleaning, Tuesday to Thursday, 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
* (NEW) Various roads – Tree removal. Shoulder closures, Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Interstate 81
* Mile marker 174 to 205, northbound and southbound – Debris removal. Monday and Friday, 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
* Various roads – Brush trimming. Tuesday to Thursday, 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
* (NEW) Various roads – Ditch cleaning, Tuesday to Thursday, 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
* (NEW) Various roads – Tree removal. Shoulder closures, Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Primary Roads
* (NEW) Route 11 – Litter removal.
* (NEW) Route 39 – Brush cutting from Route 11 to Route 252, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Flagger traffic control.
* (NEW) Route 60 – Litter removal.
* Route 130 – Bridge construction at Route 501 in Glasgow. Periodic single lane traffic with flagger traffic control, Monday to Thursday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Friday, 8 a.m. to noon. Completion is in September 13, 2010.
* Various roads – Litter removal.
Secondary Roads
* Various roads – Brush cutting, shoulder repair. Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., flagger traffic control.
* Various roads – Grading dirt roads, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
