The event was held at the Williamsburg Community Building with roughly 30 community members in attendance.

Joining Wittman in the conversation were Patrick Hartig, assistant special agent in charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Norfolk District Office; Adam Brown, senior director for student services for Williamsburg-James City County Schools; and Dr. Mia McCoy, substance use disorder quality manager for the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services.

The focus of the seminar was on the misuse of opioids, namely fentanyl, that are being distributed illegally. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is roughly 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. Wittman stated that currently 85% of drug-related deaths are caused by opioids; 112,000 deaths in the United States more than a year ago were due to the misuse of fentanyl.

“This is a national crisis and we have to figure out how to address it,” said Wittman, adding that opioid use and addiction has become “pervasive throughout society,” affecting young and old alike. “It is an unbelievable situation we find ourselves in.”

Hartig pointed out that the misuse of the fentanyl the DEA is trying to battle is being tampered with and smuggled into the country illegally by drug cartels in Mexico. It’s becoming more widely available and cheap, which “makes it a difficult crisis for us to deal with,” he said. “I’ve never seen a greater, more dangerous threat than fentanyl.”

Fentanyl poisoning is now the leading cause of death among Americans ages 18 to 25. It is ingested as a pill or a powder. Hartig cautioned against taking any pill that is not prescribed by a doctor and dispensed at a pharmacy because “I can guarantee you that a pill that comes from any other source probably contains fentanyl,” he said.

McCoy noted that the COVID-19 pandemic “exacerbated” substance use and misuse, including opioids, though since January 2023, there has been “a downward trend in the use and overdose of opioids,” she said. “There is hope.”

WJCC Schools works with families when students are caught using opioids, though often students aren’t aware of what it is they are actually taking.

“A lot of times students don’t know and I hear them say, ‘I had no idea that is what I was taking,’’ Brown said.

Education and prevention are key to controlling the opioid problem, Wittman said. Wittman, who represents Virginia’s 1st District, worked for the Virginia Department of Public Health for more than 25 years and currently serves as co-chair of the Congressional Public Health Caucus.

Wittman has supported many laws to combat the opioid epidemic, including the Protecting Americans from Fentanyl Trafficking Act, which permanently places fentanyl-related substances as a Schedule I controlled substance; and Sammy’s Law, which requires third-party software on social media platforms that alerts parents when their children are exposed to harmful material, including drugs.

Wittman pointed out that it will take everyone to help with the issue, which includes knowing the warning signs of addiction.

“This is a community-based effort,” he said.

Brown added that parents and students should also be attentive when it comes to the opioid crisis.

“Even if you are not sure, say something,” he said.

Brandy Centolanza, bcentolanza@cox.net

Everyone experiences pain in this life. It may be a pinch or a crunch, but sometimes it can be crushing. Pain is a part of life, and we cannot escape it. So how do we make sense of it? As a counselor, I sit with people every day who face pain and hardship. It may be the pain of divorce, job loss, chronic illness, the death of a loved one or the existential pain of living in a broken world where we see hatred, cruelty and war. Does pain serve a purpose? How do we move forward in the midst of pain?

My thoughts about pain come from my own life experience, but also from the stories of others who have encountered pain and shared their journeys with me. My own reading from scripture as well as from various books on the subject have helped me keep a few principles in mind that have proved useful to me along the way.

I have learned that pain is a great motivator. At times, we may feel stuck in habits, difficult relationships or jobs, but it is often pain that drives us to do something different. We seek help. Pain is a wake-up call. It gets our attention. The ache or pain in our body leads us to seek medical attention. We feel emotional or relational pain and we seek counseling. Pain can lead us to lean into our faith in God to give us strength and courage to go on.

I have come to realize that there is no painless way to do painful things. We cannot go around pain or over it, we have to go through it. The good news is that while there is a pain that leads to more pain, there is also pain that leads to healing. We may go through surgery and experience more pain and discomfort temporarily, but we know that in the end we will feel better, stronger, whole.

If we ignore the pain and let it fester and grow, we may experience more pain with no end in sight. There is a pain that leads to healing, but you have to go through it. We tolerate some pain today to avoid more pain down the road. The Psalmist reminds us, “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.”

While we may not choose pain, we do have some choices about how to move forward. Is this pain a real threat or an imaginary threat? What can we do about it? Often times we look for a quick fix. We want to escape the pain without thinking about the future impact. What will this look like a year from now? In the long run, short cuts may only bring more pain. Thinking through our options may help us see a better path forward. Even though some choices may bring more pain today, future pain can be prevented.

Perhaps one of the blessings of pain is that it leads us to seek out others who can walk with us and provide guidance. A support group, a friend, a family member may help us see things in a new way. It can be comforting to have someone who can journey with us. In our communities of faith, we find strength in knowing that God is with us even as we “walk through the valley of the shadow of death.” Our connection with God and others can strengthen us.

In times of pain and suffering, I find myself looking for hope. Where is the crack in the sidewalk, or the break in the darkness where light comes through? Where is hope in the midst of pain and suffering? If I look at pain from a different angle or ask a curious question, my perspective can change. I may be able to move forward in a different way.

In her book “Almost Everything: Notes on Hope,” Anne Lamott writes, “Some days there seems to be little reason for hope, in our families, cities, and world. Well, except for almost everything. The seasons change, a bone mends, Santa Rosa builds after the fire. In the days after a cataclysmic school shooting, thousands of students took to the streets and the public squares. They got us back up onto our feet and changed our world.”

Lamott reminds us that whatever pain we face, we will come through somehow. “Against all odds, no matter what we’ve lost, no matter what messes we’ve made over time, no matter how dark the night, we offer and are offered kindness, soul, light, and food, which create breath and spaciousness, which create hope, sufficient unto the day.”

The Rev. Becky Glass is executive director at the Peninsula Pastoral Counseling Center in Newport News. She can be reached by email at beglass@peninsulapastoral.org.

Davis Y. Paschall, the college’s president from 1960-1971, was instrumental in the development of the substantial academic programs of the Virginia Institute of Marine Science at Gloucester Point.

The Virginia Fisheries Laboratory was established in 1940 as a joint effort between W&M and the Virginia Commission on Fisheries (now the Virginia Marine Resources Commission). It was initially organized by Donald W. Davis, head of William & Mary’s biology department.

On Wednesday, the university announced that philanthropist Jane Batten had donated $100 million for enhancement of its marine science program — the largest gift in W&M’s 331-year history. The existing school will be renamed the Batten School of Coastal & Marine Sciences.

Originally established “to pursue research and educational activities relative to the seafood industry of the state and to develop into a prominent center for the study of Marine Biology,” Paschall said in a 1970 report, the laboratory operated as a quasi-state agency.

When Paschall became president, master’s degrees in marine science were offered by the University of Virginia, Virginia Tech and William & Mary. Paschall took a recommendation from an outside study to urge the board of visitors in 1961 to create a school of marine science with the faculty also becoming staff members of the lab.

The next year, the General Assembly renamed the laboratory the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, making it an independent state agency with its own administrative board. The three schools continued to provide all the graduate academic work.

In 1964, the State Council of Higher Education approved doctoral programs in marine science for W&M and UVA.

In the late 1960s, Paschall, along with UVA President Edgar F. Shannon Jr. and Virginia Tech President T. Marshall Hahn Jr., discussed the future of academic programs at VIMS. It was decided that  William & Mary would take over the programs. Primarily “because of the location (of W&M and VIMS) and the fact that the VIMS staff was part of the W&M faculty,” Paschall told reporters.

By 1970, the 35-member VIMS staff “served as faculty of the School of Marine Science that offered more than 30 courses at the Gloucester Point campus,” Paschall wrote in a 1960-1970 report. Additional professors from other departments at W&M were associated with VIMS “to strengthen its offerings to students.”

Virginia Tech decided to move to an academic program focused on fish and wildlife conservation, while UVA decided its new direction would be on what now has become environmental science.

Davis Y. Paschall was president of William & Mary when Wilford Kale was a student at the school. Kale and Harry L. Smith were co-authors of “Davis Y. Paschall: A Study in Leadership,” about Paschall’s time at W&M and when he was state superintendent of public instruction. This story uses information from that publication.

Perfect Touch brows specializes in a variety of beauty services including eyebrow threading, eyelash extensions, brow tinting and skin care. Kalad also operates a location at Patrick Henry Mall in Newport News.

“What sets us apart is our commitment to personalized service, attention to detail and creating a comfortable experience for our clients,” Kalad said. “We believe that enhancing natural beauty is an art, and our skilled master skin care specialists and technicians bring precision and creativity to every service.”

The goal with the opening of the new location is to “become a trusted beauty destination in Williamsburg,” he added. “We want to create a welcoming space where clients can relax, enjoy our services and leave feeling fabulous. Additionally, we’re committed to giving back to the community. A portion of our skin care product sales will be donated to support local initiatives and organizations. We’re excited to connect with the Williamsburg community and make a positive impact.”

Other new stores at the outlets include Casa Furniture, which had a soft opening last weekend, and Perfume Hut, which opened this month near Ben & Jerry’s.

Casa Furniture is planning a grand opening Aug. 1 to officially introduce the furniture store, which specializes in living room sets and mattresses. The store, located near Movado and Tommy Hilfiger, is owned and operated by Spiro Laousis, a U.S. Army veteran who started as a retailer in the furniture industry after leaving the military.

Laousis said the goal with the location is to cater to those in the military as well as to the growing Hispanic population in the community.

“Our first three customers were Spanish (speaking), which was amazing,” he said. “This is a perfect match for us.”

Laousis also has plans to open locations at other outlets in Maryland as well as in Norfolk and Winchester.

“I love working with the customers and talking to them and helping them out,” he said. “It gives me a jolt of energy and really makes me happy.”

For more information on Williamsburg Premium Outlets, visit premiumoutlets.com/outlet/williamsburg.

Kitchen Tune-Up franchise wins national award

Craig and Shelley Smith, owners of Kitchen Tune-Up Hampton Roads New Kent County, were honored with the Franny of the Year award at the company’s national reunion, which was held in June in Minneapolis. The award is presented to the top overall franchisee of Kitchen Tune-Up. The Smiths were recognized for their performance in 2023 in sales and customer service, as well as for their delivery of exceptional service offerings.

“We love to recognize and honor the achievements of our Tunies,” said Heidi Morrissey, president of Kitchen Tune-Up, in a news release. “Each location puts so much into their business and strives to make every project their best yet. … Craig, Shelley, and their dedicated family members and team have always exemplified the Kitchen Tune-Up spirit and shown themselves to be amongst our strongest franchises.”

Craig Smith said receiving the award was an honor. “Our family loves the work we do and it’s fulfilling to be recognized for our efforts.”

Kitchen Tune-Up Hampton Roads New Kent County is located at 1629 Merrimac Trail. For more information, visit kitchentuneup.com/williamsburg-va.

Dots & Dashes

• Heather Hughes Photography will host a photography summer camp at Catalillies Play Café, located at 551 Merrimac Trail in James-York Plaza, from July 31 to Aug. 2.  The camp, designed for children ages 7-12, will be held 10 a.m. to noon each day and include instruction on how to capture everyday objects on camera, crafts and more. For more information, visit heatherhughesphotography.com/kids-photo-camp.
• Williamsburg SCORE will host the free workshop, “How to start and manage your own business,” on July 30 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Williamsburg Regional Library. The workshop will cover business planning, legalities of starting a business, creating a budget, financing, how to define your product or service and your target customer base and more. For more information, call 757.229.6511 or email info.williamsburg@scorevolunteer.org.
• Charles City County will host its inaugural Chillin’ in Charles City event Aug. 2-4. The event will include musical performances, an artisan market and more at various establishments throughout the county. For more information, visit visitcharlescity.org.

Brandy Centolanza, bcentolanza@cox.net

The lifetime lacrosse player from York County was recently selected as one of 50 U18 players nationwide to attend the National Team Development Program Combine training camp at Garrison Forrest School in Owings Mills, Maryland. He’ll join one other U18 boy from Virginia, Caleb Dymmel from Middlesex County.

The camp, which will last three days from July 29-31, acts as a pipeline to the U.S. National Team Program and consists of two boys and two girls teams divided into age groups (under 18 and under 16).

According to USA Lacrosse Magazine, around 1,600 high school athletes across 28 states and the District of Columbia competed to attend this year’s training camp, with about 150 boys and 180 girls selected to attend. Birkle, a defender, will compete under the NTDP combine U18 boys. The camp will test players on various lacrosse skills and drills.

Birkle has been training for this moment his entire life. A lacrosse player since preschool, he plays for Tabb High School and has spent five years with the Tidewater Patriots travel lacrosse team in Hampton Roads. Coached by Chris Swanenburg, the travel team has produced multiple players selected for the national training camp, including defensive player Andrew Knight and current Bridgewater College lacrosse player Killian Krapfl.

“We’re traveling all over. It’s been like that for a couple of years where we spend the summer just racking up miles and getting him in front of who you need to get him in front of. But he loves it; he has a passion for the game,” said Birkle’s mother, Jamie Doyle.

Doyle emphasized that Swanenburg, a former Division I coach at Radford University and All-Ivy League goaltender at Yale University, has been “instrumental” in Birkle’s success as a lacrosse player. The travel team, founded by Swanenburg in 2010, has allowed Birkle to play with individuals from around the Peninsula.

Swanenburg, who has watched many of his lacrosse players grow up, calls his program unique.

“We’ve been fortunate that we’ve got doors open for a lot of kids in our program in a variety of different ways,” he said. “Coming to play for the Patriots has given kids an opportunity to play alongside kids that are similarly motivated and talented, so that they get a little bit of a more competitive environment, pushed a little harder than they will be pushed in their home programs.”

Swanenburg offers words of wisdom to new and current lacrosse players who may be interested in playing at a higher level.

“The most important thing is to set a goal of getting better each day,” Swanenburg said. “You’re not getting an opportunity to play at the next level because of additional exposure, you’re getting the opportunity to play at the next level because of your ability.”

For Birkle, the sport “just clicked” when he was young, his mother said. Lacrosse isn’t just a sport, but a passion. When he’s not playing, he can be found stringing sticks, repairing helmets, coaching younger kids and drawing lines on the field.

Part of the appeal is the system of it all, he said.

“It’s very organized,” Birkle said. “It’s not all over the place, everything has its place, everyone has a certain job to do. And when everyone follows the system, it just makes it easy.”

This summer, while preparing to attend the national training camp, Birkle has been working as an EMT and a lifeguard and touring colleges. He’s hopeful that he will be able to continue his lacrosse journey within higher education and beyond. But if he doesn’t get selected for the national team, both he and his mother are just proud of the journey.

“Loving this last high school summer,” Birkle wrote on a lacrosse recruiting site, “and I’m playing like I have nothing to lose!”

Emma Henry, emma.henry@virginiamedia.com

The board approved a $2.7 million contract with JSG Corp. to do needed work to improve roads in the Settlers Market area. Improvements include milling and repaving the existing pavement, striping of lane markings, fixing and updating handicap accessible ramps, and working on the stormwater/drainage infrastructure, said Assistant County Administrator Jason Purse.

Purse said the improvements should be done within the next six months.

The board also authorized a $1.9 million fiber optic cable purchase to complete the county’s internet and communication infrastructure. The installation of the cable will complete connections to local public sites in the county, eliminating the need for leasing fiber optic cable use.

Currently, fiber optic cable serves 15 county sites, two James City Service Authority sites, 14 Williamsburg-James City County School sites and the two Williamsburg Regional Library sites.

Because one county site and three school system sites currently rent use of the cables for $76,000 per year, buying and installing 19 miles of new cable will eliminate the need to lease them.

“The installation of this fiber will also provide an improved infrastructure assuring continued communications in the event of a fiber cut or the failure of communications equipment at any given site,” according to the county.

Also at Tuesday’s meeting, board Chair Ruth Larson reminded residents to take part in the annual National Night Out, which is being recognized in James City County on Aug. 6. The event is a chance for the police department and community to come together.

“It’s always a special night on National Night Out when we go into our communities to really continue to build on those relationships and friendships,” James City County Police Chief Mark Jamison said. “It takes all of us to really provide a safe and vibrant community.”

That evening, from 5-8 p.m., groups of officers and staff will attend neighborhood block parties at 14 different locations throughout the county.

Also Tuesday, the board also heard a presentation on how to stay safe during hurricane season, which began June 1 and goes through Nov. 30.

Fire Chief Ryan Ashe presented advice on storm preparation for severe weather such as flooding, thunderstorms, hurricanes and tornadoes. Recommendations include making a family plan, building a storm kit, staying informed and taking protective measures during emergencies.

“The time to prepare for severe weather is not when the announcement comes out when the storm starts, it really should be an all-around process,” Ashe said.

Residents should maintain an emergency support network and identify meeting places and transportation options in the case of severe storms, he recommended. Residents should also have evacuation kits on hand that include supplies such as food and water, prescription medications, first aid kits, emergency cash and important documents, extra clothing and hygiene items.

Households can find their hurricane evacuation zone through the Virginia Department of Emergency Management’s Know Your Zone map, available at vaemergency.gov/know-your-zone. Ashe also recommended that families be aware of drowning prevention measures such as supervision, knowledge of CPR and water competency.

More information about severe weather preparedness and emergency alerts can be found through the JCC website and social media accounts. County residents can also sign up for emergency notifications through JCCAlert.org.

Sam Schaffer, samuel.schaffer@virginiamedia.com, and Emma Henry, emma.henry@virginiamedia.com 

That day, a slow-moving thunderstorm contributed to the flooding of a Colonial Parkway tunnel near Colonial Williamsburg, leaving about 5 feet of water on the parkway at the southern end on the Williamsburg Lodge side.

Two cars were flooded out, as was an ambulance that tried to enter the tunnel to assist the vehicles. Three motorists were stranded when high water engulfed their vehicles. All parties were rescued, according to newspaper accounts.

The total rainfall for that event was 11.3 inches in six hours in Williamsburg, while the National Park Service reported 12.5 inches on the battlefield during the same time frame.

Williamsburg holds the state’s single-day, 24-hour rainfall record of 14.28 inches, which occurred on Sept. 16, 1999, according to the National Weather Service. The rain was part of Hurricane Floyd, which struck the city of Franklin especially hard and flooded its downtown when the nearby Blackwater River overflowed its banks.

The state’s unofficial single day total was 27.35 inches in Nelson County on Aug. 20, 1969, associated with the remnants of Hurricane Camille.

Within the past week, the Williamsburg area, like much of Hampton Roads, has been hit almost daily by thunderstorms and rain squalls.

The Williamsburg water treatment plant, which has kept daily rainfall records for decades, reported nearly 5 inches of rain from July 20 through July 25.

In the summer “there is usually instability present in the atmosphere as a whole and the cumulous clouds as a result of convection bring showers spread over a wide area,” said Roman Miller, a weather service meteorologist in Wakefield.

The result, Miller said, is that the rain fall “can vary quite a bit” with a single storm. Therefore, one area of Williamsburg could get a toad-strangler — very heavy — rain, while several blocks away could have no rainfall at all.

Miller said the weather service’s co-op weather reporting site, just north of the city, has reported 10.37 inches of rain for the month of July. According to Weather Spark, an online site that collects weather data from all over the word, the average monthly rainfall for July in the Williamsburg area is 5.57 inches.

The August 1989 storm resulted from “a stalled cold front from southwest-southeast along the North Carolina line. It interacted with a low pressure systems along the coast from Norfolk to Georgia, pumping moisture into the state,” according to the weather service in Richmond as reported in the Aug.19, 1989, edition of the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

Moisture that was expected to move westward into the Virginia mountains was instead drawn into the low pressure system, the weather service added. The result on that mid-August day was heavy rain in eastern Virginia.

Specifically, 11.3 inches of rain fell in Williamsburg during a total of six hours on Aug. 18.

“Virtually every street near the heart of the city had standing water at some time during the storm, which was the heaviest between 9 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.,” the newspaper reported. “Historic Duke of Gloucester Street was under nearly two feet of water with many intersections blocked.”

Then-Fire Chief Robert Bailey said that by the time he arrived at the parkway tunnel, “water was cascading down on the parkway from Francis Street and three people had taken shelter on the tops of their automobiles. There was shoulder-deep water all around.”

For the rest of the month, southeastern Virginia could see some drier days, but more rain isn’t out of the question, the National Weather Service said. Saturday, Sunday and Monday “were looking to be pretty dry” with storm chances returning in the mid-next week, Miller said.

The National Climate Projection Center, which provides forecasts 6-10 and 8-14 days out, has indicated there is an “above average” chance for rain in the next two weeks.

Wilford Kale was bureau chief for the Richmond Times-Dispatch and covered the Aug. 18, 1989, storm for the paper.

They offer beer, of course — often brewed on-site — but they also offer non-alcoholic beverages, food and social activities. The food might be in the form of food trucks parked outside, or options cooked in-house. As for social activities, breweries are offering live music, trivia and a variety of other options. Most places sell canned beer to go or to consume on-site, along with merchandise like shirts, caps and mugs. Surprisingly, televisions don’t provide the entertainment focus for most of these venues. Only a couple of these places have any televisions at all, and where they do exist they do not dominate the ambiance.

Several of these breweries have shelves with board games for visitors who want to take it easy for a while. And while none of them has décor that would be labeled luxurious, they feel welcoming — individuals, couples, families with small children and friend groups of all ages can have a pleasant experience.

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Alewerks Brewing Company

189B Ewell Road

This brewery boasts 16 taps, providing stouts, lagers, IPAs, sours and more in their taproom or outside on their covered outdoor seating area. Regular features include Military Mondays, Teacher Tuesdays and First Responders Fridays along with regular trivia nights and live music. In addition to packaged snacks, Alewerks hosts food trucks most nights. They also have a regular Sunday brunch, including “beermosas.”

There is also a second location, the Little Auxiliary Brewery, or L.A.B., at 5711-36 Richmond Road in the Williamsburg Premium Outlets. The L.A.B. brews small batch-beers as well as offering the same beers that the larger location offers. The hours (Saturday-Monday 12-6 p.m., Tuesday-Friday 12-8 p.m.) make this a nice place to rest and recover from a shopping trip.

Alewerks.com

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Billsburg Brewery

2054 Jamestown Road, across from Jamestown Settlement

This brewery is nicely situated on the James City County Marina. From the elevated deck seating area, patrons have a good view of activity in the marina and the neighboring estuary and wetlands. Additional outdoor seating is available in a large pavilion or under the trees on the spacious grounds. There is also ample indoor seating.

New this summer is the owners’ food truck — the Waterfront Grill — where the cooking is done by Chef Neval, well known to Williamsburg foodies. Visitors who wish to kayak or stand-up paddle can do so from the dock. The location is near the terminus of the Capital Trail, making it a good place to recover from a run, walk or bike ride.

Billsburg.com

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Frothy Moon Brewhouse

1826 Jamestown Road, about a mile from the Jamestown-Scotland Ferry

This newer brewery offers a number of interesting beers, along with non-alcoholic options. The seating inside is spacious, while the outside seating is comfortable and accommodating, with a large number of shaded tables, firepits and recreational activities (cornhole, for one). People who aren’t interested in the beer also have coffee options to choose from (giving the word “brew” a double meaning). The parking lot for the Powhatan Creek Park and Blueway is across Jamestown Road from the brewery, making it a good place to refresh after a canoe or kayak excursion.

FrothyMoonBrewhouse.com

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Precarious Beer Project

110 S. Henry St., in Merchants Square

Precarious Beer Project is a unique combination of brewery and stand-alone food offerings. In addition to the bar where customers can order from the wide range of drink options, this location has two food stations — Ol’ Dominion Burgers (offering smashburgers and other similar items) and Electric Circus Taco Bar. One inside area also has pinball machines and other arcade games. Outdoor seating (including firepits for cooler weather) offers pleasant views of the Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg across the street.

The Merchants Square location means that it is common to find local residents, tourists and college students sharing the long tables and benches that provide most of the seating.

PrecariousBeer.com

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Amber Ox Public House

525 Prince George St., a block from Merchants’ Square

Amber Ox is a quality restaurant that serves the beer brewed at Precarious Beer — not surprising, as the founders of Precarious got their start a few years ago in the brewery portion of Amber Ox. Amber Ox fits the description of “gastropub” — a pub that serves restaurant-quality food. Visitors to Amber Ox will find exactly this — a wide and changing variety of beers (brewed at Precarious) along with meals that are creatively imagined and prepared. In addition to the full regular menu, diners can take advantage of specials every night of the week — Tiki Mondays (tropical theme), Beer Can Chicken night (Tuesdays), Fresh Catch Fridays (what it sounds like) and Saucy Sundays (featuring pasta).

TheAmberOx.com

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Strangeways Brewing

1430 High St., the Shops at High Street facing Richmond Road

Strangeways Brewing advertises dozens of beers in a spacious and welcoming space. The company motto: “Think strange. Drink strange.” defines their approach to making beer. The result is an unusual variety of beers that are, well, strange. The eclectic décor (check out the car-sofas) and high ceilings create a comfortable space to kick back and relax. Two outdoor spaces give visitors options additional seating options. This business has three other locations — two in Richmond and one in Fredericksburg.

StrangewaysBrewing.com

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Virginia Beer Company

401 Second St., in the Edge District

Virginia Beer Company is an unpretentious brewery that looks like it used to be a warehouse.  That’s because it was a warehouse — a decrepit building that was an eyesore until the founders (two graduates of William & Mary) turned it into a brewery in 2016. The company’s slogan is “Beer. People. Purpose” and its website will tell readers a lot about what drives the owners of this business. They are interested in producing time-tested flagship beers as well as creative and experimental small-batch beers. They describe their taproom as a “test kitchen” for new beer recipes, which they then sell across the country and around the world.

VirginiaBeerCo.com

Karen McPherson is a retired teacher, volunteer at Literacy for Life and instructor at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at William & Mary. She can be reached at kamcpherson168@gmail.com.

Understand that we’re dealing with percentages, and full-time work is still the most common type of work by far, but the trend is interesting. What are some of the factors that are common or driving this trend? Here are a few:

• The increase in part-time jobs is wide ranging and applies to most industry sectors.
• Some employers are creating multiple part-time jobs in place of full-time jobs.
• Employers are trying to accommodate the competitive market for workers.

On the other hand:

• Workers are looking for more flexibility in their work schedules.
• Workers prefer work-from-home schedules and may opt for part-time opportunities.
• Workers with skills in demand want the flexibility in hours to accommodate school schedules, child care or work-life balance, to name a few.

According to the hiring data from the Labor Department, part-time employment was up almost 9% from January 2022 to May 2024, with full-time hiring up only 1.5% for the same time period. In addition, the unemployment rate slowly edged up to 4% in May. In March of 2022 there were 12.2 million job openings. In April of this year, the number of job openings was 8.1 million.

According to Indeed.com, a large job posting website, the industries with the greatest increases in part-time job postings in May were: Beauty and wellness, marketing, hospitality and tourism, media and communications, and arts and entertainment.

The question arises, what is causing this beginning shift? Here are a few thoughts:

• Are employers cutting back on full-time workers to save money in benefits?
• Are employers responding to the demands of workers for flexibility, work-from-home schedules and hybrid work programs?
• Are the competitive demands for high skills talent especially in technology and artificial intelligence, forcing employers to cater to employee demands?
• During the recession of 2007 to 2009, part-time work increased dramatically. Is the marketplace slowing down enough that employee roles are being culled to better fit concerns about a potential downturn or a possible recession?

What does all this say for you? Keep your eye on what’s happening both in the marketplace and your own company. Watch the trends and how your function is affected. Always keep your options open, but have a contingency plan for each alternative.

Send me questions for an article or a review of your resume at wkaufmann44@gmail.com.

The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, the state agency that governs new schools and programs, approved the school Tuesday, according to a news release.

The school will bring together four programs: applied science, computer science, data science and physics.

“I appreciate SCHEV’s shared commitment to preparing broadly educated, forward-thinking citizens and professionals,” W&M President Katherine A. Rowe said in the release. “The jobs of tomorrow belong to those prepared to solve tomorrow’s problems. Machine learning, AI, computational modeling — these are essential modes of critical thinking and core to a liberal arts education in the 21st century,” she said.

The school will be operational in fall 2025, and a national search for a dean of the school is underway.

W&M’s Board of Visitors approved the creation of the school in November. Its approval at the state level makes it the university’s sixth school — the first since the creation of the Raymond A. Mason School of Business in 1968.

Establishing the standalone School of Computing, Data Sciences, and Physics, will increase visibility of the programs and their growing career fields, the university said.

“Innovation has been part of William & Mary since its inception, and this school will serve as the catalyst for countless new discoveries, partnerships and synergies,” Provost Peggy Agouris said in a statement. “The School of Computing, Data Sciences, and Physics is launching at a pivotal time within these dynamic fields, and I’m incredibly proud to continue our journey of interdisciplinary growth and excellence across our undergraduate and graduate program offerings.

The four academic areas in the new school are experiencing strong growth in external investment (over $9 million in 2023) and student numbers, according to the university.

Undergraduate students will not apply to the school directly; instead, second-year students who meet the criteria will be allowed to enter the school. Students will be able to double major or minor in other programs at the university while attending the new school, according to the release.

Sam Schaffer, samuel.schaffer@virginiamedia.com