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 

The $100 million gift will support the newly labeled Batten School of Coastal and Marine Sciences at the Gloucester Point campus, providing additional resources to W&M and the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, a state agency that integrated with the university in 1979.

It’s the largest gift in William & Mary’s 331-year history, according to the university.

“William & Mary has long been at the vanguard of research tackling urgent local, national and international challenges,” W&M President Katherine Rowe said in a news release. “No institution is better positioned to address global change. By investing in bold ideas and new partnerships, the Batten School will power ‘science for solutions’ for Virginia and the world.”

Despite not being W&M alumni, the Battens have left their mark on the university. Jane Batten’s late husband, Frank, served on the university’s board of visitors in the 1990s. The family also established the Batten Foundation Scholarship Endowment at the Raymond A. Mason School of Business and the Frank Batten Sr. MBA Investment Fund Endowment. Outside of the university, Jane Batten is involved with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and the Hampton Roads Community Foundation.

Through this gift, Batten hopes to assist scientific solutions aimed at strengthening coastal resilience on the Virginia Peninsula, according to the release. The school’s vision will specifically focus on interdisciplinary reach and offering support for a new bachelor’s program in marine science.

“This gift propels us forward toward great promise and progress,” Batten said in a statement. “I amconfident that this will spark significant change, building resilience in coastal communities inthe Commonwealth and across the globe for generations to come.”

Approximately 128 million people in the United States currently live on coastlines, with nearly 5 million residing on the Virginia coast, according to W&M. Global climate change rapidly threatens communities living in these areas through increased flooding, damage to agriculture, impaired water quality and intense storms.

Derek Aday, dean of the Batten School and director of VIMS, emphasized the unique position of VIMS and the university to tackle these pressing concerns. VIMS is located on the York River in Gloucester Point.

“We have a geographical advantage, expertise advantage and historical presence in this area,” Aday said in the university’s release. “We also have the breadth and depth in coastal and marine systems to allow us to take on very significant challenges that other places aren’t equipped for.”

To further support research focused on coastal resilience, the university hopes to raise an additional $100 million from various sources to fully equip the Batten School. It will also explore the establishment of a bachelor’s program in marine science, the first of its kind at a public university in Virginia. The school already offers masters and doctorate level programs.

Passed by the university’s board of visitors this spring, the proposal to start an undergraduate marine science degree program will now move to the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia for approval.

In addition to establishing itself as “the premier global institution for coastal and marine sciences,” the release said, the Gloucester Point campus also will undergo infrastructure improvements, such as a renovated visitor center, to increase educational opportunities.

“Our work has positioned us as a global scientific leader, a respected educational partner and a trusted advisor on coastal and marine issues,” Aday added. “We are optimistic about our next chapter and hopeful that together, with partners across the globe, we can implement real change for the betterment of humanity.”

Emma Henry, emma.henry@virginiamedia.com

These players, however, were not college students getting ready for the fall season. They were there to show that women can participate in all sports, at all levels — and not just from the sidelines.

About 20 people attended the fourth annual women’s football clinic, hosted by William & Mary head football coach Mike London and his daughter, Kristen London. Notable attendees included team members of the RVA Lady Tomahawks and the D.C. Divas, both women’s tackle football teams.

The event began with featured speakers such as W&M President Katherine Rowe; Karai Lockley, executive associate athletics director for internal operations; and Washington Prodigy player Quineshia “Hollywood” Leonard. Other speakers were also featured on a video montage, including Callie Brownson, the assistant wide receivers coach for the NFL Cleveland Browns.

“The importance of women in athletics extends far beyond the playing surface,” Lockley said. “Supporting women in athletics is not just about fairness; it’s about championing women’s athletics, participation and achievements in sports at all levels.”

Mike London, the father of four daughters and three sons, emphasized his role as a self-proclaimed “girl dad” and how his passion for athletics and representation sparked inspiration for the clinic. Overall, London said he hoped the event would serve as a judgment-free zone for players of all levels.

“Hopefully we can pour into the glass to help fill in some information, the techniques, the drills,” London said. “That’s the goal more than anything — having fun and learning something today.”

Kristen London, a graduate of the University of Virginia and former professional basketball player, began her own football journey at 8 years old playing with the New Kent Falcons, an all-boys team. After returning from playing basketball in England and Switzerland, Kristen began playing football for the  Atlanta Phoenix before transitioning to the Denver Bandits and finally the Houston Mambas.

She emphasized how football was able to give her a voice.

“I see other opportunities and I’ve been able to enrich my community and my friendships,” she said. “Now we’re becoming commentators, we’re becoming athletes, we’re becoming analysts. Getting … on the field and in the action and off the sidelines.”

But it’s about even more than representation and visibility, she added. “I found my home, I found my community, I’ve found my sisters.”

All the speakers at Sunday’s clinic further urged women to get involved with sports and highlighted the clinic as a space to challenge stereotypes within male-dominated fields.

Throughout the day, hosts and attendees participated in a series of tours and information sessions focused on offensive and defensive schemes. Before putting what they had learned into practice, university football staff, including running backs coach Perry Jones, quarterbacks coach Ted Hefter and co-defensive coordinator Ras-I Dowling, helped present position-specific information to the participants.

Two attendees included former William & Mary head volleyball coach Debra Hill and her wife, Camilla Buchanan — Williamsburg locals who recently celebrated their 42nd anniversary. Hill mentioned that, as a former coach, she was fascinated to learn about all of the logistics that go into the football season. Buchanan spoke about her favorite elements of the day’s events, including the excitement of participants.

“To see the growth of football for women, it’s something I always wanted to do as a kid but couldn’t,” Buchanan said. “It’s just been really, really fun. Very high energy.”

After moving to the field at Walter J. Zable Stadium, attendees participated in a team entrance ceremony complete with a smoke tunnel before concluding the clinic with 7-on-7, 1-on-1 games and a skills competition.

More information about Mike London’s football camps can be found at mikelondonfootballcamps.totalcamps.com.

Emma Henry, emma.henry@virginiamedia.com

The shooting occurred just after noon, after James City officers and York-Poquoson deputies had gone to a York County residence to investigate reports of someone shooting at an occupied vehicle near Toano.

James City Police Chief Mark Jamison and York-Poquoson Sheriff Ron Montgomery detailed the incident at a news conference Wednesday afternoon.

When officers arrived in the 300 block of Mark’s Pond Way, shots rang out from the upper floor of one of the houses. Bullets struck a James City County police car, with fragments hitting the officer who got out of his cruiser and laid down on the ground, Montgomery said.

No one else was injured, and the officer was treated and released from a local hospital.

During the approximately five minutes that the shooting lasted, bullets also hit a nearby occupied house, Montgomery and Jamison said. Officers and deputies could not see where the shots were coming from and did not return fire.

“Our officers today responded with bravery, courage and unbelievable resolve to be able to survive this incident,” Jamison said.

Once the shooting stopped, a man, later identified as 35-year-old Andrew Francis Susalis, surrendered. Authorities recovered a high-powered rifle, Jamison and Montgomery said. A family member who was in the house is cooperating with authorities.

Susalis was charged with two counts of attempted second-degree murder, two counts of using of a firearm in the commission of a felony, two counts of reckless handling of a firearm, destruction of property and shooting into an occupied dwelling.

In the earlier shooting, a car driving near the Anderson’s Corner area of James City County at about 11:45 a.m. was struck two to four times by bullets fired by someone in a light blue sedan.

Jamison and Montgomery characterized it as a road-rage incident but gave no further details. The occupant of the vehicle wasn’t injured.

Emma Henry, emma.henry@virginiamedia.com

Labeled as one of the United States’ 11 most endangered historic sites by the National Trust for Historic Preservation in 2022, Historic Jamestowne’s archaeologists and researchers are now working to preserve dig sites as climate-related challenges threaten to wipe away centuries of history at the 400-year old site.

According to the Jamestown Rediscovery Foundation, it is essential that resilience strategies are implemented within the next 50 to 75 years as stormwater, sea level rise and encroaching wetlands create increasingly hazardous conditions at North America’s first permanent English colony.

“The complete story of Jamestown is yet to be discovered. If action is not taken immediately, untold stories of the origins of the United States may be lost forever,” the foundation’s resilience plan states.

Recently, the National Endowment for the Humanities awarded the foundation’s Save Jamestown campaign with one of four grants from its Climate Smart Humanities Organizations program. The $300,000 grant, matched by funding from donors and other organizations, will support assessments and permitting costs for new mitigation strategies.

So far, five resilience strategies have been recommended to protect Jamestown, including repairing the seawall, building more berms, improving drainage, elevating roads and lifting building floors by 3 feet. In 2022, a seawall repair project added 96,000 tons of granite to the seawall.

Currently, the staff must pump water out of dig sites and line them with heavy sandbags after heavy rain and flooding. According to the resilience plan, this process is “intensive, time-consuming, and threatens to destroy potential discoveries.”

With 3 feet of sea level rise predicted in Jamestown by 2075, archaeologists are racing to excavate vulnerable areas with particularly important cultural and historical significance, an expedited process that Michael A. Lavin, director of collections and conservation, and grants administrator Emilia Robertson call “rescue archaeology.”

“There are lives of Indigenous and African peoples here that you don’t get anywhere else, unless we can get it out of the ground before it is washed away,” Robertson said. “All of this permitting, it’s not just about making sure we stay above water; it’s about literally reclaiming lives that have been lost.”

The Jamestown site has experienced over a dozen flooding events this year, with water originating from Kingsmill Creek and the local Pitch and Tar Swamp overtaking roads, pathways and dig sites. Within the last 75 years, over 10 acres of new wetlands have also surfaced on the property. While staff emphasize the need for wetland preservation, they also describe an urgent need to make sure historic sites are not threatened by increasing water levels.

“We have a lot of institutional memory,” senior staff archaeologist Sean Romo said. “All of us who’ve been here for quite a while are seeing how much the landscape has changed even just in my career here at Jamestown.”

According to senior staff archaeologist Mary Anna R. Hartley, many of the threatened dig sites also contain evidence of burials, unknown structures and agricultural labor. These specific artifacts could provide insight into the lives of Indigenous tribes who occupied the area for 12,000 years prior to European colonization as well as enslaved individuals and English colonizers who arrived in Jamestown during the 17th century.

All of it could be lost if burial sites constantly become inundated due to rising groundwater levels, archaeologists say.

One archaeological area near wetlands across from the Memorial Church provides substantial evidence of the impacts of flooding, as the walls of the site have eroded due to encroaching water and vegetation. Hartley and Romo also pointed out the lack of differentiation between soil layers, providing an example of how oversaturation of the soil can erase important environmental and historical markers.

The water can also set back work. Within three hours of a tidal event or major rainstorm, dig sites and roads can be completely submerged on the property, Hartley said. Once flooded, archaeologists may have to wait weeks before they can reexcavate the area.

One of the goals of the resilience project is to build a 6.5-foot berm wall along the eastern property line Historic Jamestowne shares with the National Park Service. Staff also hope to open a future Resiliency and Discovery Center on the property in order to educate visitors about environmental challenges and impacts on Jamestown Island. The new center would work in conjunction with the nearby park service visitor center.

“Water knows no property boundaries,” Lavin said. “When we’re dealing with a mitigation issue, we have to involve our neighbors because its our water and their water.”

Robertson anticipates that the grant will provide ample support as Historic Jamestowne prepares to conduct research and embark on the permitting process for future climate-focused solutions. Because the NEH grant has only existed for two years, she hopes that Jamestown’s efforts will highlight the importance of federal funding and provide an opportunity for Save Jamestown to reapply in two years.

For more on the Save Jamestown efforts or to make a donation to mitigate the impact of climate change, visit historicjamestowne.org/savejamestown.

Emma Henry, emma.henry@virginiamedia.com

Lark, a 26-year-old Welsh pony/quarter horse cross mare, and Tater, a 27-year-old Welsh pony gelding, met in 2008 when they captured the hearts of the staff at Dream Catchers therapeutic riding center in Toano. The two officially celebrated their “engagement” this year on Valentine’s Day.

The unusual ceremony, hosted at Colonial Downs racetrack during the start of the nine-week racing season, was the brainchild of staff at Dream Catchers in hopes to drive community support, donor engagement and increase attention toward the organization’s mission. Dream Catchers, which began in 1993, provides equine therapy for more than 1,000 children, adults, veterans and active-duty military personnel every year.

“(Dream Catchers) is a magical place. It’s a sanctuary for everyone who comes there — staff, volunteers, participants,” Executive Director Nancy Williams said. “And all you have to do is see the power of one lesson for one child.”

The wedding took place in a 12:30 p.m. ceremony in the racetrack’s winner’s circle prior to the onset of Saturday’s first race, with Lark adorned in a white tulle veil designed by volunteer Becky Scoggin and Tater sporting a custom tuxedo. Local businesses participated in the event as well, with Michael Fagan of Williamsburg Jewelers designing an exclusive hoof print ring. All of the net proceeds from sales of the ring will be donated to Dream Catchers.

The event was officiated by Dream Catchers volunteer and Special Forces Maj. Nicholas Dockery, a two-time Purple Heart and Silver Star recipient. Dockery, who represents Dream Catchers’ Special Forces program, was first introduced to Dream Catchers as a form of recreational therapy through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Servicemember Transitional Advanced Rehabilitation Program. Dockery emphasized the tailored nature of Williams’ approach to therapy for service members.

“I felt it became something that I looked forward to weekly,” Dockery said. “My experience has been nothing short of amazing.”

According to the Dream Catchers website, 36% of the organization’s annual budget comes from service fees, with the remainder of costs collected through fundraising events. Donor support ensures that the staff can keep lesson costs affordable for therapy participants, though increased aid is needed to provide proper support to their herd of 18 horses.

Williams added that Dream Catchers not only cares for its participants, but also is “sensitive to the physical and emotional needs” of the herd. Tater and Lark, who have acted as therapeutic horses for 16 years, provide ample evidence of the organization’s passion for animal welfare. Today, Dream Catchers operates with a staff of five and around 200 volunteers who assist participants, care for horses and help with maintenance at the facility.

Dream Catchers volunteer and Army veteran Franklin Benabise Jr., who attended the wedding, is an equine specialist and mental health and counseling trainee who has been working with Dream Catchers for over a year. After serving 30 years in the Army, Benabise now hopes to eventually help oversee equine therapy and counseling for participants.

“It’s just so peaceful — the impact that the horses and the staff make on the improvement of people’s lives from children to adults, and especially for me, veterans,” Benabise said.

Tater and Lark’s wedding registry details costs for animal care with a total goal of $135,000 for annual expenses. To learn more about Dream Catchers and the two ponies, visit dreamcatchers.org/events/lark_and_tater_wedding. Donations in commemoration of their “marriage” can also be made on the Dream Catchers website.

Emma Henry, emma.henry@virginiamedia.com

Williamsburg residents can drop off recycling and trash at the Tewning Road and Jolly Pond Road convenience centers, and an agreement approved by the council will allow the arrangement with the James City County-owned centers to continue until one party terminates the agreement or it is renegotiated.

A study revealed that roughly 20% of the people who use the centers are city residents; thus, the city agreed to pay 20% of the operating costs, amounting to $12,000 per year. The city will also pay 20% of capital improvement costs up to $100,000. Anything exceeding that amount will be negotiated by the localities.

Recyclables and trash that can be dropped off include paper, cardboard, plastic bottles and jugs, glass bottles and jars, aluminum and tin, antifreeze, kitchen grease, motor oil, propane tanks (20-pound maximum), lead-acid batteries, scrap metal and appliances made of 50% metal.

“I am one who particularly uses the Tewning Road one now that they have separate containers for glass, and I think that that may be a reason there may be more city residents that use that as opposed to throwing their glass in with their regular recycling,” council member Barbara Ramsey said.

Tewning Road also has an oyster shell depository, Ramsey said.

Also Thursday, City Council also approved Williamsburg’s participation in an opioid settlement involving Kroger.

Virginia agreed to participate in a settlement agreement reached with Kroger, and the total amount of the money the commonwealth receives will depend on how many localities agree to participate.

“The City’s relative share of the settlement is very small (0.085% of the non-litigating locality share), which equates to a few thousand dollars per year per settlement,” according to the agenda item.

Most of the funds the city receives will need to be used to address damage caused by the opioid epidemic. So, Williamsburg is participating in an application led by James City County to seek state funding for a drug court to serve the region.

Sam Schaffer, samuel.schaffer@virginiamedia.com

Emma Henry, emma.henry@virginiamedia.com