Archives
Page 116/179
Out of necessity, restaurants adapt public spaces for outdoor seating. Will that spark a broader conversation for the future?
After expanding outdoor seating to the adjacent parking lot, Jack Brown’s Beer and Burger Joint and Billy Jack’s Shack have hosted more guests outside while maintaining six-feet of distance between tables. And, in the process, it’s inspiring a wider conversation about reimagining public spaces in downtown Harrisonburg through the pandemic and beyond.
Advertisement
Decriminalization of marijuana possession won’t necessarily affect those already caught up in the system
Simple possession of an ounce or less of marijuana is set to be decriminalized in Virginia on July 1. But that won’t prevent Harrisonburg resident Christopher Jones, a cook at O’Neill’s Grill, from being sent to jail later that month if it’s what the prosecutor seeks.
Advertisement
Hey Elderly Aunt, how do I respond when people tell me to pick up after my dog when there’s nothing to pick up
Dear Elderly Aunt — What is it with people in this town yelling at me about cleaning up after my dog? Three times in the last week, someone has opened their front door and demanded that I pick up non-existent poop! I have a female dog, so she squats to do No. 1. and No. 2. But I know the difference between her postures and can’t clean up what isn’t there! Do I pretend to do it regardless? Do I yell back? I am starting to lose patience with my so-called “neighbors.” What happened to giving people the benefit of the doubt?
Advertisement
Hundreds rally for peace in the wake of George Floyd’s death
About 300 people, donning face masks and holding signs, gathered at Court Square in Harrisonburg on Friday evening to speak out against racism and police brutality following the death of George Floyd, who died Monday after a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck.
Solace and joy during pandemic (head to the woods now if you want to see mountain laurel blossoms)
In May, I’ve had minimal part-time work, so I’ve spent hours in the mountains. It’s all been at one place, Hone Quarry Recreation Area (in the George Washington National Forest), a gem for its diversity of flora and fauna. My personal project of noticing and learning the names of plants, insects, birds, and other creatures there has provided purpose. It has also been a source of solace and joy.
The foragers shall inherit the earth
I never looked at the world around me in the same way again. My garden became an “Edible Weed of the Year” club, with a new surprise each spring (this year, it’s producing an overabundance of mugwort). I developed the ethos of a hyena. I contemplate things and ask myself, “I wonder if I can eat that?”
Harrisonburg nonprofits see fundraising losses — and gains — during pandemic
Fundraisers have been canceled or postponed, and normal operations are but a memory this spring for nonprofit agencies serving Harrisonburg and Rockingham County. Still, leaders of several say they remain solvent and able to perform their missions as the COVID-19 pandemic lingers on.
May 27, 2020
Poultry worker advocates urge city council to act after spike in COVID-19 cases
Concern about the spread of COVID-19 in area poultry plants came to the forefront of Tuesday’s Harrisonburg City Council meeting, as 12 city residents representing a variety of grassroots organizations petitioned the council to ask Gov. Ralph Northam to dial back reopening of businesses in order to protect workers.