The Town of Bridgewater has released the schedule for its upcoming 175th anniversary. Here’s how the events line up:

Anniversary Weekend Schedule

Friday, September 3 – Opening Day Ceremonies

4:00 – 5:00 p.m. – Family Special at North River Library

6:00 – 10:00 p.m. – Free carnival rides

6:00 – 10:00 p.m. – Concession stands open

6:30 p.m. – Grand Opening Ceremony

6:30 p.m. – The Boogie Kings perform following the Grand Opening Ceremony

Saturday, September 4 – Agriculture/Business/Industrial Day

Please Use The Bus! Shuttle bus service  will be provided from Turner Ashby High School for Saturday and Monday evening events.  We hope to limit on-site parking to handicap and event personnel only.

8 a.m. – 5K Race – Starts at Bridgewater Community Center, 201 Green Street

1:30 p.m. – Holsteins Dairy Tour (bus trip) Meet at Shelter 2, Oakdale Community Park

12 noon – “Cluckin’ in the Park” Chicken Barbecue Cookoff – Chicken barbecue preparation

6:00 p.m. – “Cluckin’ in the Park” Chicken Barbecue Cookoff – Delivery of barbecue chicken to judges’ stand

6:00 – 10:00 p.m. – Concession stands open

6:00 – 10:00 p.m. – Free carnival rides

7:00 p.m. – Parade (line up on College View Drive)

8:00 p.m. – Hackens Boys Concert

Sunday, September 5 – Religious Heritage Day

Public is invited to attend any of the Bridgewater church services on Sunday monrning.

2:00 – 5:00 p.m. – Historic Homes Tour (Those who wish may walk the tour, but a shuttle bus from Arey Assembly Hall will be provided for those who want transportation)

6:00 – 10:00 p.m. – Concession stands open

6:00 – 10:00 p.m. – Free carnival rides

6:30 p.m. – Southern Grace Concert

Monday, September 6 – Proud to Be An American Day (Labor Day)

Please Use The Bus! Shuttle bus service  will be provided from Turner Ashby High School for Saturday and Monday evening events.  We hope to limit on-site parking to handicap and event personnel only.

10:00 a.m. – Dedication of Time Capsule (Bridgewater Community Center, 201 Green Street)

10:00 a.m. – Dedication of Quilt (Bridgewater Community Center, 201 Green Street)

2:00 – 4:00 p.m. - Cookbook Tasting Party (Arey Assembly Hall, 201 Green Street)

4:30 – 9:30 p.m. – Carnival rides

4:30 – 9:30 p.m. – Concession stands open

5:30 p.m. – Phillips & Glick

6:30 p.m. – Rhythm Road

8:00 p.m. – JMU Marching Royal Dukes

8:30 p.m. – FIREWORKS

The new Family Dollar store at 602 North Main St. in Bridgewater is set to open August 12. The developers, Larry and Pam French, report that the 9,180 square foot store will be operated by Family Dollar. Family Dollar is a publicly-traded company that started in 1959. Family Dollar has over 6,700 stores in the United States. The building contractor was Parkway Contractors from Chuckey, Tennessee.

Now that Lawn Party has come and gone, what’s happening in Bridgewater? The concert series! Here’s a list of what’s up, from http://town.bridgewater.va.us/files/assets/Parks/Concert-Brochure2010.pdf :

July 25: Just Jazzin
August 1: Cantore
August 8: The Faithful Men
August 15: Good Time Gospel Quartet
August 22: Highlanders String Band
August 29: High on the Mountain Boys

It’s the best lawn party in the Valley, and it all starts July 14 at the Lawn Party Grounds, 300 Green St., Bridgewater. The traditional schedule calls for the kids pedal pull on Wednesday, antique tractor pull on Thursday, firefighters parade on Friday, and antique car parade on Saturday. Full details are available on the fire department’s website at http://www.bridgewaterfire.com/lawnparty.html.

Town Council has adopted a budget for the coming fiscal year that’s about $1 million smaller than the previous year’s budget. Capital improvement projects have been put on hold in order to keep the budget in line for the fiscal year. Increases in water and sewer rates are built into the budget; the Town warns that although this year’s sewer rate increases are small, larger hikes are expected in the future because of upgrades that meet Chesapeake Bay mandates.

Bridgewater College will be asking Town Council to expand its zoning “enclave” in a public hearing April 13. The college’s enclave is an area in which it has increased freedom concerning zoning. The college’s application calls for including two more addresses in the enclave: 303 East College Street and 101 North Third Street. The initial planned use is office space. The public hearing is set for 7:30 p.m. April 13 at the town hall. The hearing notice is located at http://town.bridgewater.va.us/v.php?pg=132.

The par-3 golf course at Sandy Bottom is set to open April 5 for the season, weather permitting. Until then, the golf course is closed and orange barrels have been placed across the access road. Further information is available at http://town.bridgewater.va.us/v.php?pg=128

Bridgewater’s cooks now have until May 1 to submit their recipes for the Town’s 175th Anniversary Cookbook. The original deadline was March 1. Phyllis Lambert, chair of the committee, says the goal is 200 recipes by publication time. Recipes may be emailed to jseal@town.bridgewater.va.us.

Megan Campbell, who was Megan Bennett when she worked at Harrisonburg’s WHSV-TV3, is now the Senior Meteorologist at WVLT in Knoxville, TN. Meanwhile, longtime news anchor Jamie Curott has become a video producer at Penn State University. Check the TV3 alumni page for more on the whereabouts of broadcasters who came through Harrisonburg!

Friends of the late Rockingham County firefighter Dennis “Chip” Taylor have begun a scholarship fund in his memory. Here are some of the details from the organizers:

By establishing this scholarship not only can we help with the financial assistance of a student wanting to further their education with the intent to pursue a career in Fire and Rescue, but we can allow his memory to carry through others in helping the people that he himself cannot be here to help physically. Anyone interested in donating to this fund can do so by either going to any Farmers & Merchants Bank and depositing into the Dennis “Chip” Taylor Memorial Scholarship Fund or they may make a check payable to Dennis “Chip” Taylor Memorial Scholarship Fund and mail it to:

180 South C Street
Timberville VA 22853