Thanks to a “significant multi-jurisdictional response,” the incident was cleared by midnight with no injuries, police said.

Officers responded to the amusement park about 10 p.m. for a disturbance “within a crowd of several hundred park guests,” said James City County police spokesman Tayleb Brooks. It began as a verbal dispute between two large groups, primarily involving juveniles and young adults, near the park’s entrance at the France turn-around area.

The incident escalated, prompting the call for more police than the officers already working security. James City County police, along with officers from the Williamsburg Police Department and deputies from the York-Poquoson Sheriff’s Office, arrived to disperse the crowd, Brooks said.

At one point, some park guests indicated to police that someone had a gun, Brooks said. Another dispute broke out in the France parking lot “but quickly subsided as more law enforcement resources arrived,” he said.

Officers at one point detained a juvenile who was acting as though he might have a gun, but no weapon was found, Brooks said.

Brooks reiterated that “guests who fail to adhere to the park’s code of conduct disrupt the experience for others, create unnecessary safety risks and may face expulsion/banishment from the park and/or legal repercussions.”

“We are committed to ensuring Howl-O-Scream is a safe and fun event for all, and guests play a cooperative role in achieving this goal,” Brooks said.

Kim O’Brien Root, kimberly.root@virginiamedia.com

A school resource officer at Tabb High School learned the student had on Sunday posted on social media a threat to “shoot up the school,” according to a news release. The officer told school administrators about the threat and the student was interviewed.

The student is charged with one felony count of making threats of bodily injury to persons on school property.

Investigators with the York County Sheriff’s Office determined she did not have the means to carry out the threat.

Gavin Stone, 757-712-4806, gavin.stone@virginiamedia.com

New Town Tunes continues this month with BJ Griffin on Sept. 11, followed by Bobby Blackhat on Sept. 18. These outdoor Wednesday concerts start at 5:30 p.m. at Sullivan Square in New Town, behind Legacy Hall at 4301 New Town Ave.

The concert series closes out with Good Shot Judy on Sept. 25 and a Friday grand finale celebration on Oct. 4 with “Landslide: A Tribute to Fleetwood Mac.” Concerts are free and food trucks will be on site; bring a lawn chair or blanket. For more, visit newtownwilliamsburg.com/events-news.

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Williamsburg Contemporary Arts Center

The Williamsburg Contemporary Art Center’s regional juried show begins Sept. 18 and runs through Nov. 1. The show includes 59 artists from the Greater Hampton Roads area as well as WCAC members, with 80 pieces of art.

The show’s juror this year is Doug Mock, an award-winning watercolor artist and educator from the Northern Neck.

“We are excited by the level of creativity on exhibit as it represents the best work of the artists juried into the show,” Apryl Altman, program co-chair, said in a news release.

Running concurrently with the regional show is the Artisan Corner, featuring jewelry, pottery, fiber art and other 3D works. WCAC, located in the blue building at 110 Westover Ave., is open 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday.  All artwork is for sale.

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Bruton Baroque

While Bruton Parish has a number of musical offerings in its Candlelight Concerts in the historic church (nearly daily events), one of note in September is worth mentioning — the Bruton Baroque ensemble. This is an independent group of Bruton Parish Church dedicated to offering first-class baroque music on period instruments and in a setting suggestive of how music might have been performed in colonial days and before.

Its 2024-25 season series is “Grand Tour” and will be providing music from Italy, France, Great Britain and Germany. On Sept. 19, the tour begins with “Ciaconna: Tour of Italy,” including music of Monteverdi and Locatelli.

The performers on tap for this Italian tour will be Cameron Welke, theorbo and lute; Autry Harper, soprano; Claudia Kessel, mezzo-soprano; Brian Blair, tenor; Sophie Lowe and Susannah Livingston, Baroque violins; Jane Lenz, Baroque viola; Ryan Lowe, Baroque cello; and Rebecca Davy, harpsichord. Lowe and Davy co-founded the ensemble.

This is a ticketed event, unlike the regular series, at $20 per person. Tickets will be available at the door or at brutonparish.org. Proceeds will be used to fund future concerts. The program starts at 8 p.m. and lasts approximately one hour.

For a full listing of September’s programs, visit the church’s website and click on music and Candlelight Concerts and more.

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Tidewater Classic Guitar Series

The Tidewater Classic Guitar Series gets underway Sept. 20 in the Williamsburg Regional Library Theatre with Andy McKee, considered “one of the world’s finest acoustic guitarists,” according to reports. Known around the world for his technique, musical style and compelling sounds, McKee’s performances command you to simply relax and enjoy.

According to press material, his song “Drifting” was one of the first YouTube viral videos and captured some 60 million views to date. His reputation as legendary, no doubt, is why the TCG chose him to kick off the new season.

Showtime is 7:30 p.m. For tickets, visit tidewaterclassicalguitar.org/tickets.

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Open Door Concerts

The Williamsburg Presbyterian Church’s delightful concert series gets underway Sept. 22 with the National Chamber Winds.

Founded in 2017, the National Chamber Winds have become a premier wind ensemble in the capital region. The ensemble incudes flutes, oboes, bassoons, horns, clarinets and double bass combining to deliver colorful sounds and interesting repertoire. The upcoming program, “Mozart in the Garden,” will pair contemporary Jonathan Dove and classical W. A. Mozart.

Then, on Oct. 20, the featured fare will be the Junior Sisk Band. Junior Sisk is considered one of the top bluegrass vocalists around and, reportedly, has shaped the sound of modern bluegrass. His band travels internationally and is the top act in summer festivals. He’s known for songwriting skill musically enhanced by his band, so expect good sounds, laughing, smiles and a bit of toe tapping.

All Open Door Concerts start at 4 p.m. in the church, located at 215 Richmond Road. All are free.

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Don’t forget

The Williamsburg Players’ “Pajama Game” opened Friday and runs through Sept. 22 at the James-York Playhouse, 200 Hubbard Lane. The “Pajama Game” won the 1955 Tony for Best Musical, and then, over half a century later, claimed the award for Best Revival of a Musical. Shows at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. depending on the day. Tickets start at $22; discounts for children. To buy online, visit williamsburgplayers.org.

Have information about the arts in the Historic Triangle? Contact John Shulson at johnshulson@gmail.com.

It also showed that one of them was born illegitimately, which in the 17th century was quite scandalous in families of high status.

The Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History, the Jamestown Rediscovery Foundation and Harvard Medical School recently released results of the first use of ancient DNA to identify remains at Preservation Virginia’s archaeological site within the James Fort at Historic Jamestowne.

Researchers compiled material from the remains and archaeological evidence, along with historical 17th century papers. They concluded in 2013 that the four skeletal remains most likely were those of the Rev. Robert Hunt, Capt. Gabriel Archer, Sir Ferdinando Wenman and Capt. William West.

The four were buried in a place of honor below the altar in the chancel of church.

Wenman and West were known to be kinsmen of Thomas West, the third Lord Baron De La Warr, who arrived in 1610 as the Jamestown Colony’s initial governor. The tentative identifications were made in 2013 through archaeological and osteological analysis.

The men — Wenman (1576-1610) and William West (circa 1586-1610) — arrived in Virginia in June 1610 with Lord De La Warr, the largest investor in the London Company, which received the charter to settle in Virginia.

West and Wenman’s burials were identified because of their matching coffins that suggested they were interred about the same time and with near equal status, said Michael Lavin, director of collections at Jamestown Rediscovery. One man was in his 30s and the other in his 20s, which matched the profiles of the older Wenman and younger West.

After it was determined that DNA could be retrieved from the poorly preserved remains, analysis revealed that, indeed, the men were related, but through the female line — and not through the paternal line — to the first Baron De La Warr, William West, (circa 1530-1595). The maternal relationship was “unexpected,” the report said.

“The people who came here to forge a new life for themselves had family secrets and interpersonal drama just like we do,” Lavin said. “Evidence suggests they were related through an illegitimate birth. A genetic signature was found on the mother’s line and solved a 400-year-old mystery.”

A late 16th century court case regarding the ownership of the late Capt. William West’s possessions was also uncovered by researchers and genealogists examining the West family history.

Mary, the beneficiary of William West’s will and the woman who raised him, sought to reclaim jewels given to West but that had gone to other members of his family. It was revealed that William West, the Jamestown colonist, was born to Elizabeth, the spinster aunt of Thomas West, the second Lord Baron De La Warr and William West’s direct heir, as detailed in the current edition of Antiquity, published online by Cambridge University Press.

“Since he arrived accompanied by two older cousins, it can be assumed that Capt. West’s family also likely encouraged his departure to a place offering greater economic and social opportunities,” Antiquity author Douglas W. Owsley wrote. The connections to the West family helped them secure positions in the new colony.

Capt. William West served only briefly at Jamestown. Soon after his arrival, he was killed by Indigenous warriors in the fall or winter of 1610 at the Fall of the James, near what is now Richmond. Wenman, a knight, was named Master of the Fort Ordinance (artillery) and died shortly after his arrival.

Of the other two burials, the one believed to be the Rev. Hunt (1569-1608) was the only one not buried in a wooden coffin, but rather was wrapped in a shroud. He was among the original 1607 settlers and his burial coincided with the building of the 1608 church.

The other remains — those of Archer — were located between Wenman and West. Archer wrote a detailed account of the construction of the church and served as the Jamestown magistrate. He died during the “Starving Time” in the winter of 1609.

Genetic work and archaeological investigations were all done in accordance with guidelines for the ethical analysis of ancient DNA and the excavation of human remains, the report stressed.

Jamestown Rediscovery, launched in 1994, is a project of Preservation Virginia, a private nonprofit organization that fosters, supports and sustains historic places throughout the state. The organization since 1893 has owned 22.5 acres of land on Jamestown Island that includes the James Fort archaeological site.

The full report in Antiquity can be viewed at bit.ly/3AXBmLO.

Wilford Kale, kalehouse@aol.com

At a work session earlier this week, some members expressed hesitation to granting collective bargaining rights to teachers, instead offering alternatives that resemble a similar setup. The board is expected to vote Sept. 17.

The expected vote comes at the end of a 120-day timeline set in motion when a majority of teachers in the district submitted signatures for an affidavit letting the school system know they are in favor of obtaining collective bargaining.

“I was disappointed by the general tone of the conversation,” Williamsburg-James City Education Association President Marco Sardi said of Tuesday’s discussion. “It seems like the board is not in favor of hearing from employees in a formal setting, and that’s really disheartening.”

A few board members expressed support for the idea of teachers airing their concerns, but they stopped short of supporting bringing them to the bargaining table.

“I’m still just listening and gathering information,” member Kimberley Hundley said. “I would love a way (for) teachers to get some of the things that are rightfully and respectfully theirs, because they’re professionals, without a whole lot of money and bargaining.

“I don’t even like bargaining,” Hundley added. “Something about bargaining bothers me.”

Michael Hosang said he’d been working with unions for years and that negotiating with union representatives creates a negative relationship. “It’s very rarely been in a positive light — it’s always been adversarial, but that’s the nature of the beast,” he said.

He said allowing collective bargaining would give up power held by the board.

“Once you give up that power, it’s gone,” Hosang said.

Randy Riffle, however, expressed frustration that the employees were seemingly lacking board support.

He mentioned that the superintendent meets with workers in the school system monthly to hear concerns. “We haven’t given them really an opportunity to do that with a board perspective,” he said.

“This is a tough thing, because I think this is some of our workers saying something to us and we are not giving them maybe the best chance to go about this,” Riffle said. “We were elected to do tough things. We were elected to get baggage.”

Andrew Cason, treasurer of the WJCEA, said after the work session that he hoped the school board would do some more research on what collective bargaining would actually entail, particularly non-adversarial approaches to bargaining.

“The board should look at the resolutions passed in other localities,” Cason said. “If they look closely at those resolutions, there are none that transfer power from the board to any other organization.”

“What a collective bargaining resolution does is set new parameters for writing employee contracts, which include an effort to bargain in good faith with the employee representatives,” he added.

Cason said the size and scope of employees’ issues “requires a process in which we are negotiating partners and not powerless employees begging for changes which leadership is inclined to deny.”

Sam Schaffer, samuel.schaffer@virginiamedia.com

The updated plan will guide future investments and county work plans for coming years, setting out priorities to be incorporated into future budgets and capital improvement plans, as well as new initiatives.

County residents are invited to provide input at an open house, scheduled for 6 p.m. on Sept. 9 at Legacy Hall, 4301 New Town Ave. Registration is encouraged but not required.

For more information or to register, visit jamescitycountyva.gov/strategicplan. If you can’t attend the in-person meeting, an online survey will begin shortly after the open house. Sign up online to receive the survey link.

To learn more, watch the county’s podcast explaining the strategic plan update on YouTube or listen online.

Kim O’Brien Root, kimberly.root@virginiamedia.com

The “Future Festivals” are part of the city’s efforts to develop a two-year workplan, also known as the 2025-26 Goals, Initiatives and Outcomes.

There will be seven festivals spread over two weeks, beginning next week:

• Sept. 10 at Bicentennial Park, 320 Court St.
• Sept. 11 at Walsingham Academy, 1100 Jamestown Road
• Sept. 13 at Crim Dell Meadow, William & Mary campus
• Sept. 16 at Kiwanis Park, 125 Longhill Road
• Sept. 17 at Highland Park Community Park, 703 N. Henry St.
• Sept. 18 at former DMV site, 952 Capitol Landing Road
• Sept. 19 at Quarterpath Recreation Center, 202 Quarterpath Road

All of the events will be held from 5 to 7 p.m., except for the Sept. 13 event at William & Mary, which will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The events will feature games aimed at getting feedback from the community. Food and drinks will be provided.

“All these games are designed to be interactive and fun,” Mayor Douglas Pons said in a video explaining the goal-planning process. “We have hamburgers and hot dogs and free drinks, and it’s all free and provided by the city” in the hopes of getting community members to come out and give feedback.

The mayor explained that city staff will form a vision and goals for the city moving forward based on the feedback.

“This GIO process helps us build the vision for Williamsburg in the future,” Pons said. “Let’s think 20, 40 years down the road — what is it that you want to see Williamsburg be?”

There will also be an online survey to collect feedback from those who can’t make it to events in person. The survey will launch this month, according to the city.

Resident feedback along with City Council priorities and city staff input will go before City Council for approval in November.

Sam Schaffer, samuel.schaffer@virginiamedia.com 

When I received negative feedback from those involved in the conversation, I was surprised and disheartened by the narrative that followed. Although I felt I didn’t deserve the outcome, at that moment, I had a decision to make. Would I lash out and trade below-the-belt barbs? Would I crumble and get down on myself, or would I address the matter head-on with truth and set an example?

Everywhere we look, we see folks willing to engage in word wars and attack anyone who doesn’t agree with their perspective. We even see this behavior from our politicians and others, from whom we should expect better. However, social media platforms have made it extremely easy to obliterate people and launch all-out character assassinations on complete strangers.

It has become commonplace for people to take out their aggressions even on family members, friends and loved ones. In life, we will experience many battles and learning how to fight with dignity and respect is imperative. When teaching my kids how to fight for themselves and stand up for what they believe in, there are three things that I want them to do: always be respectful, always be truthful and stay aligned with their values, and always show compassion.

Regardless of the situation, whether they were at fault or not, we remind our boys to respect themselves and others. If you do not first respect yourself, it can be hard to respect others. In our home, we enforce this concept when we speak to one another, but also when we’re speaking about ourselves — negative self-talk is not acceptable. If we get a bad grade, lose a tennis match or make a mistake, we do not start with beating ourselves up or calling ourselves names like stupid, dumb or loser.

First, we take stock of what happened. Then, we acknowledge what role we played and how we could have improved our approach. Finally, we make a genuine attempt to learn and do better next time. Because our expectation is that we first respect ourselves, we make it clear that we must treat others in the same manner. When my husband and I have a disagreement, we model respect for our children by not yelling and hurling insults at one another. We may have a healthy debate, but we do so with respect and love because we know that our boys are constant spectators of our behavior.

For us, respect is the bare minimum. While we cannot control others, we can control our actions, and we always start with respect.

We live in a society where being truthful is not always valued and alternative facts are not only accepted but even celebrated. As parents, how can we instill honesty and integrity into our children? Start by being honest and truthful with your kids, even when the truth may cause discomfort.

Oftentimes, as parents, we will shield our kids from the truth because we don’t want them to be disappointed or experience discontent. However, if we do not equip our kids with the ability to accept truth, we are not adequately preparing them for adulthood. Kids are more resilient than we give them credit for and they appreciate honesty just as much as adults do. This is why we tell our boys repeatedly that they will never go wrong by being honest, and this includes being honest with oneself.

In a fair fight, we only address truths. Once folks have left the realm of reality, and we have already expressed our point of view with honesty and respect, there is nothing left to do but agree to disagree and move on. There is no point in going back and forth with anyone who is unwilling to acknowledge and accept factual information — engaging will usually only lead to unnecessary drama.

The same is true when dealing with ourselves. We have to be honest with ourselves and always hold ourselves accountable. We teach our kids to never allow anyone to cause them to stray from their values. We encourage them to stay true to who they are and remain steadfast in what they believe. Even when others may try to cut them down or slander them, we tell them to take the high road — there is no glory in playing small. In the end, how our children conduct themselves will speak volumes about the type of people they are and the character they have.

Lastly, we encourage our children to always show compassion. We want them to be mindful that they will encounter all types of people from different walks of life who may or may not exhibit the same values. Regardless, we should show others compassion before judgment, ridicule or disdain. Understanding that not everyone is starting from the same playing field and that folks will sometimes project their insecurities onto others should help us empathize with them.

When given the opportunity, we fight fair by addressing folks face-to-face with respect, truth and compassion. When our kids can stay true to themselves, they will find that in most cases people will respond with decency. Not only did I find this to be true in my situation, but I’ve also found that regardless of whether or not folks agree with your position, they will usually respect you more when you conduct yourself in this manner. But even if they don’t, we must continue to do what we know is right and hope that the example that we set will leave a lasting impression on others!

Dr. Jade L. Ranger is a pharmacist at The Prescription Shoppe, a full-service pharmacy that she owns with her husband. She is mom to two boys, ages 10 and 7 years old, and author of “Mustard Seed Mentality,” available at Amazon.com.

Lots of birds have the word “common” in their title, but why? Common yellowthroats are found all over North America and are truly common in the sense that there are a lot of them. Common grackles, although declining, have always been very common in most of the country. But “common” in the sense of being plentiful, does not always explain why the name arose. Common terns, for example, are not the most common terns. Common loons are not very common at all. And most Americans will never see a common snipe or common sandpiper unless they travel to the most remote islands off of Alaska.

Why do all of these birds have the word “common” in their names, along with common nighthawk, common goldeneye, common gallinule, common murre, common merganser, common raven, common redpoll and dozens of other species?

It may be because “common” has so many meanings beyond the obvious reference to great abundance. Common also refers to being shared across continents; for example, the way the common loon and the common tern are found in both Europe and North America. Perhaps early ornithologists were impressed to find some familiar species in the New World.

Another, less common, meaning of “common” is the meadow in the center of town where sheep and cows grazed on shared land. This would have been a great place to see common snipe and common sandpipers in old European towns.

Or maybe something meaner is intended. “Common” can also be an insult, suggesting a lack of sophistication. This may have been another motivation for naming urban birds such as the common swift, which shares habitats with bats and chimney sweeps.

It seems odd that such common use of “common” in the common names of so many different bird species has no common etymology. There is, it seems, no common explanation at play.

Dan Cristol teaches in the biology department at William &Mary and can be contacted at dacris@wm.edu. To discover local birding opportunities visit williamsburgbirdclub.org.

“Virginia’s Revolutionary Histories & Beyond,” sponsored by the Omohundro Institute of Early American History and Culture in conjunction with The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation and William & Mary, is the third conference in the five-year “For 2026” series that marks the nation’s 250th anniversary of independence.

A pre-conference day of workshops and experiences for K-12 teachers and museum educators will take place on Oct. 24.

Tickets are available through the Omohundro Institute, with prices ranging from $35 to $100. The conference is free of charge to W&M students and Colonial Williamsburg employees.

“‘Virginia’s Revolutionary Histories & Beyond’ will investigate political, intellectual and social change in the Old Dominion and how those changes impacted the nation and world,” a news release said. “The conference showcases a mix of researcher-to-researcher panels, public audience events, roundtable discussions, site visits, workshops and plenary sessions.”

Scholarly daytime panels at the W&M School of Education will include topics such as the legacy of the Bray School students, the formation of The Virginia Gazette and “Lawyers, Guns and Money.”

The Oct. 25 evening session, scheduled for the Hennage Auditorium at the Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg, will feature “Beyond Words: Bringing History to Life Responsibly,” a panel discussion. The moderator will be Katharine Pittman, a Colonial Williamsburg nation builder who portrays Martha Washington.

Pulitzer Prize-winning author and historian Alan Taylor, the Thomas Jefferson Foundation chairman at the University of Virginia, will speak at the Oct. 26 evening session at the Glenn Close Theatre in Phi Beta Kappa Memorial Hall at William & Mary.

To register, visit bit.ly/3z4cHEB. All “For 2026” registrants receive a ticket voucher to Colonial Williamsburg’s Historic Area and Art Museums good for the duration of the conference.

Wilford Kale, kalehouse@aol.com