Light Industrial Park Proposed for Yancey Mills - Crozet Gazette

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page 10 s AUGUST 2008 Crozet gazette A New York Yankee in Chief Bubba and Hubba’s Firehouse Live Fire Training By Tom Loach I thought I’d share with you some interesting data about the challenges faced by the fire service in the U. S. The data is from 2006 and shows that nationwide there were 1,642,500 fires, an increase of 2.5% from 2005. There were 278,000 fires in vehicles and every 19 seconds a fire department responded to a fire emergency. A fire occurred in a structure every 60 seconds and a residential fire occurred every 78 seconds, with a vehicle fire starting every 113 seconds. The really dreary figure is the fact that someone dies in a fire every 62 minutes and someone is injured by fire every 32 minutes. The fires that firefighters face today are becoming increasingly dangerous. Part of the problem is the materials we now have in our homes, including increasing amounts of plastic and composite materials. When these burn, they produce not only more smoke, but more toxins. In an article about the dangers of burning plastics, the author wrote the following: “While the flammability of a plastic product depends on its form, plastics generally create hotter fires and are therefore more dangerous to firefighters than burning wood, paper or cloth. One pound of polystyrene plastic can give off 18,000 Btu, whereas wood or paper will only give off 7,000 to 8,000 Btu. Furthermore, the smoke given off by plastics is dense and black, creating a greater obscuration hazard than wood or paper smoke.” Odd as it may seem, one way the Crozet Volunteer Fire Department prepares to fight fires is to start them. It’s called live fire training and it provides invaluable experience for preparing for the next structure fire. The opportunity usually starts when we get a call from someone in the community who has a building they want to demolish and offers it to the fire department to burn down. Here in Crozet, the expert in setting up these live fire training sessions is Battalion Chief Mike Walton, who has organized and burned at least 10 buildings. The planning for a live burn has to be meticulous because the reality is that there’s always an element of danger when you deal with a burning building. Because these live burns are such a valuable learning tool, we usually invite members from other departments to take part. Chief Walton and his “burn team” will review the building to see how many different types of fire scenarios they can come up with to give firefighters a chance to use as many fire suppression techniques as possible. Once they have their plan set out, they make sure all of the firefighters know what’s expected of them and how each fire evolution is expected to play out. To ensure safety, each team that goes into the building will have a back up team ready and waiting. Perhaps the hardest working team at any live burn are the firefighters assigned as “fire starters.” It’s the fire starters who actually put the torch to the building, then sit there until they feel the fire is of sufficient size before calling in the team to put the fire out. Being a fire starter is a tough job because they take a beating with each fire they start. There is nothing that I know of that prepares you to go into a burning building. Even under training conditions, facing a live fire can be a very scary experience, crawling through the smoke toward an ever increasing glow, feeling the heat of the fire start to penetrate your fire gear while the fire roars overhead. This type of training is especially important for new members who have to learn to work as a team and trust themselves and their equipment if they’re ever to become effective firefighters. Live burns allow the more experienced members to sharpen their skills and give our officers the chance to practice their leadership skills. Because we invite other departments, we get to work as a combined unit and get exposure to other departments’ techniques and equipment while improving cross department communications. At our last live burn, Chief Walton was able to give the other department that took part an opportunity to work with the foam system on our trucks. Even the final act of letting the building burn to the ground is used to observe and teach fire behavior, because it’s just as important to know when not to go into a burning building as when to go into one. When the day is done the exercise is reviewed to see what went well and what needs improvement. Executing a good live burn takes considerable time and effort, but giving firefighters this type of real life experience is the best way for the Crozet Volunteer Fire Department to prepare for a call that’s the real thing.
Crozet gazette AUGUST 2008 s page 11 Did you know that … IT’S NOT JUST OUR COOKING THAT’S COOKIN’ Saturday, August 2, 1 - 5 p.m. Wine tasting featuring mid-priced selections from South America, Australia and New Zealand. Music by Mary Gordon Hall and Billy Hunter. No cover. Gently Used Clothes for Kids Help the Budget by Kathy Johnson Denise Harvey had an idea. As the mother of three young children (two girls and a boy) she knew how difficult it could be for a parent to find good, affordable clothing. What if there was a way for parents to save on children’s clothing and equipment? What if she sold good quality, gently used items for parents on a budget? That’s how Little Blessings came to be. Located in the parking area next to the Afton Service Center on Route 151, Little Blessings could be a parent’s best friend. Not a consignment shop, Harvey said, “I buy them, then resell them. But they have to be good quality.” The clean and neat little store carries a nice assortment of neatly hanging infant and toddler clothing. Everything is well displayed and the shop is bright and well arranged, making it easier for a parent (or grandparent) to find what they are seeking. The shop is open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and from 3 to 6 p.m. on Thursdays. “I know it’s hard for parents to get away sometimes,” Harvey said, so she added the late time on Thursdays to offer times a working mother or dad could use. The baby beds, playpens and toys all carry the well-known names of high-quality merchandise (Fisher Price, Little Tykes, Graco for example) with a much smaller price tag than when new. The store officially opened January 1, but as the economic times tighten Harvey has noticed growth in this small, woman-owned, business. “I see more and more new faces every week,” she says. And why not; children rarely wear out clothes. Sometimes they are passed along to family or friends, but with Little Blessings a family may be able to gain some income from the resale of good, usable children’s clothing and use that money to purchase the next sizes up. Those with good quality items they’d like to sell, can call Harvey for an appointment at (434) 981-0320. Saturday, August 16, 1 - 5 p.m. Gabriele Rausse, the father of Virginia viticulture, will pour and discuss four selections from his own winery. Free samples from the store’s bakery and gourmet deli. No cover. Friday, August 29, 5 - 8 p.m. Reception for the noted landscape photographer Ben Greenberg (bengreenberg.com), whose art will hang in the store through mid-October. Includes a wine tasting, live music, and hors d’oeuvres. No cover. Every Sunday, 1:30 - 4 p.m. Acoustic jam featuring musicians from around these parts. Bring your favorite instrument and join in! Enjoy a Taste of Country Only Ten Minutes from the Big City Just past the intersection of Plank Road and Miller School Road (434) 823-4752 Light Industial—continued from page 1 encourage this.” Scottsville District Commissioner Linda Porterfield urged the commission to think about rezoning land near the southeast corner of the Route 250/Interstate 64 interchange at Pantops/ Shadwell, which has a jumble of “old zonings,” she said, that might be better used now for light industry. Other commissioners were cool to the idea. “I’m looking for employment in the growth areas and I’m reluctant to commit to rezoning land and foreclosing it to other uses that might bring in jobs,” said Loach. During public comment, Morgan Butler from the Southern Environmental Law Center urged commissioners to “approach proposals like Mr. Yancey’s cautiously,” and instead to investigate possible changes in zoning ordinances. Crozet resident Mike Marshall suggested that planners consider rail access as strongly as interstate access and said that available LI land in Crozet, all of which has existing rail access, is still substantially unused. He also asked planners to define what is meant by “affordable” land. “To me, ‘adjacent’ means sprawl,” said Strucko, trying to defend the growth area boundaries. “Mr. Yancey’s proposal goes against my principles. It would extend the Crozet growth area south of Rt. 250. Obviously, I don’t agree with that.” Cannon agreed. “The underlying concept of the Comprehensive Plan is to prevent opening up more rural land for development.” “There is not a problem in the county that does not have a growth area solution,” asserted Loach. “The Yancey proposal should be taken up in the context of master planning. The community should have a say. We need more coming up from the growth areas [residents] and less coming down from above.” “I’m not convinced there is a need to expand the growth areas,” concurred Edgerton. “I think light industrial can be integrated in the growth areas in a sympathetic way.” Is there something you would like to share with us? Tell us about your weddings, special birthdays, birth announcements, engagements, or other special occasions for information & rates contact Allie Pesch at the Gazette ads@crozetgazette.com
Page 1 and 2: INSIDE the Land Use Taxes editorial
Page 3 and 4: Crozet gazette AUGUST 2008 s page 3
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Light Industrial Park Proposed for Yancey Mills - Crozet Gazette

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