A NOTE FROM ME
The crab feast is Saturday, the rain might be too, and somewhere in town a bunch of neighbors are about to build a playground with their own hands. That is a pretty good week for a small county.
WEEKEND WEATHER
Looks like a soggy one. Plan the outdoor stuff for Friday if you can.
Friday | High 82, Low 67. Morning showers, then partly sunny. Saturday | High 83, Low 69. Showers likely by afternoon, maybe a rumble of thunder. Sunday | High 86, Low 67. Partly sunny, a few afternoon showers.
GOOD NEWS IN CAROLINE
Bowling Green is getting a brand-new playground, and the town is building it the old-fashioned way: together. The Town has partnered with KABOOM! and Amazon to replace the park playground. Back in August, kids and grown-ups showed up to a Design Day at Town Hall and drew what they wanted. Those drawings went to the designers, and the first round of designs came back for a community vote this month.
The best part is still ahead. The community build is set for October 28 through 30, and the town says it will share volunteer details soon. If you have ever wanted to tell your kid "I helped build that slide," this is your shot.
THIS WEEKEND IN CAROLINE
Sat., Sept. 12, 9am to 1pm: Bowling Green Farmers' Market, N. Main St. Go early; the rain shows up after lunch. (co.caroline.va.us)
Sat., Sept. 12, doors 2pm, feast 3pm: Bowling Green Volunteer Fire Department Annual Crab Feast, 130 Courthouse Ln. All-you-can-eat crabs, live music from High Octane at 3:30. Tickets at bgvfd.square.site. Supports the folks who show up when it matters. (Facebook event)
Sat., Sept. 12: Watercolor Pencil Workshop for ages 10 to 16, Ladysmith Library. A good rainy-afternoon plan for the older kids. Call the branch to sign up. (carolinelibrary.org)
Tue., Sept. 15, 6:30pm: Cavaliers volleyball HOME vs. James Monroe, Caroline High School. First region match at home. (maxpreps.com)
SCHOOL & LIBRARY
Interim report cards go out Friday, Sept. 11. Consider this your heads-up before the backpack gets unzipped. (ccps.us calendar)
For the littlest ones: Mother Goose Storytime (ages 0 to 2) is Tuesdays at 10am at Ladysmith and Thursdays at 10am at Bowling Green. Preschool Storytime (ages 3 to 5) is Thursdays at 10am at Ladysmith and 10:30am at Bowling Green. Free, no sign-up, and a rainy-week lifesaver. LEGO Club for ages 6 and up meets Thursdays 5 to 6:30pm at Ladysmith. (carolinelibrary.org)
September is Library Card Sign-Up Month. If your kid has been borrowing on your card, now is the time.
HELP & NEEDS
Fall Clean Sweep, Sat., Sept. 19, 8am to 1pm. The Town of Bowling Green is looking for hands to tidy up before Harvest Festival season. Good for families, scouts, and anyone who owns work gloves. Sign up on the town site. (townofbowlinggreenva.gov)
Amazon Rappahannock Region Community Fund: nonprofits serving Caroline can apply through Sept. 21 for a share of $350,000. If you volunteer with one, pass it along. (fredericksburgfreepress.com)
PUBLIC SAFETY & ROADS
Daytime lane closures through Friday on Route 1 (Ladysmith Rd. to Rogers Clark Blvd.), Route 301 (guardrail work, plus overnight paving near the Mattaponi bridge), and Ladysmith Rd. between Route 1 and Partlow Rd. (flaggers). Overnight bridge washing on 207, 301, and 17 through Saturday. Check 511Virginia before you go. (fredericksburgfreepress.com)
ONE FUN FACT ABOUT CAROLINE
Edmund Pendleton, born in Caroline County in 1721, presided over Virginia's convention to ratify the U.S. Constitution, served as the first Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates, and led the commonwealth's first Supreme Court. Thomas Jefferson called him the ablest man in debate he had ever met. He lived most of his life right here and is buried in the county. Not a bad neighbor to have had.
(Sources: Virginia Historical Society; Encyclopedia Virginia)
That's all for this week. Thanks for reading.
Did we miss something, or is there an event, a person, or a bit of good news you think belongs in the next issue? Email [email protected] or send a message to our Facebook page, The Caroline Ledger. I read everything, even when I can't fit it all in.