UPDATE 3:19 p.m.: Preliminary testing of the material causing the sheen indicates it is not petroleum based, according to a press release.

UPDATE: Doug Fawcett, the city’s public works director, said the city got a report early Wednesday evening that somebody had noticed an oil sheen on the river around the City Dock.

He said that it was traced up the river and appears to be coming down the Rappahannock Canal and into the river.

“We have personnel on site right now trying to pinpoint the source of it and we’re not sure what the source is,” he said.

He said it’s not a slick, but a thin sheen of oil on the surface.

The oil sheen on the river won’t affect the quality of drinking water, as there are no drinking water intakes in the vicinity, he said.

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Fredericksburg officials are investigating an oil sheen on the surface of the Rappahannock Canal, Gayles Pond, Cossey Pond and the Rappahannock River downstream from the Rappahannock Canal outfall to the river, according to a press release.

Public works and fire department officials are working to determine the source. The volume of oil is unknown.

Fishing has been prohibited at the Cossey Pond until further notice.

Details to come.

Today I went up to Herndon to see Tree Fredericksburg founder Anne Little receive $10,000 from Cox for her organization.

She’s the statewide winner of the Cox Conserves Heroes contest.

Allen Roberts, Cox's VP of Operations presents a $10,000 check to Tree Fredericksburg's Anne Little.

You can read the whole story here. 

Below you can watch the speech Little gave after winning.

The Fredericksburg Pathways Partners  will hold a forum about the Rappahannock River Heritage Trail from 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. tonight at the Dorothy Hart Community Center. (it’s at 408 Canal St.)

There will be a short presentation about the trail and the building plans will be laid out.

As early as this month, construction may start on the Rappahannock River Heritage Trail, which will connect the two parts of the Rappahannock Canal Path, making a 3.1-mile loop. It’s just about right for a 5K race.

The project has been in the works for years and could finally become a reality at the beginning of the summer.

In March, the City Council approved City Manager Beverly Cameron’s recommendation to award the $1.5 million contract to build the trail to Fredericksburg-based W.C. Spratt, pending Virginia Department of Transportation approval.

The trail will begin near the intersection of Princess Anne and Ford streets at one end of the Rappahannock Canal. It will run north along Caroline Street, then west along Riverside Drive and Fall Hill Avenue to the Fall Hill Avenue crossing of the canal.

It will be a 10-foot-wide asphalt surface that will be usable by walkers, runners and bicyclists.

Most of the project will be finished by year’s end.

One of our Facebook readers asked this question and I thought some of you might be wondering about it too.

“Why is the city of Fredericksburg putting up a chain link fence along the river? I live off Fall Hill Ave. and they just finished putting the fence up. Theres no access to the river? ”

The city’s Public Works Director, Doug Fawcett, sent me the following answer:

“The installation of the fence is related to the construction of the Rappahannock River Heritage Trail and is required for erosion and sedimentation control. The project involves excavation near the river and measures must thus be taken to prevent runoff from the construction site from reaching the river. The City is erecting the fence in compliance with laws and regulations that protect the river and the Chesapeake Bay. We understand that  the fence impacts access to the river, but the trail can only be built with the erosion and sedimentation control measures in place. The fence will be removed upon completion of the construction of the trail and, to the extent possible, will be removed in sections as areas of the trail are completed and pass all required inspections.”

One of Fredericksburg’s signature events, Via Colori, will be September 21-23 this year.

Via Colori is a festival held near the Rappahannock River and features street painting and chalk art.

The festival’s featured artist this year is Michael William Kirby, of Baltimore. According to the event’s website, Kirby has nearly 20 years of experience creating public art pieces around the world and specializes in 3D street art, 3D street painting, and 3D sidewalk art.

The festival’s signature artist is Carol Iglesias, a local artist. According to the event’s website, she is an award-winning artist, known for her vivid, colorful pastel paintings of streets, buildings, boats and water reflections.   Her paintings are in public and private collections throughout the world and have been exhibited at multiple galleries and museums.

Before the festival, there will be several events leading up to it open to the public.

June 1

Market Square ● 6 p.m.

“Selecting Your Subject” with local artist, Ellen Killough

 July 25

Celebrate Virginia ● 6 p.m.

“Techniques and Tips” with Via Colori  Fredericksburg Featured Artist, Michael Kirby

August 30

Artful Dimensions ● 6 p.m.

Artists’ Roundtable “Lessons Learned” with Via Colori  Fredericksburg Director, Sue Henderson

A man wanted on charges of rape, sodomy and abduction turned himself in Saturday, said Fredericksburg police spokeswoman Natatia Bledsoe.

Jonathan Rodriguez Arzuaga, 20, is charged with rape of a victim under the age of 13, forcible sodomy and abduction, according to police.

The offenses occurred at a home on Airport Avenue and the suspect is an acquaintance of the victim’s family, police said.

He will be incarcerated at the Rappahannock Regional Jail.

The investigation is ongoing.

Fredericksburg’s Architectural Review Board has delayed a decision to approve the city’s plans for a new courthouse.

The historic district ordinance requires that property owners within the district obtain a certificate of appropriateness from the ARB for any new construction in the district.

On Feb. 13, the board granted a certificate of appropriateness to demolish the two buildings at 701 and 707 Princess Anne St., where the new courthouse will go.

At Monday night’s meeting, the board discussed its reluctant 4–3 vote on Feb. 27 to grant a certificate of appropriateness for the scale, size and site plan for the new courthouse.

Last fall, City Council awarded a $32 million contract for the courthouse to FirstChoice Public–Private Partners.

Andrew Moore, the director of urban architecture for Glave & Holmes Architecture, was at the meeting to answer the board’s questions about the courthouse project.

“The architects presented materials and discussed aspects of the design, but the ARB had some questions that these guys weren’t able to answer,” said Erik Nelson, the city’s senior planner and liaison between city staff and the ARB. “Because they weren’t able to answer, they tabled the application.”

Those questions included concerns about the materials to be used on the courthouse, whether there will be a flag in front of it and possible signs, among other things.

For example, the board questioned why the builder is planning to use fake limestone and not local stone for the water table in the lower portion of the building. They also asked about roofing materials to be used.

Councilman-elect Matt Kelly, former Mayor Bill Beck and others who have closely monitored the courts project were at the meeting and asked questions of the board. Kelly asked the board to delay the vote.

Nelson said the ARB has to have a good reason to change a previous vote.

He said the board can reconsider a decision if there is a “substantial change in the facts, evidence or conditions relating to the application,” and it would take a vote by the full board to do it. He said that, at the meeting, those conditions were not met.

In the past, members have criticized the courthouse design, calling it “boxy” and saying that it is too large for its location on Princess Anne Street.

The newly-formed Fredericksburg chapter of Our Community Salutes now has a venue for its ceremony to honor Fredericksburg-area graduating seniors enlisting in the military. The ceremony will be held at 6 p.m. on June 4 at the University of Mary Washington’s Dodd Auditorium. Toni Stinson, the mother of a graduating senior at James Monroe High School, asked the School Board and JM Principal John Gordon to consider allowing students who have enlisted to wear red, white, and blue honor cords at the June 15 graduation ceremony. Her request was declined. (Read more about that here.) Stinson said she received the following statement from Susan Knick, director of UMW scheduling and events:

For more information, contact Our Community Salutes Fredericksburg at
ocsfred@gmail.com.

The right traffic lane and the right parking lane of the 800 block of Princess Anne Street will be closed next week from Monday, May 14 through Wednesday, May 16, according to a press release.

The closure will be from 7:30 a.m. through 4 p.m. to allow for the repair and replacement of the curb and gutter across from the circuit court building.

For more information, call public works at 540/372-1023.

From today until Friday,  the Public Works Department will be flushing hydrants at the following places:

• From Lafayette Blvd to Blue-Gray Parkway
• From Sophia Street to Clarke Street
• On Cowan Boulevard from the I-95 overpass to Route 1 to include The Preserve At Smith Run, Hills of Snowden, the Hospital complex, the Police Department, Hugh Mercer School, Keeneland Road

The work will be done between 7:30 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Customers in the work zone may experience low water pressure, discolored water and/or temporary water disruptions while the work is being done. Water will be fully restored by 5 p.m.

For 24 to 28 hours after the work is complete, water customers should expect their water to be cloudy. The water is still safe for drinking. If your water is cloudy you should:

• Postpone doing laundry until the water has cleared
• Allow cold water faucets to run for several minutes to allow water in service lines to clear