Thank you for taking the time to read the Patriots Press.  This quarterly newspaper is written and published by the residents of Patriots Colony to inform and entertain current and future residents. 

We invite you to visit Patriots Colony in person and live all the excitement, camaraderie and fun that happens on our property everyday.  Call 757-585-7006 to schedule your visit today!

A VISIT WITH A CENTENARIAN

 

Many people simply count years to keep track of age: a fortunate   few measure it with experiences and memories and interactions added. For them aging is something to revel in rather than to fear or try to hide;
in Marion, we have one of those fortunate few.

 

 

Born in New York City, Marion's experiences and adventures were well underway while she was living in Staten Island, where the family moved when she was six. She met her husband, Joseph Frederick Robinson, at a party that a high school friend held where both were in attendance. Some years later, after marriage in 1940, Fred and Marion lived in Philadelphia where Fred was associated with the Manhattan Project. After leaving the navy, the family moved back to Staten Island where they raised their two children, a son and a daughter. KEEP READING... 

New Faces  
(Click on their names below to read story)



Patriots Colony Flower Garden

This is an open invitation to be a part of the Patriots Colony Community Flower Garden.

Our garden was the vision of one gardener, Dan Hickey during the very early days of Patriots Colony. His passion was roses and he began with the very best pest   resistant and hardy roses available. "Easy Elegance", pictured below, was his choice. They have proven their worth over many years since they were planted. They are currently the backbone of our now thriving garden.  Keep Reading about the Flower Garden....

 

What is a "Critter"?

 

Colony CRocheters and knITTERS' is a gathering of folks that have rediscovered the joy of doing needlework.  It is part of From the Heart, an all volunteer organization based in Richmond, VA.

 

The purpose is to hand make items for those in   need of comfort and warmth in the Williamsburg   area.  The first official meeting was held in January     and since then approximately two dozen 'Critters' have had needles and hooks flying!  Already 74 items, which include hats, scarves, mittens, and   blankets, have been created and donated.  Learn more about the Colony Crocheters... 

Watch That Beer!

 

Major General James M. Gavin, "Jumpin Jim", was an OK Commander of the VII US Army Corps in Germany. The year was 1953, and   while the General had a distinguished World War II   record, he  was just another of a succession of commanders so far from my post in Regensburg that we took little note of him. The mood in Germany was mildly tense since the senior leadership left no doubt as to their concern for a possible Soviet initiative while the   US   was focused   on our "police action"   involvement in Korea. In spite of Korean war demands, the US presence in Germany was being rebuilt, slowly but surely. Inherent in the rebuilding process was the introduction of   lots   of   young,   fresh off the   farm draftees. Most had never been out of the US, and suddenly here they were, conquering heroes in a foreign land. There was so much to see, and do, and   learn. There were Frauleins to meet, Gasthauses to visit, schnitzel to eat, and beer to drink.  KEEP READING...

 Not all quakes are earthquakes!!         

 

During   my short   tour as   an   exploration geologist for Shell Oil Company I had the task of "sitting   on a well." Sitting on a well was the terminology for the job of a geologist being on site during the drilling operation of an oil well or a test hole. Since it was a 24/7 job, it was often relegated to the more junior of the geological staff.  Learn More About These Quakes...

Officers and Umbrellas

 

Have you ever wondered why officers in uniform are not permitted to carry umbrellas?

 

Picture this scenario:

March, 1918, on the Western Front. It's 4:59 am, and raining. It's very dark,and cold. The rumble of artillery can be heard in the distance. There's a whiff of chlorine in the air.  Keep Reading... 

"How We Met"
(Click on their name below to read the story)




THE DOGS OF PCAW

 

This is the first of an intended series of introductions to our canine residents of Patriots Colony.  Just as with many of you who are reading this, I have had dogs as members of my family and enjoyed their company, their trust, and their playfulness. Let's hope you feel the same about the DOGS OF PCAW.

 

 

I am delighted to introduce you to SPARKS, who resides in unit 1902 with Phyllis Belden.  This little guy is seven years old and is recognized as a wire haired dachshund. His coloring is a mixture of black-grey-white (a piebald).  He is a "rescue dog". Phyllis retrieved him from the Humane Society four years ago. Typical of his breed, he loves to dig and chase squirrels. Learn More About the Dogs of PCAW... 

THE SASSAFRAS TEA PROJECT

 

As a young lad, I sometimes headed for Candler Mountain with friends to roam about to see what we could see.  The base of the small mountain was about 45 minutes from my front door so we could reach our destination in a relatively short time without burning a lot of energy.  The trees were dense on the mountain and there was a lot of wildlife-deer, chipmonks, groundhogs, squirrels, rabbits, snakes, birds of many species, lots of insects and an occasional bear.  We always enjoyed our visits. Keep Reading...

 

What issh yah?

 One of my first assignments upon reporting to the Public Health Service in 1960 was to assist in  an environmental   study. The  fate of compounds that might contain radioactive elements was fairly well known in fresh water and in salt water environments, but where the two ecosystems meet in the brackish water of estuaries, much confusion reigned. In order to study this situation and to measure any possible contamination   from   the   Atomic Energy's Savannah River plant a study was designed and labeled Savannah Estuary Environmental Study (SEERS).  Click Here To Keep Reading... 

 

The Colony on the James and its "Significant Other" 
 

 

Almost all of us hereabouts have been introduced to the arrival of the English on our hallowed shores in 1607,and the development of Jamestown along the banks of the James River. At first, times were hard but with help from abroad it gradually became a more useful English colony.

 

Then, for a number of reasons, the Powhatan Indians, who had generally occupied the region for hundreds of years, sent an army of warriors down the James River in 1622 with the intention of wiping out the colony and recovering their land. Some 400 colonists were killed; but fortunately for the colonists, they were able to bring together sufficient strength to drive the Indians back to their land some five to eight miles to the north across the Pawmunkey River (which ultimately became the York River several years later).  KEEP READING... 

Nancy's Garden

      

Many Patriots Colony residents create a garden in the front or rear of their living quarters. This picture shows Nancy Bull's lovely garden outside of her apartment. Nancy combined her talent as a gardener with her artistic sense of beauty to create this pleasant scene.

                     

-- Dan O'Connor -

 

John Holcomb's Thought for the Day

 

         "The best way to get the last word is to apologize."

Editorial Policy & Staff

 

Patriots Press is a quarterly newspaper published by and for the residents of Patriots Colony to inform and entertain residents and other interested persons. The editors welcome contributions such as original writing, art, reports of committees, clubs, and social activities of residents as well as articles of general interest. The newspaper staff reserves the right to edit contributions. The newspaper will not accept letters to the editor.

  

Editorial Board

        

 

Mary Bieber
Dan O'Connor
Susie Floyd
Dave Lester

  

Editor
Pat Farnsworth

 

Associate Editor (Layout)

Lee Hirsh

Photographers
Barbara Smead
Lee Hirsh
Roy Lounsbury
Bob Williams
 

 

 

Contributors

 

Jan Fanning 

 

Barbara Smead 

 

 Lee Hirsh 

Barbara Hirsh

 

Betsy Ziomek 

 

Chuck McGinnis 

 

Fred Rueter 

 

Bob Wilson 

 

 George Loving 

Dan O'Connor  

 

Roy Lounsbury