The BURG steering committee inaugural meeting
The steering committee has met, and here are the members and their responsibilities:
Chair, and newsletter editor: Daniel Breslau
Treasurer: Ranae Gillie
Legal committee: Mark Lattanzi and Deb Young
Fundrasing: Margaret Breslau
Secretary and Web Development: Andrew Mike
Webmaster: Jason Johannessen
Media relations: Richard Rich
Mobilization/outreach: Meredith Hampton
Business liason: Margaret Breslau and Ranae Gillie
Neighborhood liason: Kay Moody
Traffic and misc.: Lori Blanc

Everyone has their assignments and is hitting the ground running! But we need help in a few areas.
Fundraising - Margaret has some great fundraising events for which we'll need volunteers:
1. A run/walk/ride for the burg on the Huckleberry Trail.
2. A "take a bite out of the big box" cookie sale.
If you can help with either of these, email Margaret at homebody@home-body.net.

Mobilization - Meredith needs some volunteers to help with these activities:
1. Coordinating and carrying out the petition drive - we have a goal of 5000 signatures by May 29.
2. Planning some creative protests, rugby anyone?
To get involved in these, write Meredith at vwsag57@yahoo.com.

Town council meeting, Tuesday, May 8, 7:30 PM
Town council will not be voting on Ordinance 1450, but there will be a Public Comment in which citizens can speak on any topic.
For maximum effect, we are asking everyone to:
1. Bring a buddy, and try to get them to prepare some comments - we need new faces!
2. Wear green, if not a BURG t-shirt, then your old lime-green golf sweater
3. Prepare a 3-minute message on one of the following:

• We need Ordinance 1450 - this is an essential tool for managing development and protecting neighborhoods
• The delay caused by the town's mistake must not be used to advance the site plan review for S. Main.
• Your heartfelt reactions to the Walmart Supercenter where we had been told there would be a pedestrian friendly, manageable, mixed-use development

Keeping in touch
We are working on communications. We have a temporary website, bburg.org, that will serve us until the beautiful new one comes online. Some key documents are there, and you can go there for all the important announcements. In addition, this newsletter will go out weekly to all BURG members, and you can sign up for our google group to participate in discussion.

New revelations - the leasing firm and the disappearing big box
Signs that have sprung up on the S. Main property refer prospective retail tenants to a Richmond firm, Thalhimer. A search of Thalhimer's website turns up some interesting new information. An unsuspecting retailer, looking at the listing for the "Boulevards at Blacksburg" development, will learn about a "lifestyle retail" center in an ideal location. The only thing missing in the "marketing package" is any mention of the Walmart Supercenter next door. The big box is simply not mentioned, nor is it pictured on any of the site plans or aerial views. In one view, the site plan is doctored to show the Walmart parking lot shrunk down to just a few dozen spaces.

Fairmount Properties has always maintained that they need the big box in order to attract tenants to the shopping center. Then why is Thalhimer trying so hard to hide the big box from prospective tenants? Are they being baited for a switch too?

• Look for the submitted siteplans on the town's website, some time Tuesday.
• Remember to write to town council to pass 1450!