Colonial Place/Riverview Civic League
COMMUNITY NEWS

September 2010

             Four Topics at this Month's Meeting: RIVERFest - Knitting Mill Creek Bulkhead Design - HRSD Sewer Improvements - Oyster Gardening Meeting

NEXT BOARD MEETING will be Monday, September 20, 2010, at 7:00 pm.

DEADLINE for the October issue is Friday, September 17, 2010.

THIS MONTH'S MEETING AGENDA:   Monthly police report - RIVERFest - Knitting Mill Creek Bulkhead Design - HRSD Sewer Improvements - Oyster Gardening

After first being appointed/elected as Colonial Place Riverview Civic League President, I was asked by a neighbor what was going to be my campaign priorities. She was particularly concerned that since I was a professional mediator would I ever take a stand on anything and always sit on the sidelines taking the middle ground; not supporting a point of view on any issues. I thought a lot about that very fair and introspective question. So now here, just for you Chris is my vision for Colonial Place/Riverview:

1. I will push to have a four-lane flyover beginning at the Llewellyn-Granby Street and Delaware intersection, which will go over the neighborhood and land somewhere near the Maglev Light Rail Park and Ride at ODU.
2. We will construct Worldwide Wrestling cages at all middle-school bus stops. This way our middle-schoolers will have something healthy to do while waiting in the morning for school. Archie and Barry have volunteered to host a debate in the center of the first ring we will construct at the Delaware Circle.
3. We will host a croaker fishing tournament on Mayflower Road. However, as soon as everyone makes their first cast we will call the Norfolk Police and have all of the participants arrested. We will use the entry fees and fines to build the flyover, construct the wrestling cages, and maybe have some money left over for the bike path and bulkhead.
4. We will install Astroturf at the dog park to have it “go green”.
5. We will ban all bands from practicing in our neighborhood, and we should extend that prohibit to all musicians for that matter. Perhaps we should round up all albums and melt them down as well.
6. I believe the same should go for all writers in the neighborhood. It is about time we drove them all out, inciting us with a host of controversial subjects.

1. I support any technique to cut down on traffic zooming through Colonial Place. If the sign at Delaware and Llewellyn does lower the number of cars cutting through to Colley (as some believe it does), I am for it.
2. Children will burn some energy in our neighborhood. Sometimes it is not all positive. I have children too. We need to promote healthy activities, whether at the playground, Lafayette Park, Stuart, the new Lambert’s Point Recreation Center, or along our waterway and bike path. I will support any efforts to promote recreational activities.
3. About a month ago I spent over an hour late one night (around 10:30pm) talking to several Norfolk Police Officers, I think four cars pulled up, as they attempted to cite a man fishing in front of my home on Mayflower. We all discussed the stupidity of this Norfolk Code prohibiting fishing (specifically on Mayflower Road!). The Police Officers felt bad giving a ticket to a man who was trying to catch his dinner for the evening.

   Sharon reminded me that probably ten years ago, when the no fishing/crabbing signs first went up on Mayflower, that the Police had made us put away our cheapie Zebco rod and reel as we taught our daughters how to cast into the Lafayette. Now our neighborhood is promoting RIVERFest towards a swimable and fishable Lafayette River by 2014. Only problem is, you can’t fish here! I am against the City Code which restricts fishing and crabbing along Mayflower. I will work to have it rescinded.

4. The dog park is a great resource for the neighborhood. A separate dog park for small dogs will make it better. There is plenty of room on the Greenway for this.
5. We have some wonderful and talented neighbors, from garage bands to several Virginia Symphony performers, and one singer/songwriter destined to be a chart-topper someday soon. We have several excellent writers and best selling authors. I would like to invite them to civic league functions to show off their music and recite from some of their works. We do need to be mindful of our neighbors when it is approaching bedtime with lowering noise levels. Music is a gift we need to support.
6. I am working to promote our Riverview merchants by designing a map which we will have in our newsletter perhaps each month with a description of what they have to offer. We need to make better use of our website in the same fashion. Having a listing of recommended businesses and services by our neighbors would be helpful supporting the services of our neighbors and choosing good workers we have used in the past.

The September CPRV meeting promises to be very interesting. Various speakers will share information about upcoming projects for our neighborhood.

• Amry Cox will present plans for the upcoming RIVERFest, a family oriented one day celebration of the Lafayette River to be held Saturday 21 May 2011
• Chuck Joyner will discuss plans for the Knitting Mills Creek bulkhead design
• Tim Marsh, HRSD Project Manager, will present sewer improvements project planned for Riverview.
• Representatives from the Chesapeake Bay Foundation will talk about their work oyster gardening on the Lafayette River.

Planning is underway for the 12th Annual CPRV Front Porch Art Walk, scheduled for Sunday, October 10 from noon until 5 p.m. (rain or shine). Please join your neighbors in celebrating this unique event! CPRV artists will be displaying their creations on their front porches. By foot or by bike, this is a wonderful way to explore your community and support local art.

Get a head start on holiday shopping, get to know your neighbors, and enjoy a leisurely tour of Colonial Place and Riverview. You’ll be astounded at the wide variety of artistic talents our community draws: potters, jewelers, and painters, just to name a few! Artist registrations are available online at cprv.org, as well as at One- Eleven Art Gallery, the Riverview Coffee Parlor, and Bernstein’s Gallery.

Our guidelines state that your artwork should be of your own design and creation. Over the years, we have established our little neighborhood art show as a credible visual arts venue. We welcome your help and contributions in carrying on this tradition.

Volunteers are also needed to help advertise the event, as well as several day-of tasks, such as serving at the hospitality stops or taking photos of the event. For more event details or to volunteer, please contact Kristin Bourcier at 622-5324.

Driving through the neighborhoods I have noticed some crape myrtles that are starting to look a little ragged at the base and could use some TLC.

I know there is some confusion as to what we can or cannot do regarding crape myrtles. The City does not approve our pruning or trimming branches of these trees but we do have permission, and they would appreciate our help, to remove suckers or shoots that form at the base of the tree where the trunk meets the soil. Removal enables the tree to conserve strength to make flowers and withstand our hot summers. If left, the tree would eventually become a bush.

Just a few minutes and we can keep our crape myrtles and Norfolk beautiful. If you have any questions please call me. Thank you.

A representative from the Norfolk Environmental Commission will be at the November 8th meeting to discuss “Sustainable Living.” Sustainability helps you to reduce your impact on the environment and save money, without compromising your life style. Doing smart things .... like switching off the lights, walking to errands and installing insulation saves money, improves fitness and protects our environment.

If at least 30 adults attend the November 8 meeting to hear this presentation, additional points will be added to CP/R’s EARNN cash. So let’s show our support for the EARNN program.

The EARNN program stands for Environmental Awards for Recycling in Norfolk’s Neighborhoods. EARNN rewards civic organizations for specific “GREEN” practices. These include recycling, litter prevention, energy conservation, storm water management, graffiti removal and others. The City of Norfolk sponsors EARNN through Keep Norfolk Beautiful (KNB) in an effort to encourage responsible environmental stewardship throughout the city. EARNN provides Colonial Place and Riverview with an opportunity to make a difference in our neighborhoods and earn cash awards! We receive monthly awards by collecting points in different green neighborhood categories.

RIVERFest is a one-day festival to celebrate and connect with the Lafayette River. This single day celebration will be Saturday, April 30 with rain date of May 1. Think of a majestic block party where you can wander from food tents to the Elizabeth River Project’s Learning Barge, from a stage with music performers and local choirs to artist and photography displays, from oyster gardens floating by the bulkhead to native plant demonstrations and many other intergenerational activities. Boaters will be boating, canoeists and kayakers will be paddling by. Bikers riding by to check out the tents and taste some local food. People exploring the boat ramp and living shoreline along Delaware Avenue. See and identify local water life. Talk with local scientists and citizens who are studying the Lafayette River.

Groups with significant success stories involving our local waterways Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Elizabeth River Foundation, National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the City of Norfolk and the Lafayette Wetlands Partnership have been active participants in developing the Lafayette Watershed Plan and will be participating as organizations and hosting activities in the April 30 fun fest.

Here are some important details and logistics for our friends and neighbors in Colonial Place and Riverview. We are working with the City of Norfolk to close off the 500 block of Mayflower Road for Saturday April 30 to create the perfect block party informal setting. Tents and tables for activities and stations will be set along the best view of the Lafayette in all of Norfolk. To ensure safety and security, temporary fencing will be put in place along the bulkhead and in the front yard of homes along this block of Mayflower. All other water access will be normal. Signs will direct cars to designated parking spots along the edges of the neighborhood. Walking, biking, carpooling and mass transit will be encouraged so we don’t over stress the River and your wonderful neighborhood. We want to have a certified green event.

Some set up the day before the event will be necessary. The Learning Barge needs to be towed up and tied in place. Tables, tents and fencing will be temporarily installed. Porta potties set in place. Security will be on scene from set-up and extend through the festival.

Colonial Place and Riverview have a wonderful and unique location on the Lafayette River. Y’all understand the importance of a viable and usable waterway. Let’s highlight your view and show citizens how they can connect and contribute toward the health and bounty of the Lafayette River at their own homes throughout the Norfolk watershed.

If you would like to volunteer or help with our fun festival, contact Fleta Jackson at 823-4007 or myself, Amry Cox at 969-3461. Thank you in advance for your interest and support of RIVERFest.

The City of Norfolk began enforcement of the street sweeping regulations within Colonial Place last month. Violation of the regulation will cost $35 (http://www.norfolk.gov/Parking/Parking_Violations.asp).

Sreet sweeping in Colonial Place will occur on the second Tuesday and Wednesday of each month – the even side of the street will be swept on Tuesday and the odd side will be swept on Wednesday. Streets will be swept between the hours of 9 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Let’s all help one another remember to keep our cars off the street (or on the correct side of the street) on street-sweeping days – it will save the cost of a ticket, and it will make a big difference in the health and cleanliness of Knitting Mill Creek and the Lafayette River.

We are fortunate in Colonial Place and Riverview in that the nature of most recently reported crimes have involved theft of personal property and vandalism, compared to more violent crimes experienced in other neighborhoods of the City. These conditions are attributable in large part to the efforts aimed at increased awareness and education by several previous Crime Prevention Committee Chairs and our PACE Officers. Yet, as evidenced by those same recent reports of thefts from vehicles and vandalism, the criminal eye continues to focus on our community as an easy target.

While the reported crimes are invasive and disturbing, the residual and insidious psychological effects on our community present unique challenges. Ironically, we live in one of the most attractive and desirable areas in the city, but those who are victimized by theft and vandalism struggle to meet very basic needs for safety and security. We are not helpless in the struggle, however, and we have only to focus our sights on an effective strategy for crime prevention in order to realize a clearer, safer point of view.

The most effective crime prevention method available to ordinary citizens is a “neighborhood watch.” According to The National Crime Prevention Council, neighborhood watch is “...so effective and so well respected that major criminologists do not generally undertake studies of whether it works, just how it works.” (Emphasis added.) Studies reflect that cities around the country have experienced dramatic reductions in crime rates following the implementation of neighborhood watch programs.

With an eye toward maintaining and reinforcing a sense of safety and security in our neighborhood, the Crime Prevention Committee will focus in September on confirming the existing records of residents who have volunteered to serve as Block Captains. Where gaps are identified, additional volunteers will be requested to help establish a completely networked neighborhood watch program.

Who’s watching your block? If you don’t, rest assured that the criminals will! For more information or to volunteer, call me at 651-3273.

Every Wednesday morning from 10 a.m. until noon, neighborhood moms, dads and their children gather for playtime, snacks and “parental support.” Children’s ages currently range from newborn to 3 years, however older children are also certainly welcome! We rotate hosts every week, so please call Kristin Bourcier at 622-5324 to find out where we are meeting any given week or for more information. We look forward to seeing you there!

As your Vice President, my duties include inviting speakers to our monthly meetings. Some suggestions for future meeting programs include:

• Our Schools – A conversation with Principals
• CPRV Authors
• CPRV Musicians
• CPRV Businesses/Services
• Your Beautiful Garden – Gardening Information
• We Love our Animals – SPCA representative
• Norfolk’s Chamber of Commerce
• Hope House Representative
• City Council Candidates
• The Greatest Resource- Norfolk Public Library
• HRT-Light Rail

You’ll be happy to hear there’s an active movement underway to restore the Lafayette River. Recently, a grant from National Fish and Wildlife Foundation helped the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) and Elizabeth River Project bring together partners and concerned citizens to come up with a plan that will vastly improve the Lafayette’s ailing water quality. It will take plenty of community involvement to make this new effort succeed. We hope that these projects will help improve the health of the Lafayette so much that it will, in time, become fishable and swimmable for all to enjoy.

We are looking for residents to install spat (seed oyster) catchers on their docks or if you don’t have a dock to obtain permission from someone who does. I’m currently working with the Norfolk Yacht & Country Club for mine. If you are interested, please call me 625-2092 or come to the September meeting to learn more.

There will be a seminar 6:30 - 7:30 p.m. for Spat on Shell for Lafayette River Docks and Piers only at the Hermitage Foundation Museum on Tuesday, Sept. 14. Registration is at 6 p.m.

COMMUNITY NEWS is produced by:
              The Colonial Place/Riverview Civic League
              P.O. Box 6130
              Norfolk, VA 23508

Deadline for articles and advertising is the third Friday of the month

Community News Editor:   Blair Barbieri
              Phone: 908-797-8750
              Email: cprvnews@gmail.com

Newsletter Advertising Chair: James Gregg
              Phone: 757-489-8968
              Email: jamesrgregg@aol.com

Community News Distribution:   Mary Hormell, Phone 627-2392

CPRV Web Page: www.cprv.org