Oh, what a difference a month can make... For those of you that have not heard the good news, Mayor Paul Fraim has appointed a committee to find an alternative site for the High School Multi-Sports Complex. Let’s all thank Mayor Fraim and the rest of City Council for removing Lafayette City Park from consideration for this Sports Stadium. The Site Selection Committee has been busy, having been tasked with presenting an alternative site to the City Council at the Tuesday, July 22nd, 2:00 P.M., council meeting. I know many of our residents have been attending the Site Selection Committee meetings willing to offer valuable input into this new choice. Plan to be present at the council meeting if you can.

Make sure you attend our next Civic League meeting for a delightful Ice Cream Social. We have invited two other Civic Leagues to join us this year as our guests. Villa Heights and Park Place Civic Leagues have been extended invitations to enjoy some delicious Bergey’s Ice Cream with us. I hope everyone brings some children and comes out to meet members from two of our neighboring leagues. Keep your eyes open for some spontaneous performances by members of our very own Circus Troupe.

Our Treasurer, David Nye, has told me he is busy working with a new Quicken® computer program. This transition to computer- based bookkeeping should be in place real soon. Our projected time frame to present our 2003-2004 budget is now the August meeting.

Finally, I again find myself asking for someone to step forward to help out your Civic League. The elections last month found us one person short. We were unable to identify someone interested in the position of Secretary. This is such a good way to be involved in the neighborhood. If you or someone you know would like to serve in this capacity, inform any member of the board. Thanks, and I’ll see you for some ice cream real soon!

It's a source of pride for many of us in the community to keep our yards looking well-manicured. I must admit, it's been more difficult so far this year to garden during the week-ends because it's usually raining. And, when the sun does make an appearance, I stand still for a moment and listen for the sound of all the lawnmower engines starting in unison- from one end of the block to the other. I envision all of my neighbors dashing out of their homes simultaneously to cut their grass before the next rainstorm begins. Of course, I'm writing this in the third week of June. Conditions may well have changed by the time this article appears in mid-July. We do live in South Hampton Roads. You know exactly what I mean, don't you.

Lately, I've noticed some properties within our community have very tall grass. I'm sure you've noticed them too. They stand out like graffiti scrawled on the side of a building from the rows of tidy yards surrounding them. We all know that it's important to the vitality of our neighborhood to keep every residence within the community looking tidy. So, if you see a yard that sports grass twelve inches or higher, please call the Environmental Health Department in Norfolk. An inspector will investigate the situation and notify the property owner. If the situation isn't abated, Norfolk will arrange to have the grass cut and bill the property owner. The environmental health inspector for Colonial Place and Riverview is Jill McElhiney. The main number for environmental health complaints is listed below.

Environmental Health Specialists investigate citizen complaints about high weeds, debris, inoperable vehicles, noise; and resolve environmental health concerns through code enforcement of Norfolk's nuisance ordinances. Call 683-2712.

What's white and oval? If it has black letters spelling CPRV it must be our new neighborhood sticker. Be the first one on your block to have one by simply attending the CPRV Ice Cream Social on Monday, July 14th. Current members and members joining that evening will receive one free sticker.* They won't be free after this so make your way to Stuart School around 7pm for some great ice cream and your free gift.

*Limited to one per membership and only to those who promise to display the sticker on a vehicle.

Welcome to the second edition of Meet Your Neighbors. This month I want to introduce you to Dave and Richelle Davies and their 1-year old daughter, Ella. Dave and Richelle have lived in Colonial Place for 6 years on 536 Connecticut Avenue. You have probably seen them at the dog park with their weimaraner, Sammy. Dave worked on the committee to create the dog park in Colonial Place, and has been very active in helping to preserve their old stomping ground, Stumpy Lake in Virginia Beach. He works downtown for the Hipage Company coordinating international shipments . Some of their interesting past shipments include a pregnant giraffe, Elton John's cars and items salvaged from the Titanic! Richelle is a Certified Massage Therapist at the office of Ghent Chiropractic. They recently took on the project of remodeling their kitchen. In the backyard sits a canoe that they use to explore the beautiful waterways of Virgina and North Carolina. Contact Dave and Richelle by e-mail at richellemf@aol.com

              The Colonial Place/Riverview Civic League
              P.O. Box 6130
              Norfolk, VA 23508

              E-MAIL: president@cprv.org (checked weekly)

              WEB PAGE: www.cprv.org

Community News Editor:   Kelly Sorensen, Phone 622-0437
Community News Distribution:   Margaret Bright, Phone 627-2815
Advertising:   Kelly Sorensen, Phone 622-0437

Please deliver typewritten newsletter items to:

              Kelly Sorensen
              Phone: 622-0437
              e-mail: cprvnews@earthlink.net