Colonial Place/Riverview Civic League
COMMUNITY NEWS

December 2004

             Holiday Party At This Month's Meeting

NEXT BOARD MEETING will be January 17, 2005, at 7:00 pm.

DEADLINE for the January issue is Tuesday, December 28, 2004.

THIS MONTH'S MEETING AGENDA:   Holiday Party.

A big Thank You to the Riverview businesses and the sponsors of Riverview Village Holiday Open House held on November 6th. My wife and I had a wonderful time strolling, eating, and shopping and I know many others did also.

I mentioned in my November notes that the CPRV League Board had voted to support using the “Christmas tree lot” at 4200 Granby for condominiums. The Board did not endorse or approve a design. Tony Collins, the head of the development firm, is working to design a building that is economically feasible and aesthetically compatible with the neighborhood. He is very forthright in including the community in his planning. He plans to present design options at our January 10th meeting.

Thank you to all those who voted on November 2nd. At Stuart, 70.8 percent of those registered turned out to vote. This was the 5th highest percentage out of the 55 polling locations in Norfolk. Overall, city turnout was 65.1 percent.

A delicate matter has been brought to my attention. Some dogwalkers have not been retrieving and properly disposing of the solid matter left by their dogs. Let’s be considerate of our neighbors and our environment, pick up after your dog; do not break the law.

Thanks to Joanne Hickman, the Cookie Chef, for the wonderful cookies she brought to November’s meeting. It is always nice to reward oneself with a treat after discussing the state of the City with Mayor Fraim.

I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season. Remember, if you decorate and want to be considered for awards in our CPRV Holiday Yard Contest, the judging is the week of December 13th - 17th.

The judges are confirmed and judging will be the week of December 13-December 17...so light your lights and get all those decorations up. We are all enthusiastic and excited. Besides the sign in your yard proclaiming your achievement, there will be neat prizes awarded to the winners. This annual event in Colonial Place and Riverview is lots of fun. Be creative, be original, be artistic but most of all, have fun. The holidays come but once a year, so let's light up our little corner of Norfolk. If you have any questions, please e-mail us at either brddad@msn.com or jhickman@bhgould.com. If we do not have the answer to your questions, we will find an answer for you.

As the winter holidays approach, I hope that you will find time to attend our December CPRV Holiday Party (Monday, December 13th, 7 p.m., Stuart Center). This year we will kick off the evening with pizza from the Pizza Inn and hot beverages (coffee and hot chocolate) from the Riverview Coffee Parlor. For dessert – that is where I need your help! I am asking that you please bring a dessert to share. After we have had a chance to socialize, we will enjoy holiday stories from Mrs. Lynn Ruehlmann, nationally-known professional storyteller and CPRV resident. During the evening, we will also be accepting donations for the Dwelling Place (they are currently in need of winter items – coats, gloves, hats – and clear or mesh book bags for the children who attend school) and signing a large Holiday card for the U.S. Service members overseas. So please bring:

1. your family
2. your holiday spirit
3. a dessert to share
4. if possible a donation for the Dwelling Place (winter item or clear book bag)

Status of “Christmas Tree Lot” proposed development - 24 Condominium (tentatively) units in three stories with grade level parking under building.

Owner: Richard Levin, Developer: Tony Collins, Architect: Lee Shadbolt

What’s Happened?

• October 18, 2004, Owner and Developer made presentation of early plans to CPRV Board. Board voted to support change of zoning from existing commercial to residential.
• November 15, 2004, Developer and Architect presented somewhat more advanced building concepts to Board.

• December 4, 2004, Small group of Riverview residents at Riverview Coffee Parlor to meet with the Developer for information and suggestions. 10 a.m.
• December 16, 2004, Planning commission public hearing for change of zoning. 2:30 p.m. 11th floor City Hall.
• January 10, 2004, Planned presentation of project at CPRV General Membership Meeting.

As the new community improvement chairperson, I have been busy catching up with Kathy Stark, my predecessor, learning the ropes of this position.

I would like to say thanks to all of you who have been sending your warm welcomes and suggestions for improvements to our neighborhood. Please keep them coming. While most changes certainly cannot happen overnight, we do appreciate your input and recommendations.

Please volunteer to work with me to improve our two communities. Would you like to see our borders beautified? Give me a call. Are cracked sidewalks getting you down? Volunteer to identify the ones needing repair. These are just a few of the community challenges in need of a constructive solution. Get involved and help us make needed improvements.

Please feel free to e-mail me anytime at amy_fant@yahoo.com or call 228-5601.

Holiday Parties
Looking for a unique setting to host your next function? Visit Available Facilities or call 757-441-2374 ext. 223 for more information.

Nocturnal New Year
February 9, 2005
Learn about animals that sleep all day and howl all night. Special animal encounters and information will be available. Normal admission.

Valentine’s Day
February 14, 2005
Love is in the air at Virginia Zoo! Learn about the Species Survival Plan and how our animals help animals in the wild. Normal admission.

Scales, Tails, and Shells
March 26, 2005
If it slithers or slides, runs or hops, it is probably at your Virginia Zoo! Join us for special animal encounters and learn how we use animal enrichment techniques to promote natural behaviors. Normal Admission

A fine art photography project is underway here in Hampton Roads and some of you may know, or be, perfect subjects. Helen Jones, a Norfolk photographer is looking for groups of men or women who are "of a certain age", who have been friends for a long time, and who gather together on a regular basis to maintain and enjoy that friendship.

This project is an outgrowth of her work for an exhibit, Aging Beauties, Photographs of Seasoned Flowers, currently being shown in galleries and museums here in the U.S. In that exhibit, she focused on aging flowers. Most of them looked very different than when they were first in bloom, and it was a revelation to see how vibrant and transformative their beauty was at later stages in their lives.

She already believed that to be true of many things that show their age - buildings, cars, wine and, of course, people. The added element of long-time friendships, however, is what she wants to emphasize in this project.

There’s no money involved. She can’t pay you and you don’t have to pay her. All that’s needed is time together. She’ll make a photo for all who participate. You can see her work at www.helenjonesphotos.com

If you’re interested contact her at: 640-8695.
E-mail is: helenjonesphotos@whro.net

Oliver Wendell Holmes once commented that “taxes are the price we pay for civilization.” If taxes are on your mind, you will not want to miss our January CPRV Civic League meeting’s guest speaker: CPRV resident and Commissioner of the Revenue Mrs. Sharon McDonald, who will speak to us about taxes at the local level. She will talk about her office (Raise your hand if you knew that you elected a Commissioner of the Revenue!), provide information for the upcoming tax season and take your questions.

After Mrs. McDonald’s presentation, we will hear from Mr. Tony Collins, who will present his plans for a condominium development at 4200 Granby Street (known as the “Christmas Tree Lot”). Mr. Collins will discuss his vision for that space and address your questions and comments. Please plan to attend.

We all love Thanksgiving leftovers, but a special leftover from last month, is the thanks we need to express for the success of the Riverview Village Holiday Open House. (Important qualification: someone important has likely to been omitted from this list. Permit me to apologize in advance.)

• Thank you to the community for an incredible turnout at the Riverview Village Holiday Open House (200 rode the trolley, 100 enjoyed free limo rides while the majority hoofed their way along the route).
• Thank you to the businesses for their enthusiastic support of the day – 29 participants!
• Thank you to the sponsors and underwriters of the event.
• Thank you to the City of Norfolk and the Development Department for their assistance with procuring the trolley and providing an advertising grant.
• Thank you to the restaurants and businesses that offered complimentary goodies and drinks. (The not-yet open Conundrums served their signature soup on the sidewalk and had served their entire 5 gallon 300 cup supply by one o’clock! 100 dozen donut holes flew out of the French Bakery!)
• Thank you to the 3 non-profit organizations that offered educational displays: your Virginia Zoo, the Tanner’s Creek/Eggleston Center and the Ernie Morgan Environmental Action Center.
• Thank you to the volunteers who manned the SPCA cat litter table and the Ernie Morgan recycled wreath project.
• Thank you to the VW Club for exhibiting their vehicles at the event.
• Thank you to the Norfolk Fire Department for their ladder truck exhibit.
• Thank you to Officer William Routon and Corporal Baker for the bike patrol and their community policing.
• Thank you to our trolley ambassadors: Kathy and Jeff Stark, Ann Fitzgibbon, Breck Daughtery, David Spriggs and Bill Nusbaum for their good-will and guided tours. Pamela Marino, Ann Fitzgibbon, Jim Akers, and Scotty Anglin for volunteer time in preparation for the event.
• Thank you to the flyer distributors who hand-delivered announcements throughout Riverview, Colonial Place, Lafayette Shores, Lakewood, Belvedere and Lafayette Winona in the rainy days preceding the event.
• Thank you to the residents from other communities over the bridge(s) who are now more likely to view Riverview Village as their neighborhood shopping district.
• Thank you to the publications that included our press release.
• Thank you to The Compass for the front page story that week that highlighted the positive changes in Riverview Village and the upcoming Open House.
• Thank you to the walking 7Eleven Slurpy character (and who incidentally slows traffic better than most flashing yellow lights!) and the whole 7Eleven cast who boarded the trolley to offer cookies.
• Thank you to the Holiday Open House core committee who met every Wednesday for 2 months: Alice McCoy, Patrice Dupuis, Rebecca Howard, Ronn Ives, Kathy Tabb, Margaret Geradin, Rosemary Zemanian and Jenny Monument.
• And a tremendous and heartfelt thank you to Sharon Nusbaum who graciously honored her husband Bill’s decision to volunteer her to chair the event, and who flawlessly coordinated such an outstanding day.

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                The Colonial Place/Riverview Civic League
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