Colonial Place/Riverview Civic League
COMMUNITY NEWS
Guest Speaker, Sharon McDonald, Commissioner of Revenue, At This Month's Meeting
NEXT BOARD MEETING will be January 17, 2005, at 7:00 pm.
DEADLINE for the February issue is Tuesday, January 31, 2005.
THIS MONTH'S MEETING AGENDA: Monthly police report - Code enforcement update - Sharon McDonald, Commissioner of Revenue, will speak - Tony Collins.
Happy New Year. I look forward to working with you this year to enhance our enjoyment of Colonial Place and Riverview. Each year our community gets better and better, thanks to you and the dedicated employees of the City of Norfolk. Spearheading Norfolk’s involvement with the various communities and civic leagues is The Norfolk Division of Neighborhood Services. Its mission “is to make Norfolk's neighborhoods vital places to live, work, learn and play. The Division works in partnership with citizens, community, and government organizations to provide an array of proactive, responsive and people-oriented services.” (see www.norfolk.gov/Neighborhoods/Services/) The Division is looking for volunteers to assist in its programs and to attend the Neighborhood University. If interested, call 441-2400 for more information or to volunteer. The Neighborhood University Spring 2005 course schedule is out (www.norfolk.gov/Neighborhoods/Services/university_progsched.asp or call 441-2400). Courses are free. Also the Department of Public Works and the Norfolk Environmental Commission will be conducting a two-evening series of discussion groups (January 20th and 27th) to obtain citizen’s ideas and opinions about bulk waste collection, recycling and waste reduction, fees, and hurricane debris collection. If you are interested, call 441-1347 or email the Commission at nec@norfolkbeautiful.org.
We know the momentary power outages are still a problem. Stephanie Gray continues to work the problem. Dominion Power is addressing the issue as evidenced by crews installing equipment that alleviates temporary interruptions caused by trees hitting wires.
Dues renewal notification, normally mailed out in December, will be late this year due to change in our Membership Chair. Of course, you can fill out and submit the form in the Newsletter along with your payment. Remember, if you joined after July 1, 2004 your membership is paid through December 2005.
Vice President Steve Earnhart hit the bull’s eye again in organizing the Holiday Party. Thanks Steve. He has great plans for our 2005 meetings starting on January 10th. See his article for details.
Thanks to all who enhanced the season by decorating their homes. While on the subject of homes, remember if you are doing any significant renovations or additions, take advantage of Norfolk’s Tax Abatement Program for Rehabilitation (increases in assessed value due to improvements are not recognized for tax purposes for 10 years and then are phased in over years 11 through 15). You must get approval prior to commencing work. Virginia state income tax credits are also available for rehabilitation. While there is paperwork involved, I can personally attest to the benefit of both programs. Also, Norfolk Neighborhood Design and Resource Center, 664-6770, is ready to help you plan your renovation/addition.
The Crime Prevention Committee welcomes its newest block captain, Joe Rivas of the 500 block of Maryland Ave. In response to resident’s concerns discussed at the crime prevention meeting on December 27, about what sounds like gunfire late at night, (PACE) Officer Hicks advised residents to call 911 – rather than the non-emergency 441-5610 – whenever they think they have heard gunfire. This assumes a reasonable amount of certainty that what was heard was gunfire and not firecrackers or an automobile backfiring, etc. Officer Hicks noted that thefts from cars are still a serious problem, and reiterated the need for residents to take care to lock their doors and remove any valuables from plain sight. He suggested that the use of a wheel-locking device can do more than prevent the theft of the automobile itself: the mere sight of one can cause a thief that intends to do no more than take items from the car (detachable radios are a new favorite) to look elsewhere.
Please note that the PACE pager (364-9625) is no longer in use. PACE Officers Hicks and Routon can be reached at william.hicks@norfolk.gov and william.routon@norfolk.gov, or at 664-7316 and 664-7000.
We thank Michael Shaw for representing the committee at the Blue Sector meeting these last few months. He reports that total crime for our part of the city is down 20% from 2003, and that police pressure appears to have forced robbers into other areas, such as around and between Stockley Gardens and downtown. Broken first-floor or basement windows facilitated several burglaries in CPRV.
The next CPRV Crime Prevention Committee meeting will be on Monday, January 31st , at 6:30pm, at the Stuart School cafeteria. Happy New Year!
Candid shots from the CPRV Holiday Party are on our web site. Click on the link provided on the home page to see all the yummy food you missed as well as all the cute kids, happy adults, and great entertainment.
Listserv--yes, the listserv as well as the web site was down again in early December for a few days. In a perfect world... but, then that would be no fun!
As we begin a new year, I would like to encourage everyone in Colonial Place and Riverview to resolve to attend your monthly civic league meetings (second Monday of the month, 7 p.m., Stuart Center School). Our civic league is vibrant, inclusive and active – but our organization is only as strong as the efforts and dedication of the individuals who make up our membership. Please consider volunteering on a committee or sharing your expertise with our group. This is your neighborhood – please make time once a month for your civic league meeting.
This month we will have a “doubleheader” of guest speakers. Batting first will be Commissioner of the Revenue, Sharon McDonald, who will speak to us about taxes at the local level. If you live in or operate a business in Norfolk, and you pay taxes, you will want to be there. 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 (in the area known to many as the “Christmas Tree Lot”). Mr. Collins will discuss his vision for that space and address your questions and comments. Please plan to attend.
I am always interested in speakers/themes you would like to see at a civic league meeting (email me at scearnhart@erols.com).
The much-awaited results of the Christmas Decoration contest are in and and the winners are...
Most original 4816 Gosnold Avenue . Best Group 514, 522, 526, 527 530, 534 & 540 Massachusetts Avenue Best Lighting 401 Massachusetts Avenue Judges Favorite 239 39th Street Best Use of Natural Materials 3900 Holly Avenue Best Door 636 Virginia Avenue Best display 227 42nd Street Honorable Mention 4717 Colonial Avenue Honorable Mention 528 Virginia Avenue Honorable Mention 622 Virginia Avenue Honorable Mention 613 Pennsylvania Avenue Honorable Mention 4507 Colonial Avenue Honorable Mention 200 Lavalette
It is important that everyone realize that if you win one year, you cannot win anything in a consecutive year. Also….we are NOT judges nor do we have influence on the judges (who are kept secret) We just drive them around. These awards really mean a lot to the people who win! (Mr. Ward on the corner of Colonial & Delaware died on January 2 and his wife told me it meant the world to him that he was given an Honorable mention!) If anyone is interested in getting involved or taking over, please contact me either at 533-9441 or email jhickman@bhgould.com. This is a lot of fun and I do not want to be a hog!
With the new year coming and the the excitement of our new recycle bins on the way, I thought now would a great time to introduce those of you who don't already know about it to www.FREECYCLE.org. Freecycle is a group that was formed to keep usable items out of the local landfill. The Freecycle Network was started in May 2003 to promote waste reduction in Tucson's downtown and help save desert landscape from being taken over by landfills. It has grown into an international movement. Freecycle provides individuals and non-profits an electronic forum to "recycle" unwanted items. One person's trash can truly be another's treasure!
How does it work? One rule: everything posted must be free. Whether it's a chair, a fax machine, piano, or an old door to be given away, it can be posted on the network. Or, maybe you're looking to acquire something yourself? Respond to the posting directly and you just might get it. After that it is up to the giver to set up a pickup time for passing on the treasure. Non-profit organizations also benefit from the Freecycle Network.
Post the item or items you want to give away and a local organization can pick it up and get it to someone in need. As Abe Lincoln once said, "Think globally, recycle locally." The Freecycle Network is open to all cities and to all individuals who want to participate. Freecycle groups are run by local volunteer moderators from across the globe who facilitate each local group - Grassroots at its best! All of our local cities have freecycle groups. I am a moderator of the Norfolk Freecycle group and invite you to join... http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Norfolkfreecycle/ I have purged my house of clothes, record albums, board games my kids no longer played, computer parts, and soon a swing set and much more. The freecyclers that picked them up were thrilled! I have received from other freecyclers a go-kart, fish tanks, fish, clothes, games, a washer and dryer for a family member, candles, etc..
This fall I read a post about a woman building a house from recycled materials who needed windows. Two days later a Colonial Place resident was getting all new windows and was setting out the old windows for the landfill. I talked to the owner, picked up the windows and two days later the woman came by and picked them all up. They are now on her house and not in our local landfill! Amazing. REDUCE. REUSE. RECYCLE. Words that our earth can live by. Enjoy your large recycle bins and consider joining the freecycle movement.
Thank you very much for attending our annual CPRV Holiday party. We had over 80 merry souls welcome in the holiday season. We collected a great number of donations for the Dwelling Place, ate pizza from the Pizza Inn on Colley Avenue, drank wonderful coffee and hot chocolate provided by Alice McCoy of the Riverview Coffee Parlor (the town hall of Riverview Village) and enjoyed scrumptious desserts brought by you! CA Copies on Colley Avenue donated a marvelous holiday card for the troops overseas (HCS-4 Red wolves Helicopter unit in Iraq). After listening to DJ Dave Nye’s holiday music, we were entertained with holiday stories from Lynn Ruehlmann and magic tricks from John Kingry. Please check out cprv.org to see the pictures that Jeanne Ullian snapped at the party. I am looking for suggestions & volunteers to make next year’s party even better. Please email me at scearnhart@erols.com
A China plate with snowmen and trees around the border was left behind at the CPRV Holiday Party. Photo on our web site shows the plate heaped with chocolate chip cookies. Contact Jeanne Ullian (625-6736) or jullian@sprintmail.com
Children ages 4 to 12 years old! Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey ® Circus and Norfolk Public Library invite you to participate in a winter reading club. Earn special circus prizes, including a free ticket, when you read at Norfolk Public Library.
This exciting winter reading club begins on Monday, January 10 and is designed to encourage young readers to come to the library. Earn a free ticket to the circus by reading at the library for 20 minutes on four different days. At each visit participants will receive a special prize:
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@cox.net