Colonial Place/Riverview Civic League
COMMUNITY NEWS

July 2007

             July Hot Dog and Ice Cream Social

NEXT BOARD MEETING will be Monday, July 16, 2007, at 7:00 pm.

DEADLINE for the September Newsletter is Tuesday, August 21, 2007. (NO AUGUST Newsletter).

THIS MONTH'S MEETING AGENDA: July Hot Dog and Ice Cream Social

Last month, I was given a sea kayak by a friend who did not have any use for it anymore. Since then, I have paddling the waters around Colonial Place and Riverview. What a unique way to see our neighborhood – from a duck's point of view. As a neophyte kayaker, I have taken a couple spills which have provided me with an opportunity to sample the local water. I have detected hints of clam among other things. Anyways, this July, the Haven Creek Boat Ramp renovation should be wrapping up and we will have an improved boat ramp, a small boat launch for canoes and kayaks, and following these improvements, a timber multi-use path construction from the boat ramp to New York Avenue. See you out on the water.

I would like to commend Mr. John Stewart of Colonial Place for his leadership and vision in coordinating the Lafayette Wetlands Partnership. You will see his article in this newletter about the recognition that the group recently received. Related to “thinking globally, and acting locally,” I would also like to thank all the residents of Colonial Place and Riverview who are recycling their household waste materials. As you will see from Ms. Audrey Webb's article, this has not gone unnoticed. Thanks to Audrey for chairing the civic league's Beautification Committee and regularly reminding us about what, and what not, can be recycled.

If you are interested in participating in our CPRV Community Radio Project, please schedule July 15th, at 3 p.m. for a brief orientation and brainstorming session. We will have another opportunity to talk with the WODV team and take a brief tour of the WODV radio station. We will also make some headway towards becoming a presence on the radio dial. Because this meeting will take place at a private residence in Colonial Place, I ask that you email/call me for the address (I don't want to tip off Rupert Murdoch too soon). If you have signed up to participate at a civic league meeting over the last couple of months, I will be contacting you directly with the address.

Please know that we are going to take some R&R this August and will not have a civic league meeting or a newsletter. Everyone needs some time off, including our newsletter editor, our newsletter distribution team, and our newsletter delivery volunteers. See you in September after our July ice cream social (also featuring hot dogs). Speaking of that, Mrs. Sheila Janes, our new Vice President, is planning a really great time. See her article for the details. Interested in a having a particular guest speaker or theme at an upcoming civic league meeting? Contact Sheila with your ideas.

It's not just a neighborhood, it's an: a) ice cream social b) radio show c) lifestyle d) all of the above.
-Steve Earnhart, searnhart@gmail.com

It is time again for our annual CPRV Ice Cream Social. Our annual get together will be at Fat Boy's restaurant in Riverview Village (4117 Granby Street). The owners of Fat Boys, Mr. David Filipowski and Mr. Rich Katz, both residents of CPRV, have generously agreed to host our annual event again this year and will be serving up hot dogs, veggie dogs, and ice cream. Sam Dorsey, a Colonial Place resident and classical guitarist, will be entertaining us with the sweet sound of his guitar.

Make sure to ride your bike to the event. Tara Sheldon, our new CPRV Crime Prevention Chair, will have a bike registration table set up and an informal bike cruise might take place afterward. Alice McCoy will have the Riverview Coffee Parlor open for complimentary coffee, teas, and soda. Glenda Warner and Bob Baxter will have a membership table set up for those that need to renew their membership cards and our very own CPRV book authors, Susan VanHecke and Artemis Stoll, will be on hand to sign copies of Colonial Place and Riverview: One Hundred Years of History.

This is a family event, so come out for a free hot dog, a free ice cream, a free coffee or soda, a free bike registration, and an excellent way to spend your free time with great friends and neighbors.

CPRV Stickers will be on sale at the CPRV July Social on Monday, July 9th. Stickers usually sell for $2.50 each, but during this event you will be able to purchase them for $1.00 each. (Limits apply.) Remember the agreement is that you display the sticker on one of your vehicles and that you apply it when the weather is above 50 degrees.

In striving for the best neighborhoods possible, we are hosting a photo exhibit at the October's general membership meeting. The power of a picture can be more illuminating than words. We are encouraging everyone to take pictures that tell the story of Colonial Place and Riverview. We will create a "The Good, The Bad, and The Ulgy" display wall in hope that it starts a lively debate about what works and what doesn't throughout the neighborhood. There will be a children's section too, so arm your kids with a camera and snap some pictures of "The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly" of Colonial Place and Riverview. More details to come.

To echo Sheila’s sentiments... fight crime, save gas and get some exercise riding your bike to the annual CPRV Ice Cream Social at Fat Boys, Monday, July 9th at 7p.m.! Officer Jackson will be there to register your bike. Some free helmets will also be provided by The Lynn Fund of the Brain Injury Association of America (www.thelynnfund.org).

In addition to registering your bike, be sure to always have a "U-Lock" on it, even if you have it in your shed or garage. Officer Jackson reminds us most bike thieves do not carry the tools needed to break locks, and they surely wouldn't be able to ride away with your bike if you have it locked with a U-Lock!

Every month some neighbors from CPRV get together to enjoy vegetarian and vegan dishes. You do not have to be vegetarian to come, in fact quite a few folks come just for the great food and company! The potlucks are usually on Sundays at 5 pm, but the day and time may vary depending on who is hosting. You can join the Veg Club listserv by going to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/cprv_veggies/ or sending an email to: CPRV_Veggies-subscribe@yahoogroups.com. The next potluck will be July 29th at 5 p.m. If you would like to join us or have any questions, contact Tara or Kristie at 627-1176.

I have added the Real Estate Statistics for calendar year 2006 for Colonial Place and Riverview to our web site. Look for a link on the home page (www.cprv.org). Statistics now cover calendar years 2000 through 2006.

If you haven't already, you will most likely hear the buzz on roller derby everywhere very soon. You have seen the Dominion Derby Girls in the Virginian Pilot, on Channel 13's early morning show news segment "Joe's Job", seen fliers on local retailers' windows, heard them on the radio, and yes, even on our very own CPRV listserv where nothing gets by our avid readers.

Roller derby is truly the product of its skaters' efforts. No two leagues are exactly the same. Each league's teams choose a distinct identity composed of up to 14 skaters wearing uniforms that usually include fishnets and colorful knee socks. To top it off, a persona for each skater -- usually a double entendre -- spices up the entertainment. However, the rest of the sport is real. The speed, the hits, the body blocking, and the tempers are not staged.

The Dominion Derby Girls (DDG) is your local roller derby league. Established in January 2006, the women of the DDG have worked tirelessly to bring the sport of flat track roller derby to Hampton Roads. With three home teams and an all star travel team, the DDG usually competes 11 months out of the year, both here at home and on the road.

Amazingly enough, roller derby girls are your neighbors. In Colonial Place alone, there is representation of all three teams from the Dominion Derby Girls. You have Bam Bam McChaCha, a mighty blocker and jammer, Pachuca Loca, a missile launch blocker, and Cutthroat KC, an impassable pivot and jammer all playing for the Femmes Fatales. There is also Becka Tha Wrecka, a fierce and ruthless pivot, Asian Chow Down, a relentless pivot and jammer, and Hofosho, the unbreakable blocker and team Captain all playing for the Dirty Diesel Darlins. For the St. Brawli Girls, Skateful Dread, a rookie and steadfast blocker along with Molly Shipwreck, a founding member and referee, are local "CP" residents.

Many DDG functions have taken place in the "CP compound". A little stretch on Delaware Avenue is home to two members of the Dominion Derby Girls. It is there in the adjoining backyards of Pachuca Loca and Becka Tha Wrecka that league meetings, birthday parties and afternoon get-togethers have gathered members of the DDG to share laughs, camaraderie and friendship. So come support your Colonial Place neighbors and watch your local flat track roller derby girls for entertainment and action at Haygood Skating Center! Not only do the Dominion Derby Girls love the sport, friendship, and the fitness, they actively commit a great portion of proceeds and time to local charities and non-profit organization events. It is their strength as a league that allows them to give as much as they do to these groups.

Next Bout:

What: "Beer & Diesel - The Trucker's Dream" Dirty Diesel Darlins vs. St. Brawli Girls
When: Sunday, July 22. Doors open at 6 p.m., bout begins at 7 p.m.
Where: Haygood Family Skating Center, 1036 Ferry Plantation Road, Virginia Beach

How do you enjoy your favorite plants when you have exhausted most of your available space in the yard? How about the “postage stamp” yard? Space is definitely limited there. Growing space doesn't get much more limited than when you reside in a condo and only have a balcony. In these circumstances you need to be creative with container gardening but there are special challenges with this type of growing.

I fall into the first category listed above. I have filled every space in the yard but I always find more plants that I just HAVE to have! I love growing vegetables so this year I am going the container route. I am growing 2 different tomatoes, 3 different peppers, cucumber, 2 different squash and Swiss chard. All of this in a 3 x 5 space against a wall. Large containers are needed for veggies but instead of sliding them side by side, I stacked them using pedestals to elevate the tomatoes. The squash are planted on the edge of the tomato pots and they will cascade over the edge. The Swiss chard is in the pot with the cucumber. Chard in front, cukes in back and growing up a homemade trellis. The peppers are in smaller pots in the ground level. I also planted a few marigolds in the pots to help keep the bugs at bay and create some color. Stacking also makes harvesting easier.

There are so many creative methods for container gardening. Stacking, using trellises to grow plants up instead of outward, espalier against a wall for flowering shrubs and there are even planters available that hang plants upside down! The key points to remember for containers is good drainage and daily watering in hot weather. Place a tray or “pot feet” under pots that drain onto a wood deck to help protect it. Be considerate of your condo neighbors below and water slowly to avoid too much water flowing onto their balcony or patio. The other consideration is trimming. To keep the size of plants in check, you might need to do more trimming and shaping than usual.

So now there is no excuse for not growing your favorites anywhere you want. One of the best parts of container gardening is shopping. The shapes, colors and types of containers and plants for them is endless! I do love to shop, you know! I need to go harvest my peppers. Enjoy the summer!

The Lafayette Wetlands Partnership, a group formed just six months ago to help sustain and maintain the Knitting Mill Creek wetland at 46th and Colley Avenue, recently received an Award of Excellence for River and Watershed Protection from the City of Norfolk Environmental Commission. The award was presented at the Keep Norfolk Beautiful Cookout and Awards Celebration at the Ernie Morgan Center on Friday, June 22, 2007. The award cited the Partnership's commitment to reinvigorate the restorative work that was begun several years ago and to become a model for community stewardship of urban wetlands throughout the Lafayette River watershed. The Partnership is currently refining a plan that will ensure the long term health of the wetland while adding a walkway over the wetland that will complement the Colley Avenue sidewalk. Anyone interested in joining in the work of the Partnership is invited to contact John Stewart.

The Colonial Place/Riverview Civic League participates in the EARNN Program (Environmental Awards for Recycling in Norfolk Neighborhoods). This enables us to be eligible for monetary awards. When the blue recycling carts were introduced in 2005 our participation rate was recorded at 65%. Now, thanks to our increased recycling efforts, 79% is our recorded high for the past year. Because of this, I am happy to report that we have earned a cash award of $600.00.

Please continue to spread the recycling word so that we may increase our present record, while maintaining a clean and environmentally responsible neighborhood. Just a reminder. Flattened corrugated cardboard only to be placef inside the cart. Do not use plastic bags for recycleables as they become tangled up in the machinery. Paper bags are okay. Thank you.

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

              E-MAIL: president@cprv.org (checked weekly and answered only--due to spam issues--if you put CPRV and your specific issue in the subject line)

              WEB PAGE: www.cprv.org

Community News Editor:   Stephanie Hale, Phone 622-6999
Community News Distribution:   Buddy Petzinger, Phone 622-0233 and Mary Hormell, Phone 627-2392
Advertising:   Stephanie Hale, Phone 622-6999

Please deliver typewritten newsletter items to:

              Stephanie Hale
              Phone: 622-6999
              e-mail: cprvnews@gmail.com