Colonial Place/Riverview Civic League
COMMUNITY NEWS
Guest Speaker, Rose Thornton, CPRV Community Improvement Chair, At This Month's Meeting
NEXT BOARD MEETING will be Monday, January 19, 2009, at 7:00 pm.
DEADLINE for the February issue is Friday, January 16, 2009.
THIS MONTH'S MEETING AGENDA: Monthly police report - Rose Thornton, CPRV Community Improvement Chair will speak on City Codes Enforcement
I welcome in the new year with much enthusiasm! The civic league is touted as being one of the most active civic leagues in the City of Norfolk. I invite you to become involved this new year in your civic league if you are not already! There are many ways in which you can serve and we are always open to new projects that would further enhance our great neighborhoods! Please take a moment to look on the back of the newsletter and consider becoming involved in one of the committees listed or consider heading up a new idea that could contribute to the wonderful things happening around CPRV! If you’ve never attended a civic league meeting, please show up on January 12th at 7 p.m. and resolve to meet your neighbors - we welcome everyone!
The Haven Creek Walking Path project is marching along and we hope to bring a presentation to the league in February showing the new design that residents along Haven Creek have tweaked to better meet their needs. This project is going to be a wonderful pathway that will highlight our wetland environment.
CPRV has a new crime prevention chair, Janine Roman, and she’s anxious to jump in and continue the great community-wide work that Tara Sheldon and Kristie Davis have done for our neighborhood. Our neighborhood is fortunate to have a listserv to promote crime prevention and Tara and Kristie have worked tirelessly both in front and behind the scenes recruiting and engaging the community to become active members in taking responsibility for crime watch on their blocks. Neighborhood watch involves reaching out to neighbors and taking the steps to be proactive, both in personal security and in keeping watch for suspicious behavior and reporting it. Time and time again, throughout the city, I hear people talk of CPRV as being a model neighborhood watch community. I extend thanks on behalf of the CPRV community to both Tara Sheldon and Kristie Davis for their service in leading crime prevention in CPRV.
Remember to keep up to date with CPRV community news by subscribing to the neighborhood listserv and keeping up with the neighborhood webpage. Both can be accessed at www.cprv.org. As always, feel free to call me if I can be of service. The Future Looks Great in CPRV!
CPRV Community Improvement Chair, Rose Thornton means business when it comes to her committee. Since taking on her position early last year, she has worked tenaciously on codes enforcement issues with the city. Rose has generated numerous emails, spent countless hours in phone conversations, and initiated meetings with city personnel. Her focus? Residential rental dwelling code violations addressed in Chapter 36 of the Code of Ordinances, City of Norfolk, a 50+ chapter document. At our Civic League meeting on January 12, Rose will address:
Ever wonder what a 1950s prom at J.E.B. Stuart school might have looked like? How about Colonial Place in 1937? Lafayette Park at the dawn of the automobile?
You’ll find these fascinating images and more at www.cprvhistory.org, a new website devoted to the history of Colonial Place and Riverview. Though the focus is primarily on our neighborhood book, Colonial Place and Riverview: One Hundred Years of History, there are also many rare and vintage photos kindly contributed by residents, collectors, and historic archives. New images will be added regularly, so be sure to visit again and again. Of course, photo contributions and comments are definitely welcome!
It is a pleasure to look at all of the beautiful homes in Colonial Place and Riverview decorated for the holiday season. This year our neighbors put some real effort and imagination into their decorations, and we appreciate it.
The Grand Prize winner is 620 Connecticut Avenue. If visions of sugar plums or candy canes, lolly pops or taffy dance in your head, you will appreciate the suspended candy theme. It is whimsical, fun, colorful, original and bright. Just what we need! Congratulations!
The Best Decorative Lighting winner is 414 Massachusetts Avenue. The trees, flower beds and house were decked in small white lights that followed the natural flow. Red balls hung from the tree for contrast. The Best Traditional Decoration Motif winner is 536 New York Avenue with a grand white house with genteel lights and greenery. A southern tradition. The Pride of Riverview winner is 252 40th Street with the house covered with carefully placed varying sizes of colored lights. Riverview had some great houses this year, but this is one to be proud of. The Beautiful Holiday Bungalow winner is 520 Delaware Avenue. There should be an award just for the massive renovations done on this house. Decked out with Christmas finery, it is a real charmer. The Arbor Award winner (best tree) is 4901 Gosnold Avenue, festooned with lights accenting the shape of the tree.
In addition to being creative, we have some nice neighbors. You would have thought that I was Ed McMahon delivering a check with how excited they were about winning. They did get a nice sign and an official card. They also will receive gift certificates from our friends at Enrico’s and Tanner’s Creek Seafood Restaurant, two excellent nearby eateries.
I hope that everyone had a happy holiday, and remember decorations are on sale. Stock up for next Christmas, and maybe you too can be a winner, too!
At last month’s Annual Holiday Party, the merriment started shortly after 7 o’clock. Neighbors came from throughout CPRV to get the party in full swing. We enjoyed festive food (cookies, dips, candy, and holiday breads); Alice’s delicious coffees and hot cocoa; a special guest appearance and a song by Julie Clark; an entertaining raffle by Randy Johnson; and a lively craft activity for the kids. It wasn’t until clean-up was underway, though, that I realized, quite possibly, the best part of the evening: the opportunity to help neighbors, even those outside CPRV.
Admission to the party was set at “a canned good to be donated to the Foodbank.” I had no idea if people would remember. With all the hustle and rush of the season, I figured folks would get home from work, grab a quick dinner, and head over to Knox Presbyterian. It would be understandable, I thought, everyone’s busy at this time of year.
But when I finally saw what had been donated that evening, like the Grinch, my heart grew bigger that day. There were three bags overflowing with canned goods, and pastas, and pantry staples--even a large bag of cat food from one of the many animal lovers in our midst. Yet again, I had the privilege to be reminded of what a great community we live in. Given an opportunity to help others in need, CPRV residents let their hearts guide them.
A couple days later I drove over to the Foodbank to drop off the food. The workers who accepted the donation were appreciative of our efforts. They were grateful to accept what we had provided.
In total, we donated over 60 food items to the Foodbank of Southeastern VA. And, to the Norfolk Animal Control shelter, one bag of cat food.
Thank you, CPRV neighbors. You made a difference this holiday.
Residents of Colonial Place and Riverview are urged to contact the city when they become of aware of properties being offered for rent within our neighborhood. Call Rusty Masten at 664-6527 (City of Norfolk) and request an Occupancy Permit Inspection for the vacant or soon-to-be-vacated rental property.
The Norfolk Environmental Commission is once again sponsoring Electronic Recycling Day. This will take place on January 17, 2009 in the parking lot adjacent to WHRO TV 15 on Hampton Boulevard. If you have any questions please contact me 623-1197.
I would like to introduce myself as the new chairwoman of Crime Prevention. I have lived in Colonial Place for the past 4 years and feel very fortunate to live in such a wonderful community. I would like to personally thank Tara Sheldon for all her hard work and dedication to Colonial Place. Tara has done an amazing job, so thank you Tara. I would like to take this time to remind everyone to keep your vehicles locked and to please keep your valuables out of your vehicle. If you have the need to contact me please feel free to do so janineroman@ymail.com or if the need arises 819-3024. I will send updates to the listserv and also I welcome any concerns. Hope everyone has a wonderful New Year.
You may have heard that Stephanie Hale has stepped down, and I have taken over the duties of the designer/editor of this newsletter. Most of you do not know me, so I thought I’d take this opportunity to introduce myself. I am in the process of building a house on the corner of Newport and Delaware avenues. I am originally from New Jersey, but a year ago moved to Chesapeake to join the Public Communications Department there. When it came time to buy my very first house, this civic league helped me realize that Colonial Place/Riverview was where I wanted to be. Though I won’t officially move in until May (I hope!), I look forward immersing myself in the neighborhood through the civic league and its activities. Should you have any questions or concerns pertaining to the newsletter, please do not hesitate to contact me at cprvnews@gmail.com or (908) 797-8750.
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: Buddy Petzinger, Phone 622-0233 and Mary Hormell, Phone 627-2392
CPRV Web Page: www.cprv.org