Pier vs. Park: A Tale of Two Toilets
On the left is the Town’s toilet at the fishing pier, built in 2000 by Boy Scout Jeb Brady in fulfillment of his Eagle rank. All materials and labor were donated, resulting in zero cost to the Town. On the right is the sewer pumping station prototype for the park toilet under construction now at a total cost of $37,000. (Wave photos)
By GEORGE SOUTHERN
Cape Charles Wave
December 13, 2012
Just about 13 years ago, Boy Scout Jeb Brady was looking for a project to complete the requirements for the rank of Eagle. “I probably bit off more than I could chew,” Brady told the Wave, but after a year of hard work his project was complete: public toilets for the beach and fishing pier.
Previously, “there was no bathroom — not even a place to wash the sand off your feet,” Brady said. “There weren’t as many people using the beach back then, but a bathroom was still a huge need.”
That need was universally recognized, and the whole town supported Brady’s project, donating materials and labor.
Local architect Leon Parham drew up the plans. One firm donated the concrete and block. Another supplied the cedar shake shingles. Electricians did the wiring and plumbers installed the water and sewer pipes.
Fortunately for Brady and the Town, both his father and uncle are tradesmen.
The finished project totals 104 square feet comprising two unisex bathrooms, each with one toilet, and was dedicated September 28, 2000. Total cost to the Town: Zero.
Fast forward a decade or so: Central Park had just undergone a magnificent renovation with the assistance of federal stimulus money. But the only public toilet was a plastic porta-potty.
Citizens for Central Park, under the direction of President Bob Panek, applied for a $45,000 grant from the Eastern Shore of Virginia Community Foundation. They got the grant, but the amount was reduced to $20,000.
Town Council voted to contribute $15,000 toward the toilets, and the CCP is contributing $2,000 to pay the architect, for a total cost of $37,000 to build the park toilets. [Read more…]
WEDNESDAY 12/19: Heather Travis Directs ‘The Nativity’ at Cape Charles Baptist Church
The Cape Charles Baptist Church Children’s Ministry will present “The Nativity,” a short musical directed by Heather Travis, at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, December 19. [Read more…]
