SHORE THING: Gossip Gets a Bad Rap
Ewell’s is no more — long live Vance’s! (Wave photo)
By GEORGE SOUTHERN
Cape Charles Wave
January 28, 2013
It could be argued that Cape Charles doesn’t need a newspaper, because one stroll through town is usually enough to learn about everything that’s going on.
Maybe so, but if you drive instead of walk, or live out of town, you’re going to miss out on some of the news.
And with the weather as it’s been for the last two weeks — first rain, then snow, and for the moment still freezing cold — you don’t see many walkers, and you don’t hear as much news.
So there is some justification for a newspaper, and even for a “gossip column.”
The word “gossip” gets a bad rap. The archaic meaning of a “gossip” was a friend — somebody who knew you well enough to pass on the good stuff — meaning the REAL news.
So, friends, let me tell you about my walk through town the day before it started raining, which was two Mondays ago. If you live in town maybe you already know this, but half our readers are out-of-towners.
My first stop was at Sullivan’s, which of course is the number-one spot where news not only is heard but also made. I asked Mike if he had a scanner power supply I needed. He didn’t, but that brought me into contact with Jay’s barber shop across the hall.
Jay asked me if I had any good news (he meant JUICY news), and I asked him the same thing. If your barber doesn’t know, nobody knows.
I say barber, because I go to get my hair “cut.” Women go to get their hair “done,” but it’s all the same — whoever works on your hair knows the news.
Vance Lewis popped in, and I took the opportunity to chide him for pulling down the Ewell’s Furniture sign, leaving a blank frame. WRONG, Vance said — he had just put up his own sign, which you’ve already seen unless you don’t live here, in which case just look at the photo above.
As everybody knows, Vance’s father Frank, our former mayor (who just celebrated a birthday), has retired and sold Ewell’s Furniture to his son. Frank used to work six days a week at the store, but now that he’s retired he’s cut back to five.
That’s pretty big news for Cape Charles: Ewell’s Furniture, which had that name even before Frank bought it however many decades ago, is now Vance’s Furniture.
But there’s more, courtesy of Watson’s Hardware, which may not make as much news as Sullivan’s but does an even better job of spreading it. [Read more…]
FRIDAY 2/8: Health and Wellness Seminar at Impact Fitness
The next free Health and Wellness seminar is 5:30 p.m. Friday, February 8, at Impact Fitness. [Read more…]
Glass Lovers Celebrate Unique Art Form
CAPE CHARLES WAVE
January 27, 2013
“Sea Glass and All Things Glass,” an exhibition featuring artists, vendors, and experts, filled the Firehouse yesterday. From top, participants with a passion for glass included Town Mayor Dora Sullivan, who organized the event; bottle expert Ray Lewis, and Richard LaMotte, author of Pure Sea Glass, who lectured on the histories and mysteries of sea glass.
At left is a sea glass necklace featuring a very rare thick teal in sterling silver, crafted by Gertraud Fendler, who also provided the three bottom photos.
H. Allen Floyd, 90, President and Founder of Floyd Energy
January 26, 2013
H. Allen Floyd, Jr., 90, husband of Mary Elizabeth Cullen Floyd and a resident of Belle Haven, passed away Saturday, January 26, at his residence.
A graveside service will be conducted 2 p.m. Monday, January 28, at Tankard’s Rest Cemetery in Exmore with the Rev. Cameron Randall officiating.
Family will join friends at Doughty Funeral Home on Sunday evening from 7 to 8:30.
Flowers will be accepted or memorials may be made to Hospice and Palliative Care of the Eastern Shore, 165 Market Street, Suite #3, Onancock, VA 23417. [Read more…]
Old School Cape Charles Gets First Day in Court
By DORIE SOUTHERN
Cape Charles Wave
January 26, 2013
The Town of Cape Charles sold the old school and park property for $10 to a developer last month, but the residents group known as Old School Cape Charles hopes to walk it back.
The group has filed two lawsuits in Northampton Circuit Court — one appealing the sale of the park property, and the other appealing the rezoning.
Judge Revell Lewis heard three hours of arguments yesterday over whether the lawsuits merit a trial.
“I have listened carefully,” Lewis said at the end of the day. “Because of the complexity, I will not render a decision today.”
A written decision will be issued in two or three weeks.
The decision could be to go to trial, to dismiss the cases, or some combination of those.
Top Cape Charles officials spent most of the day at the hearing, which was scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. but did not get underway until 1 p.m.
Cape Charles Mayor Dora Sullivan sat through it all, accompanied by both Town Manager Heather Arcos and Assistant Town Manager Bob Panek.
Also keeping watch was Police Chief Charles “Sambo” Brown.
The only current Town Council member attending was Frank Wendell, a vociferous opponent of divesting the school.
Former Council members Bruce Evans and Larry Veber were there, both of whom voted to sell the school. Former Council member John Burdiss was also present. Burdiss was not a council member at the time of the sale, but Town records show that he attended at least one closed session when Town Council was secretly negotiating to sell the school.
Representing Old School Cape Charles was its president, Wayne Creed, accompanied by a group of about 16 supporters.
The preliminary hearing was a long time coming. Old School Cape Charles filed the first lawsuit last July. [Read more…]
Civic Leaders Allege Housing Discrimination by Town
LENORA MITCHELL
Concerned Citizens of Cape Charles
JANE CABARRUS
Northampton NAACP
ALICE COLES
Bayview Citizens for Social Justice
By DORIE SOUTHERN
Cape Charles Wave
January 24, 2013
Three prominent civic leaders have expressed concern to elected state officials over alleged discriminatory housing practices by the Town of Cape Charles.
The civic leaders are Lenora Mitchell, president of Concerned Citizens of Cape Charles; Alice Coles, president of Bayview Citizens for Social Justice; and Jane Cabarrus, president of Northampton County NAACP.
The three leaders want elected officials to know that the sales contract for the Town’s old school stipulates that apartments to be built in the school may not be rented to persons receiving government subsidies.
The apartment developer, Echelon Resources, has applied for federal and state tax credits totaling 45 percent of construction costs.
The Town of Cape Charles awarded Echelon a no-bid contract for the school for the price of $10. The property is assessed at $921,000.
The Town also agreed to transfer $41,000 insurance proceeds to Echelon, and to reduce utility hookup fees by 75 percent.
“We question why, and how, a developer could receive government assistance to build apartments while explicitly excluding people relying on government assistance from living in those apartments,” the civic leaders wrote in a letter.
One letter went to State Senator Ralph Northam, and another to Virginia Delegate Lynwood Lewis, with copies to Senator Tim Kaine and Northampton Supervisor Willie Randall. [Read more…]
EPIPHANY PARTY:
New Pink Flamingos Benefit Library, Fire House
Chris Bannon received a mounted pink flamingo head in recognition of his service.
Special to the Cape Charles Wave
January 23, 2013
This year’s Epiphany Party raised $4,279 for the Friends of the Cape Charles Memorial Library to use toward renovating the new building.
The 150 attendees also contributed $310 toward renovations at the Cape Charles Fire House. Shane Hayward passed the “boot” to raise an additional $460 for the operation of the Volunteer Fire Company.
The Epiphany Party is held the first Saturday after the Epiphany (January 6). The next party will be January 11, 2014, and everyone is invited.
Chili is traditionally served, and guests are asked to bring an appetizer or a dessert to share and a gift to be auctioned off.
The annual Epiphany Party began 23 years ago in the home of Rick Bowmaster. A handful of people attended the first event, each bringing what was lovingly described as “their least favorite Christmas gift.” The gifts were auctioned off with the proceeds going to specific need.
This community tradition continues today, but the event has become so large that it is now held in the Fire House.
Each year the money raised is donated to a local organization or person in need of help.
Many auction items return year after year, and the signature gift is a pair of plastic pink flamingos. [Read more…]
FRIDAY 1/25: Health and Wellness Seminar at Impact Fitness
The next free Health and Wellness seminar is 5:30 p.m. Friday, January 25, at Impact Fitness. [Read more…]
