TIGER BEETLE HABITAT
Bay Creek Beaches Must Be ‘Left to Nature’
CAPE CHARLES WAVE
September 2, 2014
The lowly Northeastern beach tiger beetle, a threatened species, has won out over Bay Creek beach goers — with the help of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
The Bay Creek Homeowners Association used to rake the Bay Creek beaches to remove whatever washed up with the tide, such as seaweed, grasses, and the like — just as Cape Charles does at the town’s public beach. But the raking, especially with a tractor, is highly damaging to the Northeastern beach tiger beetle, whose habitat has been reduced to two areas: Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts and some relatively undisturbed beaches on the Chesapeake Bay.
That counts out the town public beach, where the tiger beetle gave up long ago. But the Bay Creek beaches, having become frequented by people only in recent times, still host the tiger beetle. So the beaches at Bayside Village and at The Colony/Kings Bay have been designated by the F&WS as tiger beetle habitat and may not be disturbed.
“This means that the beach must be left to nature with the exception that human pedestrian traffic is permitted, as well as the hand removal of glass, metal, plastic, etc. In years past the beach at Bay Creek was mechanically raked and maintained. This practice was suspended when the F&WS Enforcement branch placed the management of the Home Owners Association on notice that cleaning the beach is a violation of law subject to criminal prosecution and heavy daily fines for continued violations,” the Bay Creek HOA reported to its members in August. [Read more…]
Cape Charles Christian School: An Appreciation
One of many yard sales at the Christian School. (Wave photo)
By WAYNE CREED
September 2, 2014
As school starts today, I have to say it is a little bit sad not have any of my children going back to Cape Charles Christian School. My son and daughter were part of the first class at the school, when it was housed by the generous folks at Trinity Methodist and Cape Charles Baptist. From its very beginnings, the school embodied the very best of our community, and I can’t tell you what a joy it was to once again see gaggles of kids traipsing through Cape Charles.
Now that my son Joey has moved on to Broadwater (he really wanted to play varsity sports), I am personally going to miss those mornings, watching him strap on his backpack, hop on his scooter, and go off to school in the same town where he grew up. He loves playing sports at BA, but I know he also misses the Christian school too.
I am so grateful for everything that CCCS did for our kids — the values they taught and the sense of community that they have built. It has been a fruitful partnership with the citizens of Cape Charles, our Library and staff, and especially Arts Enter, which has been so gracious and helpful with classes, instruction, and use of facilities.
Kate Tayloe, Valerie Travis, Dawn Lewis, Carrie Cabello, and Leslie Savage provided the best lower school experience one could wish for. Andrea Davis is no longer there, but she was also instrumental in laying the intellectual foundation for success. Thanks to Ms. Tayloe for showing my kids that, yes, reading can actually be fun. Holly Hubbard brought so much talent and passion to our upper school, teaching the required disciplines needed to excel in not just the upper school, but all through the educational experience. [Read more…]
ORAL HISTORY
‘To Think Daddy Sold the House for $20,000!’
“One of the prettiest houses in town”: Randolph Avenue home was built c.1945 and purchased by the Wendell family c.1958 for $20,000. The home remains in the family today. (Wave photo)
September 2, 2014
Cape Charles Historical Society has for more than a decade been recording oral histories of the area’s earlier days. A grant from the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities enabled 15 interviews to be transcribed, and the Historical Society has made this one available for readers of the Wave.
1990 Interview of Virginia Fitzhugh conducted by Virginia Savage
PART SIX
VIRGINIA SAVAGE: There’s a house [southwest corner of Randolph and Peach] owned by Ham Hamilton. He was married to a Whitehead [from Townsend — two doors east of Miss Iva].
VIRGINIA FITZHUGH: They’re related in some way. You know you can’t talk about anyone around here, Virginia, because everyone is kin!
You know, I found that early! When I came to the Eastern Shore I found out in a hurry you don’t talk about anybody because everybody was kin!
That’s where Carrie King lived for years [before she built her house]. Yeah, she lived there for years and years, Carrie King. Now who built it, I don’t know.
Now which house is that?
Where Ham Hamilton lived on that corner.
Tazewell and Peach. Then Carrie built the house up Randolph Ave that the Wendells now live in. And I think she must have built that about 1945. You know, in about 1958 we bought what was the Dr. Lynch house, the Dr. Moore house before that, we didn’t pay but $7,500 for that house. And the Wendells bought Aunt Carrie’s house not long after that and I don’t think they paid but $20,000 for that and that was one of the prettiest houses in town.
Dr. Lewis Belote, the dentist, only paid $20,000 for the Moore house. [Jack Moore house on Bay Avenue.] And that came right from Elizabeth. Because you know when Joan wanted to sell it, she wanted $100,000 and Elizabeth had a fit. She said, “My Lord, my Daddy sold that to Lewis Belote for $20,000 and I think left the piano in there.” [Bobby Rittenhouse has it.]
And that was thirty years ago, because I think Wade was about two years old when they moved into that house, because I kept him during that period of time. He and Jake were buddies. So that was about thirty years ago, they paid $20,000 for that house. Isn’t that amazing!
Elizabeth said she just couldn’t get over it. To think Daddy sold it for $20,000. [Read more…]
