TUESDAY 4/28: Public Invited to CBES Annual Meeting at Little Italy

The public is invited to the annual meeting and social for Citizens for a Better Eastern Shore and Virginia’s Eastern Shorekeeper at Little Italy Restaurant in Nassawadox on Tuesday, April 28. Reservations are required for the optional dinner at 6 p.m. but not for the free program beginning at 7 p.m. The program invites the Eastern Shore community to explore  “Green is the New Gold: Ecotourism on the Shore, Protecting & Priming our Economic Engine.”

You do not have be a tourism business to appreciate this event. The keynote address by Bobbie Walker of the Virginia Tourism Corporation will highlight the ways ecotourism enriches a community from its bottom line to quality of life issues. Rural economies have challenges; the Eastern Shore is no different. It makes sense to rev up already successful economic engines like Ecotourism, a natural fit for the Shore.

Walker has spent the past 22 years with the Virginia Tourism Corporation, working closely with Virginia communities to provide hospitality education for their workforce and assist in the development of their tourism assets. Most recently, she was appointed the Tourism Development Specialist for the Eastern Shore, Northern Neck, Middle Peninsula Coastal regions of Virginia.  Her role is to facilitate local efforts in their strategic planning process, and provide guidance as they strive to develop new tourism initiatives including agri-tourism, aqua-tourism, space tourism, arts, history/heritage and other related activities.

In 2014 Walker moved from the Richmond area and now resides in Cape Charles. She will provide a question and answer period following the presentation.

CBES has stoked up the “social” in the annual meeting to provide citizens a chance to connect with both CBES’s and Virginia Eastern Shorekeeper’s boards, members, local officials, and neighbors.

Another highlight of the evening will include the presentation of the Suzanne Wescoat Award for “Exemplary service by an elected or appointed public official.” Suzanne Wescoat was the founding president of CBES. As a Supervisor and Chairman of the Board of Supervisors, Wescoat worked diligently for the community and for the wellbeing of the people of Northampton County. Her service was such that she would herself have been a most deserving recipient of this award.

“We are grateful for the generosity of local artist Marty Burgess for supplying a most beautiful and Shore inspired award,” said Donna Bozza, CBES Executive Director. The award-winning artist’s oil painting “High Tide Hunt” depicts an osprey overlooking a kaleidoscope sunrise on the Shore’s seaside.

Executive directors Donna Bozza and Jay Ford will also present updates on the activities and plans of both CBES and Shorekeeper. “The buzzword is networking, but really it’s about enjoying good old-fashioned fellowship on the Shore,” said Bozza.

Dinner Reservations Required: 757-442-7831. $15 Buffet Menu: Baked Rotisserie Chicken, Fettuccine Alfredo, Eggplant Parmesan, string beans, salad, rolls and choice of soft drink, ice tea, tea, or coffee. Cash Bar available.