#9 Story
An Outsider’s Inside View of Bay Creek’s Beach Club

Forget the beach -- the new Bay Creek facility is really a large, impressive gym. (Wave photos)

Forget the beach — the new Bay Creek facility is really a large, impressive gym (Wave photos)

By GEORGE SOUTHERN
Cape Charles Wave

January 27, 2014

When I moved to the Town of Cape Charles four years ago, I didn’t realize that the majority of the Town would be off-limits to me. Sure, I knew that Bay Creek was a gated community, but I didn’t think I would be banned from riding my bicycle over there.

That’s because, as a college student in the 1970s, I worked construction one summer on Hilton Head Island, where Sea Pines Plantation looks like it must have been the prototype for Bay Creek. Cars entering Sea Pines had to have a pass, but bikers and pedestrians could waltz right through. That was before 9/11, of course – maybe things have changed now.

Nevertheless I was shocked to learn of the “unneighborliness” of Bay Creek. German guests at our vacation rental rode bikes over to the gate and naively said they just wanted to “look around.” They were turned away, of course, not knowing the magic words “Coach House Restaurant.” Even my new weekender neighbors, a doctor and his professional wife, also on bikes, were turned away.

2,800 square-foot Members’ Lounge is a great place to relax with friends (assuming your friends are Members)

2,800 square-foot Members’ Lounge is a great place to relax with friends (assuming your friends are Members)

CONTINUED FROM FIRST PAGE

By no means do I intend this as criticism of the friendly guards at the Bay Creek gate, one of whom I know personally. I have friends who live in Bay Creek, and the mention of a friend’s name has always granted me access. But sometimes I cheated, mentioning a friend’s name when I really just wanted to “look around.” And Bobby Thomas finally caught me, embarrassingly enough when my wife and I were giving relatives a tour of Bay Creek, and we got the bums’ rush.

Once burned, twice cautious. I continue to “look around” the gated portion of the town I now call home, but my most recent visit to Bay Creek was under the protection of a genuine property owner. And that is how an outsider gained access to the inside of the new Bay Creek Beach Club.

I want to see Cape Charles prosper – after all, I have a vacation rental business here. And I want to see Bay Creek prosper. (What’s good for General Motors is good for the USA.) But, after seeing the Beach Club inside and out, my reaction is: What were they thinking? How could so much money be spent, only to snatch failure from the jaws of success?

Before spending millions of dollars, a developer is presumed to have a plan. The name “Beach Club” evokes something to do with – with – come on — yes, with the BEACH! The Mexican Riviera comes to mind – a luxurious plaza with sparkling pool, restaurant, and bar just a few steps from a pristine beach and infinite sea vista. Bay Creek could have done a version of this. They have a beautiful beach and they have a beautiful Bay vista. The idea is, if you don’t want to swim in the Bay, you can swim in the pool overlooking the Bay and still be at the beach. But no – the “Beach Club” offers no view of the beach and barely of the water. And my bet is that even though the beach is not that far from the Club, guests will nevertheless drive between the two points.

Absent a beach and water view, one might still expect a “beach club” to offer the other amenities expected of a facility with such a name. Among the most important are FOOD and DRINK. Sadly, the Beach Club comes up short again, offering only a cooler with canned drinks.

But surprise – the Beach Club DOES offer an amenity not hinted at by its name. What the Beach Club really is, is a gym. A first-class gym. A huge gym. A very expensive gym. And – given the median age of Bay Creek homeowners, a gym destined to see very little use. The Bay Creek clientele like to play golf. How many of them, after 18 holes, will choose to visit the gym? I didn’t think so.

Since what we’re really talking about is a first-class gym, let’s think about what people expect for their $5,000 initiation fee and $90 monthly dues: Plenty of shiny treadmills, ellipticals, weight machines, and the like? They got it. But there’s something crucially lacking: an indoor pool. That’s what the majority of fitness buffs willing to lay out big bucks expect to be included – an indoor lap pool. Bay Creek can only say it’s coming in “Phase II” – no date given. There’s also no sauna and no Jacuzzi.

While the gym portion of the Beach Club is impressive, the “Lounge” area is nothing but depressing. This is where everyone has the opportunity to kick back and – do what? There’s no bar, there’s no music. Oh yes, at one end above a mantelpiece is a flat panel TV, no larger than the clientele likely have in their own living rooms. And on the far end is a pool table. If by some miracle I received a complimentary lifetime pass to the Beach Club, I still can’t imagine ever spending time in the “Club Lounge.”

The Beach Club also looks to be a real polarizer for the Bay Creek community. For the first time, the majority of Bay Creek residents will get to experience that “outsider” feeling — because unless you’re a Beach Club member, you’re not admitted.

In conclusion, for some “balance,” here is Bay Creek’s own description of the new Beach Club:

With sweeping views of the Chesapeake Bay, our incredible new Beach Club and Fitness Center features 19,000 square feet of fun and fitness. This member-only amenity located in Bayside Village is a year-round amenity you’ll love!

Features
• 2,800 square-foot Members’ Lounge
• Circuit and strength training area featuring equipment from Free Motion, Hoist and Cybex
• Cardio equipment such as treadmills, bikes and elliptical machines from Cybex and Octane
• Upscale locker rooms for men and women
• Two outdoor pools
• Splash zone for children

Hours
January & February
Monday – Thursday 7 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Friday – Sunday 7 a.m. – 7 p.m.

Rates
Experience the best of Bay Creek with a Sports Membership.
• Unlimited use of the Beach Club and Fitness Center
• 12 discounted rounds of golf per year at our Signature courses by Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus
• 15% off meals at Coach House Tavern and on Golf Pro Shop purchases
Our Sports Membership program includes a $5,000 refundable deposit with monthly dues of $90 for the entire family.

Beach Club has been unkindly described by a Bay Creek property owner as resembling a Williamsburg outlet mall.

Beach Club has been unkindly described by a Bay Creek property owner as resembling a Williamsburg outlet mall.

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Comments

32 Responses to “#9 Story
An Outsider’s Inside View of Bay Creek’s Beach Club”

  1. Ron Wrucke on January 27th, 2014 8:50 am

    Well, all I can say is thank you for the “balance” :-) For some strange reason, probably incomprehensible to a few cranky “non-members'” some of us over here behind our “un-neighborly gates” are really happy with the new facility. And, for the record, some of us old geezers actually use the gym even after walking 18 holes — such an odd concept. Also — surprise, surprise — there might even be a few of us who could not care less if an indoor (humid, smelly … no thanks) lap pool is ever provided. I know some would like one, and if they build one I don’t think I’ll quit :-) However, once Bay Creek decided to at least give the existing Members a partial facility, I’m very satisfied with where the “split” was made. It doesn’t sound like you’ll be joining any time soon — can you see the tears rolling down my cheek :-)

    Didn’t anybody ever hear the phrase “live and let live”? Why do non-members take so much pleasure out of complaining about something that doesn’t concern them in the least? While they are at it, they should go tell Jack Nicklaus that he shouldn’t be in the golf course design business -– maybe that will make them really feel good about themselves.

  2. Kearn Schemm on January 27th, 2014 9:52 am

    Great article. The main thing Bay Creek can take from this is that there should be a business plan that will generate business for the place. I have been out there, and my house in Cape Charles is much closer to the beach than the “Beach Club.” Why wasn’t it built closer to the beach, why no bar or food? Bad business plan. I wish them well, since I would like to see “Phase II” with a sauna be built, but I think we will not see it while I am in a condition to use it. I certainly would not pay $5,000 to join a beach club without a beach in walking distance (my guesstimate is 250 yards from the water).

  3. Janet Dudley on January 27th, 2014 11:14 am

    You know with all of the information I got from this article, it bothers me NOT, good for Bay Creek residents they got their club, and so what if it is not what everyone expected, and it looks like something from another place, blah blah blah, I live in Cape Charles proper I am happy here, I have the beach, if I want to go, I can go to Bay Creek gate and pass through for lunch or dinner, i don’t play golf, but if I did I could, so I am just saying I am happy that the residents of Bay Creek finally got their club and what they do with it is their business not ours.
    So folks I say be happy for everyone in Bay Creek and in Cape Charles.

  4. Gordon Campbell on January 27th, 2014 12:19 pm

    And the Wave complains itself into irrelevancy.

  5. Bill & Mandi Davis on January 27th, 2014 5:22 pm

    I personally feel Bay Creek security is too lax, because of people who feel entited to use the amenities that are paid for by the residents of Bay Creek. Glad you were caught for using a member’s name to access the private use of our Bay Creek facilities. I do not appreciate your advertising to use “Coach House Tavern” to enter the Bay Creek community. The tavern is open to the public, and this is kind of them. Bay Creek residents expect and pay for a certain amount of privacy when purchasing property/membership here. We built a home in 2005 and have owned property since 2003. Want to use the facilities? Why don’t you buy Bay Creek property and pay the monthly dues?

    GEORGE SOUTHERN RESPONDS: To clarify, I have never used Bay Creek facilities other than at the Coach House, which I do pay for. And I do appreciate that the Coach House is open to the public, because I enjoy going there. However, if you want a truly sealed neighborhood, you are indeed right to question the concept of Bay Creek’s gated “security,” since the general public is allowed entrance to drive all the way through Bay Creek to the Coach House. Regarding my rental guests, I advise them that if they are interested in seeing Bay Creek, they should visit the Coach House. That is neither illegal nor even questionable, and it contributes to the Coach House’s profits.

  6. Paul Chandler on January 27th, 2014 5:50 pm

    Is this a “news” article or a commentary?

    When the first sentence of a newspaper article contains the word “I” twice and “me” once, almost certainly it is commentary. In cases where a reporter needs to refer to himself in a news story, the proper procedure is to say “this reporter” instead of “I.” If anyone is still uncertain whether a story in the Wave is news or commentary, he can click the tabs at the top of the page and observe which category the story is filed under. -EDITOR

  7. Wayne Creed on January 27th, 2014 6:24 pm

    Have not had a chance to actually see the new club, but the weight room looks great. If they do decide to add an indoor pool, that would be a giant bonus. Many don’t know, but we have a former swim coach living in town that has sent many athletes to the NCAA, and also the Olympics. Victor Abrahamian would be an excellent asset as a coach, mentor or trainer — and that goes for all ages of swimmers. Adding the ability to swim year-’round, being able to add to the workout routine, would take what already appears to be a first-class facility to the next level.

  8. Dana Lascu on January 27th, 2014 7:07 pm

    Excellent discussion of the pros and cons of the new establishment. I used to see more cars parked there when it was under construction, so I too am concerned about the viability of the facility. Had no idea that it was called a “Beach Club.” Maybe it is an aspirational name, since the Bay is undoubtedly heading in its direction. Those machines look awesome! Not worried about Impact Fitness — yet.

  9. Grant St. John on January 27th, 2014 8:11 pm

    For another outsider perspective, a little wake up call: Please put away the economic disparity crusade and take a look at the good old friendly faces on Mason before castigating the gate keepers at Bay Creek. Having visited Cape Charles multiple times from Maine, most recently a week ago to check out some properties, I was struck again by the rolled up sidewalks and less than friendly faces in each shop that, by chance, was open. Quite the new library, by the way — just don’t take a book out or you will be overcome by the mold. And one can’t get enough of the good old boys at the hardware emporium who sit outside each summer day and clog the walkway, but never offer a hello to a passing visitor. Why not just put out the please stay out sign right at the entrance to town. Bay Creek is Bay Creek and like every gated community doesn’t admit curiosity seekers without a genuine reason. So please spare me the turned away tale of your European guests. It seems that several folks in Cape Charles also live in a gated community. The gates are less visible on the outside, but very real on the inside. Take a good look in the mirror before casting stones. This article just made my decision regarding real estate. No thanks.

  10. Roseann Chin on January 27th, 2014 8:41 pm

    I agree with Mr. Wrucke’s comments as well as the Davis’s. We do pay for and expect certain amenities like a private gated community. Granted the beach house is nothing resembling the vision back in 2003, 2004, which included talk of cabanas. I would suspect that the infamous tiger beetle may have something to do with the Beach Club being so far from the beach. I also find it amusing that you are a little put out about not being able to bike ride through Bay Creek. I would never presume to even attempt that excursion in a gated community unless I lived there.

    GEORGE RESPONDS: With over 1,000 readers of this story in less than 24 hours, I believe my Bay Creek bike-riding days are indeed over — even to the Coach House.

  11. Michael Scarn on January 28th, 2014 9:20 am

    As a nonmember of the Bay Creek gated community and a new resident to the Town of Cape Charles, I think this article is nothing short of disappointing. The beach is only maybe 200 yards away and if you need a car to connect these two points, then you should be using the cardio equipment more often. Second, the lounge users have access to the Coach House so if you want meals you can bring them and enjoy your meal in a relaxing environment. I think the club is amazing — it has great equipment, two pools, and a place to get away, play cards, and watch some TV. Sure maybe there are flaws but every establishment has flaws.

  12. Pam Hainsworth on January 28th, 2014 2:31 pm

    Just what is the point of this article? Sounds like an angry Elf. Why would it even matter to someone who is a non-member of a gated community on how they run their security or establishment for guests or non-members to gain entry? Both golf courses and Coach House have been open to the public and renters for years now without any problem of anyone getting admission or dining at the Coach House Tavern. I’m sure Bay Creek would be happy to welcome anyone as a new dues paying Member. There are many levels of membership to choose from. It was nice that you were able as an outsider to get an inside look, without having to pay a dime, even if it was just to be negative.

  13. Stefanie Marshall on January 29th, 2014 11:43 am

    Why would you feel entitled to look around Bay Creek? You don’t own property there and you pay NO dues. Bay Creek is part of Cape Charles, but is still a gated community within the Town borders. The quaint little Town you moved to four years ago is not off limits to you — you can ride your little bike wherever you please. Do you think you could go out to California and purchase a house outside of Beverly Hills Mulholland Estates and walk, drive, or ride bikes through that gated community? I know what you are thinking, you can’t compare Bay Creek to Beverly Hills, but yes you can — they are both GATED communities. I can’t imagine what you feel society owes you, showing relatives around Bay Creek? I am really glad someone called you on your erroneous observations of the beach club. I would never assume that I could “look around” a gated community without a homeowner or Realtor present. I have a suggestion: buy some property in Bay Creek, pay your dues, volunteer to be on the Board, then tell me what you think — I might listen at that point.

  14. Thomas D. Giese on January 29th, 2014 12:51 pm

    Is this another Obama class warfare crusade? If you want to use the facilities of Bay Creek, buy property there. People should stop acting like the “kid with his nose pressed against the candy store window.” I live in Old Cape Charles because I love this town and its old houses and wonderful neighbors. I could care less if the new facility is close to the beach or to Route 13, whether it looks like a beach club in Barbados or the New York Athletic Club. I do not own property there, and it is not my business. The Town has a wonderful gym, a beach, and if you want some food go to Kelly’s. If you have spare time, use it to stir up the never-ending “school” give-away scandal.

  15. John Boytos on January 29th, 2014 8:31 pm

    Who is supposed to remove the snow in Bay Creek? The HOA? Something else we pay for that isn’t done. If you want to work out at the gym, bring a snow shovel.

    Someone might want to call Jack Nicklaus and tell him that some of his holes are falling into the bay. But the good news is we have 450 members. Per Foster, 250 more and the clubhouse will be built: 56,000 sq. ft., two museums, three locker rooms (one men’s, one women’s, one pro’s when the PGA comes), and a 5-star restaurant.

    Maybe they should start by finishing the roads in Bayside Village, the Fairways, and fixing the other roads from the inferior work to begin with. You can lose a small child in the potholes, not to mention the damage being done to our cars because the trees, planted by the developer, are busting up the asphalt.

    “Beach Club” means on the beach or it’s not a beach club and was to be by the Carousel! At least they got the lighthouse — oh, that’s right, he lost that in the lawsuit too.

  16. Dana Lascu on January 29th, 2014 10:25 pm

    Very scary. You have dared to enter the sanctum sanctorum of a paranoid gated society. What was you thinkin’?
    P.S.: Gated societies have been described as a “social ill” — the reactions above resonate accordingly.

  17. Deborah Bender on January 30th, 2014 8:12 am

    From the amount of outraged comments about an “outsider” daring to enter and then report on the beach club, it seems to me that the folks living inside “the pearly gates” are just a little upset that the beach club isn’t all that.

    What good are the gates if anyone can come in by saying they are going to the Coach House? Maybe the Coach House should close to the public. Oh wait a minute — most of the times I have eaten there it is the outsiders that are keeping it open.

  18. Ron Wrucke on January 30th, 2014 8:57 am

    John Boytos said, “Who is supposed to remove the snow in Bay Creek? The HOA? Something else we pay for that isn’t done.”

    Members of the HOA sincerely wish that all residents paid their HOA dues :-)

    Dana/Deborah: Let me repeat: “Live and let live — Why do non-members take so much pleasure out of complaining about something that doesn’t concern them in the least?”

    NOTE: If the Beach Club was built by the beach, there couldn’t be any outdoor pools because of blowing sand. Anybody ever notice the sand drifts on Bay Avenue in Cape Charles after a “blow”?

  19. Paul Chandler on January 30th, 2014 9:30 am

    I purchased a home four years ago and have invested significant time and money into the Town. What attracted me to the Town was the beauty, the calm, and the people. None of that has changed, but what I see now is a small minority given a forum to air their petty views and squabbles and taking full advantage to divide our Town. We all lived through the school debacle. Regardless of your position on the subject, friendships were broken and divisions drawn. And if that weren’t enough, we’re now pushing away are friends in Bay Creek? Really?

    I too own a rental business. I want my guests to see the Cape Charles that I saw in 2010, but when I Google “Cape Charles,” the Wave comes out near the top. Is this really how we want to represent our Town? A town at war with itself. Hardly the way to attract visitors, is it?

    But maybe that’s the problem. The vast majority of the Town is open to change and welcoming to the influx of summer visitors. It’s what keeps our town alive. But the small minority with the loudest voices, and a convenient outlet for their insular views, are the ones that the rest of the world sees.

    The Wave proports to be a “newspaper.” If that’s the case, it has a responsibility to the Town to be a quality newspaper, instead of becoming a biased, devisive tabloid pandering to that insular minority, and thereby becoming completely irrelevant to the majority of the good people in Cape Charles. I welcome everyone’s responses with interest.

    The Wave has published 49 stories and events so far this month. Please put substance to your complaint by specifying which of those 49 stories should NOT have been published (in addition to the Beach Club story). Your list will be printed in a follow-up comment. –EDITOR

  20. Kearn Schemm on January 30th, 2014 10:04 am

    The whole series of “you don’t belong, don’t write about it” comments leave me wondering why the authors of those comments think that the completion of a very expensive new facility in a town with only 900 full-time residents is NOT newsworthy. This facility, as I understand it, WILL be open to anyone (in Bay Creek, or just a townee) who spends 5 grand to become a member. So, for those who might have become a member, if the Beach Club had been, for example, NEAR THE BEACH, or if it had had an indoor swimming pool, or sauna, or whatever, the information in the article was very valuable.

    As to Grant St. John’s comments about Cape Charles being an unfriendly place, I am amazed. Since coming to Cape Charles for the first time on vacation, then buying property on Monroe, I have been startled by the open, friendly face of the community. My kids love Cape Charles, my sister loves Cape Charles, her kids love Cape Charles, and they all mention how FRIENDLY the people of the Town are. I know that people from Maine, like all New Englanders, are noted around the world for their open, fun-loving nature and the welcoming way they greet newcomers. I spent several summers in Maine and experienced their “friendliness” first-hand. The warmth of the typical “Maineiac” was rivaled only by the warmth of their winters. But all critique of Maine aside, Cape Charles is really a great place with wonderful, friendly, welcoming “come-hithers” and “born-heres.” I love the place.

  21. Deborah Bender on January 30th, 2014 11:07 am

    Ron: I will tell you exactly why I have a problem with some of the folks from Bay Creek. During the “Old School” mess, the Bay Creek people came to the meetings, after being told that their taxes would go up if there was a community center. They practically screamed about taxes going up. They had been brainwashed by certain members of Town Council. Well, the joke is now on them — taxes and utility bills went up anyway.

    This was the big mistake made by the town regarding gated communities within town borders: The Bay Creek people can voice their opinions about the Historic District.

    You can ask anyone who knows me personally and knew me when I was in business, and they will tell you how much fun shopping in “Scarlett’s Closet” was back in the day. I am far from a mean, vindictive person as one might be led to believe. My husband has lived in town for most of his life and he feels like a stranger in his own town. His family has a deep heritage in this town. His family came here in the 1800s. He loves this town and is disgusted by what it has become — a town divided.

  22. Paul Chandler on January 30th, 2014 11:11 am

    You appear to have completely missed my point. Let’s see how your readers react.

    Does that mean you’re OK with those other 48 stories? –EDITOR

  23. Gordon Campbell on January 30th, 2014 11:41 am

    John Boytos: The roads were plowed at 8 a.m. (albeit one lane) around my home. It was still snowing. They came back again a little after 9 for another pass. I went into town this morning and in my opinion the Bay Creek roads are in equal or better shape than the roads in town. Bayside Village is also passable but the Club like just about everything else in Northampton County is closed today as it should be. The level of investment in snow removal equipment that might get used once per year is always debatable but I have to commend the crew on doing a great job this year. Regarding the Beach Club location, I was told that the original plan was to locate it at the beach but the blowing sand was a concern and the location they chose allowed them to take advantage of the higher elevation. I would rather see some water than just the backs of dunes.

    Kearn Schemm: Of course the author can write about anything he wants. For good or bad the Internet has allowed anyone to call themselves a writer or reporter. But it is the unnecessary negativity and divisiveness that has people complaining, and has led, in my opinion, to people believing that the Wave is not to be taken seriously. The poor journalist style of the opinion pieces will only hinder the growth of the Wave and alienate advertisers.

  24. Dana Lascu on January 30th, 2014 11:51 am

    Ron Wrucke: Why exactly are you assuming I am not a member? I am, and I feel so very entitled to an opinion. Gated communities, in principle, suck — for, among others, the reasons brought forth by the above dialogue.

  25. Jill Kratzer on January 30th, 2014 3:24 pm

    Thank you, Thomas Giese, for pointing out that the town of Cape Charles already has a wonderful gym! And to Dana Lascu, Impact Fitness is doing very well. I am not concerned about Bay Creek. The people of this county already have a great gym at their fingertips. It’s clean, extremely affordable, offers 19 quality group exercise classes a week in a variety of formats suitable for a wide range of fitness levels, provides community outreach to the students of Cape Charles Christian School with weekly physical education classes as part of their school curriculum requirements, has men’s and women’s locker rooms with shower facilities, a variety of circuit and cardio machines which may not be brand new but they WORK, a free weight area separate from the cardio and circuit machines where members can bench press and lift without getting in the way of others and overall, has a great group of members who are welcoming and friendly. My children and I work extremely hard to keep the gym open and available to the general public. I am not making much of a profit, but I love my members and I love what I do and that’s what makes Impact special. George, don’t worry about Bay Creek. You have a great “beach club” in town. Just like the lyrics in the “Soak up the Sun” song, it’s not having what you want, it’s wanting what you’ve got, and you’ve got it!

  26. Wayne Creed on January 30th, 2014 5:25 pm

    OMG, Mr. Chandler’s puffed up, portentous, petulant, pomposity seems enchantingly boundless. And he wants a “quality” newspaper which will ignore the unwashed, insular few, in favor of the “good” people of Cape Charles. And who exactly are the “good” ones? It seems Mr. Chandler and some of our town’s cow pie pilots are operating from what they perceive to be a privileged perspective — well, there are no privileged perspectives, only multiple points of view.

    All this talk about the negativity of the Wave makes me want to puke. Whether you consider Southern a “real” journalist, or just a muckraking tabloid monster, the fact is 99% of the time he is merely pointedly restating the obvious, as was the case with this article. Don’t shoot the messenger when you can bitch to the designer.

    You all say you want a quality newspaper, as long as it only prints drool — pathetic puffball pieces that are careful not to disturb the status quo. You weep for the genteel Cape Charles, yet claim to want the truth. The problem is, you can’t handle the truth, and Southern does not have the luxury of sugar coating the news to make it generically palatable. He has a greater responsibility than to pander to the weepy feelings of gilded cage parakeets unable to shake the hangover induced by years of Cape Charles’ Geritol-laced euphoria.

    Ten years ago I used to say, as Bay Creek goes, so goes Cape Charles. I’m not willing to give up on that idea, yet I really don’t believe it, either. Friendships broken? If the “good” people of this town have given up friendships over something as inherently superficial as politics, than there hardly could have been much there to begin with (I know this; my mom was a Roosevelt Democrat and Dad was a Goldwater Republican, and each election brought with it arguments that would send Lucifer running for cover. However, their love was not drawn along political lines).

    This same clodpated world view, which claims to be the champion for change, is nothing more than an agent of repression and strangulation. It seems disingenuous and grotesque to use Mr. Southern and the Wave as a punchline for merely giving voice multiple points of view, no matter how limited your own perspective might be.

    It is true, however, that I don’t give a damn what the summer visitors think of this place. Can’t worry about what you can’t control. Besides, me and the boys got other things to do.

  27. Paul Chandler on January 30th, 2014 6:13 pm

    And there we have it. That consistent minority just can’t help themselves.

    And Mr. Creed, carefully re-read my comment. Your comment says far more about your view of Cape Charles than it does mine. Oh, and the good people of Cape Charles, they’re the ones that want to see the town grow and prosper, rather than those who are so desperate to sell-up and ship-out.

  28. Wayne Creed on January 30th, 2014 7:11 pm

    Mr. Chandler: It would seem to be a grand mistake to underestimate the “consistent” minority. And really, this close to Martin Luther King’s birthday. I would also remind you to be careful not to take us for granted; it was of course the consistent minority (with the help of some strategic planning on the part of Rochembeau) that led to Cornwallis’ surrender at Yorktown, was it not? Although in our case, we’re so rag tag and insular, we probably resemble Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys more — that was a fun night at Fort Ticonderoga, wasn’t it? “Come out of there you sons of British whores, or I’ll smoke you out!” –Ethan Allen. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

    Boys, boys, the war is over — and so is this exchange between gentlemen. The Wave decrees it. –EDITOR

  29. John Boytos on January 30th, 2014 7:22 pm

    Just found out that Bay Creek is the only place on the east coast that has wind — and a beach club not on the beach.

  30. David Gay on January 30th, 2014 8:18 pm

    Can’t we all just get along? The fact is that Cape Charles and Bay Creek need each other to grow and prosper. Neither can do it alone. We don’t have a viable population to afford the services that we so desperately need at this end of the County like Emergency Care, clean water, and good schools.
    Maybe we should try to meet at one of the eating establishments some weekend or during the week to discuss how we can all work together and make our town a better place for all of us. It would give us a chance to get to know one another, understand our motivations, enjoy some good Cape Charles cooking and support one of our merchants. Simple ground rules: bring your ideas and no pot shots. If interested let me know via email ([email protected]) and I will see what I can do to set something up that works for everyone.

  31. Steve Downs on July 6th, 2015 1:38 pm

    After reading this article a second time, I still come away with the same opinion, which is, WHO GIVES A *&^% what anybody thinks about something they will not be involved with? What a stupid, petty article this is.

    Steve: Please refrain from reading the article a third time. –EDITOR

  32. Dana Lascu on July 6th, 2015 6:39 pm

    It affects everyone in Cape Charles if the “beach” club is going to be another failed project. How much does Bay Creek owe the town/county in taxes? How much does it owe for the sewer plant? And how much more is it going to owe in the future if this club will not have enough members to sustain it? We need someone exacting, like Heinz Sommer – thanks for the budget insights in the Mirror! – to ask all the relevant questions.

    I can safely assume that the club doesn’t have too many members by looking at the handful of cars parked there daily, even in full tourist season. So yes, it is relevant to all of us if we will have another white elephant in town. Also, there is not much marketing of the facility, it has no visibility beyond a drive-by presence on the way to the beach. Maybe, with some selling, I might see a reason to become a member. Or not. Love the story, George!