Saturday Service for Eunice Betsy Brown, 1924-2012
A Celebration of Life service for Eunice Betsy Brown will be held 12 noon Saturday, October 13, at First Baptist Church, Capeville, with the Rev. Kelvin F. Jones officiating.
Internment will be at Cape Charles Community Cemetery. Arrangements are by Gray’s Funeral Home, Cape Charles.
Mrs. Brown passed away October 4 at her home in Greenbackville. She was born in Cedar Grove on November 28, 1924.
She is survived by her husband of 55 years, John Willie Brown; three children, Larry Wayne Corney of Stamford, CT, Faye Eulonda Perry of Atlanta, GA, and Ray Lynwood Brown of Miami, FL; 15 grandchildren; 14 great-grandchildren; 2 sisters-in law; 3 God-children; and many nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.
She was predeceased by a son, John “Doodie Bug” Corney; siblings John “Jack” Rogers, Cordelia “Sis, Big Mama” Smith, Florence “Nick” Smith Gibson, Jannie “Sock” Smith, Ossion “Smitty” Smith, Eddie “Jake” Smith, Sabor “Nookie” Tolliver, and George “Jimmy” Smith Sr. [Read more…]
Service Honors Cape Charles’ Only Fallen Police Officer
At Wednesday’s dedication to 1918 Cape Charles fallen police officer, Virginia Marine Resources Commission and Norfolk Police Department present colors. (Wave photo)
By GEORGE SOUTHERN
Cape Charles Wave
October 11, 2012
Almost a century ago a Cape Charles police officer was shot and killed while attempting to arrest a double shooting suspect. Yesterday, Sgt. James A. Taylor was honored with a ceremony in Central Park and a memorial stone.
“Sgt. Taylor paid the ultimate price by giving his life in the line of duty 95 years ago,” Cape Charles Police Chief Charles “Sambo” Brown told townspeople and area law enforcement officers assembled in the park. “We have left room on the monument for other names,” Brown said, “but I pray that we will add no more names.”
A group of Sgt. Taylor’s descendants came to Cape Charles to attend the ceremony.
The Virginia Marine Resources Commission and the Norfolk Police Department provided a color guard, and Pastor Russell Goodrich of First Baptist Church offered a prayer and scripture reading.
Northampton Sheriff’s Deputy Terry Thomas sang “You Raise Me Up.”
Cape Charles Mayor Dora Sullivan read a letter from Gov. Robert McDonnell honoring Taylor’s service and sacrifice. McDonnell also expressed appreciation for Cape Charles Police Officer Jim Pruitt and his colleagues for organizing the dedication service. (Read letter here.)
Vice Mayor Chris Bannon read two poems, “The Final Inspection,” and A Hero Is.”
Members of Montgomery County Police Pipes and Drums played “Amazing Grace.”
Perhaps the most poignant moment was the “Final Radio Call,” with Chief Brown holding his walkie-talkie to the microphone as the Town Police dispatcher repeatedly called for Sgt. James Taylor to respond.
There was no answer. [Read more…]
Sunday Fire House Service for VFD’s Douglas Walker, 45
Douglas DeLeon Walker, better known as Doug, 45, husband of Margaret “Ann” Walker and a resident of Cape Charles, passed away Tuesday, October 9, at his residence.
A memorial service will be held Sunday, October 14, at 2 p.m. at Cape Charles Fire House, 501 Mason Ave., Cape Charles with the Rev. Russell Goodrich officiating.
A native of Chesapeake, he was the son of Donnie V. Hensley of Virginia Beach and Cosmo Walker and his wife, Denise, of Chesapeake.
In addition to his wife and parents, he is survived by a son, Thomas Lee Stevens and his wife, Ellen, of Cape Charles; a daughter, Candie Leigh Walker of Cape Charles; four brothers, Cosmo L. Walker, Jr. of Moyock, NC, Bobby Walker of Chesapeake, Johnny Walker of Mechanicsville, VA, Cosmo D. Walker of Virginia Beach; three grandchildren, Ryan, Zachary, and Sophia Stevens. [Read more…]
THURSDAY 10/11: Town Council to Discuss Bank/Library, Sale of Old School, Trail Project
Cape Charles Town Council will hold its regular monthly meeting 6 p.m. Thursday, October 11, at St. Charles Parish Hall. The meeting is open to the public, and comments can be addressed to the Council.
New business includes:
— October 5 purchase of the former Bank of America building for the library;
— Need for additional funds for the Town Trail Project; and
— Old school developer Echelon Resources and status of litigation. [Read more…]
Dedication Today in Central Park for Policeman Slain in 1918
This letter from Virginia Governor Robert McDonnell will be read by Cape Charles Mayor Dora Sullivan at Wednesday’s Memorial Service in Central Park. Click on letter to view second page.
October 10, 2012
Cape Charles Police Department and fellow law enforcement officers are holding a dedication service 2 p.m. Wednesday, October 10, at Central Park.
The event commemorates the Cape Charles police officer James A. Taylor, who died November 29, 1918 in the line of duty.
Taylor was killed while attempting to arrest a shooting suspect. He left behind a wife and eight children.
The Cape Charles Police Department notes that “Sgt. Taylor gave his life to protect the citizens of Cape Charles, and this would be even more tragic if he is forgotten.”
Cape Charles Mayor Dora Sullivan will read a letter from Virginia Governor Robert McDonnell honoring Sgt. Taylor. A memorial stone will be placed in his memory. [Read more…]
Old School Cape Charles Questions Developer Moonlighting
By GEORGE SOUTHERN
Cape Charles Wave
October 9, 2012
The fight in Cape Charles over the old school, basketball court, and playground parking has spilled over into Hanover County.
Hanover County, 12 miles north of Richmond, is perhaps best known as the home of King’s Dominion theme park. The county has a population of 100,000 and a full-time director of economic development: Edwin Gaskin.
Gaskin is also president of Echelon Resources, Inc., the development firm set to receive from the Town of Cape Charles the old school, park property, and $41,000 in insurance proceeds. According to a contract signed by Mayor Dora Sullivan, Echelon gets the property and the insurance money for the nominal sum of $10.
The local group Old School Cape Charles, LLC, is working every angle to try to stop the deal from going through. They have filed two lawsuits in Northampton Circuit Court against the Town and Echelon. And now they are taking their case to Hanover County.
In an October 4 letter to Hanover County Board of Supervisors Chairman Ed Via, the community relations spokesperson for Old School Cape Charles, Deborah Bender, requests copies of telephone logs and emails “to establish how much time Mr. Gaskin devoted to his development project in Cape Charles while employed by Hanover County.”
The request was made under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act, which allows public access to most state and local government records. [Read more…]
SEASON ENDS: A Great Summer on the Eastern Shore!
Master Falconer Ray Peña thrilled Cape Charles spectators at Saturday’s Eastern Shore Birding and Wildlife Festival raptor demonstration. (Wave photo)
By GEORGE SOUTHERN
Cape Charles Wave
October 8, 2012
September 21 saw the official end of summer, but the “season” actually ended only yesterday — appropriately with a cold rain.
And this last week presented a spectacular finale to what might be Cape Charles’ most upbeat summer since the last ferry boat steamed away in 1949.
(Photo courtesy Chris Glennon)
The season unofficially began with the June 8-12 Tall Ships at Cape Charles festival, drawing 7,000 visitors (and 43 vendors). The first-time event is now planned to repeat annually.
Nearly concurrent with the Tall Ships spectacular was the opening of three new businesses and one new building — all having a big impact on the Town.
The new building is the Cape Charles Harbor Bath House — a quarter-million dollar better mousetrap designed to attract high-roller yachts to the Harbor’s newly expanded floating docks. And it’s working — at the height of the season, more boats called at the harbor in a month than previously visited in a year.
Dockside is another new building — the Shanty — the restaurant/bar that quickly became the watering hole for the “in crowd” — especially after the owners gave in and installed air conditioning in place of the original open-air design.
Across the railroad tracks in Town, two other businesses opened. First came the tony boutique Hotel Cape Charles, where owner David Gammino has bet $2 million that upscale tourists will increasingly make Cape Charles their destination.
The other new business was Brown Dog Ice Cream, where owner Miriam Elton quickly discovered the crowds could eat ice cream faster than she could make it by hand. [Read more…]
Eastern Shore Birding & Wildlife Festival Sunday Schedule
For complete information on schedules and pricing, visit the Festival website at http://www.esvafestivals.com/.
