Live Animal Nativity Opens at Pfeiffer Riding Stables
By AUDREY NOTTINGHAM
Special to the Cape Charles Wave
December 15, 2012
Driving up to the Christmas gala at Pfeiffer Riding Stables, the first thing we noticed were the candles, hundreds of them, lining the drive. We were directed to the field to park and told to head to the Merry Christmas sign. Music could be heard and the house was lit up in celebration.
The live animal nativity is more than just that. They offered pony rides, barrel rides, and hay rides all with the intent of being fun and teaching the word of God.
They reminded us that behind bargain hunting for gifts and Christmas parties there is a deeper meaning to this holiday, something that in the hustle and bustle we had lost sight of.
Here are some pictures I took while I was there last night: [Read more…]
LETTER: School Board Will Be Elected — But How?
December 14, 2012
DEAR EDITOR,
We would like once more to thank everyone who contributed in any way in our quest to have the school board elected as opposed to appointed.
We were more than pleased at the results of the vote — in fact almost astonished at the great majority who voted in favor. Almost 80 percent of the citizens of Northampton County voted for this change.
The question has now arisen, “what happens now?”
The answer is not clear-cut, as the Code of Virginia has some contradictions in the change-over from an appointed board to an elected one.
The terms of three members of the school board end in June, 2013. Yet they will continue to serve until December 31, as the first election in which the members can be elected will happen in November 2013, when the supervisors from Districts 1, 2, and 3 face election. [Read more…]
Pier vs. Park: A Tale of Two Toilets
On the left is the Town’s toilet at the fishing pier, built in 2000 by Boy Scout Jeb Brady in fulfillment of his Eagle rank. All materials and labor were donated, resulting in zero cost to the Town. On the right is the sewer pumping station prototype for the park toilet under construction now at a total cost of $37,000. (Wave photos)
By GEORGE SOUTHERN
Cape Charles Wave
December 13, 2012
Just about 13 years ago, Boy Scout Jeb Brady was looking for a project to complete the requirements for the rank of Eagle. “I probably bit off more than I could chew,” Brady told the Wave, but after a year of hard work his project was complete: public toilets for the beach and fishing pier.
Previously, “there was no bathroom — not even a place to wash the sand off your feet,” Brady said. “There weren’t as many people using the beach back then, but a bathroom was still a huge need.”
That need was universally recognized, and the whole town supported Brady’s project, donating materials and labor.
Local architect Leon Parham drew up the plans. One firm donated the concrete and block. Another supplied the cedar shake shingles. Electricians did the wiring and plumbers installed the water and sewer pipes.
Fortunately for Brady and the Town, both his father and uncle are tradesmen.
The finished project totals 104 square feet comprising two unisex bathrooms, each with one toilet, and was dedicated September 28, 2000. Total cost to the Town: Zero.
Fast forward a decade or so: Central Park had just undergone a magnificent renovation with the assistance of federal stimulus money. But the only public toilet was a plastic porta-potty.
Citizens for Central Park, under the direction of President Bob Panek, applied for a $45,000 grant from the Eastern Shore of Virginia Community Foundation. They got the grant, but the amount was reduced to $20,000.
Town Council voted to contribute $15,000 toward the toilets, and the CCP is contributing $2,000 to pay the architect, for a total cost of $37,000 to build the park toilets. [Read more…]
WEDNESDAY 12/19: Heather Travis Directs ‘The Nativity’ at Cape Charles Baptist Church
The Cape Charles Baptist Church Children’s Ministry will present “The Nativity,” a short musical directed by Heather Travis, at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, December 19. [Read more…]
House Near Cape Charles LEEDS Way in Energy Efficiency
Holly Dale Drive home rests on the footprint of an earlier house, resulting in minimum disruption to landscape.
Special to the
Cape Charles Wave
December 12, 2012
A new home just south of the Town of Cape Charles has been certified as the most energy-efficient dwelling on Virginia’s Eastern Shore.
The 3,500-square-foot residence on Holly Dale Drive is on a 15-acre lot on Old Plantation Creek. The house has received a Platinum LEED rating (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) — the highest rating possible.
The most important strategy to lower energy consumption in the residence was to design the house to work with the climate.
Orientation, massing, shading, natural ventilation, insulation and highly efficient windows are all crucial elements to the design. Every effort was made to maximize the efficiency of these factors before using energy to make the house comfortable.
Designer Janet Harrison of Annapolis was also the green consultant for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s Merrill Center — also a LEED Platinum recipient.
The contractor was Luke Kellam of Belle Haven. “The location provided an opportunity to design and build a home that enhances the natural surroundings and captures the expansive views,” said Kellam. “We made every effort to preserve the tranquil setting with a minimal footprint on the property.” [Read more…]
LINDEMAN: When Goodness Happens
New Roots Youth Garden pecan pie with Brown Dog coffee ice cream is just the beginning of goodness. Read on!
EDITOR’S NOTE: Last week was hard on Cape Charles, and hard on the WAVE. So thank goodness for more goodness from Lindeman!
By BRUCE LINDEMAN
Cape Charles Wave
December 11, 2012
I had arranged with Tammy Holloway earlier in the week to pick up my pie from her side porch, attached to the magnificently revived Bay Haven Inn on Tazewell. My wife and I had been watching the renovation of Leon’s old house for months. Just the simple act of removing most of the overgrown plantings around the place opened it up and provided a sight not seen in years. To me, one of the prettiest homes in the historic district and well deserving of the love that the Holloways have showered on that place.
When I opened the screen door to their porch, where the pies were awaiting, I could sense even more so the level of detail they had put into this renovation. Everything looked so bright and shiny I just wanted to stay awhile and take it all in. But I had my dad in the car and, well, some visiting to get to as he and my mom had just driven into town for the holiday.
The back story of how I had come to even hold that lovely mocha pecan pie in my hands is a story that “only happens in Cape Charles” as we so often say. I had written about my wife’s and my gathering of pecans a week or so prior in the Wave. Tammy emailed me later that week and politely asked if I could tell her where said pecans could be found. As there are numerous and very giving pecan trees in town, I told her where she could find one of the most giving — Big Mamma. Now, please don’t email me asking where Big Mamma can be found. That’s between me, my wife, Tammy, and a group of enterprising young kids who assisted her in the gathering. [Read more…]
TOWN COUNCIL:
‘Our Town’ Project, Community Trail, Old School on Thursday
Cape Charles Wave
December 11, 2012
Cape Charles Town Council meets 6 p.m. Thursday, December 13, at St. Charles Parish Hall. Agenda items include the “Our Town” Project, the Community Trail — Phase 2, the new library, healthcare facilities negotiations,and the old school plans.
The economic impact of the Tall Ships at Cape Charles Festival last June will be presented by Joan Prescott of Eastern Shore Virginia Festivals, Inc.
David Shulte from the Eastern Shore Tourism Commission will report on the impact of tourism and festivals on the economy of Cape Charles and environs. Handouts for their reports are available with the meeting agenda.
The Our Town Project is moving forward with plans for a tourism website called “Cape Charles by the Bay . . . Harbor for the Arts” that is being spearheaded by Art Enter and the Cape Charles B&B Association. The competitive procurement received 26 proposals which has been narrowed down to 5 finalists. The new website should be operational by March.
New business will include: reappointment of Board of Zoning Appeals, Wireless Boardband Request for Proposals, South Port Investors recommendation from the Planning Commission, Foreign Trade Zone information, Governor’s Designation of Additional Holiday on December 26, Cape Charles Christian School Tax Exemption Status Request, and Shore Bank State/Municipal Certificate Renewal. [Read more…]
APPEALS: First the Hotel Balconies, Now the Park Toilets
Citizens for Central Park paid $2,000 to local architect Leon Parham to design a park toilet to resemble the sewer pumping station shown above. The toilet will cost $37,000 and would be a prominent feature of the streetscape approaching Central Park. (Wave photo)
By DORIE SOUTHERN
Cape Charles Wave
December 10, 2012
Cape Charles Historic District Review Board made two decisions November 20: to reject the balcony design for Hotel Cape Charles, and to approve the design for a bathroom in Central Park.
Both decisions are being appealed.
At Hotel Cape Charles, owner David Gammino is gathering signatures for an online petition to present to Town Council. Gammino admits that the hotel’s glass-front balconies do not conform to the design originally submitted to the Review Board, but says that most people find them very attractive, and that he can’t afford to replace them.
Over at Central Park, Don Riley is also gathering signatures for a petition — not on a computer but on a yellow legal pad.
STOP THE TOILETS IN CENTRAL PARK! THE LOCATION IS INAPPROPRIATE AND THE BUILDING UNATTRACTIVE, reads the petition.
“All of the citizens who signed my petition were unaware of the location, design, or timing of this project,” Riley wrote in his appeal to Town Council. [Read more…]
