WEEKEND FEATURE
Remembering the Good Ol’ Days
By ANDY ZAHN
July 12, 2014
All fishermen are liars . . . except you and me — and sometimes I have my doubts about you!
There is a small lake at Fort Lewis, Washington, and it is in the artillery impact range where often they fire 105 mm Howitzers, so the area is off limits five days a week. On Saturdays my Captain, my Sergeant, and myself would go there to catch the beautiful Rainbow Trout living there in large numbers. I would dig a worm, put it on my hook, cast, and in short order reel in a nice fish.
The Captain would ask what I was using for bait and he would say worms are no good. “Use some of my salmon eggs.” I would dig another worm and catch a fish. Each time I caught a fish he moved to my spot, but no matter, I continued to catch fish.
The limit was 15 and when I had enough I left to meet my girlfriend who was in the Air Force and then go to where they had fireplaces and tables and enjoy the elegant feast. When I left the lake the Captain was still using salmon eggs and had not caught a fish.
The Captain was also a game warden on the Fort, and I went with him to a club on the base for hunters and fishermen. Above the bar they had the head of a mounted “Jack-A-Lope,” which is a cross between a jack rabbit and an antelope: very rare!
That girlfriend became my wife, and 56 years, four sons, and 12 grandkids later here we are in Melfa. [Read more…]
WEEKEND RECIPE
‘Impossibly Easy Coconut Pie’ Is the Best!
July 12, 2014
At the Wave’s request, longtime Monroe Avenue residents Dolores and Stefanie Somers are sharing a recipe known as “Impossibly Easy Coconut Pie.” Dolores says the recipe was popularized by Bisquick, but no matter — it really is the best coconut pie ever!
Impossibly Easy Coconut Pie
2 cups milk
¾ cup sugar
½ cup Bisquick
¼ cup butter or margarine, softened
4 eggs
1 ½ tsp vanilla
1 cup coconut flakes
Lightly grease pie pan.
Mix all ingredients except coconut flakes in blender or food processor.
Stir in coconut flakes.
Pour into pie pan and bake 50-55 minutes at 350 degrees.
No need for a pie crust — the pie forms its own crust!
THURSDAY 7/17: SPCA Eastern Shore Bingo Benefit
SPCA Eastern Shore will be the charitable partner of the Parksley Volunteer Fire Department for a night of bingo to benefit the shelter animals on Thursday, July 17, from 7-9 p.m. [Read more…]
LETTER
Planning Commission, Not Staff, Should Recommend
July 9, 2014
(EDITOR’S NOTE: The following letter from “Citizens for Open Government” was read to the Northampton County Board of Supervisors at their meeting last night. The Supervisors subsequently agreed to hold a joint work session with the County Planning Commission to hear testimony and evidence on whether to retain protections of the Chesapeake Bay Act on the seaside.)
Dear Chairman LeMond and Members of the Northampton County Board of Supervisors:
After the March 11, 2014, joint meeting of the Northampton County Board of Supervisors and the Northampton County Planning Commission, the BOS imposed a 100-day time limit for the Planning Commission to make recommendations on the 150-page complete revision of the Northampton County Zoning Ordinance. Citing Virginia Code 15.2-2285(b), County Administrator Katie Nunez at that time announced that failure of the Planning Commisision to finish their review of the complete revision of the zoning ordinance within the 100-day time limit would allow the BOS to adopt the proposed zoning ordinance as written, and would also allow the BOS to consider the lack of a recommendation as an endorsement for approval by the Planning Commission.
Unfortunately, but as predicted by many who were observing this process, the Planning Commission was unable to finish its review of the revised zoning ordinance by the May 31, 2014, deadline, and was only able to make recommendations on about one half of the 150-page document. Indeed, some of the most important and profound suggested changes to the current zoning ordinance were not addressed by the Planning Commission, and yet the BOS did not recommend remanding the unfinished portion of the proposed zoning ordinance to the Planning Commission to resume their review. This denial of allowing the Planning Commission to resume their review of these changes poses to profoundly affect the future of Northampton County. This failure by the BOS runs counter to the interest of the public and those hundreds of citizens who have voiced their opposition to the proposed zoning revisions.
At the July meeting to of the Planning Commission, the work on amending the current Comprehensive Plan resumed, as they were not asked to continue their review of the proposed zoning ordinance revisions. During deliberations last week, they addressed the language in the current 2009 Comprehensive Plan which calls for extending the protections of the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act to the waters of the seaside. At first, it was recommended that the Planning Commission recommend that this language be retained and brought forward into the draft amended Comprehensive Plan. However, discussion among the members turned to a debate as to whether or not there is enough scientific evidence to support either continuing the Cheasapeake Bay Act protections to the seaside or to let those protections lapse. After lengthy discussion, it was decided that the Planning Commission needed to call in experts in this field, and it was finally agreed that Art Schwarzchild, a well-respected marine scientist from Willis Wharf who has studied this issue in depth, should be invited to present evidence and input from his peers to help the Planning Commission in their deliberations. [Read more…]
SATURDAY 7/12: ‘Summer of Love’ Fundraiser for Cape Charles Band
Enjoy ’60s and ’70s music, wine, beer, face-painting, food, and fun at The “Summer of Love” fundraiser for Cape Charles Band Saturday, July 12, from 4-8 p.m. in Central Park. Dress up as your favorite hippie and win a prize. A “groovy time” for all ages! [Read more…]
THURSDAY 7/10: Northampton Middle School Renovation Project Community Meeting
The public is cordially invited to attend a Community Meeting concerning the Northampton Middle School Renovation Project Thursday, July 10, from 6-7:30 p.m. in the auditorium of the former Northampton Middle School, 7247 Young Street, Machipongo. [Read more…]
July 4th on the 5th: A Record-Breaking Holiday!
JULY 4TH ON THE 5TH: A RECORD-BREAKING HOLIDAY!
(July 7, 2014 Edition) Hurricane Arthur (or Hurricane “Author” as the town’s Route 13 sign dubbed him) couldn’t dampen Cape Charles’ July 4th celebration, which from an unofficial count looked to be the largest ever in modern times — certainly judging from the number of occupied parking spaces. Saturday, July 5, proved to be a picture-perfect day for a belated 4th, and residents and tourists made the most of it. Eastern Shore artist Gertraud Fendler captured the best photo of the Town Harbor we have EVER seen, thanks to the fireworks-illuminated sky. Ms. Fendler has graciously shared a proof photo for Wave readers, while prints suitable for framing (without the copyright signs) are available at the new Ellen Moore Gallery, 223 Mason Avenue.
COMMENTARY
Do You Know Where Your Tax Dollars Are?
By MARY MILLER
Citizens for a
Better Eastern Shore
July 7, 2014
Counties around the state are finishing up their budgets for the next fiscal year. This is the time of year we can easily see where our county’s tax dollars are going – and take a look at similar expenses for the counties around us.
This year, and not for the first time, Northampton County wins the spendthrift award. Compared to Accomack County, and compared also to several eastern Virginia counties with similar populations, Northampton spends more per person for county administration, public safety and debt service, and provides more education dollars per student than most of the others. Northampton also tops the list in per-person local tax revenue collected.
When comparing expenses of the two Eastern Shore counties with a disparity of population (Accomack’s population is about three times Northampton’s), it’s more informative to compare the costs for what are assumed to be similar services on a per-person basis. For instance, Northampton collects almost $1,700 in local tax revenue per person, while Accomack collects about $1,100. Assuming that the actual costs of several locally funded services are similar from one county to the next, it would be logical that the same costs spread over a larger population would make the services less costly per person. All things being equal, one might assume that the total costs for many services in Accomack could be as much as three times as much as in Northampton, which has one-third the number of residents. [Read more…]
