WAYNE CREED
Blue Crabs, Menhaden Showing Resurgence in Bay
By WAYNE CREED
Cape Charles Wave Columnist
May 18, 2015
This summer, my daughter Rachel will be spending her summer break from college working at the Cherrystone Campground Bait and Tackle shop. The job duties include monitoring the weather, marking the tides on the chalk board, recommending bait and tackle for the campers, and of course, running down the rules and size limitations when it comes to summer flounder and blue crabs.
For crabs, she is trained to remind the folks to always throw back sooks carrying a sponge, and that jimmys must be 5 inches point to point. You can use tape a measure, or just the railing at the end of the pier, which is 5 inches.
This season, the pier at Cherrystone may have a bit more blue crab action, as results of the winter dredge survey showed modest improvement in the Bay’s blue crab fishery. According to results released by Maryland DNR, “juvenile crabs increased 35 percent from 2014, and more than doubled from the record low in 2013. The 2015 juvenile abundance of 269 million crabs is just above the 26 year average of 261 million. The total abundance of crabs — which include juveniles, and adult males and females – was approximately 411 million.”
Going back to the results of the last few years, including the disastrous drop in populations recorded in 2013, the latest results show just how volatile the blue crab population is, and how vulnerable it can be to factors such as weather patterns (colder winters), changes in coastal currents, and of course fluctuations in levels of natural predators such as rockfish and red drum.
This year, the report estimates that 19% of the crabs died due to the severe winter temperatures. Given this amount of environmental variability, the task of managing this fishery is still a daunting one. According to Tom Miller of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science Chesapeake Biological Laboratory, “Managers acted to ensure the crab stock is no longer depleted as it was last year, and if we maintain exploitation rates close to the target the crab population will continue to increase over the long term.” [Read more…]
The Alternative Table: Willowdale Farm
Catherine Harrison with her milking sheep Portia. (Photos: Karen Gay)
By KAREN GAY
Cape Charles Wave
May 18, 2015
Catherine Harrison, of Willowdale Farm in Painter, is an unexpected cross between a mad scientist and a business executive. Looking at her land, you’d think that there isn’t much farming going on there, but what she is growing blends in with the green pastures full of what we might call weeds: chicory, clover, and grass.
She produces a line of skin care products called Celluvati, which she coined from the word “cell” and the Sanskrit word “uvati,” which means young, beautiful woman. Her prize ingredient is the orange Sea Buckthorn berry, which grows on a distinctive herb with long and narrow dusty green leaves. The berries are known for preventing infections, improving sight, and slowing the aging process. The plant in the photo below is a Sea Buckthorn (but there are no berries on this one).
There is a full line of Celluvati products which Catherine offers on the web at celluvati.com. Products include moisturizers, eye creams, a serum, balm, and aftershave. I can attest to the lovely scent in the balm.
There is more to this farm than sea buckthorn, though. She has planted 250 Chinese chestnut trees and 250 native persimmons onto which she has grafted Japanese persimmons. There are goumi shrubs and elderberries. The goumi produce red berries with silver spots which can be eaten as a fruit or used as a botanical in future skin care products as they contain vitamins, flavonoids, and other bio-active compounds. Elderberry is also full of minerals and vitamins, particularly vitamin B17. The flowers can be used for tea, and the berries can be mashed for juice or used as a tonic for colds and flu. Elderberry is the source of the natural preservative used in the Celluvati products. [Read more…]
Town Looks into Restricting Satellite Dishes
May 18, 2015: COUNT ‘EM — 10 satellite dishes on the front porch roofs of these three duplexes on Strawberry Street. The far end unit has three dishes alone. When a new resident contracts for satellite service the dish company often installs new, upgraded equipment but rarely removes the old dish. The Historic District Review Board will consider recommending tougher controls on satellite dishes at its Tuesday, May 19, meeting. Although Federal regulations generally prohibit municipalities from prohibiting dishes, an exception is made for historic districts such as in Cape Charles. (Wave photo)
10 Days Later, Illegal Leasing Signs Remain
CAPE CHARLES WAVE
May 18, 2015
Last week the Wave reported that Town Zoning Administrator Larry DiRe had slapped a red violation notice on the new “Now Leasing” sign in front of the old Cape Charles High School. Dated May 7, the notice ordered the sign to be “brought into compliance immediately and in any case within not more than 10 days.”
That would be by May 17. But 10 days later the only sign that’s been removed is DiRe’s original Public Notice shown at right.
VDOT does not allow signs on public right-of-way, and the “Now Leasing” sign has been moved to the other side of the sidewalk. But the town ordinance limiting the size of the sign to 4 square feet continues to be ignored: the sign is three to four times larger than allowed.
DiRe missed another sign violation (or maybe he just ran out of room): only one real estate sign is permitted on a single residential lot. But there are now two illegal signs occupying one residential lot — lot 423 at the corner of Plum and Madison. (See county tax map at right and second “Now Leasing” sign below.)
Last week the Wave noted that “DiRe has only been on the job a matter of weeks and apparently was unaware that Old School developer J. David McCormack gets carte blanche (including free water).”
It appears that Assistant Town Manager Bob Panek has now explained that fact to DiRe, and there will be no more red violation notices. [Read more…]
Group Says Harbor Cats Needed to Control Rodents
New ESSO recycle trailer across from Cape Charles Coffee House will turn aluminum cans into cat food for needy animals (with a little help from their friends).
By SANDY MAYER
Eastern Shore Spay Organization
May 18, 2015
ESSO would like to thank all of our supporters and contributors who helped make our Cinco de Mayo Fiesta fundraiser a success. Don Valerio’s did an excellent Mexican buffet that was enjoyed by everyone. We offered Sangria and beer as well as appetizers and Mexican brownies for dessert. Sombreros and mustaches were complementary as well as a bottle of margarita mix for each guest, generously contributed by Blue Crab Bay Company.
We expect to net approximately $2,000 from our attendance and silent auction proceeds and we hope to make this an annual fund raising event. ESSO has also been awarded a $500 grant from the Walmart Community Grants Team. We thank Walmart for recognizing our community efforts to help the cats and dogs in our area and to educate everyone about the value of our spay/neuter service. The grant will be put to good use and is very much appreciated.
As many know, cats are necessary in a harbor town to keep the rodent population under control. If this is not realized the rodents can become a serious problem carrying disease and illness. ESSO is working hard to attain low population growth by spay/neutering as many animals as possible. [Read more…]
Shine and Rise Farm Gets PBS Attention for Innovation
Click above, click again, and then fast-forward the media bar to 13:00 to watch the 7-minute video of Jay Ford and his Shine and Rise Farm as featured on the PBS show “Virginia Currents.”
May 18, 2015
Shine and Rise Farm in Painter has been featured on the PBS show Virginia Currents for its innovative approach to agriculture. The program features the sustainable ways that fruits, vegetables, and animals are raised on the food forest farm.
Co-owners Tatum Sumners Ford and Jay Ford started Shine and Rise three years ago and since that time have planted over 10,000 perennial food plants in a ‘Food Forest’ a agricultural system that models the forest edge.
“When we started Shine and Rise we asked ourselves: what would farms look like if we designed them to focus on improving the well-being of our planet and the well-being of the people in our community? the Fords said. “That question keeps us innovating every day, experimenting with new ways to grow nutritionally dense, delicious foods for healthy people and a healthy planet. We are thrilled to share our work with the viewers of PBS so that they might consider planting their own little food forests as well. Just think what would happen if everyone planted a fruit tree — what a beautiful way to change the world.” [Read more…]
FRIDAY 5/22: Do Drop Inn Features Scott & Melinda, Bradford Lee Folk
Bradford Lee Folk & the Bluegrass Playboys at Giddens’ Legendary Do Drop Inn is the main feature Friday, May 22. Scott & Melinda & Andy open at 8 p.m., doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets $10 at A & J’s Meat Market in Cheriton, $15 at door. 8204 Bayford Road, Weirwood. Check out Bradford at www.bradfordleefolk.com.
TUESDAY 5/26: Gardening for Butterflies at Eastern Shore Public Library
At 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 26, Gardening for Butterflies on the Eastern Shore of Virginia with Master Naturalist Carolyn McGavock opens the 2015 season of Fourth Tuesdays at the Library, an initiative of the Friends of the Eastern Shore Public Library. McGavock will share tips about using native plants to plan a butterfly garden and the variety of butterflies these plants will attract. Before moving to the Shore, she owned a small nursery with a display garden. [Read more…]
