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…]
NEW FEATURE:
Now Readers Can Make Anonymous Waves
December 10, 2012
The Cape Charles Wave has upheld a proud tradition of requiring commenters to display the courage of their convictions by including their real first and last names. The policy has worked very well, and has helped maintain a civil level of discourse. And so the policy is being continued for all comments appearing below stories.
But by popular demand, beginning today the Wave is also providing a forum for anonymous opinions. Send them to [email protected]. Your name will not be printed (so don’t bother to provide it) and your return email address will not show.
GROUND RULES
1. Keep it short, or we’ll shorten it for you.
2. No pot shots — you can criticize policies, but be careful about attacking persons by name.
3. Don’t monopolize the forum — give everyone who’s interested a chance.
4. Be patient — your submission will not be printed instantly. An editor has to read it first and approve it.
The ANONYMOUS tab can be accessed at the top of every page, listed between LATEST STORIES and CLASSIFIEDS. Just click on the tab. The most recent submission will always be on top.
SHORE THING:
An Open Letter from George to Mike about AQUA
By GEORGE SOUTHERN
Cape Charles Wave
December 7, 2012
Dear Mike Killebrew,
This morning soon after awaking I checked the latest comments in the Cape Charles Wave. Amid the usual sniping was the eloquent comment you submitted shortly after midnight –- a paean of praise to a magnificent restaurant and to the wonderful people who work there.
You, sir, are both a gentleman and a scholar. Now let me tell you some more about yourself:
In the spring of 2010, when my wife and I first came to Cape Charles, our new neighbors (destined to become our dearest friends) invited us to AQUA Restaurant. Two and a half years later I clearly remember what I ate and who served it.
I ordered the delicious fried flounder, and you, of course, served it.
After years of living inside the Washington Beltway, I had a lot to learn. On the Eastern Shore, dining out does not mean dealing with faceless employees one never sees again. Not here –- the shopkeepers, waiters, town municipal workers, and on and on might be my neighbors, or my acquaintances, or even my friends. Rarely do they remain strangers.
My neighbor is a Realtor, and so I learned that your profession is also real estate. Waiting tables at AQUA is a sideline. But I also quickly realized that while it may be a sideline, you are doing it because you love it. That is evident in the comment you wrote, and it’s also evident to any of your customers. Our meals at AQUA have always been enhanced when you have been our server.
Was it fate that when my wife and I last visited AQUA on November 27, you were our server? At the time, nobody knew what lay ahead, and we enjoyed a wonderful evening.
That was, sadly, our last supper at AQUA. Although the restaurant will not close until December 22, we would not dare show our faces there now. It has been made clear by some staff members that my reporting was resented. The harshest criticism from an AQUA employee came in a private message on our Facebook page: “You are a mean, disgusting soul that should not be part of the town.” [Read more…]
TUESDAY 12/18: Delegate Lynwood Lewis Town Hall Meeting
Delegate Lynwood W. Lewis, Jr., will hold a pre-session town hall meeting 5:30-6:30 p.m. Tuesday, December 18, at Saint Charles Parish Hall, 550 Tazewell Avenue in Cape Charles. [Read more…]
