Summer Recreation Programs at Town Civic Center
May 27, 2014
Cape Charles Recreation Department Summer Programs will take place at the Town Civic Center (the old library), 500 Tazewell Avenue, unless otherwise noted. For more information call Recreation Director Jen Lewis at 757-331-3259 x18.
Tall Ships Arriving in Three Weeks for Festival
By JOAN PRESCOTT
May 20, 2014
Haul a yard arm! Hear the cannon roar! Dress up like a pirate, and meet some real ones, too! Tall Ships At Cape Charles Festival is welcoming three historic tall ships, the Kalmar Nyckel, Privateer Lynx, and Schooner Serenity, to Cape Charles Town Harbor June 14-15.
The third annual waterfront tall ships extravaganza features all kinds of family fun, deck tours, day, sunset and pirate sails, live music, great food, helicopter rides and arts and crafts vendors.
This is small town, family-friendly America the way it used to be. Cape Charles, our deep water harbor to hospitality, presents a rare opportunity to get up close and personal as you explore the decks and meet the crews of magnificent tall ships and encounter roving pirates, a troupe of costumed re-enactors, and all kinds of family fun throughout the historic town and harbor.
Kids and parents will love the Captain Mayhem Pirate Adventure Sails offered three times daily on Saturday and Sunday aboard the Schooner Serenity, and all three tall ships have afternoon or evening sunset cruises both days. Reservations are recommended — visit www.tallshipscapecharles.com. [Read more…]
ORAL HISTORY: How Harbor Avenue Got its Skew
101 Tazewell Avenue, corner of Harbor, was “right on the beachfront” when built by Capt. Sadler c. 1912. Later, Harbor Avenue layout was skewed to accommodate the house.
May 19, 2014
(EDITOR’S NOTE: Cape Charles Historical Society has for more than a decade been recording oral histories of the area’s earlier days. A grant from the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities enabled 15 interviews to be transcribed, and the Historical Society has made this one available for readers of the Wave. All the transcriptions may be read at the Cape Charles Museum.)
1990 Interview of Virginia Fitzhugh conducted by Virginia Savage
PART ONE
VIRGINIA SAVAGE: I am talking to Virginia Fitzhugh, who was born and raised in Cape Charles. Virginia, what was your maiden name?
Virginia Sadler. I was raised in Cape Charles. I was born next door to the old Virginia Hotel and the Henderson Travis House. [Across from the Post Office, on the southwest corner. Her father was Capt. Sadler, a NYP&N steamer captain.]
West side of Virginia Hotel? Which would be right across from the Post Office on the corner of Strawberry and Randolph.
That’s where I was born. And then Daddy bought the house up in the middle of the block on Randolph. I don’t know who lives there now but he bought right in the middle. Alva Stiles used to live there. And then Daddy built the first house that was built this side of Pine Street other than the house that was back in the woods. And he bought the lot from the Scott Estate and built down there. And we thought we were right on the beachfront. The corner of Tazewell and Harbor.
Did he have to build that house on pilings?
No. He happened to get the house part of the land that was down there. And see, the beach came right up to Harbor Avenue. Sand and everything. That’s a built in place from Harbor right up to beachfront. That was sand that was blown up and built up all that up there. Daddy thought he was right on the beachfront.
Isn’t that amazing! I knew that Jeannette Edgerton’s house, for one, was built on pilings.
Well, all those apartments across from us, they’re all built on pilings. And we used to watch them and the pile driver would hit one and it would go out of sight and they’d have to put another one right on top of it. You see, that’s all swamp there. And because it had the cat o’ nine tails and the grass that grows on the beach and all that stuff. [Read more…]
Half-Millionth Visitor to Eastern Shore Welcome Center
Kerry Allison, Executive Director of the ES Tourism Commission; Jacques and Shirley Dumoulin; Fred Stant, CBBT Commission Chairman; Allan Burns, ES Welcome Center Manager; and Bill Murphy, ES Welcome Center Volunteer.
By KERRY ALLISON
Eastern Shore of Virginia Tourism Commission
May 17, 2014
Jacque Dumoulin and his wife, Shirley, driving from Florida to Pennsylvania to visit family, needed a break after they arrived on the Virginia Eastern Shore via the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, and stopped at the rest area on the right. As is often the case, they noticed the tiny, cheerful and information-rich visitor center housed in the same building and decided to take a look around.
When Mr. Dumoulin walked through the Welcome Center door, he was greeted by Allan Burns, center manager, as the official half millionth visitor to the Eastern Shore Southern Gateway Welcome Center, which opened in August 2009. It’s another milestone for the center, which has seen increases in utilization every year since opening and averages 10,000 visitors monthly.
The lucky Dumoulins were showered with gifts, all local treasures donated by Eastern Shore businesses. “We can’t wait to tell our daughter and her family,” Dumoulin said. “We’ve never stopped here before and had no idea this area was so interesting.” He pointed to the 3D map of the Eastern Shore of Virginia National Wildlife Refuge, one of the state-of-the-art features of the Welcome Center, which has four attention-grabbing light box displays, two 3D exhibits, a real-time video weather feed, videos showcasing local attractions, area restaurant menus, and over 200 rack cards touting everything from history, recreation, shops, restaurants and lodging to upcoming events. A touchscreen information kiosk in a corridor just outside the center helps visitors who stop in during off-hours. [Read more…]
3rd Annual Crabby Blues Festival Saturday in the Park
The town turned out for last year’s Crabby Blues Festival despite chilly weather. This year will be warmer!
By TAMMY HOLLOWAY
May 16, 2014
Saturday, May 17, from 3-8 p.m., the 3rd Annual Crabby Blues Festival sponsored by Rayfields Pharmacy will fill Central Park with the sounds of great music, the smell of good food, and the feeling of good community fellowship.
This year will be bigger and better than ever with even more adult and kids games, music sponsored by ESLAND, food from fabulous vendors, and adult beverages sold by Citizens for Central Park.
Performers include the Cape Charles Community Band, Freshwater Frank and the Fish, The Motto, Mr. B. and the Boys, and the classic sound of the Inspectors.
Don’t miss the chance to bid on a Jimmy Buffett autographed guitar, which is among many fabulous silent auction items. And you will want to shop the park green to check out the unique and creative art and gift vendors.
For the first time ever we will have commemorative Crabby Blues Festival T-shirts, sponsored by Ocean Cove Seafood and available for adults and kids. A limited number have been ordered so make sure to get them early in the day!
Advance tickets are $10/adults and $5/children. At the gate they are $15/adults and $5/children. Purchase tickets at Rayfield’s Pharmacies, Sullivan’s Office Supply, Kings Creek Marina, Northampton Lumber, Little Italy Restaurant, and the Cape Charles Christian School. [Read more…]
Curiosity Cat Brings Kids Together Around the Shore
Cast members attend Northampton, Kiptopeke, Occohanock, Nandua, Broadwater, and Cape Charles Christian schools.
By WAYNE CREED
May 16, 2014
The harsh winter has finally subsided and given way to warm sun, and the hope of the coming summer. I have to admit, with chronic seasonal affective disorder, it was hard for me to get through this one (they seem to get harder each year). One thing that helped me survive was being able to spend each Saturday morning directing the youth cast of this spring’s youth show, Curiosity Cat: A Danceable Drama for Cats.
I understand that over the past few years, there have been some worries about the plight of our Shore schools, and the kids that inhabit them. From talking to some folks, you would think that we’re talking about inmates in a prison rather than students in a school. Spending any amount of time with this delightful cast would put those fears to rest.
One of the great things about Arts Enter is its commitment to bringing the arts, and the training of the arts, to so many on what is still one of the most historically underserved areas in the state. This has been highlighted with this production, where we have brought kids from all up and down the Shore, from Northampton, Kiptopeke, Occohanock, Nandua, Broadwater, and Cape Charles Christian School. This young cast brought so much energy, passion, and dedication to the task, that by now, it’s even starting to wear this old man out. Tired as I am, I wouldn’t miss a second of it — it seems each time we meet, someone does something so creative and serendipitous, so out of the box, something that fits the production so well, I sometimes have to just sit down and shake my head, thinking, “Where’d they come up with that bizzaro idea — but it works!” [Read more…]
County Supervisors Get Earful on Zoning Ordinance
Local Realtor David Kabler addresses Northampton Board of Supervisors May 13, calling the proposed zoning ordinance “a perversion” of the existing ordinance that so many worked so hard to enact. (Wave photo)
By GEORGE SOUTHERN
Cape Charles Wave
May 15, 2014
Close to 150 residents turned out May 13 for the Northampton County Board of Supervisors meeting, most of them concerned over a “business-friendly” rezoning plan that would remove existing environmental, density, and industrial restrictions. The audience had been advised to come at 7 p.m., but the meeting agenda was front-loaded with eight public hearings before the time for general comments, which did not begin until 9:30 p.m. Supervisors and staff had it even worse, having begun at 4 p.m. with a closed session, followed by various reports and a supper break. The meeting did not end until 10:45 p.m.
Chairman Larry LeMond opened the public comments section with a warning that he “would not tolerate any threats . . . we’ve heard enough of them” – an apparent reference to discussion on the Internet about possibly petitioning the Circuit Court to have the Supervisors removed from office if they fail to honor the vision statement in the County Comprehensive Plan. Only newly elected supervisor Granville Hogg (1st District – Cape Charles) has been exempt from removal threats, and only Hogg has indicated some sympathy with opponents of the draft zoning ordinance.
Fifteen residents came to the podium to speak their mind.
Robert Richardson of Seaview said experts agree that there is “no pollution on the seaside – so there’s no justification for the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act in the Capeville district.”
CBES board member John Ordeman of Nassawadox said that Northampton citizens have been speaking “loudly and clearly against the proposed zoning changes. They have presented scientific facts, the opinions of experts, the sound reasoning of landowners concerned about their right to protect the value of their property. You know these people – you know them to be intelligent and knowledgeable, honorable, and genuinely concerned for the well-being of this county. . . . Listen to the many who truly represent the will of the people.” [Read more…]
Cape Charles Yacht Center Opens Thursday
One of the first boats to be hauled with the 75-ton Travel Lift at Cape Charles Yacht Center (ESLAND photo)
By CINDY MACKEY
Esland Press Release
May 14, 2014
The Cape Charles Yacht Center officially opens for business Thursday, May 15. It will be the only superyacht (over 79 feet) center on the Chesapeake Bay. The Yacht Center is being developed by ESLAND, is a real estate development partnership based in Cape Charles that specializes in preserving historic properties and large-scale economic development initiatives to bring jobs and stimulate the economy of the Shore.
“The location along the Mid-Atlantic is strategic since we offer a deep, secure harbor with quick access to the Atlantic,” said ESLAND partner Eyre Baldwin. “There are few places for these types of yachts to stop for service, repairs, or to enjoy the area between New England and Miami. The proximity to the ocean is very convenient, but we also offer a charming destination on Virginia’s Eastern Shore.” Baldwin is hosting a launch party for the yacht center beginning 5 p.m. Thursday for invited guests.
The yacht center is seen as a significant development that will change industry on the Eastern Shore. Components include a 40-acre harbor district and an 80-acre industrial park with access through a new road that will connect the harbor to Route 13, providing direct access for trucks to the harbor. The yacht center will immediately create 36 jobs with an estimated 80 to 100 new jobs over three years, Baldwin said. [Read more…]
