Mason Avenue Parking — Then and Now
CAPE CHARLES WAVE
May 25, 2015
Angle parking on Mason Avenue is nothing new, as the penny postcard above demonstrates. Judging from the automobiles, the scene is pre-WWII.
It looks like there were no white or yellow lines back in that day — somehow, folks just figured out how to drive and park without them. And they all lined up front-ways to the curb. Anyone parking backwards might have been suspected of DUI.
Pity the poor motorists of last century, bereft of the advances of modern society: no automatic transmission, no cell phone, no GPS — and no town or state official had yet decreed that reverse angle parking is far superior to the old fashioned way.
TOWN COUNCIL
Parking Tickets, Sewage, King Neptune & Patrick Hand
7-foot statue of King Neptune has been donated to the town and will be installed on the Bay Avenue boardwalk between Washington and Jefferson avenuesl
By WAYNE CREED
Cape Charles Wave
May 25, 2015
Even as the previous mayor of Cape Charles successfully fostered a culture of incompetence and ineptitude, and set the bar so low that even the most flexible amoeba would have to find new and creative ways to limbo under it, and even as we thought it was a record that would never be replicated, the current mayor, with his implementation of reverse angle parking as part of Mason Avenue’s “Street Improvements,” has proven that he is more than up to the task of duplicating, if not surpassing, his predecessor’s dubious achievements. However, having the town’s current Planning Commission at his disposal certainly gives him an edge, and puts this goal well within reach.
During the police report to Town Council May 19, Chief Jim Pruitt reported that due to the new reverse angle parking they were able to issue nine parking tickets in just the first week. With the cat somewhat out of the bag, Mayor George Proto nearly knocked over the microphone as he exclaimed, “I just want to say that the town did not do this to make money!”
“I think we need an ordinance for this,” Councilman Sambo Brown said. “Right now, they’re writing tickets based on Virginia Code, and all that says is you need to park on the right side of the road. Even if they pull in head first, they are still on the right side. This could be challenged.”
The town has put up signs, and is issuing tickets without first having an ordinance to back it up.
Councilwoman Joan Natali noted, “We may have fallen short here,” to which Proto responded, “We maybe could have done a better job.”
During Council comments, Vice Mayor Chris Bannon added, “Given so many people’s inability to park, we could start charging a fee to let them parallel park on the other side of Mason Avenue.”
Chief Pruitt also reported that there were three felony assaults against police officers this month. “Would you care to elaborate on this?” asked Councilman Steve Bennett.
“No I would not,” replied Pruitt.
“Are things getting worse here?” asked Proto.
“You just never know when these things are going to happen,” Pruitt said. Whether this scuffle was related to the new reverse angle parking was not disclosed. [Read more…]
HISTORIC REVIEW BOARD
Chimneys Go Up in Smoke; Vinyl Siding Denied
Town has granted itself permission to remove chimneys from historic former library. (Wave photo)
By WAYNE CREED
Cape Charles Wave
May 25, 2015
Top of the agenda at the Cape Charles Historic District Review Board’s May 19 meeting was the Town Civic Center. Cape Charles applied for a Certificate of Appropriateness for the former library at 500 Tazewell Avenue. Due to leaks around the chimneys, the town sought permission to remove both chimneys. Town crews have attempted unsuccessfully several times to repair the flashing. The leaks have continued for some time, and Director of Public Works and Facilities Dave Fauber recommended that the chimneys be removed.
Chairman Joe Fehrer questioned why the town had not brought in an outside contractor for an estimate, while at the same time noting that water damage inside the building was evident, and if left untreated had the potential to create more problems.
“We have approved this kind of thing in the past,” said Fehrer. “If they were decorative, or ornamental, that might make a difference. Even as they do affect the look of the building, they are a liability.”
Given that the chimneys are non-functioning, and just sticking out of the roof, the consensus was that the water damage justified the removal. The Board approved the request 4-0.
VINYL SIDING
According to Town Planner Larry DiRe, Historic District Guidelines advise against replacing original siding materials with synthetics such as vinyl (Building Element 1, page 55). Nevertheless, the owners of 415 Randolph Avenue applied for a Certificate of Appropriateness proposing to remove the existing wood siding and replace with synthetic. [Read more…]
One Vision for the Eastern Shore Food Economy
By KAREN GAY
Cape Charles Wave Columnist
May 25, 2015
Last Saturday I hosted a Weston A. Price booth at the Crabby Blues Festival. It was a wonderful day not only because of the fabulous weather and music by The Janitors but because of the many health-minded people who stopped by my booth to talk about their successes with weight loss, their farming experiences, and dietary plans that they like. Several folks signed up to take one of the Juicing and Smoothie classes that I’ll be offering. And quite a few festival-goers expressed an interest in buying the fermented vegetables that I had on display.
What are fermented vegetables? Sauerkraut and kimchi are examples of vegetables that are prepared in a crock or glass jar and covered with a brine of water and salt. Over a week or more, the lacto-fermentation process causes the growth of bacteria which benefits the gut. Many traditional societies ate these fermented or cultured foods with each meal to keep their intestinal micro-biome in balance. Today we have culture starters that can be added to the brine which adds an even broader spectrum of beneficial bacteria. Someday I may have the time to start a home-based business to make and sell these vegetables.
I was so pleased to see the many small businesses selling their products at the festival. These enterprises add so much value to the Shore’s economy and in my mind they suit our environment. We are not a place for large corporations, polluting chicken houses, and massive agribusiness. I’d like to see a return to a sustainable farm-based economy where our neighbors grow our food and small businesses grow up around the farms to add value to their products. Those of us who partake in eating and using what our neighbors have to offer may pay more for food, but we’ll all see a return in the explosion of money-making activity, community, and especially our health.
I’ve reported on two small farms, La Caridad and Willowdale, on the Eastern Shore of Virginia and there are quite a few more: Mattawoman, Perennial Roots, Copper Cricket, Shine and Rise, By the Bay Alpaca, ES Emus, and others I have yet to discover. These farms produce vegetables, herbs, fruit, pork, chickens, eggs, rabbits, dairy, emu, alpaca and probably things I don’t know about. [Read more…]
LETTER
Chief Pruitt Urges Citizens to ‘Thank a Policeman’
May 18, 2015
DEAR EDITOR,
Today in the United States, approximately 900,000 law enforcement officers put their lives on the line for the safety and protection of others. With great success, they serve with valor and distinction.
Federal statistics show that violent crime and property crime rates in the United States are at historic lows, thanks to the dedicated service of the men and women in law enforcement. The national Law Enforcement Memorial is ever-changing as new names are added to the memorial every year due to the selfless sacrifice of the men and women that serve our communities.
In 2014, 127 police officers were killed in the line of duty, leaving 159 children without a parent — and as of today 44 officers have fallen in 2015. These numbers are tragic on their own, not to mention the void that will never be filled.
In what other occupation is one expected to make correct, split-second, serious, and possibly life-and-death decisions while navigating complicated laws and procedures, in addition to having to lay his or her life on the line for total strangers?
The men and women of law enforcement are content in doing a difficult job, one most people in the world could not or would not do, and they do it well. It truly takes an extraordinary person to be a police officer. [Read more…]
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…]
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…]
