Del. Lynwood Lewis in Town Today to Brief Residents
Delegate Lewis (Wave photo)
May 13, 2013
Virginia delegate Lynwood Lewis will be in town today to brief residents following the end of this year’s General Assembly session.
The public is invited to engage with Lewis at 6:30 p.m. tonight (Monday) at Saint Charles Parish Hall, 550 Tazewell Avenue.
Lewis previously spoke at a similar meeting in Cape Charles last December before the General Assembly met.
Eastern Shore constituents are encouraged both to give their opinions and concerns and also to hear outcomes of the 2013 General Assembly session. [Read more…]
Sewer Costs Push New Town Water Bills to $100
By DORIE SOUTHERN
Cape Charles Wave
May 10, 2013
The Town of Cape Charles has the most modern sewage treatment plant on the Eastern Shore.
It is also the most expensive.
Town Manager Heather Arcos broke the news at a Town Council budget work session last night: Now that the new plant is in operation, the cost for sewage treatment is skyrocketing, and the minimum monthly sewer charge of $35.45 could increase to $64.44.
That would be an increase of 82 percent in one year.
Town Council didn’t like that number, and decided to defer some improvements and maintenance to cut costs by $85,000. Purchase of a grinder will be postponed, as will manhole repairs and engineering studies for pump stations.
Council also axed a $10,000 request from Chairman Bob Panek to fund his Public Service Authority that hopes to provide sewerage to properties on Highway 13 and the road to Cheriton.
Even with the cuts, sewer bills are still expected to increase by $18, which is a 51 percent increase over current rates.
The reason for the huge increase is because the Town borrowed $5 million for the new treatment plant and is required to pay down the loan by $289,000 every year for 20 years. [Read more…]
Judge Upholds Town Council on Park Bathroom
Site of future Central Park bathrooms. Due to flooding conditions, bathroom floor will be elevated to height of wooden crossmember behind yellow tape. Access will be via a 60-foot winding ramp. (Wave photo)
By DORIE SOUTHERN
Cape Charles Wave
May 9, 2013
For the third time this year, Cape Charles Town Council yesterday found itself before Circuit Court Judge Revel Lewis in a case brought by a Town resident.
Yesterday, for the third time, Judge Lewis found in favor of the Town.
The two earlier cases concerned Town Council’s rezoning of Central Park property and transfer of the Old School and related park property to a real estate developer.
Yesterday’s case was also about Central Park –- this time concerning plans to build a bathroom.
Town resident Donald Riley argued that plans for the bathroom to mirror the design of an adjoining c.1980 sewage pump station violated the Town’s Historic Guidelines.
He further argued that the bathroom site was illegal because it did not meet the 20-foot setback requirement.
In yesterday’s case, as well as in the earlier cases, Judge Lewis declined to consider substantive arguments. He earlier ruled that his court had no jurisdiction, and yesterday decided that Riley had no standing.
The Wave learned this week that the first two cases, concerning the Old School, have been appealed to the state Supreme Court. [Read more…]
Crabby Blues Festival Aims to Repeat Last Year’s Success
Crabby Blues Festival starts today (Saturday) at 3 p.m. (Photo by crabbyblues.com)
CAPE CHARLES WAVE
March 4, 2013
What made the first Crabby Blues Festival such a big hit last year?
Was is the music? The food? The Central Park location? Or was it just an extremely well organized and promoted event?
Whatever the reasons for success, the Crabby Blues Festival now heralds the annual “reopening” of Cape Charles for the season — even if the weather isn’t fully cooperative, as was the case last year.
The Cape Charles Christian School’s Crabby Blues Festival is 3-8 p.m. Saturday, May 4, at Central Park. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children when purchased in advance, and $12/$7 at the gate.
Admission includes an afternoon of music, a bounce house, games for kids, a petting zoo, and a ride on the crabby train. Tickets are for sale at Sullivan’s, Rayfield’s Pharmacy, Cape Charles Christian School, Nottingham Seafood, and Little Italy.
The musical lineup includes Heather and the Oyster Boys, Freshwater Frank and the Fish Band, John Baldwin, Scott and Melinda, and the Shy Teds. [Read more…]
Town Council Fails to Trim Budget, Favors Borrowing
By DORIE SOUTHERN
Cape Charles Wave
May 3, 2013
Last week Cape Charles Town Council instructed Town Manager Heather Arcos and Treasurer Kim Coates to sharpen their pencils and come back this week with a proposed budget that would not increase taxes.
The marching orders were to cut 2 percent from staff budgets across the board.
But at last night’s budget work session, Treasurer Coates presented only two options: 1) raise taxes to fund a higher budget, or 2) keep taxes at last year’s level but borrow money to make up the difference.
Given those choices, Council tentatively agreed to a budget exceeding the “equalized rate” by $77,844.
Town staff did make some cuts to reach even that figure, most significantly scrapping a proposed 1 percent cost of living allowance increase. Originally, Town staff had recommended a 3 percent COLA.
Additional savings are proposed to come from eliminating Town contributions to most community-funded activities, including the Tall Ships Festival, the Birding and Wildlife Festival, the Shore Soccer League, Star Transport, and the new Cape Charles by the Bay tourism website.
Left in the budget was $10,000 for July 4th fireworks. [Read more…]
MAY CALENDAR for Town of Cape Charles
COMPILED BY CAPE CHARLES RECREATION DEPARTMENT
LIBRARY — The old library is closed, but the new library opens May 8 at 201 Mason Avenue. Phone number is still 757-331-1300. Hours are Monday through Wednesday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Activities include:
COMPUTER CLASSES for beginners every Tuesday at 11 a.m.
ARTS AND CRAFTS every Wednesday at 4 p.m.
STORY TIME every Thursday at 10:30 a.m.
CAPE CHARLES HARBOR summer office hours are Monday through Thursday 8 a.m.-6 p.m. and Friday through Sunday and all Holidays 7 a.m.-7 p.m.
NO DOGS allowed on the Cape Charles Beach from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. from April 1 to Labor Day. All dogs must be on a leash in Northampton County.
MAY 2, 9, 16 – New Roots Youth Garden 4-5 p.m.
MAY 2 – 10:30 a.m., Parade of Books led by Foster, the Brown Dog Ice Cream dog. The Cape Charles Christian School will begin the move of the library to its new location.
MAY 4 – Crabby Blues Festival in Central Park, 3- 8 p.m. Tickets on sale and vendors on location.
MAY 17 – Black Drum Tournament sponsored by the Northampton County Chamber of Commerce.
MAY 18, 19 – Rhythms of the Shore at the Palace Theatre. Arts Enter School of Dance final performance. [Read more…]
Four Months Without a Hoop
Shanty Restaurant owner Jon Dempster has added his voice to those concerned over the removal last Christmas of the basketball hoops at Central Park. Dempster has offered to help with construction and funding of a new court. In the meantime, some residents think the Town should replace the hoops it removed, since construction at the Old School has again been delayed. (Wave photo)
By GEORGE SOUTHERN
Cape Charles Wave
April 30, 2013
Four months have passed since December 26, 2012, when Town maintenance workers returning to work after the Christmas holidays removed the backboards and hoops from what had been Cape Charles’ only basketball court.
One week earlier, on December 19, Mayor Dora Sullivan had signed over the deed conveying to a developer the basketball court, playground parking lot, and Old School at Central Park.
The backboards and hoops were not excluded from the sale, and so belonged to the developer, but the Town was allowed to have them in exchange for removing them. They have been in storage ever since.
Developer J. David McCormack, formerly operating as Echelon Resources but now doing business as Charon Ventures, struck a deal with the Town to convert the Old School into an apartment building and the basketball court into a private parking lot.
The property was valued on the Town tax rolls at $921,000, but Town Council agreed to pay Echelon Resources $41,000 to take the property. No bids were requested, and offers from the community group Old School Cape Charles were rejected without a vote.
The children’s playground parking lot was also conveyed, and will become private parking for tenants at the 17-unit apartment complex.
The Old School and parkland had been zoned Open Space until the Town rezoned it R-1 Residential.
Although apartment buildings are not permitted in R-1 Residential, the Town Planning Commission voted last August 23 to recommend an exception. A condition to that exception was that the basketball court be relocated.
Eight months later, relocating the basketball court has yet to appear on Town Council’s agenda.
Town Council has, however, extended until August 23 the deadline for developer McCormack to begin construction, which means the former basketball court could sit unused another four months. [Read more…]
Historical Society Shrimp Boil Tonight at Town Museum
April 27, 2013
THE PLACE: Cape Charles Museum
THE TIME: 5-9 p.m. Saturday, April 27
THE MENU: Louisiana shrimp boil: shrimp cooked with red potatoes, special “Old Timer” sausage shipped in from Alabama, corn on the cob, onions, and peppers (recipe courtesy of Lenore Savage)
THE SIDES: Homemade rolls, coleslaw, and dessert
BEVERAGES: Wine and beer available
THE MUSIC: Live performance by local band Loaded Goat [Read more…]
