LETTER: Town Courts Should Have Multiple Uses
January 14, 2013
DEAR EDITOR,
QUESTION: How many young people use the tennis courts?
ANSWER: Almost none.
QUESTION: How many young people used the basketball court?
ANSWER: About 15 each day, including Cape Charles Christian School students.
QUESTION: How often are the tennis courts used?
ANSWER: Less than once a week.
QUESTION: How often was the basketball court used?
ANSWER: Every day.
QUESTION: What was the cost of the two lighted tennis courts?
ANSWER: Over $90,000.
QUESTION: What was the cost of the one unlighted basketball court?
ANSWER: Under $5,000.
In many municipalities, recreational facilities are designed for multiple uses to save money. This is done through proper allocation of space and time based on demand and equality.
It is tremendously selfish to think that it is a big burden on one or two tennis players to wait an hours for a court, while 10-15 young people who have no place to play basketball have to wait months for the possibility of a court being built. [Read more…]
LETTER: Convert One Tennis Court to a Basketball Court
Former basketball court sits unused. Town has granted developer Echelon Resources an extension until May 1 to begin work.
January 11, 2013
DEAR EDITOR,
Was it necessary for the town to remove the basketball hoops at this time?
The developer of the old school, Echelon Resources, has requested more time before beginning construction, due to the court hearing in late January.
Couldn’t the town have waited to see the outcome, or at least discussed the matter with residents to come up with an alternative solution?
The basketball court was the center of physical activity for children and young men and women of all colors, and it was the only exercise facility available to students at Cape Charles Christian School.
One basketball court was enough to entertain and provide exercise for 10 or more youths at the same time.
No one complained about the rusted hoops, broken chains, uneven court, or lack of safety measures to protect the children from running to the middle of the Madison Street to retrieve the basketball.
The basketball court was the ONLY place where children and young people got away from TV, cell phones, text messaging, and computer games.
It was a place where young people could learn to work in a group and cooperate with each other.
There is a solution to our loss of a basketball court: Convert the two tennis courts to one tennis court and one basketball court. [Read more…]
LETTER: Who Stole My Nuts? Help Crack the Case
Photo re-enactment of crime scene
January 5, 2013
DEAR EDITOR:
Who stole my nuts?
There were two new blue 5-gallon buckets full of pecans in our carport.
This dastardly deed occurred sometime during the holidays. My wife and I had spent hours over the past few months gathering all those nuts to make holiday gifts of pecan pies for friends and neighbors.
Who or what would be so evil to abscond with my nuts?
Could it be we were visited by giant squirrels who could carry away buckets full of nuts? Not likely. I have yet to see any “super squirrels” in my neighborhood, or even in the town of Cape Charles.
Could it have been one of the errant deer sighted occasionally wandering in town? I don’t think they would know how to pick up two buckets with their antlers, so scratch the deer.
My next thought of a culprit was jolly old St. Nick, since he was in the neighborhood, but everybody knows Santa only eats cookies and milk on his night of travels.
Do reindeer eat pecans (in the shell)? Not that I know of. [Read more…]
LETTER: Why Was Gazette Mum about Closing the Basketball Court?
January 2, 2013
DEAR EDITOR:
The Gazette is the official Town newsletter. My question is, who is responsible for the Gazette, and who approves it?
Last Friday after discovering from local kids that our basketball backboards had been removed, I went to Mayor Dora Sullivan to report this. Her response was: “We don’t own them anymore.”
My reaction was — what? Why would the Town remove the backboards during the Christmas-New Year’s break?
She had no answer.
I asked the mayor if the closing of the basketball court had been posted on the Town website and Gazette. She said no, but that the Cape Charles Wave interviewed [Assistant Town Manager] Bob Panek about the backboards’ removal.
I am frustrated by the lack of knowledge available on the day-to-day business of Cape Charles. The Town felt it was important to post changes to the garbage pickup holiday schedule, but said nothing about removing the basketball goals.
What’s next? Pay raises for a job well done on giving away the school, basketball court, and playground parking lot for $10? [Read more…]
LETTER: Thanks to All Arts Enter Volunteers
Victor Abrahamian
December 18, 2012
DEAR EDITOR,
On December 8, I was one among four honorary recipients of the 2012 Arts Enter Annual Spotlight Award.
Since my arrival in the Town of Cape Charles, I have come to appreciate and admire the Arts Enter mission in serving our little community. But I, as a volunteer, never expected to receive such a wonderful recognition.
The engraving on the Spotlight Award says: In appreciation for his faithful generosity with his time, energy, talents, and resources. Both on and off the stage, he shines and keeps our lights bright. [Read more…]
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…]
LETTER:
Hotel Owner Gammino: My Investment Was Based on Personal Passion for Cape Charles
December 5, 2012
DEAR EDITOR:
I would like to offer a more detailed explanation to your readers as it regards the Hotel Cape Charles recent request to appeal the decision of the Town of Cape Charles Historic Review Board (HRB).
We will seek the approval of Town Council of the modified design submission, denied on November 20, 2012, by the HRB. I respect the varied opinions offered in response to this process, and hope that additional information will clarify our reasoning and address some of the concerns we are aware of.
It is regretful, and I accept sole responsibility for the fact that the Hotel has become the focus of the community in this unfortunate manner.
While I do not agree with the conclusion of the HRB that the current design is not appropriate within the District, I respect their authority in reaching this decision. I also appreciate their efforts in considering the modified design submission.
However, given our very strong belief that the Hotel represents a beautiful example of modern architecture complementary of its surroundings, we are proceeding to the next level of review and hope for a different interpretation.
There are a number of comments which criticize the decision to seek Town Council approval, and reference the application process and a lack of related approval. I understand and accept this valid criticism.
We did not complete the project as originally submitted. The reason for this relates to a very compressed construction schedule with challenging travel-related logistics. [Read more…]
LETTER: Grand Illumination Marks Year of Enlightenment
December 1, 2012
DEAR EDITOR:
Tonight the Town of Cape Charles will have its Grand Illumination in Old School Park. The lights will come on, speeches will be given, and we can all hug and have a hot chocolate.
The use of the word “illuminate” dates to 15th century Middle English — in the archaic, meaning to brighten with light, or to be intellectually or spiritually enlightened. The basic meaning still stands today.
It is fitting then, that the Grand Illumination should be taking place in School Park, as the Grand Old Dame herself, the Old School, broodingly looks on as the self-congratulatory event takes place.
But let’s leave that for now, because this is a season to give thanks. Thanks to the Echelon deal, it has been a year of enlightenment.
Despite the deal being concocted in the dank, musty recesses of Executive Sessions, meant to keep citizens in the dark until it was too late to do anything, in the end, through diligence and the power of the Freedom of Information Act, the inner workings of our town have been dutifully adorned with light.
We learned, thanks to independent engineering reports, that everything we have been told about the Old School has not been entirely true. According to the reports, the Grand Old Dame is in wonderful shape, solid as a rock, with little asbestos even to be found.
The cost to turn it into 17 apartments might take a chunk of change, but basic renovations and repairs (lest we forget the power of Eastern Shore volunteerism, tax credits, grants, etc.) to open it back up as a multi-purpose event venue, could be done for pennies on the dollar.
When the cost ($349,000) of the harbor bath house came to light, one had to wonder why the school was left to languish, without even a few tubes of caulk being budgeted to correct water leakage at either end. That question is still shrouded in darkness—we may need more lights. [Read more…]
