Madonia Bankruptcy Auction August 19 at Aqua Restaurant

By GEORGE SOUTHERN
Cape Charles Wave

July 30, 2013

Two Bay Creek mansions along with additional houses and land belonging to the Madonia family will be sold at a bankruptcy auction August 19. The auction is at Aqua Restaurant, which coincidentally  was also the object of a bankruptcy auction last December.

Properties on the block include #2 Heron Pointe in Bay Creek South, formerly owned by Bay Creek developer Dickie Foster, who sold it to Batista and Evelyn Madonia.

Once considered the prime property in Bay Creek, the long-vacant house now suffers from overgrown shrubbery. It was recently assessed by Northampton County at $2,786,300.

The Madonia family, owners of East Coast Brokers and Packers, filed for bankruptcy in March. According to the Packer, an industry newsletter, the Madonias owe over $20 million to state and federal governments and private firms.

Many of the Madonia holdings were to be offered at a sealed bid auction July 5, but the bankruptcy judge reportedly decided to withhold some of the most significant properties for a series of live auctions. [Read more…]

National Geographic Traveler Highlights Cape Charles

By GEORGE SOUTHERN
Cape Charles Wave

July 29, 2013

More first-class exposure for Cape Charles and environs: National Geographic Traveler executive editor Norie Quintos visited recently and posted her experiences in “Beyond the Guidebook – Where the Locals Go.”

That’s a few steps down from National Geographic magazine, of course – but Traveler is still a well respected member of the Geographic family of magazines.

Quintos learned of Cape Charles from “a college pal I hadn’t seen outside of Facebook in more than 20 years,” and accepted his invitation to come visit.

The friend was none other than Ned Brinkley, the renowned ornithologist who, when he’s not birding, manages Hotel Cape Charles. So Quintos had no problem finding accommodations, staying at the “16-room boutique hotel with minimalist aesthetic just a few blocks from the beach.

“Mid-century art hangs on the monochromatic walls and mornings begin with complementary small-batch roasted coffee, Greek yogurt, and organic granola made six miles down the road in Eastville,” she enthused.

Quintos describes Virginia’s Eastern Shore as feeling “like an island unto itself, separated to the north by the Maryland border and to the south by the Chesapeake Bay and a steep bridge-and-tunnel toll ($12 at last check).”

While acknowledging that Chincoteague is the more famous town, Quintos adds that “Cape Charles draws visitors to the region in its own right. . . . The last passenger train may have stopped running in 1958, but the town’s swellegant bones — wide streets, handsome building facades, and deep-porched Victorian homes — remain. There is a minor renaissance of restoration as energetic individuals buy up homes and open modern mom-and-pop stores selling handmade ice cream and gourmet cheese.”

That would be Brown Dog Ice Cream and Gull Hummock Gourmet Market, of course. [Read more…]

Thousands Expected for Harbor Clam Slam August 3-4

By KRISTIN LEWIS
Town Harbor Staff

July 28, 2013

Cape Charles Town Harbor will be filled with thousands of locals and tourists August 3-4 eager to witness the Annual Clam Slam event.

Excited for the weekend’s festivities, Harbormaster Smitty Dize explains the history behind the event: “Clam Slam officially started in 2012 because of the success of the Buy Boat Reunion in 2011. We came up with Clam Slam to showcase our area, which is the largest producer of clams in the country.”

The weekend will be filled with events such as the Shriners Parade, Games and Activities, Artists and Vendors, Corn Hole Tournament, Crab Pot Cork Race, Smith Island Skiff Race, Live Music, and the 3rd Annual Boat Docking Contest.

The Shriners Parade will kick off this year’s Clam Slam. Shriners from Chesapeake will lead the parade beginning at 10 a.m. on Mason Avenue, lasting about a half an hour. The parade will include small race cars, classic cars, tractor trailers, sports cars, golf carts, fire trucks, and boats.

Games and activities begin Saturday afternoon and evening and include face painting, a bounce house, Corn Hole Tournament, Crab Pot Cork Race, and lots more. Registration for the Corn Hole Tournament begins at 11 a.m. and is $10 per team. The competitive Corn Hole Tournament begins at 3 p.m.

“The Crab Pot Cork Race originated in Cape Charles at the Buy Boat Reunion in 2011,” explains Dize. “Kids get to decorate the corks, enter them in the race, keep their buoys when the race is over, and hopefully win prizes.” Race registration begins at 11 a.m. and is $7 per person. The race begins at 7 p.m.

The Smith Island Skiff Racers will be lining up for their race at 2 p.m. Originally used as crabbing boats on Smith Island, these boats now fly through the water like racecars on a track.

These small boats will cause a big ruckus throughout the harbor!

Live music begins Saturday afternoon. Loaded Goat will be playing at 4 p.m. After the 7 p.m. Crab Pot Cork Race and the first Boat Docking practice runs, Fat Tuesday and the New Custards will play around 7:30 p.m. Following the Boat Docking Contest Sunday afternoon, Planet Full of Blues will play around 4 p.m. [Read more…]

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PHOTO SHOOT: WW II Veterans Camping Out at Watson’s

Taken July 4, 2013, this photo is a little late getting to press, but that doesn’t matter — the gentlemen pictured are timeless. Setting up camp outside Watson’s Hardware are three World War II veterans: Tony Sacco, 87 (Navy), Kemper Goffigon, 93 (Navy), and Lawrence Nottingham, 87 (Army). Photo courtesy Chip Watson.

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COMMENTARY: $ewer $ystems — ‘The Rest of the Story’

By WAYNE CREED

July 27, 2013

As a kid, growing up with a dad that tended to tinker in the garage with the radio on, I remember lazy days, tinkering alongside him on a bike or Briggs & Stratton lawnmower engine, all the while listening to the Paul Harvey show. I especially liked the section of the show “The Rest of the Story.”

As of July 22, Northampton County finalized the Southern Node commercial service area which will pump sewage to the Cape Charles treatment plan. The County’s PSA (Public Service Authority) has recommended a special taxing district for commercial property along Route 13. There is, however, “the rest of the story.”

Back in 2008 and into 2009, the Town of Cape Charles was faced with a dilemma: the wastewater plant was failing (although reports of its impending demise may have been slightly exaggerated), and without addressing the issue, harsh dealings from the Department of Environmental Quality were on the horizon. The Mayor, the assistant town manager, and the town manager should be commended for stepping up and getting in front of a serious problem.

The facts: Cape Charles, like all municipalities in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, had to meet a specified nutrient waste load allocation by January 2011. If we did not meet this date, our current waste load allocation, which was based on a projected discharge of 500,000 GPD, would be reduced by half (along with possible fines).

But there is still more to the story. There were actually two competing plans on the table at the time: the current system, owned and operated by the Town, and a public private venture to be funded and managed by Webtide Partners, led by the concerns of Furlong Baldwin and Sons, and Joe Corrado.

Floating about was also the notion of a regional system to service Northampton County. In 2009, the Town and County held a wastewater summit. Then-supervisors Dave Burden and Spencer Murray posited lukewarm approvals in favor of a regional system, but one that was made up of several smaller plants; Burden also added that effluent should not be pumped back into the Bay, and that a water reuse plant should be at the forefront. [Read more…]

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Young Artists Give New Life to Strawberry Street Mermaid

By SARAH GOLIBART
Cape Charles Wave

July 26, 2013

The world’s fascination with beautiful fish-tailed women has not escaped Cape Charles, where the Town’s very own mermaid happily resides on the revitalized storefront area of Strawberry Street with a fresh coat of paint.

Clelia Sheppard of Arts Enter commissioned local student Meadow Noonan to decorate the mermaid with a design inspired by “growing the arts.”

With the help of friends Kristin Lewis and Julia Bridgforth, the mermaid was painted with a black background blooming with colorful flowers and beautiful butterflies.

Originally the mermaid was part of a fleet of 130 that were commissioned by Norfolk attorney Peter Decker well over a decade ago. The mermaids have become a symbol for Norfolk, where various organizations purchased them in the “Mermaids on Parade” auctions.

Many artists were asked to decorate the mermaids, including Clelia Sheppard. [Read more…]

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Would Route 13 Strip Development ‘Kill the Town’?

By DORIE SOUTHERN
Cape Charles Wave

July 25, 2013

Vocal members of the Cape Charles Business Association expressed concern to Town officials July 23 over their plan to promote development on Route 13.

Cape Charles Town Council has endorsed plans to extend a sewer pipe from the Town treatment plant out to commercial properties on Route 13 near Cheriton.

But local businessmen such as Andy Buchholz (Eastern Shore Signs) said it was clear all around the country that strip development kills a town.

Providing sewerage to the highway “totally promotes growth on [Route] 13,” Buchholz said. “The County should be helping drive business into town.”

The sewer expansion would be done by Northampton County’s Public Service Authority, chaired by Bob Panek, who also is assistant town manager for Cape Charles.

Panek told the Business Association that the County Board of Supervisors has already funded 25 percent of the sewer pipe expense in the latest budget. The remaining 75 percent would be paid through higher taxes on the commercial properties affected.

The current County property tax is 67 cents per hundred dollars’ value. Panek said the special tax would be an additional 52 cents, for a total of $1.19. All property owners within the special tax district would be required to pay the tax. [Read more…]

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Cheriton Volunteer Fire Co. Fundraiser Serves 150 Dinners

KITCHEN HEROINES — It takes a village to maintain a volunteer fire company, and these ladies were doing their part in the kitchen last night (July 24) at the annual Cheriton Volunteer Fire Company chicken dinner fundraiser, where some 150 meals were served. At least one kitchen volunteer has been helping out for over 50 years. The shirt in the foreground reads “60 Years of Service 1948-2008,” which means the Cheriton VFC has now turned 65. [Read more…]

SHER: ‘Kids Say the Darndest Things’

By SHER HOROSKO
Cape Charles Wave

July 24, 2013

OK, this is the truth. In my whole life only two TV shows made me laugh so hard I doubled over: “Candid Camera” and Bill Cosby’s, “Kids Say the Darndest Things.” Those of you who have dipped into this column probably get that I take the world rather seriously. I have been a muser since the age of four (maybe earlier).

As a child, I thought I knew more than adults in key areas. As an adult, I am sure I was right about this. Kids know things we have forgotten or buried or had drummed out of us. They don’t get stuck on the thorns that constantly separate us from each other.

The world misses the essential goodness of kids. We believe morality is learned. I see this differently: I think we come into the world (most of us anyway) with great and good hearts.

So like eight year old Ryan in the photo, our job is to water the love just like he is watering the plants.

But jumping back to Bill Cosby —
[Read more…]

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Town Recalculates Bay Creek Beach Club Charges

By GEORGE SOUTHERN
Cape Charles Wave

July 23, 2013

Connection charges for Town water and sewer lines to Bay Creek’s new Beach Club originally were calculated at $153,000 but were dropped to $44,000.

The Town of Cape Charles released the information in response to a Freedom of Information Act request by the Wave.

The issue arose after a prominent local contractor posted a comment in the Wave noting that “. . . (according to rumor) a reduced water/sewer hookup fee was given to the Bay Creek South company.”

In reaction, the Town issued a special edition of the Cape Charles Gazette with a “Message from the Mayor.”

Mayor Dora Sullivan wrote: “The Town did not reduce the connection charges for the new Beach Club at Bay Creek Resort & Club. The charge was calculated after obtaining a good understanding of the projected water and wastewater use at this new facility.”

Whether or not the Town reduced the connection charges may depend on what the definition of “calculation” is. [Read more…]

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County Approves Commercial Sewage Area

By DORIE SOUTHERN
Cape Charles Wave

July 23, 2013

Northampton County Board of Supervisors yesterday finalized the Southern Node commercial service area recommended by the Public Service Authority (PSA).

The area runs along Route 13 about a half mile in each direction from the Cape Charles traffic light, as well as most of Route 13 Business through Cheriton.

The Board of Supervisors accepted a proposal to create a special tax district to fund 75 percent of  infrastructure costs. The remaining 25 percent would be borne by all County property taxpayers. The 25 percent is already in the 2014 budget.

The commercial service area of the Southern Node would be the first phase in a two-phase project to provide wastewater service to Cheriton using the Cape Charles treatment plant approximately 2.25 miles away.

Asked if the proposed sewer lines for the commercial properties would be sufficient to tie all of Cheriton into the Cape Charles plant, PSA Chairman Bob Panek said they would not. Panek is also the principal consultant for the Cape Charles treatment plant. [Read more…]