Shore Group Fights Proposed Higher Bridge Toll

By GEORGE SOUTHERN
Cape Charles Wave

July 22, 2013

A group of Shore residents are using 21st-century social media to battle proposed toll increases on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel.

“CBBT Fair Toll, It’s About Time” is the name of a Facebook page the group started July 16 which as of last night had 122 “Friends.”

The Shore group is using every means available to martial opposition to a plan to increase bridge tolls by 10 percent every five years.

In addition to friending the Facebook page, toll opponents can sign an online petition started by Exmore businesswoman Dona Danziger.

Cape Charles restauranteur Gene Kelly signed the petition “to encourage more folks to live in Northampton County and to enhance businesses who are suffering here.”

The Fair Toll group is headed by Accomack County Supervisor Wanda Thornton, who argues that “neither traffic counts nor safety issues” justify raising tolls to build new tunnels. Thornton formerly served on the Bridge-Tunnel Commission.

Thornton notes that current Bridge-Tunnel tolls generate $45 million a year, while only $23 million is needed for operations and maintenance. The CBBT already has $210 million saved up, according to Thornton. [Read more…]

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Corps of Engineers Rejects Request to Deepen Harbor

By GEORGE SOUTHERN
Cape Charles Wave

July 20, 2013

The Army Corps of Engineers has rejected a request by the Town of Cape Charles to deepen the Town’s outer harbor and channel.

The request was made in April 2012 by Town Manager Heather Arcos, who wrote: “During the past year businesses in the Harbor have lost significant contracts due to the lack of sufficient depth for moving goods from the Harbor.” Arcos did not specify which businesses were losing contracts.

In response, the Corps of Engineers performed a year-long feasibility study. On June 13, the Corps reported that only one business would benefit from deepening the channel: Bayshore Concrete.

To qualify for full Corps funding, at least two users must be identified. If Bayshore is the only user, it would be required to bear half the expense, which, including interest and maintenance of the channel, could exceed $245,000 annually.

According to the Corps report, Bayshore Concrete stated that it would be “financially unable to meet the single user obligation at this time.”

The Corps study identified three potential future commercial users of the Town Harbor: an aerospace defense contractor from Wallops Island, a small inland cruise ship company, and the Cape Charles Yacht Center, a boat maintenance and storage facility currently under construction. However, none of those potential users would require a deeper channel. [Read more…]

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THURSDAY 7/18: Town Council Regular Monthly Meeting

Cape Charles Town Council will hold its regular monthly meeting 6 p.m. Thursday, July 18, at St. Charles Parish Hall, 550 Tazewell Avenue. The agenda and information packet may be read at http://www.capecharles.org/documents/20130718-TCAgendaPacket.pdf

SHER: This Place Gets in Your Blood

By SHER HOROSKO
Cape Charles Wave

July 17, 2013

There are places that get in your blood. This is surely one of them.

Just last week I met the man who farms the field outside my window. “What’s your name?” I ask. “Bud” he says — “You know like Bud Light. Lived here all my life. Never gonna leave.”

I could ask him what it is about the place, but I don’t. I track the gleam in his eye instead. His love spills into the sandy soil, sails the windswept fields and dips into the sea close by.

The land-and-blood-thing is strong in him.

Along the back roads toward Kiptopeke, the fields of corn stretch into the arms of Virginia pines. In Cape Charles Harbor, small orange claws and tiny fins poke through the slats of wooden baskets.

“Will I ever get used to this?” I ask myself while topping my oatmeal with handfuls of blackberries picked from a neighbor’s yard.

This is a land of abundance. The horn of plenty is all filled up.

But not for all.

It is the riddle of Abundance living next door to Hunger that brings me to a hot and dusty field after a midnight run to the ER. Tired, disheveled, and barely thrown together, I pull up to a land lit with color.

The gleaners are here, 46 of them from three Virginia churches. White-laced bags of potatoes, about 8,000 pounds’ worth, are stacked and nestled in the powdery earth and spent green vines.

Gleaning means to “gather what is left.”

Local farmer David Long invites the Society of St. Andrew to come to his field each year to share in the abundance he co-creates on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. Every bit of what’s gathered goes to the hungry people who live here.

Looking over the gleaners, it is clear to me that rescuing potatoes requires strong calves or dirt-coated knees. Surrendering to T-shirts wrung with sweat is part of the whole thing, too, and so is a pretty sore back at day’s end.

[Read more…]

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Town Staff News: Pruitt Promoted; Testerman, Pfeiffer Hired

CAPE CHARLES WAVE

July 17, 2013

The Town of Cape Charles has announced three staff changes: two police officers and the town planner.

Police officer James Pruitt has been promoted to the rank of sergeant. According to the Town statement, “His promotion was based on the performance and work ethic shown since being hired in 2010 and his continued attention to detail while performing the required duties assigned to him by command.”

Pruitt was recognized by Gov. Robert McDonnell last October for organizing a dedication service for the Town’s only officer to be killed in the line of duty.

The Town also formally announced the appointment of Rob Testerman as the Town Planner. A native of Chesapeake, Testerman holds a  B.A. in Public and Urban Affairs from Virginia Tech, where he studied urban planning in the College of Architecture and Urban Studies.

After graduation, Testerman was the land use planner for Accomack County for six years before joining the staff of Cape Charles.

His work for Accomack County included rezonings, conditional use permits, ordinance revisions, GIS mapping, comprehensive plan research, and erosion and sediment control inspections. Testerman is certified by the American Institute of Certified Planners.

Chelsea Pfeiffer, the Town’s newest police officer, holds a B.S. in Administration of Justice from George Mason University. She worked for two years as a probation officer for Accomack County and operated the 2A Court Service Unit’s satellite office in Eastville.

Sign Language: Parade Truck Perturbs Planning Commission

By DORIE SOUTHERN
Cape Charles Wave

July 15, 2013

Cape Charles Planning Commission has been reviewing the Town’s sign ordinance for more than two years, but the signs on a truck in the July 4th parade brought the issue to a head.

The majority of commissioners expressed displeasure July 9 over signs displayed on a parade truck for the group known as Old School Cape Charles.

Festooned with American flags and plastered with signs, the truck was a moving billboard for the activist group that is fighting the Town’s decision to give away the Old School, basketball court, and parkland to a real estate developer.

“Repeal the Crooked $10 Deal,” read one sign, referring to the price the developer paid for the school and park property.

“Don’t Raise My Water Bill to Pay for More Condos,” read another.

And at the back of the truck: “Stand Up for Your Rights – Don’t Give Up the Fight.”

No planning commissioner found any illegality with displaying signs in the actual July 4^th parade. The problem seemed to be that the parade truck was parked on the street both before and after the parade.

Chairman Dennis McCoy said, “What really stuck out like a sore thumb to me was the truck when I came into town this weekend . . . It was not [advertising] any business, and it stayed parked for two days.”

“I complained as a citizen. I thought it was offensive,” said Commissioner Joan Natali, who also is a member of Town Council. She advocated changing the ordinance to allow Town officials to immediately confiscate signs deemed offensive. [Read more…]

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Town Flood Insurance Rates Should See ‘Drastic’ Drop

By DORIE SOUTHERN
Cape Charles Wave

July 11, 2013

FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) is proposing “a drastic change regarding flood zones in Cape Charles.”

Town Planner Rob Testerman told the Cape Charles Planning Commission July 9 that a majority of the Historic District, currently rated high-risk by FEMA, is proposed to be reclassified at a much lower risk of flooding.

That is wonderful news to any property owner paying flood insurance premiums.

Under FEMA rules, federally regulated lenders require property owners to buy flood insurance in areas labeled “A or “V” on the FEMA flood zone map.

In high-risk areas, there is at least a 1 in 4 chance of flooding during a 30-year period.

In the current 2008 FEMA map, “a majority of the historic portion of Cape Charles is located in the AE Zone,” Testerman said.

But the preliminary map for 2013 “shows the AE zone ending at the beach,“ he noted.

The most flood-prone area is of course the beach itself, which retains a “VE” classification. [Read more…]

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SHER: July 4th Art as a New Way of Seeing

By SHER HOROSKO
Cape Charles Wave

July 10, 2013

Photography is a new venture for me.  I’m about nine months into it.I never wanted to use a camera because I thought it would separate me from whatever I was experiencing.Upon buying one, I established a firm rule: If the camera ever gets in the way of feeling the wonder in front of me or saving someone or something, ditch the camera.  Staying faithful to this rule allows me to shoot freely.

I’ve discovered a camera allows me to experience something over again.  Most importantly, I  see things I missed in the actual moment.  I am less interested in re-presenting the action than in conveying the feeling it stirs in me. Here are a few shots from the 4th of July that I re-lived.

Art is a way of seeing the ordinary in a new way.

I got a late start to the fireworks.  Traveling down the driveway, we headed for the lights in the sky.  “Some folks chase storms,” I said. “We chase fireworks.”

We ended up in the parking lot at Aqua.  I took this shot of the flag in the dark when the fireworks ended. (I had no idea another round was about to begin on the other side of town).

It reflects how I feel about our country now — a lot of darkness surrounding a great light.  We are more divided than I ever remember being, but the light still shines on us.  It is easy to light a fuse and blow up a bridge — and much harder to build one across the chasms that divide us.

We need to build more bridges.

We all have things happen in life.  They can keep us in or down or feeling sorry for ourselves.

I loved watching these guys — how they moved around, smack dab in the middle of the music, how they were drinking the whole thing down.  They could have had a sign on the back of their chairs: “Live your Life!” But they didn’t need to.

Inspirational folks don’t carry signs and they don’t even mean to be inspiring. That’s the beauty of it. [Read more…]

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Thanks for the Best July 4th Parade and Festival Ever!

By JEN LEWIS
Cape Charles Recreation Coordinator

July 9, 2013

As the Community Events/Recreation Coordinator I would like to thank so many people who helped to make this year’s 4^th of July Street Parade and Festival a fun day for all.

Trina Veber once again faced the hot temperatures to emcee the day’s events.

Paul Skolnick and Elsie Bowen judged the parade.

Matt Evans ran the tournaments.

Spencer Travis and friend as well as Sharon Silvey took on the very difficult task of judging the beautiful baby contest. [Read more…]

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TUESDAY 7/9: Planning Commission Meeting

Cape Charles Planning Commission will meet 6 p.m. Tuesday, July 9, at Town Hall. The complete information packet may be read at http://www.capecharles.org/documents/20130709-PCAgendaPkt.pdf.

Cape Charles High School Alumni Hold First Reunion

CAPE CHARLES WAVE

July 8, 2013

About 100 Cape Charles High School alumni gathered at Sunset Beach Grill last Saturday.

Organizers  Leah Bowen Forest, Pamela Brown Upshur, Yetta Stratton Wilkins, and Troy Lewis said the reunion was the first-ever for students who attended the school in the ‘70s and ‘80s.

Students from the oldest class represented , 1970, had waited 43 years.

The youngest class, 1986, graduated 27 years ago.

Leah Bowen Forest said that there have been reunions of classes from the ’50s and ’60s but nothing after that. [Read more…]

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