$8 Million Town Budget Contains No Tax Increase

CAPE CHARLES WAVE

June 1, 2015

Owing to the untimely death of a computer software vendor, there will be no tax increase in the Town of Cape Charles next year. That’s because real estate reappraisals were postponed by Northampton County when the software vendor died, and the town relies completely on the county for property values.

If property had been reappraised in 2015 as originally planned, the values would have dropped and the tax rate necessarily would have increased. Virginia state law requires appraisals to reflect actual market value, and as the Wave has documented in its Real Estate page, most Cape Charles real estate is selling below appraised value — especially empty lots.

When the last reappraisal occurred in 2013 the town was forced to raise tax rates from 18 cents per hundred dollars to 27.6 cents. That rate will continue to 2016. [Read more…]

WAYNE CREED
Backwards Parking, Chimneys, and Wee King Neptune

By WAYNE CREED
Cape Charles Wave Columnist

June 1, 2015

In last week’s Wave, it was reported that a smaller version of Virginia Beach’s giant Neptune sculpture had been donated by patron Wyndham Price, and would be placed on the boardwalk. What seemed like a very generous offer was instead attacked by some as being utterly inappropriate, almost an insult to our refined sensibilities. One critic said that the work should instead be “a more appropriate symbol signifying who we are.”

My first impression was that the town should immediately commission an artist to create a work to symbolize the “New Cape Charles,” one that conveys a narrative of who we are. Maybe a work comprised of a pig, a bird, and a snake to symbolize the three Buddhist poisons of ignorance, attachment and aversion.

But then I stopped: Is “who we are” a question we really want answered?

A case in point: Over at the old library, now arbitrarily called the “Civic Center” instead of what it really is, the Town Hall, the Historic District Review Board recently voted to remove the chimneys because they were leaking. After several anemic attempts by Public Works to repair them, the town decided it would be easier to just tear them down.

It seems the town is always quite ready to hang its hat on the historical integrity of Cape Charles when it suits them (usually when developer tax credits are on the line), but when it comes to maintaining the integrity (historical character) of a true historical structure they seem more than willing to rape and violate it, generally out of nothing more than sheer laziness and incompetence.

For years, the town allowed the old school to fall into a state of disrepair. This was a willful and illegal act, and instead of making simple, inexpensive fixes, like new windows to keep out the water, they instead amused themselves by making up the most fraudulent stories about the place’s ultimate demise. Carpet baggers from Richmond have recently exposed those tall tales as nothing but silly little lies. [Read more…]

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ALTERNATIVE TABLE: Strawberry Fields Forever

By KAREN GAY
Cape Charles Wave Columnist

June 1, 2015

Last spring while my friends were gorging on juicy, sweet strawberries I was supine on my zero-gravity recliner recovering from 35 years of sitting at a desk. This year, feeling much better, I determined to find that farm that everyone talked about but no one could quite explain exactly where it was. Asking one friend, I heard “Oh, it’s just a ways up 13.” Another friend looked at me blankly when I asked whether it was north or south of OBS Building Supply. Someone told me it was before you hit Exmore. “Well, is it before or after the Machipongo Trading Company?” She couldn’t say.

So on a sunny Saturday I set off north from Cape Charles to find these ephemeral strawberry fields where everyone in town went, but where no one could identify its location. Lo and behold, just a short distance north of Eastville the fields appeared just after Union Baptist Church. I swung right into Bell Lane and parked in the grassy lot to the side of the farm stand. As soon as I opened the car door I could tell there were strawberries nearby. The scent wafted over me as I approached the stand and then it only got better as Janice Giddens welcomed me with a huge smile and bright pink stained hands. She and two others had been in the back of the stand packing strawberries into quart containers. I bought two quarts and asked if I could interview her. She deftly pointed me out to the fields to question the boss who was in a red shirt. [Read more…]

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Cape Charles Gets A Radio Station (Internet, That Is)

CAPE CHARLES WAVE

June 1, 2015

Radio without the antenna — that’s the miracle of the Internet, and now little ol’ Cape Charles has its own radio station: WCCR (Cape Charles Radio, we assume).

AM or FM? No, you don’t get it. It’s Internet exclusive: Click here: http://www.wccr-theresort.com/music.html. If all goes well you’ll find yourself listening to light jazz while continuing to read the Wave.

“We created WCCR-The Resort to emphasize the ‘Resort’ aspects of the lower Eastern Shore,” said founder David LaBonte, whose DJ moniker is “David Bayside.”  “Cape Charles is a wonderful small town with beautiful beaches, and multiple surrounding resorts like the Oyster Farm at Kings Creek, Bay Creek Golf Resort, Cherrystone, and Kiptopeke State Park just to name a few — all with their own unique offerings. What we bring you is music to go along with your resort experience,” he said.

LaBonte’s online resume shows him headquartered in Bethany Beach, Delaware, and how he happened to focus on Cape Charles is not stated. LaBonte previously worked for Clear Channel (now iHeart Communications), the country’s largest radio broadcaster. [Read more…]

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.

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TOWN COUNCIL
Parking Tickets, Sewage, King Neptune & Patrick Hand

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…]

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HISTORIC REVIEW BOARD
Chimneys Go Up in Smoke; Vinyl Siding Denied

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…]

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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…]

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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…]

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