News Flash! Hot Time in Old Town Saturday Night

CAPE CHARLES WAVE

February 5, 2013

Another  Saturday night, and Cape Charles will be rolling up the sidewalks at 5 p.m.

NOT!

Amazingly, on Saturday, February 9, there are — not none, not one, but TWO shows on Mason Avenue.

Unfortunately, both events begin at 7 p.m., so night trippers will have to choose one over the other.

At the Palace Theatre, “I Played the Palace” is billed as a lighthearted, non-competitive show of talent as local singers, actors, dancers or poets perform on the stage.

The event is free. Hot paninis, soda, snacks, beer, and wine will be available for sale before, during and after the performances.

All are welcome to perform or watch from the red velvet seats in the auditorium.

There are 10 slots of 15 minutes each available for the performers. The microphone will be provided and performers are responsible for their own props, music and costumes.

Entertainers must register by February 7 at Arts Enter for this first-time “I Played the Palace” night.

Melinda McPeek and Wayne Creed will MC the evening, assisted by sound technician Brent Carpenter.

“We are excited about giving performers the opportunity to showcase their talent on a live stage in the beautiful art deco theatre complete with state of the art light and sound,” said Arts Enter Director Clelia Sheppard.

“Hopefully this will the first night of many more where there is no admission and no competition,” she added. “It will be a fun night for all.”

To register, call 757-331-2787.

Meanwhile, just up the street, ESO LIVE! plans to transform the Cape Charles Coffee House into an intimate Blues Club, with the award-winning Newport News songwriter and performer Tim Morgan. [Read more…]

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Group Asks: What’s Your Opinion of Local Schools?

CAPE CHARLES WAVE

February 4, 2013

An anonymous, self-described “local community group” has launched an online survey “to explore perceptions of the local school options.”

According to emails circulating among parents and others interested in Eastern Shore schools, the data collected in the survey will be used to “analyze the perceptions of our local schools by staff, parents, and community members.”

The group stresses that the survey is not being conducted by any local school system.

“We want to gather the honest perceptions of anyone with a stake in education on the Eastern Shore,” the email states.

The survey is not confined to public schools, but extends to private schools including Broadwater Academy, Cape Charles Christian School, and Shore Christian Academy.

The survey also asks questions of parents who are home-schooling their children. [Read more…]

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Mark Twain on Small-Town Southern Journalism

February 1, 2013

EDITOR’S NOTE: Mark Twain wrote the following short story 140 years ago. Some details are perhaps exaggerated, but modern-day readers of the Cape Charles Wave nevertheless may draw some parallels. The story has been condensed for modern attention spans.

Journalism in Tennessee
By Mark Twain

I was told by my physician that a Southern climate would improve my health, and so I went down to Tennessee, and got a berth on the Morning Glory and Johnson County War-Whoop as associate editor.

When I went on duty the chief editor told me to take the exchanges and skim through them and write what seemed of interest.

I wrote as follows:

“The editors of the Semi-Weekly Earthquake evidently labor under a misapprehension with regard to the Dallyhack railroad. It is not the object of the company to leave Buzzardville off to one side. The gentlemen of the Earthquake will, of course, take pleasure in making the correction.

* * *

“John W. Blossom, Esq., the able editor of the Higginsville Thunderbolt and Battle Cry of Freedom, arrived in the city yesterday. He is stopping at the Van Buren House.

* * *

“We observe that our contemporary of the Mud Springs Morning Howl has fallen into the error of supposing that the election of Van Werter is not an established fact, but he will have discovered his mistake before this reminder reaches him, no doubt.

* * *

“It is pleasant to note that the city of Blathersville is endeavoring to contract with some New York gentlemen to pave its well-nigh impassable streets. The Daily Hurrah urges the measure with ability, and seems confident of ultimate success.

* * *

I passed my manuscript over to the chief editor. He glanced at it and his face clouded. Presently he sprang up and said:

“Thunder and lightning! Do you suppose my subscribers are going to stand such gruel as that? Give me the pen!”

While he was in the midst of his work, somebody shot at him through the open window, and marred the symmetry of my ear. [Read more…]

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LETTER: Innkeeper Warns of ‘Certified Check’ Scams

January 31, 2013

DEAR EDITOR:

There is a rental scam going on that we should all be aware of.

It begins with a rather normal reservation request on line. Prices and dates are confirmed. These are often unusual names —  I have received a reservation request from Lychagina Kudryashov claiming to be in Ukraine (but I have also received requests from England). Often the requests come from “priests” coming on retreat or extended stays.

People do not stay at B&B’s for a month!

The requests also usually have some sort of grammatical error, leaving out words or capitalization.

Sometimes it helps to respond by asking questions. The scammers usually cannot say what airport they are coming into, or even their form of transportation.

The scam is that they claim that they cannot give a credit card number for deposit over the Internet or phone because of security reasons. Instead, they promise to send a check.

They then send a check for a huge amount of money, asking that you deposit it and send on the rest to a travel agent or whatever.

The scam is that it is a fake cashiers check, and they are playing with the time it takes for the bank to realize that the check is fake.

If you do send on the extra money as a “courtesy” to your international guest, you have been scammed.

Recently I received a cashiers check for $5,450 from the Credit Union of Atlanta, Georgia. It looks very legitimate.

I called the bank’s security and they told me it was fraudulent, not from their bank, and that they have been trying to catch up to the forgers for some time. [Read more…]

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LINDEMAN: Like a Good Neighbor, Cape Charles Is There

By BRUCE LINDEMAN
Cape Charles Wave

January 30, 2013

By now most of you who have read my past columns know that I tend to write about what I perceive to be what’s good in this town of ours.

2012 was a year of controversy and angst for many, and I simply don’t want us to lose sight of all the good things that happen throughout the course of the year and the people behind those things.

The old “forest for the trees” adage is alive and well here:  we have to consider the whole if we’re going to pick the nit.

Case in point:

I have an old truck.  It’s not a beauty nor is it anywhere near new.  Fred is a 23-year old Ford F-150 pickup.

I’ve owned Fred for seven or eight years now, I suppose.  I don’t measure my time with Fred in terms of years or miles, but in the quality it adds to our lives.

Why the name Fred?  Before I bought it, I borrowed a friend’s F-150 to help move some furniture.  That truck was affectionately named Lamont by my friend.  It was the same vintage as Fred.

If you remember the TV show Sanford and Son, you’ll get Lamont and Fred.

My son was maybe four at the time, and I plopped him in the seat next to me figuring he’d get a kick out of riding high in a truck.  Little did I know how much so.

Jack rode back and forth with me over the course of two days as we moved loads of furniture to our new house.  The evening I brought Lamont back to my friend, we put the kids to bed and I made a final trip back to my friends’ to retrieve my car.

The next morning, Jack looked outside in the driveway and asked, “Where’s Lamont, Daddy?”  I told him we had only borrowed it and that it wasn’t ours to keep.  His little eyes began to tear up.  He clearly didn’t understand.  My heart broke for him.  So I vowed that I’d find a truck just like Lamont for us to tool around in. [Read more…]

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Town Council Spending $10,000 to Patch up Fishing Pier

By DORIE SOUTHERN
Cape Charles Wave

January 29, 2013

Cape Charles Town Council faced a Catch-22 at its January 24 meeting: Wait until September for federal funding to repair or replace the fishing pier damaged by Hurricane Sandy — or fix it at Town expense and risk forfeiting funds from FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency).

But the decision was unanimous: Council could not accept keeping the pier closed through the summer, and so voted to patch it up at Town expense.

The hope was still that FEMA eventually would pay to replace the heavily damaged portion of the pier, which is the part built alongside the jetty.

But Town staff were less optimistic than at the previous Council meeting, when Public Works Director Dave Fauber had said that “FEMA is going to be dumping a lot of money in it to fix it and fix it right this time.”

Now, Town staff are worrying that FEMA is too preoccupied by the storm damage in New Jersey to give priority to Cape Charles.

Council’s dream is to build a new section of pier away from the jetty, closer to the harbor, connecting to the deeper water portion of the existing pier. The cost could be upwards of $300,000.

Unfortunately, FEMA would not bear any of that cost — the agency is willing only to repair or replace an existing structure, not build a new one.

So the Town plans to fix up the old pier just enough to be safe for the summer.

The Catch-22? If the Town does too good a job on repairs, FEMA might decide the pier doesn’t need to be replaced.

Wave Attenuators Get Thumbs Up

In other business, Town Council voted to move forward with plans to build floating wave attenuators at the entrance to the Town Harbor. [Read more…]

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Arts Enter Photo Contest Supports New Tourism Website

January 29, 2013

Arts Enter has announced a photo contest to help develop a tourism website called CapeCharlesByTheBay.com.

The website will promote Cape Charles as a lively, beautiful, and sustainable place with the arts at the core.

Approximately 20 photos will be selected as finalists or honorable mentions and will be featured on the website and supporting marketing campaign.

A photography show and exhibition at the Stage Door Gallery will recognize winners and entrants.

The Contest is open to all photographers, regardless of residence. Photos must be submitted electronically to [email protected] by  Friday, February 15. Visit http://www.figstreetinn.com/ccphotocontest.html for complete contest rules.

For the most up-to-date Contest info and for a sneak peek at some of the entries, “join” the Photo Contest Event page on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/events/564557523572908/. [Read more…]

SHORE THING: Gossip Gets a Bad Rap

By GEORGE SOUTHERN
Cape Charles Wave

January 28, 2013

It could be argued that Cape Charles doesn’t need a newspaper, because one stroll through town is usually enough to learn about everything that’s going on.

Maybe so, but if you drive instead of walk, or live out of town, you’re going to miss out on some of the news.

And with the weather as it’s been for the last two weeks — first rain, then snow, and for the moment still freezing cold — you don’t see many walkers, and you don’t hear as much news.

So there is some justification for a newspaper, and even for a “gossip column.”

The word “gossip” gets a bad rap. The archaic meaning of a “gossip” was a friend — somebody who knew you well enough to pass on the good stuff — meaning the REAL news.

So, friends, let me tell you about my walk through town the day before it started raining, which was two Mondays ago. If you live in town maybe you already know this, but half our readers are out-of-towners.

My first stop was at Sullivan’s, which of course is the number-one spot where news not only is heard but also made. I asked Mike if he had a scanner power supply I needed. He didn’t, but that brought me into contact with Jay’s barber shop across the hall.

Jay asked me if I had any good news (he meant JUICY news), and I asked him the same thing. If your barber doesn’t know, nobody knows.

I say barber, because I go to get my hair “cut.” Women go to get their hair “done,” but it’s all the same — whoever works on your hair knows the news.

Vance Lewis popped in, and I took the opportunity to chide him for pulling down the Ewell’s Furniture sign, leaving a blank frame. WRONG, Vance said — he had just put up his own sign, which you’ve already seen unless you don’t live here, in which case just look at the photo above.

As everybody knows, Vance’s father Frank, our former mayor (who just celebrated a birthday), has retired and sold Ewell’s Furniture to his son. Frank used to work six days a week at the store, but now that he’s retired he’s cut back to five.

That’s pretty big news for Cape Charles: Ewell’s Furniture, which had that name even before Frank bought it however many decades ago, is now Vance’s Furniture.

But there’s more, courtesy of Watson’s Hardware, which may not make as much news as Sullivan’s but does an even better job of spreading it. [Read more…]

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Glass Lovers Celebrate Unique Art Form

CAPE CHARLES WAVE

January 27, 2013

“Sea Glass and All Things Glass,” an exhibition featuring artists, vendors, and experts, filled the Firehouse yesterday. From top, participants with a passion for glass included Town Mayor Dora Sullivan, who organized the event; bottle expert Ray Lewis, and Richard LaMotte, author of Pure Sea Glass, who lectured on the histories and mysteries of sea glass.

At left is a sea glass necklace featuring a very rare thick teal in sterling silver, crafted by Gertraud Fendler, who also provided the three bottom photos.

Old School Cape Charles Gets First Day in Court

By DORIE SOUTHERN
Cape Charles Wave

January 26, 2013

The Town of Cape Charles sold the old school and park property for $10 to a developer last month, but the residents group known as Old School Cape Charles hopes to walk it back.

The group has filed two lawsuits in Northampton Circuit Court — one appealing the sale of the park property, and the other appealing the rezoning.

Judge Revell Lewis heard three hours of arguments yesterday over whether the lawsuits merit a trial.

“I have listened carefully,” Lewis said at the end of the day. “Because of the complexity, I will not render a decision today.”

A written decision will be issued in two or three weeks.

The decision could be to go to trial, to dismiss the cases, or some combination of those.

Top Cape Charles officials spent most of the day at the hearing, which was scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. but did not get underway until 1 p.m.

Cape Charles Mayor Dora Sullivan sat through it all, accompanied by both Town Manager Heather Arcos and Assistant Town Manager Bob Panek.

Also keeping watch was Police Chief Charles “Sambo” Brown.

The only current Town Council member attending was Frank Wendell, a vociferous opponent of divesting the school.

Former Council members Bruce Evans and Larry Veber were there, both of whom voted to sell the school. Former Council member John Burdiss was also present. Burdiss was not a council member at the time of the sale, but Town records show that he attended at least one closed session when Town Council was secretly negotiating to sell the school.

Representing Old School Cape Charles was its president, Wayne Creed, accompanied by a group of about 16 supporters.

The preliminary hearing was a long time coming. Old School Cape Charles filed the first lawsuit last July. [Read more…]

Civic Leaders Allege Housing Discrimination by Town

By DORIE SOUTHERN
Cape Charles Wave

January 24, 2013

Three prominent  civic leaders have expressed concern to elected state officials over alleged discriminatory housing practices by the Town of Cape Charles.

The civic leaders are Lenora Mitchell, president of Concerned Citizens of Cape Charles; Alice Coles, president of Bayview Citizens for Social Justice; and Jane Cabarrus, president of Northampton County NAACP.

The three leaders want elected officials to know that the sales contract for the Town’s old school stipulates that apartments to be built in the school may not be rented to persons receiving government subsidies.

The apartment developer, Echelon Resources, has applied for  federal and state tax credits totaling 45 percent of construction costs.

The Town of Cape Charles awarded Echelon a no-bid contract for the school for the price of $10. The property is assessed at $921,000.

The Town also agreed to transfer $41,000 insurance proceeds to Echelon, and to reduce utility hookup fees by 75 percent.

“We question why, and how, a developer could receive government assistance to build apartments while explicitly excluding people relying on government assistance from living in those apartments,” the civic leaders wrote in a letter.

One letter went to State Senator Ralph Northam, and another to Virginia Delegate Lynwood Lewis, with copies to Senator Tim Kaine and Northampton Supervisor Willie Randall. [Read more…]

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