What’s Anonymous? Where Are the Classifieds?

December 16, 2012

The Cape Charles Wave offers two features which many readers don’t know about.

One — ANONYMOUS — began only last week. It’s enjoyed moderate use but remains a deep secret to many.

The other feature is our CLASSIFIEDS — a local Craigslist, if you will. Up to now we haven’t had time to promote it, so readers can be forgiven for not knowing it’s there.

Both these sections, ANONYMOUS and CLASSIFIEDS, can be accessed by clicking the tabs at the top of any page.

ANONYMOUS is a forum for readers who aren’t comfortable revealing their names, but have something to say. The rules are simple:  1) Keep it short; 2) No pot shots — criticize, yes; attack, no; and 3) Be patient — an editor has to approve each submission.

CLASSIFIED ADS are FREE and run for one month or until deletion is requested. Write concisely, and be sure to include a phone number or email address for responses.

Send ANONYMOUS submissions and CLASSIFIED ADS to [email protected].

And don’t forget to click those tabs when reading the WAVE!

Live Animal Nativity Opens at Pfeiffer Riding Stables

By AUDREY NOTTINGHAM
Special to the Cape Charles Wave

December 15, 2012

Driving up to the Christmas gala at Pfeiffer Riding Stables, the first thing we noticed were the candles, hundreds of them, lining the drive. We were directed to the field to park and told to head to the Merry Christmas sign. Music could be heard and the house was lit up in celebration.

The live animal nativity is more than just that. They offered pony rides, barrel rides, and hay rides all with the intent of being fun and teaching the word of God.

They reminded us that behind bargain hunting for gifts and Christmas parties there is a deeper meaning to this holiday, something that in the hustle and bustle we had lost sight of.

Here are some pictures I took while I was there last night: [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…]

Pier vs. Park: A Tale of Two Toilets

By GEORGE SOUTHERN
Cape Charles Wave

December 13, 2012

Just about 13 years ago, Boy Scout Jeb Brady was looking for a project to complete the requirements for the rank of Eagle. “I probably bit off more than I could chew,” Brady told the Wave, but after a year of hard work his project was complete: public toilets for the beach and fishing pier.

Previously, “there was no bathroom — not even a place to wash the sand off your feet,” Brady said. “There weren’t as many people using the beach back then, but a bathroom was still a huge need.”

That need was universally recognized, and the whole town supported Brady’s project, donating materials and labor.

Local architect Leon Parham drew up the plans. One firm donated the concrete and block. Another supplied the cedar shake shingles. Electricians did the wiring and plumbers installed the water and sewer pipes.

Fortunately for Brady and the Town, both his father and uncle are tradesmen.

The finished project totals 104 square feet comprising two unisex bathrooms, each with one toilet, and was dedicated September 28, 2000. Total cost to the Town: Zero.

Fast forward a decade or so: Central Park had just undergone a magnificent renovation with the assistance of federal stimulus money. But the only public toilet was a plastic porta-potty.

Citizens for Central Park, under the direction of President Bob Panek, applied for a $45,000 grant from the Eastern Shore of Virginia Community Foundation. They got the grant, but the amount was reduced to $20,000.

Town Council voted to contribute $15,000 toward the toilets, and the CCP is contributing $2,000 to pay the architect, for a total cost of $37,000 to build the park toilets. [Read more…]

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House Near Cape Charles LEEDS Way in Energy Efficiency

Special to the
Cape Charles Wave

December 12, 2012

A new home  just south of the Town of Cape Charles has been certified as the most energy-efficient dwelling on Virginia’s Eastern Shore.

The 3,500-square-foot residence on Holly Dale Drive is on a 15-acre lot on Old Plantation Creek. The house has received a Platinum LEED rating (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) — the highest rating possible.

The most important strategy to lower energy consumption in the residence was to design the house to work with the climate.

Orientation, massing, shading, natural ventilation, insulation and highly efficient windows are all crucial elements to the design. Every effort was made to maximize the efficiency of these factors before using energy to make the house comfortable.

Designer Janet Harrison of Annapolis was also the  green consultant for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s Merrill Center — also a LEED Platinum recipient.

The contractor was Luke Kellam of Belle Haven. “The location provided an opportunity to design and build a home that enhances the natural surroundings and captures the expansive views,” said Kellam. “We made every effort to preserve the tranquil setting with a minimal footprint on the property.” [Read more…]

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LINDEMAN: When Goodness Happens

EDITOR’S NOTE: Last week was hard on Cape Charles, and hard on the WAVE. So thank goodness for more goodness from Lindeman!

By BRUCE LINDEMAN
Cape Charles Wave

December 11, 2012

I had arranged with Tammy Holloway earlier in the week to pick up my pie from her side porch, attached to the magnificently revived Bay Haven Inn on Tazewell.  My wife and I had been watching the renovation of Leon’s old house for months.  Just the simple act of removing most of the overgrown plantings around the place opened it up and provided a sight not seen in years.  To me, one of the prettiest homes in the historic district and well deserving of the love that the Holloways have showered on that place.

When I opened the screen door to their porch, where the pies were awaiting, I could sense even more so the level of detail they had put into this renovation.  Everything looked so bright and shiny I just wanted to stay awhile and take it all in.  But I had my dad in the car and, well, some visiting to get to as he and my mom had just driven into town for the holiday.

The back story of how I had come to even hold that lovely mocha pecan pie in my hands is a story that “only happens in Cape Charles” as we so often say.  I had written about my wife’s and my gathering of pecans a week or so prior in the Wave.  Tammy emailed me later that week and politely asked if I could tell her where said pecans could be found.  As there are numerous and very giving pecan trees in town, I told her where she could find one of the most giving — Big Mamma.  Now, please don’t email me asking where Big Mamma can be found.  That’s between me, my wife, Tammy, and a group of enterprising young kids who assisted her in the gathering. [Read more…]

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TOWN COUNCIL:
‘Our Town’ Project, Community Trail, Old School on Thursday

Cape Charles Wave

December 11, 2012

Cape Charles Town Council meets 6 p.m. Thursday, December 13, at St. Charles Parish Hall. Agenda items include the “Our Town” Project, the Community Trail — Phase 2, the new library, healthcare facilities negotiations,and the old school plans.

The economic impact of the Tall Ships at Cape Charles Festival last June will be presented by Joan Prescott of Eastern Shore Virginia Festivals, Inc.

David Shulte from the Eastern Shore Tourism Commission will report on the impact of tourism and festivals on the economy of Cape Charles and environs. Handouts for their reports are available with the meeting agenda.

The Our Town Project is moving forward with plans for a tourism website called “Cape Charles by the Bay . . . Harbor for the Arts” that is being spearheaded by Art Enter and the Cape Charles B&B Association. The competitive procurement received 26 proposals which has been narrowed down to 5 finalists. The new website should be operational by March.

New business will include: reappointment of Board of Zoning Appeals, Wireless Boardband Request for Proposals, South Port Investors recommendation from the Planning Commission, Foreign Trade Zone information, Governor’s Designation of Additional Holiday on December 26, Cape Charles Christian School Tax Exemption Status Request, and Shore Bank State/Municipal Certificate Renewal. [Read more…]

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APPEALS: First the Hotel Balconies, Now the Park Toilets

By DORIE SOUTHERN
Cape Charles Wave

December 10, 2012

Cape Charles Historic District Review Board made two decisions November 20:  to reject the balcony design for Hotel Cape Charles, and to approve the design for a bathroom in Central Park.

Both decisions are being appealed.

At Hotel Cape Charles, owner David Gammino is gathering signatures for an online petition to present to Town Council. Gammino admits that the hotel’s glass-front balconies do not conform to the design originally submitted to the Review Board, but says that most people find them very attractive, and that he can’t afford to replace them.

Over at Central Park, Don Riley is also gathering signatures for a petition — not on a computer but on a yellow legal pad.

STOP THE TOILETS IN CENTRAL PARK! THE LOCATION IS INAPPROPRIATE AND THE BUILDING UNATTRACTIVE, reads the petition.

“All of the citizens who signed my petition were unaware of the location, design, or timing of this project,” Riley wrote in his appeal to Town Council. [Read more…]

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SHORE THING:
An Open Letter from George to Mike about AQUA

By GEORGE SOUTHERN
Cape Charles Wave

December 7, 2012

Dear Mike Killebrew,

This morning soon after awaking I checked the latest comments in the Cape Charles Wave. Amid the usual sniping was the eloquent comment you submitted shortly after midnight –- a paean of praise to a magnificent restaurant and to the wonderful people who work there.

You, sir, are both a gentleman and a scholar. Now let me tell you some more about yourself:

In the spring of 2010, when my wife and I first came to Cape Charles, our new neighbors (destined to become our dearest friends) invited us to AQUA Restaurant. Two and a half years later I clearly remember what I ate and who served it.

I ordered the delicious fried flounder, and you, of course, served it.

After years of living inside the Washington Beltway, I had a lot to learn. On the Eastern Shore, dining out does not mean dealing with faceless employees one never sees again. Not here –- the shopkeepers, waiters, town municipal workers, and on and on might be my neighbors, or my acquaintances, or even my friends. Rarely do they remain strangers.

My neighbor is a Realtor, and so I learned that your profession is also real estate. Waiting tables at AQUA is a sideline. But I also quickly realized that while it may be a sideline, you are doing it because you love it. That is evident in the comment you wrote, and it’s also evident to any of your customers. Our meals at AQUA have always been enhanced when you have been our server.

Was it fate that when my wife and I last visited AQUA on November 27, you were our server? At the time, nobody knew what lay ahead, and we enjoyed a wonderful evening.

That was, sadly, our last supper at AQUA. Although the restaurant will not close until December 22, we would not dare show our faces there now. It has been made clear by some staff members that my reporting was resented. The harshest criticism from an AQUA employee came in a private message on our Facebook page: “You are a mean, disgusting soul that should not be part of the town.” [Read more…]

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PLANNING COMMISSION
New Fishing Pier and Yacht Center Approved

By DORIE SOUTHERN
Cape Charles Wave

December 7, 2012

“It’s an ill wind that blows no good,” goes the saying, and Hurricane Sandy was a very ill wind. But at least some good is coming from that wind in the form of a new fishing pier for the Town of Cape Charles.

President Obama has authorized federal aid for areas hit by Sandy, and Cape Charles is a beneficiary.  Town Planner Tom Bonadeo told the Planning Commission December 4 that Federal Emergency Management Agency funds will pay for a new pier,

Portions of the pier deck have pulled away, but more serious is the twisted substructure. Bonadeo said the town first will stabilize the pier sufficiently to reopen it for the winter. Come spring, it will be rebuilt, including replacing inadequate railroad tie sleepers with proper pilings.

SOUTH PORT YACHT CENTER PLANS APPROVED

A public hearing was held Tuesday on a conditional use permit for the first phase of the South Port Yacht Center. Permission was requested to conduct boat and marine engine repairs; operate a boatel; occupy a dwelling unit; and erect a 6-foot security fence.

South Port developer Eyre Baldwin urged Commission approval. “I’ve been on this project for four tedious years,” he said, noting that South Port was a $5 million investment. The years of planning included a lawsuit brought by South Port against the town which was settled out of court.

Also speaking in favor of  South Port was Rear Commodore Paul Strong of the newly formed Cape Charles Yacht Club. Strong said the yacht center would be a great addition to the town and the harbor. “It will have a very favorable impact on Cape Charles,” he noted. [Read more…]

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One Man’s Fight Against a Pig House in a Park

By DORIE SOUTHERN
Cape Charles Wave

December 6, 2012

Last Monday, Don Riley was taking his morning stroll down Monroe Avenue when he saw workmen pounding posts into the ground in Central Park just off Plum Street.

Riley asked what it was all about, and was told that the posts delineated where the new park toilet would be constructed. He further learned that the new building would be the same size, shape, and style as the sewer pumping station just up the sidewalk.

Riley was incredulous. And he was immediately concerned for the owner of 500 Monroe, whose magnificent home sides to the park.

Riley worries that when the owner next comes to town, she will be greeted by a view of a pig house in the park.

That’s the name Riley has given the new toilet, because it reminds him of the brick house built by one of the Three Little Pigs.

Riley said he walked straight to the mayor’s store to ask why a little brick pig house was going up in the park. Whose idea was that?

Mayor Dora Sullivan sent him to talk to Bob Panek.

Panek is the assistant town manager, but the park toilet project is not being managed by the Town of Cape Charles. Instead, it is being undertaken by Citizens for Central Park.

Panek also happens to be the president of Citizens for Central Park. [Read more…]

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