LINDEMAN:
Picking up Pecans, Selling Them to Watson’s

By BRUCE LINDEMAN
Cape Charles Wave

November 8, 2012

It was brisk Sunday morning as we walked over to the next block to pick some of the giant pine cones from the ground that fall this time of year.  They will be useful for dressing the Christmas table with fresh greens such as magnolia, holly, and such and to give away for others’ holiday decorating.

The bag, now full, was big and clumsy so we left it on the front porch before heading out in search of our prime mission: picking pecans.

If you’re a Cape Charles resident, I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know.  However, what’s intriguing is that so many residents don’t seem to care about the pecans — or so it seems from the sheer amount of them we found still on the ground this year.

Cape Charles is known for its beautiful crepe myrtles and, more recently, its abundance of rosemary which seems to grow so well in our rich Eastern Shore soil.  I could go on about rosemary, but we’re talking pecans here.

Our first visit to town was at the end of winter, oddly.  While most people’s first visit is during summer — a time of blooming perennials, parades, harbor parties, and the like — we came when there were no leaves on the trees, under overcast skies.  Yet we still fell in love with the place.  And we hadn’t even seen the crepe myrtles in bloom yet!

Like most visitors, one of the places I had to go first was Watson’s Hardware.  Ever since we were kids helping my dad restore a 1920s bungalow on the south shore of Long Island, I’ve had this thing for old hardware stores. [Read more…]

BENNETT OVERWHELMS BURKE FOR TOWN COUNCIL

By GEORGE SOUTHERN
Cape Charles Wave

November 6, 2012

Cape Charles Town Council candidate Steve Bennett was narrowly defeated for re-election in May, but he got a second chance in November — and this time his victory margin was huge.

The final total showed 355 votes for Bennett and 215 for newcomer Dan Burke.

Bennett more than doubled the 146 votes he received in May. Percentage-wise, his win was even bigger, with 62 percent of the vote. In May he received 18 percent of the vote.

Cape Charles has about 700 registered voters, of whom close to 70 percent turned out for today’s Presidential election.

Contrast that with last May, when little more than half as many voters came to the polls.

Today is believed to be the first time Cape Charles has held a town council election concurrent with a Presidential election.

The reason was the passing of councilman-elect Don Clarke in May. Today’s council election was to fill Clarke’s unexpired term.

Following Clarke’s passing, Town Council members chose Larry Veber to serve until a special election could be held.

Veber initially filed to run in the special election along with Bennett and Burke, but dropped out in mid-September.

In other local election results, Northampton County voters endorsed by a nearly 4 to 1 margin a proposal to elect members of the county school board rather than their being appointed by the County Board of Supervisors. [Read more…]

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Don’t Look at These Pictures Unless You Want a Kitten

Sandy the hurricane has departed, but nothing can vanquish Sandy the animal rescue lady. She will not rest until every stray kitten in Cape Charles has adoption papers.

Sandy can counter your every excuse.

No litter box? Included.

No kitty bed? Included.

No cat food? — yep, that’s included too.

Be one of the first three callers, and you can choose your kitten’s name. [Read more…]

Cape Charles Town Council Candidate(s) Statement(s)

EDITOR’S NOTE: Last week the Wave asked both Cape Charles Town Council candidates in person to write something about themselves to assist the voters.

The suggested topic was “Why I’m Running for Town Council.”

Both candidates agreed to submit a statement.  The Wave regrets that despite two reminders, only one candidate has provided a submission.  

In giving each candidate an opportunity to speak for himself, the Wave’s intent was to provide unbiased coverage. But now we have had to choose between printing only one candidate’s statement, or printing nothing at all. Since we had already promised both candidates that we would print whatever they wrote, without edits, that is exactly what we have done below.

WHY I’M RUNNING FOR TOWN COUNCIL
By DAN BURKE

 November 5, 2012

In case the reader is interested and has not seen one of my brochures or attended any of the meetings I have had around Town, I have included a career background summary at the end of this article.

My wife and I are full-time residents. We purchased a house in the Historic District in July of 2011. Like most Cape Charles residents we were attracted by the water-oriented lifestyle and all it has to offer. We love living here and have encouraged our family and friends to consider investing in Cape Charles.

I have three principles that will guide my conduct if elected to the Town Council.

1. Fiscal Accountability

2. Transparent, open government

3. Common Sense

I place fiscal accountability number one. It is the single, most important aspect of local government. We are a small town of approximately 1,000 residents and as such we are the foundation upon which Cape Charles operates. As property owners in Northampton County we are subject to a relentless barrage of taxes for businesses, houses, automobiles, boats, trailers and other personal property. As property owners in Cape Charles we see more of the same. My main goal, if elected, is to address the upward spiral of ever increasing taxes, water fees and assessments in Cape Charles. [Read more…]

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Wetlands Board Approves South Port Yacht Center Plans

By DORIE SOUTHERN
Cape Charles Wave

November 5, 2012

Cape Charles Wetlands and Dunes Board November 2 approved a request by South Port Investors, LLC, to relocate the wetland mitigation approved in 2008.

The approval brings South Port’s proposed Cape Charles Yacht Center one step closer to construction.

Don MacLennan, president of Engineering Resources Group, LLC, told the Board, “If we get approval tonight, we are ready right away, now, to make it happen.”

The Board approved the application, but there are a few more steps before work begins.

Next, South Port is requesting a conditional use permit at Tuesday’s Planning Commission meeting. [Read more…]

Election Day in Cape Charles Presents Historic Complication

By GEORGE SOUTHERN
Cape Charles Wave

November 4, 2012

Tuesday is believed to be the first time in Cape Charles’ history that a Town Council election will be held concurrent with a Presidential election.

And it’s not just a matter of adding an additional page (or screen) to the voting machine.

What complicates matters is that when voters walk into Trinity UMC Fellowship Hall on Tazewell Avenue, some of them will be eligible to vote in the Town Council election and the rest will not.

District 1 covers most of the lower third of Northampton County, extending all the way south past Kiptopeke, and everyone in District 1 has to come to Cape Charles to vote.

About 1,800 voters reside in District 1. Only about 700 of them live in the Town of Cape Charles.

Further complicating the procedure is that all the voting machines will be programed to accept both residents of Cape Charles and non-residents.

Northampton Registrar Terrence “Terry” Flynn told the Wave that dedicating a machine to Cape Charles voters risked creating delays for non-town voters.

Kind of like seeing a long line at the ladies restroom, with no waiting for the mens room. [Read more…]

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LETTER: Appointed School Board NOT Better Than Elected

DEAR EDITOR:

Arguments have been presented as to the reasons why an appointed school board is superior to an elected one. We wish to rebut those arguments and to ask the voters to consider these facts:

Over 250 years ago the king of England and his advisers determined that they could better “vet” and determine which candidates would best govern the colonies in America. That process worked about as well then as the present system works today in Northampton County.

The argument is made that the same politicians who are responsible for the $38 million county debt for new courthouses, offices for the bureaucrats, and everything else as well the closing of our middle school are better able to “vet” and choose the most “qualified” candidates.

To advocate the selection of the school board by five members of our community as opposed to an open election decided by 1,700 voters demonstrates the same arrogance shown by the king of England.

If that logic is applied to the Board of Supervisors, then perhaps the “most qualified candidates” should be vetted by the General Assembly and the Supervisors should also be appointed. [Read more…]

New Sand Trap for Bay Creek Golfers

Wetlands Public Hearing on South Port Proposal Tonight

CAPE CHARLES WAVE

November 2, 2012

The Wetlands and Dune Board will hold a public hearing 6 p.m. Friday on the proposed modification of a wetlands mitigation permit obtained by South Port Investors LLC in 2008.

The planned South Port yacht repair facility is adjacent to the Coast Guard station, and entails removal of a portion of wetlands. Government regulations require any removal of wetlands to be mitigated.

South Port previously received permission to mitigate the removal at Eyre Hall. Now, the firm is asking to change the mitigation site to town-owned property leased to South Port.

The proposed mitigation site has received tentative approval by the Army Corps of Engineers.

EDITORIAL: Town Staff Should Not Manipulate Elections

HOW THE WAVE SEES IT

November 1, 2012

The flier on the right was produced by Town of Cape Charles staff and distributed through the official Town Gazette.

It advertises last week’s Candidates Forum, sponsored, so it claims, by Arts Enter.

The flier is a falsehood. Arts Enter did not sponsor the forum — town staff, in their official capacity, did.

This should be of deep concern to every resident of Cape Charles, regardless of political viewpoint.

Town staff apparently realized the impropriety of conducting a political event, and so claimed that an independent organization, Arts Enter, was in charge.

But Arts Enter’s sole involvement was to allow the Palace Theatre to be the venue.

If our town staff were federal employees, under the Hatch Act they would be liable for prosecution for engaging in political activities while on duty.

The Hatch Act also extends to municipal employees who have oversight of federal grant funds.

The fact that both candidates participated in the town-sponsored forum does not lessen the seriousness of the impropriety. Town staff had the opportunity to manipulate the event however they felt might benefit their favored candidate.

Town staff required questions from the audience to be in written form, including the name and address of the questioner.

The assistant town manager then “screened the questions for appropriateness.”

This same “screener” displays in his yard a sign for candidate Steve Bennett. It was clear to a number of observers by the way he shuffled through the cards that he was not submitting questions at random.

Town staff determined that Steve Bennett would have the first opening statement and the last closing statement.

This is not the first time that town staff have attempted to manipulate an election. Our town manager and assistant town manager actively schemed to influence the previous Town Council election in May — when Steve Bennett was also a candidate. [Read more…]

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Making Halloween a Real Treat