ArtsSplash Summer Theater Camp Grows Self-Esteem

By KAREN JOLLY DAVIS
Cape Charles Wave

July 25, 2012

The Palace Theater swirls with youthful energy. On stage, choreographer Amy Watkins directs a swordfight. Kids with sticks, plastic swords, bows, and quivers (also full of sticks) lunge at each other with cries of delight.

“So much of what you do in the fight scenes is shown by what you do with your body,” said Watkins, gently organizing the pandemonium. “You don’t really have to hit each other.”

Thirty campers in the ArtsSplash Summer Theater program have two weeks to memorize their lines, movements, songs, and put on two live performances. It’s a lot for a kid to learn, and many of these children are very young.

“The kids learn how to cooperate and take direction,” said Mary Ann Roehm, co-director of Arts Enter, the nonprofit that sponsors the theater camp. “It’s a big confidence booster for them to get on the stage.”

All of the camp staffers are volunteers, said Roehm. Three years ago, Emily Bates —- who runs a children’s theater group in Florida and spends part of the summer in Cape Charles -— walked through the Arts Enter doors. [Read more…]

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SHORE THING
Put Your Money on the Mantelpiece

By GEORGE SOUTHERN
Cape Charles Wave Columnist

July 23, 2012

When I was 10 years old, and wanted something, I wanted it NOW, and I wanted it BADLY.

My mother (who lived through the Great Depression), invariably said: “Put your money on the mantelpiece for two weeks, and then see if you still really want (whatever it was I had to have immediately).

That put me in my own great depression. Two weeks? An eternity for a 10-year-old. Money on the mantelpiece? I didn’t have any money — I wanted my parents to buy it for me!

So, I know of what I speak when I say that Town Council is behaving like a 10-year-old.

The indecent haste with which they voted to buy the Bank of America building is childish at best, and illegal at worst.

— Childish, because when Town Council found out they could buy the building for what seemed like a cheap price ($208,000), they threw caution to the wind, jumped in with both feet, and allowed no public knowledge or comment whatsoever.

Town Council didn’t have any money to put on the mantelpiece, but they sure wanted that impressive building with the stone columns. So they found some money waiting to be spent on hooking up two new wells to the Town water supply, and just took it.

— Illegal, because once again, Town Council is ignoring State code requirements in regard to the Town’s Comprehensive Plan: § 15.2-2232. “No . . . public building . . . shall be authorized . . . until . . . approved by the [planning] commission as being substantially in accord with the adopted comprehensive plan . . . .” Read the full text of the code here: (It’s a mouthful.) http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?000+cod+15.2-2232 [Read more…]

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Echelon Partner Outlines Plans for Old School in Presentation at Palace Theater

By DORIE SOUTHERN
Cape Charles Wave

July 22, 2012

Echelon Resources partner David McCormack came to town yesterday to tell the public about his company’s plans for the old school at Central Park. Over 100 people attended the Town information meeting at the Palace Theater.

About a year ago during a visit to the Eastern Shore, McCormack said, he “happened to notice that the old school was there.” His specialty is adaptive reuse of old buildings, so he investigated and was shown the school by town staff sometime last summer. In August, he and his partner, Edwin Gaskin, sent a confidential unsolicited proposal to the town to purchase the building.

Town staff negotiated in secret with Echelon until February 9, when Town Council held a public hearing as required before selling public property. Local resistance has mounted since that time, but until July 10, no Echelon representative had provided any information to the public about the company’s plan to convert the old school into a 17-unit apartment building.

McCormack attended the July 10 meeting of the Cape Charles Planning Commission and gave a slide show. Yesterday he repeated his presentation for the general public.

Although McCormack emphasized that he was “happy to answer any questions,” Vice Mayor Chris Bannon was not in agreement. The rules according to Bannon were that no question was to be asked about the contract signed by Mayor Dora Sullivan with Echelon or about required zoning changes. Such questions “should be directed to the Town Manager in writing,” Bannon twice emphasized.

In his presentation, McCormack gave an overview of Echelon projects in recent years. Echelon and its development partners have invested $80 million in historic redevelopment in Virginia, he said, assisted with tax credits from the Virginia Department of Historic Resources and the National Park Service.

Without tax credits, Echelon’s adaptive reuse projects would not be attractive to a commercial lenders, McCormack said. [Read more…]

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Town Turns Out in Support of Old School Cape Charles

By GEORGE SOUTHERN
Cape Charles Wave

July 22, 2012

Outside was wet and cool, but inside Wendell Distributors on Madison Avenue last night, the crabs were hot and the crowd was happy.

The occasion was a fundraiser to support Old School Cape Charles — the local group that has sued the Town over its pending sale for $10 of the old school, basketball court, and playground parking lot at Central Park.

A private developer intends to convert the school into an apartment building, but Old School Cape Charles is trying to block that with legal action. The group instead wants to turn the old school into a community center.

Several hundred folks paid $20 each for a night of local music, dancing, steamed crabs, clams, and corn, baked beans and more.

Freshwater Frank (Frankie Russell) and the Fish warmed up the crowd, followed by Heather & Nathan, Melinda & the Benders, and The Wrecking Ball.

Normally staid Cape Charles very nearly faced two competing festivals at the same time. Last week’s Applaud the Sun street party was rescheduled, due to weather, for the same time as the Old School Crab Feast. But Chamber of Commerce officials yesterday postponed the street party once again due to rain.

“Everybody’s here,” enthused one attendee — “except I don’t see a single member of Town Council.” But at least one Council member was certainly there: Frank Wendell, who provided his company’s warehouse for the occasion. Too bad about the others, because Council members are known to enjoy a good party.

And last night was a good example of how a community can enjoy a rainy Saturday night  — if it has a community center.

Want to relive the party? Watch the 10-minute video below, featuring Heather and Nathan’s knockout rendition of Mustang Sally/Proud Mary.

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Council OKs Buying Bank Building for New Library

By GEORGE SOUTHERN
Cape Charles Wave

July 20, 2012

In the Council chamber filled with members of Friends of the Library, Town Council yesterday authorized Mayor Dora Sullivan to sign a purchase contract for the former Bank of America building.

The building would be used for several purposes, including storing Town records in the bank vault, but the main use would be for a new library on the ground floor. The 3,000 square feet available would be about double what the library has now.

Although no public comments were permitted, Friends of the Library had already given their informal approval to Town Council, and members showed up to support the decision.

After Bank of America vacated the building in March, it was put up for bid. Town Council was told that the highest of four bids received was $200,000, and the bank offered the Town a chance to match that bid.

There is no money in the budget to buy the building, so the Town plans to take money allocated in a 2010 bond issue to connect two new wells to the Town waterworks.

Assistant Town Manager Bob Panek suggested that the money needed for the wells could be recovered from hookup fees charged to new water customers. He cited two possible sources — fees from Echelon Resources, who plan to build 17 apartment units in the Town’s old school building, and fees from the envisioned Southport Yacht Center.

Councilman Frank Wendell observed that the Town had already voted to reduce hookup fees for Echelon Resources by 75 percent.

There was confusion among council members over just what a “yes” vote meant. Joan Natali thought  the vote was only preliminary, and that Council would have another opportunity to make a final decision. But Panek explained that Council was actually voting to authorize the Mayor to sign the contract. There would be no further vote, although the Town would have a 30-day period to inspect the building.

There will also be no public hearing.

When Mayor Sullivan signs the contract, the Town must make a non-refundable payment of $20,000 earnest money.

Councilman Wendell was the only member who voted no. He said although he supported a larger space for the library, Town Council should inspect the building before — not after — signing a contract.

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Woman Pleads Guilty to Falsely Claiming Beach Rape

By GEORGE SOUTHERN
Cape Charles Wave

July 19, 2012

A 20-year-old Exmore woman who told Cape Charles police March 23 that she had been raped on the Town beach was sentenced today to one year in jail for filing a false police report. However, 11 months of the sentence were suspended, so she is only required to serve 30 days.

Suzanna Bowen pled guilty today in Northampton General District Court to a misdemeanor charge of filing a false police report. She is also required to perform 200 hours community service and provide restitution for the expenses of the police investigation.

Cape Charles Police Chief Charles “Sambo” Brown told the Wave that Town police spent at least 100 man-hours investigating the false charge. The Northampton Sheriff’s Office also investigated, as did State Police, who prepared a composite drawing of the alleged assailant.

Bowen had claimed that she was raped by a stranger during daylight hours — about 6:30 p.m. March 23 — on the north end of the Cape Charles beach.

Former Cape Charles police officer Charles Graham testified for the Town at the hearing today.

Chief Brown told the Wave that Cape Charles police interviewed Bowen for nearly three months.  “The last interview was more of an interrogation,” he said.

By late May, police had determined that the rape allegation was a hoax. Bowen was arrested June 11.

Low-Income Residents in Bayview Face $100 Water Bills

By KAREN JOLLY DAVIS
Cape Charles Wave

July 19. 2012

After 10 years of negotiations, recriminations and deterioration, Northampton County finally owns the Bayview water and sewer systems. That means 71 low-income households will be charged about $104 per month for service — a price many likely can’t afford.

“We will shut down service if we are not paid,” said Northampton County Administrator Katie Nuñez. “It’s not pleasant and we don’t want to do it. But for the past six years the county has been paying for that system.”

Nuñez said that between 2009 and 2011, Northampton taxpayers subsidized the Bayview operation to the tune of $117,350. Bayview Citizens for Social Justice (BCSJ) will be forgiven $35,000 in delinquent real estate taxes in exchange for ownership or easements on five key parcels.

Alice Coles, executive director of BCSJ, is both relieved and disturbed by the transaction.

“The county was supposed to take over the system 30 days after it was built, by signed agreement,” said Coles. “But we ended up being responsible for it. We had no one trained to run the equipment. The systems began to fail.”

Since 1998, BCSJ has received $11 million in grants and loans to replace the shacks and outhouses that once characterized the neighborhood. They bought 160 acres near Cheriton, and built roads, houses, a laundromat, offices, and a community center.

In 2002, BCSJ got $1.7 million in state and federal money to build some roads and a sewer system for 94 units. Operating costs were supposed to come from monthly payments by the users.

For those units that received Section 8 assistance, utilities were included in the rent. But for the 23 households not government controlled, the situation was quite different.

“They made efforts to pay,” said Coles. “But most were delinquent.” [Read more…]

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Historic Review Board Rejects Apartments in Old School

By DORIE SOUTHERN
Cape Charles Wave

July 18, 2012

The Historic District Review Board yesterday recommended unanimously against permitting a 17-unit apartment building next to Central Park.

“Converting the old school to apartments is not an appropriate use of the building,” the Board ruled.

Chairman Russ Dunton reminded the Board that Town Council is not required to adhere to the Historic District Review Board’s decision. But, Dunton stressed, the Board should nevertheless tell Town Council exactly what they think on the subject.

“Hundreds of thousands of dollars have been spent on the park,” Dunton noted. “If apartments are put there, the basketball court goes away and the parking for the playground goes away.”

Board member Dianne Davis asked what would happen to the basketball court, to which Town Manager Heather Arcos stated, “It could be relocated.”

However, the contract signed with the developer does not include relocating the basketball court.

Assistant Town Manager Bob Panek said that because no site plans have yet been drawn for the school, there is nothing for the Historic District Review Board to consider in regard to changes to the building. The only issue under consideration by the Board yesterday was the conditional use of the building as an apartment house.

The Board will also be asked to review plans for restoration of the building, assuming plans are eventually drawn. Such plans will also require approval by the Virginia Department of Historic Resources, if the building is to qualify for federal and state historic tax credits.

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Group Sues Town to Stop Sale of Old School

By DORIE SOUTHERN
Cape Charles Wave

July 17, 2012

The residents group known as Old School Cape Charles has filed a lawsuit and requested an injunction to prevent the Town from selling the old Central Park school, adjoining basketball court, and parking lot to a private developer.

Cape Charles Town Council voted unanimously June 14 to sell the school to Echelon Resources, Inc., a Richmond developer, for $10. The developer plans to use historic tax credits to assist in converting the school into a 17-unit apartment building.

Although Mayor Dora Sullivan signed a contract June 28 to convey the property to Echelon, the sale has not been finalized.

The lawsuit contends that “Town Council has never provided any coherent explanation as to why competing proposals or bids were never solicited or requested.”

It further states that the terms of the proposal made to Town Council by Old School Cape Charles “were superior to the private development proposal . . . but the proposal was rejected, without any coherent or logical basis or explanation.”

Town Council held secret negotiations with Echelon dating back to last summer. The public first learned of the plans on February 9, which quickly led to the creation of Old School Cape Charles, LLC.

On March 19, Old School Cape Charles made their first offer to Town Council to purchase the school and turn it into a community center. Mayor Sullivan informed the group by letter April 4 that their proposal had been rejected.

Old School Cape Charles then offered June 12 to lease the property for $100 per year. When that offer was not accepted, on June 26 the group offered to buy the property outright for $10,000.

Wayne Creed, president of Old School Cape Charles, said yesterday that going to court was “the last thing we really wanted to do — we would much rather be using our resources to perform much-needed repairs on the old school.”

[Read more…]

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SHORE THING
Scandinavian Scandal in the Historic District

By GEORGE SOUTHERN
Cape Charles Wave

July 16, 2012

This town is a little bit business-unfriendly. That’s my observation, anyway, as someone who’s lived here all of two years.

And not just business-unfriendly – it’s also more than a little bit improvement-unfriendly.

You just have to jump through so many hoops to get permission to do anything.

Latest case in point: The Cape Charles Hotel. Two years ago, the hotel had shut down and was a blight on Mason Avenue. Obviously, there’s no town rule against empty storefronts – we’ve got plenty of them.

The old hotel was particularly ugly, in my humble opinion, with its orange-salmon paint job. But there’s no law against ugly, apparently.

So – along comes an investor, buys the hotel at bank auction, pumps who knows how many million $$ into it, and opens up an elegant, tony boutique facility that is, or should be, the pride of the Town.

And now come the complaints. Folks don’t like the plate glass dividers on the balconies. Looks too Scandinavian for the Historic District.

At last week’s Town Council meeting, Town Planner Tom Bonadeo reported that the hotel is not in compliance with the architectural guidelines approved for it. There were supposed to be wrought iron partitions, and instead we got plate glass.

And it sounds like the Town’s planning to do something about it.

Meanwhile, as a property owner who does vacation rentals, I think about tourists’ first impression of Cape Charles – which is not Mason Avenue, but Randolph Avenue. As they drive into town, that’s what they see first. [Read more…]

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TOWN COUNCIL
Veber, Bannon Back; Bay Creekers Not Flushing Enough

By DORIE SOUTHERN
Cape Charles Wave

July 13, 2012

Cape Charles Town Council last night appointed Larry Veber to fill the vacancy created by the death of Councilman-elect Donald Clarke last month, and also re-elected Chris Bannon as vice mayor.

Veber was an incumbent Councilman, but lost his re-election bid. His appointment to Council will last until a special election can be held.

Council is requesting the Northampton County Circuit Court to set a special election for the seat on the same day as the November 6 general election.

In other Council news, MaryAnn Roehm announced that Arts Enter has received a $50,000 “Our Town” grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. Cape Charles and Roanoke were the only grant recipients in Virginia.

Our Town grants support projects to transform communities into “lively, beautiful, and sustainable places with the arts at their core,” Roehn said.  The Our Town project will complement the Town’s Comprehensive Plan, Community Trail master plan, and the Harbor Plan.”

Other reports to Council were not so sweet. During Dave Fauber’s Public Works report, he was asked what can be done about the strong smell at the Town’s new sewage treatment plant.

“It is what it is — a sewage treatment plant,” Fauber said. “You can encapsulate it, but at some point you have to let it out into the air. To stop the smell completely is probably cost prohibitive.”

[Read more…]