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October 2009
Bayview Civic League Meets 2nd Tuesday of each month September through June 7:30 pm at 1601 E. Bayview Boulevard, Norfolk (Christ United Methodist Church)
October Guest Speaker Officer Sandra Parker Our Mission: Neighbors helping neighbors for the good of our community. Together we make things better.
October 13th Meeting Agenda:
The holidays are right around the corner, unfortunately the annual increase in crime is too. Officer Sandra Parker, a 27 1/2 year veteran of the Crime Prevention Unit of the Norfolk Police Department, has an award winning background in neighborhood safety and revitalization. She has effectively shepherded new Neighborhood Watch programs within Norfolk communities. She will share her expertise and tips to keep you, your family, your home and your neighborhood safer. Interested? Remember, crime happens 24/7 not just over the holidays so take this opportunity to join us and let Officer Parker address your questions and concerns about crime prevention. You will stay safer this holiday season and all year long.
You can never be too safe! Mark your calendar for Tuesday, October 13, at 7:30 pm. Bring a • Police Officers visit dish for the social if you want and don’t forget to bring a friend! • Officer Parker • Upcoming events • Networking social
INSIDE THIS ISSUE: SACCC Awareness – Fire Safety “In the Medicine Cabinet” Recreational Opportunities Join Hampton Roads 1Sky Gardening Corner
pg 4 pg 5 pg 6 pg 9 pg 10 and much more....
Remember: Recycle, itʼs good for all of us Volume 11 Issue 2
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October 2009
www.mybclonline.com
The purpose of the Bayview Bulletin is to communicate information to Bayview Civic League members, supporters, and neighbors. Front page artwork contributed by Bill Wagner. Bulletin contents are considered property of Bayview Civic League. Articles within the bulletin reflect personal viewpoints of the authors and are not necessarily the views of advertisers or the Bayview Civic League. The Bayview Civic League is apolitical and does not endorse any candidates for political office.
Civic League Board President Linda Lundquist 1st VP Aaron Ellis 2nd VP Sam Maddox Corres Sec’y Susan Jones Rec Sec’y Sylvia Ross Treasurer Gena Goodnough Editor Jeannie Wilson Ways and Means - Advertising for Bulletin Susan Jones(temp) Communications - Bulletin Distribution Anita Unger
588-3960 587-0004 583-4487 587-9586 553-7817 588-8131 588-3960 587-9586 587-3405
Membership Vacant 588-3960 Environment & Beautification Dranan & Eileen Sparks 588-2456 Refreshments Pat Davidson 587-3219 Margie Hodges 587-9527 SACCC Community Awareness Coordinator Dranan Sparks(temp) 588-2456 Zoning Claire Jones 587-2203 Area Preservation Claire Jones 587-2203 Youth & Recreation Vacant N/A Printer ANW Publications 588-8642
Local Contacts
Clean and Safe Neighborhood Norfolk CARES Assistance Center
664-6510
website: www.norfolk.gov/311CallCenter email: HealthyNeighborhoods@norfolk.gov Report these issues: Health: Pet area/yard not cleaned regularly, rodents, tall grass/weeds, biting or abused/neglected animals; Zoning: Parking on grass in front yard area, commercial vehicles/ equipment parked in residential areas, boat or camper in front of house, inoperable vehicles; Waste Management: Dead animals, improper curbside disposal; Other Issues: Streets, lights, sidewalks, curbing, traffic signals or street signs, wetlands, dunes...
Non-emergency number 441-5610 for Police, Jail, Animal Control, and suspected criminal activity.
PUBLIC WORKS PHONE NUMBERS Curb and Sidewalk Repairs 823-4050 Damaged & Faded Signs 441-5818 Ditch Maintenance 823-4000 Potholes 823-4050 Recycling 441-1347 Refuse Collection 441-5813 Street Flooding 823-4000 Street Light Outages 1-888-667-3000 Keep Norfolk Beautiful 441-1347
All Emergencies- call 911 Animal Protection Health Department Rabies Control Pretlow Library Voter Registrar Bayview Elementary School Oceanair Elementary School
664-7387 683-2700 683-2712 441-1750 664-4353 531-3030 531-3095
Bayview Civic League Goes Green Bayview Civic League believes that reducing any environmental impact is a worthy goal. To further this goal, the Bayview Bulletin is printed on recycled paper. Volume 11 Issue 2
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October 2009
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✬ From the President ✬ ✬ ✬
In the words of cultural anthropologist Margaret Mead, “Never believe that a few caring people can’t change the world. For, indeed, that’s all who ever have.” In Bayview, we know the power of neighbors who try to make a difference. Having good neighbors is like having a treasure chest of gold. Throughout Bayview there are many good neighbors, people who watch out for each other, help look after each others’ children, lend a helping hand, and just generally try to make things a little better. Pam Faber, of Treasure, Feathers and Fins, has been a Bayview good neighbor. When Pam first moved her business into the squat, concrete block building at the corner of Ocean View Avenue and Chesapeake St, the building cried out for hard work and lots of cleaning. Having housed a variety of transitory businesses, the building had become a vacant eyesore, cluttered and run-down. What kind of difference did Pam make? Seeing the building as a blank canvas, she commissioned local artist, Erick Murray, to transform the outside walls of her business into a colorful fantasy of fish, sharks, and other sea life. Crowned with a mermaid at the front entrance, her building became a point of pride and a popular shopping destination. Pam reached out to the neighborhood, and became a valued partner of Bayyview Civic League. She transformed her corner, much like the song “Brighten the Corner Where You Are.” It has been a real pleasure to stop by her shop and check out the latest treasures. As most of you are aware, Pam’s business was quite literally hit by a truck a few months ago and required structural repairs. After her landlord substantially raised her rent, she had to look around at other possible sites, and has moved to East Beach. I am sad to see her leave Bayview – no longer will Lita and I be able to shop on our way back from trips to the beach - but we are heartened that she will still be in business and remain in the greater Ocean View area. We thank her for brightening the corner where she was! And we wish her the very best in East Ocean View. Now I wonder what we’ll see at that critical corner of Bayview and how I’ll feel about walking past it with my granddaughter in tow. Linda Lundquist Volume 11 Issue 2
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October 2009
SACCC AWARENESS – FIRE SAFETY The week of October 4th through the 10th is Fire Prevention Week 2009. This year’s focus is on burn awareness and prevention. Here are a few simple safety tips from the National Fire Prevention Association (NFPA): • Keep hot foods and liquids away from tables and counter edges so they cannot be pulled or knocked over. • Have a 3-foot “kid-free” zone around the stove. • Never hold a child in your arms while preparing hot food or drinking a hot beverage. • Teach children that hot things hurt. • If you have young children, use the stove’s back burners whenever possible. • Be careful when using things that get hot such as curling irons, oven, irons, lamps, heaters. • When using heating pads only use for 15-20 minutes at a time and don’t lie, sit or place anything on the pad.
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Turn portable space heaters off when you go to bed or leave the room. • Use a fireplace screen to keep sparks inside the fireplace. • To avoid scalds, set the thermostat setting in your water heater to no higher than 120 degrees F. • Test the water before placing a child or yourself in the tub. (Remember young children and older adults skin burns more easily.) • Treat a burn right away. Put it in cool water for three to five minutes. Cover with a clean, dry cloth. • If the burn is bigger than your fist or if you have any questions, get medical help right away. • The leading cause of fires in the kitchen is unattended cooking. Remember– a working smoke detector is the best for early detection of fire within the home and has saved many lives. Test your smoke detector monthly. Changing the batteries twice a year is recommended. If you need help installing a smoke detector call Norfolk Fire and Rescue at 664-6600. •
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October 2009
October Calendar of Events 12 13 31 14,28 7,21
Columbus Day Bayview Civic League meets Halloween Recycling Pickup Week 2* Recycling Pickup Week 1*
* Week one or week two? All of Bayview is in week two, except Evelyn Street and Pythian Avenue (south of Sunset Dr.) are in week one.
In the Medicine Cabinet Dispose of unused medications in your trash can rather then flushing them down the toilet or sink. Sewage-treatment plants can't remove all chemicals and when pharmaceuticals are in the outflow, they harm marine life. Male fish, for example, are becoming female fish because of drug contaminants in the waterways. Follow these procedures recommended by the EPA:
September Refreshment Thanks Here we go again, with Linda back at “the Helm!” Welcome aboard! We had a crew of 40+ members at our September gathering. What a spread of food we had to serve from our crew.
✦ Keep medicine in its original container, scratching out the patient's name. ✦ Check whether your community has a prescription drug disposal program (Norfolk does not). ✦ Modify drugs to discourage consumption by adding a small amount of liquid to pills and adding salt, charcoal or spices to liquids. ✦ Seal the container shut with strong tape. ✦ Place it in a non-transparent bag (don't hide it in food products). ✦ Discard it as close to the scheduled garbage pickup time as possible.
Thanks go out to the following maties: Anita Unger Margie Hodges Shirley New Kathy Poorman Linda & Jeannie Janet & Mike Hayden Aaron & Bevie Karen & Shirley Hooper Susan Jones Sylvia Ross Gena Goodnough Patricia & Pricilla Sam Maddox Pat D. Thanks so very much to one and all. Remember “Bayview is the Place To Be” We’ll be looking forward to see ya’ll at our October meeting on the 13th, Stay safe.! Thanks also to Robin Dickinson on the SUPER JOB she did with the flags on the Fourth of July. Call us with any ideas or suggestions. Margie 587-9527 Pat 587-3219 Volume 11 Issue 2
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Recreation Opportunities Get out and have some fun. There are many recreation opportunities provided by the city for the north end including Bayview residents. Northside Park has an indoor swimming pool and recreation center, tennis courts, softball fields, playground areas for both the youngest and older children, picnic shelters, and lots of room for walking and biking. A new skateboarding facility is due to be built there. This will give skateboarders a place to practice and hopefully remove them from the streets and sidewalks where they are often a hazard both to them selves and to others. The Norfolk Fitness and Wellness Center on Newport Ave near Wards Corner offers both outdoor and indoor pools with a variety of swimming and water fitness classes. They also have a well equipped gym area with a fitness room, cardiovascular fitness equipment, weight training equipment and a basketball court. The facility offers numerous classes and activities for all ages in nutrition, exercise and staying healthy. There are numerous classes in crafts such as ceramics. Pretlow Library is a new and well equipped facility with two large computer rooms, internet access, a well designed and fun children’s area where there are numerous activities designed to interest
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even very young children in reading. The printed book section could be larger but books that are not held at Pretlow are easily and quickly available from any of the other libraries in the city upon request. Ocean View Station, the museum chronicling the history of Ocean View is attached to the library and well worth a visit. Sarah Constant Park and Ocean View Park as well as the community beach offer access to the beach and bay with trained lifeguards to ensure safety. Festevents is increasing the number of activities planned for Ocean View Park and publishes a list at the beginning of the summer with all the activities planned. Especially popular this year were the Friday night music programs with local bands and the Big Bands by the Bay on Sunday evenings. This is by no means a complete list. I focused on those facilities that are in or near Bayview and afford many opportunities for family fun. I hope you will take your family, have some fun, and make some memories. –Susan Jones
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October 2009
Styrofoam Cups Hurt the Environment! Americans throw away 25 billion Styrofoam coffee cups every - that’s right 25 billion! That equals $2,837,500,000, just to buy them (not to mention the cost of disposal!)! Polystyrene (aka Styrofoam) is a petroleum product, a resource in limited supply here on Earth. It is not recyclable in our area, often ending in the landfill or even blowing into our waterways as litter. Help your office or group help the environment -- eliminate that stock of coffee cups in the office kitchenette and ask staff to BYOC – Bring Your Own Cup – and save money, space and natural resources!
Cool Composting When: Wednesday, Nov. 11, 6-8pm Topic: How-to composter building demonstration Speaker: Tom Chabi Fee: $7 FONE members/$10 nonmembers Watch Tom construct an easy, inexpensive backyard composter, answering questions along the way! Participants walk away with directions, materials list and parts locations. Register by November 4th. Where: the Ernie Morgan Center, located in Lafayette Park in front of the Virginia Zoo. Space is limited, so register early with Holly Carson at 441-1347 or holly.carson@norfolk.gov.
Planning a trip? Check out the Traffic first! Just dial 5-1-1 or visit 511Virginia.org for all your road trip planning needs – It is a one-stop resource. The phone number brings you real-time traffic information including back-ups and alternate routes, it even suggests ways to travel while leaving your own car at home. The website includes more trip-planning information including the latest news about rest stops, hurricane evacuation routes, traffic cameras and more.
www.treasuresfeathersfins.com/
Mary D. Pretlow Anchor Branch Library One year later, the Mary D. Pretlow Anchor Branch Library is having record-breaking success! Pretlow Anchor Branch boasts a 133% increase in circulation. Since opening in March 2008, close to 500,000 people have visited our local library!
Visit our offices online at: www.cb-pro.com or reach Susan online at: www.gobuyhouse.com Volume 11 Issue 2
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OUR WEBSITE âž” www.mybclonline.com
Be sure to visit our NEW web page!
www.mybclonline.com Download extra copies of the paper from anywhere you are. See more photos. Access great local links. Get much more online.
Volume 11 Issue 2
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October 2009
Join Hampton Roads 1Sky 1Sky was created in 2007 to focus the power of millions of concerned Americans on a single goal: bold federal action by 2010 that can stem global warming. Our climate is in crisis. We’ve learned that what begins as small changes in the earth’s temperature can contribute to wholesale disruption of natural systems. The Arctic ice cap and Antarctic ice sheets are melting much faster than expected, at rates 30 years ahead of predictions made by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Unless we act decisively, climactic disruptions threaten to drastically alter our way of life. Right now, across the country, thousands of organizations, leaders and everyday citizens are ready to tackle global warming and transition to a new clean economy. A new clean economy would mean 5 million Green jobs and pathways out of poverty by rebuilding and refueling America with a comprehensive energy efficiency mobilization including immediate investments in a clean-energy infrastructure. This fall is a critical moment in the fight on global warming. The US Senate will take up what must be the most far-reaching global warming legislation
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ever voted on in Congress. In addition, the International community will come together to chart a long-term, global strategy for how to reduce global warming pollution. Neither of these efforts, a farreaching Senate bill or a substantive global accord, will be realized without strong and deep grassroots support. A handful of key Senators like Mark Warner and Jim Webb will play a huge role in this tight vote. In Virginia, 1Sky is building the buzz around climate legislation in a variety of ways. Call in days to our Senators offices to demonstrate grassroots support, letter to the editor writing parties and press conferences to build the buzz in the media, rallies and more. But, in order to have our voices heard, we need as many people to get involved in the campaign as possible. We are currently looking for people to get involved take action. Please encourage anyone with an interest to contact Katharine Perry, the Hampton Roads 1Sky organizer, for more details and ways they can start getting active. Cell: 862-452-6126
Office: 757-337-6806
Email: katharine@greencorps.org
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October 2009
Gardening Corner
Tips for Fall Gardening by Susan Jones Fall is the time to plan your spring garden and to plant bulbs. Fall is the prime time for planting of hardy spring flowering bulbs. Most bulbs can be planted until the ground is frozen. These may be the first plants to bloom in late winter or early spring. Prepare the soil for the bulbs: Good soil drainage is essential in raising bulbs. If you have a soil with a high clay content as I do, it can be improved by adding compost, peat moss or some other source of organic material. The organic material should be worked in the top twelve inches of soil (eighteen inches is even better). Fertilizing: Both spring and summer bulbs need phosphorous to encourage root development. Keep in mind that phosphorous moves very little once applied to the soil. Some bulbs are planted 6 to 8 inches deep. The phosphorus needs to be mixed in the soil below where the bulbs will be located so it can be utilized by the bulb roots. Mix bonemeal or superphosphate with the soil in the lower part of the planting bed as it is being prepared. If bulbs are going to be maintained in a planting bed more than one year, it is important to
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supply additional fertilizer in the spring as well as the fall. Spring flowering bulbs should have mixed into the soil in the fall five tablespoons of 10-10-10 soluble fertilizer (or equivalent bulb fertilizer) plus two cups of bonemeal per ten square foot area. As soon as the shoots break through the ground in the spring, repeat the above soluble fertilizer application. Do not fertilize spring flowering bulbs after they have started flowering. This tends to encourage the development of bulb rot and sometimes shortens the life of the flowers. Location: Before selecting the location to plant bulbs in the landscape, consider the light requirements of the plant. Does the plant require full sunshine, partial shade or full shade? Since early spring bulbs bloom before most trees or shrubs leaf out, they can successfully be planted under trees and shrubs. Many summer blooming bulbs require full sun or partial shade. Remember to consider the mount of sunshine available when the bulbs are blooming. Planting depth: The general rule of thumb for planting spring bulbs is to plant two to three times as deep as the bulb is tall. This means most large bulbs like tulips or daffodils will be planted about 8 inches See TIPS, continued on next page
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TIPS, continued from previous page. deep while smaller bulbs will be planted 3-4 inches deep. Planting depth is measured from the bottom of the bulb. This rule of thumb on planting depth does not apply to summer bulbs which have varied planting requirements. For planting depth of summer bulbs, consult the information supplied with the bulbs. Tulips, daffodils and hyacinths should be planted with the nose of the bulb upward and the root plate downward. If you are not sure which way to plant the bulb, plant it on its side. The best method of planting is to dig and loosen the entire bed to the proper depth. Press the bulbs into the soil in the planting area and cover with soil. Because soil in a spaded bed is better drained and prepared, the planting will last longer. Watering: Water the bulbs following planting. This will help settle the soil in the planting bed plus provide needed moisture for the bulbs to start rooting. Fall planted bulbs must root before cold weather. Avoid over-watering at planting time since this can result in bulb rot. Source: Bulbs and More, University of Illinois Extension at: http://urbanext.illinois.edu/bulbs/planting.html
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FALL 2009 NEIGHBORHOOD CLEANUP This year we’re trying something new, a VIRTUAL CLEANUP. We all have busy lives with hectic schedules, and not much “free time” over the weekends. So, instead of asking everyone to show up and dedicated a few hours on one particular Saturday morning, we are instead asking you to take some time, at you convenience, and pick up litter from your street or any area you see is in need of attention. Sure, we’ll miss some of the fun of a group get together, and virtual doughnuts and coffee just aren’t the same. But, what we hope to gain is greater member participation and a cleaner neighborhood. It’s been a while since our last cleanup and as you can see from looking around, we need it. Participation is easy and its on the honor system - you can pick up trash bags and gloves at our October and November BCL meetings, or you can use your own, and then at the time best suited to you just take a walk and pick up litter. So please, make a difference in your community, join us for the first annual BCL Virtual Cleanup. Dranan & Eileen Sparks Environment & Beautification Committee
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Come and get the information you need to help prevent crime in your neighborhood this holiday season.
See you at the meeting! Realtor Man Says… It takes a Team
When it comes to your home; whether it is a purchase or a sale, it takes a Team of folks to do the job correctly. Each time Realtor Man (RM) helps folks buy or sell a home, he is not alone. Right by his side is his partner in the transaction, The Lender. Diana Glasier with Towne Mortgage is always ready to qualify a Buyer to purchase a new home. This is always important when working with a Buyer, but when RM works with a Seller it can be equally important. Diana is always available to ensure that the person making an offer on your home truly does qualify for their loan. Call us if you have any questions.
It’s your home; it’s your money.
Ben Fuller
Diana Glasier
Direct (757) 675-9383 benfuller@williamewood.com
Direct (757) 409-6301 teamglasier@townemortgage.us
Realtor, Lic in VA
Volume 11 Issue 2
Mortgage Expert
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