January 2016 meeting info and President’s message

Posted on January 17, 2016 by Martin Thomas Jr.

The January 2016 Wards Corner Civic League meeting will be held on the 25th at 6:45pm at the Fitness and Wellness Center.

Speakers include Robert J. McCabe, Candidate for Mayor, and Warren Stewart, candidate for City Council Superward 6.

Below is the President’s Message:

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

by Jim English ajim.english@gmail.com

Happy New Year and here is wishing all of you a prosperous 2016.  As we begin the New Year there are continuing signs of improvement in the business district as new or renovated businesses emerge. Here is a list of those improvements so far. This information has also been provided and posted on Wards Corner Now by Martin Thomas Jr.

  • The Pancake House and Grill which should to fully opened this month.. The new design and location should not scare any loyal patrons away as the restaurant is slated to maintain its family casual atmosphere as well as its breakfast and lunch menu offerings. The most notable change, aside from moving next door to the location of a former podiatry office, will be the added dinner hours and the change in name from “The Pancake House” to “The Pancake House & Grill” which reflects the dinner menu offerings that will be available such as crab cakes, seafood, and steaks. The breakfast and lunch menu will still be available during dinner hours. Dinner will be served Tuesday through Saturday for now with potential expansion to Sundays and Mondays in the future.
  • Starbucks will be bringing “Evenings” to Wards Corner. This location in the Harris Teeter shopping area has applied for an ABC license. In fact our civic league will vote on it at our January 25th meeting. Starbucks Evenings is a fairly new concept that Starbucks has been testing and now expanding across the country.The Starbucks Evenings menu features a thoughtful selection of wine and craft beer alongside the signature coffee and tea beverages you know and love. Enjoy one of their savory small plates – whether it’s our creamy Truffle Mac & Cheese or a delicious flatbread.
    So take a moment to unwind, meet up with friends and enjoy a glass of wine and a delicious little something—with us at http://www.starbucks.com/coffeehouse/starbucks-stores/starbucks-evenings
    According to their special exception application filed with the City, beer and wine sales are to be 2pm – 10pm Monday – Friday, noon – 10pm Saturday, and noon – 9pm on Sundays. No entertainment or live music is being proposed. The new location will have 75 seats at approximately 24 tables including an 8 seat bar with wine, beer, and mixed drink offerings.
    The City’s Department of Development recently reported that the Wards Corner Starbucks is ranked second in sales regionally.The PDF application can be viewed here: https://wardscornernow.files.wordpress.com/2015/12/starbucks_wardscorner.pdf

 

  • Virginia ABC Store. They will be occupying the old nTelos location which is between the current Your Pie and GNC in the Harris Teeter anchored K&K Shopping Center.According to the regional ABC office the store is meant to be more convenient to those who live in the surrounding area and to alleviate some of the traffic at the Tidewater Drive location across from Southern Shopping Center. The lease for the property commenced on December 1 and the store is planned to open before the end of January.
  • Self-Storage Facility on West Little Creek Road. A three story self-storage facility is planned for 801 W. Little Creek Road between Superior Pawn & Gun and the State Farm insurance office. The site is directly across W. Little Creek Road from the 7-11.
    A storage facility is permitted by right at that location so no rezoning’s or approvals by the Planning Commission or City Council will be required.A proposed site plan, subject to change, is attached here at https://wardscornernow.files.wordpress.com/2015/12/2015-12-31-prelim-004.pdf
  • Yield to pedestrian signs coming to Wards Corner.
    Many thanks to local business owner, John Knight, for contacting the City about the crosswalk between the Midtown Shopping Center and the K&K Shopping Center. It seems there have been a number of close calls for pedestrians crossing E. Little Creek Road at that location. The City’s traffic engineer studied the location and agreed that it was dangerous. New “Yield to Pedestrians” signs will be installed shortly on the appropriate traffic signal poles at the intersection. John Knight owns the Book Exchange located in the Midtown Shopping Center. These improvements are good news for our area and we should be pleased with the continued redevelopment and improvements to the Wards Corner Business District and Greater Wards Corner area, We all benefit from these improvements.

I have followed all of the postings on Nextdoor Wards Corner with great interest. I am happy to see so many of you using this venue to post interesting issues that all of us can relate to or are able to help each other. I read with particular interest the postings regarding criminal behavior that you witness or that affects you. Please know that the police do monitor Nextdoor Wards Corner but I would urge you to please call the police when you see these events going down. A quick response time is essential to catching these thugs and bringing them to justice. There is too much lag time to wait for the police to read Nextdoor and respond.

Also the Wards Corner Civic League has almost 200 residents from our area on Nextdoor. This is fantastic and I am pleased with its membership. I would urge all of you who are not WC civic league members to join us at our meetings and if you choose to do so become a member. Dues are currently $5 dollars per year per family. You may attend our meetings as a non-member but need to pay dues to vote and become a board member. Keep in mind that your dues pay in part for the newsletter that we deliver to about 1000 homes each month. This is a costly endeavor and we rely on dues and ads to fund our newsletter. So please consider joining.

As the New Year begins we will be once again provide you with speakers on timely and relevant issues at our civic league meetings. We also want you to attend and bring your issues and concerns to us so that we may help address and/or rectify those issues and problems. You may keep track of the civic league happenings in our monthly newsletter but your presence at the meetings is greatly appreciated. Please consider attending. Please also visit us at http://www.wardscorner.com or http://www.wardscornernow.com
Finally please note that our meeting date for January and February has changed due to the holiday on our regular meeting day. The January meeting is the 25th and the February meeting will be the 22nd at 645PM. The meetings will be at the Wellness Center. I hope you can attend.

Thanks for allowing us to continue to serve you as officers of the Wards Corner Civic League.

Sincerely, Jim English

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December 2015 meeting info and President’s message

Posted on December 3, 2015 by Martin Thomas Jr.

The December 2015 Wards Corner Civic League meeting will be held on the 14th at 6:45pm at the Fitness and Wellness Center.

Speakers include Andria Mclellan, City Council Candidate for Superward 6, and Andy Protogyrou, Candidate for Mayor.

Below is the President’s Message:

Dear Neighbors,

Holiday Greetings to all. The holiday season is once again upon us. It is a time for great anticipation, reflection and joy as all of us celebrate our respective traditions and religions. It is also a time that we need to reflect on those in our community, city, nation and world who may not be celebrating a joyful season and reach out to them when and if we can do so. Helping those who are in need or are shut-in is perhaps the best gift we can give them. As we gather with our own families this holiday season let us not forget that there are those folks out there who may not be able to celebrate. They need our thoughts and prayers. A simple smile, hello or can I help you goes a long way to show them that someone cares. Let us also pray that our city, state and national leaders make sensible and responsible decisions for all of the residents of Norfolk, Virginia and the United States in the coming year.

As I indicated in my September message, for fifteen years it has been the mission and goal of the leadership of the Wards Corner Civic League to print, publish and deliver nearly 1000 newsletters each month to the homes in our area.  To that end, we have been quite successful.  It takes a lot of effort to write, edit, publish and deliver those newsletters.  We have believed that every household in our area should have a printed newsletter to read each month.  For the most part, our ads pay for the newsletter. We also indicated that we have other methods to bring this newsletter to you via our social media options.

Right now we find ourselves at the point where we cannot continue to deliver a printed copy of the newsletter to every household each month. The cost of printing 1000 copies each month is no longer sustainable with the ads that we have every month. The cost of the last newsletter was over $150.00 for the copies we have printed. This is approximately $50.00 more than the previous few months. With the 8 ads that we run each month we are at the breakeven point while also dipping into membership dues a little each month. Therefore we must find other ways to bring you this newsletter and still try to at least deliver printed newsletters to our paid up members. We are also exploring other options which include:

  • Raise the dues.
  • Raise the cost of posting an ad each month.
  • Posting to our website and Next Door neighbors.
  • Printing and delivering newsletters to paid up members.
  • A combination of several of these.

We would also like to hear your ideas on this so please email me any ideas. Also we will be discussing this issue at our January meeting if you are interested in weighing in on it.

The holiday season can be dangerous so follow these tips from Parents magazine originally published on AmericanBaby.com, November 2005.

  1. Merry and Bright: Carefully inspect holiday light strings each year and discard any with frayed cords, cracked lamp holders, or loose connections. When replacing bulbs, unplug the light string and be sure to match voltage and wattage to the original bulb.
  2. Lights Out: Always turn off holiday lights when you leave the house unattended or when going to bed.
  3. Fresh Is Best: Try to purchase a freshly cut tree, as they are more resistant to ignition. Keep your tree watered and away from open candles.
  4. Timing Is Everything: Use an outdoor timer certified by CSA International to switch lights on and off. Lights should be turned on after 7 p.m. to avoid the electricity rush hour.
  5. Check for the Certification Mark: When purchasing light strings, extension cords, spotlights, electrical decorations, gas appliances, or carbon monoxide alarms, look for the certification mark of an accredited certification organization such as CSA International, UL, or ELT to ensure that the products comply with applicable standards for safety and performance.
  6. One and Done: Never connect more than one extension cord together; instead use a single cord that is long enough to reach the outlet without stretching, but not so long that it can get easily tangled.
  7. The Great Outdoors: When hanging outdoor lights, keep electrical connectors off the ground and away from metal rain gutters. Use insulated tape or plastic clips instead of metal nails or tacks to hold them in place.
  8. Climbing Up: Using a ladder when you put up lights? Choose the correct ladder for the job and double check for a certification mark to ensure your portable ladder complies with applicable standards.
  9. Keep the Gas Behind Glass: Do not use your gas fireplace if the glass panel is removed, cracked, or broken, and only allow a qualified service person to replace fireplace parts.
  10. Sound the Alarm: Test your smoke alarms monthly to make sure they work, and be sure to install smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) alarms on every level of your home — especially near sleeping areas.
  11. Filter-Friendly Furnace: To help prevent CO hazards in your home, have a qualified heating contractor perform a yearly maintenance check of your furnace and venting system, and clean or replace your furnace filter frequently during the heating seasons.
  12. Clean the Clutter: Do not store combustible materials such as gasoline, propane, paper, chemicals, paint, rags, and cleaning products near your gas furnace. Gasoline or propane cylinders should be stored outside the home.

Finally from my family to yours, please have a safe and enjoyable holiday season with the best of wishes for a prosperous New Year.

Sincerely,

jimenglishsignature

Jim English

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November 2015 meeting info and President’s message

Posted on November 4, 2015 by Martin Thomas Jr.

The November 2015 Wards Corner Civic League meeting will be held on the 16th at 6:30pm at the Fitness and Wellness Center on Newport Ave.

The Commissioner of Revenue, Evans Poston, is scheduled to speak.

President’s message:

Dear Neighbors,
By the time you read this edition of the newsletter, another election day has come and gone and we have elected two new people to represent us in the Virginia General Assembly, a Senator and a Delegate. Whatever the outcome of these two races we will have to work with these people for the next several years. Let’s wish them well in their respective
offices and trust that they serve us with dignity, honesty and integrity.

Now with that election over we will be preparing for another election his May. Those of the Mayor and Superward 6 are the face-off elections this spring. Candidates are already starting to line up for this election. This means that we will be having at least two candidate forums in the coming months for each of these positions. We will also probably be holding
those forums jointly with other civic leagues in our area. First up will most likely be the Superward 6 candidates possibly in January.

So far we have three candidates each running for the two positions. For Superward 6 this is: Andria McClellan, a member of the planning commission; Warren Stewart, a member of the school board; and incumbent Councilman Barclay Winn. Running for Mayor is: Andy Protogyrou, city councilman for Ward 1 (our Ward); Norfolk Sheriff Bob McCabe and
Kenneth Alexander, Norfolk State Senator to the Virginia General Assembly.

During the next several months prior to the election we hope to be able to introduce all of these candidates to you to help in your decision making. Please look for more information about this in our upcoming newsletters and civic league meetings.

Please take the time to read the many interesting articles in this edition of the newsletter. We strive to bring you the latest
news of the Wards Corner area that we are aware of since the last newsletter. Sometimes we have slow news months and struggle to find something to write about and other times there is a lot to write about.

I hope you have an enjoyable Thanksgiving as we mark the beginning of the holiday season. Thanks, and I hope to see you at the next civic league meeting on November 16th, 2015 at the Wellness Center at 645PM.  Our guest will be the Commissioner of the Revenue, Evans Poston.

Sincerely,

jimenglishsignature

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October meeting and message

Posted on October 8, 2015 by Martin Thomas Jr.

The October 2015 Civic League meeting has been CANCELLED so that residents can attend the Denby Park Charrette scheduled for October 19, 2015 from 5:30 – 8pm at Wesley Memorial Methodist Church, 288 E. Little Creek Road.

The President’s message is below:

Dear Neighbors,
For our meeting this month, we will be having a joint meeting with the other Wards Corner area civic leagues regarding the redevelopment of Denby Park. This is a change from our normal meeting and was just announced in the recent week.

As many of you know, the redevelopment of the Greater Wards Corner Area is something that several of us have been working on for over 15 years. In fact, in 2002 we urged the city to commission an outside study of the area to determine the best way to revitalize it. That resulted in the Wards Corner Comprehensive Plan in 2003 which has been to some extent the driving force behind our revitalization efforts. It was clear that the Denby Park area needed the most immediate attention in order to remove the negative pressures placed on it because of the many blighted apartments and crime issues that were affecting all of us. Since then and particularly in the past 5 years, the city has been setting aside money to purchase and demolish many of these properties.

That has been for the most part completed now, and we are at the stage to determine what is best for that area in the way of redevelopment. Consequently, the city is planning to hold a “charrette” or collaborative meeting among stakeholders to determine the best use alternatives to a land or design project. The date of this meeting coincides with our normal meeting date, but because of its importance we want to allow all interested civic league members the opportunity to attend. It will be held on October 19th. The time and location are posted in this newsletter in the upper left hand corner. I hope you all can take advantage of this opportunity to participate and help define the direction of the Denby Park redevelopment.

This November 3rd we will be electing several new leaders to our State government. Here are the choices for our area:

Candidates for the 100th District House of Delegates race are Delegate Robert Bloxom Jr. (R) and Willie Randall (D). Candidates for the 6th Senate District are Senator Lynwood Lewis (D) and challenger Robert Ottinger (R).

Since we will not have a candidate forum as previously planned due to the Denby Park meeting, I urge you to find out about these candidates and vote for those individuals you believe will represent us best in the Virginia General Assembly.

Because of these important elections and our responsibility as a US citizen to vote in every election, I am including a short piece regarding the reasons we should vote. I hope you enjoy it.

The following is from the website of Essortment.com.
“Voting in a local, state, or national election is an exciting opportunity provided by democratic nations to their citizens. There are many good reasons to vote, including the following:

1. Casting a vote allows an individual to express a choice among candidates who wish to become government leaders. It’s up to each voter to locate available information about each candidate and to make an informed decision about how to vote. Rather than allowing potential leaders to hide weaknesses and wrong-doing from public awareness, a democratic voting process urges citizens to get involved and to share viewpoints about who should lead. Failing to register a vote is tantamount to saying you don’t care. Few people truly remain oblivious to government leadership. Most have opinions about the way things should go, and they should use the voting process to express their preferences.

2. Voting provides a medium for citizens to support the democratic structure. If a majority of citizens chose not to vote, democracy might become a thing of the past, replaced by another form of government that might prove more elitist in nature. Registering to vote means that you believe in the democratic process and will participate in it to represent your right to freedom of speech.

3. Supporting the electoral process helps to reinforce your regional government. Showing that you care with your vote tells candidates that they must be accountable to the public. It also suggests that those who introduce issues for a vote must provide adequate information to answer citizens’ questions and address their concerns rather than attempt to foist a half-baked idea onto the general public.

4. Showing up at the poll on voting day sets a good example to others. Remember, your children observe all that you do and will learn from your example, right or wrong as it may be. Civic awareness is an important part of their training and one of the early steps on the road to maturity. Discuss the candidates with your family and make a point of mentioning your vote, or wearing the pin distributed at many polls that reads “I voted today.” Voting also sets a positive example to neighbors, friends, and family who may be uninterested in or unfamiliar
with the electoral system.

5. Finally, taking time to vote reflects pride in your nation and its government. The country becomes a beacon of liberty for the rest of the world who will be watching. Let everyone know that you care enough about your homeland and its leaders to have a say in the election’s outcome. Never surrender your right to speak your mind via the vote on Election Day.

If you are not currently registered to vote, call or stop in at the electoral office in Norfolk City Hall to get signed up. It only takes a few minutes, and even that step is likely to get noticed by those who are watching.”  Please become informed about these candidates and issues before you vote and please vote.

Finally I wish to thank those of you who accepted my request to deliver newsletters. As a result of those stepping up we now have almost full coverage for delivery of our newsletters. In addition to the paper copy of our newsletter we our also going to post it on Nextdoor Neighbors Wards Corner where we have almost 200 people signed up for our civic league. We also post the newsletter on http://www.wardscorner.com.
Enjoy!!

I hope to see you at the Denby Park meeting on October 19th. Please enjoy this edition of the Wards Corner Civic League newsletter. Our newsletter editor puts a lot of effort in producing our great newsletters.
Thanks,

jimenglishsignature

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Wards Corner Civic League’s picnic photos

Posted on June 30, 2015 by Martin Thomas Jr.

Hey Wards Corner! Thank you to all of our great neighbors who came out for our big neighborhood picnic on Sunday, July 28th. It was really nice to see all of you there and meet some new faces. I had a great time and hope that you did too!

Special thanks to Harris Teeter and Farm Fresh for donating most of the food, Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church for loaning tables and chairs, and to the volunteers that assisted – especially Sue, Liz, and Sherry – for all of your invaluable help. We look forward to seeing all of you, plus some more of our friendly neighbors, at next year’s picnic. And hopefully at some other neighborhood events and meetings in-between.

Scott Guirlinger

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Gates installed at North Shore park

Posted on June 24, 2015 by Martin Thomas Jr.

At the request of members of the Wards Corner Civic League, the City of Norfolk’s Department of Recreation, Parks and Open Space has installed gates at the two existing entrances to the North Shore park.  Additionally a third entrance and gate was installed near the intersection of North Shore and Millbrook Road.

Neighbors had expressed concern that young children may run out of the park and into the roadways.

IMG_0515 IMG_0516 IMG_0514

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NEIGHBORHOOD PICNIC

Posted on June 10, 2015 by Martin Thomas Jr.
NEIGHBORHOOD PICNIC
Everyone is invited!
Our civic league is hosting a neighborhood picnic on Saturday, June 27th at the North Shore Playground from 1pm to 3pm, or later if the good times keeping rolling… Plan ahead to attend and bring along a friendly neighbor and side dish to pass if you like. Picnic essentials like burgers, hot dogs, buns, condiments, lemonade, iced tea, plates, utensils, etc. will be supplied by donations from local businesses and by the civic league. We’ll be grilling out from 12:30pm onwards.
It will be a fun time with food and games for adults and kids (and dogs) of all ages and abilities and a great way to celebrate our neighborhood and kick off summer with all of our friendly folks here in Wards Corner! So spread the word and bring a friend, family member, and/or neighbor along with you.
Please contact Scott Guirlinger at 489-3938 or scott.guirlinger@gmail.com or refer to WardsCorner.com or NextDoor for more information.

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June 2015 meeting and message info

Posted on June 4, 2015 by Martin Thomas Jr.

The June 2015 Wards Corner Civic League meeting will be held on the 15th at 6:30pm at the Fitness and Wellness Center on Newport Ave.

The president’s message:
Dear Neighbors,

Summer is just around the corner and schools will be out and hopefully we will all enjoy some relaxing vacation time. Hopefully this summer will be great and we will once again be spared any major hurricanes just like we were last year. However make sure you are prepared just in case. Over the summer please continue to enjoy the Norfolk Fitness and Wellness Center. There are many great activities to be enjoyed at this facility. If you are not a member yet please consider joining. Please take advantage of this exceptional facility in our back yard. Also please consider joining our social media Next Door Ward Corner at www.nextdoor.com. It is a great way to keep up with many of the things happening in our civic league area.

The June meeting marks the last meeting of the first half of the civic league year until we resume our schedule again in September. We will not have a newsletter in July and August. We will however post any news that you should know about on our Wards Corner Civic League website and the Wards Corner Now website. We will not have a meeting in July and August unless absolutely necessary.

This is the time of year that I like to thank all of those folks who have made our civic league great over the course of the year. First, I wish to thank Barbara Ross for her dedicated service as our newsletter editor and board member. She has done an excellent job of preparing the newsletter each month. This takes a significant amount of time to complete and Barbara’s newsletters are informative and always on time. Barbara, we thank you for your service and look forward to your newsletters again in the fall. Enjoy your two months of newsletter free time. Speaking of keeping us informed, a hearty thanks goes to Martin Thomas Jr. for keeping our website http://www.wardscorner.com up to date and informative. We also thank Martin for the good work he is doing on the Planning Commission for our area and the city. Also a special thanks to Joan Griffey and Ray Duron for keeping the records of our meetings and ensuring that our finances are in order. Joan also thanks for your continued efforts as Chair of the Beautification Committee with the Greater Wards Corner Task Force. A thank you also goes to our 2nd VP, Sue Classick for organizing the delivery of our newsletters each month with our many newsletter carriers. Thanks also to our many newsletter carriers for their time in delivering our newsletters to you. This also is no small task. It is yet another valuable service that we are providing to all of the residents of the Wards Corner Civic League area residents. It is also the envy of many of the civic leagues in the Greater Wards Corner area as well as citywide. Thanks also to Betty and Ray Duron for organizing and conducting our adopt-a-street cleanups over the several years. Thanks also to the members of our civic league who help in each of these cleanups. I thank Scott Guirlinger for all his help as a board member. Thank you for organizing the evenings at Guads and planning our civic league picnic. We are pleased that you have joined us. Thank you all for your service.

I also wish to thank our Police Officers who keep us safe every day and also provide us with needed information each month at our meetings. They do an outstanding job. We especially thank Officer William Old for his service to our civic league. Please make sure we follow their advice about how to keep ourselves safe. With the rise in car larcenies, this means keeping our cars locked at all times and not keeping any valuables in our car. It also means calling the police at either the emergency 911 number or non-emergency number to report any and all crimes that are witnessed. If the police don’t receive the calls, the crime is not registered with them and there is no record.

Finally, I extend a very grateful thanks to all of our paid members for your continuing support and attendance at our monthly meetings. Your presence and input at our meetings is much appreciated. Please tell your neighbors to join us in attendance and membership as more numbers mean a bigger voice at city hall.

One thing is for sure. The Wards Corner Civic League is one of the strongest and most powerful civic leagues in the city and you helped us with getting that distinction. The dedication and commitment of the membership of the Greater Wards Task Force, and area Civic Leagues (including and especially ours) will continue the push with our city elected officials and senior city management staff to help us correct and develop the area and rid it of the dysfunctional and criminal element that has unfortunately been drawn to the area. We will not be taking the summer off but will continue our fight. Please join us in that fight as numbers speak to elected officials. Maybe by the time the September meeting comes around we will see new businesses open or opening in the shopping center on the Northeast corner of the business district. You know that shopping center with all the vacant parking spaces that exist now!

Please have a safe, relaxing and enjoyable summer. We will continue our work to improve our area throughout the summer. We hope to see you again in June and then in the fall at our September meeting. Please also join us for our civic league picnic on June 27th at the North Shore Ave playground.
Thanks,

jimenglishsignature

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May 2015 message and meeting info

Posted on May 7, 2015 by Martin Thomas Jr.

The May 2015 Wards Corner Civic League meeting will be held on the 18th at 6:30pm at the Fitness and Wellness Center on Newport Ave.

The agenda includes an invitation to the Norfolk Sheriff’s office.

The president’s message:

Dear Neighbors,
The signs of spring are all around us. The grass is growing and flowers are blooming. Our neighborhood really looks great when all the lawns are cut and the flowers and plants are blooming. We should all be proud. Hopefully the cold is gone and we can get outside to enjoy all the spring activities. Summer is right around the corner, school will be out and we will all be vacationing or hopefully taking a break from work.

New business activity is continuing in the Business District. The Mattress Firm building is now up and once the inside is finished look for that store to be opening soon.

The Wards Corner Public Art was installed on April 30!
Here is the City of Norfolk Press Release:
Gordon Huether Studio, led by artist and founder Gordon Huether, was selected to design and fabricate a public art installation for the Wards Corner neighborhood. The sculpture, Wards Corner Gateway, will be installed on the median on Granby St., near North Shore Rd. on April 30, 2015.

The City of Norfolk’s Public Art Program worked with Gordon Huether Studios to develop a concept that embraces local identity, fosters a strong sense of place and creates a significant gateway for the City of Norfolk. The installation enables all viewers, whether local or visiting, an opportunity to pause and reflect about the continued positive and exciting changes taking place in the neighborhood.

The Wards Corner Gateway installation is made up of two components: a bird-like structure inspired by the famed intersection where Alfred C. Ward once operated his iconic general store, and a polished aluminum base. The large wing-like component features a black and white aerial photograph of the Wards Corner intersection and was taken by a staff member of the Virginian Pilot in 1956. This part of the installation is made of translucent polycarbonate material. The wing-like component is then mounted atop an eleven-foot tall aluminum base, which causes the ‘Wing’ to point toward the sky. Wards Corner Gateway will be illuminated at night, featuring programmable color-changing lighting.

The installation and its upward orientation reference this neighborhood’s future: its continued upward growth and development in cultural, economic and community matters.

Also on that WardsCornerNow website is this information about a new restaurant opening soon. The franchise owner, Jeff Rhoades, presented to the Wards Corner Civic League in March on his new-to-the-region pizza restaurant, Your Pie. Your Pie was founded in Athens, Georgia and currently has locations in Georgia, South Carolina, Florida, and Tennessee. Jeff has plans to open six Your Pie franchises in the Hampton Roads region and Wards Corner will be his first location as well as the first location in the state.

Jeff indicated he chose Wards Corner based on the success of places like Harris Teeter and Moe’s and hopes to soon finalize his lease agreement for leasing the southernmost end unit that abuts Louisiana Drive.

The leased space allows for a planned 65 seats inside, 7 of which are at the bar, plus outdoor eating. Expected hours of operation are likely to be from 10am to 9pm daily.
The restaurant will offer pizza, salad, a gelato station, 7 beer taps, about 40 bottle beers, and wine. Your Pie plans to open around the beginning of July. Read more about the restaurant on the website.

The Wards Corner Civic League voted at our meeting on March 16 to support Your Pie’s special exception to serve beer and wine on premises. The Planning Commission will vote on the special exception in May and City Council will likely vote in June.

This is all good news as it represents a continuing interest in businesses that want to open stores in the Wards Corner Business District. This is a complete turnaround from 15 years ago when businesses were leaving or had already left.

Let’s keep up the good work and praise the new businesses that are opening in our area. Being positive goes further than posting negative comments about these establishments and what they bring as some have done from other civic leagues. Thanks to our membership for being positive.

Finally a special thanks to Ray Duron and his cleanup crew for their hard work cleaning up our adopt- a- spot as part of the Great American Cleanup. Thanks goes to Ray and all his volunteers for the work they do. The area looks great.

I hope to see you at our next meeting on May 18th, 2015 at the Wellness Center.

Sincerely,

jimenglishsignature

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March 2015 message and meeting info

Posted on March 5, 2015 by Martin Thomas Jr.

The March 2015 Wards Corner Civic League meeting will be held on the 16th at 6:30pm at the Fitness and Wellness Center on Newport Ave.

The agenda includes a update from Senator Lynwood Lewis.

The president’s message:

Dear Neighbors,

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Norfolk Police Officer William Old and the other officers that serve with him for their outstanding service to our Civic League and Civic League area. Officer Old is always present at our civic league meetings and always gives us an excellent report of the crime and crime statistics for our area. His demeanor is very pleasant and he is professional in his delivery of the information he presents. He doesn’t sugar coat any of his report and always tells it like it is. Office Old is also always responsive to our questions and almost always able to answer the question. If not he gets back to us at our next meeting or sooner to me if asked. We are very fortunate to have such a fine dedicated officer as William Old serving our area. He is doing an outstanding job in serving our area and we are very grateful for that and we sincerely thank him.
I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Rick Dempsey, a civil engineer with the Department of Utilities. Rick has been to our civic league meetings many times and most recently at our last meeting. He comes when we ask and sometimes he asks to attend. From the beginning of the area “sewer project” , he has provided us with detailed information about all aspects of the project. He shows us charts of the project and is always able to answer our questions. I know, like many of you, that this project has been long and it has been somewhat inconveniencing to us because of the streets being torn up. Yet he has always been able to assure us that things are on target and will get better as the project moves forward. For this, we are appreciative and we also sincerely thank him for his service. He and the staff and crew of the utilities department as well as the contractors doing the project are serving us well.
The city of Norfolk is fortunate to have such fine individuals employed and serving us as Officer William Old and Rick Dempsey do every day. In other good news provided by Martin Thomas Jr. appearing on Wards Corner Now and NEXTDOOR is in regards to the “future of the Meadowbrook School site. It is expected that the next budget will include money to demolish Meadowbrook School and to build a new fire station on the western portion of the site. The remaining site will be left as open space to be used as a dog park or otherwise as may be decided in the future by the neighborhoods.
Once the budget goes into effect this summer, the City will begin the process of designing the fire station. Designs for both the fire station and the park will be in collaboration with the neighborhoods and civic leagues in the Meadowbrook area.
It is expected that the entire project will be complete within 2 years of when the budget goes into effect on July 1.”
In other news, the Crime Prevention Awards Committee (made up of city agencies and citizens) and the Norfolk Police Department is hosting a celebration of our neighborhoods, the city and the Norfolk Police Department. They would cordially like to invite all of our neighbors in Norfolk to come meet each other on Saturday March 28th from 10am – 1pm. The event will be held at the 2nd Patrol Division located at 2500 N. Military Hwy. Meet, greet, have fun, learn opportunities to get involved in and have a chance to win a door prize. Please come out and join the fun.
Our meet and greet event at Guads the other week was very successful as I noted in the last newsletter. In fact so successful that we are having another meet and greet on March 18th from 630PM- 8PM at Guads. Come out and enjoy time with your neighbors and get to meet the Board Members of the Civic League. Happy Hour prices are in effect so please come and join us.
Finally please consider joining Wards Corner nextdoor. Go to nextdoor.com to join. It is an excellent way to keep up with what’s going on in our neighborhood and interact with your neighbors as much as you want to.
Hope to see you at our next civic league meeting on March 16th.

Many thanks

jimenglishsignature

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