Wards Corner Civic League

The November 2014 Wards Corner Civic League meeting will be held on the 17th at 6:45pm at the Fitness and Wellness Center on Newport Ave.
Invited speakers include Jeff Wise, Norfolk Fire Chief.

The president’s message:

Dear Neighbors,

First and foremost I am thankful for all of my family. I wouldn’t trade them for the world. They are my reason for being.

We all have many things we are thankful for. Here are some of the things I am thankful for.

That I live in the USA and have all the freedoms that we have that I can enjoy.

That I have the freedom to vote for whom I want to in every election.

That I live in Virginia, a great and beautiful State.

That I live in Norfolk, a big city with a little town feel.

That I live in Wards Corner and especially my neighborhood. I have lived at my address since 1976 and I still like it as much if not better than the day I moved into my house.

That I see real progress in the Wards Corner business district and that this area is finally being revitalized. I pray that it will continue.

Oh, and yes, I am also thankful for my summer home in Maine on a lake.

These are a few of the things I am thankful for and there are many more. I will be reflecting on these on Thanksgiving Day as I enjoy the day with my family.

What are you thankful for this year? I hope you have a very pleasant and enjoyable Thanksgiving holiday. It is one of the best holidays of the year in my opinion.

I will end this months message with a Thanksgiving poem that I recently found.
Enjoy.
T is for the trust the pilgrims had so many years ago
H is for the harvest the settlers learnt to grow
A is for America, the land in which we live
N is for nature and beauty which she gives
K is for kindness, gentle words, thoughtful deeds
S is for smiles, the sunshine everyone needs
G is for gratitude… our blessings big and small
I is for ideas, letting wisdom grow tall
V is for voices, singing, laughing, always caring
I is for Indians, who taught them about sharing
N is for neighbors, across the street, over the sea
G is for giving of myself to make a better me

by Judith A. Lindberg

I hope to see you at our next Civic League meeting on November 17th. We have a great program lined up.

May you have a wonderful, safe and blessed Thanksgiving holiday.

Thanks.

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The October 2014 Wards Corner Civic League meeting will be held on the 20th at 6:45pm at the Fitness and Wellness Center on Newport Ave.

Invited speakers include Sonal Rastogi, Director of Libraries.

The president’s message:

Dear Neighbors,
This November 4th we will be electing several new leaders to our State and Federal government and voting on two important issues for our City. Here are the choices and issues.
For the US Senate the choices are:
Ed W. Gillespie (R)
Mark R Warner (D) Incumbent
Robert C. Jarvis (L)
For the 3rd House District
Bobby Scott (D) Incumbent
For 2nd District House of Representatives
E. Scott Rigell (R) Incumbent
Suzanne D. Patrick (D)

Proposed Constitutional Issue
Question: Shall Section 6-A of Article X (Taxation and Finance) of the Constitution of Virginia be amended to allow the General Assembly to exempt from taxation the real property of the surviving spouse of any member of the armed forces of the United States who was killed in action, where the surviving spouse occupies the real property as his or her principal place of residence and
has not remarried?

Election of School Board
Shall the method of selection the school board be changed from appointment
by the governing body to direct election by the voters?

Because of these important elections and our responsibility as a US citizen to vote in every election I am including a short piece from the website of Essortment.com regarding the reasons we should vote. I hope you enjoy it. “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 hope to see you at the next civic league meeting on October 20th. The Director of Libraries will join us and provide an update on all the great things happening at our Libraries. 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,

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The September 2014 Wards Corner Civic League meeting will be held on the 15th at 6:45pm at the Fitness and Wellness Center on Newport Ave.

Invited speakers include Suburban Management, Virginia Natural Gas, and Richard Broad, the Director of Public Works to talk about city sidewalks.

The president’s message:

Dear Neighbors,

Welcome back to the last half of this civic league year. The summer of 2014 is now almost in the history books as it has once again sped by very rapidly. I hope your summer was enjoyable and relaxing. Mine sure was and I actually slowed down from my normal hectic work pace and was able to spend a lot of time at my summer home in Maine. I hope you are now ready to begin the fall activities. With fall fast approaching, school is in session and the Wards Corner Civic League will begin holding its regular meetings again.  Our first meeting will be held at 645PM on September 15^th  at the Norfolk Fitness and Wellness Center.

Over the summer we continued to see several major projects keep moving forward. For once in many months, I don’t have to report a vacant Wards Corner Shopping Center parking lot. Fire House Subs has opened and there are two other stores being prepared for opening there- they are Liberty Tax Service and the Original Mattress Factory. This is good news. Also the land previously occupied by the BP station is now being prepared for construction of other stores. Business is picking up. The Rite Aid has been completely remodeled inside and has reopened.  The new beautiful Town Bank opened in June in the K & K Square shopping center of Wards Corner. All of these will add more positive visibility to the revitalization of Wards Corner that impacts all of us. Other projects that we have been following include but are not necessarily limited to: 

• DePaul Hospital renovation
• Norfolk Collegiate athletic field improvements, rearrangements.
• Perry Property additions
• Dalis Property additions
• Denby Park demolitions 

We will be discussing these projects as well as others over the course of the next several months. We will also have informative speakers on timely city topics for you to hear. Therefore, I want to welcome you back to another year of good productive civic league meetings. If you regularly attend our meetings please bring a neighbor. If you have never been to a meeting or you are new to the area please join us. A strong active civic league like ours gives us good and continued political clout, which we have built with our council representatives for this area. The Wards Corner Civic League is recognized as one of the strongest civic leagues in Norfolk.

We have a great fall program lined up and we hope to see you at the meetings.

Please enjoy this newsletter. Please join your civic league. Thank you and I look forward to seeing you on the 15^th of September at 645PM at the Norfolk Fitness and Wellness Center. 

Sincerely,

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Wards Corner Civic League
Cordially Invites You and Your Family to Our

Neighborhood Picnic

Saturday, June 28, 2014
11:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Burgers, hot dogs, chips & drinks
will be provided

If you like, please bring side dishes,
chairs, and/or yard games to share

Fitness & Wellness Center
Outdoor Field

Please RSVP to
Scott Guirlinger at
scott.guirlinger@gmail.com
or call 489-3938

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The civic league has received the following utilities updates generated as a result of questions at the last civic league meeting:

• The white markings along the block 500 of Maycox and Burleigh are from the gas company to inform them the utilities marked are not owned by the gas company.
• There will be further survey marking in the next few months though, as the next phase of work is currently in design in this area (500 block of Burleigh, Maycox, and Little Creek Rd).  This Norfolk Utilities construction will not start until early winter 2014 or possibly right after the new year, 2015.  I will provide a further update at the next meeting.
• Paving is to occur within the next few weeks to open up the intersection of North Shore Rd and Millbrook.  This will allow the contractor to close Ruthven and North Shore Rd as the next phase of work continues, with completion to occur this Fall 2014 for the entire project.  This intersection should be closed for approximately 2 months or so (could be sooner).  The contractor is moving quicker now that the sewer main installation is becoming shallower.  Residents will still have access to gain to their homes during construction.
• The cones in the yards will be removed as the project continues to the west, as each section is completed.  So cones near the intersection of Millbrook and North Shore Rd will be removed fairly soon as paving should occur in the next few weeks at this intersection to Restmere.
• I called Friday to our Operations folks about the lateral and cleanout at 204 North Shore Rd. and a City vac truck should have cleaned the lateral, sidewalk, and main this past Friday.

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The June 2014 Wards Corner Civic League meeting will be held on the 16th at 6:45pm at the Fitness and Wellness Center on Newport Ave.
Invited speakers include Suburban Management, Norfolk SPCA and we will have a discussion about adding Stop Signs-Burleigh, Maycox, and North Shore.

The president’s message:
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 website and the Wards Corner Now website. We will not have a meeting in July and August.
I wish to thank Barbara Ross for her dedicated service as our newsletter editor and newly elected 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 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 2^nd 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.  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 newly elected board member. We are pleased that you have joined us.  Thank you all for your service.

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!

In closing, let us all remember in our thoughts and prayers slain Norfolk Police Office Brain Wayne Jones and his family and murdered high school student Mark Rodriguez and his family. Officer Jones and Mark were killed May 30^th by the same gunman. They will be missed by all.

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.

Thanks,

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A message from Ascension Episcopal Day School about their Children’s Fair:

Ascension Episcopal Day School will be holding our 5^th Annual Children’s Fair at the Church of the Ascension, 405 Talbot Hall Road, Norfolk, on June 28^th from 10:00-2:00 to raise funds for a new playground.  This year we are offering several different ways you can help:  donating items for the silent auction; becoming a sponsor of the Fair and having your name/company posted on a fair activity or throughout the fairgrounds; renting a vendor’s table to promote your products and services; or just coming to enjoy the fun!  Activities will include a pony ride, petting zoo, “fun bus”, dunking booth, bake sale, cake walk, corn hole, and more.  Please call me if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Mark Hattler
Director
(757) 351-0566
(757) 961-7587 (fax)
dayschool@ascension-norfolk.org

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The April 2014 Wards Corner Civic League meeting will be held on the 21th at 6:45pm at the Fitness and Wellness Center on Newport Ave.

Invited speakers include City Council and Ward 1 Candidates and  School Redistricting and Updates.

The president’s message:

Dear Neighbors,

I, like all of you, travel through the Wards Corner business district every day, every week, month and year. We are all struck by the revitalization that is going on in that area. However, as I was riding through the business district as late as Saturday the 5^th of April, I was taken aback by the differences in those revitalization efforts.  It reminded me of the opening lines of the great historical Literary Masterpiece by Charles Dickens, a Tale of Two Cities whose plot is about the differences between London and Paris prior to the French Revolution and tells the story of two men, Charles Darnay and Sydney Carton, who are similar and yet different. You remember those opening passages:

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way”

This seems to fit the business district, so here is my take on the “Tale of Two Corners “(Wards that is). I am speaking of the two corners east of Granby Street, one to the north and one to the south.

As I come through that area, I notice that the southeast corner is bustling with new businesses anchored by a brand new beautiful Harris Teeter grocery store. Banners are flying announcing the opening of a new store every few days. The area has new landscaping making it look great. A new beautifully architected Bank is almost ready to open. And yes, the parking lot is so full that cars circle around waiting for a place to park. People are walking all around the area going about their business. And yes, we have a Mermaid! Is this the best of times, the age of wisdom, the epoch of belief, the season of Light, and the spring of hope, we have everything before us and the direction to Heaven?  Well, I leave that for you to decide.

As I look to the northeast corner what do I see? I see an existing shopping center that has had a white and blue colored facelift albeit nice looking and better than before. But, I don’t see any new stores going in to that shopping center and only a very few occupied storefronts. I see a newly surfaced parking lot with new parking lines. I can see easily that because there are NO cars parked in that shopping center except for an occasional vehicle. There are no people walking about. There is a lonely large almost full dumpster in the parking lot. That’s attractive! I see a closed corner gas station which we have been informed has been sold. We are told that a box type building selling mattresses will be built there. Just what we need! Is this the worst of times, the age of foolishness, theepoch of incredulity, the season of Darkness, the winter of despair, we have nothing before us and is the direction the other way? Well, I leave that for you to decide.

Maybe my comparison of those two corners is not equal to the contrast of London and Paris or Darney and Carton in a Tale of Two Cities, but I think you can see my point. Those two shopping centers are in direct contrast to each other. Imagine what it would be like if both were vibrant!

The other two corners on the west side of Granby street seem to be doing ok with occupancy, although the strip center in the 100 block of W Little creek road has several vacancies. That’s notnecessarily a bad thing given what has vacated. It is unfortunate that we have two big box pharmacies on each of those corners, but we have to live with those now. That was just plain poor planning by the city to allow that to happen. Everyone was asleep at the wheel when that occurred. They are, however, good tenants although it would be nice if Rite Aid would keep their lights on at night since it is very dark there.

Alright, so now my rant is almost done. I hope you feel the same frustrations as I do. I am exceedingly pleased with the redevelopment of the K&K Square at Wards Corner and am glad that the other two corners are both doing well except as noted. That Center is a wonderful asset to the area. I wish that the owner of the shopping center with so many vacant storefronts would begin filling them. That is holding this entire revitalization project/effort up and continuing to put negative pressure on the business district and surrounding neighborhood. That shopping center was once a very vibrant center with many quality stores. It could be that way again if it were filled. I encourage all of you to be vocal about that vacant shopping center. It needs to be filled with stores. Also be vocal about another box store at that corner with a mattress store. That is not a good use of that property! How absurd.

Finally we received some nice press on March 9^th, 2014 when Patrick Wilson, a Virginian Pilot reporter said in a news article about civic leagues fighting development that “The Wards Corner Civic League, growing in political power, has voted to support nearby Meadowbrook, which gives the Meadow-brook folks a boost. Olde Huntersville, while similar in size to Meadowbrook, is predominantly black. The neighbors don’t have nearly the political power ofa Meadowbrook or Wards Corner.” It has taken us many years to get to this level of political clout. Let’s keep it and keep using it to our benefit. Great things can come of it.

I hope to see you at the next civic league meeting on April 21^st at 645PM.

Sincerely,

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The March 2014 Wards Corner Civic League meeting will be held on the 17th at 6:45pm at the Fitness and Wellness Center on Newport Ave.

Invited speakers include HRT and our Virginia General Assembly representatives.

The president’s message:

Dear Neighbors,

I am posting two reports here for your review. One is from the last Wards Corner Task Force meeting and the second is from our last Wards Corner Civic League meeting

Here are the notes taken by Karen Mayne from the last Wards Corner Task Force meeting held on February 13^th, 2014.

The Greater Wards Corner Task Force Meeting

February 13, 2014

City Council Member Andy Protogyrou led the meeting.

Parking on the Grass on West Little Creek Road – Leonard Newcomb, Norfolk Zoning Services Manager, said that the City has sent letters to the houses in the 100 – 600 blocks of West Little Creek Road about parking on the grass.  The City will continue to use enforcement but is also trying to find a way to work with property owners to expand driveways.

Public Works – Medians along Granby Street that were damaged during the recent gas line and road work will be restored – damaged vegetation and sprinkler systems will be replaced.  Anchor poles on the southeast side of Granby at Little Creek will be removed by Virginia Power once the weather improves.  The City is looking at potential changes to turn lanes at the southeast junction of Granby and Little Creek and plans to install a traffic signal on East Little Creek Road at K&K Square.  After the task force’s discussion of traffic congestion, traffic lights, illegal turns, etc. in this area, the City will convene a small working group of task force members to further discuss these issues. Construction work on the underpass replacement at the East Little Creek Road/Tidewater Drive intersection will start on February 17.  More information on this significant project can be found at:  www.norfolk.gov/index.aspx?NID=282

Department of Development – The new Director of Development, Steven Anderson, was introduced.  The City’s façade improvement program is being revised.

Harris Teeter will open on February 19 and other stores in K&K Square shortly thereafter.

The BP gas station property is under contract and should go to closing soon.  The underground gasoline tanks must be removed.  A one to three bay retail building is being considered; the City has not seen a site plan.  Driveways to this property may be enlarged – City will have to approve the building and its driveways.

Talbot Hall Update – The Talbot Hall property, owned by the Episcopal Diocese of Southern Virginia, is under contract with a group of local residents.  The new owners propose to build 14 private homes on the 6+ acre property, while maintaining the manor house on ½ acre and setting up a foundation to restore and open it to the public.  The Talbot Park Civic League has invited the new owners to speak to the civic league about their plans.

Meadowbrook School – The City issued requests for proposals for the redevelopment of several unused school properties around the city, which have been unveiled and a public comment period is underway.  A public meeting will be held on February 19 at 7:00 pm at the Church of the Good Shepherd to discuss the potential redevelopment of the former Meadowbrook Elementary property.  The Meadowbrook Civic League is opposed to development of apartments or condos on this site.

Next Meeting – There were requests to discuss the crime statistics for the area, the proposed school redistricting plans and how that will affect the Wards Corner area, and the public art project.

Secondly, here are the notes from an action item from our last Civic League meeting that was posted on www.Wardscorner.com by Martin Thomas.

On February 24, 2014 the Wards Corner Civic League held their regular monthly meeting at the Fitness and Wellness Center.  On the agenda was a discussion of the proposals for, and possible redevelopment of, the Meadowbrook School.

After a discussion among the members, a motion and a second were made to support the Meadowbrook Civic League’s position as printed in their online petition:

· A minimum of 1.5 acres of the site will be permanently designated as a City owned and maintained park (OSP zoning), preferably fronting the 1600 block of Trouville Avenue, with adequate off-street parking for park users.

· Fire station No. 12 may be relocated to the western-most 1.5 acres of the site, provided the building’s architecture is compatible with the adjacent Meadowbrook residential area, all traffic ingress/egress is via Hampton Blvd. or W. Little Creek Rd., and sufficient noise abatement measures, vegetative screening and on-site parking are provided.

· A maximum of 1.5 acres of the site may be reused/redeveloped as single-family homes, provided these homes are primarily brick-faced, have adequate off-street parking, and are zoned R-5, in keeping with the majority of adjacent homes in the Meadowbrook neighborhood. As a condition of sale, the City shall require the developer(s) to enter into land deed restrictions, restricting the zoning, use, height and facing as described.

The vote was unanimous in favor of support of Meadowbrook Civic League’s position and a letter of support will be forwarded to the City.

You can review the developers’ proposals and send in your own comments to the City by going here: http://www.norfolk.gov/index.aspx?NID=2765

You can sign Meadowbrook Civic League’s petition be going here: http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/save-meadowbrook-school-park.html

You can follow Meadowbrook Civic League on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/SaveMeadowbrookSchoolPark

My congratulations to the Meadowbrook Civic League for their approach in getting what needs to be done in their area through this process. We hope this will be successful for them.

I am encouraged at what I see going on in the Greater Wards Corner Area. What we have strived to do is revitalize this area and it is now starting to pick up speed. This is good news for all of us. Let us not let our guard down but let us keep putting pressure on the city until this area is once again a thriving area for businesses and all of our neighborhoods. I know I will.

For more information on our civic league please visit our website at www.wardscorner.com

I am concluding this message on a sad note by informing you of the passing of two of our active civic league members, Norma Demmin and Sam Ross. Norma was the wife of Captain Les Demmin and was ever present at our civic league meetings for many years along with Les. Sam, the husband of Barbara Ross, our newsletter editor and board member, can be credited with most of the ads that appear at the end of our newsletter as he was always soliciting ads from the businesses in the area. These ads make our newsletter self-sustaining. We were blessed by their presence with us and we will miss them dearly. Our thoughts and prayers are with their families.

I hope to see all of you at our civic league meetings.

Sincerely,

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The February 2014 Wards Corner Civic League meeting will be held on the 24th at 6:45pm at the Fitness and Wellness Center on Newport Ave.

The president’s message:

Dear Neighbors,

By the time you read this the Harris Teeter and other new stores will be open at the K&K Center at Wards Corner.

The grand opening began with a ribbon cutting ceremony and speeches.  Speeches were given by Store Director, Robert Maxson, and Norfolk Mayor, Paul Fraim, beginning at 8:00am.  The Ribbon Cutting was done at 8:08am and the doors opened at 8:10am.  The public was invited to this event. Please visit these new merchants. Harris Teeter’s mascot, Harry the Happy Dragon, also joined in the festivities as well.

The following stores opened on February 19, 2014:  Harris Teeter, Starbucks, Subway, Sleepy’s, and Albano Cleaners.  Moe’s Southwest Grill, Great Clips, and nTelos Wireless will likely open before mid-March.

There is still one 2100 square foot location facing Louisiana Drive that is not rented.  The developer is waiting for a local restaurateur that will be the right fit with the location.

The TowneBank is scheduled to open sometime in May or June.

Across the Street in the Wards Corner Shopping Center a Firehouse Subs is expected to open in mid-May. Work continues on that property to ready it for more tenants.

Other work continues in the business district including the possible sale of the property currently where the BP station is now located. Not sure what will happen to that property when it is sold but we have already voiced our objection to a 7/11 or similar store being located there. Down East Little Creek road in the 300 block, the blighted apartments that were purchased by the city are currently being demolished. This will continue until all of those designated properties are demolished.

A 1.6 million infrastructure improvement project is planned for North Shore Road between Restmere Road and Colony Point Road.  New sanitary sewer pipes will be installed and the streets will be fully resurfaced. Work began in January 2014 and will finish by the end of 2014.

On West Little Creek road the VNG Company is replacing the gas pipeline. This will continue until April 2014. Shannon Kiefhaber is the project engineer and he can be reached at 757-616-7524. The website for project information is: www.virginianaturalgas.com/WorkInYourNeighborhood

I am encouraged at what I see going on in the Greater Wards Corner Area. What we have strived to do is revitalize this area and it is now starting to pick up speed. This is good news for all of us. Let us not let our guard down but keep putting pressure on the city until this area is once again a thriving place for businesses and all of our neighborhoods. I know I will.

For more information on our civic league please visit our website at www.wardscorner.com

I hope to see you at our civic league meetings.

Sincerely

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