I hope everyone got through the hurricane without serious losses.  Isabel ruined our last civic league meeting and damaged many of our homes and yards. It did show how the community could pull together to help each other in times of crisis.   Hopefully by the next meeting all the debris will be removed from our streets and things will be back to near normal.

Please mark your calendars and plan to attend the next Civic League meeting on October 16. 

The following data is current as of 9/30/03. 

• Collection of the black automated containers will be on your regular collection day, provided the trucks can get on your street. 
• Collection of blue recycling containers has resumed according to the normal schedule, provided the trucks can get on your street. 
• All types of bagged debris will be collected on your regular collection day. 
• We will NOT be accepting any work orders at this time. However, bulk items such as furniture and items from flooded houses will be collected on your regular collection day. 
• Hurricane debris will be collected everyday for the next several weeks. 
• The City of Virginia Beach landfill located on Centerville Turnpike is open to Virginia Beach residents from 7am to 7pm 7 days a week during hurricane cleanup operations. 
• At this time, it is estimated that the collection of hurricane debris will take until the end of November. 

• Tree limbs and yard debris should be piled next to the curb, but not on the street. 
• Please do not block fire hydrants or storm drains. 
• Although not required at this time, please try to cut the tree limbs into 4-foot lengths to facilitate loading by our crews. 
• Bag small waste, such as leaves and sticks to assist cleanup crews. 
• Please remember, Virginia Beach does not permit open air burning. 

Ferry Plantations annual PUMPKIN FLING is just around the corner.  We need items to sell in our "flea market" area.  If you are cleaning out the house, garage or attic and have items to donate, please call any of the neighborhood board members listed below.  Remember all proceeds from Pumpkin Fling go towards the restoration of Ferry Plantation House.  Be sure to mark your calendars--Saturday, November 1st-Pumpkin Fling at the Henley Farm in Pungo.  See you there.

This is the opportunity to gain experience, work with others, experience the great outdoors, gain friends enjoy the day knowing you are helping a good cause. 

All proceeds from the event go towards restoring lovely Ferry Plantation House.

All applicants may apply by contacting 

Can you believe it?  We, as a community, have been holding this event for 13 years.  This year the walk will be held on Saturday, October 25th.  Mark those calendars and start thinking about costumes.  This gives you plenty of time to get ready.

Again, this year we ask for donations of money, cookies, juice and volunteers.  Volunteers are needed to help decorate the park for the party following the parade, conducting the games, serving beverages and juice, providing traffic safety at all corners along the route and marching along with the paraders to help with spacing.

If you can donate please call  Belinda Nash  490-2504 or Gerry Richter  497-5243.
Let's make this another great parade.  Get involved
 

Don’t miss out on the Garden Club’s fantastic Holiday Greenery Sale.  It’s fresh, aromatic and lovely to look at.  Please call Jeanette Willenbrink, 497-0700 or Valerie Davis, 497-7208, for a form and/or information.  Deadline for greenery orders is October 19!  So don’t delay.  Funds from the sale of the greens helps to beautify our neighborhood!

Pembroke Meadows Garden Club meets on the second Thursday of each month.  If you would like to find out more about the garden club, please call Anne Rinehart at 671-1029.  VB Master Gardener Sherry Kern will speak about  “Weed Identification and Control” at our November meeting.  Bring your weeds!

Pembroke Meadows Marlins Swim Team

I apologize for the tardiness of this article.  Honestly, I don't know how the summer passed so quickly.  The neighborhood pool's swim team – Pembroke Meadows Marlins - had a successful season.  The swimmers swam without defeat
during a single season meet.  For those of you keeping count, this is the Marlins' THIRD undefeated regular season.

Coaches Christyn Weinstein and Paul Brown were joined this year by our own neighborhood representative,  Mike Zmuda.  Many of you may recall that it's only been a couple of years since Mike crossed over the hill (reached that age where he no longer could swim for the team - "18").  Bob Weinstein continued on as the Team Representative for Virginia Beach Swim League functions while yours truly attempted to hold up the correspondence and other administrative details.

Of note this season:

We had three team records broken this year with one each by Pembroke Meadows' residents Katie Harris and Ashley Daley and one by Erin Hagelberger.

The Tommy Horvatic Award, the team spirit award honoring Tommy's memory as well as his dedication to the team, was awarded to Emily Quinn for her activities with the younger swimmers and constant encouragement of all team members.  The Mighty Marlin, the team's award recognizing a selfless parent volunteer, was given to Leslie Fenter for her willingness to take on any task to benefit the entire team.

This was also a year of much change for our team - Ray Zmuda, after a decade plus of loyal announcing at all home meets and many divisional/all stars
meets, retired from these duties.  I must say that he was sorely missed - who hadn't grown to love Mr. Zmuda's musical selections, his professional
and organized announcing skills as well as his "Rise and Shine, It's Relay Time!" that let us parents know that the meet was soon to be over?  We also
said goodbye to our event starter - Bill Bertholf.  Mr. Bertholf filled so many roles on team that I'm certain I will fail to recognize many - he was
our announcer and treasurer for the past several years and we will miss his skill and expertise immensely.

Lastly, the team had three swimmers "go over the hill" this season: From Pembroke Meadows, we said goodbye to Paul Harris - an all-around excellent swimmer, good sport and previous recipient of the team's Tommy Horvatic
Award and Katie Murphy, another excellent athlete who also possesses a remarkable "5" State championship rings from her skills on Princess Anne High School's Field Hockey and Gymnastics Teams.  We also bid Keith McCullough and Vashon Warren a fond farewell.

With 200 swimmers on the team this past summer season, I can say that our team has grown into a remarkable unit.  I hope that next summer, each family in our neighborhood will consider both membership at the Pembroke Meadows
Recreation Center as well as with the Pembroke Meadows Marlins Swim Team.

The following information was obtained from CRIME PREVENTION CHRONICLE, a publication of the Virginia Beach Police Department. 

Take an inventory of your property!  If you buy something new like a drill, lawnmower or electronic equipment, make sure you take down information about it.  Information such as make, model, model numbers, serial numbers, and a description can help authorities locate and identify found property.  This also helps with homeowners insurance claims should there be a theft of your personal property.

Q: Do red light running cameras really reduce crashes at intersections?
A: Red Light Photo Enforcement reduces crashes at monitored intersections approximately 40%. The technology tends to produce generalized changes in driver behavior, so violations and crashes decline throughout the area where cameras are used, not just at the specific intersections equipped with cameras. (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety; IIHS, 2002)

Q: Why doesn't the Police Department use existing personnel for this enforcement?
A: Cameras act as a force multiplier for the Police Department. This is an increase in productivity. By having intersections monitored, 24 hours/7 days a week, the intersections do not need to be monitored by a police officer.

Q: If ticketing drivers reduces crashes, why doesn't the Police Department enforce more red light running violations?
A: Cameras reduce the danger of red light enforcement to officers and the public. Officers trying to enforce red light violations may have to travel against traffic, increasing the likelihood of a collision.

Q: If I am a law-abiding driver, why would my picture be taken?
A: The driver's photograph will not be taken. The camera system only becomes active when a violation occurs. There is no monitoring of the intersection during the green cycle or without a violation. Pictures of the rear of the vehicle are taken, verifying the vehicle is in the process of violating the traffic signal. Photo red enforcement is precise, objective and consistent contributing to the high compliance rates. The technology is more precise than the naked eye.

Q: What kind of violation will be issued and what would the fine be?
A: Virginia State Code 46.2 -833.01 mandates the violation as an owner liability responsibility. Red light violations are handled similar to a parking summons. There is no insurance liability, DMV implication or points against the driver or vehicle owner. The civil fine cannot exceed $50.