CLEAN COMMUNITY AWARDS

Our Civic League has received an Award of Merit from the Virginia Beach Clean Community Commission (An impressive plaque signed by the Mayor, et al) for our neighborhood’s efforts in stenciling 164 storm drains (in the Meadows, Shores, Old Donation Farm, Hudgins Shores, Independence Blvd. and Pembroke Manor).  These stenciled notes on each storm drain that—“Dumping Pollutes”--- are to remind us that all trash, debris, leaves, clippings etc. that are “dumped “ fall or run off lawns parking lots, etc will likely pollute our lakes, waterways, and eventually the Chesapeake Bay. 

The following volunteers who stenciled this large number of drains were:
 

Jim Willenbrink was also awarded an individual “Award of Excellence” for his efforts in coordinating the above project, his 14 years service as our Zone Captain in our Clean the Bay Day efforts and participation in meetings with city and state officials to improve storm water management. 

Ferry Plantation’s annual PUMPKIN FLING was held at the Henley Farm in Pungo on November 1.  The weather was excellent and all that attended had a great time.  Funds generated by this event will be most likely be used to restore the porch which was recently removed on the front (land side) of the house. 

We get the benefit of two speakers this month!  Our very own Civic League President, Dave Long, will give us tips on first aid.  Don’t miss this very informative meeting.  See you there!

The Garden Club meets on the second Thursday of every month at 10 a.m.  We now rotate the meetings in members’ homes.  It’s bring-your-own-sandwich and the hostess for that month furnishes dessert and drinks.  If you would like to join us, please call Anne Rinehart at 671-1029 or Jeanette Willenbrink at 497-0700 for details.

The ladies of the Garden Club periodically tackle the weeds in the flowerbeds on the medians.  Please GIVE THEM A BRAKE!  The speed limit on Pembroke Boulevard is 25 mph—not 55!  Any time you see us working on the median, please feel free to join us.  You don’t have to be a member to pull weeds! 

For many years, the Price Family has taken one of the median clean-up slots.  In mid October, my son, Dale, and I spent a Saturday morning improving the beauty of the neighborhood. We started at the park, headed west along the south side of Pembroke Blvd, worked our way around the gazebo, and returned to the park, covering the north side of Pembroke Blvd. 

I’m sure an urban anthropologist could determine vast amounts of information from the neighborhood litter (as if that was an important academic concern), but my musings are purely for entertainment.  (Unlike an academic, who may be paid by a grant to research and publish his findings, my compensation for this article is equal to the compensation for the clean-up detail.)

By far, the highest number of discarded bottles and cans were Anheuser Busch products, specifically Budweiser.  There were some lesser-known brands interspersed throughout the policed area but Budweiser is the beverage of choice to our neighborhood litterers.  We found 28 Virginia Lottery scratch-off cards; you could bet that they were all losers, but we did recover one eight-dollar winner.  Dale enjoyed calculating potential total winnings:  $330,000 had each been a winner with its maximum payoff.  (Oh well, it’s fun to dream.)  The number of fast food cups, bags and wrappers found was about equal between Taco Bell and Wendy’s.  Our most unusual find was a soft drink bottle containing about six ounces of urine; this conclusion was reached strictly on the evaluation of its appearance through clear plastic.  The most disgusting find  (as if the preceding wasn’t disgusting enough) was all the cigarette butts gathered at and near the gazebo, too disgusting for us to mess with; not to worry, they’ll biodegrade, in about 72 years.

So why all the beer bottles and cans? There was also an abandoned (empty, of course) rum bottle.  My guess is underage drinkers didn’t want moms and dads to find the evidence in the family car.  But there is no age limit on fast food consumption; could it be some high cholesterol driver didn’t want a concerned and worried (read nagging) spouse to be concerned and worry (read nag)?  Why all the lottery tickets?  Thrown out in anger when the gambler realized a loss?  Gambling in total is a losing proposition; scratch ticket odds run 1:4+; the vast majority will lose.  The eight dollar winner can only be explained as a case of the purchaser not realizing it was a winner; not only a poor gambler, but perceptually challenged as well.  Oh, the cigarette butts!  Yuck!  I am not a radical nonsmoker, but why are some folks who fill up their lungs with tar, their blood streams with nicotine, their car interiors with smoke, unwilling to put their cigarette butts in their ashtrays?

If my analysis is correct, I have a modest proposal to reduce neighborhood litter.  If you need to hide beer and liquor bottles, there are trashcans at the park; a quick detour before arriving home and Pembroke Blvd is more pristine.  Likewise, with your fast food artifact pitchers.  Scratch-off purchasers, control your loss rage; hold on to those losing tickets until you have enough to burn in a fireplace during a cold January night; your purchase will at least provide a little comfort.  And to the guy (I assume male from the logistics involved) who left the bottle of urine: if you couldn’t hold it, you had to have significantly more than six ounces in your bladder; what happened to the rest?  All over the floor mats and upholstery?  If they’re urine soaked, what’s the big deal about keeping the bottle until you get home?  Or maybe you could stop somewhere to use a bathroom. Butt discarders, please use your ashtrays.

All this cynicism is (somewhat) in jest.  You may enjoy median duty.  If you have never signed up for it, it’s a great family activity, it’s a way to give back to the community and it increases property values.

The 13th Annual Halloween Walk, held October 25th was another community success.  We had the greatest turnout in our history!!  Well over 500 people of all ages enjoyed the day’s festivities.  The Independence Middle School Band led by Mr. Leon Edwards provided the marching music.  Our event is the only time the band gets to play in a marching parade situation.  They look forward to it each year.  Donations for the band taken at the park and given by the Civic League help towards the funding of instruments for the school.  You can still make a donation to the band.  Send to address above and mark "band."

Many thanks to Chanellos Pizza for providing pizza for the band members following the parade.  We had a new addition this year.  A lovely castle moonwalk was donated for use by the Bridgeway Community Church, and Rev. Dennis Boone. Special thanks to neighbor Jim Golden for coordinating this contribution.  This was indeed a great surprise and delight for the children.    A big thank you to the neighbors along the 600 block of Abbey Drive for their enthusiasm, goodies, and candy again this year. 

Thanks go out to all that donated cookies and juice, and to our "guards" and servers Phyllis Anglim and Valerie Davis.  Popcorn, cups and supplies were provided by historic Ferry Plantation House, our neighborhood legacy on the Lynnhaven.

The weather was great, the costumes and decorations outstanding, the community spirit high.  The only thing we needed was more volunteers.  Maybe YOU can help out next year?

The Halloween Walk is sponsored by your Civic League and enjoys the greatest community wide attendance and involvement.  It is another vital reason to be sure you pay your Civic League Dues for 2004.  Few neighborhoods and communities can boast doing so much for our residents (young and old alike).

Break-in at Pembroke Shores

  Home Holiday Safety Suggestions

We had a break-in at the Shores recently.  We were told that the thief or thieves gained entry by breaking a back bedroom window and left via the front door.  This occurred during the daytime.  The police were notified and the case is currently under investigation.

What are the lessons to be learned here? 

1. Please, please be alert to what is going on around your home and the homes of your neighbors!  and,
2. Call 911 if you notice suspicious activity.

Many people are gone from their homes during the holidays.  Here are some hints to keep burglars from "helping themselves" at your home when you're gone for an evening or an extended period of time.

1. Keep valuables and gifts out of sight.
2. Always lock all doors and all windows.
3. Turn outside lights on.
4. Have inside lights and a radio or TV on timers.
5. Stop all mail and paper deliveries or arrange for a trusted neighbor to pick them up daily.
6. Cut up cartons from new TVs, computers, stereos, etc and put them in the recycle bin.
7. Let someone know where you are and when you are expected to return.
8. When returning home, have your keys in hand to quickly unlock the door.
9. If you suspect someone has been in the house, leave immediately and call 911 from a cell phone or a neighbor's house.

EXPLORE HAMPTON ROADS BY LAND, AIR & SEA

Land, Air & Sea Pass includes admission to four of 
Hampton Roads’ top attractions for one low price.

     Exploring the Hampton Roads area by land, air and sea, has just gotten easier. Four of the area’s top attractions and museums have come together to offer discount admission at one low price. The Mariners’ Museum in Newport News, Nauticus in Norfolk, the Virginia Air & Space Center in Hampton, and the Virginia Marine Science Museum in Virginia Beach have created the Land, Air & Sea Pass. For just $26.00 for adults and $19.50 for children ages (4 –12), pass holders get one admission to each of the four facilities. These passes are good through May 31, 2004 and offer more than a 25 percent savings. Tickets are available for purchase at each of the participating attractions. According to the attractions’ representatives, the Land, Air & Sea Pass was created to provide a way for local families to spend quality time together enjoying some of the world-class facilities located right here in Hampton Roads. The Pass offers opportunities for fun, interactive and educational activities at an extremely cost-effective price. 

      Founded in 1930, The Mariners’ Museum is one of the largest international maritime museums in the world. Discover the spirit of seafaring adventure through a diverse collection of maritime artifacts—figureheads, hand crafted ship models, decorative arts, paintings, and small craft from around the world. See artifacts from the Civil War ironclad USS Monitor, both on display and undergoing conservation. The Mariners’ newest temporary exhibition features 115 navigational instruments spanning five centuries of maritime history, including the Museum’s rare 16th-century astrolabe. The Museum is open daily (except Thanksgiving and Christmas) and located at 100 Museum Drive in Newport News, Virginia. For more information call (757) 596-2222.

      Nauticus, The National Maritime Center is a maritime-themed science and technology center that explores the economic, naval and natural power of the sea. It features hands-on exhibits, films on a giant screen, shark touch, interactive theater experiences, national caliber traveling exhibits, the Battleship Wisconsin, Hampton Roads Naval Museum and more. Located in downtown Norfolk, Nauticus is open year ‘round. For more information, call (757) 664-1000.

      Take flight to the Virginia Air & Space Center in Hampton, the birthplace of America’s space program and the visitor center for NASA Langley Research Center and Langley Air Force Base. Come face to face with the Apollo 12 Command Module that went to the moon, a moon rock, a Mars meteorite, historic planes and more. Take an aviation adventure from the origins to the future of flight with the new Adventures in Flight gallery. Sit in the cockpit of a fighter jet, pilot an airplane, see a replica 1903 Wright Flyer, step aboard a DC-9, ride in a WWII bomber and more! Open daily (except Thanksgiving and Christmas day) the center is located at 600 Settlers Landing Road in Hampton, Virginia. For more information call (757) 727-0900

      Sharks, sea turtles, river otters, birds and more are what you will find at the Virginia Marine Science Museum, Virginia’s aquarium. With over 800,000 gallons of aquariums, live animal habitats and more than 350 hands-on exhibits, discover the creatures that live in and around Virginia’s marine environment. Whether your ogling an egret, hanging with the harbor seals, or stroking a stingray, there’s a lot to see and do. The museum is open daily (except Thanksgiving and Christmas day) and located at 717 General Booth Boulevard in Virginia Beach. For more information call (757) 425-FISH (3474).