Everyone living in the Pembroke Meadows neighborhood should read this article, because this weed will one day spread into your lawns, and into the recreational waterways we all enjoy. 

In the past 5 years that I have lived here, a noxious and encroaching plant has been steadily taking over Lake Meadows.  Reports from other places around the city, country and world indicate that it will only be a matter of time until alligator weed completely covers the lake. 

Alligator weed (Alternanthera philoxeroides) is fast growing and difficult to eradicate, and it also threatens wetlands, lakes, rivers, dams, drains and other waterways by clogging them, increasing sedimentation and the risk of flooding. Alligator weed spreads aggressively from even the smallest stem fragments. It can double in area in less than two months. When disturbed, alligator weed breaks up easily into small fragments which can easily re-grow. 

So what can be done to eliminate this weed?  Research indicates there are three principal means of controlling alligator weed; chemical, biological and physical control.

Alligator weed is resistant to many chemicals and others only kill the tops but do not affect older stems, rhizomes or roots. Three useful herbicides have been utilized:
 

• Glyphosate can kill floating mats but due to poor translocation through the stems and root systems, is of little use for terrestrial plants.
• Dichlobenil is useful for spot treatments where bare patches are acceptable. It is effective on banks and in shallow water except where the substrate is loose, deep or organic. 
• Metsulfuron methyl can provide satisfactory control in terrestrial areas but cannot be used where water may be contaminated

So, what can this civic league and its residents do about this problem?  Creating awareness is the first step.  The City has been made aware that alligator weed has invaded our waterways, and my preliminary research is to make you aware of the inevitability of the problem.  Anyone reading this information with a shared concern may contact me via email at jeffbsias@hotmail.com so that we can move forward. 

One or two people will not make a difference, but an entire community may be able to get the City’s attention.

The Civic League will not meet in December since that is a busy holiday season.  The January meeting will be held at the newly opened Bayside Public Library.  The library staff will take us on a quick tour and then we will meet in one of the conference rooms.  Please mark your calendar and plan to attend.  Please attend the November meeting at Pembroke Meadows Elementary school on November 17 at 7 p.m.

Best Regards,

Tis the season for submitting your 2006 membership dues for the Civic League.  Many of our neighbors are dedicated to paying their membership every year; however, there are also many that do not.  We welcome your participation to support your neighborhood Civic League.  The yearly dues are only $10.00 and go a long way when everyone pitches in to help pay for the following services:
 

Our officers, committee persons and all volunteers are non-paid, donating their time for the benefit of the community.  Please help us, if not by donating time to be a committee member, to at least donating $10 per year (or more if you like) to help keep our community in good shape, where you and your family can feel safe.  It takes all of us to make a difference in the type of neighborhood we want to live in. 

Checks should be made out to the 

If you have any questions at all regarding your dues, please contact Jana Sias (Membership) at 288-3835, or Jim Hall (Treasurer) at 473-8258.   Dues are also collected at our monthly Civic League meetings.

As Neighborhood Directory chairperson, I want to submit an update on the status of revamping the Directory. 

Discussions continue concerning volunteers needed to collect new residence information and update our existing directory information.  In the past we have relied on volunteers to call or canvas the neighborhood and collect information for the next issue of our Neighborhood Directory.   This requires a pool of volunteers as one can imagine.  As I mentioned last month, it has been proposed that the Neighborhood Watch volunteers could assist in this process as they already have a network of Block Captains assigned to specific sections of the neighborhood.  The Shores Neighborhood Watch volunteers have offered their support, several Meadows Neighborhood Watch volunteers have also offered their assistance, and Peggy Caverly has volunteered to organize the town homes.  However, I would like to call on all our residents to support this worthwhile endeavor, the more volunteers, the easier the task becomes.  Our committee has already developed the required forms and set up the infrastructure to collect the new data; we just need the workforce to gather it.

As for distribution, the traditional booklet is being planned, although an advertisement sub-committee has not been established.  We are also discussing the idea of a Virtual Directory where the electronic version of our directory would be placed on the Civic League’s Website.  This would require individual approval from all residence listed and would only be placed on the website behind an appropriate security screen.

If you would like to help update our neighborhood directory, please email Carol Scott at bscottnavs@cavtel.net or myself at westmont@ncdesigns.net.  Thank you for your support.

  The weather was a bit cool, but it didn't dampen our spirits one bit. Everyone had a great time.  Thanks to the Independence Middle School band, our walk began to the beat of music.  Children of all ages from weeks old to great Grandparents were able to march thru the neighborhood and on to the park.  Again this year, the residents of the 600 Block of Abbey Drive tossed candy, treats and trinkets into the street. This tradition has become a very important part of the day. A moonwalk was provided by the Naval Mid Atlantic Federal Credit Union, thanks to Joanne Buckley. Also many thanks to Chanello's Pizza for providing pizza for the hungry band members. Isn't it great to have this type of community get together?  Few neighborhoods offer this type of clean family entertainment for young and old.  Costs for providing the Annual Halloween Walk are paid for by your Civic League dues.   Be sure to send in your $10.00 2006 dues promptly.

Our thanks go out to Jim and Donna Price for opening the pool area for our band members during the Halloween Walk and for donating snacks and beverages for the band.

The ladies of Pembroke Meadows, Pembroke Shores and the Townhomes have been meeting for lunch at C&M Cafeteria for several months now.  The food is good and the company is great.  It’s a chance to get to see old friends and meet new friends.  Please make an effort to join us at the next meeting on January 26, 2006.  We have drawings for door prizes—most of the time it is for items that have been hand made by attendees! 

Please note that the City of Virginia Beach has erected a sign at the entrance to our park asking that we not feed the ducks. 

Hurricane Season for the Virginia Beach area runs from June 1 to November 30. While a hurricane can happen at any time during this period, it is most likely to occur from the middle of August to late October. The best way to cope with a disaster is to prepare in advance. Knowing what to do is your best protection and your responsibility. 

By following the Hurricane Report link below, you can download and print a report specific to any parcel of property in the City of Virginia Beach. Properties having multiple addresses, such as commercial properties and apartment complexes, may not be found using the individual address. However, you can use Virginia Beach eMapping to find the address and/or GPIN of the master parcel. You then can use this address or GPIN to perform the search and retrieve a report for the commercial property, apartment complex, etc.

The data is provided by Virginia Beach eMapping. This report is provided to assist you and your family with hurricane preparations. The report also contains suggested actions to take before and during a hurricane.

To access your report, click Hurricane Report below. You will be taken to the eMapping Property Search. If you have never visited Virginia Beach eMapping before, you will be prompted to agree to the eMapping disclaimer. Once you are at the Property Search page, enter your address. From the search results page, click Report in the Hurricane Report column.
It is highly recommended that you print this information and keep it handy. Should our area experience a hurricane, always monitor your local TV and radio stations, as well as VBgov.com for the latest information.

Download your Custom Hurricane Report here. 
http://www.vbgov.com/e-gov/emapping/access/

Editor’s Note:  As you will see from the following articles and the enclosed items, the Pool is fired up and rarin’ to go!  Let’s all band together and give them our support.

The PMRC is owned by the Civic League of Pembroke Meadows, Inc. and operates under the direction of the Civic League’s Recreation Committee from Memorial Day through Labor Day weekend each year. The center is located at the dead end of Pembroke Blvd. across the street from the neighborhood park. Applications for membership in the Recreation Center is open to all persons from any neighborhood without restrictions. You do not need to live in Pembroke Meadows or be a member of the Civic League to be eligible for membership.

The Recreation Center operates as a non-profit organization and is totally dependent on its membership for income. Income is derived primarily from the collection of fees, including an annual membership fee, and by monies collected during various fund raising activities. Members are highly encouraged to maintain an active role in the operation of the Center and to volunteer their services in support of many of the Center’s activities. Without this volunteer support, continued operation of the Center would not be possible. 

The Recreation Center is the home of the award winning Pembroke Meadows Marlins swim team. The Marlins compete each summer in the 24-team Virginia Beach Swim League. All swimmers under 19 years of age (as of June 15th) are eligible to participate. Membership to the swim team is separate and apart from membership to the Recreation Center.

Being a resident of  Pembroke Meadows for 18 years, I was quite surprised when my wife decided ( without my input ) to join the Pembroke Meadows Rec. Center this past summer. Of course, the main reason for her joining was for our children who at age nine and six are at the perfect age to learn to be more comfortable around water.  I had known about the pool’s existence but never really investigated it.  As I often do, I put my bias aside and did what my wife thought was best and after numerous trips to the pool I started to realize what a great relaxing place it is to spend quality time with my family and make new friends. Though we have traveled to Busch Gardens and Water Country multiple times for years, I have found that the local pool to be a lot of fun and more relaxing than traveling and being in the masses.  I particularly like the benefit of my children being in a safe and friendly environment where they can see their friends.  I also realized how convenient the pool is for us, as it is right down the street and can be used whenever the weather is right and we need something fun to do. I hope that other families will give the pool a chance to be apart of their family’s summer as it is really a great value.

The pool, like many of us, is showing its age and I’m sure that many who look at the pool from a distance are turned off by its outward appearance, but the foundation is strong and with a little bit of care the pool can again be new again. For this reason the Pool Board, with a lot of help from community members, will start a major transformation endeavor this coming spring. What is needed most in this endeavor is just a little bit of volunteer time from our neighbors. We are seeking people who would like to offer a few hours here and there in the demolition, construction and general cleaning of the building and property. If you like to get your hands a little dirty and make a huge difference, then this project is for you. We are also seeking masters of the construction trades who can give direction and expertise in following areas: carpentry, plumbing, roofing, electrical, architectural, tiling, masonry and landscaping. With the volunteer assistance and capital improvement monies raised we hope to make the Pembroke Meadows Recreation Center a place that everyone wants to join, thereby preserving a unique attribute of our neighborhood that few other neighborhoods in the area have. Please call Jeanne Blair at 497-8844 to have your name added to the volunteer list.

For the added benefits of those members who would like to join the pool and recreation center but find it hard to come up with the membership fee all at one time, the PMRC has started a new program for 2006 whereby members can make monthly or bi-monthly payment towards the membership fee of their choosing. The terms of the program are very straight forward and fair. All you have to do is fill out the membership application, choose the membership category that you would like to join under, check the “payment plan” box and make an initial down payment of $50. Then you will have between that date and the opening day to make the remaining of the payments, you choose the amount and the time schedule. Best of all, the Early Bird discount will apply to your membership (if offered) and the initiation fee for new members has been waived for 2006 memberships. Surprise someone with a membership this year, makes a great family gift!

While most people put their boats and fishing equipment up after Labor Day, those in the know understand that fall brings the best fishing in the Lynnhaven River.

Spot move into the Lynnhaven to feed up before their migration.  Many years, large citation size spot are caught in good numbers inside the river.  You can tell where the best action is as boatloads of "paper chasers" (anglers trying to win a citation plaque) are bunched up wherever the hot bite is.  Nice size spot can also be taken this time of year from local docks by fishing with bloodworms.  Remember that no matter how good the fishing is, it is still against the law to block traffic in marked channels.

Speckled trout action also peaks in the river in September and October.  Mirror lures or plastic grub tails fished on light line are good producers but this action is hard to find out about, because speckled trout fisherman are so secretive.  Good eyes are the best way to find out what is happening when and where.

Flounder action has already been unusually good inside the river this year.  As the water cools in early fall, there should be a flurry of flounder action as they too feed up for the migration.  Best action should be near the mouth of the river on live baby menhaden or fresh cut strips of bluefish.

Striped bass season opens on October 4.  Most years, you can catch larger stripers inside the Lynnhaven than you catch at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel for the first month of the season.  Structures like docks with lights on them produce extremely well several hours after the sun goes down.  Any small lure will do.  Leave your dock lights on and go out to make several casts to the edge of the shadow line before you go to bed.  Hang On!  You just might be rewarded with a 30-inch rockfish for the next night's dinner.

Nice days, cool nights, hungry fish, Fall really is the best time to fish the Lynnhaven.

To sign up for median strip duty, call Jim Price at 499-5115 or e-mail at jdprice@Cox.net. Thanks for your support!