The October 25 Candidates’ Forum, co-sponsored by the Lynnhaven River Now and the Shore Drive Community Coalition, stands in lieu of the regular Shore Drive Community Coalition October meeting, at which the slate of 2011 Officers is normally placed into nomination.  Instead, the slate is presented herewith.

President:  Dave Williams
Vice President: Tom Cantwell
Secretary: Todd Solomon
Treasurer: Carol Collins

The slate will be voted at the regularly scheduled SDCC meeting on Monday, November 29, 2010 at 7:30 p.m. at the Ocean Park Volunteer Rescue Squad station (intersection of Shore Drive and E. Stratford Road.)

From Pilotonline.com:

On Saturday, the Shore Drive Community Coalition will host its Make Your Point fundraiser for the Virginia Beach Parks and Recreation Foundation. It will feature live entertainment, educational exhibits and vendors for merchandise and food.

Visit SavePHP.org to find out who the great musicians are, and more:

Stroll over to Marlin Bay Drive, & bring:

Beach or lawn Chairs.
Coolers with food/non-alcoholic beverages.
Funds to purchase food/drink, donate & to purchase some great music.
[Portion of those proceeds are getting donated.]
Your video and still cameras to capture the day and share it.
Corn Hole boards to set up a tournament.
Every one you know who wants to have a great time & save PHP.

From Pilotonline.com:

Now, the two architects of the change are suggesting it may need to be revised, which could include raising the speed limit back to 45 mph on the west side of Lesner Bridge.

An Op-Ed from Grace appears in the Pilot:

Why bother with one 5- to 10-acre parcel? This particular section of the tract is home to the most heavily wooded portion of the whole.

The remainder is sparsely treed in comparison. This forested refuge provides a habitat unique to the property and supports wildlife species that may be lost if compromised.

This affects more than just the residents along Shore Drive.

From SavePHP.org:

Delegate Stolle and Lynda Frost of TPL are meeting with Secretary of Natural Resources Domenech on October 1 in Richmond. Ms. Rhodes encourages any of you to send comments.

The Honorable Douglas W. Domenech
Secretary of Natural Resources
PO Box 1475
Richmond, VA 23218
Contact Info including Email.

+ + +

Mr. David A. Johnson
Director
Department of Conservation and Recreation
203 Governor Street, Suite 302
Richmond, VA 23219
Email Mr. David A. Johnson.
Mr. Johnson’s Bio.

Cindy, an aide to Delegate Stolle says that Mr. Johnson has been very, very helpful.

SDCC General Meeting – Monday, September 27, 7:30pm to 9:00pm
Ocean Park Volunteer Rescue Squad Station (Intersection of Shore Drive and E. Stratford Rd.)

Call to Order

Present and adopt agenda

Presentation:  US Coast Guard :  MSTC JoAnne Allard & MSTC Angela Vallier
Monitoring and enforcing regulations governing the transit and anchorage of the
big ships we see rounding Cape Henry and headed for Baltimore or Hampton
Roads ports.  Focus on pollution issues.

          Questions and Answers

Officers’ Reports
President’s Report:  Grace Moran
Vice President’s Report:  Dave Williams
Secretary’s Report:  Todd Solomon
Treasurer’s Report:  Steve Kohler

Update on issues:  Pleasure House Point

Old Business

New Business

Dates to remember:
    Thursday, October 7:  PHP Benefit at Dockside, 6 – 9 p.m.  3311 Shore Drive.
10% of the net during that time donated to Save Pleasure House Point.

Saturday, October 9:  Save Pleasure House Point Street Party,  1 – 5 p.m.
Foot of Marlin Bay Drive.  Live entertainment, merchandise, exhibits and more. 
Event to promote awareness of Pleasure House Point.

    Tuesday, October 19:  Bayfront Advisory Subcommittee  3 p.m. at First Landing
State Park (Bayside)  Public Safety, Transit, Parking and Public Access.

    Thursday, October 21:  Bayfront Advisory Committee 3:30 p.m.  Location TBA.

Next Meeting:  7 p.m. Monday, October 25, 2010.
City Council Candidate Forum
Co-Sponsored with Lynnhaven River Now
Cape Henry Collegiate
1320 Mill Dam Road

Read the entire Editorial in the Pilot:

Two recently reported stumbling blocks in the extraordinary plan to preserve the largest piece of undeveloped waterfront property on the Lynnhaven River shouldn’t be cause for support to waver.

This is a chance to preserve a chunk of waterfront for our children, for fishermen, for nature lovers.

PleasureHousePoint.org is live.

Help us save 122 acres. Spread the word about Pleasure House Point.

Donate your Funds, Time, Art at:

WheresMyPoint.com
WhatsMyPoint.com

BAYFRONT_ADVISORY_COMMITTEE_CC_2_Report [5 pg PDF]

Environmental Assembly

Sept. 17-18

VB Convention Center

Clean Energy – Healthy Waters – Green Cities

Pre registration $30 (ends the 15th)

The event starts Friday evening with a tour of the LEED Gold certified convention center and reception.  On Saturday, Mayor Sessoms will speak and 4 lectures are scheduled:

10:00 a.m. Rising Seas: Myth or Menace – Skip Stiles, Wetlands Watch

10:00 a.m. City of Virginia Beach Uranium Mining Study and the Drinking Water Supply – Thomas Leahy, Director of Public Utilities

11:00 a.m. A New Era for Chesapeake Bay- Anthony Moore, Va. Assistant Sec. for Chesapeake Bay Restoration- Ann Jennings, Chesapeake Bay Foundation- Jeff Corbin, Environmental Protection Agency

1:00 p.m. Winds of Change: Coastal Energy in Virginia (Off Shore Wind Development) Al Pless, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement – George Hagerman, Va. Coastal Energy Consortium

In addition, many local conservation groups will be exhibitors at the event.  Breakfast and Lunch included in registration.

For more information or to register for the event, to to

http://vcn.citizen-networks.org/site/Calendar?id=100442&view=Detail

From Pilotonline.com:

“We’re going to design a character of road that you’re not going to want to go over 35 mph,” Hansen said.

The city also lowered the speed limit to 35 mph west of the Lesner Bridge after the recent pedestrian death. Beach leaders plan to evaluate the effectiveness of that change at the end of the year to determine whether it, too, will be a permanent fix, Hansen said.

From SavePHP.org:

Call Senators Warner and Webb, and Congressman Nye and thank them for their continued leadership on conservation funding for Virginia and express your hope…

For Immediate Release:                    Media Contacts:

September 10, 2010                   Helen W. Kuhns, Lynnhaven River NOW
                                      757-962-5398
                                     

Virginia Beach, VA

Lynnhaven River NOW is proud to announce it’s first Citizen Wetland Workshop, to be held Saturday, September 25, 2010, from 9 am – 3 pm at the Ocean Park Volunteer Rescue Squad Building, 3769 Shore Drive, Virginia Beach, VA 23455.  This workshop is for people living or working throughout the Lynnhaven watershed who wish to know more about the wetlands of the Lynnhaven River, or anyone that is interested in understanding more about the complex system of wetlands throughout the Tidewater area.  Participants will explore the function and value of wetlands as well as the regulations and controls that are in place to protect these natural areas.  Instruction will include a classroom portion and an exploration of a nearby wetland area.  Whether a waterfront property owner or simply a curious Virginia Beach resident, this class will help you to understand more about these valuable but misunderstood areas.

Registration is required for the workshop.  To register, contact Lynnhaven River NOW at office@lynnhaven2007.com or call 757-962-5398.  There is no charge for the workshop and lunch will be provided.  Space is limited!

Lynnhaven River NOW is a small grassroots environmental organization dedicated to improving water quality in the Lynnhaven River.  Through community partnerships and education, Lynnhaven River Now works to reduce pollutants in the legendary Lynnhaven River and restore critical habitat including oyster reefs and salt marsh areas.

From Pilotonline.com:

NOAA ranked the project 14th out of 42 applicants for about $25 million in proposed federal funding. Ranking in the top 10 would have significantly increased the city’s chances of getting its $3 million request, said Christy Everett, the local director of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, which has partnered with the city to conserve the land….

The sale to the trust was supposed to be finalized by the end of this year. Everett said she expects the bank to extend the timeline.

“I don’t think we should give up or can give up,” Everett said.

From SavePHP.org:

Conservation partners are committed to continue to seek additional conservation funding sources to make the Pleasure House Point project a reality.

Croc’s Restaurant will feature Pleasure House Point as the beneficiary of their Green Drinks on September 16 from 6-9pm.  Croc’s is located at 620 19th Street at the Oceanfront.  The third Thursday of every month, people who work in the environmental field meet once a month for a drink at casual, yet informal sessions known as Green Drinks. It’s a lively mixture of people from NGOs, academia, government and business.  Just say, “Are you green?” and you will be introduced to whoever is there. It’s a great way of networking with others who care about the environment.

Free Local Solar & More Home Tour

in association with the American Solar Energy Society’s National Tour

& organized by the Hampton Roads Green Building Council’s Homes Committee

Saturday and Sunday, September 25 &26, 10-4

View Flyer at http://capehenryshores.org/cabsolartourflyer2docx.pdf

or go directly to the tour site for in depth info at http://www.hrsolartour.com

or visit the ASES site at http://www.nationalsolartour.org

Here in the Shore Drive Corridor of Virginia Beach, we live in an area with abundant sunshine and persistent wind.  Like me, maybe you’ve wondered if solar panels or a wind turbine might fatten your wallet or otherwise improve your life and property.  If so, here’s your chance to see solar and other innovative and sustainable technologies up close and personally.  Homeowners and other facilities will open their doors to the public to view and answer questions about the systems they operate.

Over the course of two days, you can venture far and wide within Hampton Roads to visit 22 sites on the tour.  If you want to stay close to home, 3 sites are within easy reach of the Shore Drive Corridor.

1 – The Renaissance Academy near Town Center was designed to a take advantage of passive solar heating/cooling and day lighting.  Among other innovations, it also has a green living roof which reduces runoff.  A catcment system captures and stores the filtered water until it is needed for toilet flushing. 

2 – Just off Shore Drive on Little Creek Road, one residence frequently produces more electricity than it needs and sells the power back to Dominion.  In addition, the sun heats their hot water and they have incorporated rain barrels into their garden to reduce runoff and the need for city water for irrigation.  The attic is also insulated with a bio based blown foam.

3 – Further down Shore Drive on Ocean View Avenue you can see two types of wind turbine in action:  The traditional horizontal axis model and a vertical axis model.  They’ve been up and spinning for the last several months.  Wouldn’t you like to know what kind of energy they’re producing?

Although tours have been annual events all over this country for many years, last year was the first year a local tour has been organized in well over a decade.  If you would like to participate, you need to register for a ticket. For more info or to register and download a brochure with descriptions of and directions to all the sites, go to http://www.hrsolartour.com.  Please note that tour times vary at some locations.

From Pilotonline.com:

The Trust for Public Land, which is leading the partnership in the purchase of the property for conservation, is aware of the lawsuit, said Kent Whitehead, the Chesapeake project director for the organization.

“It may cause a slight delay, but we remain confident that the conservation of this property will eventually come to fruition,” Whitehead said in an e-mail.

From Pilotonline.com:

The exit ramp will end at London Bridge Road, and motorists can turn right toward Oceana Naval Air Station or left to Great Neck Road. The on-ramp takes motorists under the interstate roughly parallel to existing railroad tracks before looping onto I-264.