Thanks to Bob for photos.
Pilotonline.com coverage.
WAVY.com coverage.
WAVY.com photo gallery.
WVEC.com coverage.
WTKR.com coverage.
2 confirmed dead.
Shore Drive closed at 845a.
Category Archives: News
“VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) – Two people have been killed following a two-alarm fire at the Lynnhaven Beach Condos on Beach Haven Drive early Friday morning.”
Fire crews on scene said the call went out at 5:20 a.m. at 2305 Beach Haven Dr. Firefighters battled the flames for about an hour before it was under control.
85th Annual Easter Sunrise Service to be held on Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story
Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek – Fort Story will host its 85th annual Easter Sunrise Service at 6:30 a.m. on Sunday, April 8 at the historic Cape Henry Memorial Cross on Fort Story.
The guest speaker for this year’s service will be Captain Boyle, who assumed his current position as Commander Navy Region Mid-Atlantic Regional Chaplain in December 2010.
Also participating will be the Joint Base Commander, Capt. Charles L. Stuppard and Mayor William D. Sessoms, Jr., from the City of Virginia Beach.
The service site is historically rich dating back more than four hundred years since the first settlers came ashore on April 26, 1607…
View Official Press Release [1pg PDF]
The Universe Between Our Ears – A Mini-Conference On Mental Health For Teens
Presented by I Need A Lighthouse.
Mission Statement
The mission of I Need A Lighthouse, Inc. is to significantly reduce the loss and suffering from teen and young adult depression, suicide, and suicidal behavior through educational programs and community partnerships.
To Register visit INeedALighthouse.org.
Contact Kathleen Wakefield at KWakefield@INeedALighthouse.org.
Printable Poster [PDF]
28 rehabbed Pelicans to be released Saturday at Shellfish Company
News from an email:
This Saturday 2pm a pelican release is scheduled…this is not a fundraiser. It is an opportunity to see 28 pelicans that were rescued, suffering from frost bite, be released all at one time, back into the wild.
where: Shell Fish Company (next to Bubba’s)
Louie Smith has agreed to entertain us…weather should be beautiful…..Please promote this to friends and neighbors.
Elyse
Wow!
More love for new Shore Drive bike lane from WAVY
The Virginia Bicycling Federation presented Mayor Sessoms a check for $10-thousand to support the safety education and awareness program.
Visit, and join the Virginia Bicycling Federation. They do awesome work for “Advocacy, Safety, & Education” to make cycling safer in the Commonwealth.
You’re already a member of the Tidewater Bicycling Association right?
Pic swiped from Tidewater Bicycle Association Facebook Group
Shore Drive becomes a little bit safer.
Cyclists celebrate new bike lane
Busy stretch of Shore Drive not so perilous a ride after Beach adds some elbow room
Click here to read Pilot reporter Susan Hutchins’ article on the ribbon cutting ceremony.
SDCC General Meeting – Monday March 26th
Click here for a printable version of the agenda – SDCC March 2012 Agenda
Shore Drive Community Coalition (SDCC) General Meeting
Monday 26 March 2011
SDCC General Meeting – Monday, March 26, 7:30 – 9:00 pm
Ocean Park Volunteer Rescue Squad Station (Intersection of Shore Drive and East Stratford Rd.)
Call to order
Discussions: Donation to Ocean Park Volunteer Rescue
City’s Strategic Plan
Invited speaker: TBA
For Important information concerning this city, school budget, dredge spoils project and Long Creek channel maintenance dredging
Officers’ Reports
President’s Report – David Williams
Vice President’s report-Vacant
Secretary’s Report – Todd Solomon – SDCC FEB Minutes
Treasurer’s Report Carol Collins
Update on issues: Upcoming City Issues
Pleasure House Point
Neighborhood Dredging Program
Channel Maintenance Dredging
VMRC Hearing
Old Business
New Business
Adjourn
Next SDCC- Apr 30, 2012 Ocean Park Volunteer Rescue Squad Center
Speaker- To be announced
Wallops Island NASA launch postponed til Monday 19th
Five Rocket ATREX Postponed to March 19
03.17.12 – The ATREX mission has been rescheduled to no earlier than the night of Monday, March 19, due to the high probability of unacceptable weather on March 18. A launch decision will be made Sunday evening.
First Landing looking for a few more volunteers for March 24th
From an email from Kim:
Hello Volunteers!
I’m still looking for volunteers for the Survive First Landing event that will be held on Saturday, March 24th from 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm at the picnic shelter. We need a few more volunteers in order to have a safe and fun event to teach guests about outdoor survival!
We still need a few more survival station volunteers. Survival stations include:
* Spear Making
* Ranger Beads
* Fire Starting
* Rope Making
* Knot tying
* Worst case senario trivia gamePlease let me know if you are interested and your availability. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.
Thank you,
Kim Y. Miller
Volunteer / Events Coordinator
First Landing State Park
Phone: 757-412-2308
Cell: 757-536-0088
Fax: 757-412-2315
City Council approves resolution to purchase Pleasure House Point for Open Space
PLEASURE HOUSE POINT
City Council approves resolution to purchase Pleasure House Point
http://hamptonroads.com/2012/03/virginia-beach-deal-preserves-slice-nature
After 10 years of work, the preservation of the site has now become reality. Without the collaboration of the community, CBF, Lynnhaven River Now, Trust for Public Land, City of Virginia Beach and the City Council, this purchase could have never happened.
Ordinances and Resolution re PLEASURE HOUSE POINT:
a. AUTHORIZE the City Manager to EXECUTE an Agreement of Purchase and Sale with The Trust for Public Land re acquisition
b. ESTABLISH a Capital Improvement Project (CIP) to ACCEPT and APPROPRIATE various grants and TRANSFER funds from “Open Space Site Acquisition – Phase I”
c. Issuance and sale of General Obligation Bonds, not to exceed $6-Million, to the Virginia Water Facilities Revolving Fund
NASA to Launch 5 Rockets from Wallops Island
Wallops Island Rocket Launch
NASA is scheduled to launch five suborbital sounding rockets in just over five minutes March 14 as part of a study of the upper level jet stream. The launch window currently is 11 p.m. to 6:30 EDT, March 14 – April 3. The Anomalous Transport Rocket Experiment (ATREX) will gather information needed to better understand the process responsible for the high-altitude jet stream located 60 to 65 miles above the surface of the Earth. As part the mission, the five rockets will release a chemical tracer that will form milky, white clouds that allow scientists and the public to “see” the winds in space. These clouds may be visible for up to 20 minutes by residents from South Carolina to southern New Hampshire and Vermont. More information on the ATREX mission is available on the Internet at: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/sunearth/missions/atrex.html
Webcast of the mission will begin 2 hours before the opening of the launch window
The New Lesner Bridge. The Official Presentation.
You’ve heard we’re getting a new bridge.
Check out the Official Presentation from the City. [ 24pg PDF]
“He stopped to consider an oyster, one worthy of his soon-to-be trademarked Pleasure House brand.”
You read that right folks, Pleasure House branded oysters!
Read the entire article at Pilotonline.com:
“Can you imagine what’s in there?” he asked.
Ludford doesn’t have to imagine. Like a growing number of commercial oyster farmers in Virginia, he knows exactly what’s inside his brand of bivalve – in Ludford’s case, a plump mouthful of meat that starts with a bracing blast of brine and finishes with a rich oyster flavor and a speckle of sweet.
Yes we can imagine what’s in there Chris!
Imagine how incredible it is that VB Fireman Captain, and waterman from a family who’s done it for generations, has the entrepreneurial spirit to brand and work his lease for Pleasure House oysters right about the time the City of Virginia Beach is poised to protect Pleasure House Point forever.
Photo Credit: Tim Solanic
Way to go Wally! Life Saving Award winner!
Read entire article in Pilotonline.com:
He climbed into the vehicle through a passenger window, told the women to remain calm and kicked out the windshield to help them out of the vehicle.
Wally lives in Chicks Beach & does a bunch of great volunteer work.
You might have walked on some of his relentless hard work. The sidewalk on Greenwell Rd.
Way to go Wally!
VMRC Joint Permit Application for Long Creek Dredging
On 30 January, the VMRC sent a letter to notify the residents along Long Creek of a Joint Permit Application #11-1830 concerning maintenance dredging. The commission requests protests to their application to be submitted within 15 days of the date of the memorandum (done by 14 February) if you wish to express your concerns with this project. The Permit letter and project drawings should be available on the VMRC website (www.mrc.virginia.gov) and will soon be made available on the http://www.SDCC.info site. I have attached my reply to this posting.
February 2, 2012
Mr. Justin D. Worrell, Environmental Engineer
Virginia Marine Resource Commission
2600 Washington Avenue
Newport News, VA 23607Re: Joint Permit Application #11-1830, Long Creek Maintenance Dredging
Dear Mr. Worrell:
I thank you for giving our residents the opportunity to comment on the proposed maintenance dredging permit for Long Creek. One of our residents asked me the purpose of this notification as she has never received one before in the 37 years of living here. As she was not able to decipher the attached drawings, she asked how she could make an informed decision on this permit without sufficient information. I acknowledged her concerns. Is your letter of 30 January to serve as sufficient information or will public hearings be held?
On my review of the permit, I too have strong concerns. Many of the residents and boaters using Long Creek acknowledge that periodic maintenance dredging is needed every 4-5 years, but we question the scope of this project. As I have attended the majority of the Beaches and Waterways Advisory Committee meeting related to the Neighborhood Dredge (Spoils) Program for the Lynnhaven basin, I am very aware of the strong mistrust that many have of the city’s true motives concerning the proposed dredging of the Lynnhaven Basin, and Long Creek, and in particular, the use of Maple Street and Crab Creek areas as permanent mechanical transfer sites.
Concerning Long Creek and this permit, we are concerned with lack of thoroughness related to the city’s planning, the lack of sufficient studies related to traffic, safety, and the impact on the neighborhoods mainly involved. We have strong concerns about the quality of the dredged material, whether beach grade or unusable spoils, and the stated need for the permit’s mechanical dredging. We vehemently oppose any use of the Maple Street containment area for anything other than hydraulically transferred beach grade sand as non-beach grade sand would have detrimental environmental impact on both the adjacent preservation area and the water quality of Long Creek, one of our prime fishing areas.
We are requesting that the Joint Permit #11-1830 be sent back to the city of Virginia Beach to more adequately address our citizens’ concerns. Until such time as these concerns can be substantially met, we cannot support this permit.Sincerely,
David M. Williams
President, Shore Drive Community Coalition
2104 West Admiral Drive
Virginia Beach, VA 234521(757) 481-1668
Stolen car from Ocean Park recovered. Thief confesses crime.
He was caught in Ocean View:
[T]hey have arrested the guy who stole my car out of the driveway in early January. He has been connected to several thefts, was out of jail on probation, and is currently incarcerated without a chance of bail. He has confessed to the thefts[.]
F. Wayne McLeskey died Friday evening with family members around. He was 88.
Our condolences to his family, friends, and associates.
Pleasure House Point preservation gets another $1.54M grant !
More at SavePHP.org:
$1 million grant will add 82 acres to Virginia Beach’s park and open space system
The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, partnering with the City of Virginia Beach and the Trust for Public Land, will use this grant and non-federal match of $540,000 to acquire and preserve one of Hampton Roads’ largest undeveloped waterfront properties.
“We are pleased to help preserve the largest undeveloped parcel of land on the Lynnhaven River for generations to come,” said Virginia M. Board, president of The Dominion Foundation and managing director of community affairs for Dominion Virginia Power. “Pleasure House Point provides valuable public green space and the opportunity to experience shoreline habitat, wetlands and maritime forest, and it protects the natural habitat of birds and marine life.”
Before Wells Fargo took over ownership of the property last year, developers had planned to build a large waterfront development known as Indigo Dunes. TPL intends to buy the property from Wells Fargo and sell most of the land to the Virginia Beach Parks and Recreation Department for open space preservation and public access to the Lynnhaven River.
“It’s gratifying to see the progress we’ve made toward preserving this unique property,” said Virginia Beach Mayor William D. Sessoms, Jr. “I thank Dominion Virginia Power and the Dominion Foundation for their generosity, and for joining this partnership to save the largest piece of undeveloped waterfront property on the Lynnhaven.”
Pleasure House Point. Critical habitat for wildlife, you & future generations!
Update: In Biz Buzz at Pilotonline.com.
#WeLoveShoreDrive 