Thursday, December 7, 2017

December Newsletter


Friends of Indian River
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It is that time of the year again!   The nights are downright cold.  Christmas decorations are popping up around the neighborhood.   And our big Annual Holiday Party is on Thursday, December 21st.   We very cordially invite all our members, volunteers, and their guests to come join us for our year end celebration.   We'll recognize our wonderful volunteers and all their great accomplishments, share holiday treats and appetizers, socialize ... and do some shopping!   The party features our big silent auction, always brimming with some quality items donated by our members.  Even if you have not been to a meeting in a while or if this would be your very first meeting, we encourage you to come out and partake in the merriment.   The party is from 7 pm to 9 pm at the Oaklette United Methodist Church.    Please bring a desert to share and join the festivities.   Also, the Oaklette United Methodist Church food pantry will be collecting donations of non-perishable food items.

Sincerely,
Rogard Ross
Volunteer & Outreach Coordinator
Adopt-A-Park Volunteer Work Day
Date: Saturday, December 16th, 9:30 am to Noon
Location: Plymouth Community Park at 701 Pond Lane (two blocks north of Border Rd)

Plymouth Community Park is a small waterside park along the Indian River that is in need of some love.   

 The city will provide garbage bags. Please wear closed-toe shoes, a hat and bring work gloves. There may be some pruning work, if you can bring some pruners.  We will have water and lots of snacks. (We also always encourage folks to bring their own water in reusable bottles to minimize use of plastic bottles). Participants under 18 years of age must have adult supervision.
Annual Holiday Party
Date: Thursday, December 21st, 7 pm
Location: Oaklette United Methodist Church, 520 Oaklette Dr.

This will be our end of year celebration to recognize our many accomplishments, recognize our volunteers, and socialize. Please bring a desert or appetizer to share and join the festivities. We'll have a silent auction, so you can finish some Christmas shopping too.   And if you have some nice items to donate to the auction, those are greatly appreciated.  Please also consider bringing a donation of non-perishable food items for the Oaklette United Methodist Church food pantry to the meeting this evening. 

First Day Hike

Date: Monday, January 1st, 1:00 pm to 2:30 pm
Starting Location: Indian River Park, 2001 Rokeby Ave.


Start the New Year out right and join us for a hike along the nature trail and through the park.  Learn about the history of the park, the native trees and plants in this century old forest on the Indian River flood plain, and its value to maintaining the health of local butterfly, bird, and wildlife populations.  Note: trail has uneven surfaces. 
Other News

Striving to improve the quality of life for all the residents of the Indian River neighborhoods of Chesapeake, Virginia, by promoting and preserving a healthy and clean river, shorelines, parks, and green spaces connected to the surrounding community.

Website: http://friendsofindianriver.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FriendsofIndianRiver
Twitter: https://twitter.com/indianriverpage

If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, please reply back to info@friendsofindianriver.org with Unsubscribe in the subject line.
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Wednesday, November 1, 2017

November Newsletter

Fall is in the air and the nights are getting downright chilly.  November is when we invite a member of the City Council to be the guest speaker at our monthly meeting.  So Council Member Roland Davis will be at our meeting on the 16th and we'll be discussing Aqua Virginia, the planned canoe/kayak launch, and other local issues.  Also this month's volunteer need will be to support a cleanup along Indian River Road on the 18th.

And mark your calendars .... Thursday, December 21st is our big Annual Holiday Party. This is our end of year celebration to recognize volunteers and accomplishments, and socialize. Please bring a desert to share and join the festivities. We'll have a silent auction, so you can finish some Christmas shopping too.

Sincerely,
Rogard Ross
Volunteer and Outreach Coordinator


Election Day

Date: Tuesday, November 7, 6:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. 

Time to go vote for Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, State Delegate, City Clerk of the Court, and other local officers. For more information on the election and who is on the ballot, visit https://www.elections.virginia.gov/voter-outreach/upcoming-elections.html
Monthly Meeting - Guest City Council Member Roland Davis

Date: Thursday, November 16th, 7 pm
Location: Oaklette United Methodist Church, 520 Oaklette Dr.

Our guest this evening will be City Council Member Roland Davis.   This meeting with City Council Members is a great way to learn about how our city functions and ask questions about items of concern.

Please also consider bringing a donation of non-perishable food items for the Oaklette United Methodist Church food pantry to the meeting this evening.

There will be light refreshments and door prizes after the meeting.

Adopt-A-Road Cleanup along Indian River Road /Community Cleanup

Date: Saturday, November 18th, 9:30 am to 11:30 am
Starting Location: Irwin's, 4300 Indian River Road

We need your help for our quarterly cleanup.   Join us for a few hours to clean up the mile of Indian River Road from the city limits at Wingfield Avenue all the way to MacDonald Road. We are also asking all business owners along Indian River Road - and everywhere really - to make sure they sweep up in front of their storefronts as part of the effort.   And if you can't make it out for our organized cleanup please take 15 minutes and cleanup the street and ditches in front of your home; pass the word to your neighbors!

For our main cleanup on Indian River Road, the city will provide garbage bags and orange safety vests. We'll have water and snacks available. Please wear closed-toe shoes, a hat and bring work gloves and other items that may be useful. Participants under 18 years of age must have adult supervision.

Catch the King Tide

Date: Sunday, November 5th
Starting Location: Indian River Park, 2001 Rokeby Ave.

The King Tide is one of the highest astronomical tides (not counting weather affects) of the year and folks will be out to map the high tide mark on that day and collect data related to flooding events using a downloaded phone app.  The main registration for helping with the King Tide has past, but if you want more information or still want to help out, respond back to this e-mail.  

Other News
  • Our Adopt-A-Park work day brought out 13 energetic volunteers 13 volunteers to prune, weed, and mulch the entrance area and native plant garden at Indian River Park.  There efforts are greatly appreciated and the entrance area is looking great.  Stop by and visit the garden and the park; the trailhead is at 2001 Rokeby Avenue. 
  • From the Norfolk Highlands Civic League, the latest news was that Aqua Virginia was reviewing the city's proposed service contract. This would enable a connection between the City and Aqua for the City to provide water for emergencies and for flushing of the Aqua water pipes. The City would also be able to provide water to the Indian River Shopping Center for fire suppression which would enable redevelopment at the site. Aqua would install fire hydrants across the western side of their service area and then upgrade the piping in the eastern side over the next several years.   
  • Clean Water Alert: Scoop That Dog Poop!  Even in your backyard.  We had a status meeting on the Eastern Branch Restoration efforts and the Indian River is still getting a failing grade on its water quality due to excessive nitrogen and phosphorous (from fertilizer) and high bacteria levels. The Elizabeth River Project and Hampton Roads Sanitation District (HRSD) have been doing studies to identify the sources of the bacteria and 85% to 90% of the samples indicate they are from dogs.  Dog owners, if you want Clean Water, we need you to do your part. Take the Scoop the Poop Pledge: http://askhrgreen.org/scoop-the-poop-pledge/
  • You can now also become a member of the Friends of Indian River, renew your membership, or make a donation online at http://www.friendsofindianriver.org/p/membership.html

Striving to improve the quality of life for all the residents of the Indian River neighborhoods of Chesapeake, Virginia, by promoting and preserving a healthy and clean river, shorelines, parks, and green spaces connected to the surrounding community.

Website: http://friendsofindianriver.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FriendsofIndianRiver
Twitter: https://twitter.com/indianriverpage

If you wish to unsubscribe from this mailing list, please reply back to info@friendsofindianriver.org with Unsubscribe in the subject line.
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Sunday, October 8, 2017

October Newsletter

Lots of news this month, including an update on the Aqua Virginia negotiations that affect the Indian River Shopping Center.  We've had many meetings with our partner organizations and the City and the Friends sent a letter to the City Council outlining our long term planning priorities.   At the lasted implementation meeting for the Eastern Branch Restoration Plan, we got new evidence that dog poop is one of our major water pollutants.   See Other News below for more details on these and other items.

Turning to the weather, sometimes it seems like we haven't seen a low tide in weeks.   Which brings us to a timely discussion with Wetlands Watch about sea level rise and persistent flooding in our community.  Join the discussion  at our monthly meeting on October 19th and learn how you can participate in an effort to map the flooding.    

We'll also be doing a volunteer event to spruce up the entrance area to Indian River Park on Saturday, the 21st.  And on the following Saturday, the 28th, we'll have a guided hike of the park.  This is a great opportunity to learn about the history of this century old park and its importance as critical wildlife habitat.  Join our events and learn more about your community.

Sincerely,
Rogard Ross
Volunteer and Outreach Coordinator

Monthly Meeting - Wetlands Watch

Date: Thursday, October 19th, 7 pm
Location: Oaklette United Methodist Church, 520 Oaklette Dr.

Skip Stiles will talk with us about Wetlands Watch's work to help communities plan for and adapt to sea level rise and persistent flooding events. We'll also learn more about the King Tide monitoring effort in November and get all the latest community news. 

There will be light refreshments and door prizes after the meeting.

Adopt-A-Park Volunteer Work Day

Date: Saturday, October 21st, 9:30 am to Noon
Starting Location: Indian River Park, 2001 Rokeby Ave.

We'll be doing work around the park entrance, trailhead, and along the trails including some trail work, pruning, weeding, and cleanup.

Please wear closed-toe shoes, a hat and bring work gloves. If you can, bring shovels, rakes, pruners, saws and other gardening tools. We will have water and lots of snacks. (We also always encourage folks to bring their own water in reusable bottles to minimize use of plastic bottles).   Participants under 18 years of age must have adult supervision.

Indian River Park Nature Trail guided walk

Date: Saturday, October 28th, 8:30 am to 10:30 am
Starting Location: Indian River Park, 2001 Rokeby Ave.

Join us for a hike along the nature trail and through the park.  Learn about the history of the park, the native trees and plants in this century old forest on the Indian River flood plain, and its value to maintaining the health of local butterfly, bird, and wildlife populations.    
Catch the King Tide

Date: Sunday, November 5th
Starting Location: Indian River Park, 2001 Rokeby Ave.

We are forming a local team to "Catch the King Tide". The King Tide is one of the highest astronomical tides (not counting weather affects) of the year and folks will be out to map the high tide mark on that day and collect data related to flooding events using a downloaded phone app.  If you are on the river, you can do this right in your backyard.  Respond back to this e-mail if you are interested in participating!  Learn more at https://pilotonline.com/catch-the-king-flier/pdf_9ec7479f-f2f1-5aa0-a35a-40f66f714f57.html 
Other News
  • Last month, the City Council held a strategic planning retreat and the Friends of Indian sent them a letter with our input on long term planning.  We urged the council to find a better balance between new development and revitalization efforts in our existing neighborhoods. Key topics addressed in our letter included the need to:
  1. Budget to Support Incremental/Infill Development
  2. Create Safe and Welcoming Streets
  3. Address the Infrastructure Maintenance Backlog
  4. Develop a plan to respond to a changing retail landscape
  5. Establish a new balance between Revitalization vs. New Development
  6. Re-focus on our Sustainability Plan
            • See our full letter to the City Council at
              http://www.friendsofindianriver.org/2017/09/input-on-long-term-planning-for-city-of.html
            • Aqua Virginia negotiations with the City are progressing.  Aqua has been presented with a City-approved service contract that would enable enable a connection between the City and Aqua for the City to provide water for emergencies and for flushing of the Aqua water pipes.   The City would also be able to provide water to the Indian River Shopping Center for fire suppression which would enable redevelopment at the site.  Aqua is now reviewing the contract.  We hope to have updates in time for our October meeting.
            • Voter Registration Deadline is almost here.  Register by Monday, October 16th to vote in November's Election for our Governor and State Legislature.  https://www.elections.virginia.gov/citizen-portal/index.html
            • Clean Water Alert: Scoop That Dog Poop!  Even in your backyard.  We had a status meeting on the Eastern Branch Restoration efforts and the Indian River is still getting a failing grade on its water quality due to excessive nitrogen and phosphorous (from fertilizer) and high bacteria levels. The Elizabeth River Project and HRSD have been doing studies to identify the sources of the bacteria and 85% to 90% of the samples indicate they are from dogs.  Dog owners, if you want Clean Water, we need you to do your part. Take the Scoop the Poop Pledge: http://askhrgreen.org/scoop-the-poop-pledge/
            • Thank you to the seven volunteers who came out for our Adopt-A-Road Cleanup on Saturday! There diligence helped us remove 10 bags worth of trash from along our "Main Street" and ultimately keep that trash out of our waterways too.
            • You can now also become a member of the Friends of Indian River, renew your membership, or make a donation online at http://www.friendsofindianriver.org/p/membership.html
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