THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, October 10, 1996 TAG: 9610080155
SECTION: NORFOLK COMPASS PAGE: 06 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letters
LENGTH: 117 lines
City ignores Willoughby
I own a condo in the Willoughby section of Ocean View. We have lived there for almost 10 years. During this time I have come to realize that Ocean View is the ``red-headed stepchild'' of the city of Norfolk. Waterside has flourished during this time span, as have most of the park areas. Northside Park is a beautiful, family facility. The grass is always cut, trimmed and in immaculate condition.
On the other hand, it appears the city is dragging its political feet in the upgrading of this historic section. We are seeing some long-range plans that may or may not come together in my lifetime (I am already 45 years old).
My complaint is mainly about the beach in Willoughby. Most of the homeowners in this complex have over the years complained to the city manager over and over about the lack of beach maintenance. This property belongs to the city. The city does not clean on a regular basis, (sand machines are down for parts). Northside Park is never overgrown for lawn gear, nor is Waterside. We pick up the trash that others leave, we pick up the dog mess that others leave and we remove the seaweed that washes up weekly.
It is very apparent that the Norfolk police use this beach as a training area to practice riding all-terrain vehicles. These are driven daily on this beach with no safety in mind. These very dangerous vehicles are driven at a high rate of speed, with no helmet, no gloves, leathers, boots or goggles. The only safety items worn by this elite group are short pants, T-shirts, ball caps and a very attractive pair of Ray-Ban's. They are driven over sand dunes, on the sidewalk and in the street when called upon while protecting the good folks of Willoughby. If a proper safety program was implemented for these vehicles, this may not be such a popular job. This is a job that is much needed but with a little more safety in mind.
Jimmy Leonard
West Ocean View Avenue
Bayview voice unheard
One- or two-hundred well-positioned people have, over the past year or two, came to rally around a handful of ring leaders that now (falsely) claim to speak for the entire Bayview Civic League in asking the city planners to promote more commercial development to Bayview Boulevard at Fishermans Road. These proponents appear to fall into three categories.
One group in these proponents may have such misplaced pride as to think that the Bayview community should be a complete commercial entity in and of itself. Perhaps this line of thinking started with the selfish attitude that city employees should not live outside that city; and some people think it wrong to buy gas or shop outside your own city (losing tax revenue). Now could pride or prejudice call for not crossing community lines for a hardware store, doctor's office or drugstore. Perhaps, soon, these ``Bayview leaders'' will want their own Walmart - maybe their own hospital - in this area they want to make into ``Downtown Bayview.''
I draw this characterization because I see no other reason or no good logic to further develop and bring more congestion to this area near the already hazardous curve by ``Little Be-Lo Store.'' It seems that all too often when approaching this curve someone is stopped in the road, cutting in, cutting out or jamming on the brakes for pedestrians running like chickens across the road.
However, there is the second group in the proponents whose logic may be riddled with foolish nostalgia - thinking they can bring back 40 years ago when cozy little community shops still thrived. Get real! The lunch counter at Wards Corner is long gone, and they recently closed the last lunch counter in Suffolk. The 21st century is upon us - it's Super Kmart, mega-malls and fast food chains - and it is slim pickings for the cozy little community store. There are vacancies already to testify to anyone not blinded by nostalgia.
But then there is the third group in these proponents of Bayview Boulevard development. They are either friends of, are sympathetic with, or are themselves positioned in some business way to gain financially if anything at all comes of the commercial promotion (short term, sink or swim) of this section of Bayview Boulevard. Anyway, these special interest proponents seem to have wrangled more influence from the city than the 700-plus signers of a petition against unconsulted action in our community.
The worst part is that this action is being shoved down the throats of the Bayview citizens in the name of the Bayview Civic League. City Council is being told that the Bayview Civic League membership has asked for this action when in fact it was kept to board meetings and other special meetings stacked with proponents of the idea. I have missed very few meetings in the last four years, and it was only slightly alluded to in a general sense to the membership, regarding promotion of commercial areas in Bayview; but nearly no mention and no discussion of such a grand plan of this specific area of Bayview Boulevard.
Then, at the recent civic league meeting, in the face of a ground-swell of controversy, the meeting was divisively stacked with other agenda, leaving very little time for the hot topic of the evening. And to add insult to injury, the president refused to allow a vote by the membership as to a consensus on the issue that they were ram-rodding through.
This is a classic example of why city government should not take too much stock in a handful of people claiming to speak for the community in the name of a ``civic league,'' which by nature is usually run by a small clique who appear to only meet with the membership to get a ``rubber stamp'' (approval) for their own personal agenda.
But at a recent City Council meeting, council members seemed awkward to not side with Councilman Wright, who appears to think like many people in government that the civic league clique is the main authority voice of the community.
The constitution does not require citizens to belong to a civic league to be duly represented in, or respected by a governing body.
George A. Powell
Grove Avenue
Accident victim grateful
On Thursday, Sept. 12, my daughter and I were on Brambleton Avenue en route from CHKD when my vehicle was struck from behind. Following the incident, a couple who were driving past agreed to contact police. Many thanks to them for doing so.
As we waited, a police vehicle arrived on the scene, but the officer responded that he was homicide, not traffic. Instead of leaving us to wait alone, he noticed my distress and offered to remain with us until the traffic unit arrived. It was a great comfort, as the surroundings were unfamiliar and we were traumatized by the accident.
I neglected to get the officer's name, but remembered the number of the city vehicle, 6857. I hope the officer reads this expression of my gratitude for his thoughtfulness. I hope there are lots more out there like him.
Dorothy Pereira
Virginia Beach by CNB