Gang Awareness & Prevention (GAP)

NEWS RELEASE
Virginia Beach Police Department
Municipal Center
Virginia Beach, VA 23456
Gang Awareness & Prevention (GAP)
Community Forum on Gangs and Gang Activity
Slated for March 7

Recent analysis of current criminal trends show an increase in crime related to gang activity. We, as a community, must take a proactive stance on this issue. In light of this, the City of Virginia Beach and the Virginia Beach City Public Schools are inviting citizens to attend the first of several free public forums on gangs and gang activity on Wednesday, March 7, from 7 to 9 p.m., at the Virginia Beach Convention Center located at 1000 19th Street.

For further information on this meeting please call (757) 385-3111 or logon to vbgov.com and look under “Hot Topics.”

Update to Questions Posed at February 13th Meeting

Hello Catherine!

Thank you for coming out our members had great interest in your presentation. Here are a few questions that came in from the league we are hoping you can answer.
Thanks!
Cherese Jenks
Chairperson CAF Civic League

Cherese,
You are very welcome. I enjoyed meeting you and your neighbors. If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact me.

Sincerely,

Catherine E. LaBranche, P.E.
Public Utilities Engineering
Municipal Center
Virginia Beach, VA 23456
757-385-8477
clabranc@vbgov.com

Q1: What is recommended for homes who do not have shut off valves? Can we use the cities shut off at the street? A1 - For homeowners who do not have a shut-off valve, they will need to contact 385-1400/1403 at our Public Utilities Operations and Maintenance office to have a crew come out and close the valve at the property line.


Q2: Does the city inform homeowners what the cause of overflow is? I have had to call about sewer overflow on 2 occasions, but was never provided feedback. A2 - The Department of Public Utilities does not typically provide feedback to a customer who has called in for a sewer stoppage and/or sewer overflow unless the customer has specifically requested that information. If your neighbor(s) who posed this question would like this information, please have them contact me and I will follow -up.


Additional questions that were posed to the League:

Q3: Would like code information on junk cars, trash in the yards and cars parked on the grass. A3- This question will be answered at our next meeting on March 13th during the question and answer period following the presentation on Code Violations, Enforcement and Reporting being offered by the Housing Authority. We've had a lot of interest on Code Enforcement it's a HOT topic for the league that we are addressing. I will post the answer following next months meeting.

Q4: What can be done about speeding on Susquehanna Dr., Cheyenne Rd., Parliament, S. Newtown, Capot, Challedon, Sir Barton Dr. and Coventry. Several of these roads are being used as a cut through to avoid traffic on Princess Anne. A4- This is another HOT topic! We are in the process of Traffic Calming on these Streets. The first stage in this process is to secure Speed Indicating Signs to alert drivers they are exceeding the speed limit. You may have seen the first sign on Sir Barton Dr. just after the New Year. If the first stage is not effective we will request participation in a new program which will place an unmarked vehicle in the area to issue tickets. Tickets under this Traffic Calming process hold a minimum fine of $200. The best way to improve this problem is to police ourselves and offer reminders to our friends and neighbors to respect the speed limit in our neighborhoods. Our number one priority will focus on Susquehanna followed by S. Newtown, Capot, Coventry and Challedon. We have contacted Point of View and discussed the issue of buses speeding on their way in and out of the school. The Vice Principal thanked our League and assured us there will be measures taken to stop this issue. Please keep in mind this will be an ongoing process because we can only address one street at a time therefore, your patience is greatly appreciated!

CAST YOUR VOTE TODAY!!!!!

Hello Members!

We need your help to determine a few things about our Egg Hunt this Spring. Our initial thought was to call the event an Easter Eggstravaganza. There has since been some discussion that we should call the event a Spring Eggstravaganza. We thought we would bring it to the membership and allow the majority vote to decide. We need your help to determine if we should call the event a Spring event or an Easter event. If you have an opinion either way now is the time to voice it. Make sure you vote and let your voice be heard. If you choose not to vote you choose not to have an opinion. Carrow Baptist Church has extended an invitation for our league to participate in a joint venture. We need your feedback on this opportunity. Please use the CAST YOUR VOTE icon to the right under EGG HUNT POLL to give us your opinion and provide us with valuable information for this event. We know no matter what name or location you vote on all members will want to join in and make this the best event possible for our littlest members of the community. I am sure the kids will enjoy fun, eggs and surprises no matter what we call it and from their happiness we will all in return receive a bit of joy!
Happy Voting!
Cherese Jenks
Chairperson

Carolanne Farm Civic League Meeting Tuesday, February 13, 2007

The meeting was called to order at 7pm by Cherese J.

Troop 499 Boy Scouts, under leader Dave A, presented the Colors followed by the Pledge of Allegience.

Attendence was approximately 55.

TOPIC: Proper Fats and Oil Disposal

Discussion: Catherine LaB from the Public Utilities Department of Virginia Beach explained how improper disposal of FOG (fats, oil, and grease) in our home sewer lines causes very serious backups and sanitary sewer overflows. The Kempsville area alone had six such major overflows last year. Ways to prevent such grease from our drains follow.

• Simply do not put grease down your drain. Use cans or fat trappers to store the grease instead.
• Scrape your dishes carefully and wipe with a paper towel.
• Avoid using garbage disposal for any greasy items.
• Use strainers in your sinks and empty into garbage cans.

A question and answer session followed.

TOPIC: Treasurer and Membership Report

Discussion: Wayne T reported the current treasury balance is $22581.63 with 34 current voting members as of January 31, 2007.

TOPIC: Spring Egg Hunt Plans

Brenda B, reporting for Brenda A, announced plans to host an egg hunt and other contests for children and grandchildren of the neighborhood either at Carrow Baptist Church or at Turtle Lake Park (special permit required) on March 31st, a Saturday. More information is currently posted on this blog. Members are being asked to contribute candy, plastic eggs, or helium balloons to defray costs. The contact person is Brenda A.

TOPIC: Chairs Approved

Debbie B was approved by a members' show of hands to chair the Development and Restoration Committee. Also, Jason Haywood was approved as co-chair of the Safety and Security Committee.

TOPIC: Crime Stats and Neighborhood Watch

Ginny P related that the new format of crime stats no longer includes streets, just the crime, date, and the neighborhood. Our area of Kempsville had 59 total reports. This was the most of any Virginia Beach neighborhood areas. This makes the idea of Neighborhood Watch Committees even more pertinent. There are block captains in place for our civic league area. All citizens have to agree to do is to be the eyes and ears that report suspicious people, behavior, etc. to either their captain or the police. To get a metal Neighborhood Watch sign, a captain must secure 80% of the signatures in his/her section. A question and answer session followed.

TOPIC: History Report

John S, Sr. reported for his son, who had a prior committment, that they are continuing to gather information, pictures, and tidbits about the Carolanne Farms area regarding its early history. The civic league hopes to participate in the history festival on the Virginia Beach boardwalk in late April. If you have any artifacts, pictures, or stories, please contact John S through the civic league.

TOPIC: Meet and Greet a New Neighbor

This is a brief refreshment break that also allows members to meet their neighbors and make new acquaintances.

TOPIC: Approving Proposed Bylaws for 2007

The league Bylaws were presented, along with any proposed changes, by Cherese J and Brenda A. Members used red-and-green sided membership cards to vote on these changes. The Bylaws were approved with limited changes. Most of these merely offered clarity to sentences. The Bylaws are viewable on this blog.

The meeting was adjourned at 9:00pm. The next meeting will by Tuesday, March 13th. The topic to be covered will be code enforcement.

Respectfully submitted: Carole B, Secretary

Soccer Fans Help House A Virginia Beach Submariner!

Dear Carolanne Farm Civic League Members and Friends,

As some of you may know, I am heavily involved in the Virginia Beach Mariners organization. What you may not know, is that there is another team within our organization, the Virginia Beach Submariners. The Submariners, although a bit more complex in design, are the Under 23 version of the Mariners. The Submariners team is predominantly made up of collegiate players. Like the Mariners, they will play their home games at the Virginia Beach Sportsplex (close to the Virginia Beach Amphitheater) and last year traveled as far away as such places as Atlanta , Nashville and Albany , NY . Unlike the Mariners, the players on the Submariners are unpaid so as to maintain their collegiate (NCAA) eligibility. The reason for my correspondence is that we will have a few players coming into the Tidewater area solely to play soccer for the Submariners. Some of these players are moving here from out of state colleges and know little or nothing about the area. We need help in housing some of these players and finding them temporary employment through the summer.
In short, these players are here from mid May until the end of July. They practice, play games and will work anywhere and everywhere seeking money to counter the cost of college. We cannot by NCAA rules pay them any money for playing. Last year, some players worked at hotels, worked youth soccer camps, even "nannied" for families. Some players may be international, everything from English to Ugandan to New Zealanders. We desperately need good places for them to stay.
Should you have a space in your homes, a spare room over the garage, or have need of some college kids to work for you over the summer, or know someone that does, I would appreciate you contacting me at jhall@marinerssoccer.com so that we can discuss the possibilities. These players are due to start arriving in early May and your help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance,
Jon Hall
Beach FC U14 Red Head Coach
Virginia Beach Submariners Head Coach