May–June 2018

Suburban Park—Granby Park—Glen Echo Shores

Upcoming Meetings Mon. May 14 Mon. June 11 Doors open at 6:00pm Meeting start at 6:30pm Feature Speaker

Whose on my Porch I had originally intended to talk about yard sales, home improvements, and real-estate assessments. But because of the recent incidents being reported in the media about the lack of identification of Amazon Flex independent delivery drivers, I decided the neighborhood needs to be better informed of this matter. In the recent past, Amazon used the U.S. Postal Service, United

May Parcel (UPS), and FedEx to deliver their packages. These well-known companies always have drivNorfolk Botanical Gardens ers in uniforms and identification badges. And most of the time, we recognize and know those June drivers because they have delivered to the neighborhood many times before. However, since Am-

City Council Andria McClellan

Suburban Park Elementary School Doors open at 6:00pm

azon started hiring independent drivers there has been almost zero consistency in a dress code, getting the same driver, or identifiable vehicle. There are no markings that I have seen on any of the vehicles that you could see from inside your house informing you it is an Amazon delivery driver. On Thole Street recently, a resident reported seeing a Dodge Ram truck stopped and the

2018 Meeting Dates

driver looking at their house with binoculars. It was posted on Nextdoor.com warning people to be on the lookout. A police report was also taken. The stress and worry it brought to this family

May 14

September 10

June 11

October 8

and neighbors were real. Without questioning the driver we don't know what his intentions were.

July 9

November 12

What I can tell you is that it is not uncommon for delivery drivers to have small binoculars to read

August 13

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house numbers. This is especially the case in neighborhoods like Suburban Acres, where address numbers can be displayed just about anywhere and in any size at the front of the house. Amazon can and should take the lead to help solve this issue if they are going to continue to use independent drivers. Please read the Neighborhood Watch article for further information on this topic. On a different note, now that warm weather is here, I am looking forward to doing some gardening,

May 5th 2018—Weather Permitting Suburban Park Elementary School 9:00AM

peach picking, and enjoying our beaches in Ocean View. And don't forget to come to our monthly meetings – we have some great speakers lined up! Louie Gabriel

Inside this issue: Whose on my Porch

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Happy Birthday Bud Raber, Civic League Looking for Vice President, Scoop the Poop!, & Flora Returns

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 May 3, 17 & 31  June 14 & 28

Neighborhood Watch Report: Porch Pirates & Delivery Woes

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Street Sweeper  First Friday of the month

March Guest Speaker

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Suburban Acres Green: Two Years with a Photovoltaic Solar System

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The Suburban Gardener

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Community Dinner - Greek Orthodox Cathedral |

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May & June Upcoming Events

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Recycle Pick Up

Scan to SACL Blog suburban23505.com

Follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Suburban-AcresCivic-League-194631120551812/

Civic League and Community news For more news and events visit our website at www.suburban23505.com You will currently find meeting minutes for Civic League Meeting, Photos, News, and Updates!

Suburban Acres Civic League 2018— Officers & Board of Directors Suburban Acres Civic League, Inc. 6555 Tidewater Drive, #14 Norfolk, VA 23505 — Contact us at: [email protected]

President Louie Gabriel Home: 757-587-5666 Cell: 757-587-3339 E-Mail: [email protected]

Vice President VACANT Phone: E-mail:

Secretary Peter Beznoska Cell: 914-274-7163 E-Mail: [email protected]

Treasurer JoAnn Powell Home: 757-588-7598 Cell: 757-470-6875 E-mail: [email protected]

Newsletter Communications Alex Gabriel Cell: 757-636-4905 E-mail: [email protected]

Director Pete Bastinelli Home: 757-588-0388 Cell: 757-777-8771 E-mail: [email protected]

Director Richard Drumwright Cell: 757-870-2185 Home: 757-480-2043 E-mail: [email protected]

Director John Mangus Phone: 757-618-0468 E-mail: [email protected]

Director Karen Mayne Home: 757-587-1287 Cell: 757-630-4614 E-mail: [email protected]

Newsletter Advertising Pete Bastinelli Cell: 757-777-8771 E-mail: [email protected]

Military Family Coordinator Susan Thornes Phone: 757-617-1635 E-mail: [email protected]

EARNN Coordinator Pearl Windle Phone: 757-480-2043 E-mail: [email protected]

Happy Birthday Bud Raber! We would like to wish neighbor Bud Raber on Suburban Arch a belated Happy 95th Birthday. Bud was bo rn on March 18, 1923, and was in the first graduating class at Granby High School. Bud is one of the original residents of our neighborhood in the early 1950s and has lots of stories about the founding of Suburban Acres and changes over the decades. If you are lucky, he might even show you the bomb shelter in their back yard.

Civic League Looking for a Vice President The Civic League is looking for a neighbor for the Vice President position. In joining the Executive Board, you will be working with a great group of people and supporting our civic league. If you are interested, contact President Louie Gabriel at 757-587-5666 or [email protected].

Scoop That Poop! Fluffy and Fido want to remind their humans to pick up after them on walks around the neighborhood and in their yard. Unscooped poop gets into the Lafayette River when it rains and is a leading cause of high bacteria levels in the river. Cleaning up after your dog on a walk is the neighborly thing to do so the property owner doesn’t have, and the rest of us, well you know, don’t step in it! At home, please scoop and put pet wastes in plastic bags in your trash. Don’t dump anything into the river or ditches – that’s not legal and contaminates our home river.

Flora Returns Rich and Kathy Hardison of 7039 Kirby Crescent

April

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Neighborhood Watch Report: Porch Pirates and Other Delivery Woes I I recently heard the Norfolk Police use the term porch pirates when referring to those nefarious souls who steal packages from porches and mailboxes. With the huge increase in on-line shopping, there has also been an increase in package thefts. Residences everywhere, including Suburban Acres, have been targets. Here are some things to do to reduce your risks.  Light up your porch at night and install large house numbers so that delivery drivers (and emergency responders) can find your house. Be aware that delivery drivers may use high power flashlights at night or binoculars during the day to find the right house number. 

Get a camera device for your front door that records and/or alerts you if someone is there. In addition to porch pirates, burglars usually ring the doorbell to see if anyone is home. If no one answers, they go around to the back of the house to break in.

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Put bills and other mail containing checks in a Postal Service blue box, not your own mail box.

FedEx, United Parcel Service (UPS), and the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) have security divisions and take significant measures to reduce package theft. These companies allow customers to sign up for text or e-mail alerts of package delivery, specify a delivery location (a neighbor, work, your back porch, or one of their “drop box” locations), or place a hold on a specific delivery if you will not be home. Here are their websites/phone numbers:  UPS: www.ups.com/mychoice/; 1-800-742-5877  FedEx: www.fedex.com, go to FedEx Delivery Manager; 1-800-463-3339  U.S. Postal Service: www.usps.com, go to Track & Manage; 1-800-222-1811 Amazon provides customers with the ability to specify delivery location (like the back door or an Amazon Locker) and to track most packages (perhaps not through third party sellers). The Amazon website doesn’t make this easy to find, but you can learn how to track and sign up for their mobile app at www.amazon.com/help/tracking. Amazon has a new delivery service in our area called Amazon Flex. This delivery service uses independent contractors (i.e. local residents), who are not Amazon employees, must drive their own vehicles, and can wear whatever they want. Amazon conducts background checks and the drivers are trained by on-line training videos. They pick up packages at a local Amazon Flex “station” seven days a week between 6:00 am and 10:00 pm. I read of one delivery that was made at midnight. They take a picture of the package to show it has been delivered. The lack of identification and off-time delivery has become problematic for many customers. I found that most of the Flex drivers do not read the instructions on their phone asking them to deliver to our back porch. If you have concerns about this Flex delivery system, call their Flex service number at 1-877-212-6150. Although that number is meant for Flex drivers to use, I discovered that I could register a complaint that would then be relayed to the local delivery station, which manages the drivers for our area. You can also contact the regular Amazon customer service number at 1-888-280-3321. If enough customers register complaints, maybe the Flex program will improve. Neighborhood Watch issues, questions, or concerns? Neighborhood Watch Coordinator Karen Mayne can be reached at [email protected] or 757-587-1287.

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City of Norfolk Contacts & Community Resources Norfolk Police Department Emergency: 911 Non-Emergency: 441-5610

Tidewater Beekeepers removal: 285-4509

Assoc. swarm

Miss Utility (Call Before You Dig) 1-800-522-7001

Norfolk Animal Care Center: 441-5505

Community Resource Officer William T. Old III 823-4433 Cell:252-202-2262 Injured Wildlife: Virginia Beach SPCA Wildlife Referral Line 263-4762

Norfolk Cares Help Center: Your single point of contact to request a City service (bulk waste pick up), report a concern (potholes, sidewalks, street light outages, code enforcement, etc.), or get information.664-6510 [email protected] Norfolk Department of Utilities: Customer Service: 664-6700 24 Hour Emergency Water Main Breaks & Sewer Leaks 823-1000 Recycling of Electronics and Household Hazardous Waste: City of Norfolk waste management facility 1176 Pineridge Road (in the Norfolk Industrial Park) For a list of recyclables, call 441-1347 or www.norfolk.gov/knb

2018

We need your involvement in the Suburban Acres Civic League. The larger our membership, the louder our voice will be heard. Please join today your family will have fun!

Civic League and Community news

For more news and events visit our website at www.suburban23505.com. You will currently find meeting minutes for Civic League Meeting, Photos, News, and Updates! Meetings—Volunteers Needed for Meeting Refreshments You can help by bringing refreshments to a meeting social hour. A sign-up sheet will be posted at each meeting. Karen Mayne has volunteered to continue to bring the drinks and paper products. Refreshment volunteers just need to bring light snacks, with reimbursement up to $40 from the league. We need some neighbors to step up, or our meetings will become snack-less!

Upcoming Meetings - Suburban Park Elementary School - Doors open at 6:00PM Monday May 12— Norfolk Botanical Gardens

Monday June 11 — City Council Woman Andria McClellan

March 12th Civic League Meeting Guest Speaker The guest speakers at our March 12thy Civic League meeting were all part of a Health Fair. They included Kim Charboneau with Get Healthy ( Fit With Kim ). One Life Fitness represented by Diane Rule. Dr. David Milot with Wards Corner Chiropractic. Bob Batcher with Prime Plus. And the Wellness Center. Tables were set up so they could put out their displays to help better inform the public as to their Profession and Business. Each one introduced themselves and spoke a little about what they were offering, and then i invited everyone to visit each table. Norfolk Fitness & Wellness Center Page 4

S u b u r b a n A c r e s G r e e n : T w o Ye a r s w i t h a P h o t o v o l t a i c S o l a r S y s t e m Neighbors Christina Ohlrogge and Ingo Heidbrink give us a look at how their solar energy system is working. In the fall of 2015, we decided to look into adding a photovoltaic solar system to our house on Glen Echo Drive. The main reason was that family in Germany added solar cells to their house and were happy with their system as it reduced their electricity bills close to zero. With the number of sunshine hours here in southeast Virginia being much larger than in northern Germany, we felt we should give it a try. Of course, before making a substantial investment like a solar system you need to do your research. We’ve learned that the economic framework here in Virginia isn’t overly supportive to going solar compared to other regions of the globe. But a federal tax credit of 30% of the installation cost, combined with a net-metering arrangement provided by Dominion Energy was something we could work with. The first cost estimates were close to the upper edge of our budget, but we learned about a solar-cooperative organized by Solar United Neighbors of Virginia that promised to bring down the costs of the system substantially via group purchase without any further obligations after the actual installation of the system. Together with a local solar installation company, we worked on the system design and decided on a small system with 3.12 kW (peak) capacity as this system should be large enough to cover near 100% of our electricity consumption. With a 20-year old roof, we also decided to re-roof the house prior to the installation of the twelve solar panels. The installation of the panels including the required AC-DC converter was completed in two days, and once Dominion had exchanged the meter for a bidirectional meter the system went live. Two years later we can confirm it was one of the best home improvement investments we made. Our monthly electricity bills show no purchase of electricity from Dominion, only the base fees for being connected to the grid. Have their been any issues with the system? Not so far unless you count a squirrel trying to build a nest under a panel.

Has it worked out in financial terms? Of course the system has not repaid our upfront investment yet. When doing the math, the system is comparable to a savings certificate with about a 1.5% interest rate over a duration of 20 years. The life expectancy of the photovoltaic system is about 25 years. Would we recommend it to other neighbors in Suburban Acres? Definitely, at least if you have a roof that is facing south or southwest without too much shadow on the roof. Is it for everybody? Probably not, as it only makes sense in financial terms if you can finance the system without taking out a loan (at least in our understanding of what makes financial sense). Bringing down the amount of electricity you currently use should be your first step before thinking about going solar. We started thinking about solar with a relatively low annual consumption of about 3,500 kWh, while the average consumption in the US is about 1,000 kWh per month for a family of four. If you want to learn more about the system or how we reduced our electricity consumption before going solar, don’t hesitate to contact us at [email protected] or look at https://www.solarunitedneighbors.org/virginia/.

Recycling Electronic items and Motor Oil Honda of Norfolk will accept electronic items and motor oil. Before you unload your recycles go to the parts department and ask for Dave Hunter to make certain your recycles are acceptable , most are. Good Luck ! Honda of Norfolk- Address: 6955 Tidewater Dr, Norfolk, VA 23509 - Phone: (757) 857-0107 (Accessed Only By Thole Street) Page 5

Planting: You can start six weeks after last frost (late March). They can be planted all at once or staggered every ten days. If you plant Now that summer is approaching, you may be considering growing warm season vegetables such as tomatoes. That’s great but you may all at once for one large harvest, please do not worry for they freeze well. To enhance germination, soak seeds in water two to four hours, want to consider other delicious summer crops such as the deleclet dry, then lightly dust with inoculant powder. Plant seeds when table bean, which are easy to grow, taste great and easy to freeze. soil is warm, one to two inches deep and four inches apart. Let’s get started!

The Suburban Gardener: Growing Summer Beans

Mulching: Mulching (grass clippings, pine straw, decayed leaves) is good for plants with shallow roots. Mulch helps protect these plants from weeds and helps maintain constant moisture. Beans “do not Site: Choose a sunny spot (6 hours minimum) with good drainage and room for one row, two feet wide. Avoid planting where you have like to be too wet,” which may lead to disease. Please be careful when weeding around shallow roots and do maintenance when previously grown members of the legume (peas, peanuts, beans) plant is not wet. family. Here are some tips:

Soil: Beans grow best in a slightly acidic good loam soil. This can be accomplished by adding a little compost, aged manure or peat moss. They do not like much fertilizing but prefer high nitrogen. To provide nitrogen and eliminate the need to fertilize, dust seeds with inoculant powder. I dust seeds in a small plastic bag. Inoculant powder can be purchased in any garden center and lasts over several seasons, justifying the high expense for this small bag.

Harvest: For string beans, wait until beans are about six inches long and pencil size. Pick regularly to encourage production. Beans inside should not be too lumpy. As opposed to string beans, let lima beans in their shells get large and lumpy before picking. Press on shell with fingertips to determine size.

Summer Flower Suggestions: If you want to beautify your flower pots, borders or garden with little effort and maintenance, consider growing two of my favorites in the summer, the marigold and portuBuying Seed: To avoid the need for support, I buy bush (low growing, not non-climbing) varieties that mature faster, six to eight weeks laca. Marigolds deter unwanted insects and flower all summer. The portulaca thrives in areas with poor soil and is drought tolerant. as opposed to ten to eleven weeks for climbers. Plus, you do not have to worry about shading other vegetables needing sun. For string beans, I recommend the Blue Lake variety and for lima (known Reference: The Garden Primer, by Barbara Damrosch; and “old time gardeners.” as butter bean), I recommend the Fordhook. They are both prolific and very tasty.

By Richard Drumwright

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The Suburban: AD-Prices—Published Six Times a Year For more information, please contact Louis Gabriel at 757-587-5666 or [email protected] THE SUBURBAN AD PRICES – PUBLISHED 6 TIMES A YEAR Ad Size

Business card 1/4 page

1/2 page

Full page

Bi-Monthly Rates

$15.00

$60.00

$120.00

Annual Rates

$75.00

$30.00 $150.00

$300.00

ISSUE PUBLISHING MONTHS January/ February

May/June

March/April July/ August

$550.00

September/October November/December

Code Enforcement

The Midway comes to St Pius.

No topic is more difficult for a civic league than those (thankfully rare) situations when properties in the neighborhood violate city codes or other nuisances arise. I recently took a couple of calls from concerned neighbors on this matter, and figured it was a good time to make a few important points:

St Pius X Church & School is excited to announce its partnership with Boardwalk Attractions, a provider of top-rated family entertainment in Hampton Roads. On May 25 – 27, 2018, the St Pius Church parking lot on the corner of E. Little Creek Road and Halprin Drive will be transformed into a magical carnival land for all ages featuring a wide variety of exciting rides and attractions -- rides for the young, the old, the meek, the adventurous, and everyone in between!. Beautifully painted, well-lit rides that will provide the thrill of a lifetime-- again and again! Complimented with an array of exciting games, fabulous prizes, and mouth-watering concessions, this event is the must-come event of the summer.

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The civic league always encourages neighborhood property owners to comply with Norfolk city code requirements, but has no enforcement authority when it comes to violations. Only the city has that power.

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Smart homeowners and tenants will always ensure their property is well-maintained and presentable, not only for themselves but for the benefit and goodwill of their neighbors…it’s the neighborly thing to do.

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When a property is not being maintained or is otherwise out of compliance with code provisions, it’s good for nearby neighbors to try and understand, within reason, what’s causing the situation.

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In many cases, a neighborhood nuisance may be due to reasons out of the control of the owner: illness, family emergency, advancing age, etc. Often, just a little neighborly assistance can help.

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When an owner or tenant isn’t doing all they should, please avoid confrontation. It’s best to notify the city and let them address the concern. Rob Lain

Community Dinner The Greek Orthodox Church (in our community) located at 7220 Granby Street is providing dinners on specific days during the months of May and June. These dinners are free of charge ,no questions asked. They are held in the Hellenic Center at the back of the church. The church is within walking distance for most folks who live in Suburban Acres .If you know of a family in our community that is stressed , in need, money issues, or elderly and don't cook much, or homeless, please let folks know there is a community dinner. More information call 757-440-0500 Page 7

12th Annual Spring Town Point Virginia Wine Festival

The 17th Annual Virginia Beer Festival

May 5, 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM @ Town Point Park - Downtown Norfolk Waterfront

May 19, 2:00 PM - 6:00 PM @ TowneBank Fountain Park

Shake off those winter blues and kick off the spring season with a bang! Join us and 10,000 of your new best friends for a weekend filled with wine tastings, lively tunes, and gourmet bites. Revisit an old pinot or discover a new syrah from more than thirty Virginia wineries, all with your new commemorative tasting glass in-hand. This vino-filled festival weekend is sure to be one for the books!

The mid-Atlantic’s largest and longest running beer festival celebrates its 17th year with a diverse selection of more than 150 beers and ciders from Virginia and around the world, local food, live music, and master brewers at the popular VEER Brew School. New this year, ease over to the brand new beer garden while local country rock favorite Buckshot performs on stage. Guardians of the Greenery - Grow As We Go

5th Annual Gettin' Frisky on the Wisky May 12, 7:00 PM - 11:00 PM @ Nauticus & Battleship Wisconsin Enjoy an exciting evening aboard the Battleship Wisconsin with heavy hors d’oeuvres, a signature cocktail, open bar, silent auction, live music by Cheap Thrills, dancing and more to benefit Sail Nauticus’ award winning Sailing Academy serving the youth of Hampton Roads! NEW THIS YEAR - Enjoy a signature cocktail and flavored rum tastings provided by Dead Reckoning Distillery, In https://norfolkgreekfestival.com/ Norfolk Greek Festival May 17, 2017—May 20, 2018 Norfolk Greek Festival: The Greek Festival, Tidewater’s oldest and largest ethnic festival, will include the traditional Greek cuisine, exciting Greek entertainment, arts and crafts, beautiful jewelry, tours of the Cathedral, and the very popular Drive-Thru. Bring the whole family as we share our Greek hospitality with all ages. All proceeds from the festival benefit the Cathedral’s Ministries as well as local community charities. https://norfolkgreekfestival.com/

May 17, 10:00 AM - 10:45 AM @ Northside Park Imagination Playground This is the perfect program for toddlers age 3-5 who are curious about nature and enjoy the outdoors. Join Norfolk's Park Rangers for a specially selected nature-themed book, nature craft, and adventure! Adults must remain with their children. Call or email to register. 42nd Annual Norfolk Harborfest June 8, 12:00 PM - 11:00 PM @ Town Point Park - Downtown Norfolk Waterfront The 42nd Annual Norfolk Harborfest® is the largest, longest-running, free maritime festival in the nation. This exhilarating, FREE, familyfriendly, fun, outdoor extravaganza is stocked full of activities on land, sea, and in the sky! For three incredible days, you’ll see tall ships, Parade of Sail, artisan foods and beverages, work boat races, unique and unusual performances, one of the largest fireworks shows on the East Coast, family games and activities, national and regional entertainment, and so much more!

https://www.facebook.com/norfolkgreekfestival/ 29th Annual Bayou Boogaloo Music & Cajun Food Festival June 22, 2:00 PM - 10:00 PM @ Town Point Park - Downtown Norfolk Waterfront Ready your eyes, ears, and taste buds for the vivacious sights, exuberant sounds, and bold, one-of-a-kind New Orleans flavor this summer! Straight out of the Bayou, award-winning regional and national recording artists will perform diverse cultural musical entertainment on TWO stages during the festival.

34th Annual Stockley Gardens Spring Arts Festival May 19, 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM @ Stockley Gardens For over 30 years, Hope House has been the vision behind the Stockley Gardens Arts Festival. And now, the free event is a community tradition, drawing more than 50,000 visitors annually. Twice a year, on the third weekend in May and October, people flock to Stockley Gardens in Norfolk's historic Ghent neighborhood to browse through jewelry, pottery, paintings, and other works of art by over 130 artists. The park is full of strollers and dogs and tantalizing smells. Music drifts from the stage. Friends stop to chat. And throughout the weekend, there is a feeling of hope.

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For all event information and details please visit https://www.norfolk.gov/calendar.aspx

April 9th Candidate Forum The April 9, 2018 guest speakers were all part of a political forum for Ward 2 elections. Running for City Council were Courtney Doyle, Don Roby, and Tom Warburton. Running for School Board were Tanya Bhasin, Nate Kinnision, and Britney Shearer. Each candidate got to speak eight minutes including Q & A. The forum was well attended and we Thank all the candidates for coming and wish them all Good Luck. We also Thanked West and Joan Wilson For providing the food for the meeting along with our Civic League Board that works very hard helping to organize and set up the food.

We hand le inj ury c ases , f a mily matte rs, cri mi nal a nd traf fi c matte rs, wil ls and so much more! 1108 Ma dis on Plaz a, S uit e 203 Chesap eake , VA 2332 0 757 -454 -2110 Find us on So cial Medi a !

Suburban Acres Civic League Mission The SACL will facilitate opportunities for neighbors to: Build relationships; Keep aware and engaged in matters impacting the community; Enhance community preparedness and security; and Develop a culture in which the community youth learn (by example and participation) to be active and effective citizens. Page 9

The Suburban Disclaimer Many of the articles in The Suburban are from neighborhood residents, volunteer writers, or the City of Norfolk. Any articles or opinions are not necessarily the opinions of the Suburban Acres Civic League officers or board of directors. The Suburban has a press run of over 600 per issue.

Suburban Acres Civic League receives EARNN (Environmental Awards for Recycling in Norfolk Neighborhoods) points when more residents sign up for Recycling Perks. And that means more money for our civic league! Recycling Perks provides YOU with discounts at restaurants, grocery stores, entertainment, and other retailers. Rewards are offered by local businesses as you earn points for putting your blue recycling bin out every two weeks.

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GLORIA “ENGLISH” DEOLIVEIRA Cruise Professional Ms. English’s Travel Services, LLC Office: 855-835-7396 Cell: 757-377-5743 Email: [email protected] Web: AvoyaTravel.com/IA/GloriaDeoliveira Selling Cruises For Over 17 Years-All Brands Delivering Remarkable Experiences

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