Wards Corner Now – Wards Corner, Norfolk, Virginia

Ward 1 voters please get out and vote tomorrow, August 23, 2016 at your normal polling places.  If you normally vote at Granby Elementary, Titustown, Zion Grace, The Norfolk Therapeutic Recreation Center (Northside), or Ocean View Elementary then you live in Ward 1 and can vote for Martin Thomas, Jr.

You can view Martin Thomas’ platform here:  http://martinthomasjr.com/ 

WARDS CORNER CIVIC LEAGUE
408 Burleigh Ave, Norfolk, VA 23505

August 15, 2016

Dear Wards Corner Neighbors,

As you are aware there will be a special election to elect our next Ward 1 councilman to the Norfolk City Council. The Wards Corner Civic League Board of Directors and the members named below are enthusiastically endorsing and supporting Martin Thomas Jr. for our choice to fill that vacant council position. This is an unprecedented move for our civic league and Board of Directors but we feel compelled to do so for several reasons.

Since joining the Wards Corner Civic League 11 years ago Martin has been a faithful and productive member of our civic league. For the last 10 years he has served as our First Vice President where he has headed up our membership and communications social media. In fact Martin was the one who developed our website http://www.wardscorner.com when he first became a member. He has also helped increased our membership substantially. That website has been very successful and is to this day. Martin has also been involved in the Wards Corner Task Force, the Wards Corner Partnership and was founder of Wards Corner Now and its website http://www.wardscornernow.com. He has been our eyes and ears to city hall for the past several years and always keeps us updated on the important issues facing our community and city.

Martin has been actively involved in pushing for many of the issues in Wards Corner including the Suburban Shopping Center development, the appropriate development of the Collins properties, the Denby Park apartment demolition and revitalization and the improvements to the infrastructure in the business district. Through all of this and more Martin has stood tough to ensure that these projects were developed in the best interest of us all. He has been a tremendous asset to the Wards Corner area. Martin also won a small grant on behalf of our city league to develop a paved walkway from Newport Ave. to Granby Street on North Shore Rd. which walkers now enjoy.

As a member and Co-Chair of the Norfolk Planning Commission he has been an advocate, with the civic leagues input, for Wards Corner on many of the projects that have come to fruition. In this role he has also served Ward 1 well as he has for the entire city.

Martin is thoughtful, insightful and considerate and possesses those qualities that we need and want in our city council representative. It is vitally important and crucial that we support and endorse him as our next Ward 1 councilman. We have gained so much over that past 10 years in Wards Corner and to lose that momentum now with anyone else would be very unfortunate. Please join us in doing so when this special election is held on August 23rd, 2016.

Sincerely,
A. James English Jr., President
Sue Classick, 2nd Vice President
Joan Griffey, Secretary
Ray Duron, Treasurer
Barbara Ross, Newsletter Editor
Scott Gurlinger, Board Member
Daniel Graves
Fred Baker
Melissa Baker
Shirley Thompson
Scott L. Cravey
Sherry Romulus
Cynthia Baker
Pablo Yepez
Clem Blanco
Percy Peele
Barbara Vasko
James Pressler
Linda Pressler

Construction of the apartments at The Watermark at Talbot Park is nearing completion.  Apartment buildings 1, 2, 3, and 4 on Newport Ave are at 73%, 77%, 85%, and 98% completion, respectively.

Their website is now live at http://livewatermark.com/

For more information including rates and reservations, contact Ashley Gower at 757-353-3596 or ashley@livewatermark.com

Hampton Roads Transit presented to the Norfolk City Council last night that they will be studying two potential light rail expansion routes.  Either or both, depending on funding, could be built.

The eastern route would connect to the existing Light Rail line, stop at Sentara Leigh Memorial Hospital, go through a redeveloped Military Circle, up the Military Highway corridor and then west on the Little Creek Road corridor through Wards Corner and to Naval Station Norfolk.

The western route would run up Hampton Boulevard through Old Dominion University and terminate at Naval Station Norfolk.

The Virginian-Pilot has an article with more details here.

From the Virginian-Pilot:

Detectives with the Norfolk Police Department said a man who was wanted in connection with a homicide on Timothy Avenue has been arrested.

Police began investigating the homicide of 25-year-old Blake Scott of Norfolk on Sunday. Scott was shot in the 500 block of Timothy Ave. and later died in the hospital from his injuries.

Police said 26-year-old Dale London was identified as a suspect in the fatal shooting. Detectives confirmed that London’s identity was positive and that he has been charged for second degree murder and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony.

London was taken into custody on Tuesday and is currently being held at the Norfolk City Jail without bail.

Anyone who may have information about this homicide is still encouraged to contact the Norfolk Crime Line at 1-888-LOCK-U-UP.

Norfolk City Council is accepting Letters of Interest from persons who wish to be considered for appointment to the position of council member representing Ward 1 until an election is held.