Cradock is taking Cradock back

June 9, 2008

The Virginian-Pilot has an article about how the residents in Cradock are taking their neighborhood back. The activism has caused a 49% decrease in property crime when comparing the first five months of 2007 with the same period in 2008. The article: Cradock residents encouraged by drop in crime

Tim Smith, Talbot Park resident, wrote in with the following:

Someone needs to contact this man and find out how he did this and how we can do the same here in Wards Corner and the neighborhoods around.

I said it before, get 25 to 50 people together and with a pair of uniform police officers, pick random Friday & Saturday nights each month and walk back and forth from Wards Corner to Southern Shopping Center (through the neighborhoods)from sunset to sunrise.

Write down ALL license plates of cars entering and exiting; make yourselves seen and show the people that live in this area that we are taking our streets back. Force the criminal element to move out of our area cause their customers will not want to be seen by us.

As the story shows below, IT WILL WORK but people need to get involved. We have enough civic leagues in the Partnership Area we would only need one or two deticated people from each neighborhood to be willing to work together. We could even move around the Partnership Area after we clean up the hot spots, keeping the criminals off guard like they do to the police.

I live in Talbot Park, contact me at timsmith114@cox.net.

Remember, we are the only ones that have our best interests in mind and developers do not like to invest in declining neighborhoods. No back room deals; no vote for this & I’ll vote for that; no Ward boundries, just our actions; in our neigborhoods; our results; our rewards.


It was too good to be true

June 8, 2008

Denby Park has been relatively quiet lately as far as gun violence is concerned, but early this morning that quiet was shattered. Police Dispatchers were called at 3:45 a.m. to report a shooting in an apartment in the 300 block of E. Little Creek Road. Pilot Online reports

When officers arrived at the complex, they found a man suffering several gunshot wounds inside an apartment, Amos (police spokesman) said. The man was taken to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital with injuries that were considered life-threatening.

Amos said no suspect or motive information was available shortly before 4 a.m., Amos said.

The Wards Corner Partnership has repeatedly expressed its concern about the apartments in the 300 block of E. Little Creek Road. If there was ever an example of social blight, the 300 block would be the picture in the dictionary.


Two Wards Corner book merchants are experiencing increased sales

June 7, 2008

According to Pilot Online, The Book Exchange and Bargain Books are experiencing better sales this year in spite of the downturn in the nation’s economy.

two used-book stores in the Wards Corner section of the city – Bargain Books of Virginia and The Book Exchange – are doing better this year.

John Knight, owner of The Book Exchange, estimates a 20 percent jump in business. “We try to continuously make the store better and turn the inventory over a lot,” he said. The economy “has had a neutral effect. We might get more of some people and less of some other people.”

Lynn Howard bought Bargain Books in November 2006 . “My business increased,” she said, “but I think it was more because I was getting more new books in. We’re finding more and more new customers.”


Task Force invited to hear light rail presentation

June 6, 2008

Mayor\'s Wards Corner Task Force Invitation


Red Sector P.A.C.E. to host speaker on hurricane preparedness

June 6, 2008

The Norfolk Police Department 3rd Patrol Division Red Sector P.A.C.E.

Meeting Friday, June 13, 2008 from 11:00AM to 12:00PM

At the Norfolk Workforce Center on E. Little Creek Rd. next to Kroger. Come to the meeting have lunch and listen to Scott Mahone from the Norfolk 911 communication center speak on

“Hurricane preparedness in your community”.

We hope to see you there !


Oakdale Presbyterian Church – upcoming events

June 5, 2008

Thanks to Susan Ross for the following event information:

1. Free PRAISE SING-A-LONG on June 18th at 8PM to 9PM at Oakdale Presbyterian Church located at 550 East Little Creek Road, across from Southern Shopping Plaza. Popcorn and soda included. This is a great FREE family activity to start off the summer. Come join in the fun.

2. Annual Yard Sale on July 26th from 0900 to 2PM located at this church. We are starting to rent tables for $10.00 each for people interested in selling their own merchandise. . Call church secretary at 583-0180 to leave a number to reserve. She will have me call you back.


Crime prevention tips from your Red Sector Police Officers

June 4, 2008

Crime Prevention tips

From the Norfolk Police Department

and your Red Sector Community Resource Officers

The Red Sector has experienced an increase in residential burglaries.  Many of the burglaries have occurred in the day time hours. We believe that the suspect(s) may be knocking on doors to see if anyone is home before breaking into the home through a front or rear door.

We need your help by using good crime prevention sense.

1.      Be vigilant, if you see anyone that appears suspicious in the neighborhood or in your neighbor’s yard call 911 immediately!

When you call 911 we need to know

·       Is the person male or female?

·       What race are they?

·       Can you tell how old they appear to be?

·       Can you tell how tall they are?

·       How many people do you see?

·       What type of clothing are they wearing?

·       What are they doing that makes them suspicious?

·       Are they in your neighbor’s front or backyard?

·       Does it appear that they are removing items from a house or apartment?

·       Which way are they heading from where you’re located?

·       Have you ever seen them before?

Did you notice a vehicle parked in the area that you have not seen before?

·       What type of vehicle was it?

·       What was the color of the vehicle?

·       What was the license plate number?

Please make sure you write down your serial numbers to all of your valuables in your home such as your T.V.  DVD players, Computer equipment, Stereo equipment, Weapons, Game systems such as Xbox, Wii, and Play stations, your power and hand tools, bicycles, and anything of value in your garage or shed.  Keep the serial numbers in a safe location in case you need them at a later date. 

Please call Crime Prevention 664-6901 to have a Crime Prevention officer to conduct a home security survey of your home.  


Senator Northam and Delegate Lewis to hold Town Hall meeting tonight

June 2, 2008

Senator Ralph Northam and Delegate Lynwood Lewis will be hosting a town hall meeting, tonight, June 2,in Norfolk. The meeting will be held from 7pm to 8:30pm at The Church of the Good Shepherd, 7400 Hampton Blvd.


Councilman Wright asking for joint meeting to discuss light rail

June 2, 2008

Norfolk City Councilman Randy Wright is asking assistant City Manager Nancy Johnson for a joint meeting of the Mayors’ Wards Corner Task Force and Ocean View Task Force at the new Mary D. Pretlow Anchor Branch Library in Ocean View on June 26th.  Councilman Wright will make his first presentation on the “Tide” to Ocean View. Look for times in a future post. Any route to Ocean View should include a rail station in Wards Corner. It is important that all concerned citizens attend this meeting.

 


Virginia has a transportation funding crisis. We need your help!

May 23, 2008

There is a transportation funding crisis in Virginia. Below is a link to the website of “It’s time- Virginians for better transportation”. See how this crisis is effecting everyone of us.

Please Click Here for information on the transportation funding crisis and on how to write your legislators to address this pressing problem.


General Assembly approves restrictions on Payday Lenders

March 7, 2008

From the first day that Payday Lenders setup shop in the Greater Wards Corner Partnership area, the members of the Greater Wards Corner Partnership have worked to remove this predatory scourge from our neighborhood. No one has worked harder in the Partnership than Elyse Kalfus, President of the Greater Wards Corner Business Association, to bring to the attention of our elected representatives in Richmond the atrocities that Payday Lenders perpetrate on the financial health of our community.

Pilot Online reports that the General Assembly today approved restrictions on payday lending that include an interest rate ceiling and limits on the number of loans to individuals.

After years of negotiations, the legislation was approved and is being sent to Gov. Timothy M. Kaine.

The compromise limits borrowers to one loan at a time and no more than five short term loans in 180 days. At the end of that period, a person who has trouble making payments can ask for a 60-day extended payment period.

Once someone who has trouble paying the loans completes their payments, they are not allowed to get another payday loan for 90 days.

If someone borrows five different times over 180 days and has no trouble making payments, that person has to wait 60 days for a new loan.

The bill sets a 36 percent cap on interest charges. It also creates a database to track loans and borrowers. The database would start next year.


Very few folks walking the streets of Wards Corner

March 5, 2008

Meadowbrook resident and Norfolk Citizen, Fred Archer, sent the following letter to the editor of the Virginian-Pilot:

I believe it was Sydney J. Harris who remarked you judge a city by the number of people walking its streets after dark. Perhaps we can enlarge that picture to include daytime as well. With that in mind downtown Norfolk thrives and draws us there for food, entertainment and commerce. I applaud how life has evolved in the heart of our community. Now I long to have some of that vibrancy spill out to our other communities and especially to Wards Corner. Since moving to Norfolk 15 years ago I have waited to see some brightening up of this potentially lively part if our city. A couple of years ago I got excited as there was suggested movement in just that direction. Since then nothing but two sterile drugstores. Hidden in the Corner are several gems, The Pancake House, Rom Thai and some businesses one might need occasionally (shoe repair, jewelry, eye care for instance). But there is very little walking about in the area. There is no general store, no trendy watering hole with outside tables. The area is accessible from the interstate and from a number of communities in walking distance. Come on City Council, pay attention to the wonderful possibilities in Times Square of the South. Put our money where your mouth was just a short time ago.

Fred Archer


Wards Corner Task Force meetings characterized as “shouting matches”

February 15, 2008

Staff writer Harry Minium has characterized some Wards Corner Task Force meetings as “shouting matches” in his what’s in a name” article in today’s Virginian-Pilot. Having attended most Wards Corner Task Force meetings, I have never experienced a “shouting match”; must have happened at a meeting, that I missed.


Denby Park residents call “10 On Your Side”

February 8, 2008

Denby Park residents are fed up with City Council’s, to date, impotent response to cleaning up crime in their neighborhood. Finally, at a breaking point, the residents have called WAVY TV’s “10 On Your Side” for help. View the clip “High crime area has area residents concerned“.


Project Focus – two down, another comes

February 6, 2008

First there was Alphonso Albert, then there was Assistant City Manger Marcus Jones, now according to an email just received from Beverly Sexton, we have a new leader for Project Focus in Denby Park, Assistant City Manager Barbara Lai. Project Focus is truly magical. “Hocus Focus”, POOF!!! a new leader appears.