November Newsletter and Events

Adopt-A-Park Volunteer Work Day
Date: Saturday, November 10
10:00 am to 1 pm
Meet at the park entrance at Rokeby Ave. and Main St. (2001 Rokeby Ave.)

We'll be doing another round of work around the park entrance,  mainly dividing plants, weeding, and mulching.

Please wear closed-toe shoes, a hat and bring work gloves. If you can, bring shovels, rakes, pruners, saws and other gardening tools. We can use some wheel barrows to move mulch if you can bring one.  We will have water and lots of snacks. (We also always encourage folks to bring their own water in reusable bottles to minimize use of plastic bottles).   Participants under 18 years of age must have adult supervision.

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Monthly Meeting: City Council Member Matt Hamel
Date: Thursday, November 15,
7:00 pm to 8:30 pm
Location: Oaklette United Methodist Church, 520 Oaklette Dr.

Our scheduled guest speaker will be City Council Member Matt Hamel.  This meeting with City Council Members is a great way to learn about how our city functions and ask questions about items of concern.

Please also consider bringing a donation of non-perishable food items for the Oaklette United Methodist Church food pantry to the meeting this evening.

There will be light refreshments and door prizes after the meeting.

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Quarterly Cleanup - Indian River Road - 

Date: Saturday, November 17, 9 AM to Noon
Starting Location: Post Office side parking lot at 3810 Indian River Rd

We need your help for our quarterly cleanup.   Join us for a few hours to clean up the mile of Indian River Road from the city limits at Wingfield Avenue all the way to MacDonald Road. We are also asking all business owners along Indian River Road - and everywhere really - to make sure they sweep up in front of their storefronts as part of the effort.   And if you can't make it out for our organized cleanup please take 15 minutes and clean up the street and ditches in front of your home; pass the word to your neighbors!

The city will provide garbage bags and orange safety vests. We'll have water and snacks available. Please wear closed-toe shoes, a hat and bring work gloves and other items that may be useful. Participants under 18 years of age must have adult supervision.

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Other News

The first version of Site Plan for the new condos adjacent to Indian River Park was available from the Planning Department last month.  We've submitted comments expressing concern that it does not appear to provide the 25' vegetated buffer to the residences on Miller Avenue required by the proffers on the zoning approval. Nor is it clear how it achieves its 15% tree canopy (2.7 acre) requirement.   We've been told that revisions have been requested from the developer.  Read more at https://www.facebook.com/FriendsofIndianRiver/photos/a.123643934367633/2050961148302559

The natural gas pipeline being built through Georgetown, Campostella, and Berkley has been making headlines this past month.  Here is a link to a fact check done by the Virginian Pilot - https://pilotonline.com/news/local/environment/article_364ffd18-dc52-11e8-aea2-0fec775becee.html

Here is a fun video clip on the importance of scooping the poop. Share it with your kids!  https://youtu.be/COcl8AAWzYs

Photos from last month's Hike and Adopt-A-Park events at Indian River Park. Everyone seemed to have a good time and we got a lot accomplished at the native plant garden, getting it all weeded and mulched.  https://www.facebook.com/FriendsofIndianRiver/posts/2048147518583922 

On a personal note, I wish to personally thank everyone for the outpouring of support we received for the Cox Conserves Heroes nomination. The number of favorable testimonials made by individuals and groups in support of me and Friends of Indian River provides such great encouragement for our combined efforts. Alas, the National winner was the California nominee and I extend my congratulations to him. But we are the Virginia winner, which did come with a generous contribution from Cox Communications and the The Trust for Public Land, and the Friends will be carefully considering how to put these funds to good use; stay tuned for more info as we approach our Annual Meeting in January. - Rogard Ross

You can now also become a member of the Friends of Indian River, renew your membership, or make a donation online at http://www.friendsofindianriver.org/p/membership.html