March Newsletter

In this month's issue:
- Monthly Meeting - Barbara Brumbaugh presents on Chesapeake's Water Quality Improvement Plans -  Thursday, March 21
- Adopt-A-Road Cleanup Along Indian River Road, Saturday, March 23
- Adopt-A-Park at Indian River Park, Saturday, April 6
- Aqua Virginia update
- Fieldstone Condo's next to Indian River Park update
- Annual Membership Drive

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Monthly Meeting - Barbara Brumbaugh presents on Chesapeake's Water Quality Improvement Plans
Date: Thursday, March 21, 7 pm 
Location: Oaklette United Methodist Church, 520 Oaklette Drive, Chesapeake, VA

Learn about what the City of Chesapeake is doing to improve the quality of our waterways in this presentation with Chesapeake's Environmental Program Manager Barbara Brumbaugh

We will also have a short business meeting to approve our 2019-2020 budget.  There will be light refreshments and door prizes after the meeting.

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Adopt-A-Road Cleanup along Indian River Road /Community Cleanup
Date: Saturday, March 23, 9 am to 11 am
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!

For our main cleanup on Indian River Road, 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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Adopt-A-Park Cleanup at Indian River Park
Date: Saturday, April 6, 9 am to Noon
Location: Indian River Park, 2001 Rokeby Ave.

We'll be tending to the native plant garden at the park entrance.  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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Other News

Mark your calendars for the 2019 BioBlitz at Indian River Park on Saturday, May 18th.  On that day we'll have a series of guided walks to search for birds, amphibians, reptiles, insects, butterflies, as well as trees and plants.  This will be a fun family event!

The Aqua Virginia acquisition by the City of Chesapeake continues to be on track.  On February 15, the State Corporation Commission (SCC) staff recommended approval of the proposed transfer of utility assets from Aqua Virginia, Inc. to the City of Chesapeake. Based on the comments that were received during the comment period, it is likely that the SCC will approve the transfer.  The Closing of the sale between Aqua and the City shall take place within 35 days of that approval.

The large condo development - Fieldstone Condos - planned adjacent to Indian River Park submitted a revised preliminary site plan to the City last month.  The landscaping plan has not been submitted and we can't gauge whether the site meets the requirement for establish, at tree maturity, a tree canopy totaling a minimum of 15% of the site's area.  https://www.facebook.com/FriendsofIndianRiver/posts/2221859181212754

During our Great Backyard Bird Count hike we identified 25 species of birds around the lake by Indian River High School.   You can find some of the photos we took at https://www.facebook.com/FriendsofIndianRiver/posts/2214148081983864

And thank you to the volunteers who came out for our Adopt-A-Park cleanup at Plymouth "Community" Park on March 2.   On-going volunteer efforts at the park are making a great difference.  If you haven't visited the site, please do.

It is also time for our annual membership drive.  Now is a great time to become a member or renew your membership, or just make a donation online at http://www.friendsofindianriver.org/p/membership.html