June Newsletter

Greetings!  We hope everyone is staying safe and healthy.  With our usual meeting venue at Oaklette United Methodist Church still closed, we are cancelling our meeting for June.  We are hopefully to fully get into the swing of things this fall.  Keep a look out for our Summer newsletter for a schedule of events.

In this month's issue, we have:

• Cancellations
• Other News
• Indian River Park Small Area Plan Update
• Primary Election on June 23; Absentee Ballot Information
• Census 2020
• Indian River Library
• Webinars

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Cancellations

• Friends of Indian River Monthly Meeting - June 18
• Adopt-A-Road Cleanup - June 20

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The City and their consultants are reviewing the public input gathered last month for the Indian River Small Area Plan.    The next step is for them to use this data to draft recommendations and proposals for how to improve the area.  This is the real core of the study.   More public meeting/public input sessions to review these proposals will be set up later this summer.  Stay tuned!

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Primary Election on June 23

Primary elections will be held on June 23.  For the 3rd Congressional District, which covers the Indian River area in Chesapeake, the ballot will cover the Republican House and Senate primary candidates.  Some local voting sites have been moved.  Learn more at http://www.cityofchesapeake.net/government/city-departments/departments/Voter-Registrar.htm

Due to the COVID-19 risks, everyone is still eligible for absentee voting. You can request an absentee ballot online or by mail. See https://www.elections.virginia.gov/casting-a-ballot/absentee-voting/ for details; the deadline for requesting an absentee ballot is Tuesday, June 16.

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Census 2020

If you haven't yet filled out your Census survey, please do it now.  It only takes about 10 minutes online and it's very important that everyone gets counted. This head count determines our representation in Congress, helps to make sure we get a fair share of funding, and provides vital statistics used for all kinds of analysis and planning.  https://2020census.gov/ 

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Indian River Library 

Thank you to Chesapeake Parks, Recreation and Tourism and the Chesapeake Environmental Improvement Council - CEIC Conservation Landscaping Subcommittee for doing this wonderful garden upgrade to at the entrance to the Indian River Library. Our understanding is that there are still some finishing touches, but it is looking great. And to top it off, the plantings are primarily native plants that are suited to the area and support birds and pollinators.  See a video on the installation at https://www.facebook.com/FriendsofIndianRiver/posts/3161220690609927

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Congratulations to Indian River High School Class of 2020 graduate Jalan Davis, winner of the Friends of Indian River Education Scholarship award. Jalan embodies the spirit of the Friends of Indian River mission, excelling in leadership, citizenship, extracurricular activities and academics. His involvement in Sports, the National Honor Society, the Marching Band, community service activities, and part-time employment are all examples of a commitment to advance personal goals and to serve the community. We are very pleased to have such an exemplary student and citizen as our first ever scholarship recipient and we wish him many successes in his future endeavors. View the presentation of in the virtual 2020 Indian River High School Senior Awards Presentation at the 7:00 minute mark: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7M7F3JFwqQ

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Here are some webinars and online resources which may be of interest

- Here is a great opportunity to see a presentation by renown author and ecologist, Dr. Doug Tallamy on Nature's Best Hope - https://youtu.be/H3X6wWCWm0A 
- Jewels of the Night: Conservation of Fireflies in the U.S. and Canada - http://www.forestrywebinars.net/webinars/jewels-of-the-night-conservation-of-fireflies-in-the-u.s.-and-canada

- Controlling Mosquitoes & Ticks in Your Yard without Pesticides, Friday, June 19, 10 am -https://mgnv.org/events/  
- Elizabeth River Project Virtual River School - https://elizabethriverprojec.wixsite.com/kids

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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

Striving to improve the quality of life for all the residents of the Indian River neighborhoods of Chesapeak