January 2020 cprv.net Time to Renew Your Civic League Membership! Civic League Meeting: By John W. Robertson, Membership Chairperson Monday, All 2019 Civic League memberships expired on De- January 13, 2020 cember 31 – now is the time to renew for 2020! 6:30 pm Eggleston’s The Civic League is an important part of life in Colonial (110 Lavalette Ave) Place and Riverview, and your membership is important to make sure your ideas and opinions are heard and so Membership is not required to we can continue to represent our residents when deal- attend meetings. All are welcome. ing with various City officials and employees. Guest Speaker: Your membership supports our efforts to: • improve and protect property values; (To Be Determined) • make sure streetlights are repaired and working; • report street issues like potholes and make sure Watch Next Door and they are repaired promptly; CPRV Facebook Page • help reduce crimes like car larcenies and thefts for Updates by “porch pirates”; • redevelop historic structures such as JEB Stuart School; • provide residents a chance to interact with Coun- cil members and others of interest; • provide a Community Garden for anyone to use; • improve our environment with cleanups and ed- ucational efforts; • hold social events to bring neighbors together. Joining or renewing is easy! You may join or renew CPRV Civic League online at www.cprv.net, in person at any monthly Civic meetings on YouTube! League meeting, or by mail (check the back of your https://tinyurl.com/cprv-video newsletter for the form and address). Visit us on Facebook Thank you! https://www.facebook.com/ groups/237900040089891/ January 2020 cprv.net Colonial Place/Riverview Colonial Place/Riverview Community Newsletter Curbside Recycling Schedule The official publication of the Colonial Place/Riverview Civic League Thursday, January 16, 2020 Norfolk, Virginia Published 12 times per year. Thursday, January 30, 2020 Circulation: Colonial Place/Riverview - Approximately 1600 residences. Publisher: CPRV Civic League Media Chair: David Spriggs Street Sweeping Schedule Editor: David Spriggs Colonial Place Tuesday, January 14 (Even Addresses) Wednesday, February 12 (Odd Addresses) Now open daily from 7 am until 2 am. Riverview Serving breakfast, Wednesday, January 15 lunch and dinner. 757-648-8942 4019 Granby Street. A Brief History of Colonial Place and Riverview By Norman Pollock, Professor Emeritus, Old Dominion University (and former CP resident) The history of Colonial Place and Riverview began at the turn of the 20th century during a period of growth for the City of Norfolk. The city annexed a farming community just outside of town and slated it for suburban development; Colonial Place and Riverview were part of this development. Suburban devel- opment at that time depended upon connection to the trolley system--a connection that still exists in the neighborhood (although the trolleys no longer require electric lines). Concurrent with the development of Colonial Place was the historic Jamestown Exposition, marking the three-hundredth anniversary of the founding of Jamestown. Held in 1907 on fairgrounds near Sewell's Point, this event inspired the developers of the neighborhood to discard their original name, Sterling Place, and rename the development Colonial Place. In keeping with the new motif, all of the east-west streets were named after the original thirteen colonies. By 1908, the housing boom brought on by the vibrant economy at the turn of the century began to rapid -ly dissipate. It remained sluggish until World War I, when the influx of military personnel and their fami-lies into Norfolk's Naval Base (built on the site of the Jamestown Exposition) created a high demand for middle- class housing in Colonial Place. In fact, most of the homes standing in Colonial Place today were built during the late teens and early 1920s. (Continued on page 5) 2 January 2020 cprv.net Looking Back This article appeared in the Norfolk Virginian-Pilot on Monday, January 29, 1912. Long time residents may recall incidents of vehicles being found in our waterways, but this could well be the first. 3 January 2020 cprv.net Garden Club News New Year … New Name By Glen Coats At its December meeting, the Garden Club formally adopted "The Garden Club of Colonial Place and Riverview" as its new name thus replacing the previ- ous moniker of "CPRV Garden Club." Along with its new name, the Club has several exciting events and activities planned for the new year, the first being a Backyard Garden Tour showcasing the beauty of our neighborhoods on May 2. Look for more details about this fun event along with other activities and news items in future editions of this newsletter. The Garden Club wishes everyone a very happy and prosperous New Year with hopes that your gardens and landscapes grow well. 4 January 2020 cprv.net A Brief History of Colonial Place and Riverview (Continued from page 2) Riverview, on the other hand, began its development a few years before Colonial Place. This head start proved to be Riverview's buffer against the diminished housing demand in 1908. Riverview saw many state- ly homes built in the first decade of the century. By 1930, both Colonial Place and Riverview were well established suburban neighborhoods -- neighbor- hoods whose residents moved in, raised their families, grew old, and eventually passed their homes onto younger families who started the cycle anew. Many home owners today are knowledgeable of the previous owners of their homes and often possess at least a verbal, if not a written history. In the late 1960s, Colonial Place and Riverview were united by a single civic league, which through the efforts of the Stabilization Committee, successfully guided these two neighborhoods through a period when urban deterioration threatened many beautiful neighborhoods. Today, these two neighborhoods continue to maintain their original charm and middle-class desirability. They are coveted by prospective home buy- ers for their beautiful old homes, parks, and water views, as well as for the patina of nearly one-hundred years of history. Riverview celebrates its one-hundredth anniversary in 2000; Colonial Place in 2003. In Sep- tember of 1999 Riverview was designated a National Historic Site and placed on the National Register of Historic Places. Colonial Place received its designation in June 2001. In 1975 “The Evolution of an Urban Neighborhood: Colonial Place, Norfolk, Virginia” was published by the Institute of Govern- ment, University of Virginia. Section II, authored by Dr. Norman Pollock, chronicles the history of Colonial Place as part of a larger study on racial integration. (Note: this work is under copyright and reprinted by gracious permission of the author.) Your Neighbor Convenient Store Quality Shell Gasoline The home of freshly made Chicken Teriyaki, Lumpia, Pancit, Bread & more. Check us out! Large order welcomed for special occasion 4002 Granby St Creating Education/Training/Employment Opportunities Thank you for your support! Landscaping Garden Center 757-961-5090 757-625-2044 www.egglestonservices.org 5 January 2020 cprv.net Crime Prevention Committee News By Laura Burns, Chairperson With the beginning of the new year, now is a great time to request a free Security Survey by the Norfolk Police Department. The purpose of the survey is to identify security weaknesses and make recommendations of measures residents can take to deter criminal activity. To request this free service, call 757-664-6901. Additionally, with our days getting shorter, please exercise caution when driving, biking, and walking through our neighborhood at night. Bikers and pedestrians should wear bright clothing and use lighting for increased visibility. Drivers should be on the lookout for bikers and pedestrians, come to a complete stop at signs and look both ways before proceeding, and give bikers and pedestrians the space to pass them safely. Protecting our property and neighborhood is a community effort. If you see something, say something. If you are involved in an incident, FILE A POLICE REPORT. If a police report is not filed, the police do not know about it and resources will be allocated elsewhere. You can file a police report ONLINE without having to wait for an officer to respond. Go to this website https://www.norfolk.gov/index.aspx?NID=3089 for more information and to file a police report. CIVIC LEAGUE MEETING DATES FOR 2020 JANUARY 13 FEBRUARY 10 MARCH 9 APRIL 13 MAY 11 JUNE 8 JULY 13 AUGUST 10 SEPTEMBER 14 6 January 2020 cprv.net Colonial Place/Riverview Civic League General Meeting Proposed Minutes of December 9, 2019 (unofficial) The President opened the meeting at 6:30 pm. The President introduced Chris Johnson of The Monument Companies, who spoke about the purchase of the former JEB Stuart School property and their plan to convert it into apartments. Many questions were asked and answered. The President then introduced Eva Zaret of the ForKids Organization, who spoke about the work of the organization in assisting homeless and underprivileged families. Ms. Zaret also answered questions from attendees on a variety of related topics. Treasurer – the CPRV Civic League Treasury stands at $17,256.21 total funds. Social Events Committee – nothing new to report. Welcome Committee – nothing new to report. Community Improvement Committee – spoke about the success of the recent Crepe Myrtle pruning project. There was a discussion about the lack of services in our neighborhoods and the amount of property taxes we are assessed. The President mentioned the City Council push for special tax zones wherein the various neighborhoods could vote to pay more taxes for various services. The meeting was adjourned at 7:30 pm. Respectfully submitted, John W. Robertson Secretary 7 January 2020 cprv.net CIVIC LEAGUE OFFICERS President Michael Langston 282-1294 [email protected] Vice-President Jay Shurling 541-8815 [email protected] Secretary John W.