Council chose Option B which will allow approximately 50 single-family homes on one full Lot B and homes on the other two B lots.  (visit www.buckroebeach.org to view Option B)     

 

Thank all of you for your support behind us for Option D or D-1.  Your support came in many forms via telephone calls, emails, letters, petitions, flyers, and your presence at council meetings, and we will be forever grateful and appreciative, and we will never forget it.

 

One of our wonderful supporters sent the following after last night's council meeting, and I would like to share it with you. 

 

Oh, yes, it goes something like this:   If you want the elected officials to pay attention to you, you gather in great numbers, and they will listen.

 

Not in Hampton. You will get patted on the head for your efforts, and then be ignored. You find that Council's words are cheap.

 

There is another great myth. The Planning Department is infallible.   Whatever they say is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.   Gather their great infallible numbers, prove them wrong, and you will get patted on the head for your efforts, and be ignored.   Or better yet, you will be reprimanded for "bashing the department."

 

There is another great myth.  You must have "eyes on the park" for the park to be safe .. even if it is a FLAT COASTAL PARK FROM WHICH YOU CAN SEE FROM ONE END TO THE OTHER WITHOUT ANY PROBLEMS.

Can you say: Huntington Beach Park ... no eyes there. Can you say Newport News Park ... hundreds of acres ... no eyes there. Can you say Yorktown National Park ... no eyes there. Can you say First Landing State Park...no eyes there.  Can you say Sandy Bottom Nature Park.....no eyes there.  Can you say Noland Park at the Mariners' Museum ... no eyes there. Can you say Gosnold's Hope Park ... no eyes there ... oops maybe the Planning Department  is planning on selling property on the edges to get some eyes. Can you name ONE park in a radius of 100 miles that has "eyes?"    Didn't think so.

 

There is another great myth ... citizens come before developers. Yeah, right.

 

There is another great myth ... 5 acres of land is going to make or break the city. Developers are going to create such a Utopia on these lousy five acres, giving an extra 50 persons a waterview, while denying 1000's of citizens a little extra space.  Is Buckroe or Hampton is such dire straights? I don't think so.

 

There is another great myth ... citizens have a voice at the cherretes ... by the way, how did anything ever get done before consultants and cherretes?   I think they are charades.

 

So what is the truth?

 

Why did the Planning Department come up with bogus numbers and would not back down until it was absolutely proven they were wrong?

 

Why did the Planning Department alter a design option choice diagram in a report and rush to change it only when their altered version was pointed out?

 

Why did a council member say he does not like to see parking lots in a public beach area because they spoil the beauty and not consider the side streets of all surrounding residential communities are now going to become the "parking lots" for the public visiting Buckroe's public beach?

 

Why did a council member infer people only go to Buckroe beach for the beach and not consider the thousands who visit Buckroe Beach for special large group gatherings and who never go down to the beach?

 

Why did a council member praise North First Street as the to/from throughway for Fort Monroe when that "throughway" will run the whole length of what should be a pedestrian-friendly public beach area.

 

Why did the motion proposed by a council member to develop Buckroe's Lots B with residential housing sound exactly like something crafted by the city's Economic Development Office?

 

Why did the mayor mention Buckroe being so attractive that developers from far distances were contacting our city manager if Buckroe was not being marketed even before the Buckroe Master Plan was mentioned to the public over two years ago?

 

Why did a council member who one would expect to be looking out for the wishes of thousands of African-American Hampton residents who signed the petition to keep residential development off of Lots B vote for residential development on Lots B?

 

Why is "eyes on the park" the latest buzz words to convince citizens that an expanded Buckroe Park is detrimental to their safety?

Why would five council members vote against the wishes of over 13,000+ Hampton citizens when many are the very voters who put them in office?  

Who or what is getting to them?

 

Is this a pandemic and occurring all over the United States?  Are city governments everywhere, like in Hampton, bowing down to developers in order to leave this world one big ball of cement for our future generations. 

 

Here's an interesting fact for you: 

.

---

From My Friend, Judy, of IL - 01/25/07 - "Penny Postcards":

I think this is very interesting.  I hope you all enjoy looking at these as much as I did.

 
http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/special/ppcs/ppcs.html

   This is waaaay cool!  Thanks, Jude!

---

From My Niece, Shari, of VA - 01/26/07 - "clean your cell phones regularly":

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/1/prweb497735.htm

   Great reminder - thanks, Shari!

---

From My Niece, Shari, of VA - 01/28/07 - "Ain't Life Grand":

http://livedigital.com/content/keyword?type=video&keyword=Aint+Life+Grand&commit=1
 

---

From My Friend, Judy, of IL - 01/30/07 - "WOMEN OVER 40 - and those who eventually will be!!":

In case you missed it on 60 Minutes, this is what Andy Rooney thinks about women over 40:


60 Minutes Correspondent Andy Rooney (CBS):

As I grow in age, I value women over 40 most of all. Here are just a few reasons why:

A woman over 40 will never wake you in the middle of the night and ask, "What are you thinking?" She doesn't care what you think.

If a woman over 40 doesn't want to watch the game, she doesn't sit around whining about it. She does something she wants to do, and it's usually more interesting.

Women over 40 are dignified. They seldom have a screaming match with you at the opera or in the middle of an expensive restaurant. Of course, if you deserve it, they won't hesitate to shoot you if they think they can get away with it.

Older women are generous with praise, often undeserved. They know what it's like to be unappreciated.

Women get psychic as they age. You never have to confess your sins to a woman over 40.

Once you get past a wrinkle or two, a woman over 40 is far sexier than her younger counterpart.

Older women are forthright and honest. They'll tell you right off if you are a jerk if you are acting like one.

You don't ever have to wonder where you stand with her.

Yes, we praise women over 40 for a multitude of reasons. Unfortunately, it's not reciprocal. For every stunning, smart, well-coiffed, hot woman over 40, there is a bald, paunchy relic in yellow pants making a fool of himself with some 22-year old waitress. Ladies, I apologize.

For all those men who say, "Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free?", here's an update for you. Nowadays 80% of women are against marriage. Why? Because women realize it's not worth buying an entire pig just to get a little sausage!

Andy Rooney is a really smart guy!  

   Thanks, Judy!  Obviously, I really appreciate this selection! 

---

REUNION REMINDERS:  

   Reunion information is ALWAYS posted very near the top on the front page, and on the Reunion Page section:

http://www.nnhs65.00freehost.com

     http://www.nnhs65.00freehost.com/reunion-page.html

   Henceforth, it will be repeated here, lest you forget:
 

The NNHS Class of 1966 is sponsoring an NNHS February Fling on Saturday, February 24, 2007 from 6:00 to 10:00 PM at Angelo's Restaurant on J. Clyde Morris Boulevard for members of all classes.  It will be completely casual.  Just come in for some dinner or just to say hi.  Please pass this on to any class alumni and ask them to contact Dee Hodges Bartram if they would like to come.  Just e-mail her at dhbartram@cox.net or call her at 868-8443, so that she can have an accurate count so Angelo can decide if he needs more waitresses that night.. In case of bad weather, call Angelo's at 599-5727 to make sure the dinner is still on.
The NNHS Class of 1960 will hold a Typhoon Informal Reunion on Saturday, August 4th, 2007 at the lovely beach home of Mary Ann Edwards Elliot on Willoughby Spit. This will be an afternoon into evening beach party with covered dish dinner. CONTACT: Karen Weinstein Witte 14314 Wadsworth Dr. Odessa, FL  33556 813-920-9498 kwitte@tampabay.rr.com AND CHECK THIS WEB PAGE FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION - 01/12/07: http://www.nnhs65.00freehost.com/reunion-class-of-1960.html	The NNHS Class of 1962 will hold its 45-Year Reunion on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, September 21, 22 and 23, 2007 at the Point Plaza Suites, 950 J. Clyde Morris Boulevard, Newport News, VA 23601. Suites will be available that will include breakfast on Saturday and Sunday. Visit Brenda's 1962 Web Page:  http://geocities.com/typhoonmom1/ AND CHECK THIS WEB PAGE FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION - 01/22/07: http://www.nnhs65.00freehost.com/reunion-62-planning-mtgs.html
The NNHS Class of 1957  is planning its 50-Year Class Reunion, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, September 7, 8 and 9, 2007 at the Omni Hotel in Newport News, VA. More details to follow!	The NNHS Class of 1958 is planning its 50th Anniversary Reunion, Friday and Saturday, May 16 -17, 2008. The Noble Gathering More details to follow!

---