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edited by: Scott White, Hampton Roads Editor

757 Hampton Roads

  • Blog Moving

    This is my last post on Blogger. I am moving my blog to WordPress. Along with this move, I have also acquired an ACTUAL domain name. Temporarily, I will be found at 757hamptonroads.wordpress.com. In the next few days, I will have 757hamptonroads.com and 757hr.com as well.

    Please [...]
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    Posted: January 28, 2009, 3:37pm EST

  • HRBT, 3rd Crossing, Still Traffic?

    Re: Study: Extra lanes, third crossing will ease region's traffic HamptonRoads.com PilotOnline.com

    Interesting. The HRMPO thinks that an HRBT expansion would not be a help to our transportation. Instead, they believe that a Third Crossing would be a cure-all for our transportation problems. The Peninsula, on the other' [...]
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    Posted: January 26, 2009, 9:00pm EST

  • Trial not going well for Chesapeake

    Re: Detective says Ryan Frederick appeared coherent after arrest (V-P)

    If you have been following the Frederick case, I am sure that you have seen by now that it is not exactly going well for Chesapeake prosecutors. So far they have been asked by the judge to stop [...]
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    Posted: January 26, 2009, 8:35pm EST

  • Jordan Bridge Bus

    The City of Chesapeake and HRT are discontinuing the Jordan Bridge bus. They say it is due to low ridership. Was that not obvious before they created it? How many people did they they would ride? The key to a successful route is one that has stops where people are [...]
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    Posted: January 23, 2009, 10:35am EST

  • Possible Transportation Assistance

    Re: Two Transportation Bills to be Introduced Today - Virginian Pilot - January 23

    Good job Del. Alexander (D-Norfolk) and Del. Melvin (D-Portsmouth). Go against the grain and create a proposal that would actually raise money and solve problems. Despite the politically dangerous move of proposing to increase [...]
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    Posted: January 23, 2009, 10:35am EST

  • Light Rail 'Overruns' and the Pilot

    RE: Light Rail costs pile up as more pilings are found in creek - Virginian Pilot - January 23

    This is not another cost overrun. This is THE SAME cost overrun as before in different words. The article says, "The additional cost to remove the other 240 pilings" [...]
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    Posted: January 23, 2009, 9:30am EST

  • Downtown Norfolk Consultant

    According to a consultant hired to look at Downtown, Norfolk is in a prime spot to benefit from expanded retail that may come near the end of our current economic climate. They said that Norfolk has many things going for them right now including a good "mix of restaurants, old" [...]
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    Posted: January 20, 2009, 5:37pm EST

  • No more ideas, Virginia?

    Since last September, Virginia has been running a website at http://www.ideas.virginia.gov. You could post an idea and state officials would actually read them. I got a number of hits to my site from state computers that had followed my link that I placed on each of my idea posts. Recently, [...]
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    Posted: January 20, 2009, 3:25pm EST

  • Reasons & Answers

    I apologize for my recent lack of posts. I have been tied up with a project for Scouts and to make matters worse I was in a car accident last week due to a yet-to-be-determined medical reason. I am fine but I have been busy and sore. Despite all of [...]
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    Posted: January 18, 2009, 1:33am EST

  • HRT Video

    HRT posted the following video on ridethetide.com. It shows the massive size of the steel girders that will be used to cross Brambleton.
    [...]
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    Posted: January 10, 2009, 11:41pm EST

  • Brambleton to Close for LRT Construction

    If you take the route, beware. Brambleton will close at I-264 on January 13th to make way for the Tide overpass. The construction requires use of multiple huge steel girders, some 4 1/2 ft tall and nearly 150 ft long. In fact they will be so large that their route [...]
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    Posted: January 08, 2009, 2:07am EST

  • Public Transportation Statistics

    The following statistics are taken from the American Public Transportation Association's passenger demographics report from May 2007. (These statistics may surprise you)

    Ethnicity:
    White: 40.6 %
    Black: 33.1 %
    Hispanic: 14.3 %
    Asian: 5.5 %
    Multiple/Other: 6.6 %

    Gender:
    Male: 45 %
    Female: 55 %

    Household' [...]
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    Posted: January 07, 2009, 9:49pm EST

  • Commonwealth Transportation Board Meeting

    Earlier, I attended the Commonwealth Transportation Board's meeting at the Regional Boardroom in Chesapeake. I was surprised, actually, because there was alot of regional support for expanding mass transportation. Not just from citizens, but from our elected representatives. Newport News Mayor Frank, the TDCHR, Norfolk Mayor's office representative Ann Odell, [...]
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    Posted: January 07, 2009, 9:08pm EST

  • Jordan Bridge Toll

    Lets get this straight. The HRMPO is questioning how the company that proposes to build a new Jordan Bridge plans to make money. They wonder if cars will even use it if is tolled at $2 a car. Why is this an issue. The current municipally controlled Jordan Bridge is [...]
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    Posted: January 04, 2009, 6:14pm EST

  • Regionalism it is

    For the past year, I have run a poll on the side of my blog. Finally, the results are in:
    The question: Would you support a unified Hampton Roads?
    The Results:
    -As a single city - 50%
    -As a collective government (i.e. NYC) - 28%
    -A region with collective services [...]
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    Posted: January 03, 2009, 4:09am EST

  • Tide Cost May Rise Again

    In case you hadn't heard, it has been proposed to move the Military Highway Station of the Tide to the East side of Military Highway versus its current location on the West side. The current location would be an ideal spot to serve the commercial park on Corporate Blvd. It' [...]
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    Posted: January 01, 2009, 6:00pm EST

  • Property Value Increase?

    We received our assessed value papers in the mail yesterday. It went up. Not just a little, a lot. We own 5 lots, 3 of which, the city told us were non-buildable, due to their proximity to the wetlands.
    Here are the numbers:
    Lot---------Previous Value-----Current Value-------Increase
    House: ----- 115,200 ---------- [...]
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    Posted: December 30, 2008, 3:15pm EST

  • Holiday Shopping Safety

    Recently, the Virginian Pilot reported a stabbing at Lynnhaven Mall. It was the result of an argument at school apparently it got continued at the Mall. Now, to me, Lynnhaven Mall seems like a safe mall. Whether that is due to a fact or a false perception due to lack [...]
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    Posted: December 24, 2008, 12:58am EST

  • A New Jordan Bridge?

    An investment group wants to build a new Jordan Bridge complete with a fixed span (aka no draw bridge) for $200 million LESS than the city said it could be done for, according to the Virginian-Pilot. The group includes Philip Schucet, a former VDOT commissioner who worked wonders on budgets [...]
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    Posted: December 24, 2008, 12:18am EST

  • Maybe We Can All Just Walk

    Re: State Plans $1.3 Billion reduction in Road Funds (Virginian Pilot. December 19, 2008)

    So far, this brings the total to $2.6 billion in cuts to transportation. Not just roads but ALL transportation activities. More are possible. They (Transportation Officials) say that this means that many projects will have [...]
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    Posted: December 21, 2008, 4:06pm EST

  • SPSA: To Trash or Recycle?

    SPSA's outlook is dismal. That is a fact. They have $240 million in debt, a $16 million shortfall, and dwindling income. Will this be the end to SPSA or the beginning of a new era? Hopefully, the latter. They need to manage the collection of waste' [...]
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    Posted: December 21, 2008, 3:54pm EST

  • Harbor Park to Make Modifications

    Harbor Park is set to spend $500,000 to move the right-field fence 20 feet and construct a party deck. Officials hope that this will increase the ability of the players to hit home runs. They say that the park has one of the farthest distances to the right-field fence. While [...]
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    Posted: December 17, 2008, 8:06pm EST

  • HRMPO

    This morning I sat through the MPO Committee meeting. It started promptly at 9:30 and last until quarter to Noon. Over an hour was spent listening to a consulting group give the 'Best Practices' results from their survey of a variety of national MPOs. While they came up with some [...]
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    Posted: December 15, 2008, 5:07pm EST

  • Congrats to VA Pilot, shame on Dougherty

    Usually, when I I read the paper, I enjoy the column of Kerry Dougherty. Likewise, I usually despise the Pilot's Op/Ed writers and have written them off as nut-jobs. Today, however, was different. The Pilot redeemed themselves in their op/ed, entitled "Choppy Waters for Norfolk's Tide." Dougherty, on the other [...]
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    Posted: December 14, 2008, 4:21pm EST

  • Virginia Beach Light Rail Study

    Progress is continuing on the Tide. The Virginian Pilot reports that the Hampton Roads Metropolitan Planning Organization has set aside half of the $3 million required for an in-depth study to explore the costs of expanding the light rail line all the way to the Beach and to the Norfolk [...]
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    Posted: December 13, 2008, 2:34pm EST

  • Security Threat?

    When reviewing my site stats, I came across an interesting visit. At first glance, I thought that maybe something fishy was going on the Homeland Security might want to know about:
    Upon further inspection, however, I learned that it came from a military installation (which still [...]
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    Posted: December 12, 2008, 2:50pm EST

  • Get back to work, VDOT

    On my previous post, I apologize. I spelled typical wrong. True, I just criticized VDOT for a spelling error while I made one myself. Just for a second, however, lets compare a few things. This project cost the taxpayers of Virginia $500,000. It was somebody's JOB to get that right. [...]
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    Posted: December 11, 2008, 5:30pm EST

  • VDOT at its best?

    Now that I have posted my review of the meeting, I have to say what I really wanted to say. These two public meetings were fairly high profile for VDOT. They would be under the spotlight and, considering this, I would think that they would be on their best behavior. [...]
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    Posted: December 11, 2008, 2:46am EST

  • HRBT Public Meeting: A Review

    I attended the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel Meeting on Wednesday. The meeting started with introductions from Dennis W. Heuer (VDOT Hampton Roads District Administrator), Pierce R. Homer (Virginia Secretary of Transportation), and Randy Boice (Project Manager). Mr. Boice gave very detailed, informative explanations of each alternative [...]
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    Posted: December 11, 2008, 2:20am EST

  • MPO's Weighted Votes; Good or Bad

    Re: Weighted votes could change cities' say in road projects (Virginian-Pilot. Dec. 8, 2008)

    While I can see the value of this in a rational setting, I still hold an objection. The purpose of the weighting, which I understand, is to give cities an equal footing in votes. [...]
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    Posted: December 08, 2008, 4:42pm EST

  • Charlotte Light Rail Model

    In the Pilot today, they published an article about the Charlotte, North Carolina Light Rail line. Charlotte's line had many problems to start with, similar to any major project, including Norfolk's. What interests me is that last year people said that Norfolk would have as many problems as Charlotte did. [...]
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    Posted: December 05, 2008, 5:51pm EST

  • HRBT Plan

    In case you havn't heard, an HRBT expansion plan is back in consideration. They had a public meeting yesterday and they will have another next Wednesday at 6 at Granby HS. There are multiple plans available, including converting both tunnels to run Westbound and constructing a suspension bridge to run [...]
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    Posted: December 04, 2008, 9:32am EST

  • Chesapeake Gun Buy-Back

    This is a terrible idea. There is absolutely no evidence that suggests gun buy-backs actually work. Also, wouldn't criminals be inclined to break into houses and steal more handguns, therefore leading to an increase in crime. this would be especially easy if any of them happen to still know who [...]
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    Posted: November 26, 2008, 6:01pm EST

  • Chesapeake to get new Police Cams

    Finally, somebody will actually be able to see what the Chesapeake Police are up to. This would certainly have been useful in the Frederick case. I am also sure that it would have led to many other cases, who's Plaintiffs would actually have more than their word vs the officer's [...]
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    Posted: November 26, 2008, 2:46pm EST

  • Recycle Hampton Roads

    In a recent report, Hampton Roads' recycling rate actually dropped over 2007's rate. The report attributes this to the closure of SPSA's yard-waste facility, a victim of NIMBY, although it was there first. In my opinion, the decrease could have been prevented if some cities stepped up their game. Norfolk [...]
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    Posted: November 26, 2008, 2:45pm EST

  • Local Money

    Chesapeake voted to allow the "Dominion Bike Path to Nowhere" plan, allowing the exhorberantly priced bike path to be built into the bridge. This bridge could be done another way. I had an idea of a zig-zag style ramp to get up to cross the water, allowing the rest of [...]
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    Posted: November 26, 2008, 2:45pm EST

  • Virginia Beach to object to Uranium mine

    While to find fault with their argument about hurricanes hitting the near-Appalachian region with force, I do support their objections. Nuclear Power is the dirtiest power source imaginable. While proponents of it disagree, I stand by my assertion due to the fact that while coal residue settles eventually or gets [...]
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    Posted: November 26, 2008, 2:43pm EST

  • AIG - Its about time

    AIG or American International Group, Inc, announced that it will pay its top executives $1 per year for this year and 2009. In turn, the executives will receive and an unspecified amount of stock. There will be no bonuses at all for the year-end of 2008 and no salary increases [...]
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    Posted: November 26, 2008, 2:42pm EST

  • Good Job Dollar Tree

    Dollar Tree, a Hampton Roads native, reported a healthy 20% growth in profits. Not only is this a great thing, economy considered, but I have to commend them for the variety they have kept at only $1. A couple years ago, a friend of mine told me that he thought [...]
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    Posted: November 26, 2008, 2:41pm EST

  • Jordan Bridge Irony

    Who exactly supported this?
    [...]
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    Posted: November 25, 2008, 11:30pm EST

  • RIP: Kirn Memorial Library

    Kirn Memorial Library will close on Sunday forever. It will be torn down and relocated to the Seaboard Center, a block away. There, they will construct a new $50 million library. Although it is not my plan or idea, which would have built the library ON TOP OF the Light [...]
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    Posted: November 24, 2008, 5:08pm EST

  • Banks: Call it like it is

    I took this picture yesterday Downtown of the SunTrust Building. I think they decided to call it like it is and publicly announce the reason for our current financial crisis:
    I think they got it right...
    [...]
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    Posted: November 23, 2008, 12:57pm EST

  • Energy Alternatives Open House - VB

    Virginia Beach is looking for input about the future of energy production in Virginia Beach. They will have a variety of speakers on alternative energies. I am not sure what say they think they have in off-shore drilling though. As for the alternatives, in my opinion, I think they should [...]
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    Posted: November 20, 2008, 3:28pm EST

  • Great Idea, Wrong Time

    Re: "Norfolk to purchase Berkley land for residential growth" Virginian-Pilot. November 19, 2008.

    Purchasing this land to reserve for residential is a great idea. Maybe they already have a program in place to purchase land for this. Wait, they do. Its called GEM and to date, it hasn't [...]
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    Posted: November 20, 2008, 3:12pm EST

  • Take their kidneys too...

    Re: "Virginia Beach faces record $81.2 million budget shortfall" and "Proposal asks taxpayers to foot more of Town Center bill." Virginian-Pilot. November 19, 2008.

    The City of Virginia Beach is forecasting an $81 million-plus deficit. What is the only plan on the table? Add $56.4 million to [...]
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    Posted: November 19, 2008, 11:56pm EST

  • Unneeded LRT Improvements

    Re: "Norfolk Light Rail" Virginian-Pilot, November 17, 2008

    So, apparently, the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation wants Norfolk to add $7 million worth of upgrades to the Light Rail System. If they are truly needed then Norfolk should go for it. Norfolk is contractually obligated to pay [...]
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    Posted: November 17, 2008, 8:16pm EST

  • Private Solution to a Public Problem

    Virginian Pilot Photo

    Re: "Tunnels Proposal" Virginian-Pilot November 14, 2008
    I support this concept. I actually posted a plan similar to this one on Virginia's Ideas website. The state has refused to grant money to the area to fix the problems at hand. We, as [...]
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    Posted: November 17, 2008, 7:48pm EST

  • HRT, Light Rail, and VA Pilot readers

    Recently, The Virginian-Pilot posted a story, $10.9 million contract awarded for light-rail facility near NSU. In reading the comments at the bottom of the page submitted by readers, I have come to realize that the majority of readers of comment are horribly skewed in their views and apparently have [...]
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    Posted: November 07, 2008, 6:48pm EST

  • Jordan Bridge Closing: Are you affected?

    I know that there are many of us out there that will be directly or indirectly (such as myself) affected by the closing of the Jordan Bridge. If there is anybody that will be directly affected by the bridge's closing, please contact me at 757hamptonroads[at]live.com I have been asked [...]
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    Posted: November 06, 2008, 9:40am EST

  • Manufactured Lines

    I got up early and went to the polls. I got there at six AM sharp. There was already a 2-hour line. So I waited for 2 hours thinking. I came to a realization that these lines were completely manufactured by the media. We were told that there would be [...]
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    Posted: November 04, 2008, 6:07pm EST

  • Election Apparel

    You should be happy to know that I showed up at the polls today with my Libertarian Party T-Shirt and my Bob Barr button and I was not even questioned. I am not sure if I should take this as a sign of logic from the poll workers or an [...]
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    Posted: November 04, 2008, 5:58pm EST

  • Hoola Hoop Lady Justice


    Here is the video of the Police Officer tasering the woman commonly know as the "Hoola Hoop Lady." It is apparent that she has done nothing wrong in the video and that the cop was acting incredibly out of line. Not only should the officer loose his job, pay, [...]
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    Posted: November 04, 2008, 5:38pm EST

  • Jordan Bridge Closing: Are you affected?

    I know that there are many of us out there that will be directly or indirectly (such as myself) affected by the closing of the Jordan Bridge. If there is anybody that will be directly affected by the bridge's closing, please contact me at 757hamptonroads[at]live.com I have been asked [...]
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    Posted: November 04, 2008, 5:32pm EST

  • Police Oversight

    Norfolk's police seem to be arresting people that make people feel uncomfortable but that don't actually break any laws. Chesapeake's Police allegedly seem to utilize criminals and theft to manufacture cases against people who's only crime is self-defense and a minute amount of reefer. Now, Virginia Beach's Police are using [...]
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    Posted: November 03, 2008, 2:59pm EST

  • In Memory: D. W. "Si" Simons


    Taken from the Virginian-Pilot, 27 October 2008: D.W. Simons VIRGINIA BEACH - Donald W. "Si" Simons, 80, of Atlantic Shores in Virginia Beach, formerly of Hudson, Mich., a veteran Scouter and retired military officer, passed away Oct. 24, 2008. Capt. Simons was a decorated Korean [...]
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    Posted: October 30, 2008, 1:02am EDT

  • Regional Gangs Part 2

    In a recent trip in Chesapeake, I ran into another cache of graffiti. This one however did not appear to be gang-related. You may find that as a positive sign, but I beg to differ. Instead of gang-related signs, that tend to be pro-gang-on-gang violence, this was a general hate [...]
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    Posted: October 27, 2008, 5:14pm EDT

  • I've made my decision of voting

    I have had my mind made up for months. I know that normally, I reserve this blog for anything that directly effects Hampton Roads. This election, however, will effect our region, which is why I am writing my endorsement.I am voting Libertarian this election for both President and Senate. In [...]
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    Posted: October 26, 2008, 5:25pm EDT

  • Virginian Pilot - Terrible Voting Guide

    Not only was the front page of the Virginian Pilot's Voter guide an outright lie, it was also the worst voter guide ever printed. It was a terrible waste of paper. The front page in big, bold words proclaimed:
    First, a basic lesson in American Politics. [...]
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    Posted: October 26, 2008, 1:14pm EDT

  • No Child Left Behind?

    I have always despised the No Child Left Behind Act. I also never liked posting federal-type issues here unless I can find a specific example to tie it in to our region. I think I've found it. While in the course of substituting in an area school system (hint: not [...]
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    Posted: October 25, 2008, 12:15am EDT

  • Wasteful VDOT

    At a time when Virginia is facing a huge deficit and huge budget cuts, VDOT is still wasting their money. Old Dominion University is closing its Northern Virginia Higher Education Center in the Spring. William & Mary is canceling its annual Ocean & Earth Sciences Trip. This is all because [...]
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    Posted: October 21, 2008, 10:15am EDT

  • Non-Drivers in Hampton Roads

    Last Wednesday, the HRMPO released a report on non-drivers in Hampton Roads. I think that it would be a great resource for promoting better transportation spending in places like Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, and even Norfolk. Most regard Norfolk as having the best service from HRT. The buses are plentiful, run [...]
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    Posted: October 20, 2008, 2:23pm EDT

  • HRMPO Meeting Last Thursday

    Overall, the HRMPO went very well. Everyone who was anyone in transportation was there. Representatives from Hampton Roads Transit, Williamsburg Area Transit, VDOT, etc. In my opinion, the best speaker was Michael Townes, President & CEO of HRT. He said that that now is the time for regional mass transportation [...]
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    Posted: October 20, 2008, 1:24pm EDT

  • Hampton Roads Regional Bridge Study

    For anyone who might be concerned about the safety of our bridges, I found it interesting to review the Hampton Roads Regional Bridge Study, put out last month by the Metropolitan Planning Organization. It has everything you need to be informed. It even has the elusive 'sufficiency ratings' that we [...]
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    Posted: October 13, 2008, 11:24pm EDT

  • For those curious

    For those of you who have been curious as to why my regular posting seemed to have suddenly dropped off, it was because recently, I have been battling Verizon. There is a utility bridge at the end of my street. For those of you that aren't sure what that is, [...]
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    Posted: October 13, 2008, 8:54pm EDT

  • Hampton Roads Transit Plan

    I received an email on the 10th from the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission alerting me of a Public Informational Meeting on "A Transit Vision Plan for Hampton Roads" Here is the meat of the email:

    Normal false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ [...]
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    Posted: October 13, 2008, 5:30pm EDT

  • Norfolk: Read the law before you enforce it

    How many times will the Norfolk police detain/arrest someone for something that is not illegal. The Virginia Citizen's Defense League is going to City Council again to protest the way they have been treated. They allege that their members have been repeatedly stopped by police for no reason other than [...]
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    Posted: October 05, 2008, 12:35pm EDT

  • With or without a zero, they'll still fail

    RE:For some schools, using zero scores doesn't add up

    If a student has a legitimate excuse, then fine, give them another chance. If a student just doesn't want to work, then fail them. The teacher should then contact the parents and let them know [...]
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    Posted: October 05, 2008, 11:45am EDT

  • Gangs in Hampton Roads

    Today in the Virginian Pilot, they had an article about gangs in Norfolk and Portsmouth. They talk about violence in the high schools in Norfolk and Portsmouth. Yes, gangs are a problem in Norfolk and Portsmouth. We are, however, working on fixing the problem. We have multiple programs to fight [...]
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    Posted: October 01, 2008, 7:26pm EDT

  • Norfolk City Council vs. HRT

    Recently, the Virginian-Pilot has released two articles about Norfolk City Council's current sentiment towards HRT. I was hoping to have posted my story earlier. I was at the city council meeting last week when Mayor Fraim called HRT's lack of communication 'arrogant' and 'not acceptable.' In my opinion, this is [...]
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    Posted: September 30, 2008, 9:05am EDT

  • New fancy Chopper for the Beach


    So, Virginia Beach just bought a brand new helicopter for the Police department. They claim that it is for fighting crime, expediting medical airlift for the southern area of Virginia Beach (both commendable objectives), and promoting business growth. The last objective, I kind of take [...]
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    Posted: September 18, 2008, 4:47pm EDT

  • Bridges - Interesting

    Remember all that jazz about the bridge sufficiency ratings? Big headlines in the paper, then all of a sudden they disappeared due to a security risk that might be present in disclosing the ratings... Well, they are still here and you can find the all online for the state of [...]
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    Posted: September 18, 2008, 3:42pm EDT

  • Chesapeake School Security - LobbyGuard

    This is not a good idea. It just isn't. The idea of having every parent scan in their ID is ludicrous. Right now they only check it with Sex Offender list. What happens next? Do they add in the outstanding warrant list? The past due taxes list? The past due [...]
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    Posted: September 18, 2008, 9:33am EDT

  • Bridges

    Why is it that most of our bridges that were built in the 1930s and 40s are becoming deficient and there is no money to fix them? Its not like all of a sudden we woke up one morning and *gasp* all of a sudden this bridge is 75 years [...]
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    Posted: September 18, 2008, 9:06am EDT

  • Chesapeake - Bottleneck Planned?

    I looking at the master transportation plan for the previous post, I noticed that Chesapeake actually has a bottleneck planned. Its hard to see from this image but if you click on it and go to page four of the document you can see it better:
    [...]
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    Posted: September 17, 2008, 10:48am EDT

  • The Southeastern Parkway

    I am here to clarify why I am against the Southeastern Parkway.
    First, this has been 'in planning' for nearly 30 years. 30 years ago it was no more than a pipe dream allegedly created to ease future congestion. Great, that sounds like logical planning. Then, however, the city decided [...]
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    Posted: September 17, 2008, 10:00am EDT

  • Good Job Norfolk, Newport News!

    Congratulations to Norfolk and Newport News for being named on the list of Playful Cities. Although I could not find information about Norfolk, I did find the reason Newport News was named. Taken right from the KaBoom! website:
    The Play Committee in Newport News, Va. is working with [...]
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    Posted: September 17, 2008, 9:46am EDT

  • Virginia Beach Open House on Transit

    Overall, I was impressed by the Virginia Beach Open House on Transit. With the exception of still having the Southeastern Parkway on the plan, Everything else seemed very logical. They have acknowledged the fact that the bus system in Virginia Beach is terrible. The city staff seem to be actually [...]
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    Posted: September 16, 2008, 11:23pm EDT

  • Virginian Pilot Editors

    I really have to wonder if the Virginian Pilot editors really know what their job is. Take this article for example. I will copy the entire article here in case they remove it from their site.

    POLICE SAY COLLEGE PARK DOUBLE SHOOTING MAY BE GANG RELATED

    [...]
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    Posted: September 14, 2008, 1:30am EDT

  • Planned Mass Transit

    Surprisingly, even though Chesapeake and Virginia Beach have shunned the concept of mass transit in the past, they both have transit plans in their Comprehensive Plan. Virginia Beach's, of course, includes the current Norfolk Southern line all the way to Birdneck Rd. Chesapeake's, which intrigued me, includes two rail lines [...]
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    Posted: September 13, 2008, 10:32am EDT

  • Amazing

    Just had to put this video on here. It is the security camera that caught the Maxima trying to jump the Gilmerton Bridge and missing. No particular reason or thoughts on it, just funny.Push play and watch the whole thing

    [...]
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    Posted: September 11, 2008, 9:46am EDT

  • Ryan Frederick

    I really don't like stories where the police seem like the bad guys. Most of them are excellent cops that do excellent things. Occasionally, however, you get a few (or a department) that seems to think with something other than their heads. Case in point: City of Chesapeake V. Ryan [...]
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    Posted: September 11, 2008, 12:34am EDT

  • Good Job VA Beach

    RE: "Plan's Goal: Students as Critical Thinkers" Virginian Pilot - 10 Sept

    Kudos to Virginia Beach Public Schools. They are actually admitting that all the state SOLs are good for is minimum standard. Passing the SOLs does not actually mean that you are top of your class. They [...]
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    Posted: September 10, 2008, 5:52pm EDT

  • Bay Oaks Park

    Finally, the end may be here. After years of fights, hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars spent fighting against the taxpayers; a solution is in sight. The city has proposed cutting the property in half. The west half will become park and the east half will be houses. This seems [...]
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    Posted: September 10, 2008, 5:35pm EDT

  • One More building

    At Tuesday's City Council Meeting , the council approved a new project for the Fort Norfolk section of the city, across from the Medical Complex. This building is going to be a great addition to that area. The Fort Norfolk area is PRIME real estate right now, and I am [...]
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    Posted: September 10, 2008, 4:44pm EDT

  • The end of Suburbia?

    Could it be? The end of Suburbia in Virginia Beach? The Virginian pilot reports that since the number of available acres for development is decreasing in the city's North half, the city's planning department is being forced to rethink there future. They say that there is a greater chance of [...]
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    Posted: September 07, 2008, 7:09pm EDT

  • Chesapeake Trial

    Usually it is the defendant that wants a trial moved for a less biased jurisdiction, not the prosecution. If trials were moved merely because the crime has gotten the attention of the press, it would get out of hand quick. The only reason that it got the attention that it [...]
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    Posted: September 03, 2008, 4:58pm EDT

  • Speaking of Towers...

    According to the Virginian Pilot, the Granby tower developer Buddy Gadams is still looking for financing and has not given up. Unfortunately, until financing is secured, the lot will remain vacant. Since this is the case, the city is going to make Gadams clean up the lot and reopen the [...]
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    Posted: September 03, 2008, 4:45pm EDT

  • Hot off the Press!

    I emailed the city about the Norfolk Hotel and Conference Center project and here is the reply:

    Normal false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; [...]
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    Posted: September 03, 2008, 4:42pm EDT

  • Is it a Hilton? or a Westin? ... Or NOT

    It started back in 2004. The City of Norfolk Spent $9.3 million to acquire three properties to make way for the Hilton Conference Center downtown. This was supposed to be the best thing since sliced bread. Expensive sliced bread. When you add the $7.5 million subsidy, the project would cost [...]
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    Posted: August 27, 2008, 10:13pm EDT

  • BE THERE! - Open House on Transit

    On the back page of the Hampton Roads section today is the "Virginia Beach City Page." In the bottom right corner is an important announcement.

    \/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/
    Open House on Mass Transit Options

    How do you want to move around the city? By Car? Light rail? Bus?

    Please [...]
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    Posted: August 27, 2008, 1:51pm EDT

  • Virginian Pilot - Fact?

    Re: "Norfolk City Council revises ban on public cursing", 20 August 2008

    "The City Council voted 7-1 on Tuesday to revise an ordinance that made cursing in public a crime. A nearly identical statute in Virginia Beach was ruled unconstitutional nearly two decades ago by the Virginia Court [...]
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    Posted: August 27, 2008, 1:41pm EDT

  • Say again?

    Vista for a view? 26 Aug 2008 - VA Pilot - Pilot Warrior
    [Reader Tim Marshall asked about the trees and brush being cleared in the Interstate 464 median, near Military Highway. “Clearcutting,” he called it.
    “If there is a good reason for this, I can reluctantly accept [...]
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    Posted: August 26, 2008, 10:05am EDT

  • Who's going to Disney World?

    The entire policy against theme parks is ridiculous. First, Chesapeake claimed safety reasons for the rule. Then they tell the parents that the trip needs to be more educational. First off, the way most schools perform with these SubStandards of Learning, the trip is probably already MORE educational than the [...]
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    Posted: August 26, 2008, 9:16am EDT

  • Back to School

    Its that time of year again. I'm back to school (this time at ODU) and I'm ready to start talking about HRT, Virginia Beach and said parties' bus routes. I am attempting to go the entire semester without paying for parking at ODU. I feel that the $98 semester parking [...]
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    Posted: August 25, 2008, 9:33pm EDT

  • Final Thought on the Jordan Bridge

    I have talked to the City of Chesapeake and they have said that they can not keep the bridge open for bicycles. They did, however, tell me that they would consider a water taxi/ferry plan for bicycles and pedestrians. They would also look into creating a park and ride system [...]
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    Posted: August 24, 2008, 10:03pm EDT

  • Jordan Bridge Thoughts

    Let’s assume for a moment that the Jordan Bridge is closed. This would leave an estimated 7,000 cars a day to find an alternate route. 4,000 of these are estimated to use the Gilmerton as their backup. In the paper today, they interviewed a man that rode his bike to [...]
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    Posted: August 21, 2008, 9:02am EDT

  • VA Beach's Pembroke Plan

    RE: "Plan would massively expand traffic options" VA Pilot 8/20/08

    This plan almost sounds like someone actually thinking. They want to realign their roads to a grid-type system. Included in this is a plan to put part of Independence Blvd underground. I think they should put VA Beach Blvd [...]
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    Posted: August 20, 2008, 1:43pm EDT

  • Jordan Bridge Closing

    Yet one more example of what happens when officials spend more time on other things. For example, the development RIGHT down the road, called SoNo (or SoCo, referencing what the City Councils been drinking). Regardless, the article in the Virginian Pilot says that the city will explore the possibility of [...]
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    Posted: August 20, 2008, 1:20pm EDT

  • HRT - Drivers need to pay attention, follow directions

    So I arrive at the Cedar Grove lot today at about 3:30 PM to find the #20 running into the #962 MAX. Yes, actually running INTO it. Apparently other buses up further in the line had not pulled up as they should, which left the #962 hanging out in the [...]
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    Posted: August 19, 2008, 8:58pm EDT

  • I'm back!

    Just to let everyone know: I am back. I have my college stuff squared away for now and I am back to my semi-regular schedule. I will start substitute teaching this fall. That should be fun. Anywho, my first post back is of course about light rail. The day after [...]
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    Posted: August 18, 2008, 1:27am EDT
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