A Virginia Beach Neighborhood Association Founded in 1944
Piling Day might be called the unofficial start of summer in Ocean Park usually in the beginning of May when the sun first sets over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge pilings and the season of beautiful sunsets over the bay waters begins. Folks gather in the evenings to see the beauty unfold. This year Piling Day is May 4th! Sun will set at 7:56 pm! Come see!
These stunning photographs are contributed by Chris Giersch. Thank you Chris for sharing them!
If you are new to Ocean Park, you are in for a treat! It’s a spectacular show right here on our beach! This event is funded solely through contributions. The civic league undertakes the work of making it happen (thank you Jill Doczi! And other volunteers) but the civic leagues ( Ocean Park and Baylake Pines) can’t fund it with their small budgets. It is funded by those of us who love and enjoy it. No monies collected for fireworks go to the civic leagues- All money collected in the Fireworks Fund is spent on the fireworks shows only. The residents and visitors make this neighborhood event happen for our community as a neighborhood (not city wide) event. The cost of the show this year is up 20% and your donations are the key so let’s make this happen!!! Go to opcl.org/aboutopcl/fireworks.
We have noticed some email addresses on our contact list are no longer valid. If you have stopped using the email you signed up with, you won’t get the Tuesday updates. Sign up here with your new address!
You can pay your 2023 OPCL Membership Dues and pick up your 2023 sticker! Pay your dues with PayPal or with a credit card in CheddarUp!
We have new sky blue hoodies in sizes L, XL and 2XL! They are $40. Also new are long sleeve t-shirts in sky blue and light gray ($25) in sizes Med.- 2XL. Contact communication@opcl.org. Free delivery! You can pay for your shirts/hoodies by credit card here: my.cheddarup.com/c/ocean-park-t-shirts-sweatshirts cart. We have limited availability of short sleeve shirts-contact communication@opcl.org.
We also have short sleeve t shirts and athletic gray hoodies!
If you receive this email that looks like it is from Danny Murphy, president of OPCL please delete! It is a scam email .
We have new sky blue hoodies in sizes L, XL and 2XL! They are $40. Also new are long sleeve t-shirts in sky blue and light gray ($25) in sizes Med.- 2XL. Contact communication@opcl.org. Free delivery! You can pay for your shirts/hoodies by credit card here: my.cheddarup.com/c/ocean-park-t-shirts-sweatshirts cart. We have limited availability of short sleeve shirts-contact communication@opcl.org.
We also have short sleeve t shirts and athletic gray hoodies!
The OPCL 2023 membership sticker will feature a beautiful Piling Day photograph by Kevin O’Hara! You can pay your $20 dues here opcl.org/aboutopcl/joinopcl/ and receive your membership sticker at our next meeting on March 9th, 7:00 pm at the Brock Center. (Or you can send your address to communication@opcl.org and we’ll drop it off in your mailbox). Thank you Kevin O’Hara for contributing the beautiful photograph of Piling Day on our sticker!
Here’s a message from Mary Ellen Faust: “ I am always amazed at the people who come out to volunteer for the OPCL cleanups for OUR Adopt-A-Spot, Pleasure House Point Natural Area. Especially on a day like today with temperatures in the 30’s! Today more than 200 pounds of refuse were removed with the help of 18 volunteers! Ashley and Levy, her lovely lab, were first out! Our civic league president, Danny Murphy, didn’t just show up, he was out there for the full three hours, wading out in the water and in the reeds, making drops and going back out for more!! Tetsuo O. and Debbie Cohen (pictured below) came early, too! Thanks to Liz Janney, Joshua, Anita and Savannah Montgomery, Merle Younkin, Michael Pearman (dragged out a pickup truck tailgate!), Dave Fortier (working the creeks!), Kevin and Sayer Davis brought more car parts and “stuff” (overachievers!), Laura Hugings and Christina Miller (came for a walk and joined right in!), Chrissy Mason and Georgia Pitrone!! If I left anyone off, apologies, however, considering that I had little hope that ANYONE would even show, I was truly overwhelmed by the support!! Thanks again you lovely people!!”
The Bayfront Advisory Commission met on Thursday, February 16th at the Ocean Park Volunteer Rescue Squad. At the meeting Mr. Dan Adams gave several updates on sand replenishment along the bay and about the dune grass planting: “A contract is being prepared for dune grass and sand fence installation as follow on to compliment the beach restoration work completed last spring. This work will occur in March. The next placement and source of sand for Ocean Park will most likely be the next cycle of dredging of the Lynnhaven Federal channel in 3-4 years. Method of sand transport is hydraulic(pipeline).”
Highlights from the January BAC meeting:
“CHAIR’S REPORT:
Mr. Davenport also welcomed Councilman Chris Taylor of District 8 and Councilman Joash Schulman of District 9. After the introductions, Mr. Davenport reviewed the BAC Strategic Priorities document for FY 2021 and 2022. Mr. Schulman added that he will push for funding in the budget for the Shore Drive Corridor Plan update and will stress the implementation of the Shore Drive Phase III & IV CIP projects. Mr. Taylor discussed the possibility of using TIP funds on improvements to Shore Drive. Other priorities discussed included the regulation of density in the Shore Drive Corridor, sand replenishment, crosswalks and other pedestrian safety measures on Shore Drive, and affordable housing.“
From President Danny Murphy: A huge thank you to everyone who attended and especially to the gang of cooks! You are all winners! We’d also like to thank Branan and the Ocean Park Volunteer Rescue Squad staff, for offering their space and their help with the event! Big thanks to Jim Andersen and all the Tidewater Bluegrass Music Association musicians who gave us awesome music for the evening! Thank you to Officer Wroblewski for his update on recent events in the neighborhood and to Councilman Joash Schulman for coming out to visit with us. A big thanks is owed to the members of the OPCL Board: Shane Abell, Christy Allen, Jill Doczi, Andrea Lindemann, Blake Norris, and Brian Snyder and to the Social Committee: Jenny Snyder, Natalie McIntyre, Jay Montgomery, Christy Allen, Joanne Lapin Parker et al for making the event such a success! Bravo! Thank you to all the volunteers who helped set up and clean up! Thanks also to Tim Lindemann , the fire pit captain and to Betty Dierstein, former secretary and prize fabricator-the aprons are great!
Ocean Park Civic League 