Ocean Park showed its love for America and for our neighborhood in 4th of July holiday celebrations!

We started off with the Parade on the morning of the 4th of July! Thank you to all who joined in and all who cheered them on! Thank you to President Danny Murphy who wrangled the thorny permit issue. And to our Uncle Sam-Shane Abell directing traffic and our Lead Start car- Jill Doczi and her son and Zoe Ermen! Thank you to Lauren Harrington and her sons Ethan and Charlie who provided icy treats on a hot morning! Thank you to Kevin O’Hara, photographer extraordinaire, who took amazing photos of the parade and those who watched! Thank you to donors who helped fund the permit costs!

Please support this organization if you live in Ocean Park: only $20 for 2024 membership in the Ocean Park Civic League. Making the fireworks happen is one project every year (which is not put on solely by the civic league but it plays a key role). The Ocean Park Civic League works hard to put on fun activities throughout the year that bring our neighborhood together: Fireworks, Chili Cookoff, Spring Fling, Fall Fest, Easter Egg Hunt, Holiday Party, Movie Nights on the Beach, Wine tastings and there seems to always be something new! In addition, the civic league stays on top of the issues affecting the neighborhood, gives out scholarships, supports Lynnhaven River Now and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. Your $20 membership matters! Join or Renew today if you live in Ocean Park! Thank you!!

From our fireworks Wizard- Jill Doczi: “We don’t have no black cats, no Roman candles, or screaming Mimi’s. We’ve got no lady fingers, fuzz buttles, snicker bombs, church burners, finger blasters, gut busters, zippity do das or crap flappers? I’m telling you we don’t have no whistlin’ bungholes, no spleen splitters, whisker biscuits, honkey lighters, hoosker doos, hoosker don’ts, cherry bombs, nipsy daisers, with or without the scooter stick, or one single whistlin’ kitty chaser.

We have

107 3 inch shells
382 4 inch shells
219 5 inch shells
74 6 inch shells
14 8 inch shells

because this isn’t snakes and sparklers.
This is a REAL show.

If you were having friends and family over on the Fourth and went to South of the Border to get some illegal fireworks like those mentioned above, your time, gas and product would cost more than $25. Look at the value you’re getting — plus you won’t set your cul de sac on fire or lose a finger! This only happens because of individual donations. If every household in Ocean Park donated $25 we’d have more than enough. BARGAIN”. Please donate!

Make plans to decorate yourself, your dogs, beach carts, skateboards, scooters, bicycles, etc. and join the community for a patriotic celebration of our country’s independence. The July 4th Ocean Park parade will start at 10:00 on July 4th at the Surry – Albermarle intersection. We will start lining up at 9:30! Look for Uncle Sam to give directions!

We have a generous donation of popsicles for all participating children from Lauren Harrington to be given out at the end of the parade! Thank you Lauren!

A word of caution: Ocean Park is not an approved golf cart community so only DMV licensed golf carts driven by licensed drivers are legal: use your own judgement about participating if you are not street legal. Ocean Park is not a designated golf cart community

Stop by- hear the latest about the Baptist Church Project, give your input. We will have the details about the July 4th parade and some fun Fireworks stories to tell! Some crazy stuff! As always 7:00 pm at the Brock. Join us on Zoom!

The committee formed by the Ocean Park Civic League has postponed meeting to review the rezoning and Conditional Use Permit (CUP) application for Assembly Use of the Ocean Park Baptist Church. The project will go before the Planning Commission on August 14 so the committee will meet closer to that time to be certain they have the latest information. Last week Mr. Dubay presented the project to the Bayfront Advisory Commission. He addressed known concerns: hours of operation, noise/parking/traffic management strategies, and the proffers that have been volunteered for the Conditional Rezoning. If there are other concerns that the committee should consider, please contact President Danny Murphy.

On a warm Tuesday evening, Derek and Hayden Dubay presented information about their OP Baptist Church restoration project at an Open House Meeting held at the church with the Church Trustees in attendance. The DuBays presented additional information about parking, noise, the constraints they will put in place on the events to be held there and also provided more background about why they undertook this project. They related their efforts to find a church or a school that could operate under current zoning but for most cost would be prohibitive. Since that option is not viable, they are planning a small event venue. The meeting was well attended and many concerns were voiced and discussed.

Many people aren’t aware of just how much is involved in making the fireworks happen. (99% is done by Jill Doczi-our Fireworks Wizard). Here is a list of what has to happen:

• United States Coast Guard permit
• Virginia Beach Fire Marshal permit
• Virginia Beach Special Events permit
• Secure contract with approved pyrotechnic company
• Locate and secure contract for a barge
• Locate and secure contract for a tug
• Part of the special event permit requires you notify and/or make arrangements with fire marshal’s office, rescue, third precinct (including traffic and marine police).
• Permit requires you provide notice to all neighbors and show proof of how that was accomplished. (Fliers, email, social media, etc.)
• Permit requires proof of insurance.
• Permit requires a description of a trash plan, a parking plan, an increment weather plan and an emergency aid plan.
• Fielding questions from the general public. Monitor social media to correct misconceptions.
• Contacting all major news outlets to remind them this is a neighborhood event not a city funded event to be advertised to the general public as another option to Mount Trashmore or the Oceanfront
• Permit requires an evacuation plan.
• Order up-to-date signage announcing the event for each beach access and place/retrieve signs the day of the event.
• AND everything involved in getting donations:
  -Order fundraising envelopes.
  -Print and hand cut the small informational fliers for the envelopes. Stuff and count the envelopes for each street.
  -Organize volunteers for each street to distribute envelopes.
  -Utilize social media to encourage donations and keep the community up to date about the event.

Please donate today!