• Experts recommend never digging a hole deeper than the knee height of the shortest person in your group – with 2 feet being the maximum depth.
• When either the sand forming the hole dries out or someone stands near the edge of the hole, adding extra weight, the sand hole collapses in, and the heavy grains fill all open spaces in the hole. This leaves no air available for a trapped person to breathe.
• While skiers trapped in avalanches can cup their hands to form an air pocket because snow is light, but that’s not the case when sand collapses.

After much nail biting about the weather outlook for the July 6 Firework Show, our Fireworks Wizard Jill Doczi was again proven right- the only constant about our weather is its unpredictability! It was a beautiful show BEST EVER (we say that every year). The whole community joins in thanking Jill for all she does to make it happen: permits, barge/tug shopping, envelope distribution and paperwork paperwork paperwork! (see earlier post: What Does it Take-list too long!) . Thank you to all who helped stuff those mailbox flags: every street-every house; to the civic league for handling the money and getting the word out and to a wonderful audience who behave and clean up!

THANK YOU TO ALL WHO DONATE ! (it’s not too late!). This show is paid for one dollar at a time with contributions by so many- big and small! Thank you neighbors and visitors! Thank you also to Westminster-Canterbury on the Chesapeake Bay for their generous donation this year.

Thank you also to Virginia Beach Police Department for providing traffic safety to those crossing Shore Drive! Thank you to the Virginia Beach Special Events Office– Zack our new best friend!

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!