So many people to thank for the great time at the OPCL Fall Fest! Thank you to the Brock Center for their support and partnership as they provide a beautiful venue for this event and our monthly meetings. HUGE thanks to the volunteers who made the event happen: first and foremost Joanne Lappin Parker who kept 100 balls in the air to bring it all together!

Kudos to Jenny Snyder and Natalie McIntyre for lassoing great raffle prizes donated by local businesses. Jenny is also our Instagram artist keeping us up to date! Thank you to our generous sponsors who donated our raffle prizes!

Thank you to the volunteers who set up, manned the bar, food, t-shirt and raffle tables: Dave and Maribeth Gamble, Jennifer Jackson, Anita and Josh Montgomery, Tim Lindemann, Karen Urban, Merle Younkin, Chris Lewis, Jason and Margaret Cascio (Peggy wins BEST face paint! And led the children’s costume parade!) Janna Gentler, Christy Allen, Blake Norris, Betty Dierstein, Brian Snyder and Debbie Cohen! Thank you to the Membership volunteers: Shane Abell, Sharon Grossman, Andrea Lindemann, Jill and Dan Speasmaker! Cookie bakers: Patsy Hassell-Garris and Charlene Cerza!

Thank you to our president and oysterman: Danny Murphy- also chef of the smoked jackfruit bbq!

At the Tuesday, October 18 meeting City Council Meeting, City Councilman John Moss thanked President Danny Murphy, Todd Solomon and Public Works Director Mr. Hansen for working toward a solution that would address residents’ concerns about private use of the Transfer Station.

The ordinance to allow private use of the Lynnhaven Transfer Station was passed. A number of people spoke in favor including a group of 17 neighbors on Crab Creek who have gotten together to pay for the dredging of Crab Creek. In addition to the boating access, they describe how silted in the area has become noting the impact also on wildlife and the marshes. The contractor who will do the work also spoke noting that using the Thalia Transfer station adds almost 30% to the cost of dredging and the use of much more fuel since it is much farther away.

Thank you to President Danny Murphy who pushed for these guidelines! And also thanks to all who helped put them in place including Councilman John Moss, Council Member Delceno Miles, Mr. Hansen and Mr. Solomon.

We have 10 new yard signs that we would like to distribute around the neighborhood to be put out the week before our monthly meetings to remind residents of the OPCL meeting. If you live near a spot that gets a lot of passersby and would be willing to put a sign out once a month, the week before the Ocean Park Civic League meeting, and then take it down and store it-let us know! Write to president@opcl.org or communication@opcl.org.

Thursday night’s Ocean Park Civic League meeting welcomed several guests and offered neighbors the chance to visit and also ask questions of the speakers. City Council District 9 Candidate TJ Morgan introduced himself and followed up with a question period. Delceno Miles is the new City Council Member filling Louis Jones’ seat. She introduced herself and talked about her priorities for the next months. Residents also had questions for her. One question regarded a land purchase by the McLesky company that will be coming before the city council. Council Member Miles gave her assurance that she would pay close attention to the details forthcoming in the City Council Friday Packet and provide followup. Residents also voiced concerns about long time lack of promised infrastructure improvements in Ocean Park. Ms. Miles said she was committed to listening and looking into all concerns.

Several issues were addressed in the business portion of the meeting: the Lynnhaven Wharf/Crab Creek Dredge Transfer Station changes proposed by the city and the suggested operating parameters we support , Lynnhaven Boat Ramp Safety Issues and Ocean Park beach access plans. Minutes of the September 15th meeting: September General Meeting Minutes

The Thursday meeting was also broadcast over Zoom with enhanced audio and a different video strategy. We are happy to report that folks listening in via Zoom saw and heard a big improvement! Coming in person is still best but it’s certainly a great alternative if you want the latest but can’t get to the meeting. Southside OPCL Board rep Brian Snyder followed the Thursday meeting on Zoom: “Thanks for offering the option to listen to the OPCL meeting through Zoom. With our young children, it’s not easy to attend in person but glad to have the Zoom option for updates on Civic League activities.”

City Council Member John Moss, incumbent for District 9, and School Board incumbent for District 9 Carolyn Weems have been invited to the October 6th Ocean Park Civic League meeting which will be held at the Brock Center.

The Ocean Park Civic League needs your support! In these times of rising costs, we need your support to continue the work and the fun of the civic league. Please consider supporting the Ocean Park Civic League by joining or renewing your annual membership at only $20 for a household! Your membership dues are our budget. Join or renew today!

What does your membership pay for? The civic league budget pays for the costs of getting information out – website costs, email blast Mailchimp services, snail mail post office box, IT services. We make contributions to Lynnhaven River Now, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, and we give a four year $1000 college scholarship every year. We put on two great neighborhood social events: Spring Fling and Fall Fest that are free to members. Please help support your neighborhood civic league!!

Questions, comments, ideas for a new and better way are always welcome! Write to president@opcl.org

On Thursday, August 4th the Ocean Park Civic League held its monthly meeting at the Brock Center. School Board Candidate for District 9 Erika Guess introduced herself and answered questions from the audience. Second up, City Council candidate for District 9 Joash Schulman also talked about his background and answered questions. Dan Adams, Senior P.E. Coastal Program manager for COVB, was the third speaker for the evening. He described the history and use of the Lynnhaven Transfer Station and explained the future use that is being contemplated by the city: Presentation: Lynnhaven Transfer Station Private Use Ordinance by Dan Adams

Regular business of the civic league was conducted after the speakers. Treasurer Blake Norris noted that while we have had a strong showing in dues collection this year, we are still below what we need to take in after the very well received and attended Spring Fling and looking forward to our Fall Fest. If you live in Ocean Park, please consider supporting the Ocean Park Civic League through a $20 annual membership. Join or renew for 2022 here: opcl.org-aboutopcl-joinopcl!

Full Minutes of the August 4th meeting : August General Meeting Minutes .

On August 4, Dan Adams, Senior P.E. Coastal Program Manager for City of Virginia Beach, gave a presentation and answered questions at the Ocean Park Civic League General Meeting at the Brock Center.

Here is the presentation:

Ocean Park lies within the water boundaries of the Lynnhaven Inlet, Crab Creek, the Chesapeake Bay and Pleasure House Creek. If you are a resident or property owner in Ocean Park please consider supporting the Ocean Park Civic League with your $20 membership. Join OPCL today-only $20 per household!

What does your membership pay for? The civic league budget pays for the costs of getting information out – website costs, email blast Mailchimp services, snail mail post office box, IT services. We make contributions to Lynnhaven River Now, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, and we give a four year $1000 college scholarship every year. With your membership you will also have free entry for your household to our Fall Fest and Spring Fling– a great opportunity to meet your neighbors! Please help support your neighborhood civic league!! If you are new to the Ocean Park neighborhood- welcome! We look forward to getting to know you!

Please consider joining OPCL- just $20 for an annual membership : opcl.org/aboutopcl/joinopcl/. If you have been a member in the past- please renew your membership! A look at recent events shows how important the civic league is for preserving what we love about our community: a-year-in-ocean-park

The Bayfront Advisory Commission recommended approval for a proposed ordinance which would allow individual property owners to make agreements with the city to use the city-owned Lynnhaven Wharf/Boat Ramp @Lesner Bridge for private dredging projects. A brief presentation by Dan Adams was followed by a brief discussion at the Thursday, July 21st BAC meeting. The proposed change will go before the City Council for final approval.