The beach access at 3888 Jefferson Blvd. has just been closed to the public for safety reasons associated with the stormwater outfall. Public Works Operations placed two reflective barrels and caution tape at the street entrance of the access. The City is working diligently to resolve the issue with the stormwater pipe outfall at the access. .
Next steps in the project are planting beach grass on the dunes and sand fences. Mr. White says: “We are outside of the American Beach Grass planting season (December through March). The plan is to contract out the planting and install the sand fence during the winter 2023 planting season.”
It’s been fascinating to watch this huge project unfold!
Some reminders about “golf carts” in our community. Although some communities in the area are designated golf cart communities, Ocean Park is not a designated or approved golf cart community. Because of this, to drive lawfully on the streets of Ocean Park vehicles must be street-legal electric vehicles as defined by state and city law. This means they must have all the vehicular requirements, be titled,registered with low-speed license plates from DMV and covered by minimum insurance requirements. They may only be operated by drivers with a valid license or learner’s permit and the driver must follow all the same rules of the road as a normal vehicle. (Virginia Beach Codes of Ordinance: Sec. 7: 65-68 ).
No motorized vehicles are allowed to drive on the beach except by specific written permission of the City Manager. A handicap placard from a car is NOT transferrable to allow driving on the beach. Virginia Beach Codes of Ordinance: Sec. 6-12.
Ocean Park lies within the water boundaries of the Lynnhaven Inlet, Crab Creek, the Chesapeake Bay and Pleasure House Creek; and no farther west than Sunvista Drive. 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! We have more than 1300 households in Ocean Park and so far we have 263 paid members for 2022. We hope more neighbors will support the Civic League! Thank you to all who have paid their 2022 membership !!
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 (October 15th this year!) 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 fireworks show was a great success this year overcoming a barrage of obstacles that almost prevented it. Thanks to our neighbor, Jill Doczi, for her unrelenting efforts to secure all the moving parts with the help of the city Special Events Dept. (caveat: We get NO funding from the city). Thank you to president Danny Murphy for his proactive work in bringing together the city police and the city public works department so we would have the best information about the impact of the sand project and a safe weekend. Thank you to Captain Wilkerson, 3rd Precinct; Jim White, Coastal Sec. Public Works COVB, and City Councilman John Moss for their efforts to ensure a safe, enjoyable holiday for our community!
Big shout out to all the wonderful people who helped get the word out with the fireworks donation envelopes! Thank you to Jill Doczi-fearless leader and her kids. And to Linda Kester, Mark Gorsuch (great rubber band innovation-none of those blew away!) , Tina Morey, Kim Vap, Deborah Cohen, Mari-Ann Messick, Shane Abell, Jill Speasmaker, Jennifer Jackson, Joanne Parker, Margaret Inge, Janine Cardone, Alice and Tom Leggett, William Savoy, Tim Lindemann, Jill Broome and John and Angie Murray from Bucketheads( in the rain)!
If you loved the fireworks and are grateful to have such a beautiful show right in our neighborhood, but didn’t get to donate yet, your donation would still be very much appreciated! We are working on the deposit for next year! All monies collected go only toward fireworks!opcl.org/aboutopcl/fireworks.
On behalf of the community, president Danny Murphy responds to the tragedies this past weekend: “There are no words that can properly express the deep sorrow about the weekend drownings of a 12-year-old boy and a 44-year-old Virginia Beach man. We were very stunned by the news and still can’t believe that it really happened on our bayfront beaches. During this difficult moment, our thoughts and prayers are with all the families, friends and grieved community members. “As you comprehend this profound loss, let yourself cry knowing each tear is a note of love rising to the heavens.”
This is the latest update from Jim White, Coastal Section Sr. Project Manager for the City of Virginia Beach: “GLDD is continuing to progress towards the east. Both the Padre Island and the Dodge Island hopper dredge plants are on-site. Using the two dredges allows for a beach building production of approximately 500ft. per day. This is more than double when using only one hopper dredge. GLDD currently intends to be completed by June 30th, 2022 (weather, equipment, other unforeseen conditions dependent).”
Jim White, Senior Project Manager Coastal Section Dept of Public Works, City of Virginia Beach
Betty Dierstein, OPCL Scholarship Committee Chair, presented Carly Lundgren with the 2022 Louise and George Lyon Memorial Scholarship at the First Colonial High School Awards Ceremony in early June. Carly will be attending Roanoke College in the fall pursuing a degree in Environmental Science. She is graduating with a 4.0 grade point average and was captain of the First Colonial Girls’ Volleyball Team. She will also be playing volleyball for Roanoke College.
One of Carly’s varied volunteer experiences was serving an internship with Lynnhaven River Now last summer. She assisted in developing a curriculum for young campers to help them see the important of caring for the environment.
Carly expressed her sincere appreciation to OPCL for this assistance with her college expenses.
Past Winners of the scholarship include:
2021 Taylor McOrmond attending James Madison University
2020 Hanna Swickard attending Old Dominion University
2019 Amberly Butler attending Virginia Tech
This scholarship provides a yearly grant of $1000 for up to four years to the selected student who must be graduating from a Virginia Beach high school and who will attend a college, nursing program or accredited post secondary career/vocational school in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The scholarship is awarded based on need for financial assisstance, overall qualifications and a record of community service by the applicant. Additional consideration is given to residents of Ocean Park.
The Lyons were lifelong members of the Ocean Park Civic League and dedicated countless hours to serving the community in which they lived. They were especially committed to supporting the Ocean Park Volunteer Rescue Squad, which was the first all volunteer rescue squad established in Virginia Beach and is still in operation today on Shore Drive. The scholarship seeks to recognize and support the importance of making a positive contribution to one’s community through volunteerism.
Ocean Park Civic League 