May 2008
The Greater Raleigh Court Civic League C e l e b r at i n g
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H i s tory
Raleigh Court renos
Terrace Apartments Are Getting a Complete Makeover By Jim Huizenga
When Total Action Against Poverty, or TAP, bought the Terrace Apartments on Bluemont Avenue in Raleigh Court, it had a vision of bringing the 58-year-old complex up to modern standards and offering rental apartments at modest prices. Now, three years later, the first renovated apartments are occupied.
One of the challenges that TAP and its contractors faced was the concrete block walls (including the interior walls) covered with plaster. This makes it very difficult to change the floor —continued on page 4
There are actually two Terrace complexes—the north section lies between Bluemont Avenue and Maiden Lane, and is due to be complete by the end of 2008. The south section is between Bluemont and Evergreen Cemetery, and will be completed in 2009. The renovations are separate contracts; J. M. Turner is the general contractor for the north section, and R. L. Price Construction is doing the south. I recently toured the Terrace Apartments with Rick Sheets, the TAP project manager overseeing the construction work. Every stage of the renovation process is visible – some apartments haven’t been started and still have residents, while others are gutted and being redone, and still others are finished and re-occupied. The finished development will have 187 units, down from the original 225. A number of large three-bedroom apartments have been created from smaller units. Also, each building will have a large first-floor laundry and storage area. Each apartment has its own new heating and air conditioning system, wiring, and plumbing. Kitchens and baths are equipped with all new fixtures, appliances, and cabinetry. Rents range from the mid-$300s to the mid-$500s.
Inside This Issue
President’s message...................................................... 3 Health Care Center expansion.................................... 5 Global Warming........................................................ 6 Dog Park................................................................... 7 Block Party................................................................ 8 Calendar................................................................... 8 Things you need to know.......................................... 10
Rick Sheets, TAP project manager
Speakers Set for May Meeting Our May meeting will once again focus on the City school system. Dr. Rita Bishop, Roanoke City School Superintendent, and David Carson, Roanoke City School Board Chairperson, will offer an update on the state of our schools. This meeting serves as a follow- Carson up to the education forum sponsored by GRCCL last fall. In addition, Civic League members will elect officers for new two-year terms. The meeting will be held on Thursday, May 8 at 7:30 pm. We will meet in the Fellowship Hall of Christ Lutheran Bishop Church at the corner of Brandon Avenue and Grandin Road. This is the last meeting before our summer hiatus, so we hope to see you there!
Greater Raleigh Court Civic League Officers OFFICERS President Chad Van Hyning 798-5983 cvanhyning@hsmm.com Vice-President Susan Koch 345-9977 s.koch@verizon.net Recording Secretary Keith Dabbs 224-3082 kdabbs@carilion.com Corresponding Secretary Cassandra Van Hyning 798-1996 cvanhyning@spectrumpc.com Treasurer Bruce Knappe 343-1987 bruce@theknappes.us Directors at Large Chad Braby 343-3975 cbraby@ullimanschutte.com Karyn McAden 342-8930 blackcat29@cox.net
Melissa Morgan 312-3587 melissamorganhomes@msn.com Lori Livingston 981-1145 lomaliv@juno.com Carl Cress 982-2004 cdcress3@cs.com Immediate Past President Kurt Navratil 343-7373 kdavidn@cox.net COMMITTEE CHAIRS Membership: Karyn McAden Adopt-a-Highway: Vacant Neighborhood Affairs: Frank Eastburn 342-8063 haikune@msn.com Program: Melissa Morgan & Lori Livingston
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Advertising: Susan Koch Newsletter: Jim Huizenga 345-9977 j.huizenga@verizon.net Special Projects: Tony Stavola 345-0010 astavola@carilion.com Building Management: Chad Braby Grandin Road Merchants Liaison: Kurt Navratil Webmaster: Michael Meise 343-0805 mmeise@roanokecountyva.gov Greenways: Mike Urbanski 344-1388 mike_urbanski@cox.net The Court Reporter is published by the Greater Raleigh Court Civic League fives times a year on or about the first week of September, November, January, March, and May.
From the President
Cautiously Optimistic By Chad Van Hyning
As I write this piece in early April, it is just beginning to turn warm. The Bradford Pear trees and daffodils are in bloom. The grass is the greenest that it will be all year. Everything seems fresh and new during this time of rebirth as we emerge from the winter doldrums. It seems that spring brings anticipation and excitement as we look forward to sunnier days. However, this spring I am spending some time looking in the rear view mirror. As I near the end of my term as president of the League, I have spent some time reflecting upon my time in this post. What a great two years it has been for me personally. I thank my lucky stars that I have been fortunate enough to work with the giving people who live in our community. That starts with the League board members and committee chairpersons with whom I have worked the closest. What a selfless, wonderful group who make the Civic League fun. I owe them a tremendous debt of gratitude. Then there are our neighbors whom I have had the pleasure to meet and serve. Adjectives such as friendly, passionate, and caring all come to mind to describe these fine folks. Finally, there are all of the public servants who choose to serve as employees of Roanoke City. I have yet to come across anyone within our City government who has not bent over backward to work with our organization. We are very lucky to have them in our community. I have also spent some time evaluating how the Civic League has performed over the past two years. I think we deserve a solid B. As I have learned, there are a number of facets of a volunteer organization that could be best described as challenging. One facet to which this would apply is the amount of available time to give to the League. It is hard to do everything that one might like. Another facet is diligence. Good intentions and innovative ideas by themselves don’t translate to positive results – they require perseverance and follow through in order to achieve success. These are two areas in which I have struggled; I have found myself wanting to do more but not seeming to have the time to do so. Much was accomplished, but there is still more to be achieved. So what does the future hold for the Greater Raleigh Court neighborhood? As I rub my crystal ball, I would say that I am cautiously optimistic. As I mentioned in my article in March, we’ve seen property values in Greater Raleigh Court continue to increase in the past two years while values nationally have declined. We’ve seen much needed enhancements to services such as water line upgrades and cellular phone service improvements. The Grandin Village streetscape improvement project has led to our Village Center being as vibrant as ever. We’ve also seen the largest capital improvement project in the history of Roanoke City become a reality right here in our neighborhood. But there are still challenges on the horizon. The school system appears to be headed in the right direction but much work lies ahead. Our infrastructure is aging at the same time that City revenue can’t provide for all of the maintenance and improvements that are required to guarantee the quality of life that we desire. Economic development efforts within the City continue valiantly to try to bring high paying jobs and families to our area. So our work is not through. It would be nice someday to be in a position where we can say that the Civic League is no longer necessary. In the meantime, we shall continue to contribute to a much larger effort to better our community. page 3
Terrace Apartments—continued from page 1
plans or to retrofit wiring, plumbing, and heating ducts. Typically, an apartment's central hallway connecting the living areas to bedrooms received a ceiling lowered by about nine inches to allow installation of heating ducts and wiring. Some of the apartments had grooves routed into the plaster walls to carry electrical wiring, and those walls were then veneered with drywall. Other challenges arise from Terrace Apartments' designation as a Historic Place. The designation was based on the building's original function as housing for returning WWII soldiers. While this allows TAP to receive tax credits that help finance the renovations, it also restricts what can be done. For example, the original steel-framed windows could not be replaced with modern Kitchen in model apartment windows; damaged or nonfunctioning windows are being repaired and returned to service. The glass block wall sections above some of the entryways are required to be preserved. Damaged blocks are being replaced with a few that had been salvaged from another building. Rick Sheets' pride in this project is evident as he walks around greeting construction workers and residents alike with a friendly word. He believes in and is committed to TAP's mission, not just in bringing quality, low-cost housing to this corner of Raleigh Court, but also in their work in Head Start, job training, and many other initiatives. (See sidebar.)
Workers constructing a new laundry room
TAP is investing upwards of $20 million in this project. We Raleigh Court residents are among the beneficiaries of this upgrade to this distinctive part of our neighborhood.
TAP Builds Independence Founded in the early days of President Johnson’s War on Poverty, Total Action Against Poverty is one of the most important non-profit organizations in the Valley. TAP sprang from the vision of one man, Cabell Brand of Salem. Brand is an innovative marketer who built a shoe manufacturing company into a direct mail empire, which he sold to Home Shopping Network. TAP has remained true to his vision of “A hand up, not a hand out” with programs that encourage self reliance. In addition to housing initiatives such as Terrace Apartments, TAP manages over 35 programs. TAP operates a number of Head Start centers to prepare kids for kindergarten. It offers educational and vocational programs, as well as literacy, GED preparation and employment skills training. TAP supports families in transition, including victims of domestic violence and ex-offenders. The agency will even help low income individuals with tax preparation. TAP is funded through grants, donations, fees for its services and the time of many volunteers.
An apartment under construction
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For more information on TAP programs, volunteering or donating, call 345-6781 or visit www.tapintohope.org.
Raleigh Court Health Care Center Set to Expand The Raleigh Court Health Care Center at Grandin Road and Windsor Avenue is planning to expand its facilities and parking area. The addition is planned for an interior courtyard area, and will add about 3,000 square feet for a Physical Therapy unit. The Health Care Center's client base increasingly requires 30 to 60 day shortterm services for rehabilitation and therapy as opposed to long-term care. Thus they wish to expand their PT facilities, but will not increase the number of patients over the current 120 beds. Andy Kelderhouse of Fralin & Waldron, the contractors for the expansion, said that this work would also improve the Center's parking facilities. F&W proposes to rework the current storm water detention basin behind the building into an underground basin with parking over it. This will result in an additional 11 off-street parking spaces, which should alleviate some parking congestion on Windsor Avenue. Richard Rife of Rife+Wood Architects in Raleigh Court is the architect for the project. At its April 17th meeting, the Planning Commisison voted 5-0 to recommend approval of the expansion.
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Warming and the Neighborhood By Chad Braby Global warming and weather are related in obvious ways, but also kin in the old saw about weather that “everyone talks about it, nobody does anything about it.” In its March meeting, the Board of the GRCCL decided to do something about it. (Global warming, that is. We’re still working on controlling the weather.) The Board voted to become an affiliate of the Roanoke Valley Cool Cities Coalition, a local organization dedicated to assisting local residents and governments to stem the tide of global warming. This symbolic but important gesture by the GRCCL affirms that the residents of Raleigh Court are concerned about the issue and are committed to action to slow and eventually halt warming. What is Global Warming? Global warming has proven to be an extraordinarily difficult problem to comprehend, discuss, and act upon. In fact, the name “warming” itself does not represent the full scope of the issue. As we burn fossil fuels like gas in our vehicles and coal and natural gas to heat, cool and power our homes, a byproduct of this process is carbon. The colorless, odorless gas, carbon, is released into the air, only to be trapped in the earth’s atmospheric blanket. Since the fossil-fuel powered Industrial Revolution began in the 1800’s, the earth has seen a significant increase in the amount of carbon in the atmosphere. The trapped carbon causes the atmosphere to retain heat (the oft-quoted “greenhouse effect”), but, due to the complexity of the global climate, while some areas of the world get hotter, some get colder, some get wetter, some see drought, and coastal areas find sea levels rising.
But the solution need not be painful. Raleigh Courters can start at home, simply by practicing any and all types of energy conservation. Compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFL’s, those spirally, goofy looking bulbs) use far less energy than standard incandescent bulbs. Upgrades to homes like added insulation, new windows, and new high-efficiency appliances and water heaters all save energy. More fuel-efficient cars are available that reduce gas usage, and combining trips in cars can save fuel. It’s interesting to note that these tips and many others one can find at the Cool Cities Coalition website (www.rvccc. org) all have a common denominator; they save money in the short term and in the long term, leaving more for important items, like groceries. The Civic League will be recruiting other neighborhood organizations to join the Cool Cities Coalition. It also supports the city's Clean and Green initiative, and urges city government to adopt aggressive goals for reducing its carbon footprint. And there’s an equally important role that residents can play in this issue. The complexity and scale of global warming’s causes, effects and solutions ultimately require a top-down approach. Governments, including local, regional, state, national, multi-national, must make tough, responsible decisions and provide cohesive leadership. Raleigh Courters can raise their hands and voices so that elected leaders know they’re paying attention and care about the issue. Write the local paper, write the city council, call the congressman, vote for the presidential candidate with the best plan. They’re already starting to pay some attention. Make sure they don’t stop.
After decades of study, the science behind global warming is sound and unequivocal. In fact, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that the emission of carbon must be regulated as a pollutant. And global warming science contrarians are increasingly hard to find. Suspiciously, the funding of public naysayers can almost always be traced back to sources in the fossil fuel industries, whose companies have a vested financial interest in maintaining the status-quo. What Can We Do About It? So what does all this mean to the residents of Raleigh Court in 2008? Often, very little. It is understandable that the issue often gets pushed off the radar screen by family duties, raising children, school issues, current economic woes, and the war in Iraq. And it’s not as if global warming is going to turn front yards on Maiden Lane into barren deserts next week. The effects of atmospheric carbon increases are delayed, so today’s fossil fuels contribute to consequences for the next generation of people (and the next, and the next…). And what to do about it? That's an even tougher nut to crack. The global economy and the Industrial Age have provided most Americans with undeniable comforts, luxuries, and a high quality of life; a standard that will not be tread upon. page 6
Coming Soon...Roanoke City’s First Fenced, Off-Leash, Public Dog Park! By Christa Stephens One of the things I cherish most about Raleigh Court is walking my dogs through our neighborhood. There’s always a friendly face along the way and an interesting activity happening in the Village. However, no matter how far I walk my dogs, it never seems to compare with the sheer joy they get when they are allowed to run free with other dogs.
space and maintenance of the dog park, if citizens help raise funds to provide the amenities.
If you’ve ever been to a dog park, you know what I mean. There are numerous benefits dog parks offer to both dogs and their owners, including socialization, complete exhaustion for the dogs (which equals good behavior!), and a sense of community. In past years, Fishburn Park, located off Brambleton Avenue, has been used as an ‘unofficial dog park’ where dogs were let off-leash to run and swim in the creek. I must admit, I’ve enjoyed a few afternoons there with our oldest dog, Tarka. However, having a dog off-leash is illegal in the City of Roanoke and considered a Class 3 Misdemeanor – not to mention an inconvenience to runners, small children, and others who do not appreciate dogs, no matter how friendly, running up to them. The off-leash laws have been heavily enforced recently, creating a clear need for an area where dogs can play, run, and exercise – legally.
The goal is to raise $30,000 by June 1, 2008, so our public dog park can be operational by the start of summer.
Efforts have been in the works for the last few years to bring a public dog park to the City of Roanoke. In March 2007, the City implemented a trial Off Leash Area (OLA) for dogs at Fishburn Park. The area is located to the right of the parking lot and marked by four poles. Dogs are required to be voice controlled – an obvious challenge when faced with squirrels, Frisbees, runners, children, and traffic nearby. Thankfully, after a six-month trial period of the OLA, the Roanoke City Parks & Recreation Department recognized the park was underutilized because there was no fencing and agreed to work with citizens to create Roanoke’s first fenced, off-leash, public dog park. The City agreed to provide the
NewVaConnects, a local young professionals' organization, is partnering with the Parks & Rec. Department to raise money for this one-acre public dog park, complete with fencing, benches, tables, water fountains, and trash cans. Dogs of all sizes are welcome at the public park, and plans include a separate fenced area inside the park for smaller dogs and puppies to play.
There are a number of ways for neighbors, local businesses, and dog-lovers everywhere to get involved, from making a tax-deductible donation or participating in fundraising activities to simply spreading news about the upcoming dog park. For more information, visit www.RoanokeDogPark. com. I hope you can join the effort and look forward to seeing you and your dogs at our new public dog park! Christa can be found during the day with Sally, the Salvage Dog @ Black Dog Salvage, or at home and around the Raleigh Court neighborhood with Andrew, her husband, and their dogs Tarka and Moses.
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Don’t Miss the Neighborhood Block Party This neighborhood favorite keeps growing! Join your Raleigh Court neighbors on Sunday, May 18 from 2:00 to 5:00 in Grandin Village for a fun afternoon. Co-sponsored by the Greater Raleigh Court Civic League and the Grandin Village Business Association, this will be our biggest event ever. You can enjoy free food, music, art, a drumming circle and dance performances. For the kids, there will be a moon bounce, tie-dying, bubbles, sidewalk chalk, face painting, tattoos (temporary!), the Viking long house and much more. In addition to free hot dogs provided by Kroger's and grilled by Civic League members, there will be plenty of cake from the bakers of the Raleigh Court Health Care Center and PH's culinary classes. New this year will be "A Taste of the Village" where you can purchase samples from Grandin Village's many fine restaurants. To accommodate all the activities that co-chairs Kelly Zappia and Susan Stump and their committee have put together, Grandin Road will be blocked off for the afternoon from Memorial to Bluemont. Volunteers are still needed to help out at the party, so please contact Jenny at New to Me or antiquesbuyjenny@aol.com to lend a hand.
Calendar Election Day.................................... Tuesday, May 6 GRCCL Membership Meeting.......Thursday, May 8 Workshop on Going Green...............Friday, May 16 Block Party...................................... Sunday, May 18 Festival in the Park..............Thurs-Mon, May 22-26 Run With Grace 5K........................ Saturday, June 7
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The News in Pictures
Sherman Lea, Court Rosen, and Anita Price listen to a question posed by moderator John Carlin. All 10 candidates for mayor and council participated in the forum sponsored by the Greater Raleigh Court Civic League. Mayoral candidates are David Bowers (I), Nelson Harris (D), Anita Powell (I), and George Sgouros (I). Candidates for the three council seats include Democrats Lea, Rosen, and Price, and Independents Dale Edmonston, Valerie Garner, and Brian Wishneff.
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Amy Rockhill, President of Star City Striders, and Mayor Nelson Harris get set to start the Women’s 5K run through Raleigh Court on April 12th. Afterward, Amy said, “The women who ran the first race in 1983 and came back to run this one really made it special. And we had a record turnout of participants.” Over 250 women and girls participated in the event that benefited the Presbyterian Community Center.
Things you need to know… Parking in Grandin Village Enforcement of the pay-for-parking rules in the lot behind the Grandin Theatre, Grace's, etc. has been stepped up in recent weeks. Please make sure that you pay for the space you're parked in when using this lot.
you. Help us keep bringing festival back year after year. We've again been voted "Best Festival Event in Roanoke" by you!
Going On a Low-Carbon Diet: Greening Your Home and Business Interested in learning more about your personal "carbon footprint" and how you can reduce it? Roanoke Valley Cool Cities Coalition is sponsoring a workshop on Friday, May 16 from 8:00 to noon.
Run With Grace 5K Set for June 7 By Rick Lovegrove The third annual Run With Grace 5K will be June 7, 2008, on the PH cross country course. The 5K (run or walk) starts at 8:30 a.m. for women and 9:15 a.m. for men. A 1-mile fun run/ walk will follow at 10:00. Early registration is $15 for the 5K and $10 for the run/walk. Same-day registration is $5 more and is allowed up to 8:15 a.m. Grace Lovegrove was a Raleigh Court native who ran track at Woodrow Wilson Middle School and track and cross country at PH. She was running with her Christopher Newport University track teammates on Jan. 10, 2005, when she collapsed from cardiac arrest. She died two days later. Proceeds from the race will be split between a scholarship in her memory, which goes to a PH student, and the PH cross country and track teams. The event also raises awareness of organ donation and sudden cardiac arrest. For more information, a list of generous sponsors, and to download a registration form, go to www. runwithgrace.com. Registration forms can also be picked up at Fleet Feet Sports, located in Townside Festival Shopping Center off Franklin Road in SW Roanoke.
The forum will be held at the Claude Moore Education Center on Henry Street. You can hear from Architect Gregg Lewis how this old theater was transformed from a crumbling ruin to a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design gold candidate. You can also learn how to measure your carbon footprint from Sean McGinnis, Director of Virginia Tech's Green Engineering Program. You can hear from some of Roanoke's "green visionaries" on how they and their businesses are reducing emissions and improving the environment in the Roanoke Valley. To find out more, go to www.rvccc.org. Since the Civic League is a Cool Cities affiliate, members get the discounted registration of $35. This includes breakfast and lunch.
Keep Raleigh Court Clean With the move of our Adopt-A-Highway chairman Chris McWhite to Massachusetts, we’re looking for someone to head the Civic League’s clean-up efforts. The chairman leads several neighborhood trash pickups throughout the year. We sponsor the stretch of Memorial from the bridge to the Village, but also work on areas suggested by members. If you’re interested, contact Chad Van Hyning at cvanhyning@hsmm.com or 798-5983.
Volunteer to help Festival in the Park By Mary Kay Brown, Festival in the Park Volunteer Co-Chairman We are looking for volunteers for festival. To sign up, go to the website: www.roanokefestival.org, and under Volunteer, you can fill out the form on line. The evening line-up at this time includes: • Thursday, May 22: Edgar Winter Group • Friday, May 23: Little Texas • Sat, May 24: surprise? • Sunday, May 25: the Bellamy Brothers • Monday, May 26: 1964, the Tribute Volunteers are needed in all areas including: Pepsi sales, set-up and tear down, admissions gate, souvenir sales, children's activities, beer/ wine sales. Show your community spirit, and get a T-shirt and drink coupon as your thank page 10
Pizza • Calzones • Salad Bar Kid’s Menu • Pasta Specials Appetizers • desserts Three 14” Cheese or Pepperoni Only $15.99 plus tax Open Tuesday through Sunday
981-1340
1316 Grandin Road • Roanoke, VA 24015 • www.gracesplacepizzeria.com
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q new member q renewing member Name
Greater Raleigh Court Civic League P.O. Box 3092 Roanoke, VA 24015 Address Service Requested
New members are welcome to join the Civic League at any time. Your mailing label shows Address when it’s time to renew your membership. You may pay your dues at the next membership City meeting. Multiyear or life memberships are welcome! The Civic League is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization. Donations may be claimed as charitable deductions for tax purposes. Home Phone Please mail your membership dues ($10 family, $15 business, or $100 life membership) or Amount Enclosed gifts to: GRCCL, P.O. Box 3092, Roanoke, VA 24015 Or go to www.grccl.org and click on “JOIN US” to fill out a membership application online. I’d like to help out with:
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PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID ROANOKE, VA PERMIT NO. 78
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