Nassawadox plants crepe myrtles to beautify historic area of town.

While I was on sick leave from my “real job” I was looking for ways to be able to help our town with our efforts to try and beautify our town center area.  Unfortunately our town is like so many other small towns, basically no funds to do anything to make the town look better, and it presents a real challenge.  The property in the area around our town center is owned by the railroad, and like so many other businesses which own so much land, there are no funds available to keep the area beautiful.  It is hard enough to keep the railroad operating much less to try to beautify the areas around the tracks.

The Eastern Shore Tourism Commission has been trying to find ways to help the towns to spruce up their areas and we were fortunate in that a local architect, John Snyder, donated his time to draw up an architectural plan for our town center and/or our actual downtown area.  Robert Lentz, a citizen of the Eastern Shore has also been instrumental in helping us to try and realize our goal to beautify the town.  Both of these men have spent countless hours in assisting us in helping to make this “vision” become a reality.  When I saw the plan, I thought what a nice idea and lovely plan for our town.  I then began to wonder how on earth to make it a reality.  Consequently my search for grants to help us attain the goal began.

I felt very fortunate when I located the KVB grant and thought that if we could get this grant it would definitely be a start for our project and give us something to build upon.  I applied for the grant with high hopes but never dreamed that we would be successful, as I am certainly not a grant writer, but someone with a willing heart and spirit only.  You cannot imagine how thrilled I was to receive notice from KVB that our town was successful in obtaining the grant.

Obtaining the grant meant that now we needed to obtain permission from the railroad and secure a lease in order to proceed with our plans for our downtown.  This would be the first of many hurdles.  The railroad was willing to give us a lease but we also had to comply with their requirements for planting and make sure we were not too close to the tracks, so as to impede their daily treks up and down the Shore.  After obtaining this permission, then we had to find a local nursery that would be willing to do the planting and within the budgeted amount.  We contacted 3 different businesses and only one, Hortco Garden Center, expressed any immediate interest in working with us to provide a quote and talk with us regarding this project.  During the time we were working on the planning aspects of who, what, where and when, our area developed a drought condition and I certainly did not want to risk planting and losing the trees and being frivolous with our grant funds.

We have finally been successful in jumping all the hurdles in our path and our crepe myrtle trees are now established.  They are planted in a platform that is close to the railroad tracks.  This platform has historical significance to our town, in that it is where the train used to “throw the mail off the train as it passed through Nassawadox”.  The trains did not stop, just hooked the mail bag on a “mail hook” and proceeded down the track.  In the past because this platform is a gravel type base, it has grown up in weeds and grass.  This summer we will continue to work on further beautifying this platform by keeping the grass under control and exploring ways to further enhance this area in our town.

Our plans for the platform are to try and secure a mail hook, to continue with beautification efforts, and to have signage as to the historical significance of the platform.  We are hoping that the platform will become an area where townspeople and travelers alike can come to take a break from their hectic schedules and enjoy the surrounding area, maybe even visit a few of our local shops.

I am so very excited about the efforts of those who have provided us with a “vision” and hope that we are able to continue with our efforts to beautify a most important area in our small town.  This will only be possible through the efforts and generosity of many people and organizations.

Keep Virginia Beautiful Beautification & Community Greening Grant Report:

Historic Jackson Ward Association

The Historic Jackson Ward Association (HJWA) represents the residents located in the blocks North of Broad, East of Belvedere, South of I-95, and West of 4th Street in the City of Richmond. The Association was established in the 1980′s and has been very active building relationships among community members and improving the quality of life for all its residents. For the last six years, the members of HJWA have taken it upon themselves to clean the neighborhood of litter, debris and graffiti – resulting in great community pride. This Community Revitalization began with three cleanups each year. Now, because so many of our neighbors do their own cleanups throughout the year, we scaled our organized community cleanups to two times a year – one in the spring and one in the fall. With this Grant we focused on expanding our initiative to include plantings for natural beautification and a lot of weed removal. KVB funding has been used to enhance our open spaces with native ground cover plants and small shrubs. In particular, funding was used for plants, mulch and a variety of garden tools and gloves, as well as trash grabbers and bags. In addition to the plantings, many of the volunteers improved the aesthetic value of the neighborhood by removing trash and debris from streets, sidewalks, and alleys. We are proud of our neighborhood and we want all of those who pass through to know that Jackson Ward truly is a beautiful place to live!

Measurement of Results:

A friend of ours recently turned us on to a cool video called The Mountain on Vimeo.  This photog has done some really remarkable work and his time-lapse shots of the Milky Way are some of the most amazing we’ve seen.  (You can watch it here.)

Here at Keep Virginia Beautiful we talk an awful lot about beautification and greening things up but we began to wonder about what other forms pollution might take.

The whole Milky Way sequence brings up the issue of light pollution.  Some of our friends in Western Virginia or more rural areas may get in some serious stargazing but here in the River City we have a relatively starless sky.  Nearly 40% of Americans no longer view a night sky that the human eye perceives as dark.  In addition to the loss of twinkling stars light pollution takes its toll on our natural friends.  Studies show that artificial light changes the spawning cycle of certain types of fish that rely on a lunar clock.  Scientists observing tree frogs noticed that they stopped their mating calls whenever a nearby football team held a night game.   Scientists in Germany studied the impact of new gas stations and found that their lights attracted huge numbers of moths and other bugs the first two years but then the numbers dropped radically.  Seems the lights from the stations attracted unusual numbers of bugs which lured unusual numbers of bats that ate the bugs and destroyed the bug reproductive cycle.

What’s the easiest fix?  Use only the light you need, when you need it.  Maybe your yard looks great at night but do you really need it to glow like Vegas at 3 a.m.?  We don’t think your trashcans are afraid of the dark.  And look at the type of fixture!  Are you lighting what you need to light or are you sending a Bat-Signal to the entire city?  Make sure you have energy efficient lighting in a cut-off fixture.   This type of fixture directs light where you need it and doesn’t allow it to bleed out where you don’t.

Remember the long car trip as a kid?  “Hey kids:  lets play the quiet game.”   Dad would give a dollar to whoever could not talk the longest.  An examination of noise pollution would ask, “Where is Dad when we need him”?

The word “noise” came from the Latin “nausea” which meant seasickness or discomfort.  Does your Honda sound like an atomic leaf-blower?  Is the kicker box registering with the U.S. Geological Survey?  Noise pollution causes both physiological and psychological issues.  It can affect sleep patterns, cause aggression, severe depression and cause panic attacks.  Our animal friends feel it too.  Pods of whales beached themselves after being exposed to military sonar.  European Robins in urban environments sang more at night.  Why?  It was quieter and they could get their message out.  Zebra Finches were less faithful to their partners when exposed to traffic noise.  “The car horn made me do it!”

What to do?  Start your car.  Turn on the stereo to the level that you would use on a trip.  Look at yourself in the rearview and say “tinnitus”.  Lips moving but you can’t hear your voice?  Too loud.  In some instances a power tool is a necessary evil.  Not using it?  Cut it off or better yet go electric.  You could challenge yourself to the “quiet game”!

Remember, the beauty of Virginia is not just affected by the soda bottle on the side of the road.  It is our contributions to the vistas and scenery that we all see and hear.

We got an email from a friend in Manassas (thank you Cindy Brookshire!) who gave us an update on one of our 30 Grants in 30 Days Winners.

1 By Youth swarmed Point of Woods and Stonewall Park for a day of some truly amazing beautification.  You can read about it here. Over 600 volunteers from all over Virginia, Maryland and as far away as Pennsylvania jumped in with rakes, shovels, and other tools to revitalize a neighborhood and a park with cleaning, planting, painting, and creating a tribute gazebo and community garden to honor Sgt. John D. Conner III, the only Manassas City police officer to die in the line of duty.

The volunteers made upgrades to playgrounds, cleaned up woods and creeks, started the garden, and helped clean up some of the neighboring homes.  You can see more fantastic photos of the event (courtesy of Bill Corbett) here.

These fine folks had a host of contributors and donations, like music, meals from Chick-Fil-A, and visits from the George Mason Cheerleaders.  We played only a small part, but we’re glad to have been able to contribute.  We’re especially proud of 1 By Youth for the amazing gift that they were able to give this community.

We’d love to hear from some of our other winners and see some more successes at Keeping Virginia Beautiful!

Do you know what the Great American Clean-up is?  Every year between March and June, Keep America Beautiful sponsors, supports and facilitates thousands of clean-up/revitalization/beautification projects in communities all around our country with the help of over 3 million volunteers.

This year I’m happy to report about the “Great Richmond Clean-up”, which took place on March 24th along the Boulevard and on May 13th on Broad Street.  Altria, the City of Richmond, Johnson Inc., and Keep Virginia Beautiful joined together to make these clean-ups a reality.  Nearly 15,000 cigarette butts were collected and counted in three block segments along both city corridors. Over 20 new trees & 80 new perennials were planted to enhance the revitalization efforts.  6 new murals were painted and 1 ton of litter was picked-up!

These clean-ups could not have been possible without the help of Altria’s great volunteers and leadership.  If you have not seen all the great work these 2 events accomplished, I encourage you to go see the 4 murals along Broad Street between Belvidere and 6th and the 2 giant panel murals under the 95 overpass on the Boulevard near the Diamond, along with all the great new trees and plants.

Please do your part to keep our great city beautiful…DON’T LITTER!  Remember; cigarette butts, plastic bottles, & food wrappers are all trash.  Please dispose of them properly.  Don’t let all the hard work of these volunteers go to waste…do your part  and KEEP VIRGINIA BEAUTIFUL!

Virginia’s Eastern Shore is an absolute natural jewel and often overlooked.  The Town of Nassawadox (The Land Between Two Waters) wants to stand out and to beautify and revitalize their community.  They have big plans for several area clean-ups and adding landscaping to the main entrance of the town.  Planting native trees and shrubs along the Route 13 corridor will greatly improve the natural and scenic beauty of Nassawadox and thereby creating a revitalized image of this small jewel on Virginia’s Eastern Shore.  For more information on the Town of Nassawadox or their project, please contact Estelle Murphy at 757-442-2025.

KVB provided the opportunity for government, non-profit and/or service organizations in Virginia to apply for one of (30) $1,000 grants in three different categories: 10 grants for plastic bag reduction and recycling, 10 grants for cigarette litter prevention, and 10 grants for community greening and beautification.  These grants are made possible by KVB’s partners, Walmart and Waste Management.

The KVB grant program focuses greater resources and attention on individual localities throughout the Commonwealth and how they are addressing the issues of litter prevention, recycling, waste reduction, beautification and education.

The mission at Keep Virginia Beautiful is to engage and unite Virginians to improve our natural and scenic environment.  Our goals include becoming the leading statewide voice, providing a framework for improved communication and collaboration, cultivating and supporting sustainable programs, and engaging citizens by linking them to volunteer opportunities and information through these 5 impact areas:  Litter Prevention, Waste Reduction, Recycling,Beautification, and Environmental Education.

The Town of Elkton has been awarded a $1,000 grant in the Community Greening and Beautification Category.   The Town of Elkton has a vision for a more beautiful, inviting, and prosperous community.  Their first step to realizing this goal is to install a 12 acre downtown park along the Shenandoah, which will include a river walk, picnic areas, native landscaping, and walking/running trails.  In recent years, Elkton has had to focus its funds towards maintaining its infrastructure and therefore this grant is a huge boost to getting the town park started and keeping the momentum going for additional revitalization and beautification endeavors.  Elkton is a great town full of great people and they want everyone else to see how “great” Elkton really is.  For more information about the Town of Elkton or their project, please contact Reid Wodicka at 540-298-1951.

The KVB grant program focuses greater resources and attention on individual localities throughout the Commonwealth and how they are addressing the issues of litter prevention, recycling, waste reduction, beautification and education.

KVB provided the opportunity for government, non-profit and/or service organizations in Virginia to apply for one of (30) $1,000 grants in three different categories: 10 grants for plastic bag reduction and recycling, 10 grants for cigarette litter prevention, and 10 grants for community greening and beautification.  These grants are made possible by KVB’s partners, Walmart and Waste Management.

The mission at Keep Virginia Beautiful is to engage and unite Virginians to improve our natural and scenic environment.  Our goals include becoming the leading statewide voice, providing a framework for improved communication and collaboration, cultivating and supporting sustainable programs, and engaging citizens by linking them to volunteer opportunities and information through these 5 impact areas:  Litter Prevention, Waste Reduction, Recycling, Beautification, and Environmental Education.

The City of Manassas and 1 By Youth have been awarded a $1,000 grant in the Beautification and Community Greening Category.  The KVB grant program focuses greater resources and attention on individual localities throughout the Commonwealth and how they are addressing the issues of litter prevention, recycling, waste reduction, beautification and education.

The City of Manassas and 1 By Youth are partnering up to revitalize the Point of Wood Neighborhood.  With the help of over 1500 volunteers  they intend to use the grant to create a huge 3 acre sustainable community garden for the residents of Point of Woods.  In addition to the community garden:  graffiti will be removed, a memorial gazebo will be built, playgrounds will be refurbished, trash will be cleaned up, and homes will be painted.  Revitalization of an entire neighborhood creates a sense of community, belonging, and hope for the future.  The city of Manassas and 1 By Youth plan to do just that through beautifying and greening a neighborhood in need.  For more information on the City of Manassas, 1 By Youth or their joint project, please contact Lori Perez at 703-967-8863 or megmar27@hotmail.com.

KVB provided the opportunity for government, non-profit and/or service organizations in Virginia to apply for one of (30) $1,000 grants in three different categories: 10 grants for plastic bag reduction and recycling, 10 grants for cigarette litter prevention, and 10 grants for community greening and beautification.  These grants are made possible by KVB’s partners, Walmart and Waste Management.

The mission at Keep Virginia Beautiful is to engage and unite Virginians to improve our natural and scenic environment.  Our goals include becoming the leading statewide voice, providing a framework for improved communication and collaboration, cultivating and supporting sustainable programs, and engaging citizens by linking them to volunteer opportunities and information through these 5 impact areas:  Litter Prevention, Waste Reduction, Recycling, Beautification, and Environmental Education.