Shore Drive
Just west of the Lesner Bridge to Marlin Bay Drive lies the Shore Drive wasteland known as “Phase 4″ of the 18-year-old revitalization plan. Residents here have not only witnessed the death and/or maiming of bike riders and pedestrians, but also the death of road improvement funding.
The city declared it needed the money for other “ready-to-go” projects. And despite patiently waiting — as our taxes rose dramatically — we are cynical and suspicious as to what really is driving the redirection of our money. Out of determination “Shore Drive Sucks,” a grass-roots campaign, was born with signage posted to draw attention to this matter. Additionally, there has been TV news coverage, including visuals of traffic whizzing by a reporter as she stands in a well-known, well-worn dirt path.
Know, however, that it is the roadway — a resort “gateway” — that stinks, kills and maims. It’s not the citizens who reside within its highly desirable bayfront neighborhoods. Those people are the ones who have successfully lobbied for Pleasure House Point to be an environmental treasure versus thousands of apartments, and they are the ones who have gone to the mat to prohibit rezoning land on the corner of Marlin Bay Drive to apartments. In fact, some wonder if this improvement deferral is due to the success of the community in saying “no” to that apartment development.
Meanwhile, who is going to take responsibility for the next death or maiming that occurs here? Anybody? Nobody? Thoughts and prayers?
Martha Thereault, Virginia Beach
Red tape
Energy in the U.S. has got to be cleaner, but not if it’s going to mean the government will unnecessarily add to the federal deficit. It’s high time we learned how to walk and chew gum. Thank goodness we’ve got Congresswoman Jen Kiggans in Virginia. She’s sticking to her conservative principles while also speaking up for the wind industry in our state.
There is no doubt that the U.S. Congress must make tough choices that sometimes lead to paring back on programs that advance energy development. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t look for other ways to clean up our air and water. The U.S. is a global leader in emissions reduction, and permitting reform plays a critical role in deploying clean energy development across the United States.
When America produces, global emissions go down. When American energy is held back by red tape, we export our jobs instead of our energy, and global emissions increase. So, let’s find a way to advance smart strategies that hold steady on spending, while also advancing the technologies and programs that will allow for the use of all-of-the-above energy sources. It’s not as if our energy consumption is going down, but we need to get out of our own way and allow for progress — without blowing up the economy and costing ourselves unnecessarily.
Dawn Matheson, Chesapeake
Porn sites
Re “Gov. Youngkin signs 12 bills into law: Judicial privacy, parole board transparency and more” (May 13): I’m a bit confused about the user identification bill. “The bill defines material as ‘harmful as minors’ if it includes descriptions or representations of nudity, sexual conduct or sexual excitement, or if it appeals to the ‘prurient, shameful, or morbid’ interest of minors ... .”
Viewpoints
I seem to recall that Gov. Glenn Youngkin won the past election on the premise that parents had the right to know what was being taught in their children’s schools. Shouldn’t parents also be responsible for monitoring their children’s online activities to ensure they are not viewing such sites?
Furthermore, I find it most interesting that this bill specifically targets sexual conduct sites. Why doesn’t this bill also include the television and/or streaming sites where gun violence, drugs, rape, homosexuality — I think this qualifies as “sexual conduct” — torture, abductions, human trafficking, executions, and all the other morbid scenes that are available daily? Finally, just how is this bill to be enforced? If a 6-year-old can bring a gun to school, I’d guess that today’s computer savvy kids will find ways to bypass any age requirement as outlined in this bill.
Jay Orgeron, Yorktown
Way to go
Opera in Williamsburg knocked it out of the park with its performance of “Don Giovanni.” We are so fortunate to have such professional, amazing entertainment in our area. Talented performers from around the world, a wonderful live orchestra, beautiful costumes and, yes, there are subtitles too. The Kimball Theatre is so accessible and intimate.
We owe a great deal of gratitude to Naama Zahavi-Ely who founded Opera in Williamsburg in 2012. She has been the driving force in bringing this level of entertainment to our city.
I had never been to a live opera prior to moving to Williamsburg. Even if you are not sure you will like it, try it. Generally, there are spring and fall productions, along with a few local concerts. You can sign up to be notified of upcoming events from their website or follow them on Facebook.
Robin Sabo, Williamsburg