Laura Burns

Laura Burns President's Circle: March 2023

In an effort to show our community what the Civic League does, here is what I have been up to the past few months on behalf of our residents:

  1. Asphalt Art: Colonial Place resident Melissa Seek presented her proposal regarding installing asphalt art in Colonial Place and Riverview at our February meeting and it was approved by the Civic League! Please see the article regarding this project for additional information. We are so excited to beautify our neighborhood and bring our community together!
  2. Columbus and LaValette: The city has installed a 4-way stop sign at this intersection after the civic league voted in favor of this.
  3. Membership Committee Chair: Harris Laughrey has been serving as our Membership Committee Chair and has been of great value to the Civic League. Unfortunately, the Navy has called upon him for bigger and better things, so he is leaving Norfolk. I am pleased to announce that Jay Jenkins, Colonial Place resident, will take over for Harris. Thanks, Jay!
  4. Sinkhole on the 600 Block of Delaware Ave: A sinkhole developed on the 600 block of Delaware Ave due to a collapsed pipe. Residents reported it via Norfolk Cares, but it continued to get worse. I contacted the Director of Public Works, who worked with the Department of Public Utilities to remedy the problem and ensure our community’s safety.
  5. Riverview Commercial Corridor Pilot Program: Riverview Village has been identified by the Department of Economic Development as one of two areas they are piloting a commercial corridor program. Funding will be provided for façade updates and placemaking. Pooya Mohit (VP) and I attended a meeting with the consulting group Anderson + Bohlander, the city hired to help drive this effort. Along with a few Riverview Village stakeholders, we helped the consultants understand what makes Riverview Village special, its history, and what improvements we would like to see in the area. The city will start accepting applications from business owners soon! More information here.
  6. Councilwoman Courtney Doyle: Our Councilwoman Courtney Doyle spoke at our last civic league meeting. She told us about some updates in our area, and residents could ask questions. Courtney was asked what recourse residents have when they submit a request to Norfolk Cares with seemingly no response. Courtney asked that we email her those correspondences so she can follow up and resolve them. 
  7. LeGrand Kitchen: LeGrand Kitchen is moving from Colley Ave to Riverview! The restaurant plans to occupy the space where Crackers currently resides.
  8. Advertising: With the launch of our new website and e-newsletter, Media Chair, Shannon Bowman has put together a media kit for folks interested in advertising with the civic league. If you or someone you know would like to advertise with us, please email her for more information.

The Civic League is here to serve the community. If there is anything we can do for you, please do not hesitate to contact me (president@cprv.net, 804-690-5047) and anyone from the Board (contact information is on the back of the newsletter).

News & Resources

Bicycle Safety Guidelines

Spring has sprung, and we’re starting to see more cyclists on the road. The following information from the Virginia DMV includes important information for both cyclists and drivers.​

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Civic League General Members Meeting Recap: Monday, April 14, 2025

Our NEW registered agent, Grayson T. Orsini, a Senior Associate with Williams Mullen, spoke at our meeting to introduce himself and talked to the audience about what a registered agent does and how we can support the civic league moving forward.

Officer Brenton Blakeslee, our Community Resource Officer, provided the latest crime report. He talked a bit about a “swatting,” a term used to describe when police are falsely called on a residence/person, in regards to a false call incident that had happened in the neighborhood earlier that morning. He also noted that car break-ins have been on a notable rise this month and to take ensure doors are locked and not leave valuables in plain sight. Officer Blakeslee also spoke about a minors curfew hour of 11pm in effect. Also he shared that while they are aware of the racing motor bikes/4-wheelers, but that they are not permitted by law to pursue offenders once in motion due to safety reasons, making it difficult to make arrests.

Gene Ward, resident of Colonial Place and nominee for Civic League Vice President, introduced himself to the attending members and shared a bit about his background in community work.

Upcoming Social Event: CPRV Easter Egg Hunt | 4/19 at 10am (Delaware/Colonial Circle) – Social gathering and Easter Egg Hunt for kids with some light refreshments provided. See CPRV facebook group page for more event details.

Next Month’s Meeting: On May 12, 2025 at 6:30 PM, we will return to Kingdom Embassy Ministries.

Reminder to Pay Your Dues: If you are interested in being a part of the civic league and want to support the efforts and service we provide to the community, please consider a membership. It is $10 per person under 65 and $5 per person 65+. Click Here to Learn More.

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