Suzy and Dan Loonam, your publishers. Suzy’s hair is now to her shoulders and more grey.
This should be your USUAL February 2021 news. We’d like it to be your usual February 2021 news. But, no. This is NOT it.
We could go out and find some real news, but alas, here are we, quarantined with only unofficial connections, conjecture and hearsay.
So how ‘bout it? You up for non-news?
Any port in a storm, right? We promise to wear our masks while you read, for your safety. (Because we love you! Happy Valentine’s Day!)
Speaking of storms, we are conjecting our non-news today from Seaboard Avenue, on this, the umpteenth day in a row of cold and freezing rain.
It looks like we’ve held monster ATV races in all 300 square feet of our front yard. It’s good we can’t see that mess from the office of our 121-year-old stick house.
Instead, we gaze upon our very own waterfront property. We call it “Lake Loonam.”
Now, if the front yard weren’t a mud pit, and if it weren’t cold as fork outside, an enterprising youngster such as me could have a nice skim ride in the side yard.
So much has changed
It’s been about a year since we started our sentence in Quarantine Hell. So much has changed.
You may call me Godiva now. My hair has grown to my shoulders. If it gets much longer, I’m going to have to hire a rigging crew to manage it and code enforcement is going to want a permit.
Our truck, new to us back then, is now well-worn by our long, frustrated rides to nowhere and is thoroughly furnished with tableware for two, including straws, trays, salt, pepper and condiments.
We make few appointments with actual people and more dates than we ever thought possible with our food.
In our survivalist cost-cutting measures, we gave up our subscriptions to Adobe.com. This means we not only lost all the tools we usually use to do our work in publishing, communications and graphics, we had to find new tools and learn how to use them too. So my Godiva hair is also grey.
Here’s our boozie hand-sanitizer. Someday, this could be worth millions at Antiques Road Show.
We have liquor bottles full of hand-sanitizer that smells like moonshine and empty hand-sanitizer bottles piled high, awaiting refills from the liquor bottles.
Sadly, money is a lot tighter now. No one wants to give you money when you smell like breakfast cocktails. (Kidding, honest!)
Speaking of Begging
Are you troubled by people asking for money as you try to enter stores in our community? Our son hates this, as many people do.
In these times, we are inclined to cough up a dollar (no pun intended) if we can. Legend says everything you give away comes back to you three-fold. So be kind and generous if you can.
If it really bothers you, here are 9 Quick Tips for Responding to Beggars & Panhandlers by Someone Who Knows Them.
Remember to be Grateful
We’re weighing our purchases carefully. Not literally. Philosophically. Do we need to eat, or should we pay the power bill? My body might choose heat, but I know my stomach will choose full and cold over warm and hungry.
Truly, these are trying times for us all, which is why it is important to remember your gratitude daily. We write one line of gratitude on every day of our calendar. Try it! At least one a day. Godiva says so.
Today, we are grateful that ForKids has invested $17.25M in South Norfolk!
Thaler McCormick, ForKids’ CEO, stands proudly in front of her organization’s new office building. ForKids is expected to open their $17.25M headquarters on Poindexter Street in the Spring of 2021.
The new ForKids’ building has a stellar view of Poindexter Street.
ForKids
Construction on the new ForKids headquarters does not appear to have slowed much during the winter of our pandemic. Take a look at their tour from Feb. 10, 2021.
Evictions everywhere are increasing, and there are evolving paths of deferment. Contact ForKids if you or someone you know is facing homelessness.
Free Food
This may or may not be news to you, but in South Norfolk at Rena B. Wright Primary School, you can pick up free meals for children up to age 18 most every Tuesday and Thursday (as weather permits) between 3:30 and 5:30 p.m. You don’t need forms, proof of children, or actual children. Just show up and tell Ms. Wendy we said hello. CLICK HERE for more information.
Food Pantry
On the last Wednesday of every month from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., there is a free food pantry distribution outside at Southside Baptist Church, 1200 Bainbridge Blvd. This distribution is managed by the Buffalow Family and Friends, famous for helping feed and serve the community in and around South Norfolk. They are so worthy of your support if you are so inclined. The next food day will be Feb. 24.
New Family Dollar
The new Family Dollar opened in downtown South Norfolk as a brand new anchor store in a marketplace of shops between Poindexter and 22nd Streets, between A and B Streets. Of course, I have not been there. I haven’t been anywhere. But I sent in my spies for pictures and it looks like a nice store. They’re sure to be buzzing with business when ForKids opens down the block in the spring.
New Jobs on South Norfolk Business Directory
We used to have jobs. We remember those days, way back when. Back when we loved our jobs enough to complain (goodheartedly) about them. Ha ha. We were so funny back then.
Sigh. We’d like to tell you funny, heartwarming stories about our jobs. The ones we used to have before the world got sick and we went into hiding from germs we have not yet met. Oh, those were the days!
These days, we’re using our new time and isolation to help you — find jobs, find food, find help, create jobs, make the doh-ray-me and survive until things get better.
So every day we’re perusing job boards looking for onsite jobs, to which you can commute, or remote jobs, from which you can work remotely from home.
If you are looking for work, check our JOBS page on the SouthNorfolkBusinessDirectory.com at least once a week.
We have seen the picture of the picture of the picture of the new building coming to South Norfolk, but we can’t share it with you yet.
New Parking and Municipal Building Coming
It’s been a year since we reported that there would be some changes to the plans for the new municipal building and parking building planned for the Poindexter corridor in the near future.
We don’t have any official news about that right now, but we have seen pictures of pictures of pictures of preliminary drawings, and we can tell you the planned “optics” are amazing. We will have an impressive and beautiful west entrance to our historic landmark community.
Civic League, Sono Watch are not meeting
The South Norfolk Civic League has not met for a couple of months. The South Norfolk Neighborhood Watch, which has been meeting concurrently with the civic league, is also not currently meeting.
When meetings are scheduled, we’ll let you know.
Meanwhile, the president is still Tim Buma. To email him directly, CLICK HERE.
The Savings Weekly is a free publication of the Virginian-Pilot. It is thrown to non-subscribers to the paper who can call and opt out of delivery. Otherwise they are most often left for residents to throw away.
Those Savings Weeklys
Are you someone who LIKES the Savings Weekly thrown into your yard? We’re looking for you!
The company who manages the distribution of this publication says there are many (could be dozens, or hundreds, or thousands!) people who actually WANT this… uhm… er, paper. Is that true?
If you like the Savings Weekly, or even if you don’t, we want to hear from you!
EMAIL your comments to us!
If you are interested in stopping it for everyone forever, you can sign the petition to stop the Hampton Roads Savings Weekly.
Chesapeake RX Pharmacy has a vaccine waiting list
The Chesapeake RX Pharmacy, 2544 Bainbridge Blvd Suite B, near Food Lion in the Bainbridge Marketplace, has a waiting list for COVID vaccines. You may call (757) 312-6790 to add yourself or a loved one to the list.
Register for vaccine with Virginia Dept. of Health
You can now pre-register for a vaccine with the Virginia Dept. of Health and you will be notified when you are eligible and shots are available for you. To pre-register, GO HERE.
Hang in there
We know some of our neighbors are suffering. People are all struggling with less money, less time, and less security at every turn. But we will all get by with a little help from our friends. And the best way to have friends is to be one.
And, while it’s unlikely, if you an encounter a kindly old woman with wild grey hair who is positively reeking of booze, you’ll know it is I, Godiva, of Seaboard, and that I’m highly sanitized.
Resources
We have assembled this list of resources, but if you cannot find the help you need, you may contact us directly and we will do what we can to help. CLICK to email.
In return we ask everyone to be a friend. Help when you can. Stay safe, and help keep others safe.
And if you’re really good, we might let you swing by and skim in our side yard.
2-1-1 Virginia from the Virginia Department of Social Services
Community Resources – from TCC
COVID info from the City of Chesapeake
Coronavirus Resources from Benefits.gov
COVID Resources from Chesapeake Public Schools
COVID-19 Business Resources from the City of Chesapeake
COVID-19 Business Resource Guide from the Hampton Roads Chamber
