12 The Hampton Roads Messenger


Volume 7 Number 12


Around Hampton Roads Applicants Needed for City Boards and


Commissions The Chesapeake City Council is seeking residents who may be interested in serving on various boards and commissions. Boards and commissions provide a vital service to various City departments, agencies and City Council.


Citizens wishing to serve must complete an application form. Applications are due in the City Clerk’s office by September 3, 2013. City Council will appoint candidates for these vacancies during its September 24, 2013 meeting. No appointments will be made during August and December.


Applications are currently being accepted for the following vacancies: • •


Representatives; 1 citizen) • • •


Chesapeake Bay Preservation Area Board — 1 appointment


Chesapeake Bicycle and Trails Advisory Committee — 6 appointments (1 Farm Bureau representative; 1 Organized Trail Group Representative; 3 Civic Organization


Chesapeake Community Criminal Justice Board — 1 appointment Port Authority — 1 appointment


Transportation Safety Commission — 4 appointments Applications are currently being accepted for the following Mayor-appointed vacancies: •


Animal Services Advisory Board (Veterinarian) — 1 appointment Chesapeake Agricultural Advisory Commission — 1 appointment


Chesapeake Cable Television Commission — 1 appointment Chesapeake City Symbol Committee — 2 appointments Chesapeake Interagency Consortium — 1 appointment


• • •


(Representative of a private organization/association of providers for children or family services) Fire Prevention Code Appeals Board (alternate member) — 1 appointment Tourism Advisory Board (restaurant industry representative) — 1 appointment


Transportation Toll Facility Advisory Committee — 3 appointments (1 regular member and 1 alternate member with a financial background and 1 alternate member with


a law background)


For more information or to apply, contact the City Clerk’s office at 382-6151, or visit Boards and Commissions at the City of Chesapeake’s website, cityofchesapeake.net.


Cosentino Opens Northeast HUB


in Hampton Cosentino, the global leader in natural stone, quartz, and recycled surfacing, will open a new major US HUB in Hampton, Virginia. The Cosentino Northeast HUB will become the second central logistics and receiving facility for Cosentino, which manufactures Silestone natural quartz, Sensa granite, Prexury semi-precious stones and natural stone.


Located within the Copeland Industrial Park, at 2301 Aluminum Avenue, the Hampton facility will have more than 160,000 square feet of warehouse and office space and serve as a central location to receive all Cosentino brands manufactured in Spain for customers along the East Coast. The Hampton HUB represents a significant investment in both infrastructure and inventory. Cosentino invested $3 million in the build out and $10 million in inventory. The new HUB brings 10 new jobs to the area, with an anticipated growth of 15 to 20 percent annually.


Librarian receives national award Newport News Librarian Honored with


National Award A librarian with the Newport News Public Library System was presented with a national lifetime achievement award at the City Council meeting on July 9.


Demetria Tucker, senior family and youth services librarian for the Pearl Bailey Library, is the recipient of the 2013 Coretta Scott King-Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement. The award is sponsored by the American Library Association.


Tucker was honored for her achievements at the Newport News City Council meeting on July 9, where Newport News Mayor McKinley Price presented her with the award and a proclamation.


At Pearl Bailey Library, Tucker coordinates a youth leadership program, a teen urban literature club and many other programs that support the youth of the southeast community of Newport News.


She previously served as youth services coordinator within the Roanoke (Va.) Public Library System and library media specialist at the Forest Park Elementary School, where she was selected 2007 Teacher of the Year. She holds a master’s degree in library science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University-Greensboro, N.C.


“I have always sought to provide an environment that allows young people the opportunity to actively be engaged, make choices and achieve a sense of self worth and pride,” Tucker said. “Our programs provide lasting outcomes that empower and provide young people the opportunity to become positive leaders and major stakeholders in their communities and throughout their adult lives.”


The Coretta Scott King-Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement is named in memory of children’s author Virginia Hamilton.


In odd years, the annual award is presented to a practitioner for substantial contributions through active engagement with youth using award-winning African American literature for children and/


Chesapeake Environmental Improvement Council — 6 appointments Applications are currently being accepted for the following previously advertised vacancies: • • •


Chesapeake Board of Historic and Architectural Review — 1 appointment (Historic District Resident)


• • •


August 2013


or young adults, via implementation of reading and reading-related activities/programs. The recipient may be a public librarian, academic librarian, school librarian (public or private), an educator (preK-12 or any level therein, or higher education) or youth literature advocate whose vocation, work, volunteer service or ongoing promotion of books with and/or on behalf of youth is significant and sustained.


In even years, that award is presented to an African American author, illustrator or author/ illustrator who has made a significant and lasting literary contribution, for a body of his or her published books for children and/or young adults.


Website Development & Engineering


The EDA, through a partnership with Christopher Newport University, funds grants to assist Norfolk businesses with e-commerce business assistance, web site design, and search engine optimization.


Funds for the above programs help defray the costs Norfolk businesses would incur in utilizing these University based business assistance programs. Grants will cover 50% of the project cost to the business, on a dollar-for-dollar basis, with a maximum grant of $2,500. For Minority and Women-Owned Businesses, grants are calculated on a two-for-one basis of the project cost, with a maximum grant award of $4,500.


Portsmouth’s Enterprise Zone: 2012


Incentive Results Portsmouth utilizes and array of both Federal and state-supported incentives to attract new businesses, as well as to encourage growth of existing companies. The City reports results on a calendar year and in 2012, the incentives offered through the city’s state-designated Enterprise Zone were instrumental in the redevelopment of numerous properties and the growth of several businesses. Five companies were eligible for the two state incentives, the Real Property Investment Grant and the Job Creation Grant, an investment over $1.2 million in building renovations and received $193,904 in cash grants from the state. With respect to local incentives, recipients eligible for the city’s Development Fee Rebate invested $1.3 million and received $9,522 in fee rebates. Twenty (20) property owners participated in the local Tax Exemption for Rehabilitated Structures program by investing $14.8 million in rehab and saving $183,389 in real estate taxes. Business activity was brisk throughout the city’s Enterprise Zone in 2012 with 81 new business locations and 173 business expansions. Collectively these new and expanding firms hired over 1,700 people in 2012.


Suffolk Department of Social Services 'Goes to Bat' for the Virginia Adopts:


The campaign is an initiative to match 1,000 children currently in foster care with adoptive families. Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell launched the statewide campaign on May 17 from the steps of the Governor's Mansion during Virginia's Foster Care Month. The governor also announced a social media campaign, "100 days, 100 kids," which will feature the story of a Virginian foster child awaiting adoption each day for 100 days.


Reserved tickets for the Norfolk Tides Thursday, August 8 baseball game at Harbor Park are available at $9.00, which reflect a $4.00 per ticket discount rate. The tickets can be ordered online, before midnight on Tuesday, August 6 at www.tidesgroups.com. Choose “Adoption 1,000 Campaign Night • Thursday, August 8 @ 7:05 PM” from the drop down menu. Enter the Promo Code “Adopt" and click Submit. This Promo Code will allow you to purchase reserved seats for $9.00. Tickets will be available to be picked up at Will Call on the day of the game, Thursday, August 8, under the purchasing individual’s name. Please bring a photo ID in order to pick up tickets.


For more information regarding ticket purchases, contact Christina Dewey at cdewey@ norfolktides.com or 757-622-2222 ext 117. For more information about the "Campaign for 1,000" or to view the Governor's video message, visit www.virginiaadopts.virginia.gov. To contact the Suffolk Department of Social Services, call 757-514-7450.


PRUFREX Innovative Power Products GmbH to Open U.S. Headquarters in Virginia Beach


60 full-time jobs to be created at $7.3 million manufacturing center


Mayor William D. Sessoms, Jr. joined Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell in announcing that PRUFREX Innovative Power Products GmbH, the worldwide leading full-service system partner for digital ignition systems and electronic control systems, will invest $7.33 million to establish its first U.S. manufacturing facility in the City of Virginia Beach. The company will supply ignition components for U.S. customers, including nearby BMZ Batteries and STIHL Inc., which produces the number one selling brand of chain saws. Virginia successfully competed against Georgia for the project, which will create 60 new full-time jobs. The Virginia


Beach location will be the U.S. headquarters.


Speaking about today’s announcement, Governor McDonnell said, “Gaining this global company’s first U.S. manufacturing facility is a major coup for Virginia. This significant project is also a great testament to the power of customer-supplier relationships that help attract additional investment. PRUFREX Innovative Power Products GmbH chose Virginia Beach due to the business environment in the Commonwealth and proximity to two major customers that will allow it to expand its U.S. customer base from this strategic location. We are thrilled to welcome


Assistance Grants in Norfolk The EDA, through a partnership with Old Dominion University, funds grants to Norfolk businesses to provide engineering and quality control assistance.


Campaign for 1000 SUFFOLK, VA --The Suffolk Department of Social Services is inviting local agency staff, friends, neighbors, churches, city staff and any others who would like to have a fun-filled night with the Norfolk Tides to help promote Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell’s “Virginia Adopts: Campaign for 1000”.


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