12 The Hampton Roads Messenger


Volume 12 Number 9 Around Hampton Roads


PETA offers free Cats Neuter surgeries


In celebration of Father's Day, PETA's mobile clinics will offer free neuter surgeries for male cats throughout the months of May and June.


Where: Boykins, Chesapeake, Emporia, Franklin, Hopewell, Newport News, Norfolk, Portsmouth, and Suffolk


When: May 1 to June 30 (Appointments are required and can be made by calling PETA at 757-622-PETA (7382), extension 3, or by visiting PETA.org/SpayNeuter.)


"Responsible guardians can prevent their companion cats from contributing to the homeless-animal overpopulation crisis by taking advantage of PETA's complimentary springtime special," says PETA Senior Vice President Daphna Nachminovitch. "For every one who gets 'snipped' this season, countless more won't be born into a world already bursting at the seams with unwanted cats."


Every year, more than 6 million dogs and cats end up in animal shelters across the U.S., and half of them must be euthanized because there aren't enough good homes for them. The solution is simple: spaying and neutering. Since 2001, PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that "animals are not ours to abuse in any way"—has performed low-cost spay and neuter surgeries for more than 154,000 dogs, cats, and rabbits, including more than 13,300 in 2017.


Learn how to construct bid responses to city requests


Need some pointers to submit bid proposals? Learn how to effectively respond to a solicitation for bids from the city of Hampton at a special business seminar on Wednesday, June 13, noon-1:30 p.m., at the Ruppert Sargent Building, 1 Franklin St.


Topics at the session will cover how a solicitation is structured, how to understand the bid requirements, contract terminology, bond definitions and more. The seminar will help participants confidently construct effective responses to bid requests.


The presenter will be Lavinia Whitley, deputy director of finance and purchasing for the city.


The seminar for Hampton businesses is free, but registration is required and there is a two-person limit per company. Lunch will be provided. Go online to register.


The business seminar series is sponsored by the City of Hampton’s Economic Development Department and designed to provide information in the critical areas that directly influence a business’s ability to succeed.


City manager names Steve Drew next Chief of Police


Newport News City Manager Cindy Rohlf today announced her selection of Steven R. “Steve” Drew for the position of Chief of Police. Drew is currently Deputy Chief of Patrol Operations and Business Services for the Richmond (Va.) Police Department. As Newport News Police Chief, he will oversee a staff of 600 sworn and non-sworn personnel and an annual operating budget of $49 million.


City Manager Cindy Rohlf said, “I am excited that Steve is joining the Newport News team to lead our nationally accredited Police Department. His extensive law enforcement experience coupled with a strong belief in


partnerships between the community and the police will serve our citizens well.”


"Being selected as the next chief of police for the Newport News Police Department is the greatest honor of my career,” said Chief Drew. “I am humbled but also incredibly excited to be selected to lead this excellent organization. The greatest assets we have in this organization are the men and women who serve this community. Community plays a vital role in today’s policing landscape. No organization can succeed without the public’s support. The Newport News Police Department will continue to grow in excellence as it serves this dynamic, historic city."


Drew brings with him 24 years of progressively responsible experience in local law enforcement. He began his career as a Richmond police officer moving up through the ranks to his current position of Deputy Police Chief in April 2015. Over the course of his career with the Richmond Police Department, Drew served in various leadership positions in the Narcotics Division, Citywide Gun and Drug Enforcement Unit, Major Crimes Division, and Patrol Operations. He is also credited with creating and implementing the 4th Precinct Community Response Team, the Organized Crime Street Level Narcotics Unit and a Plain Clothes Street Crimes Unit. Drew holds a bachelor’s degree in social sciences from Urbana University and a master’s degree in business from Colorado State University.


Drew begins his new position on July 2 with an annual salary of $177,000. He replaces Rick Myers who retired in August.


Norfolk City Council approves Fiscal Year 2019 Budget


Norfolk City Council has approved the city’s $1.3 billion budget for Fiscal Year 2019, including a 10-cent increase to the real estate tax rate.


NORFOLK, VA – Norfolk City Council has approved the city’s $1.3 billion budget for Fiscal Year 2019, including a 10-cent increase to the real estate tax rate.


The additional revenue from the tax increase -- $18.5 million – will be used to invest in the following initiatives:


Provide an additional $5 million in funding for Norfolk Public Schools; Implement the St. Paul’s plan to redevelop three public housing areas ($3.5 million); Restore $1.2 million in funding to the Norfolk Police Department; Invest in resilience initiatives to address flooding ($1.8 million);


Begin to address the backlog of aging city vehicles and equipment ($3.8 million); and


Provide a salary increase for city employees ($3 million).


City departments helped balance the budget through $8 million in expense reductions and elimination of 82 positions. Increases to certain fees added another $3 million in revenue.


Thanks to all who participated in the city’s budget challenge workshops, the public budget hearing and by using our online budget balancing tool.


For the proposed budget documents and videos, visit www.norfolk.gov/budgettoolkit Check back soon for updated documents on the approved budget.


Company wins 2018 Small Business of the Year award


PORTSMOUTH, VA – The Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce and the Small Business Development Center of Hampton Roads held its annual Small Business of the Year Awards during a May 4 luncheon. SimIS Inc., an information technology company focusing on modeling and simulation and information security, won the 2018 Small Business of the Year award presented during the luncheon. SimIS Inc. also took honors for the Portsmouth Small Business of the Year. During the event the chamber and the SBDC honored a business from each Southside city, one from the Peninsula, a leader and a young entrepreneur.


Founded in 2007, SimIS Inc. successfully created a bridge between traditional cyber security services and responsive, simulated architecture design. A veteran- owned small business, the company has experienced rapid growth in the public service sector, laying the framework for much of the modeling and simulation focus in the Department of Defense. Through integrated architecture design and the company’s continued commitment to provide customers with great products and services, SimIS has established itself at the forefront of emerging government contractors. The company’s consistent drive to improve and perfect its offerings provides customers with a constantly amended capability set that can be used for any task, setting it apart from the competition.*


Suffolk issues black bear safety reminders


SUFFOLK, Virginia (May 25, 2018) – Spotting black bears in Suffolk is nothing unusual, especially considering our proximity to the Great Dismal Swamp. Residents can minimize negative interactions with bears by following some simple guidelines to take now:


Secure your garbage: Store garbage indoors, in a shed, in a garage, or in a bear- proof container.


Put garbage out the morning of pick-up, not the night before.


Pick up pet food. Feed pets only what they will eat in a single feeding or feed them indoors. Remove the food bowl soon after pets finish. Pick up uneaten food. Do not leave food out overnight.


Remove the bird feeder: Bears consume seed and nuts found in the wild, so bird feeders become a favored target for bears.


Clean the outdoor grill often.


Do not put meat scraps or any other strong-smelling food in the compost pile. Consider an enclosed compost bin.


Do not leave strong-smelling food in your vehicles.


Pick up and remove ripe fruit from fruit trees and surrounding grounds. Bears are highly adaptable, intelligent animals and may learn to associate human dwellings with food. Bears are attracted to residential areas by the smell of food around homes. Black bears have a natural distrust of humans, are shy, and usually avoid people. If addressed quickly, problems are often resolved immediately. After a few failed attempts to find food, bears will usually leave the area and return to more normal wild food items. Bears have tremendous memories and therefore, they may return for as many as 10-14 days looking for these free food sources. It is illegal to deliberately feed bears on both public and private lands. If a bear is on or near your property, do not escalate the situation by approaching, crowding around, or chasing the bear. This also applies to bears that have climbed up a tree. The best thing you can do is leave it alone. Because of bears’ natural distrust of humans, a bear that feels cornered will be looking for an escape route. By keeping people and pets away from the bear, you give it the best chance to come down from the tree and leave your property on its own. Additional extensive information and a video regarding “Living with Black Bears in Virginia” is available on the Suffolk Police Department’s website at www.suffolkva.us/156/Black-Bear-Information. If you experience a bear problem after taking appropriate steps of prevention, you may contact the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries Wildlife Conflict Helpline at 1-855-571-9003 or the Suffolk Police Department non-emergency dispatch at 757-923-2350, extension 0.


June 2018


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