12 The Hampton Roads Messenger


Volume 15 Number 5 Around Hampton Roads


Homelessness in the pandemic The pandemic has hit some worse than others. For too many in our community,


it’s meant the loss of their home. Caring for the homeless during a pandemic is a challenge in and of itself but thankfully, the City that Cares has stepped up.


Every year, the City partners with CAST: Chesapeake Area Shelter Team to provide overnight shelter and food for the homeless during cold winter months. But when the pandemic made that no longer an option, City employees and volunteers found an alternative by providing winter sheltering at local hotels for as many as 50 guests a night. During the day, the We Care Resource Center, an initiative of Chesapeake Human Services, is open for those in need to come for a shower or to do laundry and to get help getting benefits, a job, and housing. But this still left the need to provide food. From this need, a new program was formed: Agape Feast Community Meals.


Agape Feast Community Meals works with local churches, organizations, and businesses to prepare food every week for those in need. Over 10,000 meals have been provided since the program started last year. This endeavor takes a lot of work and volunteers are always needed. Learn more about the program at AbbaList.org and if you’d like to help, email agapefeastmeals@gmail.com or call 757-321-9353. By Elizabeth Vaughn


Hampton ranks among the Top 15 most affordable beach towns


Hampton has once again ranked as one of the most affordable beach towns in the country, according to SmartAsset.com. Hampton stands out as a value, especially in the mid-Atlantic region.


The 10 most affordable beach towns are all in Mississippi, Texas and Florida. Hampton is the only mid-Atlantic city in the top 15.


This is the fifth year that Hampton has made the list. As property prices increase in other areas, Hampton has gone from 23rd to 15th.


Home prices are climbing in Hampton, too. Foreclosures have decreased dramatically, the average sales price of a home has increased, homes are spending less time on the market, and sellers are getting multiple offers, Interim Assessor Libby Griebel told City Council last week. As a result, Hampton's home assessed values are increasing.


SmartAsset compared data for 218 beach towns and ranked them by four key real estate metrics: median home value, average number of rooms per house, median monthly property taxes paid and monthly housing costs.


SmartAsset is a financial technology company that provides personal finance advice on the web, especially in the areas of homebuying, investing, retirement, taxes and more.


Newport News selected to participate in Community Risk Reduction pilot program


Lee, Assistant Fire Chief of Community Risk Reduction for the Newport New Fire Department. “Not only will access to the tool give us invaluable information about our community’s needs, but it’s rewarding to know that using the tool will increase its effectiveness and help other fire departments in the long run.”


Community risk reduction is a process that identifies and prioritizes risks and ensures impactful mitigation initiatives. Innovative technology, access to data, and a shifting focus on prevention have resulted in new energy around this process. Reflecting that momentum, NFPA’s CRA tool works to help fire departments aggregate and disseminate data that pinpoint where risks exist within a given community.


Virginia announces Tabet Manufacturing Company, Inc.


to expand in Norfolk RICHMOND — Governor Ralph Northam today announced that Tabet Manufacturing Company, Inc., a leading developer and manufacturer of large suite communications equipment and custom solutions for military and industrial customers, will invest $6.5 million to expand its operation in the City of Norfolk. The company will construct a new manufacturing facility adjacent to its current facility at 1336 Ballentine Boulevard to increase production capacity. Virginia successfully competed with Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina for the project, which will create 68 new jobs.


“Tabet Manufacturing Company is a longtime contributor to the Hampton Roads economy, producing vital communications equipment for our armed forces,” said Governor Northam. “The company’s Norfolk operation continues to thrive, supported by the region’s significant military presence and the ability to recruit and retain top talent. We are honored that Tabet has decided to reinvest in our Commonwealth, and we look forward to their continued success.”


Founded over 60 years ago, Tabet Manufacturing Company, Inc. is a dynamic and innovative company that developed the first wafer-style switches for use on United States Navy ships. A homegrown Virginia company headquartered in Norfolk, Tabet has served military and industrial markets for many years, employing more than 90 Virginians. With a focus on customer satisfaction, Tabet Manufacturing works with clients to create custom products starting with the design and prototype, and continuing through full production. In addition to serving the military maritime market, Tabet Manufacturing was recently awarded a multi-year contract from the Defense Logistics Agency to manufacture a variety of interconnection equipment used throughout the Department of Defense community. The five-year base contract has a performance completion date of December 2024 and includes an option for five one-year extension periods.


“The diversity of Tabet Manufacturing’s growing customer base speaks to the value of its custom, precision-manufactured products,” said Secretary of Commerce and Trade Brian Ball. “The growth and longevity of a 60-year- old Virginia company is a powerful testament to the advantages of doing business in the Commonwealth, and we are proud to support Tabet’s expansion in Norfolk.”


The city of Newport News Fire Department has been selected by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) to participate in the second phase of a pilot program to build a digital community risk assessment (CRA) tool. Aligned to NFPA’s Standard on Community Risk Assessment and Community Risk Reduction Plan Development, the tool, or “dashboard,” enables community leaders to gain valuable insights and make data- informed decisions around fire prevention and other risk-reduction activities in their communities.


As one of only 250 fire departments nationwide chosen to participate in this phase, Newport News Fire Department has free access to the dashboard, which includes customized visualizations (maps, charts, graphs) that illustrate each community’s risks and hazards across a variety of categories such as demographics, geography, building stock, economics, infrastructure, and event loss history. The dashboard also provides a snapshot of local capacity for risk reduction activities with information about public safety response agencies and community service organizations.


“Access to accurate data will allow community risk reduction leaders to use insights and make informed decisions about where to focus efforts and resources,” said Karen Berard-Reed, community risk reduction strategist at NFPA. “While many fire departments have struggled to work with data sets, NFPA’s CRA tool will do the complex work behind the scenes to compile relevant data allowing stakeholders to create effective community risk reduction plans that incorporate five priorities - education, engineering, enforcement, economic incentives, and emergency response - in the most impactful ways possible.”


The first phase of the pilot project, which included participation from 50 fire departments across the country, helped identify features of the digital dashboard that will work effectively and those that need fine-tuning. During the second phase of the program, the NNFD will provide feedback around the use of dashboard to help continue refining and enhancing the digital tool.


“We are excited to be participating in this important project,” said Robert


“We are excited to make this investment and continue growing our operations in the Hampton Roads area,” said Jeff Jaycox, President of Tabet Manufacturing Company. “The area is strategically located to serve our customer base and has the necessary infrastructure for us to conduct business in a competitive manner. We have also been able to develop a strong supply chain utilizing vendors throughout Virginia.”


The Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP) worked with the City of Norfolk and the Hampton Roads Alliance to secure the project for Virginia. VEDP will support Tabet Manufacturing’s job creation through the Virginia Jobs Investment Program (VJIP), which provides consultative services and funding to companies creating new jobs in order to support employee recruitment and training activities. As a business incentive supporting economic development, VJIP reduces the human resource costs of new and expanding companies. VJIP is state-funded, demonstrating Virginia’s commitment to enhancing job opportunities for citizens.


“Successful, innovative companies are critical to the development of a strong and resilient local economy,” said Norfolk Mayor Kenneth Cooper Alexander. “We are proud that Norfolk’s own Tabet Manufacturing makes significant advanced devices that are used around the world. We are also excited that Tabet Manufacturing continues to make significant investments in Norfolk, creating jobs while building our industrial base. Norfolk is grateful for the partnership with VEDP and the Hampton Roads Alliance that aided Tabet Manufacturing in expanding its operation.”


“The Hampton Roads Alliance congratulates Tabet Manufacturing Company on its expansion and commends the City of Norfolk and VEDP for their work to secure this project,” said Douglas L. Smith, President and CEO of the Hampton Roads Alliance. “The Hampton Roads region is second to none in its service to the military, due not only to the nearly 90,000 active-duty personnel stationed here, but also to the many manufacturers and defense contractors that call the region home. A large, well-skilled talent pool and advantageous regulatory environment make Hampton Roads ideal for manufacturers, and we are thrilled to see a homegrown company like Tabet achieve such success.”


February 2021


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