President's Page

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We have been around the sun one more time and behold it’s a brand-new year. I am hopeful one of your new year resolutions is to join your civic league. This is the month we include an information sheet with a membership form, and a self-addressed envelope in this newsletter. If you have not yet paid dues for 2025, or if you have never been a member, please take a moment to complete the form and send it in along with the annual $20 household dues payment. You can also pay multiple years

ahead if you choose, as many of our members have done to eliminate having to write an annual check. We are seeking 450 member households this year – please help make it happen. Whether you own or rent, if you live here, you can be a civic league member household.

A few days before Christmas we received the sad news that Jacquie Molovinsky passed away following a long illness. Jacquie was the wife of our civic league director, Jack Molovinsky. Jack and Jacquie have been long-time residents of Lake Smith Terrace. Please keep Jack and his family in your prayers.

Our annual Christmas Dinner event was one of the best. The side dishes everyone brought were delicious and plentiful. The civic league provided sliced turkey, ham, steamed shrimp and desserts. Live entertainment was courtesy of the Virginia Beach Silver Tappers. They definitely were a crowd favorite. Following the awarding of the door prizes and selection of a winner in the 50:50 raffle, the evening capped off with a visit from Santa Claus. This year Santa’s stand-in was our own Peter Cook, and he sure did a great job. The kids loved him, especially the gifts he handed to each of them. We are very grateful to all those who volunteered to make this event a resounding success.

 January is typically the coldest of the winter months. In the event we have an extended cold spell that produces an ice covering on Lake Smith or Oliver’s Pond, please do not be tempted to walk on the ice. In this area, lake ice is never thick enough to safely support the weight of an adult or a child. Breaking through the ice covering into the cold water could easily lead to an avoidable tragedy. Please emphasis this subject with your children.

Mark your calendar for January 22, 2025, and please plan to attend another information meeting on the topic of a traffic signal at the Independence - Paul Revere / Wakefield intersection. The meeting, hosted by District 9 Councilman Joash Schulman, is being held at Independence Middle School located at 1370 Dunstan Lane in Thoroughgood. The meeting time is 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM. Three years ago, this civic league’s membership voted to oppose the new traffic light when it was first proposed. We see another light on Independence as a funnel for two-way cut-through traffic on our neighborhood residential streets. Now, the latest justification for a light is to support a crosswalk across Independence to facilitate bus-stop riders and pedestrians going to the middle school. I do not know any responsible parent of 12 to14 year-old children who would allow them to cross the four lane 45 mph highway - crosswalk and light or not. Please plan to show up at this meeting to make our voices heard. I invite everyone to attend our January 21, 2025, civic league meeting. Our program will include a presentation by a representative from First Landing State Park. We are also working to schedule an overview of the proposed plans for the Cypress Point Shopping Center. Let’s have a good turnout. Stay warm, stay safe, watch out for your neighbors, and join the civic league.

John Eason - President