Good afternoon,

I hope this email finds you well. I am well, but a little less mobile these days. I have a stress fracture in my left foot and have been not weight-bearing on the foot for almost five weeks with three weeks to go. I have crutches and a scooter(s) that are helping me get around. I have come to appreciate accessibility and mobility in my house and wherever I travel around town. I can exercise on the stationary bike with the boot on, which really helps me continue exercising. You will see my scooter in one of the pictures below. The basket is a dream. And, Grady is trying hard to stay out of the way.

There were some fun happenings around Norfolk in April. There was an event celebrating the 80th anniversary of the USS Wisconsin Battleship commissioning in mid-April. The Wisconsin is a wonderful downtown attraction. I am always in awe of the bow as I walk, drive and bike by the battleship. And, I attended the 71st Annual NATO Festival Flag Raising Ceremony. Norfolk is the home of NATO – Allied Command Transformation and we serve as hosts for the annual NATO Festival. This year celebrates the 75th anniversary of NATO. There are 32 member nations in NATO with Sweden being the most recent to join as of March 2024.

The Hampton Boulevard Task Force (formed in 2018) met last week. As you may recall, I chair this Task Force with a goal of improving safety all along the Hampton Blvd. corridor from Redgate Avenue to Admiral Taussig Blvd near Naval Station Norfolk. We have put into place many safety measures and the safety improvements are actively ongoing. There is a very engaged group of stakeholders including many city departments, Old Dominion University, Eastern Virginia Medical Campus, neighboring civic leagues, trucking associations, Port of Virginia, Elizabeth River Trail Foundation and the Navy. It was an excellent meeting where we discussed traffic data measures/counts, speed enforcement and camera enforcement updates and transportation projects that are taking place along the corridor. Most notably, we received a readout of a traffic study conducted by a third party consultant evaluating the area between Magnolia Avenue and the southern end of the Lafayette River Bridge. There are many potential improvements that can be implemented in this area to make it safer. The consultant presented the study findings to the Larchmont – Edgewater Civic League on Monday, April 29. A survey is available for people to provide input. With input from the area residents, survey respondents and the city, a range of recommendations will be forthcoming. The presentation, survey and other information can be found here:

 

 

Lastly, I want to share the great news that Norfolk City Manager Pat Roberts announced the appointment of our new Fire Chief – Sidney Carroll — for Norfolk Fire and Rescue. Chief Carroll has been with the department for 42 years and is very respected and highly regarded. And, Chief Carroll hails from Norfolk!

Enjoy your weekend!

Cheers,

Courtney

Norfolk State of the City Address

 

NATO Festival Flag Raising Ceremony

 

Stress fracture left foot…in boot for many weeks to heal. Love this scooter. More mobile in late May.

 

 

Grady… first thing in the morning