Spring has certainly blossomed across our neighborhood these past few weeks. You also may be hearing the geese and owls calling in the night and songbirds at daybreak. Hummingbirds will turn up any day now, and you may have already spotted some around your home. The trees are awakening from their winter naps as patches of spring bulbs bloom in so many yards. Isn’t Kingspoint lovely in the spring?
We celebrate Earth Day and Arbor Day at the end of April. We can each commit our own “Act of Green” to participate in Earth Day, celebrated on Saturday, April 22, and Arbor Day on Friday, April 28. Planting trees has been an Arbor Day tradition since April 10, 1872. Many Kingspoint neighbors are following this special tradition by planting trees and shrubs this spring. Woody plants cleanse our environment by removing carbon and air borne pollutants from the air. They also help manage storm water run-off.
We appreciate the tremendous support neighbors have given our Kingspoint Neighborhood Association membership drive this month, and your support for the Redbud Initiative. Treasurer Karen Schneider continues to accept membership contributions at her home.
Neighbors have picked up nearly all of the first 28 seedling redbud trees. (Find directions on how to plant and care for your seedling trees here.) Perhaps you have noticed the mature redbuds blooming in so many neighborhood yards this month. Many of our original redbuds fell during storms. Planting a tiny seedling tree is an investment in future beauty and an act of faith, courage and hope. It is wonderful to experience the enthusiasm for this effort.
Many thanks to Kenita Hill for her diligent work to keep up with the many changes this year to our neighborhood directory. She is incredibly generous with her time and attention to keep it as accurate as possible. We also appreciate those neighbors who contacted us with changes after looking at their own listings. If you have been meaning to let us know about your changes, please do so by March 30 so we can send out a list of those updates to everyone on our email list.
We had a dedicated team of volunteers delivering the directories this year, including several new neighbors. It appears that the distribution went flawlessly. Many, many thanks to everyone who helped, including children, spouses, and pets!
It has been a busy and an eventful month in the community. I need to touch on a few highlights of concerns that neighbors have shared with me this month. Please receive these updates in a spirit of collaboration, cooperation, and open communication. We all benefit when we work together and look out for one another.
1. We have had several ‘arborists’ going door to door this month doing “curbside diagnostics” of various issues that they will take care of today, for a few thousand dollars. Please don’t fall prey to these fast talkers wanting to make fast money. If we are consistent in turning away these door to door solicitors, we can help protect those who don’t want strangers at their door. Remember to tell them we have a ‘No Soliciting’ neighborhood, if you choose to interact, and challenge them to show you both picture ID and their Peddler’s License issued by the JCC Police. If they don’t have the license, then please call the police non-emergency number (757.566.0112) and ask an officer to come and inform them of the proper procedure to go door to door in our county. If you truly need tree work done, then please choose an experienced arborist with a good reputation in our community. You will find a huge variation in quotes for the job, and the quality of the work, if you get several estimates and speak with references before agreeing to a contract.
2. It seems our several ‘No Soliciting’ signs are too small and subtle. We expect to have them replaced with something more visible in the coming weeks.
3. A neighbor shared that while working with a wildlife rescue worker, she learned that small animals, and sometimes birds of prey, can get caught in various types of netting we have in our yards. These might include soccer nets, netting around shrubs, etc. Baby rabbits, small birds, snakes, etc. may be found dead or injured in or near the netting. Birds hunting at night may not see the netting and fly into it. This is the season for wildlife to grow more active, so we may all want to look for hazards to wildlife that we can minimize.
4. We are very happy to know that the children on the school bus involved in the accident at the light this past week are all doing OK. We haven’t heard the final official report on what happened, but it doesn’t appear that speed was the problem. What an upsetting thing for these kids, their parents, and all of us who care about our neighborhood children.
5. There has been conversation this week about our bus stop at the intersection of Northpoint Drive and Kingspoint Drive. The space where families wait is narrow, with no boundary between them and the pavement, and there is a ditch running through it. Concerned parents have been creating a safety barrier between their children and traffic with their own vehicles. They may wait there for 20 minutes or so when the bus is late. The parked cars near the intersection cause a safety issue for those traveling on Northpoint who must drive into the oncoming traffic lane to get around them. Read more about our efforts to improve the situation for all in a separate article.
6. Please help keep the streets clear of obstacles by retrieving garbage and recycling bins as soon as you can once they are empty, particularly if you live on one of our ‘through’ streets that neighbors need to travel.
7. According to Dr. McGlennon, the county is still working on a plan to contract with a single carter to pick up garbage and recycling throughout the county. They have authorization to hire a manager to oversee this transition, but it may still be a couple of years away from implementation.
8. We’ve had some concerns in recent months with dogs off-leash running through Kingspoint. Please don’t allow your pets to relieve themselves in a neighbor’s We appreciate everyone’s help in keeping their pets safe and leashed when they aren’t at home.
9. Former MPO Alan McDowell, who retired some months ago, has returned to the JCC Police as a civilian Training and Community Engagement Coordinator. The Community Services Division has been short staffed for months now, and he has returned part time to assist. He was kind enough to send us some specific information to help clarify several questions that neighbors have had recently about on-street parking:
46.2-1239. Parking in certain locations; penalty.
No person shall park a vehicle or permit it to stand, whether attended or unattended, on a highway in front of a private driveway, within 15 feet of a fire hydrant or the entrance to a fire station, within 15 feet of the entrance to a plainly designated emergency medical services agency, or within 20 feet from the intersection of curb lines or, if none, then within 15 feet of the intersection of property lines at any highway intersection.
Code 1950, § 46-263; 1958, c. 541, § 46.1-258; 1972, c. 528; 1984, c. 126; 1989, c. 727; 2015, cc. 502, 503.
Many thanks to Ann Hobson and Phillip Schneider for their continued work at our neighborhood entrance. Tom Mahone and Chris Bonday are continuing their dedicated efforts to keep the grass neatly trimmed. If you are willing to join our crew of volunteers to help with maintenance chores at the entrance, please get in touch with Ann at annhobson1010@gmail.com.
If you are new to the community, or have a new family living near you, please let us know so we can visit with a copy of the Kingspoint Directory and include them in the 2023 listings. Many thanks to Mary Haines, who has joined our team of volunteers, and the KPNA Board, to help greet new families in the neighborhood.
As we prepare for spring indoors and out, we will have an opportunity to discard and recycle many household chemicals and electronics atVPPSA’s next Household Chemical collection day on April 8 at Warhill High School from 8:00 AM until noon. Please check their website for a list of what they will and won’t accept.
Find other JCC news and announcements, including information about a septic tank pumping grant program, in “JCC News to Know”.
Please visit our KPNA website for news and useful community links, regular updates and a link to the digital Crier.
The Kingspoint Neighborhood Association 