Volume 30 Number 2 March 2023
FSAA General Meeting
March 15, 2023, 7:00 pm
YMCA, Teen Center, 1st Floor
Speakers:
Sean Washington, Interim Director of Economic Development, City of Norfolk
Barrett Stork, Cox Communications
Allie Pereira, Virginia Arts Festival – Tattoo
FSAA Board Meeting
April 19, 2023, 7:00 pm
Freemason Harbor Condo Community Room
Next General Meeting
May 17, 2023
Location TBD
Neighborhood Clean Up
3rd Saturday of Each Month; 9 am, Freemason Green
Find us on the web on Facebook, Nextdoor Freemason, and at www.freemasonstreetareaassociation.com
To report non-emergency issues, call the Norfolk Police Non-Emergency Number 757-441-5610
Message From the President
Happy Almost Spring Neighbors! Again a BIG thanks to Steve Sigmon and his team for our monthly sprucing up of the neighborhood. I hope you can join us for our General Meeting on Wednesday night the 15th of March at 7 PM. Sean Washington, Interim Director of Economic Development will give a presentation on big changes in the Norfolk Business Community, and Barrett Stork from Cox Communications will be here to discuss their outage issues. And as always in March Allie Pereira will be here to talk about International Tattoo and the Virginia Arts Festival yearly program. And finally if you haven’t joined the FSAA please consider doing so. We are a fun group - an application is on the front page. Hope to see you on the 15th at the Blocker YMCA, in the Teen Center on the first floor.
Jack Kavanaugh, President
Norfolk Historical Society
The Norfolk Historical Society is pleased to announce the beginning of the 17th year of programming for the Louis L. Guy History Series.
Mark your calendars for upcoming Louis L. Guy programs:
8 March 2023: Ed Moore, Mariners Museum. Torpedo Junction – the German U-Boat War Along the US Atlantic and Gulf Coasts
12 April 2023: Josh Weinstein. Victorian Art & Architecture at Elmwood Cemetery.
10 May 2023: Amanda Williams, Education Director, MacArthur Memorial. MacArthur and Sports
All sessions are free and open to the public and are held at 7:00 PM in the Visitor Center Theater at the MacArthur Memorial (198 Bank Street) in downtown Norfolk.
FSAA Historic District Oversight Committee
Insurance Tips for Historic Home Owners
If your historic home was severely damaged, but not enough to declare it a total loss, does your policy have high enough coverage limits to repair and restore the building? Will your insurance company pay? The National Trust for Historic Preservation gives the following tips to ensure you have the right amount and proper kind of coverage:
• Increase your deductible. Increasing your deductible is a great way to offset the increased premiums associated with insuring your building properly.
• Insist on Guaranteed Replacement Cost coverage. This would cover you for the full cost of rebuilding, or restoring, regardless of policy limit. You might have to search for it, but it is available.
• Consolidate policies with one insurer. You probably will be eligible for package discounts.
• Itemize significant valuable items on a Fine Arts floater. With a Fine Arts floater you will be able to avoid policy sub-limits and deductibles, as well as obtain breakage coverage for fragile articles and agreed value for your valuables.
• Take advantage of credits. Insurers offer many “credits” that lower the cost of insurance for homeowners who have taken steps to reduce risks. “Loss free discounts” may be given to clients who have not made a claim in a specified time period, usually three years.
• Purchase All Risk coverage on dwelling and contents. Many homeowners’ policies are written on a named peril basis, which provides more restrictive coverage.
• Choose a quality independent agent or broker. One example is the National Trust Insurance Services link: https://mdpins.com/national-trust-insurance/ which has experience insuring historic properties and can offer you sound advice.
Beautification Stars
This newsletter's beautification stars are our 18 and under crowd. Mia, Tessa, Charles and Shawn (not pictured) are regulars at our cleanups. Some say they come for the doughnuts, but no matter what gets them out, we are happy to have them. They were unable to make the last organized cleanup, so they went out on their own and filled two bags of trash from the beach at the end of Freemason Street. If you see them around the neighborhood, be sure to thank them and tell them to keep up the good work! If you have any high school age kids/grandkids that need their volunteer hours for graduation, we'd be happy to have them help and will gladly sign their volunteer form!
Save the Date: Public Art Dedication & Celebration
"End of Massive Resistance" Public Art by Re:site
Join artists, City dignitaries, members of The Norfolk 17 and The Lost Class of 1959 for a special celebration and dedication of "End of Massive Resistance" public art on Thursday, April 17 at 10:00 a.m. at Flatiron Park (114 W. Charlotte St., Norfolk, VA 23510).
"End of Massive Resistance," an 8’ by 57’ wall created by Shane Albritton and Norman Lee of Re:site. The sculpture is composed of brick and glass in graded transformation that explores the concept of breaking down the barrier of segregated public education. A historic photographic timeline of events and text includes "Seventeen Ways," by local poet Tim Siebels. Sunlight penetrating the glass will symbolize the triumph of social justice and opaque bricks gesture toward the ongoing work of creating equitable schools.
Re:site specializes in creating public art, memorials and commemorative spaces that connect the past with the present by inspiring shared experiential moments, collaborative viewership, curiosity, discovery and dialog. The artists are passionate about helping communities honor difficult histories and recovering the voices of those who struggled for justice, freedom and human dignity.
Mark your calendar and learn more about this public art by visiting https://norfolkarts.net/artwork/the-end-of-massive-resistance/
Freemason Little Free Library
The Freemason Area Little Free Library, sponsored by The Friends of the Norfolk Public Library (FNPL), is located in front of the Pagoda facing the water. Readily identified by its green and yellow color, library remains active and carefully cared for by the community. Turnover of books, both hard cover and paperback, continues to be steady. More children’s books needed, as they are especially popular.
There is no need to check out books. When you see a book of interest, you are free to take it. After finishing with the book, please either pass it along to a friend or return it to this or any other Little Free Library. Likewise, books that you would like to contribute are welcome. Please place books in the library in an orderly fashion. Freemason residents, Madeline Sly and Pat Williams, are the Little Free Library Stewards.
Norfolk Home and Garden Tour
This year’s tour will take place on Thursday, April 20, 2023, from 10 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. in the Edgewater neighborhood. One of the houses on the tour once stood in Downtown Norfolk! The Boush-Tazewell House, was built between 1780 and 1783 and was the first significant dwelling erected in the old borough of Norfolk after the city burned in 1776. Originally located on Tazewell Street between Granby and Boush streets, the house was moved in 1902 by being dismantled and moved by barge to its current location in Edgewater. Five additional houses also will be filled with lovely flower arrangements created by the skillful hands of members of Harborfront Garden Club and the Garden Club of Norfolk. Two expansive gardens also will be open on the tour.
Tickets for the Norfolk Tour are $50pp sold online and in advance only at www.VAGardenWeek.org. There will be no tickets sales on the day of the tour. Proceeds from the tour benefit the restoration of historic gardens and landscapes throughout Virginia.
Hunter House Events
Wildflower Tea: Sunday, March 26th $30 members; $35 not yet members, $15 children under 13. Seatings at 12pm and 3pm. Like a wildflower you must allow yourself to grow in all the places people thought you would never grow.” E.V. Jou us for unique delicacies inspired by wildflowers and flowers from our garden.
Garden Party Market: Saturday, April 1st 11am – 4pm. Join us for the opening of our 2023 season with a Garden Party. Enjoy tours of the house and peruse the garden full of local vendors. Free guided tours at 12pm and 2pm (reservations required). Self-guided tours available all day (no reservations required).
Titanic Tea: Sunday, March 26th $30 members; $35 not yet members, $15 children under 13. Seatings at 12pm and 3pm. Immerse yourself in the history of this “unsinkable” ship through a commemorative afternoon tea featuring a short lecture with decadent sweets and savories.
To purchase tickets for any of our events, please email hhvmwhitney@gmail.com or call 757-623-9814.
Freemason Street Area Association
Sunday, May 28, 2023-Memorial Day Cookout
At the Pagoda
5:30-8:30 p.m.
Dinner and Live Music by Mike Binetti
Price: $15.00 per person
Cash Bar
Menu
Dreal’s Fried Chicken, Hamburgers & Hot Dogs
(Lettuce/Tomato/Cheese/Onions/Pickles, etc.)
Vegetarian Baked Beans, Mac & Cheese, & Broccoli Salad
Assorted Dessert Treats
Iced Tea & Water
Vegetarian option available by pre-order only
(Beyond Meat Burger)
Reservations due by Tuesday, May 23, 2023
Invite family and friends!
Reservations and payment may be hand delivered to your condominium representative or mailed to: Madeline Sly, 215 Brooke Avenue #1002, Norfolk, VA 23510.
For additional information, call Greta Gustavson (757-627-0031) or Madeline Sly (757-623-1949). Condo reps are as follows: Pilot House: Greta Gustavson; Harbour Place: Madeline Sly; Freemason Harbour: Pat Williams; Freemason Place: Stacy Celestin; PierPointe: Shirley Ward; River Park: Paul Sayegh; Archer’s Walk: Robert Wojtowicz; McCullough’s Row: Shannon Allen; Tazewell Place: Peter Seay. For condominiums not listed, please contact Madeline Sly (757-623-1949) or hand deliver to Jack Kavanaugh, 312 College Place.
This always has been a popular event so make your reservations today!
Make Your Reservation Here!