Shhh…I’m going to tell ya’ll a local secret. But first, I’ll assert that there are two kinds of seafood restaurant. One of them serves just about everything fried and/or soaked in butter. I don’t know what the other kind is…fancier, I guess. I enjoy both. But when it comes to lots of fried fish, tartar sauce, hush puppies and beer there are only a few places in Virginia Beach that we go. One of them is Nick’s Fresh Seafood & Steak on Laskin Road.

Nick’s is blue collar seafood. It shares a wall with a laundromat. The decor is 1973 laminate and vinyl. Most of the staff is at or past normal age of retirment and have worked there for decades. Most of the patrons have been eating there just as long. It’s certainly not the only place in town that can be described in such a way. In fact, I wouldn’t even bother to brag about Nick’s except for the fact that we’ve been going there for almost 10 years and always look forward to eating there. We go to the other places, but we like Nick’s most. It’s one of our cozy little haunts.

If you want to know what to eat at Nick’s just look on the walls. They have a menu, but when the waitresses have to look up to a whiteboard to remind themselves what kind of fish they have in you can be pretty sure that’s the ticket. You can also mark the seasons by what they show on their marquee. Nick’s tends not to serve rockfish in the dog days of summer or soft shells in the dead of winter. They serve what swims by.

There’s always an AYCE fried fish special. That’s standard fare all over V.B. I’ve definitely had my share. I’m a sucker for softshells just about anywhere when they’re in season. Nick’s are great. I’m not sure they even bread them at all - just crispy fried crabby goodness.

My wife Carolyn goes for the fried oysters just about every time. Throw in a couple of draft beers and we are set. I don’t think we’ve ever had to wait for a table but Nick’s is busy most every night in or out of season. You can spend a lot of money, but you really have to try.

Tonight we had a softshell sandwich ($9.95), 1/2 dozen steamed oysters ($4.50), a salad, kid’s grilled cheese, couple of extra sides, soda, and pitcher of beer for $37.03. Good deal.

We have a few other cozy little haunts to tell you about…if you promise to keep them all secrets.

Our neighborhood action to clean up our waterways by cleaning our neighborhood was a success…a blistering, steaming, hot success. I am excited and looking toward the future. Here are the results:

• 17 individuals from 6 families, 9 adults and 8 children participated
  
• 15 trash bags filled
  
• 2 square miles cleaned

Poundage could not be determined but I would estimate each bag weighed 20-30 pounds.

Most numerous items:

1. plastic bottles
2. cigarette butts
3. glass and aluminum

This year we set modest expectations and exceeded them. We’ll use this success as a platform to raise the bar next time. Given the extreme heat and vigorous vegetation we encountered, I am now leaning toward a bi-annual spring and fall cleanup.

Our first major objective will be to improve awareness through professionally made signs, enlistment of the many community marquees, and announcements in the Beacon and on WHRV public radio. Our second objective will be the doubling of the turn out. Our third objective will be increased participation from the City of Virginia Beach.

I truly think we can grow and sustain a bi-annual commitment if we schedule and market effectively.

Between now and the next event, I’ll be thinking about sustainable solutions for situations like the horrible conditions on N. Lynnhaven by Farm Fresh.

I applaud the families - adults and children alike - who are taking responsibility for our community and our local environment. I hope you will continue to act, and from what I’ve experienced in my brief time knowing each of you, I expect you will. Here in King’s Grant we reside on a critical line of defense for the Lynnhaven River and Chesapeake Bay.

Until next time,

Kevin

The Virginia Beach Neptune Festival kicks off this weekend and goes all summer. It starts off with a wine tasting party in the 24th Street park and culminates in Boardwalk Weekend, September 26-28, 2008. We usually run in the 8K and check out what’s left of the Surfing Classic after. But the true gem of Neptune Festival has to be the North American Sandsculpting Championship. I remember going to see the sand castles starting at least 25 years ago. Twenty-five years later and we have digital cameras and this Internet thing. So it seemed appropriate to me to share today the pictures I took at last year’s championship. Perhaps ironically, there was a decidedly anti-technology theme going with a couple of the entries. I hope you will enjoy - Kevin.

Neptune_2007

WHAT: Waterways Clean Up

WHY: Look around. Our trash is all over our streets and side avenues. It flows heavily through our storm water runoff system.


A significant amount of our trash flows along our storm water ditches, drains, creeks, and lakes that flow directly into the Lynnhaven River. These waterways serve to protect our neighborhoods from flood and excessive rain by carrying the water out into the river. A negative side-effect of their utility is that these waterways also carry significant amounts of trash and debris. Effective water run-off channels are designed trap most of refuse before it makes its way out. But what happens next? Who cleans it up?

What happens next is we go out there and take care of our neighborhood!

HOW:

1. Sign Up:

1. Send email to kmcurry AT gmail DOT com, subject: “King’s Grant Waterways Clean Up,” and tell us how many in your group
2. All minors must be accompanied by an adult

2. Show Up: Meet at the Triangle in front of 7-11 at 8:45 AM

3. Clean Up:

1. You will be provided with equipment; gloves, trash bags, orange safety vests…that sort of thing

2. You will be assembled into clean teams and given a clean up route

3. Your team will walk your route filling up trash bags

4. We will come around and collect the trash bags and take them to the dump and/or recycling center

WHEN: Saturday June 7, 2008, 9 AM to 12 NOON (Clean the Bay Day)


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