Letter from the President – February 2020

Happy New Year!

I hope that everyone had an enjoyable holiday season and a good start to the new year. My family and I were able to enjoy the time together with each other, our friends and neighbors and our extended family.

Our first meeting of the year got off to a very productive start with a healthy attendance of members on a cold winter night. I guess Mother Nature finally decided to remind us that we are still in the winter season. Greg Kram, of GK Plumbing, was kind enough to grant some time with us and talk about how we can safeguard our homes and properties from water damage due to frozen and busted pipes in the upcoming winter months. His emphasis: time is the enemy and to know your homes. Drain outside pipes, disconnect garden hoses, and protect water pipes that are on outside walls by opening cabinets when possible. At the very least, if your home will be vacant for a while, turn off the water at the valve at the street.

Mike Maloney also updated us on the Scholarship Committee and the changes the board approved for the upcoming graduation season. Instead of the traditional three tier scholarship program we had, we are moving to offer four scholarships and, if the business community blesses us with another contribution, a fifth scholarship for the most deserving and earnest students of Sandbridge.

Also at our January meeting, the community! We discussed a range of topics from Nimmo Parkway to the TIF fund and projects in Sandbridge. We’ll be contacting the city about the possibility of keeping the public restroom at the market parking lot open year-round, getting Little Island Park expanded and paved (as previously promised), and placing a second row of trash cans on the beach at the openings of the accessways. We also decided to incorporate the Neighborhood Watch program as an entity of the Civic League. This move will allow us to keep that initiative thriving and provide additional resources to strengthen the Watch’s presence and attendance.

As was evident, a lot can happen in one meeting and we can get things done when we work together. I’m looking forward to future meetings as we deliberate the issues involving our community and the ways in which we can solve these problems, enhance the community, and promote our way of life. Thank you for your help. As always, remember to greet each other with a smile and a wave.

Sincerely,

Andrew Roper

SBCL President

Letter from the President – December 2019

Season’s Greetings!

I hope that everyone had a great Thanksgiving this year. We have so much to be thankful for in Sandbridge. Once again, our community played host to the annual Charlie Normile Turkey Trot benefitting the Navy Seal Foundation and the Noblemen’s Toys for Tots drive. Attendance was huge this time with nearly a thousand racers, a gentleman who sang in the style and sound of Frank Sinatra, Mayor Dyer, and, of course, a visit by good ole jolly St. Nick. I’m pleased to announce that another highlight will be coming to Sandbridge as the Navy Seal Foundation is looking to place a memorial in our community. The location is still to be determined and more information will be forthcoming in the upcoming months.

Did you notice the lights at the firehouse? Instead of a tree this year, we have opted to work towards lighting all the trees on the front corner property of the firehouse. This year was just the start. Next year, we will purchase more lights and cover more trees. Of course, we will gladly accept any donations for this cause. Thank you to all who came out and helped string up those large trees and cover the hedges. On December 8, we had a visit to Sandbridge once again from Santa Claus. This time, he was in town to hear what the little ones wanted for Christmas and to officially light up our trees. Special thanks to Jonnie Mellen for arranging the always popular event and to everyone who helped.

At our November meeting, we heard from the city engineers and from the Back Bay Restoration Foundation about flooding in Sandbridge and the surrounding areas. There was a lot of information and some good ideas about how to address flooding for the long term and to mitigate the issue from the wind tide that pushes the water from the Back Bay into our neighborhood. While not much was offered in the short-term, we did hear a variety of opinions and acknowledgement that the city is still working on their modeling data to give them the data they need to come up with some plans.

In closing, I would like to remind everyone that we need your help. Attendance at the meetings is helpful in ensuring that the needs and concerns of the community are being properly addressed and to help shape our vision of Sandbridge for the future. It can’t just be the few of us on the executive board and the handful in attendance being the voice of Sandbridge. Please consider spending a little time with us in supporting your neighborhood and fellow neighbors.

I would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Please stay safe, be kind to each other and remember to greet each other with a smile and a wave.

Warmly,

Andrew Roper

SBCL President

Letter from the President – November 2019

Howdy Neighbors!

Autumn is in full swing and it kicked off with our annual Oktoberfest at the Baja Restaurant. It was a beautiful day with excellent weather, a gathering of friends and neighbors, delicious food and plenty of beer. Special thanks to Doug and Janice Lott for their hard work in planning and setting up the event,
their helpers, and to the crew at the Baja for hosting and serving. Our special event wouldn’t have been possible without the collective efforts of everyone involved. Thank you so much.

This year, as in every year, the American Red Cross is in need of blood donations. There will be a blood drive on November 14 at the Sandbridge Fire and Rescue Station. If you are able, please consider donating a pint of that precious life-giving fluid. One pint of whole blood can help up to seven people.
There is also a new method to give blood known as Double Red that just takes the most crucial parts of the blood and returns your plasma. This is definitely something to consider doing.

We have our annual Fall Cleanup also taking place in November as we spiffy up our neighborhood and get it ready for the holiday season. We’ll meet at Little Island to get our streets assigned and then follow up with food and refreshments afterwards at the Baja. Please come out and join your neighbors.

At our October meeting, we held our second political forum – a first this year. We heard from candidates for state delegate, state senate, and two city council districts. Thank you to the candidates who made the time to come out to Sandbridge and speak to our community about why they should get our votes this November. Remember to vote on Election Day on November 5 and check to make sure you know where your polling place is located. Thanks to the members who attended and asked some very important questions of the candidates about a range of issues from flooding to healthcare to gun violence.

As is usually the case with the upcoming holiday season, there are several events taking place in Sandbridge. These are listed in this newsletter. Please check these dates and make notes on your calendars so we can celebrate the festivities together.

Like always, be kind to each other and greet one another with a smile and a wave.

Warmly,

Andrew Roper

SBCL President