Letter from the President – November 2021

Howdy Neighbors!

It’s really beginning to feel like autumn in Sandbridge. The night air has begun having a bit of crispness to it, and fog has been rolling in from time to time. Nature has a wonderful way of creating the perfect effect for the season.

We were able to enjoy Oktoberfest this year, and the weather could not have been nicer. We had a lot of members in attendance, and we even signed up some new ones that day. The food was amazing, as usual. And the band played that familiar polka music and even debuted a few new songs. Many thanks to Janice and Doug Lott, their helpers, the Baja and its staff, Jonnie Mellen and Ocean Sands Realty for the wine and beer, and everyone else who helped put on a magnificent event. It was really good for us to be able to enjoy fellowship once again.

At our October meeting, we heard information about the bond referendum on the November ballot. This referendum is to establish an additional funding source for the city to build flood mitigation infrastructure around the city. We also heard from the Nominating Committee about the slate of candidates for the upcoming executive officers and board of directors’ positions for the SBCL. The election of these candidates will take place at the November meeting.

Another significant event happened at our recent meeting. The Digital Platform Committee debuted a technological solution with new hardware to make our in-person meetings work better with remote participants. For a first run, I have to say that the whole experience was much improved. I’m thoroughly impressed with the capabilities of the technology and look forward to improvements in upcoming meetings. Many thanks to Steve Thumb for his many hours of work putting this together.

Next month’s meeting will be our last for the year. I appreciate all those who volunteer their time for the civic league. The hard work of everyone involved, their commitment to the task, and the desire to help and serve is what makes our civic league the best in the city. Thanks to you all.

Warmly,
Andrew Roper

SBCL President

Letter from the President – October 2021

Howdy Neighbors!

While it may now technically be the fall season, we have yet for it to start feeling like it here in Sandbridge. I’m sure there are some people who will appreciate the extended summer, but I’m ready for the leaves to change and for the cool air to settle in. How about you? Do you want summer to continue or for fall to start?

At the September membership meeting, we held our Political Forum for this year’s upcoming election. We had a good showing of representatives from state and local offices. The meeting was well attended. As usual, Sandbridge residents had plenty of questions for those candidates across most offices that were represented.

In the beginning of September, we continued to enjoy a return to a new normal with the community’s annual Pig Pickin’ to benefit the Sandbridge Volunteer Rescue Squad. The SBVRS Boosters did a great job this year. The event had plenty of vendors, great music and plenty of food, beer and wine. The wine was courtesy of the SBBA, and Ocean Sands Realty made a substantial donation towards the food and beer. The weather was absolutely phenomenal. Of course, the day was also marked with the remembrance of the national tragedy that occurred 20 years earlier in NY, PA, and Washington, DC. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of those who were lost on September 11, 2001.

The business portion of the meeting was short, but we heard some important updates from various committees. Names were offered for the nominating committee for our upcoming SBCL election for the four executive offices and the two at-large board positions. Details can be found in the minutes in this newsletter.

We still have more events to come. In October, we have Oktoberfest and the fall Community Yard Sale. We have another blood drive in late November. And please don’t forget our Community Cleanup on November 7. It’s a good way to show pride in where you live and for students to get volunteer hours.

As always, please stay safe. We are not done with the pandemic just yet. Almost half the population still needs to be vaccinated, the Delta variant is surging, and there’s the specter of more variants on the horizon. Only if we continue to wear our masks in large gatherings, stay socially distant in indoor spaces, wash our hands regularly and get vaccinated can we finally see an end to this situation. In the meantime, remember to greet each other with a smile and a wave.

Warmly,
Andrew Roper

SBCL President

Letter from the President – September 2021

Howdy Neighbors!

Well, we are nearing the end of summer, yet the fall brings with it a lot to look forward to. We have the Pig Pickin’, Oktoberfest and the start of the holiday season. The leaves will change color and start to fall, and the fall harvests will be coming in. The long, warm days of summer were a joy, no doubt. I will miss them until next year. But I, for one, am ready for autumn.

At our last meeting, we heard from representatives of Dominion Power, who talked about the offshore wind project they are working on. There are a lot of details that are worth checking out. When it’s all done, we’ll have a significant boost of available power to the electrical grid that will allow Dominion to transition away from burning fossil fuel to generate electricity. It was very interesting hearing about all that is necessary to get the project going and the obstacles that the company faces in implementing the wind farm. Though it will be a number of years before any of that becomes a reality.

As I mentioned earlier, we are having Oktoberfest for the first time since the pandemic. Please make sure that your membership is paid up and that you RSVP to the event so we can be sure to have enough food and beverages for everyone.

Next month is our Political Forum meeting. We are actively engaged with the various candidates running for office in this year’s election, and we are looking forward to hosting them at our September meeting.

I want to thank everyone who attends the meetings, volunteers and helps out in the community. It is the collective will and strength of all of us that make this the best community to live and work in. As always, be kind to each other and greet each other with a smile and a wave.

Warmly,
Andrew Roper

SBCL President