Interrupting Is All Ego

I'm sure everyone has experienced the rude interrupter. You are having a conversation with someone and another person walks up and interrupts talking nonstop. This happened to me again today with the same person. So I did some research on why this person does not know how annoying it is to both parties.

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Now if it is urgent and they say excuse me anyone would not think it rude. However, this person has done it to me multiple times just because. It is always about himself or his ideas. not to join the conversation but totally off the topic between you and another. So what do you do with such rudeness? What I did was walk away as the person talked nonstop but this left the other person to deal with him. This seems to be the suggested way to handle the situation but seems cruel to the person left behind. My poor left-behind called and said sarcastically "thank you so much for leaving me fend for myself with Mr. Ego." This is what I found:

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Interrupting is all ego. It suggests that what I have to say is more valuable and important than what you have to say. It inappropriately elevates the interrupter. It communicates that my needs, my ideas, my thoughts dominate and leave little room for you.

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Egocentricity is the belief that one is the center of the known universe and, therefore, deserves to occupy the podium, if not the bully pulpit, at all times. Many chronic interrupters believe that nobody else could possibly have anything of value to say, at least compared to them. We can choose not to play their ill-mannered game.

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Is this a learned behavior? So do you have any ideas on what you would do?

Serving On Council Is "Personal"

In May, 2005, the Countryside neighborhood woke up to the morning paper to find that Roanoke City had taken the option to purchase the golf course property. We were in shock. I decided to email the Councilman whose name was quoted in the paper to find out what was going on. That was Brian Wishneff. Mr. Wishneff and Mr. Lea along with Mr. Townsend (Planning Department at the time) came to my house and there was no room for every neighbor. They lined my driveway, hallway, and back porch. I remember Mr. Lea and Mr. Wishneff at the time were surprised our homes were even here. No one on Council had visited the property or knew what they were buying. We were promised inclusion in the plans for the property. I know both Mr. Wishneff and Mr. Lea made every effort to get us in on the ground floor because my FOIA request of emails demonstrated it to be so. These emails also demonstrated that the other members of Council and the City Administration felt otherwise.

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So to this day we continue to be twisted and turned. Lifted up and let down and SURPRISED. Just when things relax as they did a week or two ago and we plan great things for our neighborhood .... wham we get our legs swept out from under us again. We have gone through so many Council members now I can't count. There is only one original member left who was serving in 2005 and that is Mr. Lea.

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I ask you all who criticize our neighborhoods distrust to put yourself in our shoes. We are stunned in May, 2005, a developer pulls out never seeing any plans, more RFPs lead to nothing, one RFP last minute is replied to resulting in one nightmare of a plan so it goes back for revision and a year goes by and nothing. We attend every Parks and Recreation Master Plan workshop hoping for a crumb, nothing. Then it is left for the next Council ... then as it seems a longer term lease is going to relieve the tension .... wham - let's see if we can sell it. We were promised that it would never be cut up into pieces. We were promised we would be included in the process. It never happened and at the 2:00 PM Council meeting just proved it never will. So walk a mile in our shoes before you cast a stone on our mistrust. We don't need surprises like at the 2:00 PM Council meeting and Mr. Rosen's pronouncement that now we might sell it either keeping it a golf course for a certain amount of time (then what?) or turning it into 1/2 park and 1/2 business. Were we included in that option? No, it was purely a financial and business idea. Where did I here this before? "It's not personal, it's business" - the reply from the affected person was "it was personal to me".

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So pardon me if I don't think YOUR ideas are good ideas. Nobody has asked us for ANY of OUR ideas ever.

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If you read any conflicts about the 2:00 PM meeting CLICK HERE -I posted a link to the webcast before so you yourself can hear the 45 minute co mingling of RFPs and confusion.

April 16th - "Shine Your Light" On Mill Mountain

Everyone wanting to make a gesture of remembrance come to the Mill Mountain Star at 7:45PM, Wednesday, April 16th. BRING YOUR FLASHLIGHT or other illumination and shine it into the darkness as Joe Lehman put it so well below. William Fleming Teachers and students will be present to remember Henry Lee, the 2006 William Fleming graduate who was killed that day. For some of us it is not yet behind us. CLICK HERE FOR Henry Lee's STORY from the Roanoke Times.

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Part of text from Father Joe Lehman, Easter, 2008:

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"As of March 18 this year, the Tuesday before Easter, I had nothing I was stuck. But that changed that evening when I sat down with that morning's Roanoke Times. On the front page of the Virginia section a tiny article announced what "The Star City" planned to do on April 6th in observance of the first anniversary of the shootings at Virginia Tech; namely, "to leave the mountain's 88 ft. neon star turned off".

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"It's a noble and touching gesture and one we did "before when the star was briefly extinguished after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001." It's a noble and touching gesture but is it the right one. Why would we want to confront the darkness in life and mark a tragedy like that of April 16 with more darkness! Should we not flood the memorializing of that terrible day with light ... with lots of bright, healing and comforting light! Should not "The Star City" instead of darkening its signature sign ... its brand, also light tiny stars in memory of those who lost lives that day but whose shining lights could not/can never be extinguished!

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I think back to what the students did on the drill field the night of the shooting and on the nights that followed. They lit candles. They were silently present to each other. Someone broke the silence with an unrehearsed "Amazing Grace" which quickly spread, as tears were shed and dried and as fears were shared. I remember, too, what our valley did at Victory Stadium the night of September 12, 2001 with the great help and blessing of the city, under the leadership of the Roanoke Valley (interfaith) Ministers Conference.

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We gathered to proclaim the scriptures - Psalm 27, to be exact., "The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear". We prayed our goodbyes ..... We also lit candles ... passing the light - scattering the darkness of the night and the darkness in each other's lives ... "It is better to light one candle than to curse the darkness"..... We confront the darkness with light. We break the silence with and by our presence.

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Joe Lehman is Pastor of Our Lady of Nazareth Catholic Church.

The Roanoke Times - December 1982

Roanoke takes option to buy golf course for $1.5 million

- By Mag Poff, Senior Writer - December 28, 1982

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Roanoke City Council has taken an option on Countryside Golf Course as part of a deal for purchase of 14 parcels from the same owners for airport use.

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Councilman James Trout, chairman of the Economic Development Commission, said it will use the 120-day option to negotiate with any developers who want to swap industrial land for the residential land at the golf course.

The Option permits the city to buy the land from Builders Investment Group of Philadelphia for $1.5 million.

Trout said the city will not operate the golf course, which lies along Interstate 581, nor will it attempt to develop the 174 acres for industry.

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Council, after a 20-minute executive session Monday, unanimously gave formal approval to taking of the option under the plan proposed by Trout.

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Trout said the consideration for the option is the $133,800 price the city will pay to buy the 14 parcels for airport protection and development. The Fedral Aviation Administration will reimburse 80 percent of that cost and the state another 10 percent.

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The land will be acquired by the end of this week. Trout said the city needs the 14 parcels for the airport regardless of any interest in the option.

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But as part of the deal, the Philadelphia owners also agreed to give the city an option, to last four months, to buy the golf course for $1.5 million.

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Should the city pick up the option, Trout said, the $133,800 payment for the 14 parcels will become a credit against the $1.5 million price, reducing it by that amount.

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Under the plan, the city would swap the golf course land for the industrial land. The golf course could be developed for condominiums, apartments or other use consistent with residential zoning.

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(So what happened after this - mystery Philadelphia owners? Obviously the golf course was not purchased/swapped ... we would not be here now if they had followed through with the option to purchase Countryside Golf Course. Another short-sighted decision? More to come from Stephanie Moon, Roanoke City Clerk, and minutes of the Council meetings during this time.)

The difference between then and now besides 25 years, $2.6 million, and less land is that - WE LIVE HERE NOW! As many as 100 homes have been built since then. The Countryside Drive homes in about 1998 and Mattaponi between the 10th and 12th fairways from 1999 - 2002. A. Byron Smith on Cheraw Lake in 1984 as well as new homes on Lewiston and Laurel Ridge. All of us bought to be on the open green space of a golf course and not crammed into a dense housing development. We bought and built here because it was "something special". All the while we were unknowingly moving in - Roanoke City was "knowingly" planning our demise. The City then does not understand why we feel so betrayed. The time to buy the property is past ... it is too late ... citizen's property will be diminished and their quality of life will suffer. As I mentioned earlier the business community does not want to see it developed for a different reason. They want it saved for expansion of runway 6 so Roanoke does not loose another opportunity like Dell Computers who would have located here if 747s could have taken off from Roanoke Regional Airport. We support their reason as well. CLICK HERE FOR THE DELL ROANOKE TIMES ARTICLE.

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** A big "thank you" to Belinda Harris, The Roanoke Times Librarian, for sending the clipping.

A Letter From A Countryside Neighbor's Son

Mr. Kenny Saunders

Golf Professional & Operations Manager

Dalat, Vietnam

Dalat Palace Golf Club

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Son of Ken and Rosanne Saunders

Countryside Neighborhood, Roanoke, Virginia

Kenny's perfect form

Dear Mom and Dad:

I find it hard to believe that I am writing a story that by saying I remember 40 years ago puts me in the category of the old people. So when I heard about what is happening with the Countryside Golf Course that was my first thought- I remember 40 years ago when I first started playing golf. It has been that long but it seems like yesterday when Arrow Wood Country Club opened in 1966. I was 5 years old when my Dad started taking me to the course. We lived about a quarter mile away so we spent many hours in the summer months at the pool and the golf course. I remember seeing pictures of myself with my golf clubs that were too tall and heavy. Dad sawed them off and added black electric tape for my grips. I used those clubs for years. Now you must know that this was far from the big country club scenes of Roanoke Country Club and Hidden Valley Country Club. This was blue-collar golf at its finest. There are lots of kids who came up through the ranks of Roanoke golf lore and if not for the Countryside’s and the Blue Hills’ they would never have been able to enjoy this game. Such names as David Tolley (US Amateur runner-up and played in the Masters), Sonny Kirkwood, Frankie Moore are but a few that played and excelled at Arrow Wood/Countryside. I was the late bloomer of the bunch but always loved the game and if not for Countryside I would have never ended up being a PGA Golf Professional. I am now the Head Golf Professional and Operations Manager of the #1 ranked golf course in Vietnam,. Dalat Palace Golf Club.

With the ever-changing demographics of Roanoke it is even more important to keep Countryside in existence. It is the only public golf course located in the City of Roanoke and over the years I have been witness to many kids who have been given the opportunity to take up the greatest game ever played. The City is taking away an affordable recreation for kids and adults alike. Golf teaches many of life’s lessons and also gives the opportunity to meet and cultivate friendships that last a life time. I will always remember fondly my regular group with whom I played every

Wednesday and Sunday for many years. Bob Cutrara, Mike McCoy, and especially my Dad. You can go to a golf course by yourself, pair up with another threesome and when the day is done you will have 3 new friends.

I hope the City and its representatives will come to their senses and upgrade this fabulous property to its full potential of green space and recreation. I would hate to see the City government cave in to a few to do away with a treasure that has and will give great pleasure and opportunity to many Roanokers.

Kenny Saunders
Dalat, Vietnam

Parental Disappointment

This evening as usual I watched the Andy Griffith show. A pleasant repose from the reality of a tough work day.

There was a competition for the youth of Mayberry to participate in a 50 meter dash to win a coveted metal. Deputy Fife practicing his “starting gun” expertise had just shot a hole in the office ceiling - again - thereby relinquishing his gun to Sheriff Taylor for the umpteenth time.

Opey came into the office and took his turn with other young boys to sign up for the race. Opey was all excited and determined to give it his best. Barney chimed in as usual with his youthful experience in winning the same race and then expounding on how he did not remove the medal he had won for a year. Barney then offered to train Opey for the race guaranteeing him that he could not lose if he followed Barney’s training regiment. Opey of course believed this with his heart and soul.

The day of the race came and Opey comes in dead last. Opey leaves the track immediately not congratulating the winner with the other boys.

Andy arrives home to find Opey pouting on the sofa. Andy sits down with Opey explaining that sometimes you win but how important it is to be a good loser. Opey does not understand and says he’d rather be “a good winner” refusing to give his father evidence that he understood the lesson.

Andy not getting anywhere finally utters the fatherly magic words “Opey, I am very disappointed in you, very disappointed”. Opey shortly after came to his father and said, “ I don’t want you to be disappointed in me, Pa!”

This is a story for those who attended the August 20th City Council Meeting.

State of the City Address - 2007

Neighborhood Services pays the fee for presidents of Neighborhood Organizations to attend the yearly State of The City address by our Mayor. This event is sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce. If I had to pay it would have cost almost $30 for breakfast. I thank Neighborhood Services and the City for sponsoring our attendance as we are the only common folk that get invitations. Of Course, I wore a SAVE COUNTRYSIDE tag at the event.

At any rate I sat with other Neighborhood Organization Presidents and did get to mingle before heading to work.

I will not repeat what will be reported in the media about the contents of this years State of the City. However, I would like to point out that the table where I was seated all commented on the Mayor’s initiative to move “experienced” teachers to under performing schools. Almost in unison we said “that is a good way to lose experienced teachers”.

I attended last years State of the City address and listened as the purchase of the Countryside property was touted as increasing the housing stock in Roanoke City - the 4.1 million dollar purchase and Roanoke City’s first entry into the real estate business.

Now imagine if the State of the City address was required to reference the State of the City address from the prior year. What happened to the City’s purchase of the Countryside Property? How much of our tax money was flushed into that great “sewage treatment plant in the sky”. Yes, we are all still making that mortgage payment on the property with our tax dollars while the operator of the golf course pockets all the revenue. Interest only is fast approaching ½ million dollars. Let us now plan the proper use of this property and fulfill the long overdue promise of parks and recreation for our area. Great lead in to the next State of the City topic ….

Parks and Recreation Master Plan touted - Many of the Countryside Neighborhood folks attended the Parks and Recreation workshops. We made the case for Parks and Recreation to take over operating the Countryside golf course at every workshop and forum we attended. Mr. Boucher, Parks and Recreation Director, said all the city had to do is hand it to them and they could operate it with no problem. I imagine though they would need some expertise in “turf” (greens keeper) and an experienced golf course manager.

Did the Mayor speak of Countryside you eagerly ask? Well, no mention of that boondoggle. No mention of its future. NO PRESS CONFERNCES for us – which is a whole other sore spot for me. We will be vigilant and watch for “WHO SPEAKS FOR US?”

Can a previously annexed portion of the City that gets ZERO attention revolt and become “unannexed”?

NO ANNEXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION!

That sure would have made a great sign to hold up at the State of the City address. Would bet I’d never get another invitation to that function.

Gary Stephenson, The Architect

CLICK TO ENLARGE

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Not once since this November 21, 2006, release of the development team's name has the Gary Stephenson designed golf course been mentioned or any plans revealed as portrayed. Did it ever exist? I know it does not matter now but perhaps the design that was completed according to Mr. Foti would be nice to see if it ever did exist. On November 21, 2006, Mr. Foti told me as well as Joe Dashiell of Ch. 7 that no golf course - no project. As you can see there is no golf course in the plan above. "Something is fishy here."

" Developers who are making plans for the Countryside property in Roanoke say a golf course will remain the centerpiece of the project. They have hired a leading golf course architect to design the links.

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Roanoke owns the property. City Council has granted an extension until March so the development team can have more time to complete its plans. Elements of the mixed use development would include an 18-hole executive golf course with par four and par three holes. The course length would be under four thousand yards.

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The development group has hired Gary Stephenson, a golf course architect associated with PGA star Phil Mickelson. Victor Foti says the group will not move forward unless the golf course is part of the project."

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In addition note the plans include the Countryside Apartments that the owners refused to sell.

A Story about a City and a Golf Course

Bob's Restaurant, Vinton, Golf Tournament August 4th

I recently heard a story about a city that purchased a golf course. The story went something like this:

Once upon a time a city purchased a golf course to develop densely packed housing, retail and commercial dwellings. This was the first time that this city had gone into the real estate business. The city had gotten the housing boom bug.

Years passed as developers interested in the city’s project realized that it was not such a good place to build houses. Things were looking increasingly bleak for this city. They were becoming embarrassed by their decision to spend taxpayers money for what was beginning to look like a “pig in a poke."

To the rescue out of nowhere or “somewhere” came a developer at the last minute. Oh, how pleased the city and its leaders were that finally someone raised their hand and said, “I will rescue the city from the citizen uprising."

Nearly a year went by as the mysterious developer dragged out the time line with this excuse and that excuse. The city accommodated their every wish for fear of losing another developer and getting egg on their face again. The citizens living in the golfing community cried and cried.

One day a gloomy, disheartened citizen was approached and told the golf course was saved and the city would keep it open for another year at least. The citizen leaped with joy - “What?” he cried, “Is this true?” This Paul Revere citizen ran down the street with the news to everyone in the community. “We are saved!” shouted the citizen, “We are saved for another year." All rejoiced and spread the word.

Alas, upon hearing the “word,” media inquired only to get denials from the city that this was indeed not true. "How can this be?" asked the citizen. The source was sworn to secrecy so the citizen was puzzled, and again the citizens fell into despair.

Time dragged on and on as the citizens were again agonizing over the fate of their community.

One day, unexpectedly, the city announced that “We reject these developers." The leaders that had said the city would never keep a golf course suddenly began to say, “Hey, we would like to see it as a municipal golf course." The citizens could not contain themselves. They rejoiced, celebrated, and watched the sunset they thought they had lost.

After a while the citizens had time to reflect on this turn of events. What prompted this decision that the citizens had wanted all along? All this time these citizens were saying the same thing that was now the city’s idea.
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The citizens said, “Something is fishy here." The media said, “Something is fishy here." Everyone said, “Something is fishy here."

The citizens snooped and discovered that the developer had wanted to drop the project and had communicated this to the city some time ago. This was about the same time the Paul Revere citizen got the information that the golf course was good for another year.

The citizens snooped some more. They found that to help the city save face, the developer agreed to submit such an obnoxious development plan that the city would reject the plan and look like saviors for the citizens. At the same time these snoopy citizens saw with their own eyes the communication from months ago that announced the golf course would be operated for another year.

The city saved face, the developers lost nothing, and the citizens suffered.

“Is this the end - are we safe now?“asked the citizens. "No, we think not," they all agreed.

Maybe we should take a lesson from these citizens’ experience with their city, and we should remain vigilant, too.

BREAKING NEWS!!! Council Rejects Developer

Councilman Lea says of the developer's plan "it was horrible ... just horrible".

Listen to the WFIR clip and Councilman Lea's apology to the citizens of Countryside...
CLICK HERE

From the Roanoke Times:

City rejects Countryside Golf Course plan
- The Roanoke Times

Roanoke's government has rejected a development plan for Countryside Golf Course because the latest version, submitted last week, was "totally unacceptable," City Manager Darlene Burcham said today.
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The city now will discuss what to do with the golf course and will hold a work session for city council members some time soon. One option is continuing to lease the 18-hole course to the current operator.
[Let us hope for an OPEN dialogue concerning the fate of our neighborhood]
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The developers had altered plans first made public in April by reducing the amount of housing, adding more athletic fields and a adding a big-box commercial development to the project. Neighbors of the course had criticized the plans in May and the city asked the developers for revisions.
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The six council members present this morning all spoke during the meeting and agreed with the city administration's recommendation to have nothing further to do with this development team.
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This was the second attempt to find a private-sector partner to develop the 140 acres in Northwest Roanoke, which the city bought for $4.1 million in 2005 with a goal of adding more housing and commercial development. The project was being planned by Triangle Development of Richmond, the Victor Foti Co. and Allegheny Construction of the Roanoke Valley, and Mike Morgan Engineering of Midlothian.
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Mr. Townsend has the plans to be picked up. I will have the developer's plans as soon as I can make arrangements. According to the Council meeting and Ms. Burcham's comments the Golf Course was eliminated in its entirety and ball fields and the like were in its place ... unacceptable use of the RPZ by the FAA. Also, it was stated that there was a "big box" store location in the plan. If at all possible I will post it here if the Roanoke Times is unable to print it. In any case I WILL have it at National Night Out picnic at the pavilion.

PS: There is other highly promising information I will share Tuesday evening.

Tick ... Tick ... Secrecy and "Closed Doors"

Here's the latest information we have regarding the "Countryside Development." This is the response given to Valerie this morning to a probing email she sent looking for the information on whether or not the developer responded to the city by the August 1 deadline. (FOIA stands for "Freedom of Information Act")


From: <Chris.Chittum@roanokeva.gov>
To: Valerie
Sent: Thursday, August 02, 2007 10:49 AM
Subject: Re: August 1st Deadline - Countryside Property - FOIA
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The developer responded with a modified concept plan before the August 1 deadline. The next step is to share the new development concept with City Council this Monday in closed session.
Regarding your request for communication with the development team, we will respond to the FOIA within the time frame* provided by law. [* See "B" below and link to the Virignia Coalition for Open Government. ]

Chris Chittum, AICP, Planning Administrator Planning Building and Economic Development
215 Church Ave., SW, Room 166 Roanoke, VA 24011

Here is what the developer should have responded to:

1) Details of how the land would be conveyed, details of the developer's obligations in terms of providing infrastructure improvements and other amenities, and responsibility for studies such as environmental and traffic studies.

2) Proposed lot layouts and street patterns

3) Proposed land use mix

4) Managing development impacts such as stormwater and screening of nonresidential uses.


* B. A request for public records shall identify the requested records with reasonable specificity. The request need not make reference to this chapter in order to invoke the provisions of this chapter or to impose the time limits for response by a public body. Any public body that is subject to this chapter and that is the custodian of the requested records shall promptly, but in all cases within five working days of receiving a request, provide the requested records to the requester or make one of the following responses in writing:

Defending a Roanoke Times Reporter

I bet you have never read a headline like that anywhere.

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The Roanoke Times article today written by Mason Adams was very well written and accurate. However, reporters do not and let me emphasize DO NOT write their headlines. The reporter writes his story and their editor attaches the headline. So Mason Adams’ well written story was brutalized by a FALSE headline. Nothing in Mason’s story eluded to “Name tied to course’s fate”. It is not a quote. It was not even brought up by anyone in the article. The editor just pulled it out of his ahhh ... bucket of headline grabbing personal opinion bunk. The "course's fate" stands on it's own. The name change would have been an honor.

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The sad thing is people read the headlines and draw their conclusion from a headline without reading the story. A headline sets the tone for an entire article. I asked for a retraction of the headline as it was a false statement. As anyone who has been following the Countryside property issue knows our community has spent the last 2 years in opposition to development of this treasured city asset. Actually I have not met one citizen who favors developing the property.

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You don't suppose it was the same editor that wrote the editorial accusing the Countryside neighborhood of "bellyaching" do you? There is supposed to be a wall between the editorial staff and the news staff. I am guessing it was a coincidence that Shanna Flowers wrote about the same topic on the same day.

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City Council is under the impression that the golf course is losing money. This is not true. Show us the figures. Show us the number of rounds of play. Try to get a tee time on the weekends. Meadowbrook is under orders from City Administration to not disclose any of this information publicly. This begs the question where did Mr. Fitzpatrick get the information that the course was losing money when Meadowbrook themselves in a letter to City Administration stated "Countryside is one of their most profitable golf courses". Meadowbook continued by saying "the golf course would create an excellent source of revenue for the City". I am posting below the 2006 budget submitted by Meadowbrook to City management. This is a link to my previous posts regarding documents.

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CLICK HERE for to see the letter from Ed Hall on how to “convince” the owner’s of Countryside Golf Course to sell by advising the airport commission to NOT renew the lease of the runway protection zone property used for fairways.

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CLICK HERE to see the 2006 budget and profit submitted to City management by Meadowbrook showing a $240,000 profit (adding back the $40,000 real estate tax that they do not have to pay since the City owns it now).

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CLICK HERE to see the Feasibility Study in 2003 and the negatives for developing the property.

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Read the Planning Commission agenda for Thursday, July 19th, item "J". Mr. Fitzpatrick wants to dip into the "name change" well too .... so I guess the headline should read "Name tied to Special Events Center's fate".

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City Planning Commission Agenda Item "J":

Discussion of the referral by City Council to name Countryside Golf Course after the late Roy Stanley Miller and to name the Roanoke Civic Center Special Events Center after the Honorable Linwood Holton and the late Honorable Elbert Lee Trinkle, former Virginia Governors from Roanoke.

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Not holding my breath for a retraction of the headline.

Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Golf Tournament - pictures added - video at right

End of the day food, trophies, and drawings. I asked who the gentleman was with the trophy just as his number was called to win a prize. Mr. J. C. Wade (left) has this luck every year according to an anonymous source.

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Saturday, July 14th, was the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Golf Tournament at Countryside Golf Course. Noticing that the golf course was packed (the nosy person I am) I just had to check it out. There were some great golfers and not so great golfers but it sure looked like everyone was having a good time. Thanks to our Counrtyside Neighborhood Alliance member, Darryl Burks, for collecting 44 petition signatures - way to go Darryl! So many so concerned about the future of the golf course. I hope Councilman Dowe who attended the event takes notice that most of his fellow Omega Psi Phi Fraternity brothers support the golf course. A big thank you to Alred Dowe, Sr., for signing our petition. Here are some pictures and the video clip is at the right under "My Videos" and titled "July 14th Golf Tournament". My first try at putting a video together so set your expectations accordingly.

Sponsorship at the 12th tee.

Searching, searching for my ball in the creek .

Councilman Alfred Dowe, Jr.,having a good time.

Sherman Lea, Jr.,

helps out (left).
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A good long

drive (right).

Sorry for our arrogant attitudes

The Virginian-Pilot © June 12, 2007

Here are two words we ought to hear from Norfolk City Council but probably won't: "We're sorry."

Sorry for our arrogant attitudes.

Sorry for our profoundly undemocratic instincts.

Sorry for wasting thousands of tax dollars in a heavy-handed effort to stifle the taxpayers.

Perhaps you heard that the Bay Oaks Park Committee - armed with nothing more than an excellent pro bono lawyer and a righteous cause - won a decisive victory Friday in the Virginia Supreme Court over the city and its silk-stocking attorneys.

The commonwealth's highest court ruled that the petition drive to put the future of a chunk of East Ocean View land to a vote was legal after all.

Game, set and match to the citizens.

Hallelujah.

In the end, what played out in Norfolk was a heartening morality tale. A case of the little people against the power brokers.

Populism against paternalism.

At the center of the bitter battle are 21 acres dotted with oak trees near the bay, the sort of undeveloped parcel that makes developers salivate.

Two years ago, the City Council cleared the way for the Redevelopment and Housing Authority - I give thanks daily we don't have such a body in Virginia Beach - to litter the land with about 85 houses.

A band of underfunded but determined citizens tried a seldom-used petition process - a people's veto, actually - to force the council's decision to a vote.

The underlying issue was whether most of the land would be a sprawling neighborhood park or just another housing development with about eight or nine acres of park land. The petition asked the courts to set a referendum to address the council's actions.

When City Council members got wind of the grass-roots movement, they were shocked and offended. Scared, too.

No matter what they say publicly, the politicians clearly feared they'd lose at the ballot box.

To keep that from happening, City Hall set its lawyers to work looking for legal loopholes and technical flaws in the petitions. Anything to keep the issue away from the voters.

"Is that the role of city government?" asked Andrew Sacks, the Norfolk lawyer who represented the citizens. "To spend several hundred thousand dollars when all the citizens wanted was to be heard?"

Good question, counselor. The answer is no.

When I talked to Mayor Paul Fraim on Monday, he predicted that in light of the high court's ruling, the council would act quickly to reverse its 2005 zoning ordinances, which would render the court-ordered referendum "moot."

"No one wants that sort of divisive" action, he said.

After fighting the city for almost two years, Sacks said Monday that Norfolk officials have a tendency to behave with what he calls "benevolent despotism."

"There's a severe disconnect between the government and the people it serves," he said.

Sacks, incidentally, represented the Bay Oaks folks essentially for free. He charged them just 90 bucks for some copying costs.

By contrast, The Pilot reported Saturday that Norfolk spent at least $140,000 on outside lawyers to fight the folks who brought perfectly legal petitions to the city. That figure may rise as legal bills are tallied.

It was institutional arrogance that fueled Norfolk's misguided - and hugely expensive - attempt to silence its critics.

Time to apologize.

News researcher Kimberly Kent contributed to this column.
Kerry, (757) 446-2306,
kerry.dougherty@cox.net

A Countryside Memorial

The following piece is part on of a three part series looking at Countryside Golf Course. Countryside will be closed and eventually paved into submission beginning this September. Why? Greed. The course is located on prime business real estate on the south side of Roanoke Regional Airport. Specifically, I will incoporate my own personal reflections with the official hole descriptions from Countryside. My memories of times on the course with my two older brothers, two sisters, and parents will be the primary focus of my recollections. Graphics, photographs and hole descriptions are used with direct permission from Countryside Golf Course's managing professional.

Built in 1967 on the "Old Kinsey Dairy Farm," Ellis Maples designed an 18 hole championship course that blends the natural beauty of the surrounding area with a unique and championship layout that still holds up today. Rolling fairways, undulating greens, scenic lakes, winding streams, and strategically placed sand traps are some of the many challenges that you will face during an enjoyable day at Countryside.

Hole 1 | Par 4 Maple Tees | Oak Tees | White Pine Tees | Cherry Tees 390 yds | 375 yds | 340 yds | 296 yds Countryside’s 1st hole is visually pleasing to the eye. You get a good look at the 375- yard hole that’s guarded down the left side by two small fairway bunkers. Some trees protect the right side of this generous fairway. If you drive the ball a little too far, a large oak tree may block you out. A short iron is all you will need into this funneling green. Play to the center of the green or else you may end up in one of the bunkers. A birdie is a real possibility to start your round.

A birdie is a real possibility to start your round. That’s really only half the story. In many ways the par four first hole at Countryside is about the easiest on the course as long as you can drive the ball straight. With any deviation from straight, you will find yourself in big trouble.

Early on, I made a living out of visiting the right side of the fairway. When you stand on the tee, you are faced with a beautiful, generous fairway way off in the straight distance. However, between here and there, a large, spreading sycamore tree guards the area. Without fail, in a group of four playing with me, someone would become intimidated by the Pebble Beach-like audience at the tee and duff their ball into the tall grass short of the big tree. Others would challenge the tree and lose. The tree was famous for slapping the ball back into your face. Still others would defeat the tree head on only to find that their ball had disappeared into the mundane tall grasses in the right rough or worse yet into the Olympic-sized pool guarding the right out-of-bounds. Clever strikers would know to push left of the tree, but that course would also lead to massive sand trap disaster.

If by some luck, you could make it past the tree and find your ball clear of traps, a birdie was a real possibility. However, you still had to deal with the annoying green guarding traps. Again, Maples rewarded a straight shot. Bumping and running the ball up was a smart play. Lofting and spinning the ball back to the pin was the sexy play. The green, however, played longer that it looked and was terraced making ball position in relation to the pin very important.

Hole 2 | Par 5 Maple Tees | Oak Tees | White Pine Tees | Cherry Tees 524 yds | 524 yds | 448 yds | 426 yds #2 is a dogleg right 524-yard par five that can play much shorter than its actual yardage. This can cause a dilemma of sorts for the longer players. You now have to choose whether to go for this semi-island green in two or to lay up short and leave yourself a short wedge into a fairly small green that slopes from the back to the front. Once again, a real birdie possibility to start your round.

Cross the road and visit the second hole. This hole has evolved over the years from a wild wallop-fest to a more exact target shoot. Still the basic premise for success prevailed through the years. A Par Five, the first shot looks a bit innocent. However first time players would be wise to talk with experienced duffers about first shot strategies. Being a dog-leg right, some would recommend gunning their initial drive over the mounded fairway bunker. That’s just what Ellis would have wanted you to do. Stalking close to the bunker is a fairway parallel out-of-bounds line running the length of the narrow right rough. Making a mistake on the drive meant losing a ball or busting an apartment window. Uninitiated safe drivers may pace their ball somewhere in the acres left of the fairway bunker. While safe and secure, positioning the ball in that spot almost guaranteed the golfer a bogey simply due to distance. Some long ball hitters were even further penalized by driving left and long. In recent years, the out-of bounds marker on the left has come into play as the Trane company has build a warehouse right on the OB marker. Any massive drive from a Big Bertha down the left side flirted with steel.

The second shot on this hole is really the picture shot on the course. In fact during drought years with water being rationed in the valley, this stretch of fairway was the only fairway irrigated, because it presented such a beautiful snapshot to drivers on nearby Interstate 581. It’s rather humorous that the official description claims that this shot is shorter than its actual yardage. In reality, the second shot plays longer than it looks. The reason is because just short of the almost island green, the land slopes gradually downward from quite an elevation and then back up. The optical illusion created is one of closeness while the distance is masked by the hollow. Ellis Maples used this same illusion with even greater success on the twelfth hole on the course.

Lurking to the right of the green used to be a small, but beautiful, lake. This lake was the home of all kinds of aquatic life from bass to evil snapping turtles. Of late, the lake has filled with sediment, sludge, and interstate trash and debris. The green itself was a fair surface with a slight tilt toward the fairway. It was always important to never go long past the green for a slimy, algae –filled creek lurked immediately behind down a steep slope.

Hole 3 | Par 3 Maple Tees | Oak Tees | White Pine Tees | Cherry Tees 188 yds | 162 yds | 137 yds | 110 yds #3 is the 1st of five Par 3’s on the course. This 162-yard tee shot plays uphill and usually into the wind. You must take at least one extra club so that you don’t end up short and in the bunker that guards the left side of this left to right sloping green.

Fears. This annoying little hole, perhaps the most unattractive on the course played to all of my fears: uphill, wind, water, proximity to previous green, and fast moving honking cars. This hole used to be a bit different when it was originally designed. I remember the tee being farther from the hole, but sometime in the 80’s wise road builders decided that the tee box would be better suited as part of the continuation of the frontage road. These wise builders were wowed by the seductive industrial offer for the property next door, and knew they had to provide clear frontage access between Hershberger and Peter’s Creek Roads. Since the original frontage road stopped just west of the third hole, these savvy developers pushed for the expansion. In a cruel twist of fate for these city developers, the main industry coaxed onto this prime industrial property, Innotech-makers of specialized contact lenses developed by Roanoke’s own Drs.Blum ‘n Newman, who promised thousands of Roanoke City jobs and loads of tax money for the city coffers, was sold first to Johnson and Johnson and then to some French company. Innotech was a company in search of a product and never really made a dent in the competitive contact lens market. Now, their beautiful flagship, a state-of-the-art building sits abandoned beside the repositioned #3 tee box.

Back to the hole, when the tee box had to be moved, the only solution was to move it closer to the number 2 green. Knowing how I play golf, I was always afraid that some golf hack like me would peg me on the tee box as he overshot the number two green. Hence, I was never comfortable on this new box.

This hole scared me from the time I was a pup. My father would sometimes let me play this hole when I walked a round with him. I always disappointed. Pressured by close followers and staring at a slow moving deep ditch creek within 20 yards of the box, I invariably duffed my first attempt into the creek. Feeling that I needed to hurry, I would quickly squander my second attempt off the tee. From there, my goal was to cross the creek and then burn my way to the top of the hill to the sloping green.

As I got older and better, the creek had less effect on me, but I became intimidated by the rushing interstate traffic and by the evil hill and facing wind. I found that I could never quite judge the distance right. When the wind seemed gentle on the box, it was a gale on the green, always in your face. If by chance the day was calm, my patterned memory always caused me to explore Trane Manufacturing’s office yard beyond.

Some people cursed this green. It was no doubt challenging because it sloped greatly from side to side and was especially hard to grip on the front and right sides. Unless you were able to get the ball pin high, you ran the risk of visiting the hill again. Luckily, I was usually playing from the edge of the green anyway and was usually able to place my shot closer to the pin. Beauty and charm: this hole had none. Annoyances: this hole had plenty.

Hole 4 | Par 4 Maple Tees | Oak Tees | White Pine Tees | Cherry Tees 390 yds | 380 yds | 340 yds | 309 yds The 380 yard 4th favors a little cut shot off the tee. Push your tee shot too far right and you will be out of bounds. If you go too far left, you will be in Ike’s Creek. A well-struck driver or 3-wood will set you up with a short or mid-iron into one of the biggest greens on the course.

Perhaps this is the most beautiful hole on the course. The fairways widen from the narrow chute at the tee box area. What the official description fails to mention are two of the most interesting features affecting the course, creeks and a road.

The course was served by one main creek, Ike’s Creek, that snaked its way through the course. Maples used it on many holes. On the fourth, he had the creek flow towards the golfer at the tee box. Generally the creek would be out of play except for fearful short right-hand hooks. Then creek crossed under the cart path just in front of the teebox and was joined by another creek, dry in summer, which ran parallel to the right fairway. Then the happy creek went on its merry way to mess with my dreams on number three and to fill the lake on number two. Creeks and ditches are always places to definitely have your ball avoid.

Aside from the amazing creek, roads definitely came into play here for some people. My brother, Jody, is most famous in my family for his performance on this hole. Jody was always a powerful striker of the ball back in his youth. He could crush a drive using the family’s vintage MacGregor driver. However, he was also known for mammoth slices. When Jody played this hole, his stroke became a potential lethal weapon. Holes three, four, five, and six 9to some extent) parallel a frontage road and Interstate 581. Number four is the closest in proximity to the Interstate, so when Jody powered off the tee, his blast frequently flirted with the six lanes of traffic moving at 60+ miles per hour. I once watched as he nailed a massive slice off the tee and his ball bounced in the first lane of southbound traffic, bounced high into the air, then bounced in the middle of northbound traffic before disappearing across the road somewhere near the airport runway.

The green on this hole was the most beautiful on the course. It was very possible to run the ball in close to the pin, but even if you missed the approach and landed somewhere else on this large green, it was reasonably possible to drain a long putt. With the green flanked by beautifil white pines, standing there offered a real sense of peace. A greater experience is standing there as a 737 landed. After the jet passed just a hundred feet above your head, a massive jet wash-a strong hot wind, blew across you. It was oddly refreshing for all of your senses.

Hole 5 | Par 4 Maple Tees | Oak Tees | White Pine Tees | Cherry Tees 410 yds | 400 yds | 365 yds | 323 yds The slightly downhill 400 yard 5th favors a little draw off the tee. Once again, if you push your tee shot too far right, you will be out of bounds. If you go too far left, you will have to deal with some trees. Here again, accuracy is the key, so you may want to hit a 3-wood for control. This will leave you with a mid-iron into another large green. Make sure to favor the right side of the green due to the bunker that guards the left.

First of all, this hole offered relief for the typical golfer. As you left the fourth green, you came to a water cooler filled with crisp, cool drink. Planted in a shady spot, this tee box was a great relief on a hot day. The fact that a stand of woods flanked the interstate side of the driving area, it also offered the first chance of other more pressing kids of relief. Strange little one paths dive about ten feet into the tangled woods beside the tee box and just stop.

The initial drive on this hole is blind. You really can’t see the green. The object is to place the ball atop the gentle rise just beyond the airport light towers. Perfectly placed, you can be set up for an amazing second shot onto the green. Tracking the flight of your ball as it heads slightly downhill and rolls onto the green is one of the most amazing feelings to have in golf.

If you get wild left, you would find that you were dodging white pines the rest of the way in and would have to approach the green from the evil left side. If you were wild right, then you can have a journey into another world. Seemingly the rough goes on forever before it gives way to the parallel woods. However, the rough tucks into a little forgotten zone a fair ways downstream. Balls go in, but rarely come out of this zone. Some of the greatest shots I’ve seen where blasted out of this dead dream zone and flailing blindly for green safety, escaping from the doldrums of the waving grass.

Hole 6 | Par 3 Maple Tees | Oak Tees | White Pine Tees | Cherry Tees 200 yds | 163 yds | 119 yds | 119 yds #6 is the second Par 3 on the front side. At 163 yards, this hole plays a bit shorter due to its downhill elevation change. Ike’s Creek runs along the front and right hand side of the green. Make sure to take enough club into this pie shaped green.

The sixth hole harbors one of the saddest stories at Countryside. When this championship course was first built in the late 1960’s, the sixth hole was a proud postcard. An elevated tee looking down upon a green guarded by a beautiful lake is what greeted the golfer. It wasn’t until I found a way to cross that lake that I felt I had gained acceptance into manhood. My brother, Greg, received his first birdie on this lake hole. He blasted off, but landed short right onto the frozen lake. His ball bounced high and skittered onto the green a few feet away and pin high. Nervously, he sank the birdie putt.

Somewhere, somebody at Countryside decided to drain that beautiful lake.