The Virginian-Pilot

urn:publicid:pilotonline.com:1234 HamptonRoads.com | PilotOnline.com http://www.pilotonline.com The Virginian-Pilot 2010-02-08T16:53:26-05:00 Copyright The Virginian-Pilot urn:publicid:pilotonline.com:540985 Beach family goes it alone in suit over Chinese drywall 2010-02-06T18:48:43-05:00 2010-02-08T00:00:00-05:00 Copyright The Virginian-Pilot

VIRGINIA BEACH Ben Proto is mad. He's mad at his builder. Mad at his insurance company. Mad at his bank. Proto, like hundreds of homeowners, has a home built with tainted Chinese-made drywall. The gases released by the drywall have damaged his electrical appliances and led him to move his family out of the home. Unlike many of those home-owners who've added their names to the class-action lawsuit, Proto has gone at it alone, spending the past year negotiating with builders, lenders and insurance companies to get the home fixed. So far, none of the companies that helped usher the Protos into their home has come to their aid. All have pointed the finger elsewhere. "If I put a defective screw in someone, I would take care of them," said Proto, a podiatrist. "I wouldn't just be like, 'Oh, you'll have to talk to the manufacturer about that.' " It started with the builder. During the early weeks of 2009, the couple went to their builder, A.R. "Rick" Gregor of The Futura Group LLC. He said he would take care of the problem, Proto said. Gregor also offered to help find the Protos another place while a remediation was being done. Gregor declined to comment for this article but confirmed in an interview last year that he was working with the family and intended to fix their house. Then came the insurance company. The couple filed a claim over the drywall with their home insurer, Metropolitan Property and Casualty Insurance Co., on March 11. It was denied on March 12. The insurer has argued that the home-owner's policy does not cover defective products or pollutants. The couple pressed on, contacting Sam Porter, whose Venture Supply Inc. had imported the drywall. Porter reassured the couple, saying his company's commercial liability insurance would probably cover the drywall, Proto said. But Porter's insurer had a different response. When Proto called Hanover Insurance Co., a representative told him to take it up with his builder. Frustrated and still waiting for answers, the Protos in April filed suit in Virginia Beach Circuit Court seeking $660,000 to, among other things, remediate the home and pay for living expenses while the family was dislocated. The couple named in the suit Futura Group, one of Futura's subcontractors, Venture Supply, and Metropolitan Insurance. Realizing it could be months or years before their case is settled, the couple began looking for a home to rent. They talked briefly with the builder about living in one of his vacant condos in Sandbridge. When nothing materialized by September, the Protos rented a home nearby in their Chesapeake Beach neighborhood, and Ben Proto decided that if he wanted his home fixed, he'd have to do it himself. To do that, the couple would need a loan for about $250,000. The Protos had already contacted their mortgage lender, Wells Fargo Bank, over the summer to ask for assistance. After months of calling and filling out paperwork, Proto said the lender offered a three-month forbearance. Next he turned to TowneBank, which had given the Protos a home equity line of credit. The bank also turned them down. Then, after learning that the home was built with Chinese-made drywall, the bank rescinded their remaining $50,000 in available credit, Proto said. "Without so much as a phone call we had the rug pulled out right from under us," Proto said. Finally in December, the couple met with Monarch Bank, which offered the Protos a loan to fix their house. In a few weeks, crews will arrive to start ripping down drywall, pulling out wires, replacing fixtures and floors. The couple hope to move back in with their two children by June and that their lawsuit will result in money to at least allow them to pay off the loans and compensate them for a year of frustration. "I could have walked away from this house, let it go into foreclosure," Proto said, standing in the home's kitchen last week. "There's no reward for trying to do the right thing. You buy something you can afford. You pay your mortgage. But when something goes wrong, you're left holding the bag." Josh Brown, (757) 446-2318, josh.brown@pilotonline.com Norfolk, VA Anonymous Beach family goes it alone in suit over Chinese drywall The Virginian-Pilot urn:publicid:pilotonline.com:540985 Change 0 Usable urn:publicid:pilotonline.com:540889 Scotty Quixx Xpress is back at Beach location 2010-02-05T19:01:00-05:00 2010-02-08T00:00:00-05:00 Copyright The Virginian-Pilot

By Staci Dennis Correspondent VIRGINIA BEACH For Marc Ford, the past has come to the present, and it all adds up to a dream come true. From 2001 to 2005, Ford would frequent Scotty Quixx Xpress on Virginia Beach Blvd. He would eat there at least three times a week, he said. During that time, he got to know the owner, Scott Oates. "I was so bummed when he said he was closing this location," said Ford, of Gatewood Park. "What was I going to do for food?" In 2005, Oates opened a Scotty Quixx Xpress in Norfolk and didn't want the hassle of running two locations. He closed the Virginia Beach eatery, and Goldberg's Deli took its place in the London Bridge Shoppes. "When this location became available again, without hesitation I said, 'Let's reopen the first SQX,' " Ford said. "I worked with (Scott) to create the menus and learn the recipes." Ford and his girlfriend, Crystal Ososkie, 29, started renovation of the location in September. With the help of Ford's father, Mel Ford, they got the place done in less than a month for about $10,000. They opened in October 2009. "I've been in the restaurant business my whole life," Ford said. "But this is something I always wanted to do." Ford has worked as a manager at McDonald's, at the Lynnhaven Fish House and has owned several vending carts stationed at the Oceanfront. The SQX menu features a variety of Mexicali mixed food, including homemade salsa and Pico de Gallo, marinated steak asada and tuna, southwest eggrolls, mahi mahi, fried tilapia and shrimp tacos. They also run daily specials and prices range from $4.99 to $8.99. "We took on a lot all at one time," Ososkie said. "It's been a big year, but it's all been worth it." Besides opening the restaurant, the couple bought a house and Ososkie graduated from college in December. In the spring, SQX will add a smoker to cook bar-becue, brisket, chicken and ribs out front. They are also in the process of applying for their ABC license. Weekends will have live entertainment, and several flat-screen TVs will be added to the patio dining area. In addition, Ford is looking to open a Famous Uncle Al's kiosk in the near future. "It was time for a change, and this was the perfect opportunity," Ford said. "I love it." Ford's main goal is to get the word out to former SQX customers letting them know they are back in business. "I used to go there all the time," said Joe Hanley, who works a few blocks away at Classic Design Builders. "I'm glad they are back." Hanley said he visits SQX about two to three times a week. "The quality of food is outstanding, and the service is excellent," he said. "Their tuna tacos and burritos are out of this world." Staci Dennis, sdennis@cox.net Norfolk, VA Anonymous Scotty Quixx Xpress is back at Beach location The Virginian-Pilot urn:publicid:pilotonline.com:540889 Change 0 Usable urn:publicid:pilotonline.com:540907 Do you know how to be a good neighbor? 2010-02-05T20:26:28-05:00 2010-02-08T00:00:00-05:00 Copyright The Virginian-Pilot

Toni Guagenti Special to The Virginian-Pilot Pierre DeBaun had some reservations about moving into an apartment after remembering how it was to live in one outside New York City years ago. Noisy. Unpredictable neighbors. Parking headaches. But he decided to try it again in June and moved into The Cosmopolitan, a 14-story building in the heart of Virginia Beach's Town Center. Now, he sings praises for the 342-unit building with its concrete floors and ceilings, friendly neighbors, myriad amenities and staff. Plus, parking isn't an issue. "I don't want to sound like a paid shill," said DeBaun, who sells dental supplies and equipment, "but I love the place." DeBaun's excellent rating of his home isn't by luck. Around Hampton Roads, property managers say communication and rules are keys to ensuring that residents enjoy where they live, even if they're in close proximity to hundreds of other people. "Neighborly" shouldn't be a taboo word. In addition, multi-unit complexes are on the rise in Hampton Roads, making it important that new residents know the rules and etiquette of living among your neighbors. Places like The Cosmopolitan give new people moving in a "resident handbook" to make they understand the community etiquette, said Amanda Dexter, the building's property manager. The community also provides a pleasant living experience by dedicating a pet-friendly elevator, offering set move-in times for personal elevator usage and hosting monthly socials for neighbors to get to know one another. At Colony Point Apartments off Little Creek Road in Norfolk, Jill Davis and Kristen Hogan help residents go over the 43-page lease with a fine-tooth comb. The lease is the " gospel of Colony Point," said Davis, its community manager. Policy explanations and community and neighbor expectations are important, Davis said recently from a cozy leather chair in the community's Information Center. Plus, Davis said, Colony Point, with 344 units, is a "real community," which means that people shouldn't expect to come home and not be involved in where they live. That's why the staff promotes getting to know your neighbors with icebreaker get-togethers, pool parties and friendliness. Colony Point resident Jennifer Watson appreciates the openness of the community. "I know it's old school," Watson said, but "I want to know everybody." Watson even makes a loaf of bread for her neighbors to break the ice and get to know them. It's paid off. When she locked herself out the other day, her neighbor asked her to come over and wait until she could get in. Her upstairs neighbors even offered their spare bedroom after her apartment flooded during November's nor'easter. "I've lived places where neighbors aren't so considerate," she said. But at Colony Point, "she loves knowing her neighbors." So what do neighbors do that is inconsiderate of others? "Parking, dogs, trash," said Walter Campbell, vice president of The Community Group, which manages more than 60 associations - some 9,700 units' worth - in Virginia Beach. Parking in another person's spot, not cleaning up after one's dog and either creating trash in the community or leaving outside the Dumpster irk residents, Campbell said. Donna M. Bodony, a Community Group association manager who is responsible for eight condominium associations, hears those types of complaints, in addition to noise issues, almost on a daily basis. That's why the three C's - communication, cooperation, consideration - are imperative to multi-family, she stressed. "When you're in a community like that, you have to be together with people, if not, why are you living there?" asked Teresa Harper, president of Driftide Association I, off Military Highway in Virginia Beach. Harper, a Driftide resident for 12 years, said being a good neighbor is about taking responsibility and caring for your community. She conceded that isn't always easy with some neighbors, but that's why rules exist, especially in condominium associations in which a board makes sure those regulations are adhered to. As Bodony said, most issues, such as noise complaints and parking problems, are taken care of through communication, including letters, phone calls and e-mails, but sometimes the board has to get involved. If that doesn't work, in other cases, the problem is handled through the court system. As with most multi-family living situations, residents have an outlet for complaints. At one of the properties managed by S.L. Nusbaum Realty Co. in Norfolk, for example, a resident was surprised that she could send a letter of complaint when her neighbor was playing his music too loud, recalled Caroline L. Forehand, Nusbaum's multi-family marketing director. "A lot of times the resident doesn't know they're causing an issue until somebody tells them," she said. Forehand said Nusbaum has seen a rise in the number of apartment complexes the company manages in the last five years. "In the last five years we have developed or obtained management of 17 apartment communities in our Hampton Roads market, totaling 4,018 units or approximately 10,045 residents," Forehand said. The company also has four communities in various stages of development, with about 549 units that will house 1,400 residents. Many of these places are in town-center developments, close to work, shopping, dining and entertainment, Forehand said. That's what people like Pierre DeBaun enjoy about where they live. He's happy at life with hundreds of other residents at The Cosmopolitan. "I'm not going to be moving anytime soon," he said. Toni Guagenti, tguagenti@cox.net Norfolk, VA Anonymous Do you know how to be a good neighbor? The Virginian-Pilot urn:publicid:pilotonline.com:540907 Change 0 Usable urn:publicid:pilotonline.com:540893 Quartet will serenade your Valentine 2010-02-05T19:04:46-05:00 2010-02-08T00:00:00-05:00 Copyright The Virginian-Pilot

It's about making Valentine's Day more memorable for complete strangers, stretching all the way to Haiti. The members of the Sweet Adeline's quartet Feelin' Groovy! have performed singing Valentines for many years and during that time, they have enjoyed the looks of surprise and the many responses they get from unsuspecting recipients. This year, a portion of the proceeds will go to the earthquake victims of Haiti. All of the members of "Feelin' Groovy!" - Teresa Auer, Cathy Curtis, Dawn Johnson and Debbie Meadows - have performed over the years with other quartets. They met while performing with the Virginia Coast Chorus and also began their own registered quartet after realizing how well their voices blended together. "When we open our mouths to sing, people are amazed or shocked at the quality of sound," said Curtis, a Great Bridge resident who sings lead in the a cappella group. The quartet sings two songs for its Valentine's Day performances - "Let Me Call You Sweetheart" and "Crazy 'Bout Ya Baby." In addition to the love song serenade, recipients also get a signed card from their sweethearts, and a giant Hershey's Kiss. Over the years, the ladies have sung to teachers in classrooms, professors, dentists and even to Meyera Oberndorf, former Virginia Beach mayor. And although most of them have been very memorable, Curtis said, she remembers one recipient in particular. They were singing for a teacher at a Virginia Beach school and after hearing their performance, a school secretary begged them to sing to her husband, who was in a nursing home with Alzheimer's disease. They had time in their schedule, Curtis said, so they squeezed it in. "She met us there," Curtis said. "She just held him and cried the whole time we were singing. You could just tell she loved him and missed him. " Added Johnson, a Windsor resident, "Music touches people in ways you don't realize." Though at least a few folks have been a little embarrassed by the display, most often, Meadows said, the group is treated like rock stars. "Everyone wants us to sing them a song," said Meadows, of Virginia Beach. "Sometimes we'll do a short song just for the fun of it. A lot of times, people will follow us around. We're like the Pied Piper." Rita Frankenberry, (757) 222-5102 Rita.Frankenberry@pilotonline.com Norfolk, VA Anonymous Quartet will serenade your Valentine The Virginian-Pilot urn:publicid:pilotonline.com:540893 Change 0 Usable urn:publicid:pilotonline.com:541110 Tom Robinson: 4th quarter | Saints win in a Brees 2010-02-07T23:27:45-05:00 2010-02-07T23:26:48-05:00 Copyright The Virginian-Pilot

So many choices. So many champions. So many names to burn into the lore of the New Orleans Saints that now includes a Super Bowl championship - 31-17 over the Indianapolis Colts - in their first try, all after stumbling to a 10-0 deficit at the start. Coach Sean Payton's incredible call for an onside kick to start the second half, and the Saints' perfect execution of it. Garrett Hartley's three long field goals. Tracy Porter's late, killing interception of Peyton Manning and 74-yard return for a touchdown that notched the final points. And Drew Brees. Above all, Drew Brees. The quarterback who threw 39 passes and completed 32 of them - 82 percent - which is appropriate beyond words, considering Brees' 70.6 regular-season accuracy was a league record. And one of his incompletions was a clock-killing spike of the ball. The thing of it is, too, how many really tough catches do you remember the Saints making? A few? A couple? The 2-point conversion catch by Lance Moore, THAT was a great effort. But what sticks with me in the immediate aftermath of this fascinating game is Marques Colston, Devery Henderson, Pierre Thomas and the others mostly just had to turn, put out their hands and bring in the football that was waiting there for them. Magnificence. Most Valuable Player Brees. Totally enough said. Norfolk, VA Anonymous Tom Robinson: 4th quarter | Saints win in a Brees The Virginian-Pilot urn:publicid:pilotonline.com:541110 Change 0 Usable urn:publicid:pilotonline.com:541108 Challenges keep Beach hobbyist sharp 2010-02-08T01:34:09-05:00 2010-02-07T23:14:12-05:00 Copyright The Virginian-Pilot

VIRGINIA BEACH Outside the Atlantic Wildfowl Heritage Museum on this February day, the Boardwalk is virtually empty. Few cars roll down Atlantic Avenue. It's the time of year at the Oceanfront when hotels are remodeling, parking spaces seem unlimited and many businesses are shut down. Inside the museum, though, there's a man with bushy eyebrows making a duck decoy. He works at an old wooden bench, wearing a green apron covered in wood dust with a nametag: "Hank Grigolite - Volunteer." When there aren't any tourists stopping in is when Grigolite, 69, has time to finish carving things. "It's kind of like being little again, and you're out in your backyard and you've got your dad's hammer and saw and some nails and you can make anything that your imagination says," he said. Grigolite works in the museum, at 1113 Atlantic Ave., every Thursday. It gets about 10,000 to 13,000 visitors a year. January and February are the slowest months for visits. "I'd say probably below 50 for the entire month," said Tom Beatty, the museum director. The museum is in the de Witt Cottage, which was built in 1895 by Bernard P. Holland, the first postmaster and mayor in what is now Virginia Beach. The museum includes carved decoys, wildfowl art, guns and old photos of Virginia Beach. But Grigolite does not carve his decoys for display in the museum. Grigolite picked up carving as a hobby about 10 years ago. He says he likes to challenge himself, fashioning spoons, caterpillars, peanuts, shells and birds out of wood, and then applying paint to them to make them appear real. "I don't want to be stuck with any one particular thing," he said. He will sell an item occasionally, if someone wants to buy it. But that's not why he makes things. It's just something he likes to do. Patrick Wilson, (757) 222-5150, patrick.wilson@pilotonline.com Norfolk, VA Anonymous Challenges keep Beach hobbyist sharp The Virginian-Pilot urn:publicid:pilotonline.com:541108 Change 0 Usable urn:publicid:pilotonline.com:541105 Tom Robinson: 2nd quarter | Who dat fool dissing the Saints? 2010-02-07T23:10:24-05:00 2010-02-07T23:01:30-05:00 Copyright The Virginian-Pilot

As they keep saying in the typically slacker-laden beer commercials, "Here we go!" Drew Brees, this game's other Marquee Man, has put the Saints on his right wing and done what his defensive mates couldn't do - keep Peyton Manning on the sidelines. And so, we have a 10-6 game at the half after the Saints looked possibly overmatched in the first quarter. Raise your hand if you saw that coming. This time it's Manning, not Brees, who can't get on the field. He runs six plays in the entire quarter and the Colts gain 15 yards. The rest of the period is Brees taking snaps and Brees clearly settling in and having the game slow down for him; he's riddling the Colts' secondary and pin-pointing a variety of receivers. Manning would be proud, if he wasn't trying to win the game himself. And yet, the Colts somehow don't let the Saints in, which is the way they've done things much of the season. The Saints, however, manage just two Garrett Hartley field goals - the first thanks to a one-handed sack by Indy's hobbled Dwight Freeney on a third down, and the second moments after the Colts' foil the Saints' daring 4th-and-goal run from the 1. Most Valuable Player Brees has thrown for 164 yards at halftime and is moving the Saints crisply, befitting the league's most potent offense in the regular season. Norfolk, VA Anonymous Tom Robinson: 2nd quarter | Who dat fool dissing the Saints? The Virginian-Pilot urn:publicid:pilotonline.com:541105 Change 0 Usable urn:publicid:pilotonline.com:541106 Tom Robinson: 3rd quarter | A Super-ior third quarter 2010-02-07T23:10:58-05:00 2010-02-07T23:01:30-05:00 Copyright The Virginian-Pilot

Wow! How good do you feel when you pull a major shocker in the Super Bowl - an onside kick to start the second half - recover it after what seems like a five-minute scrum, and then march down and score the go-ahead touchdown? I'm guessing Saints' coach Sean Payton feels fairly sporty at the moment. The Saints recover the ball, Brees completes five passes on the reeling Colts - capped by a 16-yarder to Pierre Thomas - and the Saints go up 13-10. It feels like forever since Peyton Manning's had the ball, and guess what? When he gets it back he hasn't forgotten what to do with it. Manning hits Dallas Clark three times for 45 yards - including a how'd-he-get-THAT-one-in-there? rainbow for 27 yards - that sets up Joseph Addai's 4-yard TD run and a 17-13 lead. Ah, but what do you think about this Garrett Hartley kid? Dude just kicked his third 40-plus-yard field goal to push the Saints to within one. Hartley clinches the NFC title with a 40-yard over Minnesota in overtime, then keeps sticking them right down the middle in the Super Bowl. Another one or two of these - if the bending, close-to-breaking Colts keep stuffing the Saints' drives - and the 23-year-old will take home an MVP trophy. Most Valuable Player Hartley has made kicks of 46, 44 and 47 yards, cool and calm as you please. Norfolk, VA Anonymous Tom Robinson: 3rd quarter | A Super-ior third quarter The Virginian-Pilot urn:publicid:pilotonline.com:541106 Change 0 Usable urn:publicid:pilotonline.com:541104 Tom Robinson: 1st Quarter | Way too easy for Indy 2010-02-07T23:09:32-05:00 2010-02-07T23:01:24-05:00 Copyright The Virginian-Pilot

The Saints evidently have gone retro for their first Super Bowl. Welcome back to the Aints! With what sounds like a stadium full of its own fans in Miami, New Orleans can't get the ball away from Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts. Can't keep Manning from decoding and picking apart its over-aggressive defense and piecing together a pair of 11-play drives for points. Can't stop the league's worst running game from gashing them for 66 yards. Can't stop the Colts from driving 96 yards - tying the Super Bowl record - to easily go up 10-zip when Pierre Garcon beats cornerback Usama Young off the line as if he's standing still and grabs Manning's pretty 19-yard TD pass. Ten points, we learn from the CBS telecast, is the largest deficit a Super Bowl winner has ever overcome. OK, then. Two weeks to prepare since the Minnesota Vikings marched all over field on them in the NFC title game and nothing's changed for the Saints. Chalk it up to Manning's poise and intellect, maybe, but the moral of the first 15 minutes; the Aints ain't gonna be winning this Super Bowl unless they start bringing some defensive pain. Not sure if they can. Most Valuable Player Do you have to ask? Peyton Manning appears super-sharp. He's hit 9 of 14 passes for 88 yards and the touchdown pass to Garcon. Norfolk, VA Anonymous Tom Robinson: 1st Quarter | Way too easy for Indy The Virginian-Pilot urn:publicid:pilotonline.com:541104 Change 0 Usable urn:publicid:pilotonline.com:541103 Medicaid funding for disabled on chopping block 2010-02-08T14:40:01-05:00 2010-02-07T23:01:11-05:00 Copyright The Virginian-Pilot

Virginia's budget-setting season is always a nail-biting time for people like Barbara Kimble. Will there be enough money to help her and her husband care for their 25-year-old mentally disabled son at their Chesapeake home, or will they have to wait another year - or two, or three? This year, the news was about as bad as it has ever been. Not only is there no additional funding for the Medicaid waiver program that helps families keep disabled or elderly relatives at home instead of at institutions, but there's a one-year freeze on the existing waivers. That means even if someone already in the program dies, drops out or moves out of state, the money for that slot can't be used for someone on the waiting list. "People will be institutionalized who never, ever would have considered it," said Maureen Hollowell, director of advocacy and services at The Endependence Center in Norfolk, which helps the disabled. "There will be no option for them." Medicaid is a shared federal and state insurance program that insures low-income families and the disabled. People with disabilities use Medicaid dollars to pay for care in state facilities, private long-term care centers or nursing homes. The Medicaid waiver program was created in 1991 to shift people from institutional care to home care, which is generally less expensive. The money pays for personal aides, respite care and other services. One waiver is used for people with mental disabilities. That's the waiting list Kimble's son, Michael Ward, is on, along with 5,000 other Virginians, more than half of whom are considered in urgent need of help. Ward has been on the list since he finished public school in 2006. Another waiver for people with developmental disabilities like autism has about 870 Virginians on the waiting list. There's also a waiver that helps elderly people and those with Alzheimer's disease stay at home rather than move into nursing homes. In the past, there hasn't been much of a waiting list for that waiver, but a freeze would mean a year long gap in new people getting home-based services under the program. The proposed budget also calls for cuts for people who already have one of the waivers, such as a reduction in the amount paid to personal care assistants and fewer respite care hours for parents and caregivers. Samantha Gregg-Montella of Virginia Beach has a waiver to care for her 12-year-old son, David. He has autism, cerebral palsy and a seizure disorder. State budget cuts would reduce the amount paid to personal care assistants for David. Already, it's difficult to keep the aides because the pay is low. Cuts would also reduce the number of respite hours for families to have some time away from their disabled relatives. Gregg-Montella and her husband have three other children, 16, 14 and 8: "There are times you need the one-on-one time with your other children." The budget reductions are doubly difficult for Norfolk resident Julia Newton, who has a 26-year-old son on the waiting list for a waiver for the mentally disabled. Newton also works as a personal care assistant for others who already have the waiver. Her pay will be cut by 5 percent under the proposed budget cuts, and she also worries the drop in respite care hours will result in less work for her. Meanwhile, she waits for her son's turn at a waiver for the mentally disabled to come up. "I feel like I'm going from being a taxpayer to a tax burden," she said. Proposed budget cuts also call for closing Commonwealth Center for Children in Staunton and two units of the Southwestern Virginia Mental Health Institute in Marion. Spared from this year's budget cuts is the Southeastern Virginia Training Center in Chesapeake. In December 2008, former Gov. Timothy M. Kaine proposed closing that state facility, which cares for people with severe mental disabilities. However, there was an outcry from families of residents, and instead, legislators provided $23 million to build a down sized 75-bed facility and $8.4 million in housing for the disabled throughout Hampton Roads. Contracts were awarded last month for those facilities, which are scheduled to be finished in 2011. The Arc of Virginia, however, has protested rebuilding the Southeastern Virginia Training Center. The Richmond-based organization, which advocates for the mentally disabled, has sent a letter to Gov. Bob McDonnell asking that money be reallocated for disabled people living in family and community homes, particularly in light of this year's budget cuts. "The proposed cuts are devastating to the system. They erase years of work by advocates and the General Assembly," said Jamie Liban, executive director of The Arc of Virginia. "The one-year freeze for enrollment reverts to a policy of institutionalization." Elizabeth Simpson, (757)446-2635, elizabeth.simpson@pilotonline.com Norfolk, VA Anonymous Medicaid funding for disabled on chopping block The Virginian-Pilot urn:publicid:pilotonline.com:541103 Change 0 Usable urn:publicid:pilotonline.com:541100 Theft leaves opening of Norfolk dog park in limbo 2010-02-08T16:53:26-05:00 2010-02-07T22:48:17-05:00 Copyright The Virginian-Pilot

NORFOLK Two men stole rolled-up fencing worth an estimated $3,000 that was needed to complete a new neighborhood dog park, and now its April opening celebration date is in question, according to a volunteer working on the park. Two men in a tan-gold sport utility vehicle helped themselves to a roll or two of the fencing and drove away on Jan. 28. The value of the material stolen was estimated on a police report at about $3,000. The Ballentine Place Civic League has been working since 2007 to raise money to turn the field in the 2700 block of Tait Terrace into a dog park, said Allyzabethe Ramsey, a civic league member who is helping to organize the park. "It's just really a shame that people would steal from dogs in the neighborhood," Ramsey said. "It's very sad." Police were notified and scrap yards around the region have been alerted that the thieves could try to sell the fencing, Ramsey said. Two sides of the field are already fenced. The stolen material was going to be used to close off the rest of the area and create separate sections for small and large dogs. Because of bad weather last weekend, the park's organizers weren't able to assess the loss and figure out how to make up for it, Ramsey said. Other materials that were stored at the park have been moved for safekeeping. Some scrap yards offered to donate the fencing back to the neighborhood if it turns up, Ramsey said. Since residents began raising money for the park and gathering donations, neighbors, local businesses and other civic leagues have helped with the effort to turn the field into a gathering place for dogs and their human companions. Ramsey said the group expects residents from other cities to use the park, too. Eventually, it is expected to have amenities that could include benches, a community bulletin board and a water source, she said. Events already have been held there, but without an enclosure, some dogs can't be let off their leashes, Ramsey said. The grand opening had been scheduled for mid-April. "That, of course, is in jeopardy now," she said. Some work at the site will continue, Ramsey said. Metal posts and concrete will be installed as the weather allows. "We're very sad that the fencing is gone, but we're not going to be brought down by this," Ramsey said. "We're going to keep raising money and we'll do what it takes to get this park up and running as soon as possible." Anyone with information can call Crime Line at 1-888-LOCK-U-UP (562-5887). Cindy Clayton, (757) 446-2377, cindy.clayton@pilotonline.com Norfolk, VA Anonymous Theft leaves opening of Norfolk dog park in limbo The Virginian-Pilot urn:publicid:pilotonline.com:541100 Change 0 Usable