Interesting bit of local news: Portsmouth community garden cultivates more than plants

And speaking of greener cities–

A few nights ago my good friend Lennie took me to see Mark Morris’ Romeo & Juliet. Over a couple grapefruit vodkas on rocks before the show, Lennie (who is a senior urban planner at CMSS Architects) caught me up on some of the ideas and plans that are being discussed regarding the Pembroke area of Virginia Beach. With light rail becoming a reality (and a much more attractive option now that people are starting to genuinely starting to care about the environment), the stop at Town Center is going to be key for the city.

pilotonline.com

I’d really like to acknowledge the asserted role Mayor Sessoms has taken in developing the progress of light rail’s extension to the Beach. The miracles that thing can do for a city are long overdue for this area, and Will Sessoms knows it.

In fact, a few weeks ago I watched on PBS a taping of Regent University’s Local Mayors Forum, at which Sessoms appeared with Paul Fraim (Norfolk) and Alan Krasnoff (Chesapeake). All of their ideas about regionalism were pretty inspiring, to be honest. But there was one thing in particular. A question came up about another referendum for light rail (10 years ago VB voted it down). In response Sessoms said (and I’m paraphrasing a little) “I will support a referendum, but I will stick my neck out to get the light rail extended to Virginia Beach.” I wanted to stand up and cheer. Good for him. Good for VB. And good for HRT.

And speaking of HRT (on a second PBS side note), Cathy Lewis had VP of Communications, James Toscano and Senior VP of Transit Operations, Homer Carter on her television show “What Matters.” Watch the video download. After I watched it I immediately checked out the Google Trip Planner on gohrt.com, and it is very impressive indeed. FYI if you Google Map your directions, you can also specify there “by car,” “by transit,” and even “walking” (which is in beta). Either way the app always tells you how long the trip will take, and, in the case of transit and walking, it tells you how much money you save versus driving.

Now getting back to the Pembroke expansion, my conversation with Lennie wasn’t the first I’d heard of a vision to make Virginia Beach Boulevard something akin to the Champs-Élysées in Paris. A tree-lined, walkable avenue with a wide, tree-lined median;  shops, cafes and galleries coming out all the way to the street; mixed-use space and mixed-income residences; districts dividing (at long last) a heart of the city. I know there is much more being thrown around as to the possibilities for all the nearby areas, including Witchduck, Thalia Creek and Mount Trashmore. Though these are 20- to 50-year plans we’re talking about, it’s an exciting moment for VB to pivot toward the right (if distant) goal.

Norfolk looks so pretty from here.

Today actually Allison took me to the rooftop of a parking garage on Bute Street downtown, and for the first time ever I was struck by the greenness of what I saw. Both Bute and Boush are lined with trees. And I never knew exactly why I preferred the Waterside on-ramp to 264 rather than the St. Paul’s, or why I felt safe walking home at night to Ghent down Bute and over and around the Hague–but I’d say that’d be why.

And about Romeo & Juliet (as a final sidenote), I owe you guys a more thorough review of the production. But for now I’ll tell you that it was gorgeous, with some very intense drama and a few heartbreaking scenes. However, I am not spoiling the ending by telling you it’s not Shakespeare’s ending. Morris builds upon the original version of Prokofiev’s ballet, in which Romeo & Juliet live. Happily ever after. … Which takes away the heart of the story…Tragedy.

I can’t accept this altered ending at all, I must say. And it sucks that it kind of puts me in the corner with Stalin, who shut down Prokofiev’s original in protest of its radical turn from the author’s intent. By no means do I agree with that censorship. I of course fully applaud Morris for exploring such an odd twist of story-telling (or re-telling for that matter). And don’t get me wrong–the dancing was powerful and the costume design was particularly beautiful. But in this case, I’m afraid, the whole endeavor seemed more about if he could rather than if he should.