Accessibility
On behalf of the members of the Norfolk Commission for Persons with Disabilities, we extend our heartfelt thanks and appreciation to the Norfolk Tides for their continued commitment to accessibility at Harbor Park.
Their proactive enforcement of designated seating areas for patrons with limited mobility — particularly those using wheelchairs or similar devices — has not gone unnoticed. By ensuring these fans have unobstructed sight lines and equitable access to the excitement of Tides baseball, they have created a welcoming environment that reflects the very best of our community values.
Accessible seating is more than a compliance measure — it’s a statement of respect. The team’s hospitality makes Harbor Park a place where all residents and visitors can fully participate in the joy of the game. We’ve heard directly from community members who feel seen, valued and included because of their efforts.
Thank you for setting a high standard and for showing that accessibility and great fan experiences go hand-in-hand. We look forward to cheering on the Tides!
Dr. Charles “Chas” Etheridge, Norfolk Commission for Persons with Disabilities, Norfolk
Voting referendum
Re “Voting rights” (Your Views, Sept. 24): As Virginia Beach voters, we want to make an informed choice.
In speaking for the 10-1 system, the writer stated that the 7-3-1 is illegal and that 81% of polled Virginia Beach voters preferred the 10-1.
In the past 7-3-1 system, all positions were voted on by all residents. In this modified 7-3-1 being proposed, voters select their own district council person, three at-large and one mayor. It seems the writer has confused the two.
Regarding the mentioned poll — a survey of a select/random mailing and then online availability — there was not a response numbering 81% of Virginia Beach residents. Perhaps 81% of the comparatively few respondents would have been a better assertion.
In the referendum, we are not voting to reinstate the old 7-3-1 system, but rather to put in place the newly modified one.
And given the “siloed” 10-1 council experience, I do not want to retain it and will vote “no.”
Lynn Lohrmann, Virginia Beach
Vote Republican
Re “Moderate policies” (Your Views, Sept. 23): The letter writer needs to open his eyes to the real Abigail Spanberger. The real Spanberger is the one who voted against the Parents Bill of Rights. Voted to let boys play in girls sports and change in the girls locker room. Moderate? Not hardly.
For a better Virginia and a better future for our kids and grandkids, vote Republican.
Webb Lancaster, Virginia Beach
Chesapeake Bay
The long-standing Chesapeake Bay restoration plan is being updated, but the new draft is disappointingly weak.
We should fight hard now for sufficient resources to fund Chesapeake Bay’s continued restoration. Our families recreate in the bay and enjoy its seafood. Our local tourism and fishing industries also rely on a clean bay.
Virginia legislators, regardless of political affiliation, must defeat efforts to save money at the bay’s expense.
Some funding for the bay’s restoration has been preserved in the draft agreement, but the push for deep cuts to programs vital to the bay’s revival is a horrible step backward. No one should forget when the bay was in dire straits — dead zones, dwindling fish populations and disappearing seagrass. The progress we’ve seen since the 1980s is the result of decades of hard work, scientific research and bipartisan commitment.
The updated agreement must set a uniform deadline of 2035 across all goals. It must clearly define targets, including for habitat restoration and pollution reduction. The perspectives of indigenous communities must be included and the agreement should address challenges from climate change across goals. Finally, the Bay Agreement must affirm commitments to meet legally required pollution reductions under the Clean Water Act.
We owe our grandkids a thriving bay, teeming with life.
Erich O. Hart, Norfolk