By Carol Vaughn —
Chincoteague will hold “a little parade” for Christmas, after all, according to Mayor J. Arthur Leonard.
Leonard at the town council meeting Monday said the “Mayor’s Pop-Up Parade” will start Saturday at 6 p.m. at Chincoteague High School and follow the trolley route around town.
“Hopefully, people will enjoy the parade from their homes or from al parked vehicle somewhere…We don’t want people to gather outside as normal, but we do want them to enjoy a parade of sorts,” Leonard said.
Additionally, town officials will judge decorated homes on Dec. 16.
NASA did 12 days of operational testing on a filtration system for wells on the mainland that supply Chincoteague’s water, with good results, according to town manager Mike Tolbert.
Tolbert also reported meals and transient occupancy tax revenue for October were both increased over the amount collected the same month last year.
Leonard and Tolbert on Nov. 12, along with Accomack and Northampton county officials, met with Del. Rob Bloxom and Sen. Lynwood Lewis to discuss legislative priorities for the next General Assembly session.
The priorities Chincoteague officials presented to the two legislators were:
Development of new drinking water sources to replace the currently contaminated shallow wells on NASA Wallops Flight Facility property.
Erosion of the south end of Chincoteague Island. “Currently there is little or no effort by the State of Corps of Engineers to study the problem and propoose solutionos to stop or reverse the erosion,” according to Tolbert’s written report.
Public safety, including correction of the low area on the east approach to the drawbridge onto the island, which hinders evacuation during storms, according to the report; and elevation of the roadway and addition of at least one full lane shoulder on the causeway.
Wastewater — the town has supported Accomack County’s efforts to encourage the Hampton Roads Sanitation District to develop infrastructure on the Shore “and will continue to research other solutions to this longstanding problem,” which adversely affects development and public health, according to the report.
Public Works Director Harvey Spurlock reported that improvements to Mumford Street are complete except for minor drain inlet adjustments and pavement markings.
Improvements included paving, new water mains, and sidewalk replacement.
Spurlock reported a $280,998 contract for the final phase of a federal grant funded project creating a bay-to-beach trail has been awarded, bringing total obligated funds for the project to more than $1.4 million.
The final phase of work will be to install sidewalk on both sides of Maddox Boulevard between Chicken City Road and Eel Creek and to install a multi-use path on the north side of Maddox between Eel Creek and the traffic circle.
The $1.5 million federal grant was awarded to Chincoteague in 2017 “to enhance tourism by promoting visitor safety of bicyclists and pedestrians accessing the Refuge through the main toroughfares of Town,” according to a March 10, 2017 press release from the Cincoteague National Wildlife Refuge.
Bryan Rush, director of emergency services, said Chincoteague reported six more COVID-19 cases in the past week and nine the week before that, bringing the town’s total to 59 since the pandemic began in March.
A total of 1,038 tests, and 93 in the past week, have been given to Chincoteague residents, he said.
EMS personnel in the town will be among those to receive vaccinations in the first phase of distribution, which could happen later this month.
Councilman Matthew Reed announced during the meeting he is resigning effective the end of December, due to an expected move out of town.
