O V - The Nickel Tour VI - MAIL Archives: 1998-2000

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~ OV Tour MAIL Archives ~ 1998-2000
More OV Mail: 2003 & 2002 & 2001
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Nansemond's Sun Parlor ====>
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Subj: Your web site    00-09-30 EDT
From: Paranoid&Pinewell@unavailable
You have very cool web site.      --"Paranoid" in Pinewell

Subj:    The Ocean View Nickel Tour & the Murden's Gang
Date:    00-05-23 16:15:17 EDT
From:    RNews68717 @aol.com (Robert Newsome)
Hi RK! I recognized your name from HS Alumni.Com -Granby year 1967. Your brother Tony, Cappy Puma and I were friends in the early 1960s, so I was curious. I clicked on your name and first thing you know I was taking the OV Nickel Tour...

Robert Newsome graciously contributed 1950's photos--
subsequently sent more photos-- read more of Robert's email! --R K
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Subj:    Who Are You?????!!!
Date:    99-07-27 01:27:32 EDT       From:    tadaa001@hawaii.rr.com (Rick Tada)
I went to Ocean View Elementary in 1960. My best friend was Danny Harrison whose uncle owned Harrisons' Pier. I went to Mama's Pizzeria with my parents and to the the (Florence's) Drug store when hamburgers were 25¢. I was too afraid to ride the rollercoaster at Ocean View Park. My father's Sign Shop was across the street from Doumar's BBQ & Mr. Doumar would come out and make ice cream cones on that old waffle burner. We lived on A-View just across fom the Colonial Store (now the site of the 'new' OV Post Office). That was a million years ago. --Rick Tada --Hawaii
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Subj: Nickel Tour   Date: 99-07-26 00:56:55 EDT   From: rcermak@.net (Robert Cermak)
Nice web tour of OV; wish I'd paid more attention as a music student at NAB in Little Creek, 1969. Thanks for dropping a line! I stayed at the Nansemond Hotel, shared a room the artist to paint murals in the hotel: a tribute or memorial to Operation Torch. The artist's name was Osmundson, a big, happy, vibrant man full of zest, who was also a sailor in communications at the Naval Amphibious Base. "Oz" had already done paintings for the mural's for approval. My job, was to grid them/wall site for the murals, so Oz could keep his perspective, or whatever artists call it. I've thought of the Nansemond ever since I left there in 1969, & am sorry I never picked up one of those 1920's post cards from the front desk. I remember the hotel as being down-at-the-heels, and Operation Torch as a scheme to spur business. Thanks for letting me find out its fate.
Robert Cermak --San Francisco, CA
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Robert? Our research found that in 1942, the Nansemond served as headquarters of the Amphibious Training Command, Atlantic Fleet after World War II. Troops here participated in landing exercises on the Chesapeake Bay. Successful assaults on 40 enemy beaches were planned & practiced at the Nansemond, including Operation Torch, the successful invasion of North Africa. In those days, World War II operation names were classified until after war ended. Few, except staffs of Rear Adm. H.K. Hewitt & Maj. Gen. George S. Patton Jr., huddled in conferences at the old Nansemond Hotel in Norfolk's Ocean View, knew code name-- Operation Torch until 1942. Personal recollections from the after hour club days "The Squires" indicate your project wasn't likely finished, before the Nansemond itself became a torch in a 1980 fire. PS: We found this link to be pretty interesting for "torch" enthusiasts: BLAST --R K
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Date:    99-07-26 22:06:17 EDT      From: rcermak@.net
To paraphrase either Satchel Paige or Yogi Berra, "if I thought I'd have to keep my memories this long, I would have taken better care of them." As is, my recollections of Ocean View are few. Before discharge after my spell in the Nansemond, I roomed with other musicians in a beach cottage south of the Nansemond, a nice place for a total of $50 per month. I still live in the lower 48, in the S.F. Bay Area. It's a place where many emigrate to; has something going for it. Was that area in the Nansemond dedicated to Operation Torch ever opened? Was anything ever preserved or recorded? After all these years, I've always been curious about "our" work there. As far as artist Osmundsen goes, last I heard was in 1974. Keep up the good work, and I'm still curious about that Operation Torch thing at the Nansemond. --RC --San Francisco, CA
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Subj:    OV Amusement Park         Date:    99-03-14 16:15:59 EST
From:    baycasa@email.msn.com (Lucretia Norris)
OldGlory, OV Hey RK. I was on your OV/Willoughby site, here is the deal. I was born and raised in the 'View and am currently a Spit'ite. My dad's retired down in FL and has an old poster from the OV Park. He wants to have it frameed with the name of the park, the year it opened & closed etched. I've tried to get this info everywhere and was bombed when I went down to the Ocean View Museum on Granby to find it was closed. --LN
Click the left postcard, page top, go to NPL main page link, their page bottom, midway down that page is a search engine, type in "Ocean View", if in town call or visit a real Norfolk treasure, the NPL Sargeant Memorial Room-- they can find virtually anything for you! --R K
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Date:    99-03-16 15:34:01 EST       From:   jettatoo@email.msn.com
As an Ocean View Person I just happened on your page when searching of all things AAA (auto assc) of Tidewater! My husband & I do a lot of fishing here, will need more time to look around but you're up our alley! Thanks Jetta
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Subj: OV tour     Date:  99-06-11 02:10:12 EDT     From: lasivad2@email.msn.com
Hola, my name is Jennifer Hoggard & I am a lifetime (22 years) resident of OV. This evening, I was bored so decided to spend some time on the web; was pleased to find your nickel tour of OV...although a little disappointed that you've not included my family's restaurant, Ship's Cabin, in the latest leg of the tour. It has been an OV establishment for many years, opened by my grandfather who also owned a grocery store in OV a very long time ago. After the tour, I was famished so spent some time in the Diner... I am most impressed with your writings. I myself am an english/creative writing major at ODU, although you'd never know it from this note-- anyway, just wanted to say that I enjoyed the tour, the pictures & anecdotes, and am looking forward to an OV Tour 5.
Jennifer Hoggard --Norfolk, VA

Jen continued in a subsequent e-mail:
Last Days Dear RK-- Isn't it something how those of us from OV hold it very near & dear to our hearts while our friends & family elsewhere in Hampton Roads try to keep their distance from the view? I only hope that all the renovations aren't going to ruin the specialness about this place. I fear that in 20 years Ocean View will be full of aluminum sided 4-story "beach houses," BMW's and Starbucks instead of beach shacks, rusted VW's and Cal'z that I love so much.
Jennifer Hoggard --Norfolk, VA
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Date: 99-06-22 11:03:57 EDT From: iroughton@chrysler.org
Hi, Roberta, Thanks for all the info. & advice. Irene Roughton --Norfolk, VA

Hi Irene: We get most photo work done thru Mystic Labs in Connecticut. They do quality work and have good prices Go to www.mysticcolorlab.com --R K
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Subj: Ocean View Tour   Date: 99-06-01 23:56:43 EDT   From: camets@theriver.com
I really was taken back with your articles! I used to sled on the overpass there at Sarah Constant Shrine, worked at Raiford's and Harrison's, swing on the rope swing in the woods at Monkey Botton adjacent to Ocean View elementary school grounds! I grew up in Ocean View, graduated from Granby in 1969, dad was Candy the Clown at the amusement park! Saw North to Alaska at the Rosele theatre! So much history, keep up your good work!
--Roger Meeker
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Date: 99-05-25 16:52:09 EDT     From: (Fred Pressel)
I am 39 years old &spent my childhood in Willoughby Spit, and continued to return summers of my teen years to visit my father who still resides there today. I will be visiting next week and it'll be the first time I have been there with my father and sister since 1972. I wandered upon your web pages while looking for photos of Willoughby. What a nice job you have done! It took me back to Willoughby and days crossing Monkey Bottom between Willoughby and Ocean View Schools, swimming in front of our beachfront home on Bayville Street and clamming in the local waters. Thank you for the attention to detail and the marvelous work. Thank you for the experience.
Sincerely: Fred Pressel --San Francisco, CA

Subj:     Regarding Willoughby Date:    99-05-05 08:11:05 EDT From: ThrwStns@aol.com
Excellent site! I will add links to it from mine. Hampton Roads, VA
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Subj: KUDOS Date: 98-10-16 17:08:33 EDT  From:BELZJA@cdnet.cod.edu  (Belz, James A.)
Dear Ms. Puma-- I've just spent the last hour or so taking the various nickel tours of Ocean View, and found them very delightful and informative. You seem to be a very knowledgeable local historian for the OV area, so I wonder if you can help with some genealogical research I am trying to do. I believe my biological father, grew up in OV. I know the family name was Savage and he'd have been born about 1921, & graduated from HS about 1939, maybe a classmate of my aunt-by-marriage, Kathryn Jeanne Currie. I am missing a first name and parents & siblings names. I was born in 1941 in Richmond, and before Pearl Harbor mom married a sailor she'd met in Norfolk, who was an absolutely wonderful father to me until his death in 1994. Unfortunately, all my other family members possibly with information about my paternal family, have passed on. What are likely sources for city directories from the late 30's to early 40's; local high schools, student yearbooks available-- local historical society that may have records; anything else you useful in my search. I am a college professor/librarian, so have fairly strong research skills. All I need are a few pieces of local information that may make research a little easier. Many thanks for any assistance you can give me. Yours truly, Jim Belz, Illinois

Dear Jim: I hope this is helpful-- City of Norfolk, when you find public schools and libraries indexes, we suggest you look into Maury and Granby High --R K
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Subj: (no subject) Date: 98-10-09 04:25:36 EDT From: Edlindenmu CC: Xan36
HI ROBERTA, AM VERY INTERESTED IN THE RECENT HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE PORT VIEW AVENUE AREA OF THE 70'S. THE OCEAN VIEW SHOPPING CENTER COMES TO MIND. YOUR OPINION SHOULD BE INTERESTING. I'VE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH ZAN36. LIKE TO HEAR FROM YOU. ...MOOSE, Norfolk

Subj: OV Nickel Tour   Date: September-25-1998 11:09:30 EDT     From: Amdsky@aol.com
Hey there. Enjoyed the site. Am living in OV and was doing some research for an English paper and enjoyed your historical insight. Glad to see others take pride in OV. Randy Holmes, Norfolk

Dear Randy: Indeed it was the same Red Rooster, a creative yet contagiously friendly (these two rarely go together, huh?) guy has yet to be found in Hampton Roads. Before he had the place on Little Creek he had one near the foot of Chesapeake Street in the early 80's just as colorful! --R K

Subj: Rooster & such... Date: 98-09-21 15:34:31 EDT From: rholmes@norfolkva.com
Bruce Hanna, director of ODU's Planetarium, and I went there a lot in 82-83, it was a great place to eat, quite a change from the ODU strip's food joints. I brought a photographer friend once and we took some pics in the place. I'll have to talk to her and see if she's still got 'em. I remember one of the pics: a GREAT b&w portrait of Rooster, leanin' on his counter! Keep up the great work!!
Randy Holmes, Norfolk

More OV Mail: 2003 & 2002 & 2001
Apologies for not printing all mails, & for edits due to space constraints.

OV Park history & images now also include Part III, Part VIa,
Part VII, Part XIII, Part XVII, Part XIXb, Part XXI,
Part XXII & Part XXIIa

About the Nickel Tour ro@rkpuma.com