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2018 SESSION


HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 318
Commending the Newport News Green Foundation.

 

Agreed to by the House of Delegates, February 23, 2018
Agreed to by the Senate, March 1, 2018

 

WHEREAS, the Newport News Green Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving, transforming, and promoting green spaces in Newport News, celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2018; and

WHEREAS, the Newport News Green Foundation was established in 1998 by the Newport News City Council in response to concerns that urban development had erased too much of the city’s green space; the foundation became an independent nonprofit organization five months later; and

WHEREAS, in April 2001, the Newport News Green Foundation acquired its first property in Newport News on Jefferson Avenue; since then, it has bought over 20 other properties covering some 26 acres of the city; and

WHEREAS, by preserving land as green space, the Newport News Green Foundation helps make Newport News more aesthetically pleasing while also creating wildlife habitats, reducing air and noise pollution, and protecting waterways; and

WHEREAS, the Newport News Green Foundation works to educate the public about the importance of living a green and sustainable lifestyle; to encourage community participation in its preservation efforts, it operates programs to aid neighborhoods in creating green entranceways and to assist schools in developing green spaces on their campuses; and

WHEREAS, along with protecting green spaces, the Newport News Green Foundation plans to create a series of signature green gateways in Newport News that will provide a welcoming visual cue for residents and visitors when they cross into the city; and

WHEREAS, in addition, the Newport News Green Foundation has added benches, a walking trail, and a pond and fountain to its Chatham Trail property to make it a recreational destination for the surrounding community; and

WHEREAS, each year, the Newport News Green Foundation hosts a fundraiser called Party at the Pond; the event is also used to present its annual Green Awards, which recognize businesses and other establishments in Newport News that have planted and maintained landscaping or preserved local greenery; and

WHEREAS, since its founding, the Newport News Green Foundation has preserved large swaths of green space that have enhanced the beauty of Newport News and increased the quality of life for its residents; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend the Newport News Green Foundation for its years of valuable service to the community on the occasion of its 20th anniversary; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the Newport News Green Foundation as an expression of the General Assembly’s admiration for its dedication to creating a more vibrant and beautiful Newport News.