It’s Wednesday, Norfolk. Halfway to the weekend. 

Today’s Weather: High of 55, but bring that raincoat. 🌧️ ☂️ 

Here’s what we’re watching today:

🆕💲 New Business Watch  🆕💲 

🧾 🏛️ Budgets in Brief 🧾 🏛️

📆 Next Three Days of Events 📆 

🆕💲 New Business Watch  🆕💲 

If you want to catch the new businesses before they open, you’ll need to watch the City Planning Commission agendas. The April 25th meeting includes some interesting new spots popping up. Here’s what to be on the lookout for:

La Brioche is opening a new or second location on Colley Avenue in the former Gray’s Pharmacy location. They’re requesting CUPs to sell alcohol for on- and off-premise consumption. Sounds like they’re leaning into their French culture and popping the wine bottles. 

ILO Bistro is seeking permits to open at 509 Botetourt, which is the former Viola location. Chef Zack Close, formerly with Glass Light Hotel, is behind the new restaurant. 

Black Spice is seeking permits to open a restaurant with alcohol sales at 244 Granby Street, which was formerly home to Cork & Co. 

De Rican, a Puerto Rican restaurant with two Virginia Beach locations, already announced their new location at 1st View and W Ocean View back in September 2022. Hopefully this permit activity is a sign they are close to opening. 

🧾 🏛️ Budgets in Brief 🧾 🏛️ 

Norfolk School Board approved a $672 million budget for FY 2024-2025. Major headlines from the budget included raises, recruiting, and mental health.

The raises for staff include an average 8.04% pay raise for teachers, 8.34% for classified staff and 5.94% for administrators. 

The recruitment efforts include raising the starting salary for teachers from 53K to 57K, and $3,000 retention bonuses for existing eligible staff. 

New projects:
Funding to investigate converting Lake Taylor High School into a public charter school specializing in career and technical education.

Funding to create an English learner welcome center at Rosemont, along with increased translation and support services

The City of Norfolk will regain control of (read: NPS is closing) the Madison Alternative Education Center and Coronado School, a move aimed at streamlining the school division's size. NPS will also be drafting further options to “right-size,” likely more closing and consolidations.  

There has been a 14% decline in student enrollment in the last decade and closing schools may be necessary to use resources most effectively. Across the state, enrollment is expected to drop by another 2.9% in coming years. 

Mental Health
Four schools will be turned into “Equity and Excellence Learning Centers” to provide “wraparound services such as mental health services, social-emotional learning supports, access to medical resources and family engagement offerings” Those four schools are PB Young Elementary, Jacox Elementary, Ruffner (3-8) School, and Booker T. Washington High School. 

The budget includes at least 8 new positions for mental health professionals and funds for contracted services for mental health. 

Up Next

City Council is getting a briefing on the proposed FY 2024-2025 municipal budget as this newsletter is being written. We’ll dive deep and have a breakdown for you next week. 

📆 Next Three Days of Events 📆 

WEDNESDAY:
Klassic Doughnut Popup at Cova Brewing. 7:00 am. Rip it. 
Align: Small Business Series at NSU Innovation Center. 10:00 am. Rip it. 
Meet The Artist: Tracy Espinosa at Elation Brewing. 5:00 pm. Rip it. 
Super Casual Wednesday Bike Ride departing Slow & Steady Bikes. 6:00 pm. Rip it. 
Doumar’s Cruise In w/ Car Crazy Tidewater. 6:00 pm. Rip it.
Boardgame Night at Atlantis Games & Comics. 6:00pm. Rip it.
D&D Game Night at Atlantis Games & Comics. 6:00pm. Rip it.
Books & Brews Club Meetup at Cova Brewing. 6:00 pm. Rip it. 
Norfolk Run Club Wednesday Meetup at XXX. 6:20 pm. Rip it. 
Trivia Night at Smartmouth. 6:30 pm. Rip it.
Sedimentary Soil Series Class at Vino Culture. 6:30 pm. Rip it. 
Auditions: A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder at Little Theater of Norfolk. 6:45 pm. Rip it.
Planetarium Show at Michael and Kimthanh Lê Planetarium. 7:00pm. Rip it.
Trivia Night at MJ’s Tavern. 7:00 pm. Rip it.
Trivia Night at Torch Bistro. 7:00 pm. Rip it.
Trivia Night at Hank’s Filling Station. 7:00 pm. Rip it.
Trivia Night at Water’s Edge. 7:00 pm. Rip it.
performs live at Grain. 7:00 pm. Rip it. 
Black Southern Foodways with Debra Freeman at Eleanor's Bookstore. 7:00 pm. Rip it.
Bhav Brigade Yoga at Norfolk Karate Academy. 7:15 pm. Rip it.
Pat Garvey performs live at Grace O’Malley’s. 7:30 pm. Rip it. 
Hadestown performed live at Chrysler Hall. 7:30 pm. Rip it.
Blue October performs live at the Norva. 8:00 pm. Rip it.  

THURSDAY:
Sneak Peek Tour: ERP’s Ryan Resilience Lab. 4:00 pm. Rip it. 
Kroc Center Hiring Event at the Kroc Center. 4:30 pm. Rip it. 
Norfolk Kickback w/ Feign Kin at Afterglow Brewing. 5:30 pm. Rip it.
Thrilling Thursday Evening Ride w/ East Coast Bicycles. 6:00 pm. Rip it. 
Open Mic Night at Cova Brewing. 6:00 pm. Rip it. 
Dynamic Dialogues: Art of Personal Branding on LinkedIn. 6:00 pm. Rip it. 
Ocean View Run Club Group Run/Walk at Ocean View Fishing Pier. 6:00 pm. Rip it. 
Trivia Night at Elation. 6:30 pm. Rip it. 
Cypher Night at House Of Consciousness. 7:00 pm. Rip it. 
Carlton Baker performs live at Brother’s. 7:00 pm. Rip it. 
Trivia Night at Bold Mariner. 7:00 pm. Rip it. 
Trivia Night at Pixel’s. 7:00 pm. Rip it. 
Trivia Night at Baxter’s. 7:00 pm. Rip it. 
Trivia Night at Stockpot. 7:00 pm. Rip it. 
Abolition Studies & Pen Pal Letter Writing at Eleanor’s. 7:00 pm. Rip it. 
PRIDE NIGHT: A Murder is Announced at Little Theater of Norfolk. 7:00 pm. Rip it. 
Jimmy Masters Trio performs live at GSA Jazz Night. 7:30 pm. Rip it. 
Pat Garvey performs live at Grace O’Malley’s. 7:30 pm. Rip it. 
Hadestown performed live at Chrysler Hall. 7:30 pm. Rip it.
Spartan Fest Concert - Park Ave off the Wall at NSU. 8:00 pm. Rip it. 
Performers Playground Stage Workshop at The Venue on 35th. 9:00 pm. Rip it.

FRIDAY:
Norfolk Run Club Friday Meetup at Yorgo's Bageldashery. 6:00 am. Rip it
Easter Egg Hunt in the Nature Explorium at Richard A. Tucker Memorial Library. 10:00 am. Rip it
Spring Poetry Walk at Larchmont Library 10:00 am. Rip it
Acres Working Session at Assembly. 11:00 am. Rip it. 
Transgender Day of Visibility: A Loving Legacy at LGBT Life Center. 11:00 am. Rip it
Beaded Earring Workshop at Studio Kuumba. 5:30 pm. Rip it
Friday Night Live at COVA Brewing Company. 6:00 pm. Rip it
Healing Bracelets Make and Take at Aries Apothecary, LLC. 6:00 pm. Rip it
Friday Night Magic: Commander at Atlantis Games & Comics. 6:00 pm. Rip it
Empower Your Path: Navigating Life Transitions with Purposeful Accountability at GypSea Roots
Collective. 6:30 pm. Rip it
Family Twilight Trek at Norfolk Botanical Garden. 6:30 pm. Rip it
Ashleigh Chevalier performs live at Elation Brewing. 6:30 pm. Rip it
Norfolk Tides vs. Durham Bulls at Harbor Park. 6:35 pm. Rip it
Ace High Jazz Trio performs live at Brothers. 7:00 pm. Rip it
Opera Performance at Chandler Recital Hall. 7:00 pm. Rip it
Drum Circle at Mystic Moon Norfolk. 7:00 pm. Rip it.
Hellion Child, Sentenced To Life, Chainbreaker, Soe, And Living Dead at Taphouse Grill. 7:00 pm. Rip it 
Norfolk Admirals vs. Atlanta Gladiators at Norfolk Scope. 7:05 pm. Rip it
Randy Rainbow for President at Harrison Opera House. 7:30 pm. Rip it
Friday Night Magic: Draft at Atlantis Games & Comics. 7:30 pm. Rip it
3 on 3 Improv Tournament at Push Comedy Theater. 8:00 pm. Rip it
Chicken & Biscuits at Little Theatre of Norfolk. 8:00 pm. Rip it 
Hadestown performs live at Chrysler Hall. 8:00 pm. Rip it
Pat Garvey Plays at Grace O'Malley's Irish Pub & Restaurant. 8:30 pm. Rip it
The Improv Riot After Dark: The Short Form Improv Show at Push Comedy Theater. 10:00 pm. Rip it 

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