Mayor Mike Duman took a virtual stroll down memory lane Tuesday during Suffolk’s State of the City address — 50 years after the city’s merger with Nansemond County. At the start of the address, attendees delighted in a friendly game of “The Price is Right” focused on Suffolk in 1974 while colorful disco lights adorned the ceiling and bells rang out. Audience members guessed the retail price of a new Ford Country Squire station wagon, $5,095; a gallon of gas, 53 cents; a cup of coffee, 73 cents; a movie ticket and box of popcorn, $1.
75; and a new 25-inch color television, $599.74. In 1974, the city had 45,000 residents, and, today more than 100,000 people call it home, marking a 136% increase, Duman told the sold-out crowd at the Hampton Roads Chamber event.
“Last year, we experienced the most significant percentage growth increase of any city in Hampton Roads and the sixth highest in the commonwealth of Virginia,” he said. One thing that has not changed in the last 50 years is the outdoor beauty of Lone Star Lakes Park, he said. The Nansemond Indian Nation received federal recognition in 2018 and evolved its vision of Mattanock Town, a 71-acre tract of land on the Nansemond River focused on preservation, public education and environmental stewardship, he said.
On May 15, City Council approved a memorandum of understanding that issues ongoing support for the Annual Pow Wow , allows access for visitors and residents between the park and Mattanock Town and establis.