The Virginian-Pilot
                             THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Sunday, May 26, 1996                  TAG: 9605240185
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON   PAGE: 03   EDITION: FINAL 
                                            LENGTH:  108 lines

SEVEN DAYS: SLICES OF LIFE IN VIRGINIA BEACH

Tuesday, May 14

1 p.m. - Princess Anne Road.

Breckenridge Manor, a horse farm down near the Municipal Center, looks patriotic and festive.

The farm's fencing along Princess Anne is decorated for Memorial Day with American flags. Flags are criss-crossed atop every fence post and each gate post is adorned with a large bunch of flags.

- Mary Reid Barrow

Friday, May 17

11 a.m. - Seapines Post Office on 33rd Street.

Two people, obviously having a disagreement, whisper heatedly back and forth as they stand in front of the automatic stamp machine.

Suddenly, the man turns to other people using the self-service area and asks, ``How much does it cost to mail a letter in Virginia?''

``32 cents,'' is the response from the other customers.

``See,'' he says to his companion. ``It's the same as in New York.''

- Melinda Forbes

1 p.m. - Route 44 East.

A dark-haired guy driving a sporty red Mazda convertible cruises through traffic, sparking curiosity about his job.

His license plate reads: DET COP.

- Holly Wester

8:10 p.m. - The Virginia Beach Amphitheater.

Rod Stewart fans are anxious to get things started during the second night at the city's newest attraction.

One of the antsy attendees, a beer-toting fiftysomething man in the fifth row, decides he'll entertain the crowd by waving his closed umbrella in the air. But the surrounding concert goers aren't cheering and laughing at the rain shield's black and white stripes.

Dangling from the end of the fellow's umbrella is a pretty pair of lace-trimmed peach colored panties.

Only minutes later they are the first ``gift'' in the hands of ``Hot Rod'' on this Virginia Beach visit.

- Holly Wester

Saturday, May 18

12:45 p.m. - Windsor Woods Elementary School.

Two women man the basketball shoot, a popular game of chance and skill for the day's carnival-goers.

One little boy, about 6, approaches the women, pays for three shots and bends down to scoop up one of three orange basketballs.

Staring intently at the net, the youngster throws the ball skyward and misses the net by a longshot.

He catches the wayward ball and quickly trades it in for another.

``Oh, I see,'' says one worker to the other. ``It must have been the ball.''

Both women nod knowingly as the youngster tosses the second ball and makes a perfect goal.

- Lori A. Denney

Tuesday, May 21

7:30 p.m. - Green Run High School.

About 200 students stand in groups outside Green Run High School, shaken and upset after spilling out of the building after a vacant classroom went up in flames.

``We smelled burnt rubber and it was real hot and a lot of heat. The fire alarm went off and they were like `hurry up, leave out, leave out' then we all left,'' says Kayarnta Anderson, 17, who had rushed out of her math class.

Jamie Crispin, 19, a senior, adds, ``I think it's sad you go to school to get an education, then someone burns the school. A fire just doesn't happen if nobody starts it.''

- Kia Morgan

8 p.m. - Route 44 near Witchduck Road.

The sun is setting on a steamy day and a young man driving a Dodge Stratus rolls down his window as he heads toward Norfolk. In his rear view mirror he sees a car loaded with older-looking teens. The driver honks her horn in a friendly way and the passengers seem to be cheering and giving him the thumbs up sign.

The car pulls along beside him and a young woman, her long brunette hair blowing through a crack in the passenger window, flashes the man a smile.

She brushes the hair from her face and rolls down her window.

``What's your name?'' she shouts.

The young man shouts his name back over the din of the rushing air.

``You just getting off work?'' she asks again.

``Yeah,'' he smiles back.

``You have the license plate I was going to get,'' she laughs. Her car then speeds off. The man catches a glimpse of her tags. It reads ``JENNY96.''

His plates read ``FOLO ME.''

- Larry W. Brown

Thursday, May 23

8:15 a.m. - Witchduck area.

Among the small businesses on Pennsylvania Avenue between Southern Boulevard and Cleveland Street is a nondescript building with an impressive flagpole reaching at least 40 feet in the air.

A close look at the name on the building reveals why Old Glory is always flying here: it's the U.S. Flag & Signal Co.

- Mark Young ILLUSTRATION: A hot time on the ol' Boardwalk

Carlye Marchesani, 2, gets a last-minute splash from grandmother

Nancy Marchesani, right, while her mother, Marina, looks on. The

three started out washing off toys and tootsies when things turned

playful. The waterworks were at 2nd Street.

Staff photo by DAVID

B. HOLLINGSWORTH by CNB