DATE: Saturday, October 4, 1997             TAG: 9710040574

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B2   EDITION: FINAL 

                                            LENGTH:  147 lines

HAMPTON ROADS [BRIEFS]

Board meets Monday

to discuss finding

an executive director

The Chesapeake Redevelopment and Housing Authority's board of commissioners will meet again in a special meeting Monday to discuss finding a new executive director.

The announcement made Friday will mark the fifth time the authority has met in as many weeks. The board normally meets monthly.

On Thursday, several commissioners said they wanted to hire a professional search firm to find a new executive director.

The board terminated the authority's executive director, Douglas Falkner, Sept. 22 and declined to rehire him at a meeting Thursday.

Falkner, who managed the authority for six months, said he intends to sue the authority for allegedly firing him improperly.

Monday's meeting will be held at the authority's headquarters at 2133 Smith Ave. at 6:30 p.m.

Golf tournament benefits

charitable organization

The Honeybee Golf Course in Virginia Beach will hold a golf tournament to benefit Kindal's Crusaders, a nonprofit organization named for Kindal Evers, an 8-year-old Chesapeake girl with a life-threatening disease.

Unlike other charitable organizations that raise money for a patient's medical bills, Kindal's Crusaders is raising funds for a $185,000 national drug trial that could someday lead to a cure.

Kindal's mother, Shannon Ward, has raised $17,500 toward her goal of $50,000 since founding the organization earlier this year.

Kindal suffers from a deadly neuromuscular disease called SMA, or spinal muscular atrophy.

The Kindal's Crusaders Fall Classic will be held Oct. 20. Gov. George F. Allen has proclaimed October as Spinal Muscular Atrophy Awareness Month.

Kindal's Crusaders also plan a children's expo at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront in February, Ward said.

More information is available by calling 488-2999.

Boardwalk march, lunch

honor Leif Erickson day

A march commemorating Leif Erickson day will take place Oct. 11 on the Boardwalk, beginning at 11 a.m.

Starting at 20th Street, members of the Sons of Norway will walk en masse to the Norwegian Lady statue at 26th Street, where Rolfe Williams, Norwegian consul for Virginia, will speak at noon.

Most of northern Europe considers Erickson, not Christopher Columbus, to be the legitimate discoverer of America, said William Nelson, president of the Sons of Norway, a Virginia Beach group. Erickson sailed from Iceland and landed in Nova Scotia in 1016.

Last year, with visitors from Virginia Beach's Norwegian sister city on hand, marchers numbered about 400. This year's contingent is expected to be smaller, said Nelson.

For more information, call Nelson at 496-5016.

SUFFOLK

Peanut Fest parade today

will feature bands, floats

The Peanut Fest will not get into full swing until next week, but the downtown parade will be held today.

Featuring about 150 units, the parade will begin at 10 a.m. and will include bands, floats, lots of Shriners, clowns and beauty queens.

The floats will adhere to the 20th anniversary theme, ``Farming - Past, Present and Future.''

The parade's starting point is South Broad and West Washington streets. The parade will continue on Main Street and disperse at Freemason Street.

On Thursday, the four-day Peanut Fest will begin with a shrimp feast. The fest will offer continuous entertainment through Sunday.

For information, call 934-8751.

NORFOLK

Meeting allows community

to question candidates

Anyone with questions for local candidates running for the House of Delegates is invited to attend the next meeting of the Neighborhood Network on Tuesday at 7 p.m. at the New Hope Community Center, 3241 Brest Ave.

The meeting will include a moderated audience discussion with Bev Graber and Don Williams, who are running in the 86th District; Del. Thelma Drake and Todd Fiorella, 87th District; and Bud West, 88th District.

The meeting will start with panel questions. Audience questions will be taken starting around 8 p.m.

For more information, call Bev Sell at 857-1794.

Safety belts are topic

of national town meeting

Secretary of Transportation Rodney Slater and National Highway Traffic Safety Administrator Ricardo Martinez will hold a televised town meeting to support national, state and local partnerships for increasing safety belt use.

The televised program will be Monday from 1 to 2 p.m. in Spong Hall at Old Dominion Univeristy.

Audience members are asked to arrive at 12:30 p.m. A discussion will follow the program.

For details and reservations, call Margaret Ware at 893-4604.

PORTSMOUTH

Norcom alumni to discuss

homecoming on Tuesday

Homecoming activities, including a dance to raise scholarship funds, will be discussed at a meeting of the I.C. Norcom High School Alumni Association at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the school at 2900 Turnpike Road.

The school's homecoming football game, against Booker T. Washington, is set for 7:30 p.m. Oct. 24 at Churchland Stadium.

On Oct. 25, the alumni will sponsor a benefit homecoming dance, ``Oldies But Goodies,'' at Tower Auditorium, 4040 McLean St. The dance will cost $20, and proceeds will benefit the scholarship fund for Norcom graduates.

For more information, call Donna Darden, 465-1852, or Leslie Harding, 487-9463. Region

Medical center to offer

tours of historic dungeon

In conjunction with Fleet Week, sailors from Naval Medical Center Portsmouth will lead tours of the historic dungeon in Building One from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 11.

The tours will begin on the front steps of Building One and will start at 10 and 11:30 a.m., and 1 and 2:30 p.m.

For details, call 953-7986.

COMING UP

SUNDAY

Norfolk - The Blessing of the Animals will be held at Christ and St. Luke's Church after the Sunday service, from about 10:15 to 10:45 a.m. All animals - real or stuffed - are invited.

WEDNESDAY

Virginia Beach - The Department of Public Works will conduct a public workshop at 7:30 p.m. at the Virginia Marine Science Museum Owls Creek Marsh Pavilion (South Building). The purpose is to report the findings of two studies related to Rudee Inlet Maintenance Alternatives and to obtain public input before acting on the recommendations contained in the studies. The studies investigated various alternatives for maintenance dredging at Rudee Inlet. Call 427-4167 for details. MEMO: Staff writers Matt Dolan, Liz Szabo, Nancy Lewis and Ida Kay

Jordan contributed to this report.

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