THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, July 5, 1994 TAG: 9407050091
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY DENISE WATSON, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 74 lines
Patriotism only goes so far in Shannon Baker's book.
She and 17-year-old Amanda Thompson stood in front of Paradise Fashions on Atlantic Avenue, deciding how to kick off the Fourth of July - Thompson thought the red-white-and-blue one-piece swimsuit would be a nice way, while Baker thought better of a cream knit bikini.
``I wouldn't walk with you if you wore that thing,'' said Baker, walking into the Virginia Beach store.
``It's the Fourth, it will fit right in,'' Thompson said. ``You know, fireworks, Uncle Sam, all that jazz.''
``Well, get Uncle Sam to wear it. Tomorrow you wouldn't want to be caught dead in it.''
Baker and Thompson finally settled on cream and black bikinis. Then they joined the many thousands who crowded South Hampton Roads' beaches and parks to celebrate the Fourth of July.
It was an unusually quiet July Fourth, police and state troopers said. No major disturbances were reported in South Hampton Roads' cities, and even crime slacked off during the festivities.
``It's been dead quiet,'' said one police dispatcher in Portsmouth. ``Just fireworks, like usual.''
At the area's bridges and tunnels, traffic officials were ``bored stiff'' as light to moderate traffic flowed without accident over the Midtown and Downtown tunnels, Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel and Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel.
The same was true along the waterways. Coast Guard authorities reported no boating or swimming accidents.
For miles and miles, the Virginia Beach Oceanfront was a blur of red and yellow and blue beach umbrellas and well-oiled legs stretched in the sand.
The Caldwell family drove two and a half hours from Hopewell to soak up the sun and let their two girls play on the amusement park rides Judy Caldwell mistakenly thought dotted the Oceanfront.
``It's been about 12 years but I thought I remember there being rides . . .
``But it's OK,'' she said. ``It's nice out here. Considering there aren't any rides, and we had to pay $7 to park, and we'll have to move the car by six, and there isn't a place around here to cook our hot dogs . . . ''
Those who didn't fight their way to the beach celebrated elsewhere.
Mary Beth Jones started loading her station wagon with blankets, pillows, coolers of Coke, charcoal, burgers and hot dogs around 8 a.m., and began unloading at Norfolk City Park around 9 a.m. She was expecting a family crowd of about 20.
By 3 p.m., she had about 32 guests to feed.
``It's one of the few days everyone has the day off and could find the time to come together,'' she said. ``It's great having the family together and I couldn't have asked for a better day.'' MEMO: Staff writer Francie Latour also contributed to this story. ILLUSTRATION: Photos
BILL TIERNAN/Staff
Leslie Breeds, an engineer with the Navy, spends the Fourth of July
sunning on the Virginia Beach Oceanfront. The holiday's high
temperature was a relatively modest 86 degrees.
ABOVE LEFT: Patricia Nguyen of Arlington cools off with a snow cone
while her sister, Angela, 19 months, and her daughter, Shannon, 21
months, await their turns. Nguyen and her family visited the
Virginia Beach Oceanfront near the 14th Street fishing pier. ABOVE
RIGHT: Mark Mills of Virginia Beach spent July Fourth
``skimboarding'' near the 14th Street fishing pier. The holiday
passed without major incidents, area police reported.
by CNB