THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, September 9, 1994 TAG: 9409080195
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 13 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Cover story
LENGTH: Medium: 84 lines
4:15 p.m. - The Big Tomato, Third Street and the Boardwalk.
A wind-blown middle-aged couple straggles into the open-air establishment, where bartender Ricky Alphin is holding court with a half-dozen regulars.
``Help Me Rhonda,'' a taped Beach Boys hit two decades ago, wafts from two stereo speakers bracketing the bar. Meanwhile, the Beach Boys in the flesh are at that very moment warbling on stage to a capacity crowd only three blocks to the north.
``Is that really the Beach Boys playing?'' the woman asks breathlessly as she and her husband settle in at the bar.
``Yep,'' Alphin says, with a wink at the regulars. ``We're having it piped in here today.''
``Oh, wow!'' the woman gushes.
``Just kidding,'' says Alphin and continues wiping the bar top with a towel.
- Bill Reed
7:45 p.m. - Sixth Street and Atlantic.
Four tall State Police officers, crisp in gray uniforms and wearing baseball caps instead of the standard ``Smokey Bear'' issue, stride north against a stiff and chilly wind.
The oldest of the group and apparently the ranking officer, is passing along some observations about the prospects for heightened activity on the street farther north.
``Just hope it rains by about 9:30,'' he says, as he passes a group of pedestrians. ``That would help.''
Mother Nature heeds his call, but two hours late. At 11:30 p.m. a light rain begins to fall, chasing pedestrians and curbside loiterers indoors.
Atlantic Avenue becomes almost deserted, except for a band of determined customers standing outside Chicho's pizza window in the 2100 block of Atlantic Ave.
- Bill Reed
11:45 p.m. - The Edge, 21st Street and Atlantic.
Owner Alex Asercion stands in the aisle separating a line of occupied wall tables and the bar, where several stools are temporarily empty.
``I hear the police have blocked off the expressway exit just a few minutes ago,'' he tells a group of listeners.
``That means nobody can get down here. By this time on weekends there's usually a line outside my door. It's usually packed in here.''
A listener points out that business is still brisk despite the traffic blockade.
Asercion shrugs, turns and heads toward the front entrance to see if more customers may be making their way to his establishment.
A group of young men, munching pizza slices purchased next door, are pressed against the doorway and the wall outside. They are seeking shelter from the pelting rain, another factor hindering Asercion's customer base this night.
- Bill Reed
1:30 a.m. Sunday - Between 21st and 22nd streets on Atlantic.
There is commotion, shouts fill the air. A group of men scatter and a half dozen policemen on horseback clatter across the street. Someone is yelling. More police arrive and two men are seen being frisked and questioned. People passing by stop to look.
A young woman, dressed in a gold top, matching gold earrings and her hair piled high on her head, says to her companion, ``Man, I don't want to see any trouble. I don't want to see any riot start, not like the last time.''
A police car pulls up and the two men are ushered into the car, which drives off. In a moment, it's as if the scene never happened.
- Tom Holden ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by DAVID B. HOLLINGSWORTH
A sea of humanity by the seashore rolls in to hear the R&B All-Stars
and headliners, The Beach Boys.
Staff photo by D. KEVIN ELLIOTT
Tom Kloc, of Virginia Beach, hopes to have his Beach Boys album
autographed.
Staff photo by CHARLIE MEADS
Winds at 40 mph drew kite fliers.
by CNB