THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, September 30, 1994 TAG: 9409300537
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ROBERT LITTLE, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 62 lines
Linda Kathyrn tugged her purple top over the ``Robb for U.S. Senate'' sticker on her chest and tapped Republican Oliver L. North on the arm.
``Could you give me your signature, Mr. North?'' she asked, handing him the name tag that she and the 2,000 other participants in the Kiwanis Club's Norfolk Harbor Party were given Thursday evening.
North spun her around, slapped the tag on her back, signed it with a blue magic marker and handed it back with a grin.
``I just had to do that,'' the 48-year-old Virginia Beach woman said as she walked away, pulling her top back to again reveal her true political colors. ``Hey, he's Ollie North. And I didn't want to get in any arguments.''
Virginia's three would-be U.S. senators rattled Norfolk's Town Point Park like a giant, collective slap on the back Thursday. They rolled up their sleeves, loosened their ties and assured the white-collar crowd that they're the most wonderful thing since cold beer on a warm night.
North arrived first, then Democrat Charles S. Robb, then independent J. Marshall Coleman - perhaps in the order of their appeal.
No speeches, no salvos. The organizers made sure of that.
``It's open to all of them, and they're here just to press the flesh. The candidates understand that coming in,'' said Skip Williams, in-coming president of the Downtown Norfolk Kiwanis Club.
The $20-a-head event was held to raise money for Kiwanis charities. Last year's party, the group's first, made a $23,000 profit.
Williams said he hopes the event will become the city's version of the Wakefield Shad Planking, where politicians flock every year to eat fish, chew fat and roast their opponents.
Norfolk certainly had the fish - scallops, crab cakes, fried fish and a raw bar. And the Senate candidates were sure casting the bait. And not always getting a bite.
``I have no notion who's lying,'' said Cholly Morris, a 71-year-old Virginia Beach accountant. ``Who knows? How could anybody figure this out?''
``I would rather vote for Coleman, but I wasted my vote on Perot two years ago and wound up helping to elect Clinton,'' said Donald Jernigan, a 44-year-old Virginia Beach brick salesman. ``So I guess I'll vote for North. And I guess I'll have another beer.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color photos by Motoya Nakamura, Staff
Incumbent Democratic Sen. Charles S. Robb, center facing camera,
works the crowd at the Kiwanis Club's Norfolk Harbor Party Thursday
evening at Town Point Park.
Republican challenger Oliver L. North, the first of the three Senate
candidates to reach Norfolk's Town Point Park Thursday, chats with
Pat Johnson.
Independent J. Marshall Coleman, center, talks with Jim Gentley,
left, and Bill Prettyman at the $20-a-head event held to raise money
for Kiwanis charities.
KEYWORDS: SENATE RACE CANDIDATE by CNB