THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, October 2, 1994 TAG: 9409300248
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 16 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PATRICIA HUANG, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 64 lines
Breezing through a maze of corridors, Republican Senate candidate Oliver L. North was all winks and smiles during a campaign tour of Chesapeake's Municipal Center Thursday afternoon.
``I want your vote . . . Tell all your friends,'' he said, stopping at every opportunity to shake some hands and sign some autographs.
``You got my vote,'' offered Al Porter, a Great Bridge resident and city employee who stopped to clasp hands with North. ``I'm a Republican.''
He's also a bondsman for the City Jail. As the two said goodbye, Porter handed his business card to North with another offer.
``If you ever need to get out of jail,'' he added. ``I'll get you out.''
``Well, they tried to once,'' North said, laughing as he left the jailhouse.
North, who had visited Norfolk and Virginia Beach earlier in the day, strolled through Chesapeake's Municipal Center with 4th District congressional candidate George Sweet; Del. Randy Forbes' wife, Shirley Forbes; and an entourage of campaign workers to meet city employees right at their own desks and in their own offices.
They popped their heads into different offices to say hello, pose for pictures and give ``thumbs up'' signs.
Walking down a corridor of the City Jail in his suit and black cowboy boots, North paused when jail doors locked behind the entourage. Looking at the handful of ``Youth for Sweet'' campaigners, he cautioned, ``You youngsters better hope this is the only visit you have here.''
In the city manager's office, receptionist Donetta Longar could hardly believe it. ``I can't even remember my own name,'' she said after meeting North. ``I feel like I'm going to faint.''
``We're always impressed by dignitaries,'' explained Wanda B. Futrell, executive assistant to City Manager James W. Rein.
Outside the City Hall building, North also stopped at Russell Bedwell's hot dog stand for a quick chat.
``I think he'll be able to stand up for the people of Virginia,'' Bedwell said.
Placing a North campaign bumper sticker on his hot dog pushcart, Bedwell added that he would like North to run for president someday. ``I know that he had a problem with his track record,'' he said. ``But the fact that he's here running again says something.''
North said that as a senator he would work to speed up the Lake Gaston pipeline project and end delays by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
``I want to keep the U.S. Senate the heck out of it,'' he said. ``I want to get a Republican majority so we can take care of a slew of issues, that being one of them.''
He said he also is concerned about road widening, particularly Route 168 in Chesapeake and other congested Virginia routes.
``Virginia's not getting its fair share of the transportation dollars,'' North said. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by STEVE EARLEY
Republican Senate candidate Oliver L. North talks with Brenda
Williamson outside the Chesapeake Municipal Center Thursday.
KEYWORDS: U.S. SENATE RACE CANDIDATE REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE CAMPAIGN by CNB