THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, January 15, 1995 TAG: 9501130217
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 03 EDITION: FINAL
LENGTH: Long : 138 lines
Wednesday, Jan. 4
6 p.m. - A house in Dunwoody.
While a family tries to enjoy dinner, the doorbell rings.
``Don't get it,'' the only child says to her father, who is getting up from the table to answer the door. ``It's probably a salesperson.''
``Don't worry,'' the dad answers. ``I'll handle it.''
Mom and daughter listen to hear what line he'll use to get rid of the ``visitor.''
Dad comes through, with a new and improved way to chase solicitors away. ``We don't want any,'' he says. ``We just won the lottery and we have everything we need.''
- Holly Wester
Thursday, Jan. 5
Noon - Pizza Delight at Pembroke Mall.
It's a week where many conversations buzz about CBS News correspondent Connie Chung's interview with the mother of House Speaker Rep. Newt Gingrich. At this lunch spot, where the order of business is decidedly non-political, two waitresses are talking.
First waitress: ``Did you hear what that man, Newt, said about Mrs. Clinton. He apparently called her a bitch.''
Second waitress: ``Who?''
First Waitress: ``Newt Gingrich, that guy from Georgia.''
Second Waitress: ``Who's that?''
- Tom Holden
5:11 p.m. - Virginia Beach Boulevard.
A sports enthusiast in a red Honda encourages community donations with his red and black bumper sticker.
It says: Give Blood, Play Rugby.
- Holly Wester
5:20 p.m. - Virginia Beach Boulevard.
A cream-colored Jeep Cherokee sends a happy message to irritated drivers during rush hour. Its license tags read: JOY 2U.
- Holly Wester
9:20 p.m. - Baxter Road.
The driver of a white Mitsubishi makes a gasoline political statement.
The license plate reads: ``BAN EXON.''
- Larry Brown
Friday, Jan. 6
12:10 p.m. - 44 West.
A light blue van stuffed with Ryan Academy students is missing paint in all the right places.
The white letters across the back read ``COOL BUS.''
- Holly Wester
Saturday, Jan. 7
10:15 a.m. - The Villas of Glenwood.
A fluffy little furball is toddling around the dining room of Lloyd and Ethel Emmanuel's condominium. The 3-week-old rottweiler-husky-mix puppy was found by their granddaughter, Heather Bernard, in the parking lot of Kempsville High School last month.
``Can you believe someone dropped a puppy off in the cold?'' Ethel asks, cradling the black-haired puppy in her arms. As she talks, he roots around and, finding her thumb, starts sucking vigorously. ``The vet said he was only a day or two old - his eyes weren't even open yet.''
The Emmanuels took in the puppy and have been caring for it during the day. Ethel feeds him formula through a baby bottle every three hours and keeps him bundled up in layers of towels. Several people have offered to adopt the puppy, but Heather's mother, Bonnie, is undecided about whether to keep it.
``I would love to have him, but we think he's going to be too big for a condo,'' says Ethel. ``If Bonnie doesn't keep him, we want to make sure he goes to a good home.''
- Pam Starr
7:45 p.m. - Farm Fresh, Tiffany branch.
A man waiting to check out catches the attention of another male shopper. The first guy is a walking advertisement for the Pittsburgh Steelers and is clad in black and gold Steelers sweats, jacket and ballcap. The second man gets behind the fan in line and shakes his head.
``Man, you got me beat,'' he says, holding open his jacket to reveal his Steelers T-shirt. Caricatures of the Steelers' most popular players - Greg Lloyd, Barry Foster, Rod Woodson and Kevin Greene - take up the entire front of the shirt. Underneath their pictures is the phrase ``Pittsburgh's BAD BOYS. What'cha Gonna Do When They Come For You?''
The first man's eyes widen in appreciation.
``Oh, man, where did you get that?'' he asks. ``I have to get one of those.''
The other man laughs.
``Only in Pittsburgh,'' he replies. ``They don't sell them anywhere down here.''
- Pam Starr
Monday, Jan. 9
4:45 p.m. - Great Neck and Virginia Beach Boulevard.
The baseball-cap-wearing driver of a gray Escort makes no bones about his favorite college.
On the rear glass is a large Ohio State decal.
And, on the bumper is a sticker saying: Friends Don't Let Friends Go To Michigan.
- Charlie Meads
Tuesday, Jan. 10
5:10 p.m. - Great Neck Recreation Center gymnasium.
The basketball courts are crowded with men practicing their skills while waiting for the pick-up games to start. Four tall Russian-speaking men enter the gym.
One is a former professional basketball player in Israel and two played pro ball in Russia. Several of the other players stop for a moment to watch.
``Hey, the Russian dudes are here!'' says one. ``They're good.''
Sasha Krilov, 6 feet 6 inches, and Alex Savostyanov, 6 feet 4 inches, both Virginia Beach residents, play a little one-on-one while their Ukrainian friends, Oleg Korban, 6 feet 3 inches, and Vitaly Khomenko, 6 feet 1 inch, impress spectators by sinking basket after basket.
No other player in the gym dares to join these intimidating figures until an older man with a crew cut and mismatched knee pads suddenly dribbles onto the scene.
He's at least 60 and maybe 5 feet 8 inches, but that doesn't matter. The senior muscles his way onto the court and begins executing beautiful jump shots, sinking just about every basket.
The Russian men grudgingly admire the scrappy newcomer and occasionally nod their heads after the loner makes a particularly good shot. After a few minutes the senior, satisfied, dribbles over to the next court to earn the respect of another bunch of youngsters.
- Pam Starr ILLUSTRATION: A cure for common cold
Staff photo by CHARLIE MEADS
Roderick Cotton, an employee for Suburban Grading and Utilities,
warms his hands by a barrel fire at the site of a new drainage
lagoon for Columbus Village complex that is being built on
Constitution Avenue in the Pembroke area.
by CNB