THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Sunday, January 29, 1995               TAG: 9501270734
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON    PAGE: 08   EDITION: FINAL 
SOURCE: Bill Reed 
                                             LENGTH: Long  :  139 lines

SOME HEADLINES WE'D REALLY LIKE TO READ

The well of vitriol hath run dry. Temporarily, anyway.

I mean, how many times can you kick the Guv, Newt Gingrich, President Clinton or his bride?

And how many times can you slip the needle to the City Council or the local delegation to the state legislature?

How many times can you poke fun at municipal officials for a goof-up that causes some poor slob major grief?

And shouldn't we in the media spare those in the lunatic fringe, who like to shoot people who don't share their religious convictions? Or talk-show hosts who foam about liberals, homosexuals, gun-control advocates and welfare moms?

It's about time to give 'em a break, let me tell you. Common folk get tired of reading about all the negative things that go on in the world day after day.

They're ready for some good news! They want to see some of those promises made by national, state and local politicians come true. They want a slice of that pie in the sky, a ladle in that gravy train, a corner on Easy Street.

Most of us, for example, would swoon at the prospect of getting big tax cuts, a cheap, lifetime health care package or bare-bones government that politicians are always promising on the stump.

We in the media have focused too long on the negative. Positive stories, that's what people want!

They want headlines that read something like:

Congressman gives his pay raise

to charity, vows to keep

retirement, health care package

he earned as shoe salesman

Or:

Newt's mom didn't use ``B'' word

in Hillary reference;

CBS' Chung admits error and

apologies are offered all around

And:

Police chase discontinued;

DUI suspect arrested later,

sleeping it off on den sofa;

lives of 10 motorists saved

And:

Governor reconsiders budget cuts;

schools, elderly, homeless get

funds, and Allen vows to make

up with the Democrats

Or:

O.J. trial to last only one week;

Judge Ito orders lawyers to stop

making frivolous motions and

get down to business

Or:

No guns found in

local schools for

more than a year;

police puzzled by

teen crime decline

Or:

Nauticus attendance

soars; taxpayers

spared bail out

And:

Virginia Beach not stiffed on land;

Mega Computer Industry

picks Corporate Landing

as its national headquarters;

20,000 new jobs in offing

Or:

Sen. Jesse Helms OKs Lake

Gaston pipeline deal;

water for resort seen by spring;

city lifts ban on lawn, car use

And:

Property taxes firm despite

economy upswing; ample money

in treasury to cover

city operations; bonus

in offing for all employees

Or:

Manufacture of assault weapons

is discontinued; NRA,

backers call the move

``sound and wise''

Or:

Local bases avoid closure;

panel cites strategic need;

four new O clubs planned

Or:

New car prices halved;

makers cite new alloy

technology for cost dip;

Big Three hails advancements

Or:

New amphitheater finished;

Thousands dig Pearl Jam in

opening Beach concert;

Mayor Oberndorf, city council

groove to tunes on front row

Or:

Light rail transit link OK'd

by Virginia Beach, Norfolk;

Route 44 backups seen as reason

Or:

Wealthy industrialist donates

fortune to expressway upkeep

to replace state funding as tolls

are removed; new name:

Frank Perdue Highway

And finally:

Gas station owner King Neptune;

garage bay to be site of '95 ball;

free lubes for all court members by CNB