THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, February 5, 1995 TAG: 9502030217
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 03 EDITION: FINAL
LENGTH: Long : 135 lines
Thursday, Jan. 26
8:34 a.m. - Beacon office.
A typed press release from Rosemont Elementary comes over the fax, inviting reporters to a Parade of Books. To further convince participation, Lisa Zebley, school information liaison, hand writes: ``We need a break from O.J.! Come visit us today!''
- Holly Wester
6:10 p.m. - Great Neck area.
A channel surfer stops at C-Span2. The Senate is still in session and having a debate. A box appears at the bottom of the screen explaining what they are discussing: ``Debating motion to table the Lieberman 2nd degree amdt. to the Gorton amdt. to the committee amdt. to s.1, the Unfunded Mandates Bill.''
- Charlie Meads
6:49 p.m. - Food Lion parking lot on Baxter Road.
Two cars - a 1989 black Nissan Sentra and an older model cream Cadillac - sit facing each other in the lot. The drivers of both cars exit the store with their bags at approximately the same time.
The Caddy's owner, a woman, is first in her vehicle. Seconds later, a young man gets into the Nissan. Both wait impatiently for the other to drive away first, so they can avoid the task of backing out of their space.
He fiddles with his bag and stereo, avoiding eye contact with the woman, who turns on her lights and grips the steering wheel.
Both rev their engines and wait another minute. The man then sighs and grudgingly backs out.
The woman grins and easily rolls through his space and out of the lot.
- Larry W. Brown
Friday, Jan. 27
11:30 p.m. - Atlantic Avenue.
A group of young locals stand outside The Edge and read a sign announcing the bar's closing.
One of the mourners, a man in a red jacket, expresses his feelings with a frown, ``I feel like we've been evicted and it sucks!''
- Holly Wester
Saturday, Jan. 28
8:30 a.m. - Laskin Road.
The usual weekend morning crowd is slowly filling the Beach Pub. One by one, the 17th Street Anglers drift in to take their places for breakfast at tables placed in an ``L.''
By the time half a dozen have arrived, another angler walks in, a cellular phone pressed to his ear. The dotted line of his preprinted T-shirt is stretched across his chest. ``Fill to here with beer,'' it says.
In his free hand he has a ripe bunch of yellow bananas. Before the food arrives, he's broken it apart and put a banana here, another banana there, in front of various angler buddies.
- Krys Stefansky
6:25 p.m. - London Bridge Boulevard.
An older woman driving a silver car seeks anonymity with her license plate. It reads: GRAMMA X.
- Holly Wester
Sunday, Jan. 29
11:30 a.m. - Farm Fresh on Laskin Road.
A young man, tall enough to tower over everyone in the store, leans on his grocery cart filled with eight cases of beer and one bag of potato chips. It's Super Bowl Sunday.
- David B. Hollingsworth
Monday, Jan. 30
10 a.m. - Virginia Beach Circuit Court.
Jury selection is under way in the case of a customer who alleges he was injured in a local discount store by inhaling second-hand cigarette smoke.
Thirteen prospective jurors are on hand in hopes that seven will be selected to hear the case.
But as they are questioned about their beliefs and personal habits regarding smoking, attorneys for both sides grow concerned about their chances of getting an impartial jury.
Six of the 13 jury candidates say they are smokers. One is an ex-smoker. Seven say smoking should be banned in all public places.
One potential juror, an anesthesiologist, is passionate. ``I have a very personal bias against smoking,'' she says.
Another candidate says smokers in public places should be put in glassed-in rooms, like at the Norfolk airport.
A third candidate says he has already made up his mind, even before the trial starts. ``I don't think secondary smoke, you can win a case like that . smoke in there,'' he says.
A fourth candidate is dismissed with a toothache. ``If it's not one thing, it's another,'' Judge Alan Rosenblatt laments.
Lawyers on both sides despair of ever picking the required seven jurors. ``I think,'' one says, ``we've opened Pandora's box.''
Eventually, the jury is picked and the case is tried, but the judge stops the trial midway. The jurors seem relieved. They will not have to return the next day.
``Cool,'' one young juror says, beaming. The seven grab their jackets and trudge back up the aisle, through the middle of the courtroom and head for the parking lot.
- Marc Davis
Tuesday, Jan. 31
11:10 a.m. - Independence Boulevard.
A Ford Bronco's insulting license plate causes other motorists to question themselves. It says: URA DWEB.
- Holly Wester
Wednesday, Feb. 1
8:30 a.m. - Independence Boulevard exit ramp Route 44.
Exit tolls.
Motorists who travel the expressway regularly know the drill. In fact, it's become an almost robotic action.
Fumble for a dime. Roll the window down. Give it your best toss. And wait for the light to turn green (which is not always a sure thing).
Only this morning, a sleepy motorist stares ahead waiting, waiting, waiting. Until she finally realizes there's no green light. There's not even a red light. There's no light at all.
Somehow, either by intent or by vandal, the signal has been removed.
- Debbie Messina ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by CHARLIE MEADS
In the heat of the moment
A Virginia Beach fireman hoses down a balcony at the Ashbrook
Apartments during a fire early Tuesday morning. Three residents were
treated for injuries - two for smoke inhalation and one for a
third-degree burn. A Labrador retriever died in one apartment. A
dozen apartment units were damaged, and 20 residents displaced as a
result of the fire, the cause of which is yet unknown. The complex
is on Honeybrook Drive off Virginia Beach Boulevard near Princess
Anne High School.
by CNB