THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, April 16, 1995 TAG: 9504140129
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 03 EDITION: FINAL
LENGTH: Long : 113 lines
Friday, April 7
8 a.m. - Ramada Oceanfront Towers.
It's the second annual Legislative Breakfast, sponsored by the Virginia Beach Task Force on Aging, and more than 150 people have paid $15 each for a buffet and discussion about aging concerns.
Only four elected officials out of 11 who confirmed are in attendance: Mayor Meyera Oberndorf, Sen. Clarence Holland and City Council members Louisa Strayhorn and Nancy Parker. Sen. John Warner, Del. Glenn Croshaw sent their aides.
The no-shows bothers Ella Jean Richmon, a resident of Sentara Village. She and Addie Sampson, Dorothy Allen and Margaret Lee had addressed 425 invitations to the breakfast.
``I feel like they should have made a special effort to be here,'' says Richmon.
Sampson, wearing a white suit and matching hat, excuses the ones who didn't show up.
``It's a weekday,'' says Sampson. ``It might be hard for them to get here.''
Oberndorf, when it's her turn to speak, is her usual bubbly self and quickly wins over the audience. She had been in China recently, she says, walking around a ``huge'' campus when she tripped up a step.
``After years of ballet training, I fell more gracefully than any other human being ever has,'' says Oberndorf as the crowd laughs along with her. ``Then they assigned two young men to me, one on either arm, and they held onto me the rest of the day. I didn't like it.
``But I'm not going to get older, I'm going to be better, like the rest of you.''
- Pam Starr
2:35 p.m. - Independence Boulevard.
A balding man proves that license plates can be deceiving. The label on his bright red Tempo reads: STUD PPY.
- Holly Wester
Saturday, April 8
5:24 p.m. - Lynnhaven Parkway.
A grassy median separates the north and southbound lanes of Lynnhaven Parkway between Pleasant Valley and Indian River roads, giving rise to several young saplings planted there.
One of the trees has only recently been adorned with a silvery latex balloon, placed snugly between its branches and tethered to its trunk.
Inscribed in pink on the helium-filled greeting are the words, ``I love you, Mom.''
For those unaware, the gray pavement stretching beside it in both directions holds a somber clue. Black skid marks are indelibly etched in the roadway where a young driver tried in vain one week earlier to swerve from the path of a 4-year-old boy who ran unbridled into the traffic and lost his life.
- Kevin Armstrong
Sunday, April 10
Noon - Sandbridge Road.
Two women and a pile of kids are busy in a backyard playground. One of the moms is raking the sand under the swingset. The other is keeping her company.
``Oh, oh,'' says the visiting mom. ``Look, cat poo.''
She toes the pair of offending feline offerings with one shoe.
The playground owner comes over to see.
``Here,'' says her visitor, ``One, two.''
`` . . . buckle my shoe,'' continues the mom with the rake, and scoops them up without missing a beat.
- Krys Stefansky
Wednesday, April 12
12:30 p.m. - Independence Boulevard near Bonney Road.
A garbage truck has just toppled a street sign and overhead railroad sign, blocking Norfolk Southern tracks and two lanes of Independence Boulevard traffic.
It looks like the forks of the truck, that are used to lift garbage cans, hit the overhang, tearing it down.
Police, city traffic engineering employees and Norfolk Southern workers arrive minutes after the accident and start clearing away the mess.
Lawrence Mann, who was working in the Pearle Vision laboratory across the street and saw the incident, says, ``I saw the sign fall and I thought at first that it was a car wreck.
``Then I looked again and saw the truck. I called the railroad to let them know . . . didn't think they would want to send any trains down the tracks.''
- Gary Edwards
Thursday, April 13
9:15 a.m. - Popular eatery on Laskin Road near Baltic Avenue.
Three burly policemen approach the cash register to pay for their breakfast.
The owner prepares to ring them up. His young son and daughter mill around nearby.
``Why aren't you in school?'' a portly, graying officer asks the boy sternly. He apparently is unaware that all city public school students are enjoying a weeklong spring vacation.
``If you don't stay in school, you'll wind up like us,'' the officer's larger companion admonishes the lad and all three uniformed men break into subdued laughter.
- Bill Reed ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by MORT FRYMAN
In the holiday spirit
Ashley Green checks out Easter eggs ``growing'' on a tree in the
front yard of her family's house in Aragona Village. Adding to the
Easter setting is a restored 1850-ish wagon filled with giant eggs
and a mom, pop and baby bunny. The colorful, eyecatching display
attracts lots of vehicular visitors to the Quinwood Lane home of Mr.
and Mrs. Johnny Green.
by CNB