THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, May 7, 1995 TAG: 9505050175
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 03 EDITION: FINAL
LENGTH: Long : 132 lines
Friday, April 28
6 p.m. - Bellamy Plantation West.
Two girls are joking and laughing after school.
``Don't forget to take plenty of showers. We're in poo-berty.''
``Use lots of deodorant. We're in poo-berty.''
``Pu-berty,'' an adult says. ``Isn't it pronounced pu-berty?''
Normally, yes. But not when a British woman narrates the notorious and much-anticipated fifth-grade ``puberty movie,'' part of the family-life curriculum for elementary school students.
Boys and girls are separated and watch different films about the maturing bodies of both sexes. Despite some nervous in-class giggles, most take it in stride and, like these girls, can poke fun at themselves later. But even today's kids are only so cool.
``The whole rest of the day,'' one of the girls says, ``none of the boys looked at the girls, and none of the girls looked at the boys.''
- Matthew Bowers
Saturday, April 29
11:40 a.m. - Independence Boulevard.
License plate of the week. 1GR8FEM.
- Holly Wester
1:30 p.m. - Shirley and Mac Todd's home in Chesopeian Colony.
The fourth St. Mary's Academy reunion is in full swing on the spacious grounds of the Todd home. Guests enjoy a variety of pot luck dishes as they catch up with each other and talk about the good old days.
Entertainer Bruce Todd, Shirley and Mac's son, plays the guitar for them and gets an unexpected surprise when he starts singing ``Has Anybody Seen My Gal?''
Norfolk resident Felicia Heath Stutz, class of 1929, rises and sings with Bruce. Clad in a baby blue flowered dress with long beads around her neck and a flower in her hair, Stutz really belts out the tune while performing a flapper dance. Everyone watching laughs and sings along with the duo. Bruce laughs and shakes his head whenever Stutz hikes up her dress a little or shimmies her hips to the music.
``I hope I can do this when I'm her age!'' he says. ``She's incredible.''
- Pam Starr
Monday, May 1
3:45 p.m. - K Lily evening and formal wear at La Promenade.
Three girls are chatting about their prom. One has come to make final payment on a prom dress.
They are discussing the fact that none has a prom date. One turns to the other and says: ``I'm already going with Michelle. She has this great dress. You could go with me, too. Your dress is purple and it would go with mine because it's green.''
She continues: ``Joanie asked if she could go with me, but she can't. I had to tell her no because her dress is blue. It wouldn't go with green.''
- Lou Elliott
Wednesday, May 3
7:45 a.m. - Belspring Road in Glenwood.
A woman is walking her pug toward the golf course and duck pond on their daily morning ritual. Plastic bag in one hand, leash in the other, the woman waits for Suki to do her business on the grass berm separating the street and sidewalk.
When Suki is finished, the woman places her hand inside the bag, scoops up the refuse and turns the bag inside out. Mistress and dog continue down the sidewalk. Intermittent piles of dog poop ruin what would have been a beautiful stretch of grass.
A groundskeeper from Honeybee Golf Course, who had been watching, walks past the woman with a broad smile on his face.
``Good morning,'' he says. ``You know, you're one of the very few people I've ever seen do that.''
``Oh, I know,'' the woman acknowledges. ``Everyone should pick up after their dogs.''
``Yes, they should,'' he agrees, then shakes his head. ``But they don't.''
- Pam Starr
8:52 a.m. - Court building at the Municipal Center.
Stragglers are rushing into the court building trying to get where they're supposed to be by the 9 a.m. start of business.
As they enter the front door, however, they're stopped dead by a backed up line of people waiting to go through the airport-style metal detection apparatus in the lobby.
``Uh-oh. I wasn't expecting this,'' says one women, breathless from her dash from the parking lot.
``Me either,'' says the woman in front of her. ``I've already had to go back to my car once. I had pepper gas on my key chain and they don't let you have that.'' Then as the line inches toward the detectors, she looks startled and starts scrambling through her oversized purse. ``I'm a Girl Scout leader and I use a pocketknife when we go camping. It might be in here, too.''
- Melinda Forbes
11:45 a.m. - Jury orientation room in the courthouse.
Several dozen people who have been called in for the day to be prospective jurors while away the time chatting with each other.
The talk turns naturally to courts and court cases. Then to lawyers . . . and lawyers' fees.
Some people say divorce fees are especially steep.
``Yep,'' says one man, adding his 2 cents to the conversation. ``They say it's cheaper to keep her.''
- Melinda Forbes
Thursday, May 4
11 a.m. - The White House of Pungo.
Several dignitaries and media types have gathered on the lawn of a popular Pungo home to sample strawberry treats and get the details of the approaching 12th annual Pungo Strawberry Festival.
Stuart Cake, a well-known festival volunteer and ``media hound,'' stands in front of the group.
``Due to a lack of interest, the Pungo Strawberry Festival will not be held this year,'' says Cake. He continues before the audience can flinch. ``So, everyone go home and I'll eat all the food.''
Of course, it's a joke and everyone chuckles as Cake lightheartedly continues with the news conference.
- Lori A. Denney ILLUSTRATION: Great day to be a pilot
Brad Tennant, 36, left, of Virginia Beach launches a radio
controlled glider into the air for H.J. Christopher, 66, atop Mount
Trashmore on Wednesday. Christopher, also from Virginia Beach, has
been flying radio controlled airplanes since the early 1960s and
taught Tennant the hobby. Christopher said he also flies radio
controlled, gas-engine airplanes at Fentress Field.
Staff photo
by D. KEVIN ELLIOTT
by CNB