THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, July 16, 1995 TAG: 9507150372
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: D2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MYLENE MANGALINDAN, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 67 lines
Deloris Bailey feels alone amid 1.4 million people.
Although she is a resident of Hampton Roads on paper, the Smithfield Packing Co. secretary says she doesn't feel part of it.
``I'm not even sure I consider Smithfield as part of Hampton Roads,'' said Bailey, 34. ``I don't associate myself with Hampton Roads.''
Many Hampton Roads residents don't identify with the region, even though they travel all over it for work, shopping and entertainment. When asked where they're from, residents often seem inclined to say Norfolk or Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Suffolk or Portsmouth, Newport News or Hampton, Isle of Wight or Smithfield, Franklin or Southampton County, Currituck or Elizabeth City - not Hampton Roads.
To Bailey and others like her, Hampton Roads is just a notion, a nebulous geographic area. That helps explain why many citizens - and their elected leaders - often lack enthusiasm for regional cooperation; why the self-interests of Hampton Roads municipalities often prevail over the best interest of the region.
``As long as we've got 15 distinct communities, people are going to say where they're from,'' said Arthur L. Collins, executive director of the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission. ``As long as we view ourselves from a particular city as opposed to a region, we'll communicate ourselves as part of a city or county, and that's not unreasonable.
``We don't have a strong local identifier that other communities do. People say they're from Atlanta when they're from Fulton County,'' Collins said. ``We're more inclined to say Virginia Beach than Hampton Roads.''
A group of employees at the Smithfield meat plant seemed to validate many of these points. They recently bantered the topic back and forth over lunch in their cafeteria.
Willie Bouhart, a Smithfield resident, told co-workers that Hampton Roads was the place ``across the James River when you get to Newport News.''
His friend, Willie Drew, also didn't include Virginia Beach, Norfolk and the other ``southside'' cities in his definition of Hampton Roads.
``When you say Hampton Roads, I think Newport News, Hampton, the Peninsula,'' he said.
Others said they felt somewhat connected to the region, even though they still pledge allegiance to their hometowns.
``Where do you go to spend your money? Where do you go shopping?'' asked Mike Lankford, a 27-year-old Franklin resident, who travels to Norfolk as well as Hampton to shop or to entertain himself.
``You're a part of Hampton Roads,'' he told co-workers. ``You spend your money here.''
Anton Goodwyn, who lives in Chesapeake and works in Smithfield, said he feels a deep sense of loyalty to his city, where he has spent most of his life.
``I like being from Chesapeake,'' he said.
When people ask him where he's from, Goodwyn tells them the name of his hometown, not Hampton Roads. But he's willing to concede some affiliation with his hometown if it would help the region's growth.
``If it'd bring big business here, especially a sports team, sure, I'll put Hampton Roads on an envelope and give up the Chesapeake thing,'' Goodwyn said. ``But just to do it, no.'' MEMO: Main story on page D1.
KEYWORDS: REGIONALISM COMMUTING by CNB