THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, October 22, 1995 TAG: 9510200160
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 03 EDITION: FINAL
LENGTH: Long : 145 lines
Friday, Oct. 6
11:05 a.m. - Mayor's office at city hall.
T wo visitors are walking around Mayor Meyera Oberndorf's office, admiring the various pieces of artwork given her by foreign dignitaries. Beautiful vases, plates, dolls, books and artifacts adorn tables and wood paneled walls.
``I call it the citizen's museum,'' says the mayor, pointing out different items. ``The closet is full of things, too. People are wonderful.''
The visitors come to one table that is laden with photographs and plaques. One of the pictures is of the tiny mayor standing between President Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore in the oval office. She laughs when asked about the photo.
``The photographer told me he couldn't take my picture with them because I was too short. Their heads would be cut out,'' she explains. ``So I looked around and found a silk footstool, kicked off my shoes, put it between them and stood on it. I asked the photographer `Now can you get my picture?' ''
But the photo shows the smiling mayor barely reaching the two mens' shoulders, one of the visitors says.
``I know,'' Oberndorf laughs. ``They are very tall men, much bigger in person than what you see on TV.''
- Pam Starr
Saturday, Oct. 7
1 p.m. - Military highway.
T he obviously happy owner of a 1987 Chrysler hatchback sports this license plate - ``WLKNOMO.''
- Michelle Mizal
Wednesday, Oct. 11
5:45 p.m. - Weight Watchers.
M embers are offering suggestions for weight-loss rewards and while many talk about new clothes and swim suits, one woman in the front row gives away her secret present.
``Whenever I lose a couple pounds, I buy myself earrings,'' she says sweetly. ``At least I know they'll always fit.''
- Holly Wester
Thursday, Oct. 12
5:30 p.m. - North End.
A ``Just Married'' sign hangs on the front bumper of a car that pulls over on the feeder road. Helium-filled white balloons are bouncing in the back seat and white crepe paper streamers are flying off the rear bumper.
The car stops and out jumps the bride, all dressed in white. She begins rummaging in the back seat. She pulls out several gift bags of wedding presents and sets them on the road. As she continues to look around, the groom hops out, in military dress, boutonniere still in place, and joins the search.
``We've lost the address to the Dolphin,'' says the bride sheepishly to a passerby. ``Do you know where it is?''
Several folks walking on the feeder road join the conversation but no one knows exactly where the Dolphin is. The best advice they have is to drive down Atlantic Avenue and the Dolphin Inn is bound to show up, they say.
So off the bride and groom go, streamers trailing behind, down Atlantic Avenue in search of their elusive honeymoon hotel.
- Mary Reid Barrow
Friday, Oct. 13
12:15 p.m. - Norwegian Lady Park on the Boardwalk at 25th Street.
Q ueen Sonja of Norway, escorted by Mayor Meyera E. Oberndorf, has just taken her seat facing the bronze Norwegian Lady statue as the Cox High School Wind Ensemble is finishing the American national anthem.
A half-mile to the north, a formation of Canada geese wings its way toward the crowd of people waiting for the queen to place a bouquet at the foot of the statue in a gesture of unity between the two nations.
As the band strikes up another selection, the geese, in perfect V-formation, dip slightly and bank landward.
In seconds they pass directly over an oblivious queen and her entourage - only 50-to-100 feet overhead - in what seems to be a respectful avian salute to visiting royalty.
- Bill Reed
9:30 p.m. - Scandal's on Holland Road.
S usie, a bartender at the popular neighborhood nightspot, definitely knows every inch of the L-shaped bar she's tended for the past seven or eight years.
As the band, Bad Habit, finishes the last strains of a rock 'n' roll tune, Susie, blond hair flying, offers up the evening's encore.
She jumps up onto the top of the bar and dances a jig down the whole length, without once spilling or even tipping over a drink.
As she jumps down and begins to fill orders, several customers applaud in awe.
- Lori A. Denney
Saturday, Oct. 14
1 p.m. - Restaurant on Indian River Road.
A Filipina and her 5-year-old son walk into Maymar - a Filipino grocery/restaurant.
The mother walks over to a bar with egg rolls and sweet cakes displayed on the countertop. She sits her son up on the barstool while she orders a pound of pansit (Filipino noodles).
Meanwhile, her son looks at the spread of food in front of him, makes a face of disgust and loudly asks, ``Mom, can we go to McDonald's?''
- Michelle Mizal
Wednesday, Oct. 18
10:05 a.m. - Tidewater Community College.
I t's a normal day at the Virginia Beach campus during registration for spring classes.
A blond-haired girl walks in and asks the brunette at the front desk if she can see a counselor.
``I'm sorry. You need to schedule an appointment,'' the brunette says. ``Can I help you?'' she asks the next person in line.
``I'd like to see a counselor,'' the man says.
``I'm sorry. You need to schedule an appointment,'' she says.
The same question and answer happens over and over again for the next five people in line.
Finally, a tall brown-haired woman approaches the front desk.
``I'd like to see a counselor,'' she says. The secretary opens her mouth to repeat the same answer but the woman continues ``and I have an appointment, but I need to reschedule.''
- Michelle Mizal
4 p.m. - Farm Fresh on Independence Boulevard.
T he store is in the final throes of a major renovation and things are a bit chaotic.
A shopper enters the market and begins looking for salad dressing. After she has spent five minutes looking, she enlists the help of a store employee wearing a tag that says ``Assistant Manager.'' He helps her search, then admits sheepishly that it's his first day in this store and he doesn't know where the salad dressings have gone.
A female employee, who also appears to be a manager or someone from the corporate offices, joins in the hunt. The trio checks the first six aisles, adding yet a third employee to the search team, and still comes up empty-handed.
``Don't tell me we forgot salad dressings and have to go back and rearrange the whole store,'' the female managerial types says, only half in jest.
Finally, a fourth employee, who appears to be from the produce department, arrives on the scene. ``They're over there,'' he calls, pointing to a far corner of the store.
The searching employees breathe a collective sigh of relief and join the shopper as she finds the salad dressing she's looking for in the most logical of places: right at the end of the produce aisle.
- Jo-Ann Clegg ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by STEVE EARLEY
As Halloween approaches, the search for just the right pumpkin is
on. There were plenty to pick from as this group of kids took
advantage of beautiful fall weather Wednesday to stroll through the
pumpkin patch at the Hunt Club Produce stand on London Bridge Road.
Soon, many of these orange delights will be sporting smiling faces
and evil grins as people begin carving them into jack-o'-lanterns.
by CNB