THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, November 19, 1995 TAG: 9511170725
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 18 EDITION: FINAL
LENGTH: Medium: 84 lines
Chesapeake Police Chief Ian M. Shipley Jr. is issuing a challenge to citizens.
And that challenge is being taken up by the Chesapeake Pride team, who offers it at the end of each and every one of their school and community performances.
Chesapeake Pride is a group of high school volunteer singers and dancers who give performances around the city and region espousing sober and responsible lifestyles.
So now, if you see a Pride performance, the performing teens will put the challenge to everyone in the audience.
``We're doing this in conjunction with Chief Shipley's campaign,'' said Malia Piper, career guidance counselor at Oscar F. Smith High School and administrative director of the Pride troupe. ``It's very simple. At the end of each performance we all ask the audience to take the Chief's Challenge, which is `Don't drink and drive and buckle up.' That's it. Short and effective.''
Piper thinks during these busy holidays, with lots of parties and consumption, everyone in Chesapeake should heed the Chief's Challenge.
``If anything, it could save your life or the life of a friend or neighbor,'' she said. The stronger sex
It was a privilege few students would reject.
It was a rare invitation to appear before the School Board Monday night and sound off about grading and discipline policies in Chesapeake schools.
For the honor, the top student leaders at each of the city's five high schools were selected - four Student Council Association presidents and one vice president.
But boys, who have their share of discipline problems and bad grades, went unrepresented.
All the student leaders were girls. Kudos for Chesapeake
Chesapeake was in the media spotlight again the other day.
It received a compliment and a subtle rebuke in the Nov. 14-20 issue of Port Folio magazine under the weekly ``Bouquets, Brickbats & Binkies'' column.
Each week the column either praises or condemns local governments, organizations, businesses or individuals. A praise nets one a ``bouquet,'' a criticism a ``brickbat'' and a display of childishness a ``binkie'' or pacifier.
Under the ``post-election binkie'' section - which actually chided Norfolk councilman Randy Wright's lame excuse for losing his recent bid for the Norfolk clerk of court position - the piece alludes to our fair city by mentioning that Wright ``can go to the Political Excuse Academy - we hear it's in Chesapeake - where they offer courses in turning defeat into better rhetoric.''
Ouch.
The next item is a ``bouquet,'' lauding Chesapeake's voters for electing Democrat Dwight M. Parker to fill Arthur L. Dywer's vacated council seat.
But the bouquet held a hidden brickbat, aimed at Chesapeake's Republicans.
It said ``the vote certainly reflects on (Dalton) Edge's fellow GOP council members, who tried to turn the city into their power base. And maybe they should start examining their performance before the next election.'' Want toast with that?
From time to time, the Town Talker offers its readers a glimpse into the bizarre mind-set of the city's villains and thieves, printing excerpts gleaned from the Chesapeake Police Department's weekly crime report, which highlights break-ins, thefts, wrongdoings and all around skulduggery around the city.
In the past we've noted thieves who've helped themselves to Masonic aprons, tubas and old stuffed animals.
Here's one that takes the cake. . . er, make that the breakfast.
In an item listed under the title ``residential burglary,'' it seems a thief two weeks ago let himself into a Western Branch home.
Depriving a family of some fun, the thief made off with a video game system and extra game cartridges. But the burglar also absconded with some hen-fruit and breakfast cereal. . . in his stomach.
According to the crime report, ``the suspect gained entry through an unsecured door and ate eggs and cereal.''
Let's hope he cleaned up after himself.
- Elizabeth Thiel and Eric Feber by CNB