THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, December 22, 1995 TAG: 9512200141
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 03 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: STAFF REPORT
LENGTH: Short : 42 lines
Want to share the holidays?
Some of the sailors stuck at the Naval Shipyard over Christmas would welcome an invitation, City Clerk Sheila Pittman said Tuesday.
``We'd like for our citizens to welcome the Navy to their churches or their homes,'' Pittman said. ``We'd like for the crews on the ships to know about activities that are going on this weekend.''
Pittman said some of the Navy crew members also had expressed interest in doing volunteer work.
``So if anyone needs help in wrapping packages or serving food for the needy, they would welcome the activity,'' she said.
The idea of reviving the old wartime custom of hosting sailors came about when the crew of the USS Conolly asked to stay in Portsmouth over the holidays.
The Conolly, a destroyer, came into the Navy yard for emergency repairs on Oct. 26 and now is in dry dock. The crew liked it here and some folks in the city decided it would be fun to meet some of them.
Subsequently, the USS Roosevelt, a carrier with a complement of thousands, arrived. In addition, a skeleton crew still is stationed aboard the USS Bainbridge, a cruiser now being de-activitated.
``We don't know how many of the people on the ships would be interested in visiting with families, but there are some already signed up, waiting for somebody to call,'' shipyard spokesman Steven Milner said Tuesday.
For the first time in many years, the number of Navy personnel in the shipyard equals or exceeds the number of civilian employees at the yard, which now stands at about 7,000, Milner said.
Portsmouth people who would like to entertain individuals from the Conolly may call Lt. Cmdr. Steve Hampton at 396-7545 or 396-7560.
For more information, call Milner at 396-9559. by CNB