THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, January 7, 1996 TAG: 9601050182
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 03 EDITION: FINAL
LENGTH: Long : 105 lines
Sunday, Dec. 24
Noon - Windsor Woods.
Two preteens are watching popular child actor McCauley Culkin dance ballet in the television version of ``The Nutcracker.''
``Now why would he agree to do that?'' asks one boy of the other.
``Because everyone loves `The Nutcracker,' '' interrupts Mom.
``Are you kidding?'' answers the boy. ``He doesn't even crack any nuts!''
- Lori A. Denney
Saturday, Dec. 30
1:30 p.m. - Rosemont Road.
I t looks like snow falling out of the sky on this cool sunny day.
Instead of puffy flakes, though, it's a blizzard of downy feathers.
On the ground - in the tiny median between Rosemont Road and the Route 44 exit - with the feathers drifting all around him, is a hawk of some sort with a limp pigeon clutched firmly in its talons.
Overhead, a highly agitated flock of pigeons is quickly scattering.
- Melinda Forbes
Monday, Dec. 25
2:20 p.m. - Windsor Woods.
A 2-year-old girl is examining a handful of Christmas candy.
``Wow,'' says Mom. ``Santa brings candy, too?''
``Yes,'' answers the little girl, nodding her head with a knowing look. ``Santa, he nice man!''
- Lori A. Denney
Tuesday, Jan. 2
9:30 a.m. - 7-Eleven store at 32nd Street.
Two men enter and head for the coffee counter. They nod and speak.
``Well, back to reality,'' says one, with a friendly yet forced smile. ``Hard to believe how fast the holidays went.''
The other man smiles and agrees, then offers some wise words for all seasons.
``Well, it's always good to have some time off, but we've got to accept going back to work, you know.
``Life is like an old car: You can drive it around all day, have a great time and no problems. The next day, you go out to it and it won't even start.''
- Gary Edwards
6:30 p.m. - An oceanfront grocery.
Eamon Byrne is a hard-working soldier for Cellar Door Productions of Virginia Beach. He's usually found backstage at all the biggest concerts, a cellular phone stuck in his pocket, a beeper on his belt, answering about a thousand questions a day.
Lately, he has worked overtime on the Boardwalk helping people take in the holiday lights extravaganza hosted by his company. But on this night, he is standing by the flower stall at the Farm Fresh on Laskin Road with a potted flower. A gift for his wife? an acquaintance asks.
``No, this is for Ruth Smith,'' the city clerk, said the native of Great Britain. ``She's coming by tonight to see the lights. We just though this would make her happy.''
Turns out Smith has done her part to make Cellar Door happy, too. She has visited the light show several times since it opened in November.
- Tom Holden
Wednesday, Jan. 3
11 a.m. - Stoplight at Columbus Loop and Independence Boulevard.
A red Mazda Miata waits at the light. Its personalized license reads, ``Reflect.''
The frame around the license place sends a different message. ``To Hell With Housework. Let's go to Las Vegas.''
- Gary Edwards
Thursday, Jan. 4
8 a.m. - Route 44.
A tragic early morning accident has disrupted traffic, westbound drivers soon find themselves stopped completely while the remains of the accident are being cleaned up.
Finally, as they begin to creep slowly toward the point where four lanes narrow to one, it's evident that some motorists, at least in one section of this jam, must still be full of holiday good cheer.
No horns are honking; no one's scowling. Instead, many drivers are graciously pausing and waving others over into the working lane before going on their way.
- Melinda Forbes
8:45 a.m. - Intersection of Bayside Road and Northampton Boulevard.
Bumper sticker of the week: Hug your kid at home. Belt 'em in the car.
- Patty Jenkins ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by\ D. KEVIN ELLIOTT
Dropping
in for a
little meal
John Lee of Virginia Beach feeds sea gulls off a balcony of the
Barclay Towers Hotel at 8th Street on the Oceanfront. Lee was
staying at the hotel with his fiancee, Treana Weddle of Newport
News, for their seventh ``anniversary'' of dating. The couple has
set a wedding date of October 1997. No telling how long the two
gulls have been together.
by CNB