THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, January 9, 1996 TAG: 9601090231
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A10 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: THE BLIZZARD OF '96
LENGTH: Long : 144 lines
CHESAPEAKE - Michelle Charters is normally a representative for patients at Chesapeake General Hospital. But during the snowstorm, she operated a pick-up and delivery service.
On Friday, when the hospital asked for volunteers with four-wheel-drive vehicles to transport staff members during the storm, Charters signed up.
She was called in Saturday night at about 9 p.m. to pick up staff members at their homes and safely deliver them for their shifts.
Charters made the rounds from Portsmouth to Pughsville and to the Dam Neck section of Virginia Beach in her '80 Jeep Grand Wagoneer. She continued her pick-up and delivery service until almost 5:30 a.m., and then went back out Sunday night.
``It surprised me how far out some people live from the hospital,'' Charters said. ``But everyone was in very good spirits and most were only a little late for work.''
- Susan Smith
ISLE OF WIGHT - At O'Berry's Farm Center in the Central Hill community, men gathered Monday around a large room heater to exchange stories about the weather.
``Everybody's been in the house too long,'' Ronnie O'Berry said about the gathering at his store. ``They got to get out somehow.''
John Cook, 54, a crew leader at Gwaltney, said he had joined the men because both Smithfield packing plants had closed Monday.
``I've been working at Gwaltney for 36 years, and they've never closed their doors that I can remember,'' he said. ``Even during the ice storm of 1989, we still came in at lunch.''
- Jody R. Snider
NORFOLK - Nearly 250 homeless people shivered inside the Union Mission Sunday night and Monday morning when electric power was lost in downtown Norfolk. But an extra blanket or two, hot coffee and warm clothes kept them comfortable.
Breakfast was limited to peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and coffee that had to be brought in, said John Gray, Union Mission's superintendent. ``Other than that, we did all right.''
The Union Mission, at Brooke Avenue and Boush Street, took in 100 more than its normal complement of 150 residents as the weekend snow storm worsened.
Despite the power outage, temperatures inside the historic building never dipped below 50 degrees and was still a welcome haven for those who could have spent the night on the streets, said Gray.
- Jack Dorsey
PORTSMOUTH - Parks and Recreation official Paul Forehand said Portsmouth City Park had been closed for safety reasons Sunday because the parking lot and roads were ``solid sheets of ice.''
If they didn't close the park, he said, people would be using the parking lots to do ``doughnuts'' in their vehicles.
But Forehand conceded he took advantage of an icy parking lot this weekend to teach his 16-year-old daughter, Jill, about driving in the snow. ``It's a lot easier to find out in a parking lot than on the interstate,'' he said.
Forehand did a spin and then gave his daughter, who just got her driver's license this year, the wheel.
``I prefaced this by saying, `This is something you only do with adult supervision,' '' he said.
``I think (her) quote was, `Hey, this is pretty cool,' which is scary. I was trying to impress on her what it would be like.''
- Jane Bryant
SMITHFIELD - This is Marshe Johnson's first winter in Smithfield, but she learned all about the best sledding spot in town from her boyfriend Riccardo Cutler, who is a native. A few rides down the hill, and she was sold on it.
``This is excellent,'' she said Monday. ``It's the best place I've ever seen.''
Cutler, 25, first rode the hill on North Mason Street about 20 years ago on the same wooden sled he still uses. The price of the sled remains legible in black crayon on the bottom of it. The Champion F-56 cost $10.95.
Monday, with work at a local packing plant canceled for the day, Cutler had time to show his 6-year-old son, Darron, the tricks of conquering the hill.
Cutler reached in his pocket and began rubbing something green on the runners of the sled, preparing for the next ride.
``Nothing exclusive, nothing expensive,'' he said. ``Just a little wax from my Mom's Christmas candle.''
- June Arney
VIRGINIA BEACH - Slippery North End slopes brought regular trash pickups to a halt early Monday, forcing city officials to reschedule the remainder of the collections this morning.
``On Mondays we normally pickup (refuse) at 3,000 homes in the north beach,'' said Arthur Shaw, operations engineer for the city's Public Works Department. ``We completed about half of them and will have to go back Tuesday to finish 'em.
``Trucks were having trouble on some of the hills in Princess Anne Hills. They were stopping at each house and were sliding back down, so we called 'em back in and will try again (Tuesday),'' Shaw said.
- Bill Reed
VIRGINIA BEACH - Lynne Terry, manager of Payless Shoes at Lynnhaven Mall, was trying to straighten up the store before the mall closed early at 4 p.m. Monday.
``We've done much more than I thought,'' said Terry. ``I thought no one would dare go out in this weather but everybody wanted their boots.''
Monday morning, Terry had prominently displayed 75 to 100 pairs of boots. By 3:30, only four pairs remained.
Mall manager John B. Westbrook decided to close the mall at 4 p.m. to ``give the employees of the mall an opportunity to get home safely.''
Terry didn't second-guess the mall manager's decision. She pulled in her rack of boots and hit the button for the metal screen to come down, signaling the end of her day.
- Lori A. Denney ILLUSTRATION: A DAY IN THE SNOW
MARTIN SMITH-RODDEN / The Virginian-Pilot
Seven-year-old Sarah Spurrier watches snow come down outside the
door of a Dinwiddie Street office in Olde Towne Portsmouth Monday
morning. More than a few children were getting their first look at a
real snow in recent days, or at least one that they could remember.
VICKI CRONIS
The Virginian-Pilot
Sliders work their way up Mount Trashmore Monday with any gear they
could use to have a bit of no-school fun. Related story on page B1.
JOHN H. SHEALLY II
The Virginian-Pilot
State snowplow driver William English makes sure the edge of his
blade is flagged and visible to oncoming cars as he works a stretch
of ROute 10 in Suffolk.
HUY NGUYEN
The Virginian-Pilot
Loren Williams, left, and sister Latoyia pack a snowman in front of
their home on York Street in Suffolk. "Frisky" was one name
considered; Loren preferred the traditional "Frosty."
D. KEVIN ELLIOTT
The Virginian-Pilot
From front to back, Chris Martin, 17, Cameron Tenney, 18, and Chris
Boone, 18, all of Norfolk, show good balance as they share a
surfboard ride down an embankment in Ocean View.
KEYWORDS: WINTER STORM BLIZZARD by CNB