The Virginian-Pilot
                             THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Sunday, April 7, 1996                  TAG: 9604050187
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER       PAGE: 03   EDITION: FINAL 
                                             LENGTH: Medium:   53 lines

TOWN TALK

Still mourning

Some of the flowers are slightly wilted.

But a small shrine still stands at Fire Station No. 4 on Battlefield Boulevard, in memory of two firefighters who died a little more than two weeks ago battling a blaze in the Indian River section of town.

One of the firefighters, Frank Young, was assigned permanently to station No. 4, although he was filling in at station No. 3 when the fatal fire occurred March 18. Also killed was John Hudgins Jr.

The pain of Young's death is still sharp for colleagues at the station. And residents who pass the station feel it.

``We're still getting flowers and letters and things from people,'' said Luke F. Biernot, glancing at the flower arrangements clustered around the flagpole in front of the station. There, too, is a yellow firefighter's helmet, sitting atop a pair of firefighter's boots.

Black bunting drapes the station's marquis, and the sign above the station's big, garage doors. A white banner with red letters reads: ``In memory of . . . Frank Young.''

Biernot said he doesn't know how long the remembrances will remain there.

``We worked with him every day,'' Biernot said. ``It could have been any one of us.'' Progress

The high, weedy grass has been cleared. Trees have been leveled.

Bulldozers chug and wheeze over the thick, gray dirt.

The huge lot on Battlefield Boulevard is being prepared to hold gleaming new cars, a big showroom and long rows of auto service bays, all the accouterments for a Checkered Flag Honda dealership.

Some driving past the construction site lament the passing of one more piece of precious open space along the busy highway. They dread the coming of more traffic, navigating in and out of more driveways; flood lights, piercing the darkness 24 hours a day; loudspeakers, summoning salesmen to tend customers or pick up phones.

Others, though, see only the good such a new business will bring to Chesapeake - customers spending money, which will result in more tax revenue for the city.

Mayor William E. Ward, stopping recently in the newspaper office near the construction site, rubbed his hands together and smiled proudly. Ward was excited that the car dealer had chosen Chesapeake.

``Wonderful, isn't it?'' he said.

- Elizabeth Thiel by CNB