THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, April 14, 1996 TAG: 9604120336
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 08 EDITION: FINAL
LENGTH: Medium: 94 lines
Around Town is a not-quite-newsy look behind the scenes from City Hall to City Park.
Members of the Park Manor Civic League talked trash and traffic at their last meeting.
One member brought up the fact that not every one uses the clear plastic garbage bags for yard waste, as the city has requested.
But maybe as taxpayers, they should consider the costs.
As Assistant City Manager C.W. ``Luke'' McCoy pointed out that night, it costs about $25 a ton to dispose of yard waste in clear bags and almost double that for trash that comes in a black garbage bag.
Why?
If the sanitation workers can see that it's yard waste without opening the bag, it goes to the city's Craney Island landfill.
If not, it's taken to Southeastern Public Service Authority's site at a cost of about $48 a ton.
At the same meeting, City Traffic Engineer Richard ``Red'' McDaniel told residents he's decided a flashing light should go up at Clifford Street and Elmhurst Lane - an intersection that has worried residents.
The light would flash red for Clifford Street motorists and yellow for Elmhurst.
- Janie Bryant
Bill Deal and Fat Ammon, one of the Seawall Festival's most popular acts, will return to their traditional Friday night slot for this year's festivities scheduled June 7-9.
Deal, whose father lives in Portsmouth, and Ammon were booked last year on Sunday afternoon, and some regular festival-goers didn't like the change.
Ports Events heard them.
Deal and Ammon will play at 8 p.m. Friday. Other bands scheduled on opening day include Undercover, Leggz and TFC Band.
Scheduled on Saturday are Hotcakes, Savannah, the Ohio Players, The Unnaturals and Casper. Ernie LeBeau and Slapwater are among those booked for Sunday.
The Seawall Festival and Harborfest run simultaneously. Lamm said she again this year will emphasize family entertainment with lots of children's activities, which have become the signature of the Portsmouth festival.
A children's stage will feature special entertainment for young people, including performances by the C-Shells, Spectrum Puppets, Tutu and Tootsie, Okie Doke and Hunky Dory, and several Young Audiences of Virginia groups.
- Ida Kay Jordan
When former Portsmouth resident Sylvia Kreng of Van Nuys, Calif., sent a copy of her book, ``Cat Quotes,'' to Chelsea Clinton, she said she wasn't looking for an answer.
``I just wanted her to have a copy because the cover photo resembles Chelsea's cat, Socks,'' Kreng said.
However, Sylvia soon received a letter from the White House, a thank-you note signed by Chelsea's dad and mom, Bill and Hillary Clinton.
``And the signatures weren't rubber-stamped either,'' she said. ``I checked them.''
The note thanked Kreng for writing to Chelsea and ended, ``Our family is grateful for your thoughtfulness, and we send our best wishes to you.''
Kreng, whose own daughter, Lisa, attended school in Portsmouth, said she is ``sure Chelsea has received the book.''
Kreng has published several other books including ``Dog Quotes,'' ``Booklovers Companion'' and a series called ``Books for the Soul.''
The Krengs lived in Portsmouth for five years in the 1970s. The author's husband, Jack, was an engineer with General Electric.
``We didn't want to leave Portsmouth,'' Sylvia Kreng said, ``but when the GE plant closed, my husband got a job in California.''
- Ida Kay Jordan
You have to wonder if Hollywood's going to dig a ditch through some California neighborhood for its version of Nathan McCall's book, ``Makes Me Wanna Holler.''
McCall, in his autobiographical look at growing up in the Cavalier Manor neighborhood in Portsmouth, wrote about that ditch.
It's long been an eyesore and a sore spot for the neighborhood. And mayoral candidate Dr. James W. Holley could be sure of plucking some nerves when he brought it up at the Cavalier Manor candidate forum Monday.
But actually, residents of the community are finally looking forward to the end of the ditch. Any day now, contractors are supposed to begin the work.
About 100 residents showed up at a recent City Council meeting to make sure the funding went through.
In celebration, the community may be conducting what may be the longest cleanup project in city history.
The civic league will begin the project with the help of some teenage volunteers who will help senior citizens in the community get their properties ready for a full-sweep city inspection in July.
After that, the neighborhood will call out all the troops for its grand finale community cleanup.
- Janie Bryant by CNB