THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, July 28, 1996 TAG: 9607260197
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 03 EDITION: FINAL
LENGTH: 106 lines
Monday, July 22
9:30 a.m. - Judeo Christian Outreach shelter on Virginia Beach Boulevard.
The morning mail brings an unexpected blessing: a check for $16,286.59. The staff is elated, and the bookkeeper rushes to show Executive Director Dick Powell the draft from Central Fidelity Bank made out to the center.
Excitement is running high in the non-profit organization's office.
But when Powell phones the bank, he learns that the check was a mistake. It was meant for IBM, not the homeless shelter.
The glitch, the bank employee explains, can be blamed on a one-digit variation in account numbers for the intended payee and the center.
``I thought it was great since people tend not to concern themselves with the homeless during the summer, and it was just a little bit less than what we need to finish work on our new education center,'' Powell says, somewhat deflated but still amused by the goof.
- Nancy Lewis
10:50 a.m. - McDonald's restaurant on Princess Anne Road.
H arry Luman, Rae LeSesne, Dan Rudisill and Bob Kubiszewski have been arguing politics all morning, as they do every Monday. They and other conservative Republicans, male and female, have been meeting at this fast-food joint for four years to enjoy the senior citizen specials (free coffee with unlimited refills with any breakfast meal) and each other's company.
After dissing Bill Clinton and Democrats in general, the remaining men turn their attention to the latest plane crash of TWA Flight 800 last week.
``Who blew up that plane?'' asks Luman, 82, a retired Army major. ``Even if they found that black box they don't know anything.''
Financial consultant Kubiszewski agrees.
``You need a hell of a lot of accuracy to hit that plane,'' he says. ``Since they haven't found anything yet it's probably like that other big crash.''
LeSesne, 75, tosses up a different opinion.
``You know what I think?'' he says. ``This might sound crazy, but do you know how much debris is circling the Earth and could hit that plane? That's what I think happened.''
He smiles as his comrades mull that one over.
``We ought to set up a poll of what happened,'' he adds, ``if we're still alive when we find out.''
- Pam Starr
4:30 p.m. - Beacon office on Virginia Beach Boulevard.
Gloria Adams of Curlew Drive has just stopped by the newspaper's office to share her Monday morning experience. She was watching TV at about 9 a.m., she says, when she heard a long squeal, four big bangs and a huge crash!
``It's the kind of noise you want to investigate,'' she says.
And check it out, she did.
Adams tells how she stepped outside her home to find a tractor-trailer had overturned. Immediately, several police cars and ambulances came out to take care of the damage, which took most of the day to get the truck upright and out of the way.
``There have been lots of accidents out there,'' Adams says before finishing her tale. ``I don't know if it's because of all the construction or what. But it sure is a lousy way to start the week!''
- Kay Reynolds
Wednesday, July 24
8:45 p.m. - Lynnhaven Marina near Shore Drive.
T wo couples stand over a small birthday cake perched atop a large cooler, which is balanced precariously on a dockside bench. Three of them sing a lusty version of ``Happy Birthday'' to the fourth who then blows out the cake's single candle.
A crew member from the boat ``Nancy Anne'' recognizes the group as passengers who have just gone ashore from the evening's successful 1 1/2-hour dolphin watch.
``Didn't get a chance to cut the cake while we were under way?'' he asks.
`No,'' a member of the party group explains, pointing to the cooler. ``We ate our appetizers, chicken and salads on the way out but once we got into the middle of all those dolphins we forgot about the cake. We didn't want to miss anything that was going on in the water.''
The crew member offers his own birthday congratulations as the two couples settle on the bench to eat their cake and enjoy the balmy summer evening.
- Jo-Ann Clegg
Thursday, July 25
10 a.m. - Brighton on the Bay.
A young woman jogs briskly along Templeton Drive, pushing a large-wheeled stroller in front of her. In it are two smiling toddlers and a toy poodle. While the youngsters sit back to enjoy the ride, the tiny black dog sits front and center, watching the road ahead and taking full advantage of any breeze it can catch.
- Jo-Ann Clegg
3:45 p.m. - Sears at Pembroke Mall.
A couple is shopping for a refrigerator during Sears' appliance sale. They carefully look over the dozens of refrigerators on display, noting size, color, capacity and price. An ever-present salesman hovers as the husband and wife narrow their choice down to a freezer-on-top model and side-freezer model with a nifty ice and water dispenser.
The side-freezer unit is a few hundred dollars more, but, the wife points out, it's better for storage because of the different shelves and compartments. The husband agrees and says that he'd like cold water instantly at the push of a lever.
The salesman offers the final push.
``Refrigerators last 20 years or more,'' he says. ``So it's really a good investment.''
Sold. The couple buys the more expensive model. But before the salesman rings up the sale he tries to snag one more commission. A maintenance contract for $69.95. He tries several times but the couple stands firm.
``With as much money as refrigerators cost these days, it better not need maintenance after one year,'' the husband says. ``We'll just take the refrigerator.''
- Pam Starr by CNB