THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, September 15, 1996 TAG: 9609130214
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 03 EDITION: FINAL
LENGTH: 129 lines
Monday, Sept. 2
2 p.m. - Bayside High School.
At the start of a new year, the sign says it all. ``Free knowledge available here. Bring your own container.''
- Lori A. Denney
Thursday, Sept. 5
1:45 p.m. Timberdale Court in Glenwood.
Rosamond Lamb parks her bike, flings a heavy blue canvas bag over her shoulder and trudges door-to-door on this quiet cul-de-sac. A woman at one home waits patiently behind a screen door while Lamb, a college student from England, enthusiastically tries to pitch a set of children's books.
``Thanks, but we have every set of children's book you can imagine,'' the woman says. ``My mom retired from World Book.''
Lamb, her bushy brown hair tied into a ponytail, keeps the wide smile on her face.
``Uh, then, can I use your bathroom?'' she asks. ``I've been out all day.''
``Sure,'' the woman says, opening the door. ``Would you like a glass of ice water?''
``That would be fabulous,'' Lamb answers.
After using the bathroom, Lamb explains to the woman what her company is all about.
She was recruited in March by the Southwestern Co. of Nashville to come here and sell their books. She has to see 30 families a day. ``I'm gone from 6:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. everyday.''
She pauses to take a long drink of water. The school year in England starts on Sept. 23, she says. She underwent one week of training, is in her 10th week of selling and has one week of delivering the books before heading home.
``This has been absolutely fabulous - it pays our way through school,'' Lamb says. ``In just 10 weeks I've sold enough books that my parents won't have to pay a cent of my tuition.
``And on Monday, I made the European record for most sales by a novice,'' she adds, proudly. ``I made $800 that day. It was incredible.''
Lamb gets up to leave and thanks the woman for the water. Impressed, the woman gives Lamb a banana, a box of raisins and a half-eaten bag of Fritos to hold her over until Lamb's next meal. Whenever that may be.
- Pam Starr
Saturday, Sept. 7
4:45 p.m. The large pool in Salem Woods.
Mayor Meyera Oberndorf is holding court at Salem Woods fifth Pig Pickin', a popular event in the middle-class neighborhood. Oberndorf is talking about last weekend's American Music Festival.
``Did you know that Willie Nelson kissed me on the lips?'' she says to a group of women, who all say ``ooohhh!''
``Yes! Then someone said to me `Don't be so flattered, he's kissed every woman up here.' ''
Oberndorf chuckles. ``Oh, sure, burst my bubble!''
- Pam Starr
6:10 p.m. The Village Inn.
Blond-haired, blue-eyed babies sit in high chairs at the ends of two different booths which are side-by-side.
Both babies coo and wave to each other while eating their dinners. The parents occasionally smile at each other as they watch their infants' antics.
``I'll bet they're around the same age,'' says one mother to her husband. ``They're doing the exact same thing.''
The husband turns to the other baby's mother, who is sitting behind him.
``How old is she?'' he asks.
``Nine months,'' the other mom replies.
``Really?'' he says. ``So's ours.''
``Yeah, Samantha was born Dec. 4,'' the other mom says.
The first set of parents open their eyes wider.
``You're kidding,'' the husband says. ``So was ours! What hospital was she born in?''
``Sentara Leigh,'' the woman replies.
``So was she!'' he says. ``What a coincidence.''
The other woman's husband pipes up.
``Hey, I thought you looked familiar!'' he says with a laugh. ``I was thinking I knew you in the Navy.''
- Pam Starr
Sunday, Sept. 8
3:30 p.m. 12th Street at Atlantic Avenue, the Oceanfront
The mother, her 9-year-old daughter and 15-year-old son approach their family car with dread. They are walking back from the beach, where they have been frantically searching the sand for the car keys. No luck.
Now back at the car, they find a hand-written note stuck in a rear window of a minivan. ``You left your keys in the door latch,'' it reads, ``so I took them to Best Western Chaquitas restaurant. My manager will have them - just ask for them.'' It is signed by Aaron B. James.
This results in two things. The woman immediately feels so dumb for pulling the beach chairs, etc., out of the van and forgetting about the keys. Then, she feels so buoyed by this stranger's help.
Inquiring at the restaurant, just a block away, she finds that Aaron James is a young man, maybe 19, working in the kitchen. She thanks him profusely, tells him how great it was that he didn't just ignore the keys. And she gives him a tip.
``Don't we wish the world were full of Aarons?'' she asks the restaurant manager as she's leaving.
``Yes,'' he replies, ``he's a great guy.''
- Don Naden
Tuesday, Sept. 10
8:40 a.m. - Newspaper office.
Fresh off the fax machine is a plea from the Virginia Beach SPCA.
On Sunday three men stole a full car load of aluminum cans from the shelter, it reads. ``These cans are used to raise money for the more than 5,000 homeless animals we shelter annually.''
Ironically, it continues, the SPCA had just started saving for a three-month national aluminum can recycling contest and this theft set the shelter back at least 200 pounds.
``Please help us replace this loss by bringing your cans to the Virginia Beach SPCA wagon or to our wagon behind Virginia Beach General Hospital.
``And,'' it adds, ``if you see anyone removing the cans from any of the Virginia Beach SPCA can wagons, please contact the police immediately.''
- Melinda Forbes
Thursday, Sept. 12
10 a.m. - Kempsville Library.
Visitors entering the library find an area blocked off with yellow crime scene tape. There's also the outline of a body on the floor.
The mystery is solved by library staffers who say they set up the scene hoping to draw attention to September's special display, a tribute to female mystery writers.
``We borrowed the tape from the (4th Precinct) police station next door,'' says librarian Karlyn Chafee who worked on the project, ``and then we decided to add a body outline, too.''
The display has accomplished its purpose. Few arrivals ignore the startling scene and demand for mystery novels is rising nicely.
- Jo-Ann Clegg by CNB