THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, September 15, 1996 TAG: 9609130236
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 05 EDITION: FINAL
LENGTH: 94 lines
Friday, Aug. 30
11:30 a.m.
Municipal Building, Suffolk
A delivery man brings roses, and heads turn to see who's getting them and what's the occasion.
He heads upstairs to the Commonwealth's Attorney's offices and hands the vase to one of the assistants, Jo Anne Spencer, who had prosecuted a man on rape charges the day before.
Rarely does a victim send flowers, Spencer says.
``She shouldn't have done that,'' she says. ``It was worth it just to get a conviction yesterday.''
- Susie Stoughton
Friday, Sept. 6
9 a.m. - Municipal parking lot, downtown Suffolk
Hurricane Fran has left her mark. The wind is still blowing, whipping debris everywhere.
A car parked near the street has a small branch wrapped around its antenna. A passerby carefully pulls if off and deposits it in a nearby trash can - a tiny part of the clean-up effort that's going on throughout the city.
- Jo Joynes
Monday, Sept. 9
5:45 p.m. - Food Lion, Holland Plaza Shopping Center, Suffolk
The toddler is tired of sitting in the shopping cart seat. She tries to stand up, but the grandmother firmly forces her back down into the seat, saying it's not safe to stand up.
The little girl squeals loudly in protest. Other customers are looking at the pair, wondering what the problem is and some probably wondering if the woman is abusing the girl. Nothing is working. Food, keys, a hairbrush - none of them can distract the disgruntled child from throwing a temper tantrum.
Finally, the grandmother spots the colorful assortment of helium balloons displayed above the greeting cards.
She finds the perfect one and quickly ties it to the handle of the grocery cart for her granddaughter to play with. Pictured on the balloon is a white dove and the word ``PEACE.''
- Jo Joynes Tuesday, Sept. 10
8:00 p.m. - Suffolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority, Suffolk
Councilmember Leroy Bennett sits in on the housing authority's regular monthly meeting to check out the old board members that he once oversaw when he served as chairman. The board's new chairman, the Rev. John H. Kindred, looks up and smiles at Bennett with a look of surprise on his face. The commissioners are so involved in discussions on whether they should have a retreat, that Bennett had gone unnoticed to the chairman.
``You all have been pushing me so hard that I didn't even see you sitting back there,'' says Kindred while laughing. ``I'm grateful to have you here.''
- Katrice Franklin Wednesday, Sept. 11
2:15 p.m. - North Main Street, Suffolk
While waiting in a long line for a red light to change at the corner of North Main Street and Constance Road, a driver idly bides her time by looking up at the roof lines of buildings.
The woman notices tall tree branches swaying in the breeze beside the chimney of a building near Riddick's Folly. But then, she looks again. The tree or large bush has actually taken root and is growing out of the chimney itself!
Obviously, the fireplace in the building has probably not been in use for quite a while!
- Shirley Brinkley
5:30 p.m. - Carolina Highway.
Most of us are griping - more rain.
But there are two little boys who love it. They are riding on their bicycles - without shirts.
The smiles are big - so, let the rain fall.
- Frank Roberts Thursday, Sept 12
12:30 p.m. - Salvation Army soup kitchen, Suffolk
Mary Link has a smile on her face and a plastic glove on her right hand as she offers a choice of cupcakes.
Chocolate, vanilla or lemon? asks Link, an advertising manager for The Virginian-Pilot and a United Way volunteer.
Working for the ``Day of Caring'' gives a first-hand look at those less fortunate.
``We take so much for granted,'' Link says.
``These people could be meaner, upset when they come in here because of the hand they've been dealt,'' Link says. ``But they're not.''
- Susie Stoughton ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by MICHAEL KESTNER
United Way volunteer Mary Link offers a dessert choice to a visitor
at the Salvation Army soup kitchen in Suffolk on Thursday. by CNB