DATE: Thursday, May 1, 1997                 TAG: 9705010557

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B2   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: Staff writers Jack Dorsey, Lori Denney, Liz Szabo and Melinda

        Forbes contributed to this report.

                                            LENGTH:  125 lines

HAMPTON ROADS

VIRGINIA BEACH

Runway pattern shift

at Oceana causing

change in noise level

Repairs to Oceana Naval Air Station's main runways have forced a shift of some operations to the base's historically lesser-used cross-wind runways, resulting in aircraft noise shifting to the north and southeast of the base.

Repairs began early this month and will continue through July.

``We made the runway shift for safety and operational needs,'' said Capt. Eric Benson, Oceana's base commander. He said he recognizes the inconvenience the altered operations place on area residents and has instructed his staff to reinforce noise abatement procedures with the air crews.

Police department opens

equestrian barn Saturday

The Virginia Beach Police Department's Mounted Patrol is holding a grand opening for its new equestrian barn from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday at 2599 Dam Neck Road.

The public is invited to attend the ribbon cutting ceremony, meet the horses and officers, take a tour of the building and then watch an equestrian demonstration.

The new facility includes stalls for 18 horses, a grooming and wash area, a feed and tack area as well as an attached office. Before moving into the building, the horses were kept at a converted shed on the grounds of Camp Pendleton off General Booth Boulevard.

For information, call 428-9133.

National Day of Prayer

celebrated at the Beach

The 46th annual National Day of Prayer will be observed in Virginia Beach from noon to 1 p.m. today behind the Municipal Center's City Hall Building and at 7 p.m. at Mount Trashmore on Edwin Drive.

Religious denominations across the nation have been invited to join in prayer for the nation and its leaders by the National Day of Prayer Task Force based in Colorado Springs, Colo. This year's theme is ``In God We Trust.''

The National Day of Prayer was established in 1952, when Congress unanimously passed a joint resolution signed by President Harry Truman. In 1988, President Ronald Reagan amended the resolution and established the first Thursday in May as the official National Day of Prayer.

Del. Robert McDonnell will lead the Municipal Center gathering with a prayer for government, Chaplain Dicky Sherrell will pray for the imprisoned and persecuted, Kevin Armstrong of The Virginian-Pilot will pray for mass media, cultural and social services, Dr. Kelly Burris will pray for the family and James McPhearson will pray for personal renewal and moral awakening.

For information, call 467-5642.

World champion choir

to perform at Little Creek

The winner of the 1995 Choir of the World competition will bring its USA Concert Tour to Little Creek Naval Base Theater at 7 p.m. on May 12.

The UST Singers from Manila is the first Asian group to win the title as grand slam winner of youth choir competition, folk song competition and chamber choir competition in the 49th Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod in North Wales.

The 32 singers are conducted by Professor Fidel G. Calalang Jr., one of the Philippines' youngest choral conductors.

Tickets are $10 for general admission and $8 for students.

For details, call 499-6395.

CHESAPEAKE

Local businesses' fire

insurance rates may drop

The company that evaluates fire safety in Chesapeake to help establish insurance rates for commercial properties has upgraded the city's rating.

Fire Chief Michael L. Bolac said the improved classification could result in an average 5 percent reduction in the fire insurance rates paid by local business owners.

The Insurance Services Office raised the city's classification from Class 5 to Class 4, effective today. There are 10 levels in the rating system, based on emergency response time, fire station locations, level of water service, fire apparatus, the condition of the city's building stock and other factors.

Rates vary from company to company and from property to property, so owners should ask their insurance agents about the effect of the new rating, if any, on particular properties, Bolac said.

ISO evaluates all U.S. cities with populations of less than 250,000 every 10 years.

PORTSMOUTH

Task Force on Aging needs

feedback on adult day care

The Portsmouth Task Force on Aging is still interested in getting feedback from Portsmouth residents who could use adult day-care services.

A committee looking into the need for such a service would like interested residents to call the Portsmouth Senior Center with answers to these questions:

How many days a week would the service be used?

At what hours of the day?

Will transportation be needed?

What special needs would the individual participating in the program have?

Why is this program needed for your family member?

What would the family be willing to pay per day for this service?

Interested residents are asked to call the senior center at 398-3777, preferably between 9 a.m. and noon Monday through Friday.

ALSO. . .

Virginia Beach - As part of Be Kind to Animals Week (May 4-10), the Virginia Beach SPCA will be open May 9 from 10 a.m. to midnight for a Midnight Madness Adopt-A-Thon. The shelter is located at 3040 Holland Road. For more information, call 427-0070.

Norfolk - The Keon Paschal Perry Inc., a nonprofit organization with a sickle cell disease research focus, has opened an office at 7510 Granby St., Suite 207. KPP Inc. is the only international organization working full time to raise gene therapy awareness.

Norfolk - More than 100 Hampton Roads elementary and middle school students will compete in a fast-paced math competition at 10 a.m. today in the Omni Waterside's Poplar and Providence rooms. The students, fourth- through eighth-graders, qualified for the event by competing in their individual schools.

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