DATE: Tuesday, June 10, 1997                TAG: 9706100215

SECTION: BUSINESS                PAGE: D2   EDITION: FINAL 

                                            LENGTH:   76 lines

LOCAL SCENE

HAMPTON ROADS

TICKETS AVAILABLE FOR AWARDS BANQUET: Tickets are available for a black-tie awards banquet to honor the 25 finalists of the Virginia Entrepreneur of the Year awards program to be held at 6 p.m., June 24 at the Omni Richmond Hotel. Outstanding Virginia award recipients will be recommended as finalists for the national awards to be held in November. Tickets for the Virginia banquet are $95 each or $850 for a table of 10. To order tickets or for more information, call Patricia L. Sager at (804)344-6021.

NORFOLK

ASHBY APPOINTED TO FINANCE COMMISSION: Solomon H. Ashby, an associate with the law firm of Willcox & Savage, was appointed to the Portsmouth Municipal Finance Commission. The commission is responsible for surveying the overall financial condition of the city and making recommendations to the City Council as appropriate.

VOLUNTEER HAMPTON ROADS TO RECEIVE AWARD FOR COMMUNICATION EXCELLENCE: The Points of Light Foundation will present a second-place award to Volunteer Hampton Roads for ``Implementing the Volunteer Center Vision'' at its Communication Excellence Awards for Volunteer Centers at the National Community Service Conference in New York, June 28 through July 2. The award is for the audio/visuals titled ``Act Against Violence,'' produced by WHRO, and ``The Volunteer Spirit,'' produced by WVEC Channel 13. Both videos were produced in February 1996. Volunteer Hampton Roads recruits and refers volunteers to nonprofit agencies.

WTKR NAMES STATION MANAGER: Sandra L. Yost, vice president of operations, advertising and promotion at WRC in Washington since 1993, is the new station manager of CBS affiliate WTKR. Yost, 41, held management positions at stations in Phoenix and Minneapolis before joining WRC. She also worked for CNN in Atlanta. Yost, who will start work in Norfolk on June 23, has a degree in journalism from the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

NEWPORT NEWS

NEWPORT NEWS SHIPBUILDING WINS MAERSK CONTRACT: Maersk Line Ltd. awarded Newport New Shipbuilding a contract for maintenance work on five roll-on/roll-off cargo ships. Maersk operates the ships for the Marine Corps' Maritime Prepositioned Force, which puts shiploads of armor, ammunition and other cargo needed in a deployment near hot spots around the globe. The yard would not disclose the value of the contract, but a spokeswoman said each ship will keep about 75 workers busy. The first of the vessels arrives this month and Newport News Shipbuilding will have drydocked and worked on all five by next March. It's a small job for the big yard, which employs nearly 18,000 workers, but it helps maintain the yard's presence in ship repair. The Peninsula yard has worked on all five ships in the past. Madison, N.J.-based Maersk Line is a U.S. subsidiary of the Danish shipping conglomerate A.P. Moller. It operates 18 ships for the Defense Department and just started a U.S.-flag commercial service between the East Coast and the Mediterranean Sea.

ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTING FIRM NAMES MESTAYER ASSOCIATE AND GODOY SENIOR ASSOCIATE: Katherine A. Mestayer was promoted to an associate of Malcolm Pirnie, a national firm of consulting environmental engineers, scientists and planners. She has been with the firm since 1990 and specializes in utility management consulting and competitive strategies for solid waste, water and wastewater facilities/services. Also, Franco E. Godoy was promoted to a senior associate. He specializes in hazardous waste management and environmental compliance for industrial, federal and municipal clients.

VIRGINIA

MORE ASKED OF JAMES RIVER: James River Corp. said Monday the U.S. Justice Department has asked for more information on its proposed acquisition of Fort Howard Corp., a deal valued at $5.8 billion. James River, based in Richmond, said both companies would comply with the request. The merger is expected to create a paper-products company with annual revenue of more than $7 billion. James River, the No. 2 tissue maker globally, specializes in consumer products. Fort Howard, based in Green Bay, Wis., is a commercial supplier of lower-cost paper products.

MEMO: To submit an item, send it to Local Scene, The Virginian-Pilot

Business News Department, 150 W. Brambleton Ave., Norfolk, Va. 23510.

Photos are welcome. Or fax your submission to 446-2531. ILLUSTRATION: Ashby

Mestayer

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