DATE: Friday, June 13, 1997                 TAG: 9706110127

SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER      PAGE: 02   EDITION: FINAL 

                                            LENGTH:   81 lines

TOWN TALK

David Andrews of Portlock can come and go in his wheelchair thanks to the efforts of two members of the Great Bridge Ruritan Club, James ``Jim'' Earley and Jeff Davis.

The two unselfish Ruritans spent some time building a wheelchair ramp onto Andrews' home.

``It's just one of the many things we do for the community,'' Earley said. ``Someone from Norfolk contacted us about Mr. Andrews and we got right to it.''

Earley and Davis gathered up the lumber and tools and in a couple of days made Andrews' home wheelchair accessible.

``We're right proud of the way it turned out,'' Earley said. ``He was really happy to get the ramp built. Now he can come and go out of his house with a lot less trouble then before.

Let's pat Earley and Davis on the back, their attitude is what makes Chesapeake real a help-thy-neighbor city.

- Eric Feber Divine inspiration

Last week all of Chesapeake's high schools experienced baccalaureate services for its senior end-of-the-school rites.

Since the U.S. Supreme Court outlawed any official school sponsorship of these inspirational ceremonies, the Chesapeake Baccalaureate Ministry Support Group, a private, non-profit organization intent on keeping the tradition of the service alive, stepped in.

All ceremonies are planned by student volunteers with help from the CBMSG to rent the school hall, plan the speakers, schedule the music and singing and oversee every other detail including programs and even renting a public address system.

Why go through all this trouble?

Joshua A. Kegg, chairman of the Hickory High School ceremony, said it was a calling from above.

``God has called me to do anything I can to service Him,'' Kegg said. ``I'm involved with Jesus Christ, which is life itself. I want to share him with everybody else and this is one of the best ways I can do it.''

- Eric Feber Viva la revolucion?

Maybe its the changing political climate of the world or maybe somebody recently finished reading Marx' ``Das Kapital'' and Mao's little red book of sayings. Whatever the reason, it seems leftist graffiti is being spotted right here in Chesapeake.

Our spies spotted several examples in Great Bridge. A few were on the Great Bridge Bypass wall while others were spotted along the concrete drainage ditch by the Wilson Village Shopping Center.

The slogans included the pacifist ``fight war, not wars'' along with ``wealth is a ghetto,'' ``these aren't United States'' and ``counter revolution.''

It seems like 1972 all over again. Where's that tie-dyed T-shirt?

- Eric Feber Laundry larceny?

Perhaps the thief is planning a spending spree at a local video arcade.

Or maybe he's just really behind in his laundry.

Someone broke into a home in the 300 block of Tangerine Trail last month and stole a Gucci watch, four sets of towels, assorted jewelry - and $200 in rolled quarters. The robbery took place some time between May 10 and May 17, police report.

With all those quarters, the thief should be able to keep his new sets of towels clean for a long time.

- Liz Szabo Hungry hustlers

Sometimes the line at the deli counter is just too long for some people.

Thieves stole ``various meats'' and ``various frozen meats'' from an unlocked vehicle parked at 820 Greenbrier Circle on May 7 and May 10, police report.

- Liz Szabo ILLUSTRATION: Photo

Great Bridge Ruritan members built the wheelchair ramp for David

Andrews, in wheelchair, shown with his son Christopher.

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