DATE: Sunday, June 29, 1997                 TAG: 9706270210

SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS     PAGE: 04   EDITION: FINAL 

COLUMN: AROUND TOWN 

SOURCE: Ida Kay Jordan 

                                            LENGTH:   49 lines

HOT AIR AND PLANS FOR COUNCIL RETREAT

In a discussion of a planned City Council retreat on Labor Day weekend, Mayor Jim Holley informed his fellow city officials that he would not be available.

``But you can go ahead without me,'' he said. ``You have your wings now.''

Councilman Cameron Pitts didn't miss a beat.

``But you're the wind,'' he retorted.

City Manager Ron Massie said he would not want to have the retreat with the mayor absent.

``But I wouldn't want to have it with any member of council absent,'' he said. ``I think everybody should be there.''

HEAT MIRAGE: Michael Brescia, manager of real estate for Hannaford Bros., suggested a way to keep cool at the outdoor groundbreaking for new development at the old Churchland High School site.

``If you look straight ahead just hard enough, you can see a nice, cool Hannaford right there selling cold iced tea and colas,'' he told the folks crowding under a tent to keep out of the midday sun.

Brascia was one of nine speakers at the gathering, but all of them, including Mayor Jim Holley, kept their remarks short enough to keep the ceremony at 30 minutes.

The new Hannaford market will open next spring on the Churchland site along with Sterling Cove, a retirement community of 63 condominiums, and Province Place of Maryview, an assisted-care facility.

WHAT ASSETS? It's amazing what a 65-year-old organization can accumulate.

The Portsmouth General Hospital Auxiliary is going out of business after many years of service to the hospital, which will be closed down over the next several years.

The organization's $200,000 treasury has been the root of a controversy among members with varying ideas of how to dispose of the money.

``But we have a lot of other assets we have to deal with, too,'' auxiliary vice president Bill Westbrook said.

For instance, the auxiliary owns the gift shop in the hospital.

``We've offered to sell that to Bon Secours,'' Westbrook said. ``But we haven't heard back from them.''

In addition, the auxiliary owns office equipment, longtime member Frances Slade said.

``And there is the silver,'' she said. ``A punch bowl and other serving pieces.''

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